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[2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

[ Lt. Cross | Briefing Room | USS Endeavour | 1100hrs. ] Attn: @trevorvw

As Lieutenant Cross sat ridgidly in the chair in the briefing room aboard the USS Endeavour, hands clasped with fingers interlaced on the table in front of him, he felt a varied series of emotions.
Excitement, nervousness, anticipation, responsibility.
Maybe a bit of nausea.
His new posting as Chief Tactical Officer aboard the Endeavour seemed both a great opportunity, and a daunting responsibility. He could only hope he would be up to the challenge, hope he would prove himself worthy of the title. Of the uniform.
Cross looked around the table at the assembled officers, the vast majority of whom he did not have names to assign to their faces. At the head of the table the Captain's chair sat empty, Captain Amasov having yet to arrive. To the right of Amasov's chair sat the Endeavour's XO, whom Cross had been introduced to as Commander Ducote. That was the only name Cross knew in the room besides his own, having just arrived on the ship earlier that morning. Had any of the other officers been paying much attention to him, they might have noticed that the gaze of his blue eyes had a piercing quality to it, intensified by the fact that he appeared not to blink.
Cross' eyes were drawn to the doors as they hissed open, Captain Amasov having arrived. The Captain moved to his chair and , having taken a seat, looked around the table at the assembled officers.
"Good morning." Amasov began, "I'd like to begin today's briefing by introducing two new members of our crew. The first is Lieutenant Kai Akoni, our new Chief of Security," Cross watched as Amasov nodded towards a large man in the gold uniform of a security officer, "the second is Lieutenant Cross, Chief Tactical Officer." Cross watched impassively as Amasov nodded toward him.
Cross glanced at the other new arrival, feeling somewhat relieved that he wasn't the only new addition to the crew. The large human was likely to draw more attention than Cross himself would, which suited Cross just fine. His 7 years serving in Starfleet still hadn't rid him of his awkwardness during social interactions.
"Both men have served with distinction during their careers with Starfleet, and both served during the Dominion Wars." Amasov continued, "I expect them to continue to serve diligently aboard the Endeavour. Please join me in welcoming our new officers."
Cross gave a faint smile and nodded as he was briefly greeted by various members of the command staff, guessing proper introductions would no doubt follow after the briefing was finished.
The briefing continued much as one would expect a routine morning briefing to go, with daily reports, minor issues being addressed, and department assignments for the day.
Once the briefing had come to a close, Cross found himself shaking hands with each officer in turn, with introductions being made so rapidly that Cross doubted he would be able to keep any of the names straight, assuming he would be able to remember them at all.
The Caitian is R'Rori... the Romulan is Okhala... The Chief Engineer is... A color? Red? Blue? Shit... Cross had started losing names already.
At that point, Cross gave up on trying to remember the names. That would come with time.
For now, he had duties to attend to.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #1 –
[Lt. Kai Akoni | Briefing Room | USS Endeavour | 1100hrs] Attn: @Fife

Kai had just stepped aboard the Endeavour earlier that morning. A mix of emotions had run through his head. Excitement, Nervousness, Duty, Honour. All of it. He was beyond excited to get started in his new posting as Chief of Security aboard the Endeavour. He hoped to make his crew, his previous commanders, and most of all, his parents, proud of him.

Kai sat in the chair of the briefing room. It was a tad on the small side for his ample frame, however he had become accustomed to it.  The briefing room itself was not dissimilar to any briefing room he had been in, in the past.  The doors to the room had slid open and Captain Amasov entered the room and made his way to the head of the table. He sat down in his chair and then began to speak.

"Good morning. I'd like to begin today's briefing by introducing two new members of our crew. The first is Lieutenant Kai Akoni, our new Chief of Security," Kai responded with a nod as the Captain nodded towards him, "the second is Lieutenant Cross, Chief Tactical Officer." Kai noted as the Captain nodded towards a man in a red uniform.

Wait...is that a Vulcan with Bajoran nose ridges...or a Bajoran with pointed ears? Kai thought to himself, as he raised his right eyebrow in contemplation. A habit he had, even if subconsciously doing it.

"Both men have served with distinction during their careers with Starfleet, and both served during the Dominion Wars." Amasov stated, as if reading from a script, "I expect them to continue to serve diligently aboard the Endeavour. Please join me in welcoming our new officers."

After the briefing had concluded, Kai was introduced to all of the senior staff and looked forward to working with each and every one of them. 

Following the meeting, Kai was introduced to his new Deputy Chief of Security who handed Kai all the PADDs full of information about Security aboard the Endeavour. These included duty rosters, patrol layouts, reports on previous incidents, etc. Kai looked at all the PADDs glancingly and wondered how many more of these there would be.


[Lt. Kai Akoni | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour | 1218hrs]

Kai walked into the mess hall, looking at 4 of the PADDs he had in his hands.

There's so much to go over Kai thought to himself as he walked over to the replicator.

"Pork Laulau" he said to the replicator as his dish materialized into existence. Kai knew this didn't taste as good as the real stuff did back on Earth, but it was a fair approximation. Laulau is just pork wrapped in Taro root leaves and cooked in an underground hot rock oven. Kai had the feeling there was no underground hot rock oven on the Endeavour.

Nevertheless, Kai picked up his tray from the replicator and turned around to look for a place to eat. It was pretty packed in the mess hall, however he did notice the new tactical officer sitting at a table by himself.

Kai, his four PADDs and his tray of food sauntered over to where Lt. Cross was sitting. He placed the tray of food on the table, dropped his PADDs on the table and sat down.

Lt. Cross just looked at Kai, seemingly unsure of what was happening.

Kai spoke first, "Us newbies have to stick together" as Kai winked at Cross "Did you ever think there'd be so much paperwork being a department head?"

