Amaya/Zora

Posted on Wed Mar 1st, 2023 @ 2:28pm by Commander Amaya Lance & Commander N'Garzi Zora

Mission: Wrath of the People
Location: USS Athena - Ready Room
Timeline: MD-05
1064 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

No amount of pacing or coffee would do the trick of shaking Amaya out of the current state she was in. Having been unceremoniously reinstated to active duty and placed aboard a ship of the line - especially to replace a Captain that had just been arrested for terrorism - was hardly something she'd expected a week ago. Perhaps it was a sign that Starfleet had faith in her. Or maybe this was another way for them to convince her she wasn't suited for this line of work anymore. Deep down, she had been questioning her motivations for a long time. Was this the final straw.

Now, as she waited for Commander Zora, she found herself wondering what her new First Officer would be like. Would she be like Malone: all seriousness and business? Was Amaya ready for someone like that? She clasped her hands together tightly, willing the twitch to stop as the door chimed.

"Come in," she called, her voice almost breaking as she did.

Zora stepped into the office, just enough so that the doors would close behind her, but not right up to the captain's desk. She stood, her arms clasped behind her back, as she studied the woman, who in all rights should even be here. She tried to separate her personal feelings about the current situation and her duties to Starfleet, but she had to admit, right now she was struggling. "You wished to see me, Sir?"

"Please, call me Amaya." She didn't sit. Even she knew that it would set the wrong impression this early on. Instead, she held out her hand, concentrating hard enough to keep it steady. "If we're going to be working together, I'd really prefer us to get off on the right foot."

Zora stepped forward and embraced the handshake, professional until the end. "Do you envision you'll be here long?" She meant for the question to be sincere but instead, it came across as catty. She internally chastised herself. "I didn't mean that to sound... like that."

Amaya felt her cheeks redden slightly, inwardly feeling a little awkward as well. "It...wasn't my first choice," she admitted. "Last week I was sitting at home tending some flowers. The next thing I know I'm being reinstated and assigned here." Her tone was apologetic, but honest. "But I'll do my best to help and support the crew. With your help, of course."

"Of course," Zora said nodding her head slightly. Bending the knee, maybe? She had to admit that she felt a pang of guilt and sympathy for the woman and relaxed her stance a little, coming across as slightly friendlier. It was better to have Lance as an ally rather than an enemy, at least until Zora knew what side her bread was buttered. "I'm sorry, it's been a hard few days for us all. This mission, what do you know?"

Amaya felt awkward. She hadn't actually looked at the mission profile in detail. Everything since coming aboard had been so overwhelming, her attention had been so focused on making a good impression that she hadn't really processed the actual work side of things. "Something to do with smugglers causing a nuisance. We'll go and have a look, negotiate where we need to," she said. That was her standard procedure in any situation.

"Well it's a good job you have a diplomacy officer aboard," Zora said with a smile, trying to ease the tension a little. "And what's your background Sir? You don't look as rough and ready as Kane so I'm guessing it's not tactical?"

"Oh...no, definitely not." Amaya shook her head, a little embarrassed that she was far less 'rough and ready' as Zora had put it. "Sciences. Xenobiology, linguistics, that was my main background." Was, she noted. Not really the sort of skillset that would be required on a ship like this. "You're a diplomat, then?" she asked hopefully.

Zora smiled coyly. "I am. I'm pretty good at it... sometimes," she added with a slightly raised eyebrow. She wondered how Lance had landed the Athena command position with such a blue background, but then she guessed the same could be said of herself. "Well you'll find the crew more than willing and able Commander, though there's going to be a certain level of tension in the air right now, you understand?"

"I do. I'm planning to speak to the ship's counsellor as well. Perhaps...between the two of you, that tenson might be smoothed?" she asked hopefully. So far Zora had seemed polite and open to working together. Perhaps that would make things easier in the transition.

"We'll certainly try," Zora replied, a little hesitantly. Starfleet officers were used to change, it was part of the uniform, but so much had changed so quickly. Keating leaving the way she did was a big blow to morale, but then the Captain being arrested for something the crew knew he didn't do, was a step too far. I hope the crew knows he didn't do it! She thought to herself before shaking that idea away.

"Commander Savin will be just as helpful," Zora said confidently. "Whilst you speak to him, I'll pull all the records from Starfleet about this mission. We wouldn't want your first one to be a disaster," she added with a casual smile, her tone lying between humour and dark.

The last word tripped something in Amaya's mind. Her right hand twitched again, forcing her to quickly grasp it with her other hand and apply some deep pressure to her palm. Disaster.

"Y-yes...I mean...no," she murmured. A hesitant moment later, she flashed a forced smile. "Thank you, Commander Zora. I am looking forward to working with you."

Zora noticed the forced smile and the fake platitude, her eyes asking the question her lips didn't dare to. When none came, she too smiled and gave a curt nod. "You too Sir. I'll be on the bridge if you need anything else."

Amaya let her new XO leave, one hand clamped down hard over her other. Stop, she willed it, unsuccessfully. Whatever Starfleet was thinking, leaving her with this type of assignment, she wished she knew. But, for now, she had to push through it. Somehow.