Downtime
A soft chime played from speakers unseen in a room larger than most assigned to officers of Federation starships. The room was comprised of a converted storeroom that was positioned near the captain's personal quarters and the captain's bedroom. The extra space had become necessary to accommodate the needs of Flintlock's captain. Captain Marin Bos Nix started to stir from a very comfortable rest. As the room's occupants continued to ignore the chime, it grew louder.
As the chime grew louder and sharper Nix felt the other occupants start to stir. Everyone was waking up. Nix sat up in bed. Five other officers were draped around her. Just like her, they were nude. They had cuddled up with her when they all went to bed but naturally tossed, turned, and drifted to their own little areas of the massive bed at the center of the room.
Nix climbed gently over her first officer, Rebecca Farindaro, to reach the console at the head of the bed. Farindaro winced and dug her face into the bed as Nix's breasts brushed the side of her face. Once in position, awkwardly hovering her chest over her first officer, Nix pressed the button that would open the comm channel that was hailing her. The console was automatically set to open channels with audio only. The last thing Nix wanted to do was to embarrass her crewmates after they had agreed to accommodate her needs.
"Captain, I'm sorry to bother you but a Captain Jaaz Zenoosi from Admiral Keller's office is requesting to beam aboard. I think its a surprise inspection." The voice on the other end was a young human ensign, he seemed worried. Fresh from the academy, Nix doubted he wanted to be talking to top brass without backup. "Alright Ensign, let her onboard and have Stem meet her at the transporter," Nix said in a groggy voice.
Flintlock was docked at a cradle facility within spitting distance of Earth Space Dock. The massive starship was undergoing extensive repairs after recent events. The Vengeance class Intel Dreadnought Cruiser, nestled in the cradle, was missing its nacelles and a large section of the forward saucer section. The armored doors to the main deflector floated forward of their housing awaiting to be installed. Numerous other ships were awaiting the use of the cradles, they floated in queue for their turn. Many were operating with skeleton crews while waiting for their maintenance schedules to start. The more motivated crews were attempting repairs while they waited.
Nix cut the channel and stood up on the mattress. She moved to the edge near her first officer. Farindaro opened her eyes and curled her naked form into a ball allowing Nix to step down to the deck. Captain Nix walked the long way around her bed passing her other crewmates as they started waking. She stepped into her closet and pulled a fresh uniform from the rack. The uniform was a standard Starfleet design instead of her usual uniform which was designed more for combat during the Iconian war. Her bedmates' uniforms were also hung up neatly in the same closet.
Nix tossed her uniform on a nearby bench. She looked at her naked body in the mirror. Aside from red colored streaks caused by the bed sheets and a few indentations from one of her bedmate's fingernails nothing else on her body was out of place. Nix's smooth dark skin looked very similar to humans with a few exceptions. Her feet had scales as did her neck leading all the way up to her ears. The scales were a trait found on all of her species, but they were a trait passed on from ancestors that had been exposed to Cardassians far back in their history. The traits had been advantageous to the early Donarans from Chellic.
Nix looked around for prying eyes before examining her cloaca. Her skin had only a thin barely noticeable seam where most species had their sex organs. The examination was part of a well-established ritual that was supposed to be carried out by close individuals within a family unit. The inspection of the body was a ritual Nix realized was too embarrassing to share with her crewmates. She checked for discolorations, blemishes, and signs of injury or infection before returning to inspections of other parts of her body.
Nix saved her face for last. She had a very human like face with the exception of her slightly larger eyes, her ears, and her nose. Her ears were scaly and looked much like a Cardassian's. They functioned about the same too. Her nose was large and round with raised lines which hid her internal nasal passages. The raised lines were actually small skin flaps.
Nix leaned in close to the mirror and opened the flaps on her nose. Behind the flaps were channels full of coarse hairs to protect her lungs from irritants. Marin Bos Nix's people were adapted to desert environments. The nose was intended to give her people the ability to run in open desert while filtering out the sand that could get into the lungs. The sound of someone running into a bulkhead startled Nix. She closed the flaps on her nose and instinctively pulled away from the doorway.
One of Nix's bedmates walked out of the bedroom in a bit of a daze. It was Limak'Klan, the Dominion liaison officer assigned to Flintlock. He was stark naked and heading for the door leading out to the passageway. "Hey, you know the rules, get your uniform on before you leave. I don't need rumors flying about my ship," Nix said with a bit of authority.
