Checking Things Out

Posted on Monday 16 July 2018 @ 22:31 by Commander Cale Llewellyn DSci & Lieutenant JG Saren Barel

Mission: Shoreleave
Location: Astrometrics Lab
Timeline: MD 4, SL 1
1395 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Cale Llewellyn had managed to get Engineering to restore power to the Astrometrics Lab so he could work on a side project of his. Luckily, the project wasn't all that intensive and didn't require too much power to complete. He was surprised to see that this particular task was still in the database. Though he wasn't the senior science officer any longer, he couldn't help but feel connected to this department. He had never been very good at planning his time off but in spite of that, he felt the need to complete this project before surrendering the department officially to Lieutenant Barel.

Just then the doors to the lab swished open...

Saren entered stellar cartography to call up the information about the Lazarus star that the Merlin had been investigating. He had schedule the lab for this time, actually one minute from this time to be exact.

"Greetings Commander", Saren said. "Is there something you need my assistance with here? I was just about to run a simulation based to confirm a theory I had discussed with the Captain."

"Ah Lieutenant Barel, I was hoping you'd come by. I had wanted to hand off the department to you, officially. As the outgoing Chief Science Officer, I would like to hand this department to you," Llewellyn said. "I want you to know a few things about my time on the Merlin first. I started out as a science officer. I was transferred to this ship and given a promotion to Lt, jg. After a few changes in the command structure, I was promoted to Second Officer and then to Executive Officer. And after a few more goings-on, I left the ship for a year or so. When I found out that my assistant had left, I asked for transfer back and Commander Barstow approved the transfer. Is there anything I can help you with in your time of transition?"

"An interest career trajectory", Saren commented. "No, there is nothing I need assistance with. There was not a full complement of staff nor many official requests of the Science Department. I am sure until there is a complete review of the integrity of the ship and a new staff, the Science Department will be quiet. I have requested a temporary space on the starbase so that I do not need to juggle my schedule with that of Engineering's."

Although he was Romulan, he did seem to share the Vulcan ability to give information without saying much or reciprocating some of the same information that Cale had offered up..

"Very well, Lieutenant. Is there anything you need from me, personally?" Llewellyn asked. And again, Llewellyn sensed the same feelings from him that he felt at the staff meeting. Though he couldn't quite put his finger on it, there was something not quite 'right' about the Romulan lieutenant. He wondered if he should inform the commander about this or wait until he discovered the real reason for the feelings he was getting from Lieutenant Barel.

Saren looked at Cale and smirked.

"Indeed, I do have something I need. Commander, as I am sure you know by reading my basic career jacket, I am 74 years old and not some still wet behind the ears Sub-Lieutenant", Saren said. "Only seven of those years have been in the Federation. The classified section of my dossier would show you that I have also spent twenty-years in the Romulan Star Navy. So, either you are a terrible card player or you are purposefully being obvious in your information fishing attempts. So, with respect to your rank and position, I do recommend that if you want certain types of information from me, ask directly, not dance around the topic like a politician after winning their first election. So please, what exactly is it that you wish to know?"

"Well, Lieutenant, I do have a bit of information I would like to have access to; there have been certain things I've been sensing from you since the briefing. And these things give me pause about you. I would like to know if there is anything you're not sharing with me and the rest of the command staff. And I would appreciate the 'truth', Lieutenant. Not some Romulan version of it. It could go a long way to helping me trust you."


Saren chuckled a little bit and then replied, “Of course there are things I am not sharing with you and nor will I Commander. I have known you for two and a half days. Of that time, most was spent in a staff meeting. From a professional point of view, I will tell you that I spent the standard ten years in the Romulan Military Academy, graduating 25th out of 400. From there, I was stationed on a warbird, which is an honor for a freshly graduated officer. I spent ten years in the engineering department and then shifted to the sciences department, where I served another ten years. I then retired and served another six years at the Sahe Eihss Institute of science as a research scientist before I came to Federation space. I spent two years in Starfleet Academy, graduating fifth in my class. Since then I have served on the USS Edimon and at Starbase 123 in the sciences department.”

He paused.

“From a personal point of view, you have no right to know any truths about me”, Saren continued. “If you knew anything about Romulan culture, you would realize just how rude your request of me is. However, you are like most Federation citizens who either see me as a sad victim of the Hobus incident or a potential Romulan agent not to be trusted. To be honest Commander, I do not care if you trust me or not. I grew up on a world where there was a whole section of the government built around not trusting its people. I do know however that your Starfleet Command has trusted me for seven years. If they did not, I would not be wearing this uniform."

He paused again.

“Now, if you really want me to care about gaining your trust”, Saren continued. “Learn to read, write, and speak, all four dialects of the Romulan language spoken on my home-world, read the complete original works of the Romulan historian T’ren Manias, not the translated version as very much is lost in said translation and then learn about the Romulan religion. Then and only then, will you have gained my trust enough for me to give you the mnhei'sahe of sharing some of my personal secrets. I will however tell you about one aspect of my personal life; I like to paint, especially plants and flowers.”

He smiled and then finished, “If these answers do not satisfy you, by all means Commander, request that the Captain relieve me from duty and give him the evidence as to why I should be.”

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I will tell you that I already do speak Romulan; I learned it as part of a dare in the Academy by a professor of mine, the name of which is not necessary for you to know. I will let you in on a secret of mine. I am empathic and I have been sensing something odd about you that worries me and if so I will go to the commander with what I know. As his former XO, I'm sure he will trust my feelings about you. Now with all that said I feel that this meeting is over. Dismissed, Lieutenant.

There were many things Saren wanted to say, but the effort was not worth the return. Among them was that the Commander's scheduled time in the lab was complete and it was now his to use as the schedule indicated. He figured that would get him into actual trouble with an insubordination charges.

"Aye, Lieutenant Commander", Saren replied, making sure to get a bit of a dig in from a protocol point of view.

With that, he did a formal military about face and left the lab.

"I'm going to like this man, I can already tell," Cale said aloud and to no one in particular.

OFF

Lt Commander Cale Jason Llewellyn, DSci
Strategic Operations Officer
Second Officer
USS Merlin

LTJG Saren Barel
Chief Science Officer
USS Merlin