Star Trek: Theurgy

Day 27 [1500 hrs.] Conservation of Assets

February 14, 2020, 11:49:03 PM

[Zyrao Natauna – Klingon Liaison | Purpose of Being | Boredom Will Only Deteriorate Utility | Time for a Visitation to Upper Management]
@Top Hat




Zyrao had been struggling.  The assistance she had provided for the ship since she had come on board had been stout, and good, and kept her busy at first.  She had been putting Klingon workers into their places, getting the supplies necessary for the ship, the assistance necessary for the ship, and smoothing over all the cultural chaos in between.  Yet, Zyrao had found that once she had stood her ground, once she had put herself into a spot where the Klingon knew and remembered who she was, once they realized she was not to be trifled with they had stopped needing so much care.  Things began to solve their own issues that had previously been something she needed to confer about and now it was just weekly discussions with Martok when their schedules were cleared in similar time lines.  It was nothing much that she was needed for and Zyrao found herself with a lot of extra time on her hands.

She did not fare well without purpose.

Thomas Ravon had filled many of those spaces with his own time spent with her.  The two had something of a special thing, that was completely unexpected and out of left field, for the El-Aurian soldier.  It was not undesired though, no, she found that finding someone that could take her as she was and didn't mind her being the strong alpha female that she had always been, had been a truly refreshing change.  She was unsure what exactly would happen between them, it was still in it's very early stages and it remained to be seen where it would actually go.  However, Zyrao was not, had never been, and would never be the clingy type.  She did not look to a man or .. really a woman for that matter, to give her purpose in life.  Zyrao needed something that fed her desire to be purposeful in her existence.  She had been around far too long to enjoy sitting around with nothing to do but read books and brew herself tea.  That was for the wee hours of the evening before she went to bed in her pristine Quarters. 

Her Klingon issued and heavily polished boots impacted the corridor deck plating with confident and assured strides.  She walked with a heavy purpose towards her destination and yet her body language only spoke of confidence and leisure.  Her hands were in the pockets of her Klingon flight suit, with her Starfleet issued badge and universal translator pinned to it's chest.  She was not an officer of the Fleet and thus could not wear their uniform but she would always belong to House Martok and his crest set right beside the Fleet issued one.  Therefore, she could wear her Klingon uniform when ever she wished and it was not only comfortable but familiar.  It also assisted when she was doing her job with the Klingon to be among them in familiar clothing.  The sleeves of her suit were rolled up just perfectly, with crisp edges to allow for the well muscled and heavily inked arms and hands to be on display until they disappeared into her pockets.

Taking a right, she found herself heading towards the meeting place of Commander Ranaan Ducote, the First Officer of the USS Theurgy.  He had only recently come into the title but she already found him far more competent than the infant that had once filled the chair.  Tantrums and preschool mentality had dominated the Bridge when the ex-FO had been in the center seat, and it was something that she did not miss.  This was not her first meeting with Ducote and they had never yet met in his office.  He apparently didn't do his office, or he was too busy to go that far, which she actually liked.  That meant he had his hand on the pulse of the ship instead of trying to spearhead it from behind a desk.  Though Zyrao supposed, that his woman, the Chief Engineer, probably had trained him up right.  By making sure that she kept him on his toes.  Though, she didn't kow the history there, she quite enjoyed the few times she had witnessed them around the ship together.  When they were on duty, there was a different but similar dynamic.  When they were off duty, it was quite sweet.  The two of them, the airs down from their jobs and it was just two people that cared deeply for one another.  It was refreshing to see, to be honest, outside the brutal and quick fucks that people here tended to go for.  Switching partners and bed fellows more quickly than their sheets.

