Cr:01.07 – Alyxx watched the high ranking officials as they filed out of docking port 5, along with the stewards and security personnel and moved purposefully through the station to the main VIP lounge. This mini entourage was followed by the station Commander, his wife and the Callisto‘s Captain, all three looked uncomfortable and yet smiled for the ever present press, their camera’s and clientele.
“I bet Calyssa is just loving that!” noted one of Alyxx’s fellow Captain’s in a tone that convey the opposite of their words.
“I agree,” Alyxx said and sighed. “Well bang goes our quiet time!” she quipped annoyed. All but one of her companions nodded in agreement. “Kunal!?” she questioned looking at the Cardassian Gul.
“Rivendell is never quiet!” he noted puzzled.
“You have yet to get use to non-lizard idioms, Amel,” laughed Dennoz, one of their fellow Captain’s of the Chozo Expedition Force. All those who were currently in their home port had been asked to be present on the Promenade as a sort of reception guard of honor – not that they were that close to the new visitors.
“Amel Kunal; Quiet time is to do with security not the level of noise,” noted another, the tone like that of a parent to a wayward child rather than to a full grown adult male. “Besides which our newly promoted Captain here is a dab hand with such idioms,” the Vulcan Cmdr. Valem added.
“Welcome to the command ranks Alyxx Darkka.”
“Thank you, Gh’waina Bukta,” she quietly acknowledged as they all moved off now that the visitors were housed in the VIP lounge out of sight, to either return to their vessels or go about other business on the station. Alyxx found herself in the company of Gul Kunal and the Ktarian female Captain Bukta as they walked steadily around the upper deck and watched the station security personnel quietly milling around the other patrons of the station, knowing that their intent was anything but casual, weapons close at hand.
“How’s your crew shaping up?” Bukta asked softly as they stopped to admire the view across the large bio-dome – known as ‘Eden’, whilst watching the people milling about below.
“Well enough thank you, Gh’waina,” she acknowledged feeling uneasy about the increased security personnel. “My new head of the Aston Labs, couldn’t wait to get started,” grinning at the memory of the man’s eagerness to use his new domain.
“You CEO?” Kunal’s head snapped round and looked about to open his mouth with some snide comment; but Darkka got in first.
“Gul Kunal; what do you know about Trills?” she asked startling him with the abrupt change in subject matter; Bukta stayed quiet and waited.
“I am aware of your make-up as a peoples,” he admitted carefully.
“That I don’t doubt,” she acknowledged. “But what a lot of people are not aware of is that we are a triad race not dual,” she said looking straight at him and noted the blanching in his eyes. “I’m aware that you are something of a purest, Gul Kunal; but I am as much a ‘misfit’ as my crew are,” her tone conveying her sense of pride in that status. The Cardassian male pulled himself up to his full height his mouth set in a determined line, turned and strode off.
“I think you might have made an enemy there, Alyxx,” Bukta noted softly.
“I just can’t stand his so-called superior attitude. Grrrr! Sorry!” she sighed and smiled at her fellow officer. “In answer to your question; my CEO is still in hospital at present as he’s not fully come round from the operation yet,” her green eyes sad.
The Palatine‘s XO contacted Bukta and brought her up-to-date with the ship’s status.
“Thank you, Commander. I’ll be back on board in due course. Have Ops cleared us?”
=/\=Negative, Captain=/\=
“Understood, Bukta out.”
“How about something to eat?” Alyxx suggested.
“Aren’t we to go to the VIP banquet tonight?” the Ktarian playfully queried.
“I meant real food; not nibbles and big-wig talk!” Bukta laughed at Alyxx’s indignant tone and expression, so asked the Trill female to select their eating place; thus they were soon settled into a spot in the Blue Parrot, to swap stories and the like.