Cadet, Security, Ops and Marine

Posted on Wed Aug 30th, 2023 @ 3:01am by Ensign Kanan Mishra (Kosugi) & Lieutenant JG Eira Cortez & Cadet First Class Pallas & Cadet Third Class Aarfa Barakzay & Corporal Zul'arra (Hawkins)

Mission: Just Another Day on Gladiator
Location: Cantina
Timeline: Aftermath
1965 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Mishra headed out of his quarters, and was thinking of going to the Cantina to grab a bite. It was a couple of days after the whole Trinity Mess, several of the security team members had been injured and the same for him, his was minor compared to that. When he reached the turbo lift he thought he saw Pallas she was part of the team patching up the wounded.

"Hey Pallas is that you?" moving away from the lift to get a better look.

"Yes, sir," the cadet affirmed as she held the turbolift door open. "You look as though you are recovery well. It is good to see you here, in a much calmer environment."

Kanan gave a nod. "I am glad to be back on the ship, that was a huge mess there. And, since we're not technically on duty. How about calling me Kanan if you don't mind? " Stepping into the lift. "How are you doing?" he asked as he leaned back against the lift's wall.

Pallas smiled at the request. "I am afraid I may be constitutionally incapable of your request, sir, though I assure you it is nothing personal. I have rejected this request from multiple officers on the Gladiator at this point. I am fairly certain I will be written up soon for insubordination," she chuckled. "I can call you 'Ensign' if it feels better to you. Deck 13," she said to the turbolift as the doors closed. "I am doing well. Never expected my first mission in Starfleet to be so dangerous or high stakes. Is it always like this on the Gladiator?" she asked.

"Yes go ahead and call me, Ensign. I had forgotten about that protocol. Uh is it okay if I call you Pallas or would you prefer Cadet?" he thought for a moment as the turbo lift sped its way to Deck Thirteen. "I don't know, to be truthful. I signed on here after being transferred from the Arcadia. Its a lot to think about, to compare what this ship was like, before I joined up."

The lift stopped on Deck Thirteen, with the door opening up, Mishra stepped out and started walking to the entrance.

The cadet stepped off with Mishra and walked alongside him into the Cantina, realizing that they were headed for the same destination. "You are the senior officer, it is your prerogative to call me whatever you like," Pallas gave what might have been an apologetic smile. "On my rotation through Sickbay, Doctor Svidi had a variety of colorful names she used," she joked. "I guess the better question then would have been, 'Is it always like this with this crew?' I understand most of this crew is the Arcadia crew at this point." The Cantina looked quite busy, a fact that somewhat surprised Pallas, though she wasn't sure where her surprise was coming from. "Sort of strange to think that after a mission like that one, everything just goes back to normal. Just another day in Starfleet," she said aloud, though more so to herself than directed at Mishra.

A short distance away, Aarfa sat, staring blankly at a plate of food, her normally healthy appetite as absent as her stare. Others may have gone back to normal, but she felt ...unbalanced. During the mission itself, she'd been hyper-focused, keen in the way of her kind on a major hunt. She'd felt the rush of fear/anger/bloodlust that came with scenting the terrorists who'd murdered so many of her crew-pack, but it had been almost peripheral - pushed aside by intense razor-sharp drive. Afterward though, without the adrenaline and focus of objective, all of the emotion, all of what she'd smelled and done and seen had come crashing back, waves of emotion and reaction that one moment left her spinning, gasping for air, and the next, wrung out, almost numb. She'd known it would come; it had before, and the counselors assured it was normal. But that didn't make it easier, especially when she hit these points where she felt empty, barely connected to herself, like a ghost haunting the normal life going on all around her.

"Roomie!" Pallas called out, waving at Aarfa with a smile. As she approached at a quicker walk, her fellow cadet, she noticed immediately the unlikely picture of the full plate untouched in front of her friend. A small part of Pallas's mind had hoped that the end of the mission would mean that Aarfa would get some relief from everything was happened, but her logical brain, as well as her own experience with trauma, knew that it would be a long road for her roommate to get to a place of balance. In all honesty, it wasn't even clear that Pallas had, after sixteen years, was balanced herself. Passing the Academy entrance exam's psychological component was one thing; sleeping through the night without nightmares was something completely different. One thing she did know, though, was that being alone was never going to help heal those wounds. She walked up next to Aarfa, making sure the Kainan saw her fully as she approached to prevent any instinctive attack, and then gave her friend a big hug. "I am glad to see you made it through that." Pallas held onto the hug for a moment longer, hoping that her contact and familiar scent would help with whatever Aarfa was going through.

