We All Fall Down – The Commander's Shadow
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
Isha folded her arms and stared out of the window. The room was quiet now, Eviess and Argelian were in bed. Tomorrow, at the tender age of four they’d have their first morning of school among strangers, alien strangers at that. She had no doubt of their abilities to compete with the others but their first years had been spent among their own … Argelian in particular troubled her. He was communicative with his older sister, but with others, even Isha herself he’d become withdrawn.
The door chimed a chirpier, perkier noise than the device used by her own people. ~Will I ever get used to that~ she thought.
“Enter,” she said as she moved away from the window and faced the door.
“Commander T’Vaurek I assume?” The Vulcan spoke as he entered the room. The Pips at the collar of his gold uniform announcing him to hold an equal rank. “You did not take over Captain Tahir’s quarters?”
He was all questions! “I have a family, Commander Tahhk. Well appointed though they are, these suit us better. Have you eaten?” she asked.
“I have. If you would eat I will accept a glass of spice tea while you consume your breakfast.”
Isha moved to the replicator and returned with two glasses of spice tea, “I ate with the children, but I will join you. Do sit,” she indicated the seats beneath the window and placed the glasses on the table between the two facing chairs.
She waited as he folded his tall frame into the leather and chrome chair then took the other.
“You requested my presence,” Tahhk said, “Why?”
Isha’s gaze focused on the steam that rose from her glass. “I’ve been on this station before, years ago. There are still those here that know me and do not trust me, I’m sure there are some who hate me. With Captain Tahir’s influence they may have grown to accept me. Without her, I fear that will be an impossible process.”
“And how can I help?”
With a raised eyebrow she met his gaze. “You are a respected Commander in your own right, and you’ve enjoyed an exemplary career in Security.”
“Commander, T’Vaurek, if you require a shadow why not ask your Executive Officer?” he asked. To both their ears the difference in pronunciation of her name – T rather than t - was audible.
“You are Captain of the USS Hyria, you have the requisite security clearance,” Isha replied, her gaze unwavering as she sought beneath his outer response. “My Executive Officer does not. And he has his own job to do.”
“As do I.”
She clapped her hands together in glee. “A Vulcan caught in a lie!” she exclaimed. “You are on sabbatical due to post traumatic stress – six months to a year depending on your interim assessment. If I’ve read you correctly Commander Tahhk your heart raced the moment you saw the request to play an active role on this Starbase, and when you read the request further your innate and irrepressible curiosity was piqued.”
“You make many assumptions, Commander T’Vaurek.”
“Deductions and logically derived conclusions. Never mind it Commander Tahhk. The crew – so far she could not say ‘my crew’ – will believe that you were imposed on me against my wishes and trust you the more for it. You get to attend every meeting I have, have mirror access to every file I consult or amend ...”
“With respect, Starfleet have such access in place through the sensor arrays and computer protocols.”
“But that lacks the personal touch,” Isha replied patiently. “Your presence adds value – you will experience my words and my reactions, not just a recording of them. Not only do you become what the Humans refer to as my ‘straight man’ our daily debriefing sessions will allow something no amount of monitoring can.”
“I do not understand.”
“Another expression they use is to ‘think outside the box’. You are thinking like a Vulcan, I suppose that’s to be expected but on another level you’re also thinking like a Fed, for want of a better term. Consider my perspective. Few Romulans have the touch abilities that Vulcans retain, I personally believe that is down to a lack of discipline. I happen to possess that talent and the discipline, and have honed it. It is my intention to take you on a journey Tahhk, one that will prove beyond doubt that the risk that the Federation and Starfleet are taking is worthwhile.”
“You propose a mind meld?”
Was that hesitation? “Are you afraid?” Isha replied.
“I am a skeptic.”
Isha reached for her tea and wrapped her fingers around the hot hard glass before resting it in her lap. “All the better,” she replied, calm settling easily over her earlier excitement, “I’m not asking you to trust me. That is a conclusion you must draw yourself, but can you deny the depth of truth you will draw from the experience.”
“No, nor the depth of risk or of falsehood.”
“And that is why I asked for you, Tahhk,” she said raising the glass to her lips and inhaling the heady steam before drawing a sip between her lips.
“You are very confident of yourself, T’Vaurek,” he observed.
Isha watched the way the sheen of his dark eyes reflected the dim light – it was a glint, not a sparkle – that glimmered as his eyes narrowed fractionally. He might be musing on committing to the challenge but he did not like Romulans. “Its not without reason,” she said. “I’ve reserved Tahir’s old quarters for you, Tahhk, so we’ll be right next door.”
She could barely conceal her amusement as he digested this piece of information – yet more evidence that the practice of Kolinahr was overrated.
“Thank you Commander,” he said getting to his feet, the glass of spiced tea untouched on the table. “I have taken enough of your time.”
“Time is all that I have, Commander,” she replied somehow unable to allow him the last word.
