Drinks with Del
May 18, 2020 20:08:19 GMT
Post by Admin on May 18, 2020 20:08:19 GMT
LlewelPendragon05/01/2020
It had been a while she had been asked to prove herself. Xandra, not for the first time, wondered if accepting the commission so late in her career had been a good idea. Most saw 'Ensign' and thought 'newbie'. The fact she had seen and done more than most Lieutenant Commanders never seemed to cross anyone's mind.
So once more, here she was, programming the holosuite to run a program that would help reassure Del that the Second Officer position wasn't misplaced anymore than her claim she had his back when in the field.
She stepped in, regaled in regular field wear. She had told him not to wear the nanosuits they used in the field. This was a mission to prove her worth, not her ability to survive in armour. She had her long arm, and side arm. Her long hair up and coiled to stay in place no matter what.
The scenario was simple. They were to infiltrate a building a get to the roof, three stories up, to cover the ground troops as they arrived. They had one hour to be in position and ready. That meant clear the building of hostiles, secure it below them as they rose up and be sprawled and ready to provide cover.
She bit her lip absently and leaned on the building wall just inside the arch while she waited for Del. <e>
Delhashi (Omega)05/01/2020
Del was dressed in black clothing, his bandoleer of daggers across his chest and his rifle and sword crossed his back as he walked in. His bright sapphire eyes quickly found Xandra and he offered her a smile. His platinum hair was cropped short except for a single braid that fell to his mid back.
He didn't really feel this was necessary but he did want to know those he worked with that were new. He looked her up and down. She had a body that was use to physical activities. He glanced at a padd he had in his hand then back to her as the padd diasappeared into the folds of his shirt.
"Says in your record you know terrains. Wanna give me a brief overview of your skill set and level?" Del asked.
<e>
LlewelPendragon05/01/2020
She liked the way his mind worked. Most would ask about the sim. But asking about her skills meant he would know and expect to be able to reply on them.
“I specialize in alien terrain and maps. I can remember routes and escape lines once I have seen them either from intel or in person. I specifically had the computer randomly generate a scenario from this intel.” She handed him the small padd she had been holding at her side.
“I can spot, or snipe, once in position. Though to be honest, despite my own sniping record, spotting is my strength. Long arms and short arms I can use once I have had a chance to hold and examine them, in 99% of the cases, regardless if I have seen them before or not. I can survive with a blade, but it's mostly defensive not offensive skill.” She glanced down the 'street' and tried to think. “And I don't tend to chatter much, as you already know.”
Even one of the soldiers on scene after all was said and done said she was the quietest woman he had ever met. It almost seemed to unnerve him. “But I won't hold my tongue if needed.” She smiled to reassure him.
* * *
The scenario he read would be fairly straight forward, but there was no telling how many enemy would be around. She had done that on purpose so she didn't subconsciously count them off. Safety was engaged, but weapons' fire would be felt as if a rock had been thrown at them by a child. Noted, but not lethal or deadly.
* * *
“Oh yeah....” she smiled and winked holding up her hands. “I don't worry about chipping my polish.” She laughed, her nails bitten back, but clean, on hands that showed softness but not lack of experience to weapons. There were small white spots where callouses had built up and hardened under the skin in all the right spots. <e>
Delhashi (Omega)05/02/2020
Del listened closely to her list of skills and accepted the padd when it was passed to him. He looked it over while she spoke and chuckled at her comment about her nails. He looked up to see her nails condition. "You might want to file those down so they don't snag on something." He said with a chuckle.
"What terrain do you specialize in and what ones are harder for you? Whats your preferred load out for weapons and your typical supply bag contents?" Del asked as he pulled his padd from his pocket to add the data to her file. The padd she had handed to him rested tucked under his armpit.
<e>
LlewelPendragon05/03/2020
The comment about filing down her nails, which didn't exist, made her look at him and stick her tongue out a moment like a child. She then smiled. “Trust me, they don't snag, but that doesn't mean I don't have claws.” She laughed and nodded to the building.
