Meet & Greet (Part 2)

Posted on Fri Aug 4th, 2023 @ 9:52am by Captain Kagami Izumi & Lieutenant Abigail Halesworth-Fletcher M.D. & Hatsune Izumi & Madison Fletcher & Commander (la') Tormek & Lieutenant Commander Adam Fletcher & Lieutenant Commander Nino Nakano & Lieutenant Ushio Sh'alkins & Lieutenant (Sogh) Perlin Amor & Lieutenant Ichika Nakano & Lieutenant Yotsuba Nakano & Lieutenant Itsuki Nakano & Lieutenant Miku Uesugi & William Fletcher
Edited on on Fri Aug 4th, 2023 @ 9:59am

1,354 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stronger Together
Location: Main Crew Lounge
Timeline: MD 06 - 19:00

Previously on Starbase Frontier:

Amor grinned showing his pearly white teeth, "tlhlngan maH" He said as he clasped Tormek's arm.

The taller Klingon leaned his head in close to Amor. "I have never understood this Human tradition for celebration. We have achieved no victories in battle yet, but they still indulge themselves like children on their first day of honor," he remarked before straightening back to his full height. "So...let us indulge ourselves as well!" He gave the half-caste a heavy slap on the back of his shoulder then began to wander around the room. To find bloodwine.

And now the continuation...

The Andorian Doctor was the next to arrive. She saw that she had arrived in the middle of an argument between two Klingon men, and made a mental note to prepare sickbay for whomever wound up losing this fight that they were arranging.

Ushio made her way over to Kagami with a smile. "Hello, Captain." She nodded before turning to the Klingon men. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Kagami shook her head. "Just some Klingon bonding by the looks of it," she said with a smile.

With a large clear glass of bloodwine in hand, Commander Tormek wandered around the reception area. He found little comfort in the Starfleet amenities nor any personal connection to those present. He was alone and isolated aboard a Federation-built starbase. But this would be his new home for the foreseeable future, and so he accepted his lack of comfort in its entirety. His vision gazed across the tops of many shorter heads then finally resettled on the facility's commanding officer he'd briefly met just minutes ago. He paced back over to her with more long strides until he stopped in front of a large-breasted Andorian woman talking to Captain Iz'mi.

"I am Commander Tormek," he declared with questionable social prowess. His dark eyes and intense features stared down at the blue-skinned woman, to Iz'mi, then back to the Andorian. "You are Lieutenant Commander Shal'kin." He recognized her from his earlier memorization of the station's manifest. "Chief medical officer."

"I wish I was a Lieutenant Commander," Ushio responded, rolling her eyes. "But alas, I am merely a Lieutenant. I also wasn't aware that the 's' in Sh'alkins was silent in the Klingon Language."

Ushio made a special emphasis on the 's' at the end of her family name when she spoke it, but not in a corrective manner to disrupt the natural flow of the conversation.

Tormek raised his chin after being corrected then grunted. "That is unfortunate. Perhaps one day you will achieve the rank you desire. I expect nothing more than hard work and discipline from you, doctor," he firmly pronounced, then subtly glanced to the captain for approval of his message. "You must obtain honor for yourself before you can achieve great victory." The Andorian's comment regarding pronunciation was a lesser concern at the moment.

"It seems Klingons don't crank Andorian Thrash Metal these days." Ushio sighed. "Because if you did, you'd recognize me as the drummer from Ice-Breaking Battleship, or maybe as the frontwoman of my more recent project, the Ushaan-tors. Granted, the Ushaan-tors are more traditional rock than metal, but you could still say I have a reputation. It just so happens that it's more in music than in medicine."

Raising his eyebrows ever so slightly, Tormek regarded the doctor with more nuanced scrutiny. He once again glanced over her facial features and physique, then returned his attention to her face. "You are a...musician?" He could barely believe it and tried his best to suppress an inappropriate comment. "Do you play Klingon opera?"

"No, I play rock music." Ushio repeated. "Though I am interested in the Klingon language, as I've been working to transcribe some of the lyrics to Ushaan-tors songs into Klingon for our reunion concert which we'll be holding right here on the station."

"I do not know of 'rock'," declared the Klingon commander. "Are you familiar with TobQoq and his works? The songs of Loh'hl and BiqueH?" He questioned the supposed artist-lieutenant with scrutiny.

"Sounds like you've got some reading up to do, Ushio?" Came a familiar voice.

Ushio turned in the direction of the voice and noticed that the Nakano sisters had made it.

"Look, we're not playing Klingon opera at the concert, guys!" Ushio said. "Making bilingual versions of our existing music is difficult enough."

"Who said anything about us playing Klingon Opera, Ushio?" Itsuki asked, confused. "To my knowledge, that wasn't on the tracklist for the concert."

"I'm glad we're in agreement." Ushio nodded.

The prominent cranial ridges adorning Tormek's brow creased inward as he frowned. His dark eyes became severe and displayed a strong visual aura of disapproval. "You will play Klingon opera at this 'event'," replied the tall Klingon commander with forceful tonality. He looked down at the new gold-collared Federation women who'd recently arrived and appeared to share similar facial features. Tormek quickly returned his attention back to the doctor. "...And I will participate." The warrior spread his hands and gestured one into the air in front of his chin. "I have studied TobQoq and his form for many years. I am a capable singer," he revealed.

"Excuse me," Nino butted in. "But who in the hell are you to be dictating what sort of music my sisters play?"

A short gold-collared Human woman with targ-meat-colored hair approached the Klingon commander. He cocked his head slightly to the side before refuting the angry accusation. "I am Commander Tormek, first officer of this starbase!" he announced. "Who are you?!"

Nino was momentarily caught off guard by the revelation. She looked like she was about to fire back, but in a sudden moment of clarity, she thought better of it and decided to walk back her initial outburst instead.

"My... apologies, Commander," she began, calmly clearing her throat. "I understand that may have been a bit blunt of me, so allow me to try that again: Lieutenant Commander Nino Nakano, Chief of Security;
I am responsible for overseeing both the Starfleet and Klingon Security detachments aboard this station."

Tormek's eyes surveyed the curvaceous Human named Nino from head to toe. "You...are Starfleet's chief of security aboard this facility?" He couldn't believe it. She appeared too young; too petite to serve in such a role. "You are too small," he instantly judged, shaking his head. "Who assigned you this position?"

"Commodore Franz Stewart, commanding officer of the USS Forrestal, " Nino replied. "He served in the Dominion War, so he's a man who knows what he's talking about, if that is your concern."

"Perlin!" Tormek call out, summoning the Klingon security counterpart. The commander folded his arms across his chest with armor leather robustulating. An unimpressed huff emanated from Tormek's chest. "Do you believe you can defeat me, or my colleague, in personal combat," he looked over to his fellow Klingon security chief.

"Yes, I've rarely seen defeat," Amor answered as he took a swing of his bloodwine. "However there's more to security than combat prowess, I do not judge others by their size. Be they bigger or smaller than myself, it's the strength of their heart and the depth of their cunning that wins battles. I believe there's more to both of you than meets the eye, or we wouldn't have been assigned such an important post. Tonight we socialize, tomorrow we can talk business."

"I would concur with that assessment," Nino nodded in agreement.

Tormek scoffed with the cadence of a disapproving mother who'd seen their son lose too many fights but was too preoccupied to punish him that same night. "Yes, we will socialize tonight. But soon...your prowess will be tested," he cautioned the gold-collared woman. "Such is the way of all warriors, large and small."

"I look forward to the challenge," Nino retorted with a sneer.

Amor shook his head and walked away to find his daughter.

To be continued...

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