Unconventional First Meetings

Posted on Wed Jun 20th, 2018 @ 12:22am by Rear Admiral Lucas Thorton & Senior Captain Sharrina Blackstone
Edited on on Wed Sep 12th, 2018 @ 7:48pm

Mission: My Place In This Universe
Location: Starbase Zulu/Federation transport ship enroute to Sapientia
Timeline: 2388/08/18 2233 (August 18 2388 2233)

It had been a long day and sure to be a long night considering the Federation transport ship didn't have any private seating. So after taking some time to mentally prepare himself to be seated among so many, Lucas Thorton, tall and broody, had started walking down one of the transport's isles looking for a certain someone. He'd only seen her unforgettable image earlier that day, and having learned she would be on the same transport, had ended up deciding he might as well meet her now, rather than after a long and trying trip back to the colony.

Sharrina Blackstone was exceedingly thankful for her father's calm genes just now. One would think that, if Starfleet was going to send people on such a long voyage, they would at least try to make it comfortable. But no, this was like riding coach class on one of the old jet liners her father had told her about. It was crowded, and no one was happy about it. Her Klingon side definitely wasn't.

Still, there was no use in making a fuss; they all had the same problem, and barking about it wasn't going to help. So she settled in and closed her eyes, trying to meditate a little, center and focus herself for the journey. Her instincts, long trained by living on her mother's ship for half of her life, told her that someone was approaching. She opened her eyes and fixed them on the man coming toward her, a Rear Admiral from his collar, and waited to see if he was indeed approaching her or just passing. And if he was approaching her, she wanted to see what he would do before saying anything.

His eyes laying on her, he took a seat across from hers, and then looked away as he took in a deep breath, sitting back in his seat. Not for the first time, with the looks and acknowledging nods he received, he wished he had changed into civilian clothing, something more casual and unassuming, before boarding.

His eyes returned to her, as he asked, "Are you Captain Sharrina Blackstone?"

Sharrina gave him a once-over as he sat down. "Yes." she answered, leaving off the 'sir' for now. Neither of them were on duty just yet -- that would come when they reached their destination -- so the formality was not required... unless he was one of those stick-up-the-ass types who liked the attention. But from the look of him, he was not enjoying it thus far. That said something for him in her book. "And you are?" she asked politely. Rear Admiral's rank insignia told her nothing; there were lots of those in the 'Fleet.

"Rear Admiral Lucas Thorton, Executive officer of Starbase Magellan." he replied, and as it would have been on her orders to report to him, decided to cut to the chase. "Considering we're both on this vessel, I figured we might as well meet now."

Sharrina nodded. "A good idea, given that we are both likely to be very tired, and very tired of people, after this trip." she answered with a smile. "Do you want a more official behavior then?"

"No," he nearly smiled back to her, liking her so far, "that won't be necessary. Although I do have a few questions for you."

Sharrina smiled, liking that he was not so stick-ified. "Shoot." she told him, leaning back comfortably in her chair. Granted, there was not enough room for her to stretch out her long legs, but she would live. She'd endured far worse on her mother's ship than cramped spaces -- the crew loved her, but they also tried to turn her into a proper warrior.

Lucas regarded her for another moment, for not only did he find her attractive, but intriguing as well after having read her personnel record, not something he often found himself feeling so easily. Having met her in person, that hadn't changed. "Why out here, on a planet, in the Delta Quadrant? I've seen your record, including you were in the top 5% of your class in Advanced Tactical Training. You could have easily had your own command."

Sharrina grinned -- a couple of reasons sparked that response. One, he had obviously read a bit more than just her dossier, which she was completely fine with; she had nothing to hide. And two, she was proud of her accomplishments, a testament to her Klingon heritage, even though her father encouraged such as well, in his own way.