Limak'Klan was the last person she would have expected to accept her people's need to sleep communally. When he had first been assigned to the crew, Limak'Klan was still using Ketricel White to nourish his body. He didn't require sleep or food for long periods of time. Once the Dominion took their soldiers off the White, Limak'Klan had started eating and sleeping just like the rest of the crew. The day Limak'Klan agreed to sleep with Nix and the rest of her bedmates, he had stated that he saw it as an opportunity to establish a sense of brotherhood with people he otherwise wouldn't. He had turned out to be quite the cuddler once he joined them. Nix tossed the Jem'Hadar his tunic and pants. Only when he moved to a nearby couch did Nix toss him his boots. The Jem'Hadar dressed quickly and exited Nix's quarters before the next bedmate walked in.
Nix pulled fresh undergarments from a drawer near the mirror and began slipping them on. Azhki was the next person to approach the closet, she was in her undergarments. The Ferengi woman had kept her undergarments with the rest in the bedroom. With Nix preoccupied with dressing Azhki fetched her own uniform then moved to the common room to dress. Nix started to pull her trousers on when a small, red, impish looking lady approached.
Morari was Flintlock's chief engineer. The small woman still looked fatigued. Nix hadn't seen her when she went to bed. No doubt the repair schedule was starting to take its toll. Nix grabbed the Engineer's uniform for her. It wasn't clean and reeked of oil and other industrial lubricants. Morari grabbed her uniform and slipped it on quickly. She produced two hair ties that Nix didn't know she had and put her solid black hair in pigtails before moving away from the door.
The last to leave the bedroom was Nix's first officer. The multi-species woman was one of the tallest people Nix had ever seen. Standing in the bedroom's doorway, Rebecca Farindaro looked like a goddess of war. She had to bow to pass the doorway. Nix handed Farindaro her uniform as she entered the common room.
"I'm going to meet up with Stem. You take the bridge and continue to coordinate maintenance until I'm done with the Admiral's aide," Nix said as she headed for the door. She didn't wait for Rebecca's reply. Nix knew the answer already. She was more worried about what Rebecca might say when they were alone. The towering commander was the first officer to agree to the communal sleeping arrangement. The problem was that she never had much to say about it. The other officers found ways to rationalize the practice and genuinely seemed to enjoy it. Rebecca on the other hand seemed nervous around her captain as of late.
Nix walked to the turbolift a couple of meters from her quarters. She pressed the button to call one of the turbolift pods to her deck. When the pod made it to the deck the doors opened with a faint hiss revealing two officers and a crewman. The crewmen was one of Morari's men. The young human man was practically hugging the edge of the turbolift pod.
The reason was clear. Stem and Jaaz were both standing in the center of the turbolift. Stem nodded at Nix, "Ma'am, good morning. We were on our way to the bridge. I welcome your arrival." Stem stepped exactly two spaces back remaining at attention. Nix nodded back to him and stepped into the turbolift.
"Computer, reroute us to the conference room on deck two," Jaaz said, not bothering to look up from her PADD. The crewman let out a near silent chirp. Nix turned to him. The man seemed noticeably nervous to her. "Are you coming with us crewman?" Nix asked.
"N-n-no ma'am, I'm due on the bridge," the crewman said nervously.
"Computer, two occupants will be heading for the bridge," Stem said in an emotionless voice. He had noticed the crewman's distress as Nix had. He also clearly wanted out of his babysitting duty. Jaaz had a reputation that made most officers nervous around her. The fact that she served with one of the most highly decorated admirals of the fleet only helped to spread her reputation for being professional, bold, and aggressive but also humorless.
Jaaz held the rank of captain and served as the commanding officer of Admiral Keller's old ship, USS Paradox. The position as Keller's aide kept her and the Paradox at home in the Sol System. "So, what brings you to the Flintlock ma'am?" Nix asked. The turbolift came to a stop and the doors parted. Jaaz said nothing but motioned for Nix to step out first.
Nix stepped out into the passageway with Jaaz close behind her. She led the older Bajoran woman to the conference room. Jaaz stayed behind and to the right of her, two steps behind without saying a word. Nix had wanted time to learn what the aide wanted from Stem but there wasn't time. It was clear that Jaaz wasn't here for a simple inspection.
Once in the conference room the two officers parted. Jaaz sat at the head of the table nearest to the door. Nix moved to the other end of the conference table. She paused for a second. Her hand hovered over her combadge as she thought of ordering refreshments for the conference room. She turned to ask Jaaz if she wanted anything when she noticed the coffee cups and a large urn in the center of the table. Nix moved her hand from her chest and pointed toward the coffee urn at the center of the table. "Would you like a cup of coffee captain?"
Jaaz was already seated, still looking at her PADD. She looked up and set the PADD on the table. "It's not raktajino is it?" Jaaz's already wrinkled nose seemed to wrinkle more as she asked.
"No, it's an Earth blend. From France or something," Nix said a bit puzzled. She wasn't actually sure what kind of coffee it was, just that it was from Earth. She began to pour a cup without waiting for an answer.