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #2 –
[ Lt. Cross | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour | 1218hrs ] Attn: @trevorvw

Cross sat alone in the mess hall, the Captain having given him the day off regular duties so that he could familiarize himself with his new position. The Deputy Chief Tactical Officer, whose name Cross had failed to remember along with so many others, had given Cross PADDs with all the files he would need to brush up on. Personnel files, duty rosters, the ship's weapons and shields specifications, operational readiness reports.
Yes, Cross had a lot to go over.
And so it was that he had made his way to the mess hall, found a table, and had begun slogging through the sea of information. He'd taken a sip of his tea, shuffling between the 3 PADDs, when a massive shadow spread over the table. The shadow on the table was joined by 4 PADDS and a mess hall tray carrying some form of food, and then the figure of the ships' new Chief Security Officer dropped into view, into the chair across from Cross.
Cross stared blankly at the security officer, trying desperately to remember his name from the briefing. He was human, but his name had seemed strange to Cross.
Kan? No. Lai? No, that wasn't it either...
Cross was still racking his brain for the name when the Security Chief spoke.
"Us newbies have to stick together." the security chief said, giving Cross a wink. "Did you ever think there'd be so much paperwork being a department head?"
Kai... Kai Akoni! Cross smiled, pleased that he had actually remembered.
"Looks like you've got it worse that me," Cross agreed, "I've only got 3 PADDs to shuffle through, and that's already plenty!"
Cross' gaze dropped to the table, settling on Kai's food tray. The contributions of Cross' Vulcan half included the Vulcan sense of smell, and that sense was being assailed by the unfamiliar scent. "What are you eating?"

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #3 –
[Lt. Kai Akoni | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour | 1218hrs] Attn: @Fife

"What are you eating?" Lt. Cross had inquired. The look on his face being somwhere between utter disgust and morbid curiosity.

"Oh this? It's called Laulau. It's a traditional Hawaiian dish. It's made of pork and taro root leaves" Kai replied almost instantaneously and kept talking, "My maternal heritage is Hawaiian, so for me, this is more of a comfort food.". Even mentioning Hawaii made Kai think of home and his parents house right on the beach. The feel of the sun, the smell and sound of the water..and the SURFING. He thought about how much he missed the surfing.

I wonder if I can find more time to go surfing on the Endeavour

Kai found it odd when people mentioned Risa, as he had to questions wether they had ever been to Hawaii.

Cross didn't reply to his answer, seemingly formulating what to say in his head.

This is great. I bet if I talked to the bulkhead, I'd get more of a reply Kai thought to himself.

Kai sat studying the man sitting across the table from him. He looked closed off, almost a distant look in his eyes.

What did Dad call it? A thousand centimetre stare? No. A thousand yard stare! That was it!

Before Cross had replied, Kai added "So Lieutenant...tell me more about yourself"

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #4 –
[ Lt. Cross | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

After hearing the word "pork" Cross had wrinkled his nise slightly. His reaction to meat wasn't as strong as it had once been, but he still held an aversion to it. A brief flash from his "childhood" entered his mind, and he quickly tried to put it out of his mind.

How do humans eat that?
He refrained from commenting on the dish.

Cross continued to look at Lt. Akoni as he mentioned Hawaii. The big man was obviously an outgoing person, and attempting to make friends aboard the Endeavour. Cross couldn't fault him for it, although he wondered why Akoni had picked him.
"So Lieutenant...tell me more about yourself." Kai had continued.

Well... that doesn't put me on the spot at all...

Cross considered the man in front of him for a moment with his pale blue eyes, a feature of his that many found disconcerting. The Captain had mentioned that Lt. Akoni had served during the Dominion War as well, which made Cross feel a little more at ease with the human than he did with the majority of people.

I suppose I may as well try to be friendly...

"Well, I went to Earth in 2366. To Scotland, to be precise. Then the Academy in San Francisco in 2371. Those are really the only places on Earth that I've been. I've never been to Hawaii." Cross paused, still staring at the human with seemingly unblinking eyes, "I was posted to the Hood fresh out of the Academy, and was immediately thrown into the war. I was a security officer back then, not tactical. I fought at DS9 and Chin'Toka. The first battle, not the second."

Cross paused again, tilting his head ever so slightly to the left, "I'm sorry Lieutenant, I seem to simply be giving you my Starfleet service record..." Cross gave a shy, embarrassed smile, "Forgive me, I've never really been good with small talk."

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #5 –
[Lt. Kai Akoni | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour ]  Attn: @Fife

"Well, I went to Earth in 2366. To Scotland, to be precise. Then the Academy in San Francisco in 2371. Those are really the only places on Earth that I've been. I've never been to Hawaii." Lt. Cross said, whilst staring unblinkingly at Kai "I was posted to the Hood fresh out of the Academy, and was immediately thrown into the war. I was a security officer back then, not tactical. I fought at DS9 and Chin'Toka. The first battle, not the second."

He's never been to Hawaii? Kai immediately thought, almost befuddled.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, I seem to simply be giving you my Starfleet service record...Forgive me, I've never really been good with small talk."

Kai smirked at the fact that Lt. Cross wasn't good at small talk. That reminded Kai of himself during high school. He was never good at it back then. An ex-girlfriend helped with that, and ever since then, Kai turned into an extrovert and a ladies man.

Maybe I can help him out with that Kai thought about it for a split second Maybe I found a wingman?

Kai thought about it for a few seconds, looking at Lt. Cross' pale blue eyes, which was Kai found strange.

"Okay, I have a couple of questions. The first is, you've never been to Hawaii? Why not? It's paradise on Earth man!"

Kai then took a sip of his drink before blurting out the second question, "You're not good at small talk you say..." Kai pondered and rubbed his chin, "Want any help changing that?"

A million thoughts ran through Kai's head waiting for the reply.

Women...Dates...Fun...Surfing...The sky's the limit

The thought of all this made Kai smile and become quite intrigued at the possibility.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. Cross | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @trevorvw

Help... with small talk? Cross thought, puzzled for a moment, Is he... trying to adopt me?

Cross smiled at the human sitting across from him. The large man's equally large smile and outgoing nature had put Cross at ease for some reason.

"The only place that I've been that I could describe as paradise would be Risa. I visited it once while I had some leave."

His smile faded slightly. His gaze drifted down to the table, settling on his cup of tea, as he began to elaborate on his lack of travel.

"My time on Earth prior to entering the Academy wasn't really focused on leisure activity and travel. I spent most of the time in Scotland in rehabilitation, then trying to learn everything that someone around the age of 17 would have already learned at that point. I had a lot of catching up to do..."

