Satisfying Curiosity

Posted on Wed Feb 22nd, 2012 @ 5:03am by Captain T'mpest Michaels & Captain Alexsa Kendrick

1,111 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Fishing
Location: Mess Hall
Timeline: Between "That Time After" and "From the Letter"

ON

T'mpest was not unaware of Captain Kendrick's opinion of Captain Halliwell. She also had her suspicions about the reason Kendrick was on the Ranger. But so far they were only suspicions. Still, she wanted to meet with the woman to get a better idea of the type of person she was.

So, T'mpest went to find the other woman. She tracked her down in the lounge. T'mpest got herself a blueberry and banana smoothie and went over to the other woman. "Hello. Do you mind if i join you?"

Only moving her eyes, Kendrick glanced up suspiciously from her PADD and took in T'mpest's look and demeanour, as well as noticed her non-standard order for a Vulcan, even half-Vulcan, considered her request for company and answered with a simple "Sure." In truth Alex neither wanted nor required company--she was busy, busy doing fifteen things all of which annoying, and getting ready to start interviews with some of the key lower ranking personnel.

"How are you doing?" T'mpest asked, sitting down across from Kendrick.

"Fine." Kendrick replied as if attempting to gauge the ulterior motive the first officer had for wanting to 'chat'. After a beat she turned the PADD's screen off, placed it on the table in front of her next to her drink and straightened her posture in readiness to have a conversation. "I thought that I was meant to be the one asking questions on this mission." She said with a slight smile. "How are you, Commander Michaels?"

"I am well, Captain. Thank you," she replied politely.

"Settling in to your duties as the Ranger's new Executive Officer?" Alex asked friendly.

"Yes. It's a change from science and diplomacy, but I enjoy the challenge. How are you enjoying your stay on the Ranger?"

Instinctively and without missing a beat, Alex replied "Ask me tomorrow." She paused slightly and thought better of her response, then went on, "It's certainly nicer than some of the other places I've had the misfortune to be assigned to over the years. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Curiosity," she replied bluntly. There was no reason to hide her motives. "About you and why you're here."

"And here we go again," Alex started quietly. "It seems like everyone is after answers, commander. Why I'm here... not for you Commander Michaels, your captain is under the microscope with Headquarters and beyond that, I'm not currently at liberty to discuss anything further. About me, well, you have access to the records, I suggest you look them up. Otherwise Commander, I'm here to observe and ask questions, not answer them, unless on the off chance you have something specific you wish to know, and if that's the case," Kendrick said quickly glancing around at the other personnel, "I would suggest we move to a more private setting, and I'll do my best to oblige."

"So I've heard," she replied, nodding. "I don't require details. Just confirmation. I prefer to ask rather than assume." She shrugged. "Nor am I going to argue with you. Captain Halliwell is a good Captain. Her record speaks for itself."

"Yes... yes it does." Alex replied with a tiny glint in her eye as if she knew something no-one else did. "Very well commander, if you want confirmation, then I suggest you get down to the issue and start asking some less leading questions."

"Very well. Are you here simply to investigate or does someone want Captain Halliwell out?" she asked quiet enough so that no one else would hear her.

"Ah." Kendrick breathed plainly. Her answer was crafted and at a level which held no such regard for eaves dropping that Commander Michaels had intended with her question, though there was no real malice present, Kendrick just didn't care. "I realise that since I came aboard you have been somewhat, shall we say, out of the loop. Your recent appointment to Executive Officer in the place of Mister Drake has been ill-timed for this investigation as he was fully aware to the extent and reasoning behind my arrival. That's all I'm here for though commander, my orders have been clearly laid out and defined--investigate and assess the command staff of the Ranger, and their assigned post competencies as laid out by Starfleet regulations and Codes of Practice."

"What I've come across so far has been... illuminating." Kendrick added with a slight smirk. "I'm sure that the brass back at Headquarters will find it equally interesting. Do I have an agenda? We all do, even you, even if you don't admit it to yourself. Does Command want Halliwell out of the centre seat? If they did, I'm sure you'd be the second person to know. Next?"

"I must disagree, Captain. Not all of us have an agenda. Some of us simply want to do our jobs and serve our Captain and our ship." She smiled benignly. "But I'm sure, in your situation, you don't run into many like me. Next question? Have you ever competed in a chess tournament or do you simply play for sport?" One side of her mouth quirked up humorously.

A smile, or a barely passable smirk coming from a Vulcan, even half a one was unexpected. The question was phrased as a joke, but the tone seemed to echo a different resonance. Alex took a sip of her drink before replying, "I don't play chess, commander... but if I did, it would probably be like how I play life in general--place pieces where I need them, plan an all out frontal assault, and then slip in the back door when they no-one's paying attention. I'm not sure if you could call it sport."

"Thus the reason I assumed you played chess," T'mpest said, nodding. "You treat life like a game of chess. Maneuver your pieces, guard yourself, and when you see an opening, you attack. Quite telling, actually." She stood and picked up her empty dishes. "Thank you, Captain, for a most enlightening conversation."

Alex eyed T'mpest as the commander stood to make her leave, before cracking an extremely light smile, and raising her mug about a centimetre in mock congratulatory cheer replied simply "You're welcome." She continued to watch Commander Michaels as she left the vicinity, placed her half consumed smoothie in the replicator, and vacated the mess hall, never taking her eyes from the first officer's form. 'This one, is going to prove difficult,' she thought as she shifted minutely and got back to her PADD.

OFF

Commander T'mpest Michaels
Executive Officer
USS Ranger

Captain Alex Kendrick
Investigations Director
Department of Internal Affairs

 

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