First Thing's First

Posted on Wed May 7th, 2025 @ 3:25am by Lieutenant Commander David Erickson & Lieutenant Commander Valerie Novis

1,120 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X01: Bound for Cold Frontier
Location: First Officer's Office

David walked up to the XO's Office, a tablet tucked under his arm and back in uniform. He rang the chime and waited patiently.

Valerie looked up from her desk where she was going over some technical data regarding the weapons systems. One of the phaser arrays was still showing a glitch that caused her to grade it as unreliable and send a request to engineering to take a look at... Again. She scrawled a signature across the bottom and pressed her thumb to it for her authorization and leaned back in her seat, "Enter." She called out, setting the pad off to the side and glaring at the pile that still remained for her.

David stepped inside the XO's office and flashed her a smile. "Commander," he said. "Lieutenant Commander David Erickson, reporting for duty. Thought I'd check in sooner rather than later." He snapped a salute and held out his tablet with his transfer orders.

Valerie raised an eyebrow and gave a perfunctory wave in return of his salute as she leaned forward again to take the tablet to add to her collection and watched him while she leaned back again and began to peruse it, taking brief glances up here and there as she did so, "So you've served with the Captain previously, I see." She stated, "That puts you at an advantage over me, I met her once a couple years back, apparently made an impression on her." Again, her eyes watched him, then she flicked them down to the chair and back, "Take a seat, Commander, and tell me something that this doesn't say about you."

David sat down, leaning back and crossing his legs, thinking. "I love Betazoid fudge. I've had incidental training on most other bridge stations as a matter of necessity during my previous assignment. I'm a bit claustrophobic. I can only make love to the sound of a polka, and I am a perpetual smart-ass, but usually only to see how people react so I can get a read on them." He looked her in the eye, his voice casual, and gave a slight grin and a shrug. "Other than that? I'm an open book. Ask away."

"Then I guess you and I won't shack up, I can't stand polka music." Valerie's stern demeanor broke as she gave a chuckle with her own grin, "But Betazoid fudge? Don't know how people can stand it with it being as bitter as it is. You know, I thought the Vulcans would prefer things rather bland, but they include the glucose because it's a valuable energy source to combat the conditions on Vulcan." Her eyes went back to the tablet and she nodded as she sped-read to the end, picking up little bits here and there, "And yet another person much more familiar with the region near Klingon space than I am.. Still makes me wonder more why the Captain picked me, because I've been in the Romulan regions primarily."

"If I had to guess, that's one reason in and of itself," David said, leaning forward and pointing at her. "My entire job has been stealth recon for the past two years. You and I both knowing this area doesn't give her any extra information. You give her a wider reach of information, and more perspective. And, if Klingon/Romulan relations are indeed breaking down, as the rumors say, we'll need to know not only who's in the area, but how to play them against each other. The Captain is good at seeing a bigger picture, but she's also very cognizant of her ignorance. She knows what she doesn't know. So, your skill-set and knowledge base don't just echo hers, they are a complement."

He sat back in the chair. "Of course, in the end, that doesn't matter as much as the fact that you were picked, so clearly T'kal sees something in you. If you can't see it too, that's on you to catch up with her, but still accept it in the meantime."

"Actually, the Captain is from a diplomatic background, whereas I'm from tactical and intelligence, which is why she wanted me." Valerie waved her hand in a mystical way before giggling, "My tactical prowess with her diplomatic mystique? How could we go wrong? Right, but to be fair to you, something that you wouldn't be able to get from my personnel file.." She tipped her head up, exposing a line of a scar that went across her throat right under her chin, "This wasn't from a tragic accident during some gallant fight with the Romulans." Her voice became a bit more somber, "Self-inflicted, intentionally. Lied about it to get into Starfleet, among other things."

David was rarely at a loss for words, but the only response he could muster was a raise of his eyebrows. "Well," he said when his silence was brushing up against the time limit for a courteous pause, "I'm sure we're better off from you with us than without," he said. "You'll have to let me buy you a drink if you ever feel like sharing the story behind it."

"And risk alienating you with the boring tale of a moment of weakness?" Valerie looked back at him with a somber shrug. The angle now hid the scar rather well, unless someone was looking for it specifically, "It was a mistake that shouldn't have made, but I keep this as a reminder that life is not fair and that even in the darkest hours, it can always get better." She paused a moment herself, then gave a snort of laughter, "Besides, if we had a drink together, I'd get rather quite silly. I don't handle my alcohol very well."

"Well, that pretty much means we have to, doesn't it," David said, smiling. "But until then, I leave you with two thoughts." He stood up. "The next time you have an opportunity to try Betazoid fudge, try a few curls of Andorian shaved salt rock on it. The bitterness mellows out and what you taste is far better than normal." He straightened his uniform and draped his hands behind his back. "And two, I lied about my love for the polka." He gave her a cheeky grin and inclined his head. "I'll see you on the bridge, Commander," he said.

Valerie's eyebrows rose at the admission, the witty parting remark that she'd been about to lay on him now irrelevant. Salted chocolate, however, could be interesting. Salted caramel was itself pretty good, but she couldn't imagine.. "Indeed, Commander, on the bridge." She said in near automatic reflex, then watched him leave the office. As the door closed, she couldn't resist adding it in, "Well played."

 

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