Homecoming
Posted on 26 Aug 2024 @ 1:50pm by Ensign Amanda Turell & Ensign Tora Zalos
1,527 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: USS Galileo-A Tora's Quarters
Timeline: MD 02 1650hrs
ON:
Truth be told, Tora was just glad to be back on the Galileo. The ship was small but homely, and she liked the crew - and she couldn't wait to get to know people again. It was a shame that she'd gotten new quarters, because her old room had been better in her personal opinion in terms of locality and view out the window, but at least the opportunity meant getting to know someone new. Presumably.
Tora was happy to see the lights on when she walked through the door and put her bags down; hopefully that meant there was someone else she could befriend and hopefully make a good impression on. The first thing she did was to replicate a glass of iced green tea before peeking at the bed round the corner...
Not expecting anyone to come into her quarters unannounced Amanda had been reading a Padd while laying on the bottom bunk of the bed when the door opened and by the time a feminine Cardassian head poked itself around the corner of the bedroom area she was up on her feet and ready for anything.
Admittedly, Tora was a bit surprised. Her roommate seemed a little bit on edge to her; was she staring right at her and on her feet? Had she gotten out of bed just for that? The girl was casually dressed, though Tora could also see several scars on her body, especially her right shoulder. Whoever she was, this girl had been through a lot.
"Well, hello there. I hope I'm not intruding." She said, trying for a placative tone of voice and a friendly smile. "The name's Tora. We'll be staying together from now on. And you are?"
Amanda looked the woman over, that it was a Cardassian in a starfleet uniform was quite the surprise but that she didn't hold herself with the stiffness and sternness of a Cardassian was unusual. "Ensign Turell... Amanda."
"Amanda. It's lovely to meet you." Tora stepped fully into view and held out her hand for the girl to shake. Amanda seemed a bit nervous to her, even a bit stiff. That wasn't entirely unusual. Some people needed more time to warm up to strangers and maybe she was one of the sort.
"I won't be much of a bother, promise. Unless you mind me occasionally cooking my own meals." She quipped. "I'm a rather big fan of Risian cuisine."
Taking Tora's hand Amanda shook it for a few moments. "So long as you tidy up after yourself." She told her, their quarters wasn't the ideal place for cooking meals but Risian cuisine would certainly make the room smell nice.
"Promise. Give me a few moments..." Tora trotted off to the replicator, ordered herself a change of clothes from the replicator and disappeared into the shower. When she next reappeared about ten minutes later, she'd changed into a navy blue t-shirt and shorts and smelled faintly of jasmine. Quick shower? Definitely. "So, Amanda. Tell me a bit about you? Anything." She smiled and made her way to the replicator.
When Tora went to shower Amanda returned to her bed and resumed reading, when the Cardassian emerged she did take a good look at her, having never had seen a Cardassian in such 'casual' attire. the T-shirt did little to hide how large chested the woman was. "I'm security." Amanda replied. "Could shoot a phaser by the time I could walk."
"Really. You could shoot a phaser at... what, ten months old." Tora giggled as she replicated a tall glass of apple juice with ice. Cardassian like sweet, fruity drink. Who'd have guessed? "Either you were the most talented baby in your neighbourhood, or you're pulling my leg a little. Want anything, by the way?" People sometimes liked to exaggerate a bit for the intimidation factor, she found - cute, really.
"I'm fine thanks." Amanda replied. "Family as far back as I know were all federation marine corps, using weapons in practically in my blood, only in my mid 20's but I've already had my fair share fighting."
"So what made you not follow in their footsteps?" Tora settled down on the sofa and glanced over at her roommate as she sipped from her drink. "Not keen on actively going into combat the way that they do?"
Amanda laughed, she put her Padd down and rolled onto her side. "Most of the marine units got disbanded after the Dominion war. Starfleet security was the better option. As for combat, how do you think I got these scars?"
"Shot at by... Klingons. Somewhere." Tora guessed. Amanda didn't look that old; surely she hadn't gotten those scars fighting in 2374, right? Unless she'd fought off Jem'hadar as a baby of course, but that was just plain silly. "Or scratched by something with huge claws. Or fangs."
Amanda shook her head slightly. "Straight from the academy to hunting down pirates and smugglers, boarding their ships and taking them down, didn't always come out of it on top." She flexed her right arm a little. "Fun at times, horrendously painful at others, their weapons weren't always set on stun like most of ours."
"I know." Tora replied. "But you're doing alright now, obviously. Or mostly alright. And for that you definitely deserve some credit." She said with a grin. "I'm sure your parents must be very pleased with the way things turned out?"
"Wouldn't know, your people killed one of them and my sister when I was eight." She tried to say that without any venom, she wasn't a fan of the Cardassians but the war was long gone. "Haven't spoke to the other one in years."
Tora had always known, despite her unusual upbringing, that coming into Starfleet would also mean coming into a world of racially based trauma or loss. Especially because of her people. After all, the freshest conflict on everyone's mind was the Dominion War, which had claimed thousands of lives. She still received a few dirty looks now and then from various people, but she'd never really had to worry about something like this.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Tora replied softly. "You've not spoken to them for a while? Why?"
"I have my reasons," Amanda replied looking up to the top of her bunk for several seconds. "Maybe another time." She pulled herself up off of the bed and headed to the replicator changing her mind about getting a drink after all. "Your turn, what brings a Cardassian into starfleet, and the sciences."
"I found people fascinating. You know, growing up on Risa has its perks. One of those being exposed to a lot of people very early in life, from everywhere. So I moved off Risa and did my thing for a bit before coming to Starfleet. So I'm now a full-fledged anthropologist. I study people and cultures and sometimes go to dig sites." Tora replied. "Travel the universe plus varied culture plus trailblaze a new path in science plus pretty decent career advancement, what's not to like?"
"A Cardassian growing up on Risa." Amanda chuckled slightly. "That must have been an interesting experience." Tora's figure would have definitely made her popular on that planet.
"Interesting indeed! And no, not everything we do is about sex." Tora replied with a smirk. "Hospitality is the biggest facet of Risian culture, not sexuality. Which is a big part of it, really, but not the entire makeup. Did you know that we have over nine hundred dishes created from ingredients all across the Federation? Some restaurants have some of the best chefs in the Quadrant."
"Hey, I never said a word about sex." Amanda quickly said. "Risa has its reputation but there's definitely more to offer there than just that. Think the last time I went there I was still a child."
"People tend to assume." Tora decided to leave the topic there. "A lot has changed since. There's a new aquarium in the basement of the new resort for example. They added a school of lemon trout when I left Risa - and yes, they really are lemon yellow this time." She said with a grin. "They taste quite good too, as far as I'm aware. Too bad they're endangered. I could take you on the holodeck sometime if you'd like."
"Maybe, don't tend to use the holodeck for relaxing much." Amanda remarked. "Mainly use it for combat training."
"I'll take you tomorrow, then. After your shift, whenever that is. How about it?" Tora grinned. "Trust me, you're going to love it."
"Perhaps," Amanda replied. "by maybe another day, there is still lots to do before we can relax. Resupply the ship, acclimatize the new crew to the ship and their stations."
"Sounds good to me." Tora stood up and stretched. "I'm off to go catch up with some friends. My first work shift's tomorrow. See you around?"
"Alright, will see you later." Amanda replied, she headed back to the bedroom section to pick up her Padd.
OFF:
ENS Tora Zalos
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
Ensign Amanda Turell
Security officer
USS Galileo-A
[pnpc Mimi]