The doors before her opened at her entrance, the office that she had been given when given the title of Liaison was rather small, and honestly it's interior was spartan.  There was a leather chair sitting behind a large metallic desk, the entire top of the desk was her console and holographic display unit.  She had a stack of perfectly placed padds, only four, standing to the side of the desk corner.  In front of her desk were two very Starfleet issued, back of the supply closet type metal chairs with clear seating.  There was nothing on the walls save for one Bat'leth that was hung up behind the main desk chair on the wall.  There was nothing else to show the personality of the woman that only used the office when it was necessary. 

As she stepped into the office she popped her hand over her combadge.  “Zyrao Natauna to Commander Ranaan Ducote, it's time for a meeting, if you have a moment.  Usual place.” 

The replicator in the wall did a piss poor job of replicating anything that would remind her of actual tea.  So she never used it for such a thing.  But, instead, she replicated herself some of the warm Aldean beverages that she had on the bridge that one day with the wolf-man.  She also replicated one for Commander Ducote, always preferring to have a drink waiting for him even if he did not partake.  Slowly, she would open his world.  Sitting down at her desk, she brushed her thumb across the biosignature reader on her desk top and the whole thing popped to life in El-Aurian symbols.  She supposed that now she had been working so hard on learning Starfleet Standard she could technically switch to it on her consoles and PADDs, but after years and years and years of not being able to read and write in her own language .. she had decided to own the fluid scripting and the beautiful languages of her home.

So, it was now that she waited for the arrival of the Commander and while she did so, she answered some of the messages the PADD would auto-correct into Standard before sending as well as checking to make sure their suppliers were still holding up to the original bargains as given by her.

Re: Day 27 [1500] : Conservation of Assets

Reply #1 – February 15, 2020, 04:40:17 PM

[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | Liaison's Office | Deck 03 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @bz

After what had seemed like a very long month, the Theurgy was finally looking in what someone could call 'decent running shape' while managing to keep a straight face. From his own high-level view of the Ops and Engineering gripe sheets, they could even now be viewed on a single panel of one console. For his own part, the number of complaints reaching him had steadily declined as everyone blew off what they could of their stresses and had more capacity to get their heads in the game.

It gave him time, in turn, to start to feel at home here. Certainly he'd been busy enough keeping up with the senior (and a lot of the junior) staff, but it also meant that he knew a fair fraction of them by surname at least now. It'd still take time for him to get on first-name terms with even a plurality of this crew (and probably only in one direction, at that), but it was a start. 'Personal' was how he preferred to do things, with how reclusive the Captain could be.

He was wandering through the bowels of Vector 03, inspecting the finishing touches to the repair - well, reconstruction - of the perforative strike that the Versant had inflicted on the ship before he'd arrived. As it usually did, thinking at all of the Savi led him to Blue. She still wasn't herself, not really, though he knew that if she ever did return to her 'Endeavour version' it'd be a damn long while yet. His thumb rolled his rosewood wedding ring around his finger.

Before he could sink too deeply into that thought, his badge chirped. [Zyrao Natauna to Commander Ranaan Ducote, it's time for a meeting, if you have a moment. Usual place.]

"On my way," was his concise response. He turned immediately for the nearest turbolift, but it was still some minutes until he navigated his way to the top of the ship and the various suites and compartments left aside for diplomatic functions or, as in this case, when someone needed an office that wasn't usually on the roster.

When he arrived, and the usual chime-wait-enter ritual had been observed, there was a steaming cup of... something on the table waiting for him. As ever, he wondered if she shared his preference for how he ran a meeting (given that this wasn't the first time beverages had been placed like this in either direction)... though he had to admit that she probably just had his measure. It wasn't as if she was a stranger to hierarchy politics. Zyrao had been doing this since long before he'd been born.

"Ms Natauna," he greeted with a small but genuine smile as he took a seat opposite her and picked up his cup. It smelled almost, but not entirely, quite unlike coffee. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he sipped the liquid experimentally. Not bad.

While this was an unscheduled meeting, he made sure that people knew he could be reached at almost any time, and unless whatever he was doing at that particular moment was an emergency or otherwise immovable, Ducote would make an effort to attend to the need. A thought did occur to him.