The familiar voice barely registered, but Aarfa managed to look up and acknowledge Pallas with a half ear perk. She hadn't expected the hug, but after moment leaned into it, grateful for a friend who understood what the presence of such contact meant to her. Unable to find words yet, she sat back when the hug released and blinked, looking at her companions, trying to reorient.

Mishra slid into the seat across from Aarfa, "Hey, Aarfa, we're back on Gladiator." reaching out to touch her hand. Then he looked over at Pallas, "Aarfa and I had teamed up in finding people. Her people, our people?" he shook his head for a moment, things were slightly scrambled in his head at the moment. "It was eventful to say the least."

Pallas nodded. She had been there, too, after all, not on the front line like Security had been, but being inside that place was not something anyone would forget quickly.

Sitting off to the side by herself, Zul'arra kept her eyes more on the pad in her hands while occasionally taking a sip of a clear liquid from time to time. But it wasn't hard for her to hear the group come in and over hear them.

'Eventful? Their people?' She thought to herself for a moment, before leaning back on her past and how starfleet and Hawkins found her and her 'people's. As the lone Nygnu on the starship, she knew all to well how they felt as outsiders. But the difference between these recruits and herself was that she had been with the Gladiator family for over five years. They saved her and her small tribe. She, then, found herself fighting against, then recently with these 'people'. They were her family now. So to hear these new blood speak of their people, almost seemed weird to her as she hadn't been on this side of the line.

A slight sigh and twitch of the edge of her lips almost showed a smile. But like most of her emotions, she suppressed it quickly before she felt that she was being looked at. She looked up and noticed it was her own imagination, to which when one of the new members looked in her direction, she offered a slight smile and nod in respect..

"Eventful, yes," Aarfa finally managed, and offered a small smile. "I'm glad you made it through that too." She fell silent, thinking about all those who hadn't - the scents missing among the survivors, the drained bodies found in the clean up...

"As long as we all made it through, alive, I guess we can call that a win." Eira said quietly and raised her half empty glass, just loud enough for them to hear. She had been sitting nearby eating and was listening to the conversation, although she wasn't actively participating. She had seen these crewmembers around and recognized the Ensign from being on the same away team but hadn't had a chance to actually speak to any of them.

Mishra looked towards both Zul'arra and then to Eira. "How about you two come over and join us? I'd like to get to know the two of you better, much the same here with Pallas and Aarfa. If you don't mind that is. After what we've all witnessed in one form or other, just brings about the desire to make some new connections." A pleading expression in his eyes. He just felt that there needed to be some sort of weaving together.

Eira wasn't much one for socializing at the best of times but she slipped out of her seat and walked over to join the others. "In case you haven't guessed from the away mission, I'm Cortez, or just Eira." Again she raised her glass slightly and drunk from it.

"Glad you joined us, Eira." Mishra said delighted, then he looked at the marine there. "C'mon Zul'arra come on over." Mishra encouraged her to come over as well.

There was a slightly longer than normal pause as the marine corporal thought it out. Deep down, she had no true desire to be rude, but she wasn't the talkative type. But things were changing, and for her and others, there was no real reason to close off each other. But to get more close and protective of one another. So even though this wasn't something she wasn't fully accustom to group gatherings, the marine knew at some point or another, she needed to get passed her own barriers and discomfort.

With that, Zul'arra collected her items, and sighed as she moved to an open stool closer to the group. She raised her glass and gulped her drink. "I'll take another. Let's start with that."

"That works for me" Kanan replied, "Okay so I am not one who is really up to par with getting a conversation going on, but, you know nothing wrong in trying right? Anyone have a favorite food they like to eat?"

Just as Kanan had asked that question, another security personnel came walking up to the table, where the others sat. "Hate to interrupt things here." she stated, giving a nod towards the others there. " Ensign Kanan, you are needed in security. I know I could have called you on the commbadge but I also was on the way here to get a bite to eat. Anyway sorry for the intrusion."

Kanan gave a bit of a nod and rose from the table. "Sorry, maybe we can do this another time?" he looking at the others there. "duty calls."

Having been content so far to let others handle the conversation, Aarfa acknowledged the man's offer and leave-taking with a simple nod.

With a wave Kanan left almost at a jog, if he was being summoned he didn't need to keep Lieutenant Wales waiting. When he left the security officer went her way to join another table.

"I suppose the Ensign's departure means... more drinks for the rest of us?" Pallas offered a smile as she brought a fresh round to the table and her fellow away team members. "Lieutenant... Corporal... Roomie..." she grinned as she handed out glasses. Then, raising hers, she proposed a toast. "To those of us who are still here. May we bless the memories of those we have lost with how we use this gift of life."