“Buildings and ships are fairly strait forward if I have access to a map. Once I'm in though, I can tell if each subsequent floor or level is identical and get us where we need to be. Jungles and wilderness areas are a bit of a hobby and specialty. Swamps, and dessert terrains, believe it or not, are harder. Slip sand, swamp holes and the creatures that inhabit those areas make them some of the most dangerous areas.”
She leaned on the wall and watched him prep his own PaDD. “Go bag varies on location and end game.” She reached up and put her fingers around the padd under his arm in silent offering to take it back and hold it. “For this scenario, I have climb rope, a couple each of frag and concussion grenades. Standard equipment in every pack, regardless, include field first aid kit, water, rations for two days and spare socks.” She smiled and nodded that she wasn't kidding. “I also carry flares for places like this, and an extra transponder in case our comms are compromised. As well as extra scopes for the long arms if I am sniping or taking second to you.”
She looked at him and nodded. “I would also, in a team situation, pack out with the team so I would know what other gear was wanted or needed.” She waited to see what his reaction was. <e>
Delhashi (Omega)05/03/2020
Del let her take the padd as he filled out the pack load. He added the finer details of her skill set into her file. He looked up from his padd. He had caught her sticking her tongue out at him and had stifled the urge to chuckle as it reminded him of Shaye.
Delhashi (Omega)05/03/2020
He reached out and barely touched her mind. 'During a mission, there might come a time orders will be given telepathically due to the need for silence. I will never delve into your thoughts except for the very surface thoughts. If I talk this way to you any thought your thinking at that moment might be read but if you think your reply, I will hear it.' She heard in her mind before he put his shields back up. "You have my word that I will only read your thoughts when I'm passing on orders." He said out loud with a smile. "Now what would you say your biggest weakness is Xandra?" He asked.
<e>
LlewelPendragon05/03/2020
Her gasp stole her breath, eyes going wide but she recovered incredibly fast and never wavered other than the breath and eyes. "Well... I guess your quick file is lacking in some things." She laughed and nodded to him.
“Thank you for giving me that 'before' we went in. I will keep it in mind, so to speak.” She laughed at the slight tongue in cheek. “Question is, if I scream mentally and you aren't actively listening, shielded like you are now, will you hear me?” She was thinking already of the help that could be in their over-watch assignments. She wouldn't even have to be beside him. She would be able to watch other angles yet still cover him for the shots he had to take, or they both had to.
Weakness... it was a good question. She would get his in return, but she had to dig deep to admit it. “Kids.. and putting myself in harms way for the mission.” She looked at him to show him she was sincere. “I have two sealed write ups you won't find in my records, no matter how hard you look. Even the CO won't know until I have my one on one with him. I called off a 'never get another shot' mission because intel was wrong and half a dozen kids were present at the target location. We got the guy, a week later. But he was responsible for 7 more deaths in that time.” She fought to keep eye contact. Her hand not holding the PaDD balled into a fist at the strain. They had to count on one another for their lives. He had a right to know. No matter what it cost her. “And I have offered myself in place of a hostage. It worked out, in the end. I managed to kill him a few moments after he tossed the other hostage aside and took me. But it's the other write up. I tossed my weapons and belt to the side. The knife in my boot was all I had on me.”
It was too much, she finally broke the eye contact, took a deep breath and had to pace away from the wall a moment to inhale and gather herself once more. This had been a meeting to prove to him she could cover his back. This wasn't when she had planned to bare her soul and insides to him.
That would have been later. After he trusted her. After they had survived and she had proved that no matter what, she could do her job.
Her back was to her when she shot back at him, with a bit more force than she meant. “And what is your weakness, Del?” She spun on him and once more her defenses were up. She hadn't noticed her voice snipped at him. <e>
Xandra knocked on his door and peered in about 15 minutes later. She was still in her uniform, hair still perfectly in its place and boots still polished like she was heading for an inspection. Other than her side arm, she didn’t have any other visible gear on. “Del? You here?”