Cross' smile had faded completely, his face having taken on a strange expression. His eyes had taken on a slightly sad look, with an underlying edge of anger. When he spoke again, his voice had taken on a different tone as well. Anger, albeit controlled, tined his words.

"You see, I was... raised.... in a Cardassian prison camp. I was born there, and I lived in the camp until Starfleet liberated it. I was around 17, but the damned Cardys destroyed most of their files, so there's no actual record of how old I am. When I was taken to Earth, I was little more than a feral animal. The Cardassians had conditioned me to be that way. I was their pet, their test subject, and their outlet for any anger or frustration they had. I felt constant rage, hatred and fear. I trusted no one. It took years for me to be rehabilitated."

Cross shook his head once, then looked back up. His slight smile was back, the anger gone from his voice and eyes.

"There was so much for the Starfleet officers in charge of my rehab to correct and work on, and so much for me to learn. It seems small talk was a lesson they overlooked!" Cross concluded with a soft chuckle.

Cross considered the man opposite him.

"As for your offer, I suppose it is something that would help me. Especially with talking to women..." A shy smile played across Cross' face this time, "Yet another lesson they overlooked."

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #7 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @Fife

Kai felt awful for having just assumed that Lt. Cross' sheltered upbringing was a result of overprotective parents. Quite the opposite in fact.

Wow this guy has had a rough go of things Kai thought while wrestling with a million and one things going through his head.

"I..I..I'm sorry Lieutenant, I didn't know" Kai managed to say, but he decided to quickly change the subject before it brought any more bad memories up for Lt. Cross.

Now how can I help him with opening up? Kai pondered momentarily before he came up with the perfect solution...at least in his mind.

"I've got just the thing for you!" Kai said excitedly, "It may not be the real deal, but you're going to come to the holodeck with me tonight at 22:00 hours."

Kai felt Lt. Cross staring back at him, seemingly puzzled.

Kai continued to speak, "We're going to head out on the moana and and catch nalu. You're going to come surfing with me! You'll love it, it's peaceful and serene!"

Kai waited with baited breath to see what Lt. Cross' reply would be. Kai smirked internally at the fact that it didn't matter what the reply was.

 Lt. Cross really wasn't going to have a choice. Kai pondered in anticipation

OOC: Moana = Ocean, Nalu = Surf/Wave

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #8 –
[ Lt. Cross | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @trevorvw

Cross got the impression he had made Lt. Akoni uncomfortable. This often happened when we mentioned his past, though Cross had no idea why people apologized when it happened. After all, it wasn't their fault. It seemed to be a predominantly human habit which his time on Earth had not brought him to understand.

Cross listened as Lt. Akoni continued, and found several of the words he used strange.

Moana? Nalu? What the hell is he talking about?

Cross had heard of surfing. He seemed to remember seeing a video of it at one point. Someone at Starfleet Academy had shown it to him, if he remembered correctly. The person in the video had appeared to be standing upright on the water, riding on a platform of some sort. The sight had intrigued Cross, but he'd put it out of his mind at the time, intent as he had been on his classes.

"Surfing, huh?" Cross mused, leaning back in his chair and taking a drink of his tea. Lt. Akoni was obviously making an effort to befriend him.

What the hell, I'm going to be on this ship for quite some time. I might as well make friends...

"That sounds like it could be interesting..." Cross considered Lt. Akoni for another moment, then smiled and continued, "I'm game, Lieutenant Akoni. Surfing, 22:00 hours. Do I need to replicate anything?"


[ Lt. Cross | Hallway outside the Holodeck | USS Endeavour | 21:50hrs ]

Cross was still getting used to the Endeavour and had arrived early to the holodeck, the walk from his quarters have taken much less time than he expected.

Lt. Akoni had told him to replicate a pair of Hawaiian board shorts which, as it turned out, were long swimming shorts with a drawstring at the waist. The replicator had asked him to select a primary and secondary colour, and he had selected black and orange, not knowing what to expect. The resulthad been the replicator producing shorts that were solid black with bright orange flowers all over it. A queary to the computer had informed him that they were, in fact, hibiscus flowers.

No bad... Cross had thought as he put them on.

Now he stood leaning against the bulkhead, arms crossed, being given strange looks by the various crew members who had walked passed him. Cross couldn't help but smile. He imagined he made a strange sight. A tall, lean officer wearing only board shorts, standing in the hallway of a starship. The criss-cross of scars that covered his torso, momentos from his time with the Cardassians, probably didn't help the situation appear any more normal. Or maybe they just weren't used to people walking around the ship half naked. Cross supposed that could be it as well.

Cross shrugged, shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and put it out of his mind as he continued to wait for Lt. Akoni.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #9 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Hallway outside the Holodeck | USS Endeavour | 21:58hrs ] Attn: @Fife

Kai strode the corridor on the Endeavour as he was headed towards the holodeck. He was wearing black board shorts and flip flops, and that was it. He turned the bend in the corridor and saw Lt. Cross leaning against the bulkhead. Cross was wearing black board shorts with orange hibiscus flowers on them.

Someone did his research...at least a little bit Kai thought amusingly to himself

Kai approached Cross, nodded and spoke "Hope you haven't been waiting long" and Kai didn't give Cross a chance to responded before Kai pressed a few buttons on the control pad and spoke to the computer "Computer..load program Akoni 4" After giving the computer his command, it chimed in acknowledgment and spoke

[Program complete. Enter when ready]

As the doors of the holodeck slid open to reveal a bright sunny day, with white sand beach and water as far as the eye could see.

Ah..home Kai thought to himself and he reminisced about all the good memories he had on this beach.

The two men entered the holodeck and felt the warm air with a slightly cool ocean breeze blowing against them.

"Welcome to the south shore of Oahu!" Kai said to Cross as he looked him up and down. Kai's surfboard had already been pre-loaded with the program, but Cross needed one. Kai figured that Cross was about 85kg. "Computer, fish surfboard, 226 centimetres in length". The computer once again did its acknowledgement chime and Cross' surfboard materialized next to Kai's.

