Fox In The Henhouse (Backpost)

Posted on Thu Jul 23rd, 2026 @ 5:47am by Ensign Siat-or-iian Elkovais & Lieutenant Commander Clay McEntyre

1,090 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X04: All the Friends We Can Get
Location: Security Office

She scratched at the fabric of the uniform pants and hooked one clawtip into it to tug it away from the leg, then grimaced as it caused pressure in other... Sensitive places as she walked through the corridor towards the main security offices. She'd been late for the ship launching, delayed by Academy graduation proceedings going on the day after, with an additional ceremony for her and two others of her kind, so the traditional boarding at a starbase was right out. Fortunately, there was another starship following in the same direction and with a few others, they had taken a shuttle across when they had rendezvoused with Ark Royal.

Still, the near torture of the short shuttle ride in THOSE seats had nearly driven Sait'or'iian Elkovais insane since they most definitely hadn't been made for her and she looked over her shoulder to make sure that her tails weren't all over the place, satisfied that they wouldn't seriously impede anyone. On her former ships, those of the Imperial Feixiean Navy, tail contact was normal, it just couldn't be helped, what with one having anywhere from three to five tails to contend with, and that was just the Feixieans, The Onarai, the other sophont with whom they shared their world and her moon, had antlers and they really did get in the way at times.

Another tug at the pants and she sighed again, but she was finally coming up on the security offices, the door of which had apparently seen her coming and opened as if beckoning. Her ears flicked to the sides as she wondered how the others would react to her. Many of her classmates at the Starfleet Academy (not the Imperial Academy those twelve years ago) had wanted to feel her ears and her tails, wondered how her hair felt in comparison, everything that she could have imagines and then her fox ears flicked back up and forward as she finally hit the threshold and saw several faces look up at her, then back to whatever was going on. Her eyes went over to the closed office doors but made out a figure even through the opaqued windows and went over, knocking instead of pressing a buzzer. "Ensign Elkovais reporting to the Chief of Security." She stated clearly and precisely.

Clay looked up from the breakfast he was eating at his desk. A plate of eggs, bacon, sausage, a small steak and a cup of coffee. He swallowed the bite he had in his mouth to call out.

“Come in!” Before he took his fork and stabbed it in another bite of egg as the doors slid open with a hiss.

The smell of the steak and bacon and sausage caused Torii's mouth to water even as the doors slid open and she automatically stepped in. The tips of her outer tails twitched slightly at the scent to the rather carnivorous Feixian, but she kept herself and her rather sensitive sense of smell under control as she entered the room, "Sorry to disturb your breakfast..." Her eyes searched him for a moment, then latched onto his neck, "Com-man-der," The word came out somewhat stilted, "I unnmm, wanted to report in to you sooner rather than later."

Clay looks over the small fox looking woman carefully. Curiously, taking in the details. She reminded him of Caitians, to which Clay was quite familiar with, given some of his family relations.

"Welcome Aboard Ark Royal. I take it from your file, this is your first posting in Starfleet?" He asked as he pulls up her file on his PADD, sitting next to his plate.

"Yes, Commander." Torii said softly, "After a few years in Home Fleet, but this is rather quite different. Our ships are rather modular, which makes repairs much easier than otherwise, as well as upgrades, but it does leave some weaknesses that I've not seen in Federation ships. But as we are allied polities, it was determined that as the Empire was applying to join the Federation, that the integration of some of our people at least initially was not just recommended, but desired. I'm the first graduate of the Academy from Feixeia, but there are others shortly behind me, including two starship commanders."

Clay leans back in his chair, observing the ensign.

"What made you choose Security over say Medical, or Command, Or engineering?"

"I'm sorry, Commander?" Tori gave him a confused look as her ears angled off to the side by about fifteen degrees each, "It just seemed like the path to take at the time. I'm not a medic, nor do I really care to be and while I know my way around weapons maintenance, I've always been more likely to take things apart rather than put them back together. As for command, that's something to look forward to in the future, security just seemed the best way to get there than anything else. I'd qualified as a bridge officer before the Emperor made the announcement. I'm not from a well-to-do family, only one of the daughters of a starship commander."

"Daughter of a Captain. I can relate, I'm the son of Starfleet Officers, come from a long line of them." Clay elaborated.

“Never a bad thing, sir.” Her ears came back forward again, tails fluffed slightly, “They do seem to inspire more of the naval tradition than for those who have grown up in a more ground-based upbringing, like my ex-mate. He couldn’t stand that I felt compelled to go off planet, rather than serve the minimum term and return to the ground.”

Clay nods. “Is there anything you need on your end to be successful in your position?”

“A better fit of uniform and armor, perhaps?” Torii grimaced, “They certainly weren’t designed for someone with tails, much less four of them, and the helmet on the armor? I’d rather go without it than subject my poor ears to that. I could request a set of imperial body armor if you’d prefer, but I know uniforms are just that: Uniform.”

“I see the quartermaster makes the necessary adjustments to your armor and uniforms. If there’s nothing else, Welcome Aboard, Ensign” Clay said as he stood and offered his hand.

Torii took it, her hand warm and always careful with the claws on her fingers, "Thank you, sir, I'll try to do you proud."

END

A mission Post By:

Lieutenant Commander Clay McEntyre
Chief of Security
USS Ark Royal

and

Ensign Torii Elkovais
Security Officer
USS Ark Royal

 

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