"I'll take a cup, thank you," Jaaz said. She smiled and watched as Nix poured a second cup. Nix placed the two cups on available saucers. She placed several small creamers and packets of sugar on the saucers with small spoons and brought them over to Jaaz. Jaaz accepted the offered saucer then placed it on the table.
Nix moved to a seat on Jaaz's right and settled in with her own coffee. She poured in two packets of sugar and three of creamer. Nix stirred the coffee with the small spoon. Jaaz watched her quietly the whole time. Nix took a sip then returned the coffee to its saucer. The coffee wasn't pleasant to her sense of taste.
The beverage was mostly for her senior officers. Most of them seemed to enjoy it. Others like Nix, simply put up with it. The bitter and acidic tones were too strong for Nix's tastebuds, nearly drowning out the fruity notes her crewmates insisted were in there. Nix looked up at Jaaz to see her still staring.
"What brings you aboard Captain Jaaz?" Nix asked with a bit more authority in her voice. She watched as the Bajoran woman looked down at her PADD once more as if collecting her thoughts.
Jaaz took a breath before speaking. "I came here to speak with you directly. Admiral Keller wants Flintlock for her fleet. She has already cleared it with Admiral Quinn." Jaaz picked up her PADD again and read directly from it. "Effective immediately upon completion of its maintenance period, USS Flintlock is to be assigned to Temporal Defense under Fleet Admiral Rebecca Marie Keller."
Jaaz set the PADD back on the table. "Keller asked me to interview you. She wants to know if you are the right woman for the job."
"If I'm not?" Nix asked quizzically.
"I'm authorized to replace you. Frankly, I don't believe we have many captains with the experience commanding one of these vessels…" Jaaz stroked the top of the conference table. "… but I'm sure I'll find someone if I need to," Jaaz said in an even tone. Jaaz began opening the creamer packets next to her cup of coffee.
Nix waited for Jaaz to say more. The Bajoran officer continued to open all the sugar packets and dump the contents of all of the packets into her coffee. "May I ask something first?" Nix asked out of curiosity. After the recent battle with the Terran Empire and C'qer, Flintlock was a mess.
Not that the Vengeance class ship wasn't a mess beforehand. The ship had been hastily built during the height of the Iconian War. Its assembly was quick, and the ship was moved around to different shipyards to complete it. Flintlock launched without standard federation weapons. Instead, the shipyard responsible for installing the weapons, a Ferengi facility, outfitted the ship with scavenged Elachi weaponry and a missile system instead of the torpedo launchers that Starfleet used. All of it was used parts from junk dealers.
The ship later got more appropriate weapons installed after the Iconian War but the missiles and a few of the Elachi weapons were left in place. The ship was plagued with power distribution issues caused by running weapons that utilized different energy types. The ship made up for its shortcomings by undertaking its post war duties. The ship was assigned to Starfleet intelligence, its unusual weapons allowed the ship to engage in covert strikes without easily linking its actions to Starfleet. In the recent Terran conflict, Flintlock put up a strong fight against the Terrans, but it was nearly destroyed in the process.
"You may ask," Jaaz said. She stirred her coffee slowly and carefully.
"Why does Admiral Keller want Flintlock? It doesn't seem like the ship is suited to temporal defense work," Nix said. She sat back in her chair. If she was going to be subjected to a long interview than she was at least going to sit comfortably.
"There is more to temporal defense than you may have been told. You'll be read in provided the interview goes well." Jaaz lifted her cup to her mouth and took several delicate sips of her coffee. She sat the cup back down on its saucer. "Its better than raktajino but if I add any more of these…" Jaaz picked up one of the sugar packets- "...then I'll be vomiting before the interview is done," Jaaz said with an awkward smile.
"Its an okay beverage and my crew seems to appreciate it," Nix said. She felt the need to defend her crews' taste but the truth was, she hated the beverage. She was simply accustomed to drinking it. Nix picked up her own coffee cup. She held it near her face, bracing her elbows on the conference chair's arm rests.
Jaaz tapped a few commands into her PADD before looking up at Nix. "I'll begin first with a few standard questions. The first few will require you to answer based on your own experience. The next group will be about a few key postings I'm curious about and the last will be questions regarding some unusual things in your file," Jaaz said with a slight smile.
Nix nodded to the Bajoran Captain. The questions proved easily answered. The first few seemed like soft ball questions intended to put her at ease. It worked well. Jaaz seemed more friendly as she asked more questions and listened intently to the answers.
"So, what can you tell me about your assignment on Defera? You were in command of USS Pena Nieto at the time, right?" Jaaz was now at the second group of questions she wanted answered.