"Let's just go out there and I can show you how to do it as we go" Kai mentioned as he looked to Cross for acknowledgment. The Vulcan/Bajoran nodded in apparent agreement.

The two men grabbed their surfboards and headed down the beach towards the beautiful and vibrant ocean in front of them.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #10 –
[ Lt. Cross | Holodeck/Hawaii | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @trevorvw

“Welcome to the south shore of Oahu!” Kai had said as they stepped into the holodeck and found themselves stepping onto the beach.

Not just the beach… paradise… Cross thought as he took in their surroundings.

As Kai instructed the computer to generate him a board, Cross studied the holographic reproduction of Kai’s homeland. They were standing on a white sandy beach. Above them the sky was mostly clear, with just a few fluffy clouds breaking up the unending blue expanse. Before them the ocean extended as far as the eye could see, the dark blue color of the water fading to a tropical turquois color as it neared the shore. Large waves battered the shore and crashed over rocks down the beach to their right, though just in front of them the waves seemed to break farther out from the beach. To their left the brilliant white beach extended out of sight around a point of land, while behind them the land seemed to have leapt skyward. Mountains rose high above them, not sharp or jagged but rounded and beautiful, their slopes and peaks covered by lush vegetation of the most vibrant green that Cross had ever seen. The greenery swayed gently in the cool ocean breeze. The smell of that breeze filled Cross’ nose with the scent of the ocean.

This beats the hell out of Risa… Cross thought to himself before Kai turned to him and spoke.

“Let’s just go out there and I can show you how to do it as we go.” Kai suggested. Cross nodded in reply, and the two picked up their boards and made for the water. Cross had read up a little on surfing earlier that day to get a better idea of what he had gotten himself into, though reading and doing were two totally different things, as he had known they would be.

Cross followed Kai as they paddled out. From his reading, Cross knew they had to get past the impact zone, but the task seemed much more daunting now that he actually faced it. When they got to the impact zone Cross tried duck-diving, another thing he’d read about. While it took him a few tries, it worked pretty well once he got the hang of it. Now, floating in calm waters past the sandbar where the waves were breaking, Cross sat himself upright, legs straddling the board. He spread his arms wide and stretched his arms and back, basking in the warmth of the simulated sunlight. The relaxed stretch having ended, Cross looked at Kai and smiled.

“That was a bit of a workout on it’s own!” Cross laughed, smiling at Kai. “No wonder you’re so big! So what now?”

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #11 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Corridor outside Holodeck | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @Fife

Kai and Cross had spent about an hour catching waves on the south shore of Oahu. The surfing, as it had always been, was quite taxing physically, however Kai found it both calming and relaxing all at the same time. Kai loved to go surfing, however it was mostly by himself as he enjoyed the alone time to relax and reflect. Today had been different though. New to the Endeavour and funnily enough, a new Chief Tactical Officer as well. He felt like it was hopena, or fate as they say.

Kai thought about their surfing on the holodeck and had a bemused smile spread across his face. Cross had looked equally joyed and terrified all at the same time.

I sure hope he wasn't scared off from it Kai thought as he strode the hallway away from the holodeck.

Almost immediately, Kai's thoughts turned sour as he had almost told Cross about what he did on Cardassia after the war and how he had beaten the Cardassian to a pulp.

It's weird he thought as he had felt at ease with Cross while out on the ocean. Not many people make Kai feel at ease as Cross did. Kai couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that they were both new to the Endeavour?

As Kai walked, he thought more about it. He eventually came to the conclusion that perhaps it was the fact that they were both new to the Endeavour and both had been promoted to Chief of their respective departments. This put them, no pun intended, in the same boat. Both would have a huge learning curve and Kai thought that they could rely on each other and help each other acclimatize to their new posts.

Plus...I have a new wingman Kai excitedly pondered and smiled to himself as he reached his quarters.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #12 –
[ Lt. Cross | Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

Cross leaned back in his chair, gazing around his quarters. He hadn’t spent much time in them since transferring to the Endeavour between briefings, getting acquainted with his new position and only an hour ago going surfing for the first time with Lt. Akoni. The quarters were more spacious than he was used to, a luxury afforded to department heads. Cross had little in the way of possessions, and the larger space looked somewhat barren. Aside from the meditation lamp which sat on the coffee table, and Cross’ two orchids which he had grown on his last ship and brought with him, there was next to no personal adornment to the room.

Cross rose from his chair and moved to the replicator on the wall, requesting a green tea. He watched the tea materialize into existence, steam drifting up from the hot liquid, as the grassy scent filled his nostrils. Cross took the tea in hand and moved to the window, gazing out at the stars. 7 years of serving on Starfleet vessels among the stars had done nothing to dull his fascination with the twinkling lights of distant stars. Cross had had little opportunity to see stars growing up, and contented himself now with many an hour spent gazing out at them while listening to music and enjoying a hot drink.

Cross allowed his eyes to drift among the lights dotting the blackness of space for several minutes, letting his thoughts wander. His thoughts settled on the events on the day, replaying them in his mind’s eye. The morning briefing. The Captain introducing both Cross and Lt. Akoni to the senior staff. His encounter with Lt. Akoni in the mess hall, and later his surfing lesson on the holodeck.

Cross smiled to himself, remembering the fear and exhilaration he had felt when he caught that first wave. The balance had taken him several tries to get used to, but once he’d got up on that fourth wave and kept his balance, the feeling was unbelievable. Several rides later, he knew he was hooked. There was something both extremely energizing and yet also calming about surfing, and Cross was glad he had let Lt. Akoni insist that he try it.

Cross’ expression became more serious for a moment as he remembered another detail of their surfing adventure. They had been floating on their boards, their feet dangling in the water, waiting for another set to approach the shore. They had been chatting about their careers, their posting to the Endeavour, and their experiences during the Dominion war. Both men had been vague at first on the last topic, with brief explanations of their experiences. But slowly they had begun to speak more openly about the war, and Lt. Akoni had looked like he was about to say something more while he spoke about his time on Cardassia after the war, when he had suddenly clammed up and hastily changed the subject. Cross wondered what it had been that Akoni was about to say, though he supposed it was not his place to ask such a question. Many people did not like talking about the war, Cross himself being one of them, so he couldn’t fault the Security Lieutenant for it.