"Because it is out here in the Delta Quadrant." she answered easily. "My mother could have gone into the Klingon Defense Force like so many others in her family, and yet she chose to push the boundaries by being an independent contractor with her own ship, going where most Klingons didn't care to go. In that same vein, I choose to push the boundaries and go where many Starfleet officers would prefer not to go instead of taking the privileges that come with command."

Oh, she was aware that there were responsibilities that came with it too -- both her father, a Starfleet captain, and her mother, a ship commander, had taught her of these. And she did not fear them or hide from them; that would have shamed both of her parents in different ways. No, she simply chose 'the path less traveled' as the old Earth poet had written. Because it challenged and intrigued her.

"Ah," Lucas nodded, approvingly, "It certainly makes for an interesting life: pushing boundaries," It was something he was no stranger to.

She chuckled a bit. "It can, yes." Her expression became thoughtful for a moment, though, as she remembered something. "Until you push the wrong ones, that is."

Lucas gave a small knowing smile, and tilted his head slightly to the side as he said, "I have a feeling you're not the kind to be pushed back easily."

Sharrina laughed, but gave a wink. "The Klingon ridgework give that away?" she asked, her tone indicating she was playing with him. There was that boundary-pushing. He had made the less than formal approach, so she was seeing how far she could take that lack of formality before he stopped her or became uncomfortable and she stopped because she was taught to be considerate by her father.

Studying her, he replied with another small smile, "It may have played a part," and then, without a visible change of mood, he became inscrutable, the smile leaving, "But pushing boundaries aside, what is it you hope to gain, or achieve, through this assignment?"

Sharrina frowned, partly in thought on his question and partly in being taken a bit off guard by his sudden change of direction. Her Klingon heritage didn't like being derailed, but her Native American side counseled resilience. So she only frowned and thought for a moment. "What does anyone in Starfleet hope to gain on any assignment, sir?" It was a rhetorical question, and she continued immediately. "I seek new experience, greater understanding of the universe and my fellow beings. I seek greater understanding of myself. And I seek, with that understanding, advancement along my career path." she said honestly.

Lucas nodded, it was a good answer, and one that was surprisingly not given often enough. Still, a part of him felt disappointed, had been hoping for something more, even though he had no idea of what that would be. Noticing a server, he waved him over, asked for a glass of water, and then directed him over to her.

"Would you like anything to drink, Captain?"

Sharrina caught something in his expression before he cleared it and attracted the server. She was trying to determine what it was when the server approached her. "Raktajino." she said, and the server moved off to get their requested beverages. "My answer displeased you?" she asked bluntly, having decided that split-second look had likely reflected disappointment or something akin to it. She could have been wrong too, but that was for him to tell her.

"No," he immediately answered. It was mostly true, and he was now feeling disappointed in himself, that she had been able to pick up on the slightest bit otherwise. Hiding his unhappiness, he continued to watch her as the server returned with their drinks, handing hers over first. He took a swallow of his and then asked, "Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?"

The fact that she had seen his discomfiture was not a flaw in his controls, but rather, a testament to her parents' teaching. And yet, had she seen his reaction to her question, she would have understood why a superior officer would not want a subordinate officer to be able to read them so easily, and she would have let it go anyway. As it was, she had not seen that second reaction, hidden as it was.

Taking the Klingon coffee, she sipped it thoughtfully as she contemplated his question. Studying him for a moment, she asked, "You are a bit unorthodox in your methods, aren't you?" It occurred to her that most Starfleet commanders preferred to wait out the shuttle ride and meet in their offices, on their territory and their terms. He had chosen, instead, to engage her here and now in a semi-informal manner. If that was a sign of the way he did things, she suspected that she would like working for him.

Lucas' gaze fell, momentarily, onto the glass he held, recalling moments, good and bad, that led him to answer. "Depends on, I suppose, who you talk to. Some would claim I'm far too rigid and others, I am touched with a bit of madness." There was a hint of both a scowl and smirk to his expression. The duality of nature wasn't limited only to hybrids, in fact it played with anyone it could grab on to. Lucas was more than aware it, at times, loved him.