Nix took a sip of her coffee and returned it to its saucer as she answered. The questions, like the ones before were fairly simple. Jaaz seemed most curious about her assignment on New Romulus and her command of the Prometheus-class ship USS Pena Nieto. At times Jaaz seemed like she wanted to ask more direct questions but seem to hold back. Nix picked up her coffee once more to feel the warmth of it in her hands as Jaaz moved onto the next line of questioning.
Jaaz read something off her PADD before continuing with her questions. "During the tail end of the Klingon War you were charged with the mistreatment of a Klingon prisoner. At your court martial you were acquitted. Why?" The question was abrupt and Jaaz's demeanor and tone had turned stern and professional.
Nix took a small sip of her coffee. She didn't return the cup to its saucer, keeping it in her hands. She studied the cup's exterior as she answered. "The prisoner's name was Dulak. He was your typical Klingon warrior. He didn't want to be a prisoner. I put him under guard in the mess hall. He just had too much to drink," Nix said with a smile forming on her lips.
"You launched him from the Vicente Fox's torpedo launcher. He suffered multiple fractures and cellular damage due to exposure to the vacuum of space. He nearly died," Jaaz said looking at Nix with noticeable anger. Jaaz kept her voice at an even tone. She scrolled through the report on her PADD. No doubt looking for an explanation.
USS Vicente Fox was a Sabre-class ship and one of Nix's earliest commands. The tiny ship had only one torpedo launcher facing forward which was located one deck below the tiny mess hall. It was more of a small dining area than an actual mess hall. Nix lost command of the ship while battling Sela's forces. They had made a run at Vulcan and Vicente Fox payed the price. The ship hadn't been destroyed but the damage sustained to the little vessel meant it wasn't worth the resources to restore it to service until the Iconian War forced Starfleet to bring everything it had to the war effort.
"Dulak got very drunk. He tried to make his escape by jumping into torpedo tube one, so I ordered my tactical officer to activate the launch system." Nix tried to keep a straight face. After all this time she still found the incident funny. The sensor image of the Klingon warrior flying toward Deep Space K-7 and colliding with the main storage wing popped into her head.
"You were intoxicated according to the report," Jaaz said. A bit of irritation reached the surface in the captain's voice. Jaaz continued to scroll through the report.
"We were participating in a drinking game. Dulak didn't seem to have any animosity toward my crew and aside from some boisterous behavior he didn't seem to be a threat. I figured it'd be a good way to relieve stress." Nix was no longer trying to hide her smile. It was a fond memory to her. Dulak was a good friend after the Klingon War. Nix was heartbroken when she had learned Dulak had died in battle against the Vaadwaur.
"Well, the Judge Advocate General seemed to feel that there was no harm. Still, It doesn't look good for a Starfleet captain to be engaging in such insane behavior," Jaaz said in a dismissive tone. The end of the report from the Judge Advocate General's office had stated that the biggest factor in Nix's acquittal was the fact that Dulak refused to press charges. Still, the Commander of K-7 tried to make the charges stick.
Jaaz tapped out a few more commands on her PADD. She kept it next to her coffee on the table. "Just before the discovery of the Solanae Gateway, you guided your ship, USS Pena Nieto, into orbit over New Romulus. You collided with two ships, Cotopaxi and Knob Hill. Both ships were damaged severely. Can you explain?" Jaaz read the preamble of the report and summarized it into a question.
"I was intoxicated," Nix admitted. "I had been drinking heavily for a few weeks. Our assignment on New Romulus was tedious but hardly worth much effort. My crew were carrying out assignments on the surface and I decided to relieve my helmsman. I don't really remember much after that until we received a sector wide alert." Nix was embarrassed by the admission. While answering, Nix finished off her coffee. She kept the cup in her hands.
"The report shows that the charges for dereliction of duty, willful intoxication on duty and failure to follow geosynchronous orbit SOP were dropped after your actions in the battle for the gateway." Jaaz's eyebrows lifted in shock as she read the report. "You dodged charges that at the very least, should have put you behind a desk for the rest of your career. You're very lucky."
"I would like to think it was my talents, not luck," Nix said nervously. She put her cup to her lips and tipped it back. Only a single drop of coffee moved in the cup but never reached her lips. She returned the cup to its saucer on the table and sat forward.
"Yes, I've seen your list of accomplishments. You aided the recovery of 14 Romulan vessels to the New Romulan Republic, destroyed a crystalline entity over one of our colonies, you have numerous commendations for your actions in the war with the Klingons, the defense of Vulcan against Sela's forces, the conflict with the Borg, the Vaadwaur, and the Iconians." Jaaz was summarizing based on the commendations and awards page on Nix's personnel file. She scrolled down to the page outlining reprimands. "You also have multiple reprimands for intoxication dating back to 2398. You have anything to say for those?"
