We Said Out Loud

Posted on 22 Feb 2016 @ 12:38am by Lieutenant JG Rael Psy.D. & Ensign Miraj Derani
Edited on on 24 Feb 2016 @ 5:35am

1,390 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: USS Galileo - Shuttlebay
Timeline: MD89 1130

[ON]

Rael was meandering along in the shuttle bay, watching a technician fix the large Type-9s and consulting a PADD thoughtfully. He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going, which was how he ended up nearly bowling over a young ensign. He stepped back just in time! Phew. "Ensign," he rose his hands apologetically. "I didn't see you there, my mistake."

Miraj had come down to take a look at the shuttle bay. It fell under her purview and she wanted to see the complement of small craft without any perceptions from others to colour her own, and especially before she met the bay manager, who she had been sent to replace. She wasn't looking forward to that at all.

She looked at who'd nearly collided with her and was surprised. Not because the person towered over her by nearly a full foot. Or even because that person was a Vulcan. It was because that person was a shaggy Vulcan. It just wasn't an adjective she'd even imagined to use with that particular species.

"Its not a problem," she glanced at his collar, "sir." She noticed he was wearing was teal, for sciences and medical. She wondered what he would be doing ambling about the shuttle bay. "Can I help you with anything sir?"

"Not at this time, Ensign. I'm just walking." His head turned slightly to watch a maintenance pod zoom past them, and his hair shifted to reveal a small circular brand at the base of his neck. He looked back to her, taking in her features calmly.

"Yes, sir." She stared at the brand. It was definitely a brand, not a tattoo, and a very fine one. The lettering that made it was clear to read, in the looping curling script of Yrevish. It was a single word. The word tickled her memory and then she remembered where she'd seen it before.

"Khadri?" she blurted out, not quite believing anyone who still wore it would wear a Starfleet uniform.

"Ah," he offered her a slight smile. "You are familiar with the vessel?"

Had she heard of it? "In 2382 the OSS Khadri was considered one of the top 20 most active pirates in the beta quadrant side of the Federation. Mostly raiding out of Orion space into Vulcan and Andorian sectors. They stole thousands of tons of goods and materials. Not to mention latinum, foreign currencies and credit chips. But its main trade was slaves and drugs.

"It's allegedly responsible for the death or disappearance of over a thousand individuals and that's just the ones reported. It was considered particularly difficult to run down because the crew were considered unusually close. Beyond the loyalty Witnessing usually gets. Something went wrong though because it practically disappeared a year later. There were rumours about a mutiny but that would be highly un-"

She trailed off, not just for lack of oxygen. There was a man sporting a pirate brand not two feet from her. An actual, real, pirate. From an actual real ship that was supposedly unbreakable. And had broken.

"I see." His eyes crinkled again. "Are you affiliated with Starfleet Intelligence?"

"No, sir. Flight control. Pirates are just a hobby."

"Of course. It is nice to meet you, Ensign." He almost sounded amused, and he extended his hand to her in the human custom.

She took it, wondering if the huge man in front of her was even Vulcan at all. He seemed far too... lively, and offering his hand? He'd been a pirate. That was very unVulcan-like too. She shook his hand. "Derani, sir, Miraj."

He shook once, firm but brief. "I am Rael," he bowed his head in greeting. "What is your billet, here?"

"I'm not sure yet, sir. They're looking it up now. I'm just doing some checks until I know where to hang my hammock." He was a really weird Vulcan. "Sir, I have to ask. Why have you got a pirate brand?" Please say pirate, she added mentally.

"I fear the answer to that question is most complex," Rael responded, tilting his head. "However, I can assure you that I am not a pirate."

"Oh." Miraj hoped she didn't look too disappointed. "Then how?" She trailed off, realising it was a horrendously personal question. and given the nature of the Khadri it probably wasn't anything pleasant. Foot well and truly in mouth and she had been on board barely an hour. Super.

"You needn't worry," Rael responded gently.

"Worry, sir?"

"I am not offended--however, I believe that such a story is best reserved for another time." This was said in a tone that suggested it was best reserved for a never time, but somehow he managed to make it sound soothing.

Miraj deflated a bit more. She had about a thousand questions. "Yes, sir. Sorry to pry sir."

"You needn't be," he assured, gesturing for her to walk with him. Just standing there was starting to get a mite awkward. In motion, things were prone to settling. As they walked, he said: "May I ask what inspires your interest in piracy?"

"My brother." Which was the truth. Mal had kindled it. It had only exploded when she'd finally learnt about her mother. She wasn't sure she was ready to share that information yet. Not until she knew more about his own experience. "He read me stories of Blackbeard, and Francis Drake, Captain Blood and Long John Silver. It kind of... snowballed."

"I see. I must admit I do not recognize these names. They are literary figures?"

"Captain Blood and Long John Silver are." Miraj had to take three steps to his every two. "But Blackbeard and Drake were very real. Drake was probably the original merchant adventurer. He was a privateer so not technically pirate, but a pirate in all but name. And Blackbeard is one of the most infamous pirates of Earth history."

He slowed a little to accommodate her, strolling along leisurely. "Infamous--how so?"

"He raided up and down the North American coast, took hostages and prisoners, and destroyed settlements. In battle he wove lighted fuses into his beard and hair and managed to unite multiple ships into a pirate fleet that laid siege to one of the largest ports on the American coast. He flew under his own flag for only two years, but in that time he struck terror into every man woman and child along the the coast of the southern United States."

Rael's brows rose as her tale grew more elaborate. "It sounds as though Blackbeard would be on par with today's pirates."

"Oh more than likely." Miraj admitted. "Maybe worse. It took the governor of South Carolina to make it her personal mission to bring him down. So far the Federation hasn't had anyone make a similar declaration to face down the various pirates out there at the moment. Who knows what he would have accomplished with time and no one to check his growth?"

"Do you view his actions as an accomplishment?"

She frowned, wondering if this was a test. "Well, yes," she said. "Not a good one," she added quickly, "But it still takes something to do all of that in such a little time."

"Indeed. I suppose that it must."

"You don't think that?" She felt she was guessing, his comment wasn't an outright denial. This was getting tricky.

He just smiled a little. "I think that it certainly must take something."

Oh now he was being Vulcan, all smug and inscrutable and she felt like she was failing some test that she hadn't known she was taking. Except he was smiling (a smiling Vulcan, she was off the edge of the map now) and she wasn't sure what to do now. She desperately wanted to ask him about what he knew, but he didn't sound like he wanted to answer. "Oh. Well, I guess I should get back to work."

"Farewell, Ensign Derani," he murmured, a twinge of humor in his voice as he bowed his head. When she turned around to respond, he was gone.

Lightfooted, a sliver in the dark. Disappearing into nothing.

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Rael
Assistant Chief Counselor
USS Galileo

Enisgn Miraj Derani
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

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