Cross put the incident out of his mind and drained the last of his tea before finally turning away from the window and recycling the remnants of the beverage. That done, he decided to call it a night. It was almost midnight, and Cross could feel the fatigue settling into his muscles from the surfing. He had a lot to do tomorrow in his new role, and knew he’d be busy most of the day. He made a mental note to find time to talk to Lt. Akoni tomorrow and set another time to go surfing again.

And also to ask what Akoni meant about being his wingman…

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #13 –
[ Lt. Cross | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

Cross could feel his limbs protesting as he walked down the corridor towards the mess hall, mentally making a list of what needed to be done today and praying it was nothing to physically demanding. He was still sore from surfing the night before. Cross had not expected it to be so physically tiring, and made a mental note to go to the gym more as he approached the mess hall doors. The doors opened with their usual hissing noise and Cross strode into the room, quickly scanning the room to assess how many people were inside and if there were any threats. He had been free from the prison camp and the Cardassinas for 15 years, but he still couldn’t shake the habit of constantly scanning his surroundings.

His eyes stopped when they fell on Lieutenant Akoni. The big man was sitting at a table looking at a PADD while eating his breakfast. Cross moved to the replicator, ordered his meal, and made his way to sit at the table Lt. Akoni currently occupied alone. Cross placed his tray on the table and winced slightly as he lowered himself into the seat opposite Akoni.

“When you said surfing was relaxing, you left out the part where I’d be sore and walking like an old man the next day.” Cross said with a mock-angry expression directed at the big man. He took a sip of his tea before he continued. “You were right though. Hawaii is paradise.” With this he finally smiled at the officer sitting across from him. “We should go again! In a few days.” He finished with a chuckle and took a bite of his muffin. After their surfing session on the holodeck Cross felt oddly at ease around Akoni. Suddenly a thought hit him and he looked up at Akoni.

“And what the hell is a wingman?” Cross blurted through a mouthful of muffin, showing crumbs down onto his lap.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #14 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour] Attn: @Fife

Kai made his way to the mess hall for breakfast. He was feeling really good today, in fact he always did after a day of surfing. He passed a few crewmembers on the way to the mess hall and smiled at everyone.

It's going to be a wonderful day Kai thought to himself as he entered the mess hall.

Kai ordered his breakfast and made his way to a table and sat down. He was reading last night's security report, even though it was fairly short. On a day to day basis, not much happens on a Federation starship that requires security reports.

Kai's reading was interrupted when a metal food tray was set down on the table in front of him. Kai looked up to see Cross standing before him. Cross sat down across from him and Kai noticed that he sat down slightly gingerly.

He's sore... Kai thought to himself as a small smirk emerged from the right side of his mouth.

"When you said surfing was relaxing, you left out the part where I'd be sore and walking like an old man the next day. You were right though. Hawaii is paradise."

Cross finally smiled, which Kai still found oddly weird "We should go again! In a few days."

Hook. Line. Sinker...he's hooked! Kai theorized

"And what the hell is a wingman?"

The question caught Kai off guard...he was surprised that Cross didn't know what it was.

Kai had to ponder it before his reply.

"Well..you see, it's basically another person, a friend, that helps you out when flirting with people or trying to get dates"

Kai found it hard to try and describe it to someone. He had never been expected to try and explain it to anyone.

Kai chuckled to himself, "I don't know Cross...it's actually kind of hard to explain. We can try it out on the holodeck so you can see for yourself, before we move you on to the real thing if you'd like"

Kai raised his right eyebrow in anticipation of Cross' answer...

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #15 –
[ Lt. Cross | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

Cross leaned back in his chair and popped the last piece of his muffin into his mouth, chewing slowly as he thought about what Lt. Akoni had just said. The idea of trying to help Akoni get dates, or that the charismatic Kai Akoni would have trouble getting dates in the first place, seemed ridiculous to Cross. He had seen a number of female crew members glancing at Akoni when he wasn’t looking. And one or two male crew members as well.

What could he possibly hope to gain by bringing me along?

“I’ll be honest with you, Akoni,” Cross began, “I’ve never been very… proficient… with flirting. Or dates.” Cross shrugged and shifted in his chair, feeling somewhat embarrassed about the confession, “Or women.” He shrugged again and looked up at Akoni, “You might be wise to find someone more charismatic than myself to be your… wingman.” Cross leaned forward and picked up his mug of green tea and took a sip, the grassy aroma and flavour seemed familiar and comforting after the uncomfortable admission to Lt. Akoni.

Cross again reflected on how quickly he had become comfortable around the bigger man, a rare occurrence for the normally very closed off hybrid. Cross looked up from his mug and saw Lt. Akoni’s eyebrow was arched, a peculiar habit Akoni had. Cross knew what the look was meant to convey. He sighed and lowered the mug on the table.

“Ok, fine. I’ll try it out on the holodeck if you want." Cross said, leaning back and raising his mug again, taking a sip. "But don’t blame me when you don’t get any dates!” Cross smiled at his friend and chuckled, “I’m not lying when I say I’m not good with women.”

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #16 –
[Lt. Kai Akoni | Holodeck 1 | USS Endeavour] @Fife

Kai stood outside of the holodeck after watching Cross attempt to flirt with the holographic characters for the past hour.

Cross had warned him that he wasn't good with women.

Understatement of the century Kai thought to himself. He knew everyone starts somewhere, but if he could break Cross out of his shell a bit more, it might turn out to be successful.

Cross was looking at Kai, seemingly looking for feedback. Kai had paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke.

"Well it wasn't....awful. The key to all of this is just putting yourself out there. You can't be worried about rejection because then you'll never be comfortable. The worst they'll say is no" Kai finished speaking as he slapped his hand on the left shoulder blade of the Bajoran/Vulcan hybrid.

Kai paused for another moment. "Do you have any interesting hobbies? Something that may give a common ground to strike up a conversation?"

Kai was determined to break Cross out of his shell. He could see them becoming good friends and getting into a lot of shenanigans together, just have to get through the damn shell first.