Nix's face went red. Her personal issues were not something she liked to speak of to others. Donorans were unusual compared to most of the species in Starfleet. Mental and physical health issues were handled within the family unit. One or more women within the family structure were trained medical professionals. It was difficult for Nix to talk with strangers about her problems.
"Back when I went through the academy and even in my early postings, I found it easy to meet my species social needs," Nix began. She was getting increasingly embarrassed by what she was admitting. Jaaz picked up her PADD and tapped in a few commands bringing up the species profile for Donorans. "Once I started picking up rank it became harder and harder to meet my needs," Nix said still flushed.
Jaaz held up a hand to get Nix to pause, "It says in the database that Donorans sleep communally. Mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, and sons under the age of maturity. Your males are solitary most of their lives." Jaaz omitted the part she found personally embarrassing. Males of the species only traveled with the females when mating. They mated with the entire group of mature females then moved on. Young males that reached the age of maturity were exiled from the communal group to live a solitary life.
"In the academy I was able to find women willing to sleep in a shared space with me. Once out in the fleet I was only able to find one or two at a time. It wasn't bad though, it still helped," Nix's discomfort with the subject had dissipated slightly.
"What does any of that have to do with your first reprimand in 2398?" Jaaz asked getting a bit impatient.
"I was a commander and chief engineer aboard the Budapest. During a department meeting I let my team know of my needs. They seemed embarrassed; most people find it embarrassing. I didn't think it'd be a problem until two of my staff reported me to the XO. They had stated that my request constituted sexual harassment. So after that I stopped asking. I slept alone for a few months, even tried hologram bedmates but it didn't work. I started drinking to help me sleep. Get off duty and drink until I fell asleep." Nix's eyes started to tear up. Her third eyelids blinked to smooth out the tears and wash them equally over her eyes. A product of her desert adaptations.
"My first reprimand was when they found me repairing an ODN relay in stellar cartography while visibly impaired. I was reprimanded by the CO but still kept up my drinking. I did get a little better at hiding it though." Nix was looking down at the table. She couldn't bear to look at the captain anymore.
"Why didn't you request a sleep aid from medical?" Jaaz asked. Her face was expressionless.
"I requested medication and herbal sleep aids before turning to alcohol, but I was too embarrassed to talk to the doctors about seeking counseling or to tell them what was truly wrong," Nix said shifting uncomfortably in her chair.
Jaaz continued to look at her PADD. She hadn't intended to embarrass or humiliate the captain sitting to her right. Starfleet was normally very accommodating to the various species that served, making sure they had every opportunity to serve comfortably and excel in their given career. Jaaz noticed the reprimand section did not list the sexual harassment allegation, her XO likely understood Nix wasn't doing anything inappropriate.
"You fell through the cracks," Jaaz said thinking out loud. Nix looked up at her in surprise. "They should have known you needed the support of a family unit," Jaaz said. "I noticed you don't have any reprimands or reports since taking command of the Flintlock. Did you get the treatment you need?" Jaaz asked. The look on her face was one of concern. Nix did her best to keep her emotions in check.
"I was able to convince members of my crew to sleep with me, yes. We sleep in a large communal bed, and I see a counselor for my alcohol dependency. I'm fortunate to have a very supporting crew," Nix said. A tear ran down one cheek, she quickly wiped it away.
"Your last reprimand was back before the Iconian conflict. I don't see any reason to take your ship from you." Jaaz quickly gulped down her remaining coffee and snatched her PADD off the table as she stood. "I will be recommending your posting and continued command." Nix stood out of courtesy.
Jaaz placed a comforting hand on Nix's left shoulder. "I'll be seeing you again in a few months, I'm sure. Good luck with the repairs," Jaaz quickly and professionally marched out of the conference room.
Nix stood puzzled for a few minutes. She couldn't help but feel she should have explained the issue better. She hadn't just fell through the cracks, she had neglected to tell anyone in command, of her needs. It was embarrassing, as embarrassing as asking your CO or medial officer for permission to engage in sexual intercourse with a new alien species. The fault lied more with her than her superiors. Nix tapped her combadge.
"Nix to Farindaro, the interview is over. I'll be on the bridge shortly," Nix spoke with what she hoped was a normal tone of voice. Her XO was very protective of her, last thing she wanted Rebecca to know was that Captain Jaaz Zenoosi made her cry. "Roger that Captain, I'll see you up here and if its not too much trouble I have something to talk to you about in your ready room." Rebecca Farindaro spoke with the authority expected of an executive officer. Her request sounded more like an order and Nix suspected what Rebecca wanted to talk about. It had happened before with other crewmates that had decided to sleep with her.
