A Human Hand Gesture

Posted on Mon Mar 7th, 2022 @ 12:44am by Commander N'Garzi Zora & Lieutenant Commander P’rel M.D

Mission: With Gleaming Eyes
Location: Intelligence Office
Timeline: MD03 - Later
1981 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

Zora had not long returned from her mission to the relay station and was eager to find out what information they had been able to steal before having to run for their lives. She knew that she could send the intelligence department their findings and get them to do the busywork, wasn't that part of the art of command, delegation? However, they had risked so much to get this info, she had to know if it had all been worth it, despite the doctor's request for her to take it easy after the riot a few hours ago. Besides, this would be a good opportunity for her to meet Lieutenant P'rel, the resident spikey Vulcan, from all accounts. Zora had to admit, she was intrigued by this character. She had only been on the Athena a few days, and the stories she had already heard had piqued her interest.

So that was where Zora found herself, outside of the office that was home to P'rel and the secrets that lay within. She took a second outside of the door to straighten her uniform and to make sure that the headwrap that held her braids, was firmly in place. The El-Aurian took a deep breath and then pressed the button to announce her presence.

“…which is why -“ P’rel was cut off by the intrusion of the door chime. “Computer, pause report and save for continuation”. The Vulcan didn’t like unannounced visits at the best of times, and even less so when she was midway through paperwork. Still, she mused, she hadn’t muted the door chime as she usually would have done. “Come” she replied, not looking up to see who had entered, and instead saving the various open directories so she could find her place again later.

Zora strode into the office and took a look around, it was exactly as she expected it to be; slightly darker than the other senior officers' offices, PADDs everywhere, and an air of covert secrets and cloak and dagger operations. "Am I disturbing you, Lieutenant?" Zora asked, seeing that the Vulcan was nose deep in her work.

"Yes" P'rel replied, flatly, still not looking up. She didn't like people generally, any people, particularly hypocrites in Starfleet and the Federation. That said she had warmed, slightly, to a small number of individuals aboard Athena and her usual disposition of resistance reared itself at the presence of an unfamiliar voice.

Zora had spent enough years around many different species not to be offended by a singular syllable word, especially coming from a Vulcan. "Well then, I will try not to keep you," she replied, almost mimicking the same flat tone. Clearly, P'rel was all business, and Zora was absolutely fine with that. "We haven't had the opportunity to meet yet; I am Commander Zora, the new XO. I need you to look at the data we managed to gather from the relay station as a matter of urgency."

P'rel marginally winced; it was certainly true that she didn't know the Commander well, or indeed at all, and that the her relationship last XO with whom she exchanged first impressions hadn't been all too pleasant. She had promised the Captain -rather she had been ordered - that she would make an effort with Commander Taeler, and she assumed that those orders extended to the new XO as well. Whilst she bristled with incredulity that Commander Zora would permit both herself and Captain Kane to beam down to the same volatile location, whilst the second officer was in bed asleep, she decided it was best to keep her own first impressions to herself and convey a better one than she did with Taeler. Simply, "Commander", was all that she managed to muster however as she at least turned around to face the command officer.

Despite hearing the stories, Zora was a little taken aback by P'rel's, almost hostile attitude. She had to admit, she found Vulcans somewhat narrow-minded in her experience, but they did have their uses and some of those seemed to be loyalty and dedication at the very least, to the command structure on a starship. P'rel was so far showing none of these, as though Zora was an annoying cadet who had just asked her a silly question. However she felt, the diplomat in her didn't allow it to show on her face or in her voice. "I must thank you for your quick and prompt action onboard during the riots earlier today," she said, continuing her efforts to engage with the woman.

With an arched eyebrow P’rel moved to the replicator; smaller than a standard size and only really meant for small beverages. “A volatile situation worsened by both senior command officers being off ship at the same time in a hostile environment, whilst the second officer was off duty” she said with a cold matter of factness about her tone. She keyed a beverage into the replicator; “and with the Captain’s safety being your remit…”. A pot of traditional Vulcan tea appeared on the replicator pad alongside two empty clay cups, she was determined to get of on a better foot with Zora than she did with Taeler, even if she found an unfortunate comfort in bristling against the discomfort of a new person.

"I'm fully aware of my remit," Zora bit back, her voice slightly more raised than it had been a moment before. Most people wouldn't notice the change, however, she was sure that P'rel would. "However, maybe you need reminding of yours? When the First Officers requests for you to join a mission, take note, it's not a request in the usual fashion where you have the option, it's an order. An officer of your skill really should know the difference."