Kai looked at Cross as he patiently awaited his reply.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #17 –
[ Lt. Cross | Holodeck 1 | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

Cross had started feeling more comfortable around Lieutenant Akoni, and had relaxed around the big man, talking less formally than he normally would around other people. However, that fact did little to change the fact that Akoni had just subjected Cross to over an hour of discomfort, embarrassment, and failure. Cross wondered if he had lost track of where he was, and if Akoni had begun to interrogate him by mistake. It reminded him of an old Earth police movie he had watched with his roommate at the Academy, minus the demands for information.

Just tell me what you want to know… Cross thought, I’ll tell you anything. Just don’t make me do that again… The man could go far in Starfleet Intelligence. Or maybe psychological warfare...

“That wasn’t aweful?” Cross repeated after Akoni had attempted to dislocate his shoulder with an open-hand strike. It appears we’ve entered the physical torture portion of our evening… “I suppose it wasn’t aweful. Atrocious might be a better word.” Cross gave the large man a self-mocking grin. “My roommate at the Academy regularly accused me of being guilty of the flirting equivalent of genocide. I think you’d agree, he wasn’t wrong.”

Cross chuckled and shook his head. “As for hobbies, I cook. I grow orchids. We go surfing.” Cross shrugged. “I don’t know what good any of those will do.” Cross looked up at Akoni again, his grin turning more mischievious. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Akoni. But I think we both know that I’m the Kobayashi Maru of flirting. Nobody survives.” With that, Cross patted Akoni’s arm, giving the big man a sympathetic grin. “Why don’t we go get a drink. I could use one after all that.” Cross said, starting to lead his friend down the corridor in the direction of a nice, strong alcoholic drink. “And I’ll try to explain the futility of trying to get an arachnophobic person to make out with a tarantula.”

OOC: Figured I'd give the coloured speech a try with Cross. Let me know if it's hard to read in that colour.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #18 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour] Attn: @Fife

Cross and Kai had entered the mess hall and saw at least another two dozen people in there. Cross had seemed, at least to Kai, that he was bummed out to say the least. Their holodeck escapade wasn’t entirely a failure, but close enough.

Kai walked up to the replicator and pondered his drink choice. He knew Cross had mentioned he spent time in Scotland so he was going to order him a Scotch and Kai was going to order a Rye Whiskey. None of that synthehol crap, Kai had wanted the real thing.

”Scotch, 18 year single malt and a rye whiskey” Kai spoke to the replicator as the two drinks materialized into existence.

Kai grabbed the two glasses and proceeded to the table where Cross had taken a seat already. As Kai approached Cross, he could tell that the hybrid was visibly uncomfortable with the amount of people in the room. It was fairly busy for being later at night.

A little liquid courage should help Kai thought amusingly to himself and he had felt a smirk creep across his face.

He handed Cross his drink as Kai lowered his large frame into the chair directly across from him.

Kai took a sip of his drink and felt the cool liquid enter his mouth, he swallowed it and felt the familiar warm feeling follow the coolness down his esophagus.

”Ahhhh” Kai had made the sound unintentionally, but dammit the rye whiskey was delicious.

He smiled as Cross took a sip of his drink.

[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour | 6 Drinks Later ]

They’d been in the mess hall for at least an hour, although Kai hadn’t checked a chronometer so it was all a best guess.

Kai had a slight buzz going on, but he could handle his alcohol fairly well. Always had been able to.

Cross on the other hand, surprised Kai. The stoic hybrid had started smiling and had even laughed at one point.

Kai kept talking with Cross and had noticed that Cross kept looking at a young blonde science Lieutenant sitting two tables over. She seemed to be working on something personal, as she wasn’t in uniform and seemed to be relaxed. Kai was also acutely aware that the young blonde kept looking over at Cross as well.

Kai formulated a plan in his head and figured like they say in temporal mechanics class...There’s no time like the present

Kai downed the rest of his drink, stood up and motioned to Cross to follow him without saying anything. Cross seemed to protest a little but Kai hadn’t paid attention. The two wandered over to the table which was about 8 metres away.

The blonde looked up as the two approached and slightly smiled.

”Hi! Have you met my friend Cross?” Kai spoke to the young lieutenant as he motioned to Cross and guided him by his shoulders to sit down in the chair across from the young lady. Kai patted both of Cross’ shoulders as he silently withdrew himself from the situation and headed back to his quarters with a smirk on his face the entire time.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #19 –
[ Lt. Cross | Mess Hall | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

While Cross was not a big drinker, he had always enjoyed the occasional scotch. It was something Lt. MacDonald had introduced Cross to during his time in Scotland, and the drink always brought back fond memories of the man who had changed Cross’ life. That being said, Cross couldn’t remember the last time he had drank 6 glasses of scotch. At the Academy, maybe?

Cross was also fairly certain the last three drink Kai had given him had been double measures.

Sneaky bugger… Cross thought, a wry smile crossing his features. Cross stole another glance at the blonde woman sitting two tables away. He had been glancing at her periodically for a while now, and knew that was all he’d have the guts to do, especially after the gauntlet of holographic rejection Kai had subjected him to earlier that evening.

Cross was startled out of his reverie when Kai suddenly loomed over him, gesturing for him to get up. Cross was about to protest, but Kai had already moved off.

I wonder if people always just do as he expects them to… Cross thought absently as he rose and followed the big man.

As they approached the table where the blonde science officer sat, Cross saw her look up and give them a small smile. Cross managed a smile back, accompanied by a blush.

”Hi! Have you met my friend Cross?” Said Kai.

Oh fuck. Thought Cross.

Too late Cross realized what Kai had planned, and he was unable to escape before Kai had taken him by the shoulders and planted him in the chair across from the pretty woman. With a pat on both of Cross’ shoulders, Kai was gone.

You sneaky fucker…. Cross thought and he briefly glanced, eyes narrowed, at the broad back of the retreating man. Cross’ expression changed from accusation to uncertainty as he turned his attention back to the woman he now sat across from. Now that he was closer, he noticed her eyes were a very deep blue.

Yes, she had lovely eyes. And those lovely eyes were presently looking at him with a mixture of surprise and expectation.

Say something you idiot! Cross screamed inside his head.

