Mindset (Sonia's Arrival)

Posted on Fri Feb 24th, 2017 @ 6:20pm by Senior Captain Connor McKinney M.D. PhD & Captain Madeline Sanchez & Commander Sonia Dalca & Senior Chief Petty Officer Teri Lane
Edited on on Mon Nov 19th, 2018 @ 12:40am

Mission: My Place In This Universe
Location: Deans Office
Timeline: 2388/08/13 1400 (August 13 2388 1400)

Sonia walked across the campus, training keeping her from bumping into people as she tried not to stare. She still carried her duffle over her shoulder as she left the shuttle port area. She'd been on planet all of a few minutes and even in that short time realized her friend hadn't been lying. This place was amazing! There was nature everywhere and so much space! Then there were the vistas both stationary and mobile that caused her to wonder if she would ever leave. She moved with a smooth, fluid grace as her trained eyes skimmed everyone and everywhere. Her eyes darting in security mode out of long habit even though she sensed no threat. She finally arrived at what the maps she had studied told her was the Deans office. It was a bit weird being here and not being in trouble for something. She'd been a good student but not always tolerant of bullies or of quiet Saturday nights ;). She shook off old memories and walked in the outer office looking around for someone to report in to.

"Oh for goodness sakes did you really have to roll that far under the.." At the sound of the door opening and shutting Teri moved to stand and knocked her head lightly against her desk. "Ow!" She hissed before putting on her completely professional-nothing-is-amiss-here manner.

"Can I help you?"

Sonia dutifully hid a smile, but her eyes still held concern, out of sympathy she offered, "Dominion Plot." She said with a straight face in her Earth Romanian accented English. At Teri's look she continued, "I am convinced that their new evil plot is to turn into furniture to bite us vhen we are not lookingk. It is not our fault but a Dominion Plot." She gave a small smile.

Teri gave a chuckle before shaking her head ruefully, "I believe the plot lies in how when you need something its been moved or manages to roll away. Yet when you don't need it, its exactly where it should be." She glanced at her schedule after noticing Sonia's age and her accent. " Commander Dalca I presume?"

Teri held out her hand as she continued, "Wonderful to meet someone who understands the mind warping plots of our enemies."

Sonia smiled and shook the offered hand, "Yes well it takes a special mindset to do so.." She said with a bit of dry humor but though she sensed nothing wrong with this one she was a bit cautious and did not explain just what kind of warped mind was needed. Instead she continued, "I am she." In reply to the Dalca question, "Well reasoned. Is the Dean available? I am to report."

With a nod, Teri glanced down at the indicator on her panel. "He's expecting you and free. " and she hit the comm...

Inside of his office Connor sat in a chair off a ways to one side of his desk. Maddie sat in another chair angled towards his and there was a small coffee table between them. On the table was a small console, a pitcher of a yellow citrus water, an empty glass next to it, and two partially filled glasses on each end. They had been planning out the Academy's first staff meeting...among other things.

Leaning on one arm of his chair, Connor rubbed at his forehead deep in thought as he stared at the PADD he held when the comm unit on the console went off.

=A=Sir, a Commander Dalca is here.=A=

Connor looked up quickly at Maddie, and then exhaling, lightly tossed his PADD onto the table.

"Saved by the bell huh?" Maddie grinned at Connor, setting her own PADD down. The pair had been working on the timetable for lectures and frankly co-ordinating it all was proving to be a bit of a headache.

"Bloody oath..." Connor murmured to himself as he leaned in and touched a key on the console, "Teri, please send her in."

Thanking Teri, Sonia walked into the office, her moves dancer graceful. Her grey eyes taking in everything from where the two are to exits, automatically filed away.

Standing as she entered, Connor forced a smile...forced because of the mood their current task at hand had placed him in.

She smiled and handed Conner her orders. "Commander Sonia Dalca, reporting." She said, nodding a greeting to the other Captain in the room.