"Our new KDF arrival hasn't caused an upset already, has she?"

Re: Day 27 [1500] : Conservation of Assets

Reply #2 – February 22, 2020, 02:07:54 AM

[Zyrao Natauna | Talking to the Boss | Hard Discussions | Surprise Revelations]
@Top Hat




[On my way]

The response to any of her messages was always straight and to the point.  A fact that Zyrao enjoyed quite a lot about the First Officer.  Ives could be so long in the words and conversations.  Oft times talking around the answer before actually giving one or giving so many reasons why the answer was what it was before it had been even given.  But, it really didn't matter she had gotten to the point where when she could she would work more with Commander Ducote than she would anyone else because of the way that he got to the point and expected a job done properly the first time with minimal hand holding.  She appreciated the kind of trust that he gave to her and she found herself feeling more like part of the ship when they were in discussions and meetings than she did when she was among the populace. 

One of her many reasons for this conversation.

Where ever Ducote was on the ship, it couldn't be too far, and even if it was she knew he would be here when he could be.  So while he was on his way she answered some messages that had gone waiting since she had left her office a couple hours ago to visit with Thomas for a little while.  The two had started off quite nicely and she was actually interested as they continued forward.  She enjoyed their fights, their food, their time together.  She was unsure if it was sustainable only because she knew how she could be set in her ways and she sometimes still feared he was hung up on his ex.  But, time would either allow the relationship to flourish or it would begin to degrade.

The chime at the door was answered quickly and Ducote was allowed entrance to her spartan office.  The cup on her desk was still steaming when he sunk his long form into the chair opposite her desk.  He even picked it up and took a sip, which was nicer than some she had met with before, she appreciated the effort even if it wasn't something he might ultimately like.  He got to the point, again she quite liked that quality, and sat back waiting for the answer.  However, before she could answer he asked if their new KDF arrival hadn't already caused an issue.  A small smirk played on her face at the mention of Valkra, an officer that Zyrao herself had brought on board.

“No no, she's been almost too quiet lately.” she chuckled taking a sip of her drink before placing the cup down on her display.  Brushing against a button on the side the display desktop fell asleep and went inert so that she could put her hands on it without accidentally thumbing through all kinds of screens and battle plans that she had been playing with from time to time with various enemies that the Theurgy had encountered in the past. 

“I know you realize I have been working quite diligently on behalf of the Theurgy when dealing with the Klingon.  I have helped out Commander Cross and Lieutenant Evoars.  I have assisted in many other aspects of the ship and have done what I could, do the best of my ability, to offer sound advice where warranted.”  Zyrao was not just singing her own praises, that wasn't her way and the Commander would likely know that this had a point.  A point that Zyrao would get to rather momentarily.  “I have received word that the Theurgy is due to disembark tomorrow.  If that is the case, I need to know if I'm to stay on board in some kind of element or if I am to stay on Aldea with what I assume is my duties, being complete?”

Re: Day 27 [1500] : Conservation of Assets

Reply #3 – March 02, 2020, 12:48:23 PM

[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | Liaison's Office | Deck 03 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @BZ

More sips of the beverage led him no closer to deciding what it actually was or if he liked it. Given her drinking habits he presumed it was a variety of tea, but whether a local Aldean brew or one of her own collection he couldn't say. He let it rest a moment while he pondered it, and listened to Zyrao's request. When she finished, his brow furrowed a little.

It would make sense that her position might seem a little unstable now that they were going to be striking out on their own again, but more troubling was the fact that it was only now that he realised what a glaring hole he'd left in their ongoing meeting agenda. At the very least there should have been some handover coming rather than a mere 'right, thanks, job done, get off my ship now please'.

