Wrapping Up Loose Ends

Posted on Sun May 10th, 2020 @ 12:32pm by Lieutenant Valenna

Mission: Around The World in 8 Days
Location: Quarters | Deck 3 | Astraea

Valenna tossed her luggage down on the bed in her room. She reached in and pulled out two print copies of her published works and sat them down on her desk. She next pulled out her Bat'leth and hung it on her wall. Every now and then she loved to workout with it, practicing to stay in shape. After hanging it on her wall, she stepped back and gazed at it. She walked over to the replicator--she could use a drink.

"Klingon Martini. Double the bloodwine."

She grabbed the drink and looked at her Bat'leth on the wall. She carried this weapon for more than just exercise. She kept it with her to remind herself of her family--specifically her brother, Rakar. He was in Sto'Vo'Kor right now after dying in battle, but mostly she kept the Bat'leth to remind her that she still had a family in the Klingon Empire, even if they chose to disown her. She took a long sip of the martini and sat the glass down on her desk.

Inside her luggage she took out a piece of Rodulan artwork and sat it on her desk. It was something she had collected on one of her first archeological projects. As she was about to take another sip of her drink, her viewscreen began beeping. The screen read: "subspace communique from USS Langston." She smiled and answered it immediately.

A young looking half Human/half Vulcan man in an operations gold uniform was on the screen.

"T'Mar, it's good to see you," said Valenna.

T'Mar had been the son of the man Valenna had dated while she was on Earth for a while. The man, Donovan Jammer, had been a journalist for the Federation News Service. Donovan had married a Vulcan teacher and had T'Mar a couple of years later. Both of Donovan's parents were currently deceased and he currently maintained frequent with someone he considered his next best family--Valenna.

"Thank you," said T'Mar. "It's great to see you as well."

"How are things on the Langston?"

T'Mar smiled. "Things are great here. I've really gotten close with the engineering staff here. The assistant chief engineer and I have started working on our own independent project of trying to increase the efficiency of the deflector dampening field using this new theory that someone from Starfleet Corps of Engineers is writing about."

Valenna nodded gracefully. She may have spent 10 years working in astrophysics, but anytime T'Mar talked about his engineering projects they always when over her head. "Any fun places you've seen while being on the ship?"

T'Mar shrugged with a chuckle. "I've seen a couple of different worlds, some have interested me."

"Well that's certainly great," said Valenna. She took a sip of her martini.

"And I hear that you left the Academy?"

Valenna smirked. "I have. After teaching my class on War Politics, I realized that I was missing a very important part about studying war and society--the post-war society, so I decided I wanted to go back into the fleet and to study the life of the Federation and Starfleet officers after the Dominion War." She crossed her arms. "Who knows, maybe it'll spark a third monograph." She paused for a second. "The Astraea is currently on shore leave and will be returning to business soon. I'm looking forward to meeting the crew...after reviewing their Starfleet records they all seem like fairly competent people."

"Don't be too mean, Valenna," T'Mar said.

Valenna laughed heartily. "I can't help it if humans are weak when I give them harsh criticism of their ignorance and incompetence. If they get hurt, that's what the ship's counselor is for."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't want your reputation at Starfleet Academy to follow you onto the ship," he warned. "That Klingon professor...Professor Hard-ass...Emperor of the Classroom... and worst of all--Professor Crude Bitch." T'Mar cleared his throat. "Do you remember those nicknames?"

"Of course I remember them," she snapped, crushing the martini glass in her hand. "Klingon students would never disrespect their superiors like the Starfleet Cadets did. They had little honor."

"Or maybe you're just too Klingon," he said.

Valenna growled. "Unlikely...but for you...I will try my best to get along with them, but should anyone question my honor as a Klingon scientist--"

"Yes, yes, I know," he laughed, "you will rip out their tongue. I just want you to be happy and to find a group of people who you're able to work with."

They both stared at each other for a while.

"Well, I have to be going," T'Mar said. "The Langston is rendezvousing with a starbase for some supplies and I'm due for a bridge shift. I'll talk to you later though. I look forward to hearing from you again....I miss you."

"I miss you as well."

The subspace communication link and Valenna let out a sigh and picked up the pieces of the broken glass to be recycled. After placing them in the replicator she went back to unpacking her belongings.