Sharrina actually chuckled at the answer. It reminded her of something her father had said once. "You sound like my father now." she commented aloud, allowing him into that little part of her thoughts. "Many in Starfleet consider him unorthodox, but others call him everything from odd to downright mad... or so he says." She chuckled again. "Mother's response was, of course, that he had to be at least a little bit mad; he'd bred with a Klingon woman." A shrug followed that memory and smile before she became completely serious. "I like unorthodox, though. Those people tend to live longer and keep more of their crew alive because they're less predictable by their enemies." That had not been her father's wisdom that time, but one of her Academy instructors who had, himself, been less than average in his teaching methods.

"Some call those pioneers," he replied thoughtfully, a grin hiding in his tone. "Or survivors. I think I've fallen into the latter, I hope to contribute to the former." His eyes met hers, the unspoken question as to how she saw herself in such terms, hung in the air.

Sharrina saw the statement for what it was and frowned in thought for a moment. "Being half Klingon, I suppose I'm more of a survivor in general." she admitted thoughtfully. "But if that was all I wanted to be, I could have stayed on my mother's ship. I think most people who join Starfleet do so to contribute to the broadening of the Federation's horizons in some way. I'm no different." She smiled, eyes holding on his but watching his entire expression for clues as to his reaction to her words.

He had never been one to easily get along with others, at least not with ease. He wasn't a people person, and even if they happen to find him okay, he more often than not, did not share the sentiment. So he found Sharrina to be different, and it was refreshing to not want to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible. Rather the opposite, and more importantly he just liked her. With only a hint of a smile, Lucas let his eyes communicate how he was feeling as he returned her gaze.

Sharrina smiled in return of the small smile he gave her. So far, she liked this commanding officer; he was very unusual, like her father, and she was drawn to that on a professional level. "All of that being said, did you request this assignment to the frontier?" she asked, curious. Given his admission of being somewhat a pioneer, it made sense; and she could completely understand.

Lucas took a drink of his water before answering, his eyes still on her. "No" he stated, then shifted to relax more into his seat, appreciating how their one on one conversation eased the usual tension he experienced while traveling. "However, I would have if they hadn't offered it to me."

Sharrina nodded. She had expected such an answer; not that specific one but something along those lines. She shifted her posture to be more relaxed as well. Normally, she hated these long, normally boring, shuttle rides to new assignments, but this time was anything but boring! She felt that she could definitely work with this man. For a moment, she glanced out the viewport to see the unfamiliar stars.

Never having been one to so easily relax, a true rarity, Lucas found himself thinking that he'd be inclined to socialize more of his own free will, if the company was more like Sharrina. It was a strange thing indeed how some personalities could influence or cause such an impact with merely their presence. He appreciated those few times.

He had closed his eyes, and after a few moments, reopened them, turning his attention back to her, "Do you have any more questions?" he asked, his tone sounding tired but welcoming.

Sharrina didn't miss the fatigue in his tones, and she could grasp why it existed. She also knew that when they reached the other end of this journey, he would not get to stop for five minutes for some time. So she smiled again and shook her head. "Not just now. We should both probably get some rest before reaching our destination, I think." She suggested, not even trying to tell him what to do. It was more of an offer to let him just enjoy the quiet here if he liked. She could just meditate, after all. She didn't need to chatter to enjoy the company of another person.

"A wise suggestion, and one I plan to follow," Lucas responded with a light smile; the day had certainly caught up to him. Folding his hands over his abdomen, he closed his eyes again. "Good night, Captain."

Sharrina smiled, feeling very comfortable in this situation. "Good night, Admiral." she answered, closing her own eyes, but to meditate. All things considered, this was an auspicious start to a new assignment.

~End~

Rear Admiral Lucas Thorton
Executive officer
Starbase Magellan/Serene Colony

&

Captain Sharrina Blackstone
Chief Tactical Officer
Starbase Magellan/Serene Colony