"No one doubts your skills nor experience, Ms Natauna. I am sorry that this was never explicitly discussed with you ahead of time - that's my fault." Ducote shifted in his seat, his once-injured knee twinging out of the blue. He hated missing things out. "I also apologise for my implicit assumption here... I thought you'd be staying on as a matter of course. You're not Starfleet obviously, so I can't issue an order to that effect officially."

He took a moment to sip the tea(?) again. Still no idea about this stuff. "You'd be an asset to us in whatever capacity you served. You're two-hundred-and-what, again?" he asked, rhetorically. "We'd be daft to let you slip through our fingers with nary a word. Not to mention your connection to the Chancellor and old role as strategist.

"I suspect that your liaison role would become a far slower job once we leave Aldea, though. If you do stay, I think we'd need to find another primary role for you to fill. You'd be wasted, otherwise."

They would still need to keep in touch with the Empire, and having a single point of contact already known among the KDF would make that far easier given that as soon as Martok's change of heart became known, the Federation would push to censure them. Or just declare war, if the parasites could swing it. While allies were welcome, it was hard to accrue any when there were so many ways the enemy could exploit those connections.

But what to suggest for that new position? Just as leaving her only as liaison felt like a waste, so too did pigeonholing her into some other single job.

"A floater," he said at last. "Or a consultant, if you want a fancier title. I imagine you'd be a decent fit for our Tactical and Intelligence departments, depending on circumstance. The Captain and I would like to have you remain primarily as our Klingon Empire contact, if you're willing, but there's plenty else to be done here."

Re: Day 27 [1500] : Conservation of Assets

Reply #4 – March 08, 2020, 11:52:32 PM

[Zyrao Natauna | You're Incorrect | Placement is Paramount | Usefulness is Necessary]
@Top Hat




Zyrao could see the surprise written across the Commander's face when she finished speaking her peace.  She understood that he had probably just assumed, as likely did Ives, that she just knew where she belonged.  That she would of course stay on for the course of the Theurgy, yet, there would be much less of a need for the Liaison once they disembarked from Aldea.  It wasn't that she would be unable to find work, she could, there would be helping with Valkra, though really.. the woman would likely be under the control of Ives and Ducote.  She would of course still communicate with Martok when the needs arose but it would be something that would happen so sparingly it was not good for her.  Zyrao did not fair well when life became about cooling her heels and waiting.  She was a woman of action.

He told her that no one doubted her skills or experience.  The risen brow on her face proved that she felt otherwise.  She didn't state so though, the man was an empath, he likely knew how she felt about that statement without the verbiage to back it up. He apologized for not discussing her position with her ahead of time and a simple shrug of her shoulder was part of the answer.  “I do not blame you nor Ives for the lack of forethought.  I have heard rumors and tales of what this ship has been through and I understand that I am only one of many here.  I could have come to ask, however, I suppose I was a little wary considering I do not feel as though I have been part of this ship but merely a convenient albeit temporary interloper.”

Ducote mentioned that he realized now, as she had, that her Liaison job would become far less necessary once they departed and another position would need to be found for her.  She gave a slight nod.  She wouldn't mind staying on with the Theurgy, it was not as if she had another place to be, though she knew Martok would take her in.  While Zyrao didn't want to burn those bridges she also felt as though it was time to find a new adventure.  An adventure she would like to precipitate here, and hoped that Ducote could help her find a place to belong.

He called out, a floater.  She winced, what a terrible term for such a thing.  He classed it up with Consultant, but she wasn't exactly sure that it would get her anywhere on the ship.  She didn't want to run it, she didn't even want to head a division or anything, she just wanted a job where she could put her efforts into something useful.  Sitting around was never her strong suit, and having a woman that was well over two hundred years old wasting away would either end up in hard mischief or finding a way to defect when they got within escape pod shot of a good enough planet.  She didn't wish to do that, she felt the Theurgy could use her and Ducote seemed to second that, they just needed to figure out how. 

He admitted that she would be a decent fit for the Tactical and Intelligence departments depending on what was going on.  They still wanted her to remain the Liaison if possible because of the report she already had with Martok.  She gave a nod.

