A Pre-Departure Conversation

Posted on Tue Feb 15th, 2022 @ 5:32pm by Lieutenant Didrea Zade

Mission: Character Development
Location: USS Colossal, en route to Starbase 32
Timeline: MD03 - 2035hrs (Before 'Help is on the Way')
773 words - 1.5 OF Standard Post Measure

After the Captain got Karav and Zade up to speed, the two exited the ready room with some haste. While the team wasn't expected to rendezvous with the Athena until tomorrow morning, it was still some distance to travel and they were planning to depart at 2100, which was not a lot of time to get ready. Plus, they were in Cardassian space, so there were undoubtedly precautions incorporated into the flight path.

Commander T'Lara was sitting in the captain's chair, reading through a report on the PADD in her hand. The Vulcan had no objection to working this late, but it wasn't a normal occurrence. There was something on her mind. Hearing the ready room doors open, she glanced up, seeing the two security officers who had been summoned by Munro. While slight, her eyes narrowed as she watched Karav. T'Lara never fully liked the Betazoid, but she had to admit he was good at his job. Still, there was something about him that prevented her from fully trusting him.

The two made it to the lift, and Karav turned to make eye contact with T'Lara, his expression neutral. He knew she was watching him and that she didn't fully trust him, but he did what he could to try and show her that he wasn't whoever she was thinking of. He kept their eyes locked for a couple seconds before he broke the contact to enter the lift behind Zade.

T'Lara kept her eyes on the two until the lift doors shut, then she turned back to the PADD in her hands.

"Deck 4," Zade said. She waited until the lift started moving before turning to Karav. "Karav, why did you recommend me for this mission? Why not go yourself?"

Karav, who was facing the doors, turned his head a little toward her. "I think you're suited for the mission. I've been overseeing your training, and I know you can handle it," he replied simply. The corner of his mouth curled up into a slight smile. "Besides, you can't take the strongest security officer off the ship in the middle of Cardassian space."

Rolling her eyes, Zade punched his shoulder. "You're so full of yourself," she joked, then winced as her chest protested. Yep, there was definitely going to be a bruise, but it was already a lot less painful than it was before. The ache in her chest brought back memories of their training session, and her expression fell slightly. His serious expression, the way he fought... she was sure she even saw it in his eyes. Was he actually serious? "About today's training..." she began, pausing in her words. "... you were just acting, right? You wouldn't really turn against the crew?"

Karav could feel the concern rolling off of her, even without his empathic abilities. Turning a little more to face her, he put a hand gently on her shoulder, ignoring the ache in his shoulder from her punch. "I sense your concern, Zade. It was all part of the training."

Zade looked into Karav's eyes, trying to find anything in them, but as usual he was unreadable. "Well, jeez, you could have gone into an acting career, because you had me convinced," she said, feeling the lift come to a stop. The doors opened, and Zade stepped out. "Well, I need to go pack. Who knows how long I'll be away." 25 minutes is not enough time to pack for something like this and still leave on time. It will have to be just essentials, Zade thought with a frown. She knew that some of the science officers on the Colossal were picky about timeliness, and knowing her luck, those officers were part of the team, so she didn't want to be late for that reason.

Karav lifted his hand when Zade moved, then shoved it into his pocket. "Oh, here," he said, pulling out a data chip and tossing it to her. "Some training programs with a holographic me, in case you get bored."

You're assuming I will have free time, the Trill thought with a chuckle. Zade caught the chip and looked at it for a second before putting it in her pocket. "Thanks. Maybe I can beat the holographic you," she said with a wink. She gave him a little wave before turning to head to her quarters.

The Betazoid returned the wave with a little smile, but his expression dropped once the doors closed. "Deck 6," Karav told the computer, shoving both hands into his pockets and leaning against the back of the lift. He had some plans to change.