We All Fall Down – Stranger Days
by Colonel James Darson & Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
ON:
Darson leaned against the wall across the hall from the hatch to Isha’s quarters, still as a statue, waiting with great patience for the new Master and Commander of Deep Space 5 to return so that he could have a little chat and catch up with her. The fact that it was an ungodly hour after what was probably an especially traumatic and difficult first day of command did not matter to him and in fact probably made his job easier…to figure out Isha’s disposition. He had also gotten the sense at their last meeting during the Guardian testing fiasco that Isha had wanted to ask him something, maybe this would be the opportunity to figure out what it was.
Ordinarily he would have hidden inside her quarters and made a bowl of soup or something and waited for her to return so that he could surprise her, but in this case he decided to wait outside. Not only was Isha the new Captain now and thus his direct superior on the station, but there were also children inside…best not to give them nightmares if they woke up. And so Darson was resolved to waiting. And waiting. And honestly waiting some more. She was taking far longer than usual to come back.
Observing a movement in the shadows Tahhk extended a hand in front of the Commander. "Wait, T'Varek," he said. The Vulcan had deduced from her earlier inferences that she believed she might be in danger if she went out alone on the station. Thus, under the guise of officious distrust he had insisted on accompanying her back to her door.
Could this be the 'danger' she feared.
Isha glanced at Tahhk then followed his gaze.
"You may return to your own quarters, Commander Tahhk," she said. "Colonel Darson means me no harm."
Darson pushed himself off the wall to stand across from the pair and said easily, “Of course Commander Tahhk. Though your vigilance is well appreciated. These are strange times we live in, and a measure of caution is always good to have…but I can assure you that the Captain here is correct. I mean her no harm, and I can indeed promise that while she is in my company tonight, no harm will befall her.”
The Vulcan looked between the oddly attired Colonel Darson, and Commander T'Vaurek, "As you wish, Ma'am," he acceded. Before making his departure.
"One of these days I shall have to demonstrate to you how an appointment calendar works," Isha said to Darson. She walked the remaining steps to her apartment door and pressed her hand against the panel, "Shall we move inside?"
Darson nodded deferentially and followed Isha, “You know, I was once almost killed over an appointment calendar. Then I was almost killed BY an appointment calendar. And I think I once killed someone WITH an appointment calendar. Never again, I say. None the less…your shadow, Commander Tahhk, certainly seems eager. A well respected commander in his own right, though I know he has had his…difficulties…as of late. I do wonder…for whose benefit is he here? You did say that Star Fleet, eh…what was the word you used? Ah, he was ‘imposed’ on you. Is that right?” Though Darson’s tone was light and easy, his gaze bore into Isha’s back as he followed her over the threshold.
"Why would I choose to burden myself with a Vulcan albatross?" Isha asked as she turned to face Darson. "I'm sure I'd find it much easier to sneak about and do a bit of spying without him lurking behind me every minute I am outwith my quarters. Is that not what you think, Colonel, that my purposes are nefarious?"
“Well, I wasn’t going to say it so bluntly, but you seem to have done the work for me,” Darson remarked dryly as he moved straight to the kitchen and began tapping buttons on the replicator, “And truth be told. I wish it weren’t so, given how close we are. And I would hate to make your life miserable during your tenure here, so you might be best served by putting my mind at ease…do you want some tea?”
"Thank you, no," Isha replied as she perched on the sofa. "It must be tiresome to spend one's entire life being suspicions of those with pure intentions," she continued, "surely if Starfleet are willing to trust me with this Station you must concede that they have done their due diligence and find enough reason to extend some trust to me."
As the replicator chugged along and began to materialize a steaming hot beverage, Darson turned around to face her once more, “My life is suspicion,” he remarked flatly. “Are familiar with the concept of something called the ‘Devil’s Advocate’? It is something that has been a part of Terran culture for near on a millennia, somebody who against all common sense and judgment would retain a skeptical view of an issue…an outside perspective. Of course this manifests itself in different ways now, but the purpose remains the same. To in essence, go beyond the due diligence of the normal course of events. Which leads me here, asking questions.”
Isha shrugged, she did that a lot where Darson was concerned. Probably because she assumed he'd made her mind up already, "its hardly a unique one," she said.
He grabbed the tea from the bay on the replicator and slowly strode towards Isha, keeping his gaze on her the whole time. “Questions such as…why are you here?
"ANd that too is a question that has been baffling philisophers throughtout the quadrant for millenia. If you have to ask me that question, I would suggest that your security clearance is not as thorough as you imagine," Isha replied.
Darson gave a dry chuckle, "Funny. Very funny. I know you have your orders. And you know what? I'm fine with that. I'm a soldier. I know that following orders is an extremely important part of life. And I know that this appointment is a part of some...well in my opinion probably "misguided" negotiations with the Romulans and the Federation. Collaborative command? I mean...I mean, that is obvious in and of itself that it would never work...and you know what? I'm fine with that too." He shrugged and took a sip of his boiling hot tea which disappeared right into his mask, almost like a star being drawn into a black hole.
"No. those are the obvious reasons. I mean...why are YOU here," he said, placing special emphasis on the word, "You were requested specifically, but you could have said no, they could have sent anybody. Somebody who would have been more...'tractable'. And we both know that is one word that has never applied to you. Why did you come back?"
