Phaser Certification, second attempt

Posted on Wed Feb 25th, 2009 @ 1:33pm by Lieutenant JG Ador Shran

1,249 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Citadel Prime
Location: Security Offices
Timeline: current

[Security Offices]

Dhindara left sickbay and headed for the security offices once more. She wanted to get that phaser certification out of the way, and soon. She entered the offices again, looking around. A Petty Officer smirked at her, having heard of the incident that had taken place only about an hour earlier. Dhindara levelled her gaze at him, which was enough to get him back to his job. looked around and then found an Andorian officer. She sighed in relief. Andorians, while passionate, weren't brutal and mindless killers. She enjoyed working with them. As she approached him she saw how tall he was. That was unusual, most Andorian men she had seen were about her height, few ever reached six feet. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Sir. Do you have a minute?"

"Certainly Master Chief. How can this old warhorse help you?" Ador said with a pained smirk on his scarred face. He arched his eyebrow as his eerie blue eyes scanned the Chief.

"Well, I wanted to come and get a second attempt at a phaser certification", Dhindara said, "my first one, with the assistant security chief, didn't go over too well. I've just come back from sickbay, but I'd like to get the formalities over with. However, at your convenience of course."

"Well then, let's see how you are doing and that way I can see where you need the work." He said with a scarred and painful looking smile.

Dhindara looked at him. "You should have your face sorted out in sickbay", she said, "that feels painful. They should at least be able to make you feel better."

"I have had some of the best doctors in the Federation work on me Master Chief. All that can be done has been done. These eyes were made by my mother. She is one of the leading experts in cybernetics." He said with as kind an expression.

Dhindara nodded. "I don't mean your eyes", she said, "I mean your scars, and the pain that you feel."

"I am used to the pain by now. I have been this way for ten years. I got these scars during the war." He said with a wistful look.

Dhindara sighed. "Yeah, you sound like the XO", she said, "with absolutely no concern for us telepaths that are not used to it, getting the broadcast pain from a mind that isn't trained telepathically, feeling it in your stead."

"I take it you are a Betazoid then. Give me a minute I can try a technique Commander Sporek showed me." He said with an apologetic look. He cleared his mind and closed it, silencing his empathic imprint.

"Thanks, that's better", Dhindara said, "but you still should get it checked out. It'll improve your concentration and make you a more effective soldier."

"Now let's see your shooting Master Chief. I'll bet my pips you need to adjust your stance and it will improve your accuracy." He said trying not to think about how much he missed the comfort of Marine green.

"I haven't fought anyone since the war", Dhindara said, "and I wasn't using a phaser then. So you're probably right." She held out her hand for one of the phasers to demonstrate with.

Ador grabbed two phasers form the rack and handed one to the Master Chief. "There you go. Lets see how close to Annie Oakley you are." He said with a scarred smile.

Dhindara blinked. "Who is Annie Oakley?"

"A human historical figure my drill sergeant told me about in basic training. She was a sharpshooter in the ancient American west." He said with a scarred smile.

"Back then they used firearms not phasers. If you are interested I have a TR-110 that I could teach you to shoot. They are great weapons against the Borg." Ador said as he felt a sudden and intense flashback to his recent battle with the Borg.

Dhindara shook her head. "I normally use my telepathy as my main means of defence", she said, "weapons I hardly have any use for, and if so they're secondary."

"Well chief I have spent most my life mucking around some mud hole or another having to survive with little to defend myself other than a phaser or a knife. All in all I like to avoid the use of violence. But as the saying goes; '...hope for the best but prepare for the worst...'. I have seen too many good people die because they froze when the time came to use a weapon." He said controlling his emotions. Holding his grief at bay.

Dhindara nodded, patting his shoulder. "Yes, I know. We all have. Wanna start the program?"

"I'll start it off. Good luck chief." Ador started the program but turned the speed a little higher than normal. Not that he was trying to sabotage her more that he wanted to challenge her to exceed.

Dhindara started shooting at the targets. She wasn't the best shot in the world but thanks to the training she had as a kid, more so than with Starfleet, she did reasonably well, especially if one considered that she had never relied upon weapons as her primary means of defense. Her results were not up to the requirements for security personnel but they were somewhat better than what Starfleet expected as the minimum performance for science staff.

"Not bad Master Chief. I even sped the program up to challenge you and you did quite well. I think I may keep you in mind if we need extra help with the security department." He said with a scarred smirk.

"I think I'm better help in engineering as a maintenance technician", Dhindara replied, "that's what I did during the war, anyway. Well, with the exception of the time spent on my homeworld while it was occupied."

"I heard it was rough on your people. At that time my team was behind enemy lines doing what we did best gathering intel and hurting them anyway we could." He said with a melancholy smile that could not hide the longing for his beloved team. "I lost my eyes shortly before the end of the war. They made me an officer for my trouble still wonder if taking the promotion was a good idea." He said with a faraway look.

"See, there's the difference", Dhindara replied, "I was working for my mother's holiday resort entertaining the Cardassian officers, keeping their minds off other things."

"Well Master Chief if you ever change your mind I am sure I can find you a slot. Meanwhile steer clear of my assistant. I have to get him acclimated to the Starfleet way of doing things." He said with a small smile.

"I have no intention of dealing with the savage again", Dhindara replied, "he needs to be acclimated to civilization as a whole. He can't even string proper sentences together, and I don't think it's an issue with the universal translator." She clearly did not have a forgiving nature.

"Well Master Chief, have a good day. I have a some training to supervise." He said as he put his hand out to shake.

Dhindara smiled and shook his hand. "I hope you'll enjoy the training as much as I think you might", she replied, "And good luck with Ensign Turoc." With that she turned to head out.

=/\\= End of Transmission =/\\=

Lieutenant J.G. Ador Shran
Chief Tactical/Security Officer

Master Chief Petty Officer Dhindara Vrel [NPC]
Historian/Archaeologist

 

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