She leaned back feeling the chair creak beneath her.
It had begun.
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
| Title | The Commander's Shadow | |
| Mission | We All Fall Down | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek | |
| Posted | Thu Jun 12, 2014 @ 5:06pm | |
| Location | Isha's Quarters | |
| Timeline | WAFD: Day 1. 00:01 |
The door chimed a chirpier, perkier noise than the device used by her own people. ~Will I ever get used to that~ she thought.
“Enter,” she said as she moved away from the window and faced the door.
“Commander T’Vaurek I assume?” The Vulcan spoke as he entered the room. The Pips at the collar of his gold uniform announcing him to hold an equal rank. “You did not take over Captain Tahir’s quarters?”
He was all questions! “I have a family, Commander Tahhk. Well appointed though they are, these suit us better. Have you eaten?” she asked.
“I have. If you would eat I will accept a glass of spice tea while you consume your breakfast.”
Isha moved to the replicator and returned with two glasses of spice tea, “I ate with the children, but I will join you. Do sit,” she indicated the seats beneath the window and placed the glasses on the table between the two facing chairs.
She waited as he folded his tall frame into the leather and chrome chair then took the other.
“You requested my presence,” Tahhk said, “Why?”
Isha’s gaze focused on the steam that rose from her glass. “I’ve been on this station before, years ago. There are still those here that know me and do not trust me, I’m sure there are some who hate me. With Captain Tahir’s influence they may have grown to accept me. Without her, I fear that will be an impossible process.”
“And how can I help?”
With a raised eyebrow she met his gaze. “You are a respected Commander in your own right, and you’ve enjoyed an exemplary career in Security.”
“Commander, T’Vaurek, if you require a shadow why not ask your Executive Officer?” he asked. To both their ears the difference in pronunciation of her name – T rather than t - was audible.
“You are Captain of the USS Hyria, you have the requisite security clearance,” Isha replied, her gaze unwavering as she sought beneath his outer response. “My Executive Officer does not. And he has his own job to do.”
“As do I.”
She clapped her hands together in glee. “A Vulcan caught in a lie!” she exclaimed. “You are on sabbatical due to post traumatic stress – six months to a year depending on your interim assessment. If I’ve read you correctly Commander Tahhk your heart raced the moment you saw the request to play an active role on this Starbase, and when you read the request further your innate and irrepressible curiosity was piqued.”
“You make many assumptions, Commander T’Vaurek.”
“Deductions and logically derived conclusions. Never mind it Commander Tahhk. The crew – so far she could not say ‘my crew’ – will believe that you were imposed on me against my wishes and trust you the more for it. You get to attend every meeting I have, have mirror access to every file I consult or amend ...”
“With respect, Starfleet have such access in place through the sensor arrays and computer protocols.”
“But that lacks the personal touch,” Isha replied patiently. “Your presence adds value – you will experience my words and my reactions, not just a recording of them. Not only do you become what the Humans refer to as my ‘straight man’ our daily debriefing sessions will allow something no amount of monitoring can.”
“I do not understand.”
“Another expression they use is to ‘think outside the box’. You are thinking like a Vulcan, I suppose that’s to be expected but on another level you’re also thinking like a Fed, for want of a better term. Consider my perspective. Few Romulans have the touch abilities that Vulcans retain, I personally believe that is down to a lack of discipline. I happen to possess that talent and the discipline, and have honed it. It is my intention to take you on a journey Tahhk, one that will prove beyond doubt that the risk that the Federation and Starfleet are taking is worthwhile.”
“You propose a mind meld?”
Was that hesitation? “Are you afraid?” Isha replied.
“I am a skeptic.”
Isha reached for her tea and wrapped her fingers around the hot hard glass before resting it in her lap. “All the better,” she replied, calm settling easily over her earlier excitement, “I’m not asking you to trust me. That is a conclusion you must draw yourself, but can you deny the depth of truth you will draw from the experience.”
“No, nor the depth of risk or of falsehood.”
“And that is why I asked for you, Tahhk,” she said raising the glass to her lips and inhaling the heady steam before drawing a sip between her lips.
“You are very confident of yourself, T’Vaurek,” he observed.
Isha watched the way the sheen of his dark eyes reflected the dim light – it was a glint, not a sparkle – that glimmered as his eyes narrowed fractionally. He might be musing on committing to the challenge but he did not like Romulans. “Its not without reason,” she said. “I’ve reserved Tahir’s old quarters for you, Tahhk, so we’ll be right next door.”
She could barely conceal her amusement as he digested this piece of information – yet more evidence that the practice of Kolinahr was overrated.
“Thank you Commander,” he said getting to his feet, the glass of spiced tea untouched on the table. “I have taken enough of your time.”
“Time is all that I have, Commander,” she replied somehow unable to allow him the last word.
She leaned back feeling the chair creak beneath her.
It had begun.