Connor shook her hand, "Welcome Commander." and then motioned to the chair opposite of theirs. "Please have a seat."

"Thank You Sir." Sonia said and sat down, she managed to give the odd impression of seeming both relaxed and like she could jump into motion at anytime.

"Pleased to meet you too." Maddie leaned across the coffee table and held out a hand, "Maddie Sanchez, assistant dean."

Sonia glanced again at the Captain and smiled at the other woman, "Pleasure Ma'am." She said accepting the handshake. She glanced at both of them, "I am to report, to take over Security and Tactical Departments." She said in her accented English.

Maddie's eyes twinkled and she looked over at Connor as she said "Well that's two less lecture timetable we'll have to do."

Sonia looked at the pile of PADD's. There was a hint of humor in her voice, "You vaste no time puttink people to vork yes?"

"When we have a pile of work this big?" Maddie smiled, "You've got that right." she winked at the woman.

Sonia smiled, "Vell at least I von't be bored, I've tried to research position vhat else might I expect?..." She asked curiously.

"Plenty...,Commander..." Connor answered, having stood back up and he bent a little over the table. "Would you like a beverage?" he asked gesturing to the pitcher of citrus water.

"Yes Please." She said politely, her mother would be proud.

He poured some in a glass, handed it to her, tapped both his and Maddie's before sitting back down.

"Thank You." She said taking a sip, she was thirsty "I'm not used to beink on planet, too much climate control on ship, yes?"

"Yes." Connor smiled, reminded of the benefits of where he was at this time in his life. Inhaling deeply he sat back, his mood shifting for the better. And he remembered there was something about the commander that interested him greatly. He stared at her thoughtfully before saying, "Commander, what I would like to discuss first is your ability."

Her smile fell into a knowing look, she'd been aware this was coming but perhaps maybe not so soon. She nodded once to show she was listening but said nothing.

"I've read your file 'n' I've done my research." Connor continued, his interest obvious in the way he regarded her, "I would like to know how you handle this ability, how you deal with it in high stress situations."

Sonia hid a sigh it was understandable completely that he would ask, but there was always a small part of her that wanted to assure them she wasn't going to eat a junior officer. The humor at the oddball thought relaxed her and she looked at her new CO politely, "Vell, meditation mostly. I find Vulcan to work best due to the intense nature of the emotions in question. Humors helps as well.." She gave a small smile, "I 'ave control in that form its just...more difficult as emotions, sensory input and vell everything else is more intense...". The extra senses were bad enough but it seemed in that form she had a more primal connection to her emotions. In short it simply made everything more and that could be tough if intense emotions were involved.

"Oh we're talking about the shifting thing!" Maddie finally realised what it was they were talking about blushing as she realised that she had been eyeing Connor whilst his attention was elsewhere then frowned and asking "What do you mean by humors? As in sense of....?"

Sonia's eyes narrowed briefly, "shifting thing?" She thought wondering if she should be insulted at the off hand remark. Then her instincts and training caught up with her and she caught the cues that said the xo hadn't been paying close attention. She would of been insulted again this time because of the lack of attention except she caught the look Maddie threw Connor. Her eyes narrowed again this time in speculation as she glanced between the two. Letting it go for now she replied to Maddie, "Excuse me please, sometimes my English escapes. Yes, as in sense of."

"Am I allowed to ask what you shift into?" Maddie asked tentatively, not wanting to offend the other woman.

It must be buried deeper in her record than she thought or the XO, she kept calling her the XO in her mind because that's what she was used too, was really somewhere else today. She shifted a little in her seat torn a little between uncomfortable talking about it and a desire to talk about it. Yeah she didn't get it either. She chose to answer the reasonable question, "A volfe..wolfe..No one is sure vhy that." She made effort to pronounce the 'W' properly for wolfe. It was important to her though she didn't realize entirely what she was doing. For years they didn't know why that, why not a horse or rabbit. Her mother was human but her father was an Allasomorph. If her father hadn't of been killed and his people less hating of other races, she may of gotten more help. As it was, a lot of winging it went into her upbringing. She still wasn't entirely sure but it was something she was working out. Sonia's attitude was one of relaxed attention but she could be ready to move in an instant if she needed too.