Del sat at his desk. He was dressed in his nano suit, his rifle, Missy, rested on a wall mount and his sword hung off a hook on the side of his desk within easy reach. There were PaDDs scattered on his desk and his terminal was open. The light from the screen cast shadows on his face that made the scar across his left eye seem deeper than it was. He looked up from the screen and smiled as he stood. "Yes, over here Xandra. Please, have a seat." He motioned to the chair in front of his desk.
She smiled and came in. Moving to the chair, she looked around the room to see what she could of him in there. “Thanks... “ She sat in the chair, but she curled her leg under her. It should have looked awkward in the suit, but for some reason, she made it seem natural. “So I want to ask, and you tell me what isn’t my business to know. Deal?” She raised an eyebrow at him and leaned on the chair arm almost feline like in her demeanor.
Del raised a platinum eyebrow at her posture. If he were to sit like that, his leg would fall asleep quickly. He let out a small chuckle. "What would you like to drink? I do not have any alcoholic drinks nor much in the way of personal drink selections but we do have access to the replicators." He asked as he stood up. He walked to the replicator in the wall.
“Surprise me,” she said as her brow furrowed slightly at his raised eyebrow. Settling back to get more comfortable, looking more like at ease than the uniform would make it seem. “You, Shaye, and Saylin were in cryo till recently? FLeet reports say 150 yrs. It’s the longest recorded cryo on record, that wasn’t without severe medical issues, for a Fleet returnee. So where is the disconnect? Were you not military when you went in, or they hiding the ‘actual’ length of time?”
She watched him move to get the drinks, there was something about him that reminded her of a predator. There was an ease to it, yet an underlying ripple that made her think he was capable of being *still* even when in motion.
She had known tons of people who were in a constant state of motion, even when sitting still. But the skill to remain still, even when in motion, was something she knew she possessed. And maybe a small handful of others. Del seemed to fit that category.
After a few moments, Del returns with 2 steaming cups. He sat one in front of Xandra before he sat on the corner of the desk. "Gerchak (ger-shawk) tea. It's from Zelark. I was happy to find its recipe had been added to the available options." A small jar floated from a side table over to gently settle upon his desk between their cups. "I find a small dollop of honey makes it better." He lifted a wand shaped stick from the jar and let a large dollop of honey drizzle into his cup.
She took the tea and raised an eyebrow of surprise as the honey came closer. Smiling in appreciation, she leaned forward to offer her cup for a dollop as well. “Who am I to naysay the expert?” She looked up as if trying to discern, simply from looking, what else he was capable of. She watched him and her curiosity got the best of her, “What else can you do?” A slight smile curled up the edge of her lip. There was still a wall there, but something else as well.
Del raised an eyebrow. "I'm telepathic and telekinetic but I also have an ability that allows me to see spiritual energy whether it resides in a living body or not. I can also communicate with them sometimes." He added some honey to her cup for her before he took a sip. Hot but not scalding hot yet not cold either. The mint and honey made it smooth but the hint of cinnamon gave it that slight bite he enjoyed. "I'm not that strong telekinetically as I can only handle about five pounds worth of weight. The heavier the object or the greater number of objects will hamper my ability." To demonstrate, about 5 PaDDs started to float and spin. Sweat beads appeared on his brow as four PaDDs landed gently back on the stack. The one in the air still started to spin faster as it started moving to settle into an orbit around Xandra's head. It did about four rotations before it settled into her lap.
Her body was still leaning forward as he started the demonstration. Without thinking, as he started to sweat, she set her hand unconsciously on his leg as if to silently reassure him she didn’t need to be impressed. As the single PaDD orbited her head, she let go of his leg quickly, realizing it was there and had leaned back as the padd slowly lowered to her lap.
Del let out a chuckle as her hand moved from his leg. He was grateful that the nanosuit had blocked skin contact. If someone had strong emotions or thoughts and made skin contact, he could inadvertently hear them even if he was shielded.
