Dinner with the Captain

Posted on Fri Oct 11th, 2024 @ 4:27am by Captain Taliserra Tigran & Lieutenant Commander Jack Slattery

2,113 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: A marathon not a sprint
Location: Deck 2- Captain's Quarters
Timeline: Md01- 1800hrs

[ON]

Lieutenant Commander Jack Slattery took a moment to straighten his uniform jacket as he walked down the corridor to the Captain's quarters. He had been invited over for dinner. A good way to talk, get to know each other as colleagues. It made sense. He had experienced varying degrees of that in his time, with Chiefs. When he ran a department, he had made sure to have a meal with each person in the team, although luckily spread out over a longer period of time.

He rang the chime of Taliserra's quarters, appearing relaxed as he stood there. He wasn't. Not really. This was another step of a dance to find a balance with a new Captain. At least he knew he could work with her. But he was also aware she had only just lost her old First Officer...the comparison would come at some point.

Taliserra had spent the last few minutes running around quickly re-tidying; her daughter having accidentally knocked a stack of Padd's off a table by her desk luckily all of them missing the infant. The last one was back in its spot when the chime rang. "One moment." She called towards the door. "Lashell come here." After a few seconds of chasing the crawling child she scooped her up and placed her down into a high chair by her table. "Come in."

Jack walked in, a small smile coming to him. "Captain," he said, the doors closing behind him. He looked over at Lashell, with a little surprise, although his face softened a little at seeing the child. If anything, it helped his nervousness. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Thank you for coming." Taliserra replied as she moved around the room towards her replicator. "Please sit down, what would you like to drink?"

"Oh..." he blinked, clearly not having thought about it. "Iced tea, peach...please," he said and smiled at how difficult it seemed to get those words out. Dynamic change. He had to get used to it. He went to the table and sat down.

"Hi." Lashell said to Jack waving slightly.

"Hi," Jack smiled to Lashell and waved back. "I'm Jack, it's nice to meet you." And it was. The Captain's daughter was adorable. It shifted the meal a bit, made his shoulders relax a bit. And made him realise he was still in his uniform. He should have gone more informal but he had just been busy.

Lashell smiled at Jack before looking over to Taliserra who was returning to the table. "Din-ner Din-er Din-er." She called out.

"It's coming Lashell, don't worry." Taliserra placed a glass next to Jack. "One peach tea." She put her own glass the other side of the table before sitting down. "I'm sorry our first meeting was very business like. There wasn't much time to work with."

"I understand," Jack said and smiled as he looked at her, giving her a small nod. "It was a quick change for you, a new First Officer and...well, all that. It needed to be done that way."

"Tyrus'.... transfer was a surprise to me." Taliserra said not wanting to provide the intimate details of his leaving the ship just yet. "I'm glad command was able to get me a new second in command so quickly."

Jack nodded as he took his drink, sipping it to give himself some time as he decided to be candid with her. "I was waiting for a transfer. My previous Captain retired, the new one wanted someone else as their Number One. It made sense to put in a transfer request to whatever ship had an opening."

"Which ship was that?" Taliserra asked having not had the opportunity to look up much of Jack's starfleet profile.

"USS Ticonderoga, Captain," Jack said and smiled, shaking his head for a moment. "It was a good ship. This will be the sixth ship I have served on and I...have been fortunate in different classes. It is always an experience to come to a new ship."

"Your sixth ship assignment, you certainly have been around the fleet." Taliserra said before taking a sip of her own drink. "The Wolff has been my home for over four years now, though I have only been in command for a few months."

"I would have thought longer, with how the crew responds to you," he admitted, the smile on his face gentle. It was true, with how the crew acted around her, he truly had expected her to have been in Command longer here. It said a lot about the woman that the crew respected her so easily and openly after such a short time.

"I've been with the ship a long time, started out as the chief operations officer, then I took the first officer position. The ship was docked for extensive repairs after... a mission" Taliserra explained but knew she couldn't explain too much about the still classified encounter with the mirror universe. "Captain Emmerson decided to step down so I was effectively in command for that six month period before Commodore Siloh made it official."

He nodded with understanding. "Reality not reflected in position. I've seen that before," he said and sipped his drink. "Things happen for a reason though, hallowed by Starfleet's wisdom with assignments and missions." He looked at Lashell and smiled, making a funny face at her. Poor girl had to be so bored.

"Luckily thanks to Tigran I did already have some command experience, though on a much smaller scale. One of my previous hosts commanded a large cargo vessel for many years."

Lashell smiled and chuckled slightly at Jacks expression. "Mummy has a worm."

Jack chuckled, nodding as he looked at the girl. "Yes..." he said, his voice gentle. He hadn't heard it called a worm before, but he saw the logic from the child's side. "I'm afraid I am nowhere near as exciting," he added, to both of them. All he had was his own experiences, a boring human being in comparison to someone like a Trill, especially a joined one.