Nix left the conference room heading for the turbolift. To her surprise Jaaz was still waiting for the turbolift. Nix stood awkwardly next to the Bajoran woman for a minute or two before Jaaz turned to her. "I have one last thing I want to ask, if I may?" Jaaz asked in a professional tone.
"What is it?" Nix asked in a quizzical tone.
"Why did you join Starfleet? If your people are communal sleepers, why didn't the whole family group join?" Jaaz seemed genuinely puzzled.
"My people are nomadic, or at least the females are. Men find territory and protect it. My people have sought the same thing most intelligent species do, exploration and scientific progress built from curiosity. I left my people out of curiosity and a need to explore the stars. I couldn't get any of my family to join me but it didn't stop me. I just didn't think it'd cause me so much trouble." Nix was so wrapped up in her thoughts as she spoke, she didn't see the turbolift doors part. She followed Jaaz without noticing and failed to notice Jaaz push the button to bring the turbolift up to the bridge.
Donarans were a social species, Marin Bos Nix never realized that her social needs wouldn't be met while traveling the stars. She knew alien species were different but never suspected they'd be unwilling to share a bed with a friend or family. Marin never thought that sleeping alone would have such a negative effect on her. She found herself feeling cold all the time despite being able to control the temperature of her quarters. Her chest felt hollow, as if a black hole had opened up in her chest, threatening to swallow her from the inside.
Drinking had helped. Many crew members on her old ships were more than welcoming when intoxicated. The only problem was the inevitable misunderstanding of explaining that she wanted them to sleep in her bed with her and not engage in sexual activities. Sex for her species was an act that required a Donaran's precise anatomy, otherwise nothing was achieved. The symptoms of her isolation continued until she made Captain. At that point she was needing to drink all the time to keep the warm feeling and forget about her other symptoms.
"Thank you for sharing, captain." Jaaz said as she gestured for Nix to enter the bridge. Nix stepped out to the bridge in a daze. She had been lost in her thoughts until she stepped onto the bridge. Nix turned to face the turbolift's sole occupant. "Good to speak with you captain and safe travels," Nix said as she nodded to Jaaz. The doors to the turbolift shut and Nix turned back around to walk to the center of the bridge.
Flintlock's bridge was large and well lit. The dark gray and black paint scheme kept the bridge looking smaller than it was. The Bridge was busy with technicians from spacedock and members of her own crew making repairs and monitoring the overall maintenance of the entire ship. On the bottom edge of the ship's main viewer, the armored doors to the main deflector still floated unattached. Worker bees held them in place waiting for something. Some of the chairs had been removed from the bridge and some of the consoles had been gutted. The helm was still in operation despite the engines being offline.
The consoles and stations still being powered were being used to monitor repairs and communicate with work crews. Commander Farindaro sat at the captain's chair, the only chair aside from the helm station chair to remain. Farindaro stood at attention when she saw Nix approach. She opened her mouth to speak when a crewman engaged the motor on a saw and began cutting into what was left of the damage control station. The sound was so loud that Nix could barely hear herself think.
Nix turned to Stem at the Helm. She patted him on the shoulder and pointed to the captain's chair. Nix turned to Rebecca Farindaro and pointed at her ready room. The taller woman nodded and followed her to the ready room. Once they reached the door Nix motioned for her XO to enter first. She took one last look around the bridge, Stem moved to the captain's chair and sat down. He began typing up commands on one of the arm rests, no doubt intent on continuing his work. There really wasn't much need for the bridge to be manned during the maintenance activity. Any officer could have been tasked with overseeing the maintenance schedules and collecting reports from anywhere on the ship or even offices within the docking cradle.
Captain Marin Bos Nix was not the type to just relinquish control of the ships she commanded to anyone. She wanted her people to be as much a part of the process as possible, but she couldn't disobey orders either. The entire crew was expected to get leave during the maintenance activity. Nix chose a compromise by placing the entire crew on a rotation. Half would go on leave for a few weeks while the other half would stay to assist and monitor the maintenance. Then the crew would switch.
Nix opted to take leave with her command staff at about the middle point of the maintenance activity. It allowed them to monitor the beginning and set the pace then return from leave and oversee the finishing touches. Nix had yet to determine where she was going for leave. Chellic was a month away at high warp leaving Earth the likeliest destination. Nix looked around the bridge a moment longer than turned back toward the door and entered the ready room.
The ready room was larger than most. It had a full tactical display for strategic plotting and a small table for four people to plot the course of a battle. Two couches lined the walls to entertain guests and a replicator sat on a wall in-between the tactical set up and one of the couches. Just beyond the plotting table sat Nix's desk and three chairs. The desk was a mess with PADDs lying spread out all over. Many of the PADDs contained maintenance reports but a few had books and articles Nix had been reading in her spare time.