“I spoke with Lieutenant Cross about assisting in Tactical, he explained he would have to check with Ives and I have heard nothing since.  I realize there are glaring holes in the Intelligence department.”  It was clear Zyrao had done her homework before asking to see Ducote regarding this matter.  “However, I am not certain Ives is up for allowing me such a delicate position despite my long years and my vast experiences.  I do not mind remaining the Liaison, being able to contact Martok and being the arm for the Klingon to Federation communication is just fine.  I just.. I fear my mental fortitude will degrade without a purpose in which to apply my life and time.  I do not idle well, Commander.” 

It was the first time she had spoken of herself and a weakness.  She hoped that the Commander would understand her concerns.  He was the eyes and ears for Ives, and honestly, other than when she was gifted the Liaison position she had not spoken with nor seen Ives.  All her dealings were with Ducote.  What she liked about him was that he made himself approachable.  Not sitting behind a desk in some office where you had to come to him, instead he made rounds readily on the ship.  She was a highly observant person and she noticed when they crossed paths, when she saw him getting flagged by a passer by and him giving them the attention they deserved as an officer on his ship instead of telling them to make an appointment.  She liked that he was the people's First Officer, instead of someone that was unapproachable and over paid.

“Either Tactical or Intelligence, even both, would be something I would be suited to and would enjoy.  I understand I have not gone through the Academy, I do not know if there is some way I can test myself to see if I could become an officer of the Federation.  I sometimes wonder if it would allow for those on the ship to accept me better.  It seems there is a large chasm between those with Uniforms and those without.”

Re: Day 27 [1500 hrs.] Conservation of Assets

Reply #5 – April 04, 2020, 05:04:33 PM

[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | Liaison's Office | Deck 03 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @BZ (and @Fife for info)

Ducote listened silently through Zyrao's statement. Her concerns were fair, in his opinion, and after his time on the Niger following the flight from the site of the Endeavour's destruction he could entirely sympathise. A fair chunk of why he'd almost gone mad himself was due to a lack of distraction. In some ways, a lack of responsibility. He needed things to do and reasons to feel useful.

The hybrid tapped one finger on the arm of his chair while he made a second consideration.

"It seems there is a large chasm between those with Uniforms and those without."

He blinked. Of course there was. This was, despite its own protests to the contrary, a military vessel. Now more than its designers might have intended, but the point remained. Since its flight from Sol the ship was basically on a war footing - the few civilian specialists that hadn't taken the invitation to debark during the layover at Aldea were being very helpful to their respective departments, but they were entirely outside the command chain. They had to be.

Still. "I understand that it's been a long time since you were outside a decision-chain. To Ives' lack of contact I can only blame the sheer amount of items on the agenda here that s/he likely just hasn't gotten to it yet - cold comfort though that is." Pulling a PADD out of his pocket, he tapped away at it for a second.

"For now, I'll talk to Commander Cross about arranging drills with the Tactical crew under your lead. If there's any point we need to stop thinking like Starfleet all the time, it's when Starfleet is chasing us across the quadrant. I hope with your experience and differing doctrine we might stand a better chance of staying a step ahead of Sankolov, and with your time as strategist..." He paused while he pulled up another screen on the PADD.

"And I'll talk to Ives about getting you breveted to a rank. Like I said, losing your wealth of experience would be stupid if we could have avoided it. It won't be command-level, most likely, but I doubt there'd be much problem slotting you in at lieutenant. You'd be under Cross for that." Given that their interactions had been positive before, he anticipated no real resistance. "I anticipate that the captain will require some nominal accreditation as part of your provisional rank; a stopgap because you didn't go to the Academy. Bookkeeping, really."

The last was delivered with a sympathetic shrug-wave - while he spent a lot of his time dotting the I's and crossing the T's, that didn't mean he enjoyed it. He'd rather be doing the useful things rather than documenting that he'd done them.

