From: rneces@mastnet.net (Lynnaea AelCaymarth) Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 21:42:28 -0600 (CST) Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: New Connections, Old Ties
SD 90302.2105
MD 01.1630
Scene: CSO's Quarters
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Aelyria rubbed her eyes. They were getting strained already from
sifting through her ungodly pile of messages.
Messages... messages.. something nagged at her.
"MESSAGES!" she gasped. "I forgot to tell mother where I was
assigned!"
"Computer. Establish commlink to Calyx IX, commnumber 225-842-3367,
residence alpha-tango-niner."
<>
Aelyria drummed her fingers on the table.
<>
"Hi, mom," Aelyria grinned at the auburn-haired woman who appeared
onscreen. "Remember me?"
"Aelyria!" Aurora Sheehan, once Aurora Keyrin, instantly warmed to
her daughter's face. "Have you been assigned?"
"You'll never guess where I'm-a-sittin'..."
Mrs. Sheehan snorted. "In the catbird's seat?"
Aelyria laughed for the first time in too long. "Close. I ...
am... sitting... in the Chief Security Officer's quarters." She felt the
first bits of gratification surfacing.... achievement and authority sure
felt nice.
"Wonderful! Oh, I'm so ecstatic... the Murpheltons next door will
be so jealous. You know, they had that little scrawny rat of a boy a year
ahead of you in Starfleet Academy? Well," she cackled, "he got SHAFTED off
to some remote do-nothing post pushing paper for a minor administrator.
They were sooooo pissed!"
Aelyria covered a smile with her hand and tried to look
appropriately sober. *Some things never change...*
"So which ship are you on?"
"The USS Chesapeake. She's brand new, mom. All shiny and not even
scratched yet."
"Well, don't go dinging her up, okay? I don't think Captains like
that."
"Mom, you know I'm a capable pilot - "
"A capable pilot who gets ticketed for excessive speeding and
reckless behavior!" Aurora snapped.
Keyrin groaned inwardly as her mother continued her well-worn tirade.
"Mom?" she said softly.
"What?" Mrs. Sheehan was irked at the interruption.
"I don't pilot the ship. That's someone else's job."
Her mother completed deflated. *Rather like the whoopee cushion
under my fat old Linguistics teacher's arse,* Aelyria reflected. That had
been too much fun entirely...
"Well... do a good job, okay?"
"I promise, mom. No dents, no dings, no scratches, and me home for
Christmas if I can swing it."
"That would be nice."
"I gotta go. Give Theresa my regards?"
Mrs. Sheehan snorted. "Sure. If she ever calls again, the snotty
little ingrate..."
Aelyria was concerned. Theresa had always been a bit of a snobbish
problem in the family but her mother had never sounded like _this_... "Mom?
What happened?"
"Oh, I called her two days ago since she hadn't called me in over a
month... and she cuts me short and tells me in her little Ms. Prissy
I'm-An-Important-Person voice, "I have no time right now, mother. I shall
have to call you at a more convenient date." And hangs up. See if I ever
make _her_ eggplant parmigiana again..."
Aelyria bit her lip. "God, mom, I'm sorry.. maybe work's just got
her stressed out. You know Intersystem Shipping handles 77% of the
planetary trade..."
"I don't care. Just because she's a CEO or whatever doesn't mean...
" Aurora sighed. "Whatever. She doesn't care, I won't."
"Well, I still do, mom. 'Kay? I gotta go -- there's a Senior
Officer's Dinner -- but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"
"Allright, dearheart. Knock 'em dead... remember the training your
grandparents gave you back on Risa!"
Aelyria smiled. "Of course."
The next was barely audible. "I love you, 'Lyr. Your father would
be very proud of you, if he were here now. _I_ am proud of you. Very much
so."
The smile was stripped from the CSO's face, and she tried hard to
swallow. "I love you too, mom," she whispered, and terminated the
connection before Aurora Sheehan could see the tears streaming down her
face. She put her face in her hands and sat still for a long, long time.
[MD 01.2030, CSO's Quarters.]
Aelyria twirled lightly in front of the mirror. She had to admit.
She was just one of those women who looked *good* in a uniform.
She didn't know whether to look forward to this dinner or not. On
the one hand, she wanted to meet the captain and the rest of the crew, and
on the other hand, she hated getting to know people. They asked questions.
And questions always led to uncomfortable things... things she'd prefer not
to remember...
But work was work and an Officers' Dinner was an Officers' Dinner
and the diplomatic and social etiquette training her retired ambassador
grandmother had given her on Risa five years ago would stand her in good
stead.
She ran the brush through her hair, deciding to leave it down
tonight. For once, it wasn't too frizzy, and the natural waves in it
brought out the copper tones she'd inherited from her mother and her Irish
stock. It fell down her shoulders just right.
Aelyria's mood improved considerably. Things were always better
when they went your way.
She bit her lip and looked over at the small vanity stand in the
bathroom. Makeup tonight? She usually didn't bother, but what the hey..
She stood back in the mirror and admired the results. Not bad, she
decided. Not bad at all. And the uniform, so very regulation, made her
look just like an average ensign. Aelyria chuckled. Impressions would be
so deceiving...
But. Might as well give them a *clue.* A small one. And she might
as well *look* like a CSO, and they were usually armed... but a phaser was
rather... hmmm.. utilitarian for a dinner.
She went to a small, carved wooden chest in her bedroom and lifted
the lid. On the wall above hung her kitana sword in its scabbard. From
within the chest she lifted a knife, its hilt an intricately carved white
wolf with onyx eyes, housed in a black leather sheath.
She fastened the two pairs of ties around her leg snugly, and walked
over to the mirror to see... Perfect. It sat right on the outside of her
thigh, plainly visible and in no one's way.
She was finally satisfied. She checked the time -- definitely time
to head down for dinner. With a final toss of her hair, she left the room,
a confident stride to her walk and a glimmer in her eyes.
_______________
NRPG:
All --
Time for dinner! *G*
It should be obvious by now that Aelyria's got a few skeletons in her
closet, and she's not a real social butterfly. General rule of thumb for
dinner interactions -- not too hot, not too cold, and staying in the
background unless someone asks her a direct question. ;) To which she'll
probably give a direct answer, unless it pertains to those aforementioned
closet areas...
Respectfully submitted,
Lynnaea AelCaymarth, aka
Ensign Aelyria Keyrin
CSO, USS CHESAPEAKE
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