Pouring the guest's cup first, P'rel offered it to the Commander with both hands. Remembering a few days prior when she ignored the order to report to the shuttle, the Vulcan hadn't really considered nor cared what the impact of her absence would be - only that she was doing something more important at the time. "An officer of my skill should be covertly assessing the biodiversity impacts of First Contact or Federation membership, not delving into possible Flag Officer corruption amongst Starfleet and the allies, whilst being all but imprisoned on a warship...". P'rel hoped to slib a barb in, letting Zora know that P'rel probably knew more than she did and 'putting in her place' the Commander, so to speak. An antagonistic trait to be sure, but something akin to a defence mechanism built into the Vulcan's character when dealing with unfamiliar people.

Zora took the drink with a curt nod but almost dropped it again at P'rel's revelation of corruption in Starfleet, especially at such a high level. She was nearly 150 years old so she was far from naive, she knew an organisation like Starfleet couldn't exist without some skeletons in its closet or dark and mysterious past. But to be so close to it, for her own officer to be investigating it and she was unaware was beyond unacceptable. However, that wasn't a conversation, for now, she would save that pleasure for Kane. The El-Aurian might be walking in the dark, but she was sure her captain was walking on the side of angels, or at least he thought he was and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Well while you're slumming it with us uneducated, you will follow orders just like everyone else who wears that uniform, understood?" Zora said, her voice steady and her stance strong.

Sipping the tea herself, P’rel didn’t want to commit to an understanding she might not be able to follow in the future. She instead have a half hearted and ambiguous smile, barely a twitching of the lips, before taking the cup from Commander Zora to refill it. “You needed data analysing.”, she replied instead. Passing the refilled small cup back to Zora.

So this is how we're doing this? Zora thought to herself. She stared at the Vulcan for a while, neither taking back the cup nor answering the question. A hundred responses ran through her head, each one more extreme than the last. She had the impression that P'rel was too used to doing things her way and somehow Kane had allowed this behaviour to go unchecked. Zora could do the same, allow P'rel the freedom she required to do her job; or she could fight back, allowing herself to fulfil her remit. She decided to wait this one out, not backing down, not quite making a decision right now. The proverbial ball was in the Vulcan's court.

Locking eyes with the Commander, she sensed the woman in front of her had a strength she could respect at least. Her agitation at dealing with someone new, and her inherent adversarial nature towards the same was still winning out however. Knowing that Zora was El-Aurian, she wondered how much the Commander was perceptually aware of, they weren’t quite telepaths in the traditional sense but the species were well known for their perceptive abilities beyond conventional means. “Perhaps not” replied P’rel, setting the tea back down and returning to her workstation; she activated the report file she had been working on and prepared to get back to it.

Zora had definitely underestimated the Vulcan's resolve; stubbornness didn't even begin to cover it. P'rel had called her bluff and now Zora had a choice to make, either back down and pretend the incident didn't happen or act accordingly. The El-Aurian had been a part of enough diplomacies to know to show weakness was as disastrous as pulling out a phaser. If P'rel only respected strength and if Zora was to successfully be the first officer on this ship, then she had to show no mercy. "Enjoy your evening Lieutenant, as of now you are relieved of your duties. No need to show me out." Zora clasped her hands behind her back, turned on her heel and made her way to the exit.

Proffering a human hand gesture to Zora’s back which was far removed from the traditional Vulcan one, P’rel existing a moment with juxtaposing thoughts; firstly that Zora might not be worth all the effort to get along with, and also that Kane would be disappointed regardless. “So starfleet” she muttered, as much exasperated by the Commander’s short sighted behaviour as she was just relieved for her to go. Her orders really mattered very little, what she was working on for Kane took priority. Briefly, she mused whether there was an opportunity to pit the two command officers against one another over the matter, and just as quickly dismissed the idea.

As the doors slid closed behind Zora she held her composure all the way down the corridor and as she waited for the turbolift to appear. Once inside, and sure she was away from P'rel's preying eyes, she let out a huge sign, bent over slightly, hands holding onto her knees. That was not the way she wanted her first meeting with the Vulcan to go, even if she felt she had been left with little choice. There are always options, she thought to herself as the lift moved to her required destination. Years spent sitting across from various counterparts at the negotiating table, just to be rattled by a Vulcan in a Starfleet uniform. The deed was done now, and whether she overreacted or not was for her to justify to Kane. She tapped her combadge, "computer, enter into the ship's log that Lieutenant P'rel is no longer on active duty." The computer bleeped in acknowledgement of the completed task and somehow that made the woman feel worse than when she had before in the small office. Had she overreacted?