And so it begins....

December 12, 2018, 02:42:51 AM

[ Vanya | 2372 | In Transit to Earth | Transport/ Jupiter Station |
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The transport from Rigel III hadn’t taken that long. Rigel was only about 90 light-years from Earth. While not exactly an afternoon commute, it wasn’t anything like a deep space posting or location. The woman with the long sable hair had been standing by a viewport as they dropped out of warp in the Sol system.

She’d watched with dark green eyes that might appear black at first glance till one truly stared into their depths. One seldom just flew straight up to Earth. Ships tended to drop out of warp out side of Jupiter and then come in, at impulse speeds. The sitting capital of the Federation had a lot of traffic and security was always a concern. Especially these days when external threats seemed to be ever on the rise.

So the ship dropped out of warp and angled towards the inner planets. Vanya watched as they passed the Gas giant. It’s great spot still present and ever swirling. Her eyes flicked to the side as something glittered there in space. As the ship moved closer, she could make out the side by side ‘stacked mushroom’ edifice that made up Jupiter Station. It was a maintenance and supply depot for Starfleet and often a supply stop for cargo ships.

The ship that Vanya was on had come from Rigel III, the Daystrom Institute and was headed for Jupiter Station itself. She was just part of it’s cargo. The station grew larger and larger as the ship angled to dock and Vanya sighed. Standing, a delicate hand with long slender fingers rose and tucked some of her silken hair behind a pointed ear. The gleaming tresses reached her hips in the back. By tucking it back, she had inadvertently revealed that pointed ear to those that might be watching. Standing at 188cm, her height alone drew the eye. An athletic body blessed with the curves of a goddess drew even more. Slight brow ridges were also there and more than a few people had shot her looks during the short trip. The ears weren't that uncommon in Federation space but paired with the gentle brow ridges, screamed one thing. “Romulan”.

As such, the dirty looks. Vanya tried not to let them bother her. She didn’t think she’d be physically accosted on the ship, but she – did- keep her eyes moving. It was best not to be caught unaware, just in case. She retrieved her spacebag from the compartment and moved to disembark with the others once docking procedures were concluded.

Standing in line she looked around what she could see of the station as she approached the security checkpoint. Soon enough it was her turn and an ebony skinned young man in Security Gold looked up and caught sight of her. At first his eyes lit up, no doubt taking in her general form. Till the details landed and the smile turned into a scowl.

Vanya nodded and glanced to his collar. “Good afternoon Petty Officer” [/color]
The Petty Officer in question scowled even more. His eyes flickering to her ears and forehead. It didn’t help she had 12cm on him. |
“ID and reason for coming to Jupiter Station?”

Vanya pulled out her ID and offered it over letting the young man scan it. “I am in route to Earth to attend Starfleet Academy”

The man’s eyes flicked up from the screen he was looking at to her and barked laughter her way.
“What? Sorry. I thought you said you were attending the Academy”

The Romulan woman reached up and smoothed down the front of her jumpsuit. “Yes, you heard correctly.”

The Security officer didn’t like that at all.
“Step aside please.”

Vanya repressed the urge to sigh. She didn’t technically ‘have’ to breathe, so the sigh would be an affectation of exasperation that would do little to help the current happenings. She nodded and stepped aside. She was escorted into a ‘security room’ and asked to have a seat.

Moving around the table she pulled the chair out and sat as requested, placing her space bag on the floor. Hands rose and were placed palm down on the table in plain sight. Slowly her dark green eyes scanned the room until she found the camera and she looked into it for a long beat before offering it a beautiful smile.

A smile she didn’t truly feel. Inside she was less than pleased with this development. Less than pleased but anything other than surprised. Irritated was more like it, but showing such irritation would only lead to complication and she didn’t need that before reporting to the Academy.

So she waited. Patiently. Annoyingly so. Still in that way that few organics could master. After an hour and a half the door opened and a new person decked out in Security Gold stepped in. This one a full Lieutenant, human, and of a more cinnimon hue. He looked no more pleased with her presence than his Petty Officer had been. Looking at a padd in his hands he came in at a brisk clip. Coming to a sudden stop when Vanya stood. He looked alarmed for a split second but then hid it behind a scowl.
“Remain seated”

Vanya repressed the urge to point out she was already standing, as a means of respect. She wasn’t Vulcan. Instead she sat as per his implied preference and looked up to him, hands again placed on the table face down.

“It says here that you are in transit to Earth?”

Vanya nodded. “Yes sir, San Francisco. Starfleet Academy”

“Why?!”

"Because that's where the Academy is located."

The scowl intensified "I mean -why-?"

The young woman tilted her head. “To – attend- the Academy.”

The man scowled and tapped the padd, clearly and visually offended by the sentence. Vanya simply sat and waited. Then it happened. He got to the part she had been waiting for.

“You’re a robot?”

Her pointed eyebrow rose. “You’re a human?”

“I ask the questions here!”

Vanya simply smiled. “My information is in your hand Lieutenant. I’m not sure what part is difficult to comprehend”

“You’re a -Romulan – Robot… attending Starfleet Academy.. on – Earth-??”

Vanya motioned with a slender hand. “I am attending the Academy, yes, though I’m not sure I would use ‘robot’ to describe myself. I -am – Romulan though. ”

“How is that even possible?”

“Well, I passed the entrance exams and tests.”

The Security Officer gave her a down right quarrelsome look. “I mean a Romulan robot!”

Vanya sighed. “Sir I have been given citizenship in the Federation, special classification and full person-hood.”

He shook his head.“I simply don’t believe it. These documents must be forged.”

Bending over he grabbed her space bag and lifted it. Plopping it on the table, a defiant look was given to the young Romulan woman and he opened it up, roughly dumping it out on the table to root through her things. There wasn’t much there. A few coveralls. A few 24th century under garments. A pad or two with some files on it. The Security officer took special note of those in an almost ‘AH HA!” sort of way and scanned them with in an inch of their batterylives.

Vanya watched dispassionately.   “You know a lesser girl might ask for dinner before letting you root through her panties”

The officer just glared more and started rooting through the things more aggressively. There wasn't’ much more to it, a few odds and ends. Nothing significant.

When he had done so the man even scanned the bag, the strap, everything before looking to her, eyeing her as if a strip search might be forthcoming. Vanya for her part simply raised a pointed brow, the mild disinterest that had been worn up to that point fading, into a positively chilly stare. One that her Romulan visage seemed especially well equipped to provide. An Andorian officer might have gotten a chill from that look!

Seconds ticked by and she leaned forward “If you’re done with your investigation, Lieutenant and have found no significant reason to hold me. No contraband in my – personal- items. Am I free to depart and board the transport to Earth?”

The man clearly wanted to hold her. To question her. To interrogate her and some how gain commendation. The facts just weren't with him. Her documentation seemed in order and she wasn’t carrying anything that even a stretch, he could object to and use to hold her. Instead he nodded, throwing her pad to the pile on the table and turning to storm out.

Vanya stood and carefully gathered her things. Folding them and replacing them in the space bag with her few personal effects. Keeping the documentation close she exited the room with the bag on her shoulder.

She wasn’t even to Earth yet, or on the Academy grounds. This might be a long 4 years.

- FIN