”Uh… h-hello.” Cross managed to stammer, suddenly finding himself at a loss for words. ”I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse my friend. He can be a bit…” Cross hesitated, realizing what he was about to say were harsher words than he should utter around someone he’d just met. ”Abrupt…” He finally finished.

The blonde woman giggled, which Cross took to mean she was amused either by what he had said, or by how incredibly awkward the Vulcan/Bajoran hybrid seated across from her was.

”That’s alright, Lieutenant Cross. You seem just as surprised as I am.” The science officer said with a smile, ”I take it this wasn’t part of your plan? I’ve seen you looking at me all night. I was wondering if you were going to come say hi.”

Oh, you’re a stealthy one Cross… He thought as he cleared his throat.

”Uh… yes,  well… I… sorry about that. I’m… eh… I’m not good at these sort of…” Cross hesitated as he desperately cast about with his mind, searching for the right word. ”Things… uh… I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

The blonde woman giggled again. Definitely at the awkwardness. Cross thought with a mental sigh.

”Lieutenant Jillian Ford.” She said with a smile, holding out her hand.

”Lieutenant Cross.” Cross replied, shaking her hand.

”Cross? Do you have a first name?” Lt. Ford asked, her eyes taking on a slightly mischievous look.

”Actually, no. Just the one.” Cross replied with a broad grin, followed by a shrug. ”It’s a long story.”

”I’d love to hear it.” Lt. Ford said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. She was staring into Cross’ eyes, eyes which he had been told on numerous occasions were cold and piercing. The description hadn’t been meant as a compliment. Cross wondered if the description would still be accurate, or if panicked would be a more apt term for their current impression. He didn’t have long to ponder the question before Lt. Ford spoke again. ”I was just finishing up a letter to my sister. I was gonna to head back to my room and curl up with a book and a glass of wine.” She hesitated, still  staring at Cross. ”I could forgo the reading, if you’d care to join me?”

Cross stared at the woman in surprise, then had to stifle a laugh. All that torture Kai had put him through on the holodeck trying to teach him how to flirt with women, and here he was being picked up by Lieutenant Ford.

”I’d like that.” Cross said, following her lead as she rose from the table. ”Lead on, Lieutenant Ford.”

Ford gave Cross another of her mischievous smiles and leaned in close to him. ”When a woman invited you to her room, you can usually call her by her first name, Cross.” She informed him, patting his chest with her right hand.

”Ah, right. Sorry.” Cross mumbled, looking down at the shorter woman. He couldn’t help but smile at her. ”After you, Jillian.”

As the two moved to exit the mess hall, Jillian slipped her arm though his and leaned closer once again. ”Are you always this shy and awkward around women, Cross?” She asked with a chuckle.

”Only when they’re female.” Cross chuckled in spite of himself as the they passed through the doors and out into the corridor.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #20 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour | The Next Morning ] @Fife

Despite having indulged in a little bit more alcohol last night than he had intended, Kai had awoke at 0430 hrs as usual. He had done his usual 5 kilometre run followed by his routine of strength training. Unless shit really hit the fan, this is usually how he started his mornings. He was a creature of habit after all, as most species are. Not only was it a habit for Kai, but it also was a great way to start the day.

The quite large man returned to his quarters dripping in sweat. He then proceeded to disrobe and take a quick sonic shower to wash away the sweat and grime from his workout and to start his day feeling fresh..a habit after all.

As Kai had finished in the sonic shower he took a sip of his coffee. The black liquid was a lifesaver, after a workout and a shower, it was the perfect thing to start the day with. He felt the hot liquid fill his mouth and as he swallowed, he felt the slight warmth of the coffee go down to his stomach. Not the warmth like the whiskey last night, but still delicious nonetheless.

As he sat sipping his coffee, Kai thought about last night and chuckled amusingly to himself. Cross hadn't stopped by, he hadn't called. Kai hadn't heard a peep from Cross, which he assumed was a good thing. That, or, the young science Lieutenant flushed Cross out of an airlock. Kai had quickly dismissed the airlock possibility as something she probably wouldn't have done. 

Probably

As Kai finished his coffee, the doorbell rang. Kai stood up from the seated position and walked over to the door and pressed the control pad to the right side of the door to open the door.

The doors swooshed open and there stood Cross staring at him. Kai smirked and opened his mouth.

"Oh hi Cross.."

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #21 –
[ Lt. Cross | Lieutenant Ford’s Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

Cross’ return to consciousness was a slow and rather painful process. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, but that did nothing to deter the pounding in his head.

I’m never drinking with Kai again… Cross thought as he remained unmoving, lying on his back with his eyes closed and his head rolled to the right.

Cross took a deep breath in through his nose, and was greeted by an unfamiliar scent. If was a feminine scent, and Cross had no idea what it was doing in his quarters. Then he realized there was a weight on his right shoulder and something warm lying across his chest and legs. Cross opened his eyes and saw a tangle of blonde hair obscuring his vision. Still lying perfectly still, he directed his gaze down along his body, seeing the shoulder, arm and leg of the blonde woman resting on top of him.

Ah… right. Jillian. Things suddenly became clear, and Cross turned his head back to the woman as she shifted and raised her head, looking at him with those blue eyes and a sleepy expression.

”Morning...” Jillian mumbled sleepily, planting a kiss on the ridges of Cross’ nose.


[ Lt. Cross | Lieutenant Akoni’s Quarters | USS Endeavour ]

As the doors to Kai’s quarters hissed open, Cross regarded the large man through narrowed eyes.

”Oh hi Cross.” Kai said in greeting.

Cross stared at the Human for a moment before he spoke.

”While I appreciate what you were trying to do last night…” Cross began, speaking in a low voice. ”And while I can’t deny the fact that is succeeded…” A small smile manipulated Cross’ face for a moment, then he broke into a full grin and shook his head at the big man. ”I swear Akoni, if you ever pull that <fucking shit> again, I’ll shove your ass in a torpedo launcher and fire you into the nearest star.” Cross laughed and smiled up at the taller man. ”Any chance I could get some tea? I haven’t been hungover like this since the Academy.”

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #22 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour] @Fife

"Any chance I could get some tea? I haven't been hungover like this since the Academy."