Connor had turned his attention over to Maddie at her behavior, at her questions. He stared at her, his eyebrows drawn slightly together.

"And that's the only thing you can shift into? No other animals or anything?" Maddie asked and then looked sheepish as she added "I'm sorry...I guess I'm just curious, you don't need to answer any of this if you don't want to."

Sonia was bemused, for a moment Maddie radiated childlike awe like if one had told a 21st century child that Dragons existed. It was that kind of look. It gentled her uncomfortable feeling, no one worth anything could be annoyed at that innocent curiosity. And so she shook her head, "No just that. Perhaps bekause I am half human. I think if I could breathe fire though, my students that vould get their attention, no?" She attempted to joke and maybe shift focus of the conversation back to work. Though all her instincts sensed no threat from either of them.

There was no shifting Connor's focus. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, a smile that failed to reach his eyes.. "As long as your Sonia Dalca either way."

"And as long as you don't bite." Maddie winked, opting to try a joke.

Sonia looked them totally deadpan, "Only if asked politely." she said to Maddie then to Connor with a truly serious expression, "I am. Though there is much more to deal vith." The emotions, the senses it was all so much more and the impulses were sometimes hard to control but she was still in the drivers seat. If it felt sometimes like she was in the engineer's car on a runaway train well that's how it was. She couldn't blame them, it wasn't like people like her ran around everywhere but even now still had trouble talking about it at length sometimes. Years of keeping it as secret as possible will do that. Though the last few years she'd been more comfortable and tried to be more open, it still wasn't something she tossed out as dinner conversation and didn't think she ever would but she was pleased she was handling it so well.

Connor nodded, keeping his gaze on her. The powers that be were obviously satisfied, as here she was...a Starfleet Officer with an impressive record, yet he wanted to understand more before he could feel the same.

A thought hit him. "Our first training vessel arrives tomorrow, a Defiant class escort." he looked between the two woman, "I say we take her out for a test flight."

"Go for it, I'll stay here and mind the shop." Maddie commented, visibly recoiling at the thought of boarding a Starship again, even if she was small.

Connor shook his head, "No," and smiled boyishly over at her, "You're coming with us."

A mixture of anger and fear flashed across Maddie's features and she shook her head, "I took this job because it was far removed from what I used to do and I refuse to be dragged back into it." She stood up, visibly shaking as she uttered "I won't go." She knew that she shouldn't be behaving like this in front of Sonia but her sub-conscience had effectively been building up this phobia ever since the Minotaur was lost and as the waves of panic began to flood through her, she began to realise just how much of a big deal it had become.

Connor stared up at her in a mixture of stunned surprise and disbelief. He slowly stood, his own expression intense. He forced himself to look over to Sonia, his voice barely controlled, he was firm, "I'm going to need to talk to the assistant dean alone, Commander. Get settled in. Teri will help you with any questions in that regard."

Sonia had stood softly, automatically going into 'deal with it mode'. She forced her attention to the Dean. An order. She knew those but part of her hated to leave someone in pain. It was instinctive. She caught Maddies eye and gave a small look of general support. Then returned her attention to the CO. It all took place in a matter of seconds. "Aye Sir." She came to attention, nodded to both of them and quickly left. She knew that was best. After getting outside the office she went in search of the all knowing Teri.


End


Commander Sonia Dalca
Dept Head - Security/
Temp Dept Head - Tactical
Magellan Campus

CPO Teri Lane
Dean's Yeoman
Magellan Campus

Captain Madeline Sanchez
XO/Assistant Dean
Magellan Campus

Doctor Connor McKinney
Dean
Magellan Campus