Rebecca Farindaro was seated on one of the couches. She was leaning back with her shoulders and head touching the back wall above the couch. Her arms were spread and resting on the back of the couch. Farindaro was sitting in a relaxed posture suited more for idle conversation rather than business. Nix sat down on the other couch and leaned back matching Farindaro's posture.
"So, what did the ice queen want?" Farindaro asked with a smile. Farindaro was an odd woman. She hadn't moved up through the ranks in typical fashion for Starfleet. Under normal circumstances she never would have made it past lieutenant given her attitude. For as long as Nix had known her, Farindaro had been nothing but disrespectful to senior officers. The higher the rank, the more they irritated her.
"She wasn't really an ice queen to be honest," Nix said. She fought the urge to chuckle at the notion. "She interviewed me for Admiral Keller. Apparently, she wanted to know if I could be trusted to stay in command of Flintlock once its reassigned under Keller's area of responsibility," Nix said as she fidgeted with one of the armrests on the couch.
"How did it go?" Farindaro asked. Worry crept into her tone.
"She asked about my reprimands and the details behind them," Nix said. She crossed her legs and stiffened slightly. Even though her XO knew the details about her drinking problems, Nix still felt embarrassed talking about it. "She seemed more sympathetic once I explained everything but I'm pretty sure she wanted me gone at first, given how angry she seemed."
Rebecca Farindaro sat forward. "Don't tell me she made you, cry?" Farindaro's eyes grew sharp and intense, heat radiated from her. Had her skin been a lighter shade, her cheeks would be crimson. Someone needs to slap the sh…" Nix raised a hand to cut her XO off. "It did bring up some emotions I'd rather not dwell on but Jaaz seemed understanding and even kind in a strange way once she understood the reasons." Nix shrank in the couch.
Nix felt weak and small sitting in front of her XO. A woman Nix knew to be a bit unhinged when she felt that someone had wronged the people she cares about. Farindaro seemed to notice Nix's discomfort. She stood up and moved over to the couch Nix was seated in. The Commander's weight caused her to sink into the couch enough to draw Nix closer to her.
Nix was a bit surprised. She had expected Farindaro to make a beeline for the turbolift and go after Captain Jaaz. Perhaps her XO was learning to control herself better. Nix wrapped her arms around her XO and hoped the gesture wouldn't be interpreted as inappropriate. To her comfort, Rebecca Farindaro placed a reassuring hand over her CO's back.
"Do you have anything to report?" Nix asked, her face buried in Farindaro's chest. The taller woman started laughing. The laughing started as a chuckle and worked its way into a bellowing laugh. Nix's face went red with embarrassment.
Nix looked up at her XO. "Please don't laugh," she said, her face still red.
"I'm sorry, its just that this is so strange. I never thought in a million years I'd be sitting on a couch in the ready room of one of the most powerful starships in the fleet, having to give a report to my captain while her face is buried in my breasts." Rebecca laughed a bit more until Nix sat up.
"I don't mean to be unprofessional. I just felt really comfortable, but I do want to know what I missed during my interview," Nix said as she leaned back against Farindaro's side.
"There isn't much to report. Captain Dumas hasn't got authorization from dock control for his team to mount the armor for the main deflector, Commander Morari has the warp core offline and ready for removal and Lieutenant Stanley Gi'Polo has isolated the weapons systems from the main power grid. Beyond that, its just a bunch of reports involving completed repairs and repairs being postponed for upgrades and modifications," Rebecca said in an even tone. She made no attempt to hide her boredom from her commanding officer. "The details can be view on the PADDs on your desk," Rebecca said, pointing briefly to the PADDs scattered on Nix's desk.
Nix looked up at her XO and smiled. "I really should organize those."
"You got time," Rebecca said. She wrapped her right arm around Captain Nix and gave her a comforting squeeze.
Nix stood up from the chair and straightened out her uniform. "I guess we better get back out there," Nix said. She started for the door when Farindaro grabbed her by the forearm, bringing her to an abrupt halt. Nix knew what was coming, it had happened before with another crew member. It was an unfortunate consequence of asking aliens to share a bed.
"I wanted to talk to you about something else before we get back to work." Farindaro stood from the couch. Her impressive height would have been intimidating if it were not for her obvious nervousness. Nix looked her XO in the eyes with what she hoped would be seen as a reassuring gesture to make the conversation less awkward. "I am having difficulties with the sleeping arrangement," Rebecca said a bit uneasy.
"What kind of issue? If you are no longer comfortable, you don't need to sleep with me. There is enough of the crew that sleep with us that it won't cause me any problems," Nix said as professionally as her own nervousness would allow. If Farindaro's only issue was sleeping next to Nix than it was a problem easily solved. Rebecca's increased nervousness seemed to hint at something else.