She looked up at him. “And here I thought my ability to write impeccable Mission Reports was a super power.” She lifted the padd and held it towards him. “I will keep that in mind.” She took a sip of her tea and smiled. “I may have to steal this from you. This would help a lot on the way to sleeping after we come back from a mission.” She took a deep breath and set her cup in her lap a moment. “Can I ask you a personal question, Del?”
Del snapped out of his thoughts at her words. "The recipe is programmed into the replicator under Zelarkian cuisine. And yes, you may speak freely. We are here as equals to get to know each other since we will be working together and I'll be leaning on you when I'm in doubt or need advice. Like I'm Nik's right hand, you're my right hand." He took a larger drink as it had cooled a bit. He smiled at her. "As long as none of the others are nearby or we're in private, you may always speak frankly with me. Even if it's to tell me I'm an idiot." He grinned and winked at her before he finished his tea.
She blushed at his chuckle and took a sip of tea to hide it as he spoke. Once she had herself under control once more, she looked up at him. “Shaye… She is special to you. I can see it.” Her words weren’t a question. “There was an incident, during the last mission. It was minor, didn’t affect the mission, so I didn’t put it in my report. But I need to ask you. Is she all right? Cryo, or what happened beforehand, is affecting her. I will trust your word if you say she is all right. But I won’t lie, I’m going to ask her as well.
Del's back straightened slightly. "Yes, Shaye and I go back quite aways. She wasn't like this. She was trained in Starfleet to be a terraformer with an engineering ability. She had built a k9 AI named Sparks. But on one planet something happened where the team was found dead and Shaye and Sparks were missing. After some time she was found and so was Sparks. Not long after she was sent to Xerxes. The trauma had changed her." He said. His face took on the look that this was confidential. "She may be unstable at times but she has NEVER let me or the team down in the past when she was really needed. She is a bright woman and a great soldier. She can shoot almost as good as the three of us snipers."
Xandra nodded. “She didn’t let me down on the station, either. And she still managed to look after Troy when chips were down. But I’ve seen her, like at the training this morning. Something was wrong. But she rallied.” She looked at him for a long moment. “I will be watching her, Del. And I assure you it’s strictly because I care about her. I know that’s a hard thing to understand since I’ve known you guys less than a week. But I do. I don’t want her harmed because we pushed her. Agreed?” Her face was soft and she was looking at him as if trying to read whatever was behind his eyes.
Del sat his cup down on his desk. His deep sapphire blue eyes showed the barest of anything. He regarded her a moment as he mulled her words over. "Agreed, on one condition, you come to me first if you have doubts." He said as he watched her reaction
She looked to see if he was saying it to be able to block her, or to help her. Xandra couldn’t see anything but care for Shaye and she nodded. “I agree. No worries.
"As for the cryo, we were in for a while and are both suffering from cryo sickness. It only manifested in me as being unable to use my abilities except with great concentration. Or did you notice I wasn't using it?" He smiled to show he wasn't upset but just explaining. "As you can tell, i'm getting over it now but Shaye went right back in for 24 hours while still suffering from cryo sickness. It probably just extended its effects than it would take normally. She should be better in a few days."
Xandra nodded. “I was on the other team so wouldn’t have noticed. But I saw your mission report and if you ‘had’ used it, I am guessing it would have been in there. At least, someone would have mentioned it, I would have thought.”
The foot she had had on the floor, pulled up to rest its heel on the edge of the seat. She set her cup on her knee and looked at him. “How are you doing? Seriously.” She looked at him. “You used telepathy on me in the holo earlier. Are you still having headaches? And the padds,” she nodded to the stack and looked back at him.
"Not really, if I over use it, I can but I usually don't use it that much. Those uses today weren't like on the mission. But they aren't up to where they are so many multiple objects, it's a bit more tiring." Del said, he smiled at her. "My telepathic abilities I can use for other uses as well other than for communication." He opened his shield and reached out. He wasn't reading her mind, only projecting an image of the desk where he sat to suddenly appear empty. While he held that image over her mind, he silently moved over to the replicator before he dropped the masking image.