"That would all be atop any other duties in Intelligence as required, of course."

He waited for her response.

Re: Day 27 [1500 hrs.] Conservation of Assets

Reply #6 – April 11, 2020, 03:36:27 AM

[Zyrao Natauna | At Least There is Hope | I Want to Stay | Or I Wouldn't Ask | I Don't Mind Work]
@Top Hat




It was no secret that Zyrao did not mind work.  Whatever she was asked to do, she tackled with great enthusiasm.  There was no need to push her or watch over her, she was the sort of person that just saw what ever responsibilities she had through to the end.  It was that way with being the Liaison of the Klingon here, a title she intended to keep even though there was no reason for her to really have it all the time.  She would not be needed in that capacity often but with her ties to the Klingon she knew that she was an asset the Theurgy could not soon look to forget.  Hopefully, she would find that she could continue to be of help here and there.  But, it was a position where she could actually become something, a place she could grow, learn, and be a part of the ship actually.  That was what she sought after.  A position and Thomas would make things go much smoother for the El-Aurian that had been nomadic for far too long.

Ducote was right, though, she had gotten used to being the Captain's right hand.  Someone that he trusted completely and that had gotten him blown up.  Well no, he had gotten himself blown up she had just seen the shit-show for what it was and vacated for self preservation.  He had ignored the messages, he had been the one not to pass on the messages to his father, and he had been the one to trigger the defense system of the moon.  While she had helped the Federation fight those Klingon that were just fighting on the orders of a stupid Klingon, she had not betrayed the Captain himself or the ship.  Only that she knew the Federation would need her assistance with as hard pressed as they were in that moment.  It had been a momentary decision, realizing the situation they were in, not everyone could come back alive and wasting senseless time fighting one another would not do any good.  It had to be done, and Zyrao had done it.  She had no regrets when it came to that whole situation.

“I would assume the Captain busy, I do not request their attention, and truthfully I prefer our dealings.” she admitted.

Once more she quite liked how Ducote didn't hold any punches but he was a smart man.  Zyrao didn't have to work him, he knew exactly what he had sitting in front of him and how detrimental to the survival of the ship it would be if she walked.  And she could, there was little but a verbal agreement to the Captain for her to stay.  Martok would more than welcome her back among the Klingon and his house, he probably had someone else he could stand ot push her to marry or something.  That wasn't the life she wanted and luckily Ducote and she were on the same wavelength when it came to the job that she could gain here on the Theurgy.

“I would be foolish to expect anything like Command, I understand that I did not arrive at my experience the same way many officers here did.  However, that does not lessen my skill set or the fact that I can be of assistance.”  He recommended that he would talk to Cross about her involvement with the Tactical officers and perhaps helping with various training and scenarios where her non-Federation standard of tactics might actually be of help in getting them a leg up on the Task Force that was after the Theurgy.  The Captain would likely need her to complete some things so that it would go down in paperwork as done properly and not just a rank given to her because of her age and supposed experience.  Again, she nodded.

“That seems adequate and understandable.”  People believed, somewhat anyway, that Zyrao was unreasonable.  Perhaps it was her gross and vocal hatred of the old XO.  But, she wasn't that way in the least bit, as long as something was coming at her that made sense and wasn't completely stonewalling her she was fine with doing the work and taking things as they came.  She didn't mind the chance to earn the rank or even earn the respect of those around her.  What she minded was not having the option to earn them at all.

“I do better when my hands are busy, Commander.  Sitting idle is when I get antsy and look for things to keep myself busy.  I would prefer that my days involved more than desk work and reminding Klingon supply officers of my name.” she chuckled a bit.  Giving a bit of a shrug she gave a quick nod.  “This meeting was quite as I expected it.  I'm glad to have your support.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help and when you are able to get in touch with Cross I'm sure he will message me to let me know what schedules he would prefer I keep.  Thank you for your time, Commander.”


-FIN-