"Sharing a bed with you isn't a problem like that. Its something else." Rebecca threw her head back, hands sliding down her face before she continued. "I didn't think it would happen. I'm not even into women, I prefer men. Its just, I don't know, we…" Rebecca Farindaro started sputtering incoherently. Nix had never seen her XO in such a state. Farindaro had been alongside her since they had been tasked to assist the Romulans with their new home. Farindaro had been through countless battles in space and on the ground and now she was standing before her friend and commanding officer trying her best to express her deeper feelings. Feelings Nix couldn't possibly return.
"Stop, please," Nix said raising a hand. She stepped closer to her and wrapped her arms around her XO. Farindaro relaxed and wrapped her arms around Nix. Her body seemed to go slack for a second. "You don't have to worry about anything. I'm not rejecting you," Nix said carefully. She pulled away once Farindaro seemed to find her footing again.
"You have read about my species, haven't you?" Nix asked.
"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked. Some concern slipped into her voice.
"My species doesn't experience love the way others do. I don't feel physical attractions to anyone, not even my own kind. My people only mate with males of my species when they are present. Their bodies give off a pheromone that makes us...affectionate," Nix covered her face with her hands at the last word. It was embarrassing to talk of sex with another species. She wouldn't dream of sharing details under normal circumstances, but she couldn't help but feel that she owed her XO an explanation.
"Wait, but you said you weren't rejecting me. What are you saying?" Rebecca asked. Her nervousness was replaced with confusion.
"I'm saying that sexual attraction doesn't exist in my people. I could never be everything you would need me to be." Nix couldn't help but feel she was hurting her friend more with every word. Her past partners generally got so upset with her they would stop sleeping with her. She didn't want to lose another bedmate to a misunderstanding.
Rebecca stared at her CO for a moment before speaking, "Do you love me?" Rebecca asked. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Can you love me?"
Nix threw her arms around Farindaro embracing her tightly. "I do love you. You are like family to me. The family I developed after abandoning my own," Nix said, tears running down her cheeks. Rebecca's arms tightened around Nix as though she was afraid Nix would let go.
A thought popped into Nix's head. In every confrontation she had with prior bedmates, she had never once considered the needs of her companions. Ever since she had left her people to join Starfleet she only thought of her own needs. "W-w-would you like me to be more intimate with you?" Nix asked carefully.
"What?" Rebecca asked. She tried to pull away carefully. She was stunned by the question.
"Its just that you are so comforting to me and I really appreciate it. Until I met you, I never had someone be so accommodating of my psychological needs." Nix looked up into her friend's eyes. "I never once thought that I should be doing something for you in return." Nix let Rebecca go. The Commander moved away to the table.
"I… this has gotten a little… uncomfortable," Rebecca said wiping her eyes. "I don't want you doing something you don't want to do."
"Its not about what I want or don't want. I love you and you've helped me in more ways than I can say," Nix said in a pleading tone. "You should have seen the look on your face the first time we shared a bed. I know how uncomfortable you were." Nix moved to the front of her desk, waiting for a response.
"So what does this mean? That we can be… together?" Rebecca stood straight and adjusted her uniform straightening out the wrinkles.
Nix leaned against her desk. "It means that I don't want to lose your companionship. We can be intimate but please, can we take things slow? I don't know how to do… the intimate stuff," Nix said with her face behind her hands in embarrassment.
"You got it Captain," Rebecca said with a bright smile. She wanted to run up and give Nix a kiss but something told her it was better to give her captain some space for now. Rebecca moved to the position of attention to wordlessly communicate that she was dismissing herself from the ready room. As she headed to the doors Nix ran to her and gave her another hug. Rebecca returned the hug and awkwardly kissed Nix on top of the head.
"We can discuss this more another time Commander. For now I got paperwork to review," Nix said in an attempt to sound more professional. She had found a remedy to the situation but she couldn't even imagine what would be needed to keep Rebecca happy with the new arrangement. "I'll need to do some reading," Nix thought.
"Lunch later, Captain?" Rebecca asked.
"Eleven hundred hours in the mess hall," Nix said as Rebecca departed. Nix could always ask her friend what she would need and Nix imagined that Rebecca would tell her in the same embarrassed way she had first asked Rebecca to sleep with her.
Captain Marin Bos Nix recomposed herself as she reviewed the duty rosters and maintenance reports. She would go on to clean her desk and sign off on several repairs her teams were more than qualified to implement. She did her best to avoid thinking about lunch with Farindaro or how their relationship would change in the future. "As long as we can both get what we want, that'll be enough for me," she thought.