"Everyone is exciting in their own way." Taliserra replied. "You just have to find out what way that is." The door chime went off and she looked up. "Come in."

The door opened and in walked Jessica Haugen pushing a small grav cart. "Captain. Your dinner is here." She said with a wide smile.

"There you are." Taliserra remarked smiling back at the tall blonde woman. "Commander Slattery I'd like you to meet Jessica Haugen, she has managed our lounge for the past few years now."

"Haugen," Jack stood as she entered and gave her a smile, offering his hand to her. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Commander." Jessica stopped the grav cart and took Jack's hand. "Hi Lashell." She added waving at the young Trill with her free hand.

"HI!" Lashell said quite loudly and waving excitedly at Jessica.

"What did you whip up for us today?" Taliserra asked.

"Nice and simple." Jessica replied. She picked up two stasis sealed containers and put one on each side of the table then oulled off the lids. "Chicken in white sauce with rice. And then a little portion for a little girly." She quickly pulled another one off and put it on Lashell's high chair."

"Thank you, it looks wonderful," Jack said, nodding as he looked at Jessica with a smile. He had not expected it, but smelling the food made him realise how hungry he was.

Jessica handed out some cutlery. "Me and James try our best to keep the crew and its Captain fed, be sure to come down and explore my lounge at some point Commander."

"I'll make a point of it," he promised, giving her a nod before he adjusted the knife and fork, making sure they were straight on the napkin.

Smiling Jessica turned the grav cart around. "Enjoy your meal." She said and pushed the cart out of the room.

"I don't always have my meals prepared by hand but Jessica and James are both great cooks." Taliserra said as the door closed behind the woman. "And she has the ability to find almost anything you want no matter how far from the core worlds you are."

"It's a good talent to have," Jack said with a smile, shaking his head. "We had a replicator, so I never really got that...home cooked thing growing up. Unless we went out to eat."

Lashell picked up her fork and made several attempts at scooping up some rice, the majority of it falling off the fork before it made it into her mouth.

"They have to replicate the ingredients some of the time but it's all prepared by hand, we've just come from two weeks at Risa, she'll have some interesting concoctions to keep the crew fed with fresh for a while." Taliserra picked up her cutlery. "Some people swear by replicators but for some people it's just not the same as something prepared with skill and experience."

He smiled as he took his own cutlery. "I can understand that. I suspect I wouldn't know the difference after my years in Starfleet...and my father was not much for cooking."

"Replicators are an amazing piece of technology that's for sure." Taliserra said before taking a mouthful of food. "I've not had much chance to review your file but I did see you were a helmsman for most of your career before transitioning to command. What made you want to change to command."

He smiled at the words, shaking his head. "Wanted to be back on the bridge. You hit a certain level, even in Flight, you...end up in an office more often than not. Or training people. And maybe...I wanted to make decisions too."

"I can understand that. There is still an ungodly amount of paperwork to do in command." Taliserra remarked. "Feels like I spend as much time in the ready room as I do in the center chair."

He chuckled at that, nodding with understanding. "But at least you get to make the call out here," he said, with meaning. No matter what, the Captain had that right. And responsibility.

"Just be certain you are making the right calls Jack." Taliserra said using her new second in command's first name for the first time. "And listen to the advice of those under you."

He met her eyes at the words, at the meaning behind them. "And if you're unsure about what is the right call?" he asked, curious for her perspective.

Taliserra pondered the question for a few moments. "Then go with what your heart is telling you is the right call or the call that will keep you and your crew alive."

He nodded as he watched her, a small smile coming to him. "Good advice, Captain," he said in acknowledgement.

"Thank you," Taliserra said and picked up her glass. "Another drink?"

"If you're having one, yes," he said and his eyes softened slightly. "I really do appreciate this, Captain. The personal touch, the dinner, meeting your daughter."

"I am not one of those Captains that keeps to themselves." Taliserra said as she moved towards her replicator. "Though as a Captain I do have my own dining room you will more likely see me in the lounge or one of the mess halls where any of the crew could join me if they wanted to."

He looked at her, considering it for a moment. "I've never been much for...private dining either. It's easier to be in the mess or the lounge." And he didn't even mind if people came over to talk about work, or something else. If he wanted to be truly alone, he'd go to bed.

Programming a repeat order into the replicator Taliserra turned back to Jack as the drinks began to emerge. "There are times to be serious captain but there are just as many times for be a person and be approachable"

"Creates an opening for people to approach you," Jack said and gave a small smile. "I suspect I do the same. Though sometimes, with less success. I can be impulsive."

"Impulsiveness has its place, I tend more towards overthinking and quite contemplation before acting. It has been hard to fight Tigran's reservedness and try to open up more over the years, joining changed a lot of things in my body and personality." She returned to the table and placed her drink; in her right hand down on the table first. "I used to be left handed."

OFF:

Captain Taliserra Tigran
Commanding Officer

Lt. Commander Jack Slattery
First Officer

 

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