Isha smiled thinly. "That my dear Colonel is a story that is not mine to tell," she replied cryptically, "All will be known in time."
by Colonel James Darson & Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
| Title | Stranger Days | |
| Mission | We All Fall Down | |
| Author(s) | Colonel James Darson & Commander Isha t'Vaurek | |
| Posted | Wed Dec 31, 2014 @ 9:23am | |
| Location | Deck 24 - Senior Officers' Quarters | |
| Timeline | Day 02: 01:30 |
Darson leaned against the wall across the hall from the hatch to Isha’s quarters, still as a statue, waiting with great patience for the new Master and Commander of Deep Space 5 to return so that he could have a little chat and catch up with her. The fact that it was an ungodly hour after what was probably an especially traumatic and difficult first day of command did not matter to him and in fact probably made his job easier…to figure out Isha’s disposition. He had also gotten the sense at their last meeting during the Guardian testing fiasco that Isha had wanted to ask him something, maybe this would be the opportunity to figure out what it was.
Ordinarily he would have hidden inside her quarters and made a bowl of soup or something and waited for her to return so that he could surprise her, but in this case he decided to wait outside. Not only was Isha the new Captain now and thus his direct superior on the station, but there were also children inside…best not to give them nightmares if they woke up. And so Darson was resolved to waiting. And waiting. And honestly waiting some more. She was taking far longer than usual to come back.
Observing a movement in the shadows Tahhk extended a hand in front of the Commander. "Wait, T'Varek," he said. The Vulcan had deduced from her earlier inferences that she believed she might be in danger if she went out alone on the station. Thus, under the guise of officious distrust he had insisted on accompanying her back to her door.
Could this be the 'danger' she feared.
Isha glanced at Tahhk then followed his gaze.
"You may return to your own quarters, Commander Tahhk," she said. "Colonel Darson means me no harm."
Darson pushed himself off the wall to stand across from the pair and said easily, “Of course Commander Tahhk. Though your vigilance is well appreciated. These are strange times we live in, and a measure of caution is always good to have…but I can assure you that the Captain here is correct. I mean her no harm, and I can indeed promise that while she is in my company tonight, no harm will befall her.”
The Vulcan looked between the oddly attired Colonel Darson, and Commander T'Vaurek, "As you wish, Ma'am," he acceded. Before making his departure.
"One of these days I shall have to demonstrate to you how an appointment calendar works," Isha said to Darson. She walked the remaining steps to her apartment door and pressed her hand against the panel, "Shall we move inside?"
Darson nodded deferentially and followed Isha, “You know, I was once almost killed over an appointment calendar. Then I was almost killed BY an appointment calendar. And I think I once killed someone WITH an appointment calendar. Never again, I say. None the less…your shadow, Commander Tahhk, certainly seems eager. A well respected commander in his own right, though I know he has had his…difficulties…as of late. I do wonder…for whose benefit is he here? You did say that Star Fleet, eh…what was the word you used? Ah, he was ‘imposed’ on you. Is that right?” Though Darson’s tone was light and easy, his gaze bore into Isha’s back as he followed her over the threshold.
"Why would I choose to burden myself with a Vulcan albatross?" Isha asked as she turned to face Darson. "I'm sure I'd find it much easier to sneak about and do a bit of spying without him lurking behind me every minute I am outwith my quarters. Is that not what you think, Colonel, that my purposes are nefarious?"
“Well, I wasn’t going to say it so bluntly, but you seem to have done the work for me,” Darson remarked dryly as he moved straight to the kitchen and began tapping buttons on the replicator, “And truth be told. I wish it weren’t so, given how close we are. And I would hate to make your life miserable during your tenure here, so you might be best served by putting my mind at ease…do you want some tea?”
"Thank you, no," Isha replied as she perched on the sofa. "It must be tiresome to spend one's entire life being suspicions of those with pure intentions," she continued, "surely if Starfleet are willing to trust me with this Station you must concede that they have done their due diligence and find enough reason to extend some trust to me."
As the replicator chugged along and began to materialize a steaming hot beverage, Darson turned around to face her once more, “My life is suspicion,” he remarked flatly. “Are familiar with the concept of something called the ‘Devil’s Advocate’? It is something that has been a part of Terran culture for near on a millennia, somebody who against all common sense and judgment would retain a skeptical view of an issue…an outside perspective. Of course this manifests itself in different ways now, but the purpose remains the same. To in essence, go beyond the due diligence of the normal course of events. Which leads me here, asking questions.”
Isha shrugged, she did that a lot where Darson was concerned. Probably because she assumed he'd made her mind up already, "its hardly a unique one," she said.
He grabbed the tea from the bay on the replicator and slowly strode towards Isha, keeping his gaze on her the whole time. “Questions such as…why are you here?
"ANd that too is a question that has been baffling philisophers throughtout the quadrant for millenia. If you have to ask me that question, I would suggest that your security clearance is not as thorough as you imagine," Isha replied.
Darson gave a dry chuckle, "Funny. Very funny. I know you have your orders. And you know what? I'm fine with that. I'm a soldier. I know that following orders is an extremely important part of life. And I know that this appointment is a part of some...well in my opinion probably "misguided" negotiations with the Romulans and the Federation. Collaborative command? I mean...I mean, that is obvious in and of itself that it would never work...and you know what? I'm fine with that too." He shrugged and took a sip of his boiling hot tea which disappeared right into his mask, almost like a star being drawn into a black hole.
"No. those are the obvious reasons. I mean...why are YOU here," he said, placing special emphasis on the word, "You were requested specifically, but you could have said no, they could have sent anybody. Somebody who would have been more...'tractable'. And we both know that is one word that has never applied to you. Why did you come back?"
Isha smiled thinly. "That my dear Colonel is a story that is not mine to tell," she replied cryptically, "All will be known in time."