Kai chuckled at Cross' feigned annoyance at being 'thrown to the wolves' so to speak, however Kai had a giant smile spread across his face when Cross had admitted he was hungover.

Lightweight... Kai thought to himself as he stepped to the side of the door to let Cross into his quarters.

Cross had entered the tall man's quarters and proceeded directly to the replicator to order himself some tea, meanwhile Kai had sat back down at the small table and began looking at the PADDs he was toying with before Cross had shown himself.

He looked at the titles on the PADDs...Duty Roster and Security Report are the ones that he chose to focus on at the moment.

Kai chose to look at last night's security report and noted nothing of significance.

Not much happens aboard a Federation Starship usually He thought to himself, but decided to poke a little fun at Cross.

"Hmmm...seems like we had multiple complaints last night about a certain Chief Tactical Officer being drunk off his ass." Kai said to Cross whilst not being able to hold a straight face.

He looked at Cross and had a small grin, "In all seriousness though, I know I kind of threw you to the wolves there, but I figured 'sink or swim'...and clearly you swam." Kai paused for a second, "Any chance you could teach me to cook? I've never been able to get the hang of it. If it were possible, I'm sure I'd burn replicated food too"

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #23 –
[ Lt. Cross | Kai Akoni's Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

Cross smiled and took a sip of his freshly replicated tea before turning and joining Kai at the table, chuckling to himself as Kai joked about recieving complaints about drunkeness.

Certainly not drunkeness. A few noise complaints maybe... He thought with a tired smile. As Kai apologized for "throwing him to the wolves", Cross shook his head at his friend.

"Don't apologize, Kai. I know you were just trying to help. And let's face it,,," Cross paused, grinning at the big man. "I needed all the help I could get!" His grin took on a more mischievious appearance as he continued. "If anything I suppose I should be thanking you. Jillian is quite a woman..." Cross trailed off, seemingly lost in thought for a moment.

He shook himself out of his reverie and smiled at Kai. "Teach you to cook? I don't see why not! Althought I don't know how to cook meat, which seems to be the only thing you humans eat." Cross teased, then laughed as he spoke again. "And let's face it. Your cooking can't be nearly as bad as my flirting! What kind of food did you have in mind?"

Cross narrowed his eyes at Kai for a moment. "I guess I can't return the favour and "throw you to the wolves", as you put it. If you're half as bad as you say, you might set fire to the whole <fucking> ship!"

Kai couldn't help but notice that the hybrid's demeanour had changed, and that Cross seemed much more at ease than he had the previous evening. He wasn't holding himself in a manner that suggested gloating or anything, he just lacked the tense awkwardness that he usually carried with him.

Cross' habit of staring with unblinking eyes hadn't changed though, and he watched Kai silently as he waited for the Security Chief to think of what kind of food he wanted to cook.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #24 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @Fife

Kai had chuckled at the thought about him burning down the ship.

"I don't think I'd burn the ship down. Surely the fire suppression system would kick in first!" Kai said while winking at Cross.

Kai had noticed that Cross seemed more at ease and more relaxed. More emotional maybe... Although Cross still stared at Kai, almost burning a hole through him.

No wonder Cross is in Tactical. His staring and his phasers are pretty damn similar

"When I was young my mom always made chicken teriyaki and pineapple kebabs. They were so delicious and the replicators just don't do it justice."

Cross seemed both perplexed and intrigued. It almost seemed like he wasn't entirely sure about it, but Kai had worn him down and convinced him.


[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Mess Hall Kitchen Area | USS Endeavour ]

As Kai and Cross had just found their way to the mess hall, Cross mumbled something about humans and not knowing how to make their own food. Kai heard a sense of laughter buried in his mumbling, and decided to play along with it.

"I'll be good at making Earth food as soon as you get better at surfing," Kai said with a laugh. He knew that Cross was getting quite accustomed to holodeck surfing, but he couldn't help himself. He figured if Cross started it, he couldn't let him get away with it.

Kai and Cross found everything they needed, including some Tellurian spice that Cross pulled out. Kai gave Cross a very confused, suspicious look. "What the heck are you going to do with that?" Kai asked, inquisitively.

Cross explained it was an old trick he had picked up to use Tellurian spices to enhance the flavour of savoury dishes. Kai, being intrigued, decided to go with it. Kai began cubing the chicken as Cross handled the pineapple, sauce and spices. Cross added Yamok sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger and some ground up moon grass. He preferred the herbs foreign to most humans as they were more flavourful and robust than the simplistic herbs of Earth.

"Everything is starting to smell fantastic. Maybe even better than my mom used to make! It brings me back to the traditional luau's we would have back at home. The glistening ocean water painted under the beautiful, Hawaiian night sky just couldn't be beat!"

I can even smell the fresh pineapples and fresh, open breeze back home. I sure do miss that, Kai thought to himself.

They skewered the kebabs, alternating chicken and pineapple, with what was left. Cross kept eating all the pineapple, and Kai was thankful there was even some leftover for their meal. They placed them onto the grill and impatiently waited.

Some crew members had entered the Mess Hall to eat, when Kai, being giddy and excited about making the food excitedly exclaimed, "Do you smell what Kai Akoni is cookin'??". The crew members had giggled and not really responded, but Kai hadn't cared. He was too excited about learning to cook.

10 minutes later they were all cooked and ready to eat. "Let's dig in!" Kai announced excitedly. At first glance, they looked exactly like home. They were a perfect replica of what he remembered eating since he was a kid. The aroma was interesting, a smell of robust ingredients, homemade teriyaki sauce and something else.

"What else did you put in these?" Kai asked. Cross smiled, and told him to try them. Kai listened carefully, worried what his friend had done. He bit into his first kebab, which was a very pleasant surprise! It tasted like nothing else he had had before. It was even more fresh than the pineapple back home, with far more intense flavour. He dug into the second one before he realized he hadn't even thanked Cross. "I don't know how you did it, but these are the best kebabs I've ever had!" Kai then paused, curiously. "What else did you put in these?"Cross smiled a sheepish grin, and said nothing. Kai smiled back, knowing he would never tell.
 
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