She inhaled in surprise as the desk was suddenly empty. Slowly, her jumper clad leg lowered to the floor. She barely balanced her tea as she reached towards where his torso should be. As he suddenly appeared out of the corner of her eye to her right, she yelped and turned to him. Biting her lip realizing her cry, she laughed, shaking her head. “Wow… that would certainly come in handy in a recon atmosphere.” She shifted in the chair and cocked her head with a smile. “Shaye is lucky to have you. Must be nice knowing you have her back.” She raised a hand to stop anything he was about to say. “Sorry, I know you have all our backs, as I do. But I meant her, personally.”
"No, we aren't an item. I have known her since she was around eight years old. I have always been a protector to her over the years." Del said. He moved back to his desk and sat on the edge again. "To really understand our relationship, it would require me to give a life history from my pov." His sapphire eyes watched her. "I don't know if you saw the scars on my back during our medical check up after the mission."
Remembering that during that time she had gone to a far table and waited to be the last to be seen, she shook her head. “No… I didn’t. But it’s all right. I don’t want you to feel obligated to tell me, Del.” She had almost been relieved when he said he and Shaye weren’t an item. She didn’t want him to tear himself up over a story that maybe he didn’t want her to know.
"You asked and I will tell you. Shaye isn't an interest in that way for me, I was married though. She's no longer with us though." Del said, his voice cracking a bit. He closed his eyes a moment. When he opened them again he continued. "You had asked me about where I was from. By birth, I am from Xerxes 3 but as an infant, a number of us were launched to other planets to maintain the Chronasian bloodline as they were on the verge of being obliterated from existence. Shaye landed on earth while I had landed on Zelark."
There was a look of sympathy in the back of her eyes. Not pity. He and Shaye and Nik had been thru more than five generations worth of people. They had come thru it and it made sense why Shaye was feeling off, Nik was sometimes gruff, and she had noticed an occasional look in Del’s gaze when he thought no one was looking, that seemed he was a million miles away. “I’m sorry. You guys shouldn’t have had to go thru all that.”
"Some of us went through worse yet." Del said with a sad smile. "I can't really speak for the others until I met them though. I was found and raised by the fourth ruling house of Zelark. I had three sisters, 2 older and 1 younger. Zelarkian culture is ruled by the females and males are nothing more than slaves and play things. Most are made to do menial work or general labor but for some reason my mother allowed me the freedom to hunt in the forests and jungles surrounding the city." He took a deep breath. "Males are punished for the slightest thing. Their favorite punishment was sacrifice to the mother goddess. Don't get me wrong, it's not the mother goddess that is to blame though but the interpretation of her words."
Del stood up and turned his back to Xandra. He removed the top of his jumpsuit to reveal white puckered scars criss crossing his back and sides. "Another of their favorite punishments was the Grimbald. A device similar to the terran cat o’ nine tails."
A small gasp in the back of her throat choked out in a barely audible sound. She set her tea on the edge of the desk and found herself walking over to him. “Del….” His name was a single word, but the inflection was so much more. “If I could go back…” she left the thought hanging. She couldn’t. There was no point. She reached out, about to run a finger over one of them. About 3 inches from his back, her eyes widened realizing what she was doing. She balled her fist and crossed her arms a moment to take a deep breath. “I am truly sorry.”
She wanted to touch them. To run a finger along those lines to give him a better memory when he felt them. But it would mean a tit for tat response. And she hadn’t removed her uniform in front of anyone in almost 8 years. She wasn’t sure she would be able to do it now. She took a step back. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to go thru that.” Her voice went low and then silent.
"Those are from when I was caught by a hunting party. The three women took turns beating me for being in possession of weapons and for being outside the city. I was I think ten at the time. He turns back to face her. There are a couple more scars on his chiseled chest. These appear to have been made with a blade rather than a whip. "After that I was careful of roving parties and became my family's secret. I was able to hunt and kill some of the more dangerous beasts by myself where it would take a whole hunting party to succeed. At about 12 I was able to escape from Zelark and traveled across the galaxy. Zelark is in the gamma quadrant and around 13 or 14 I came across Starfleet. This is where I met Shaye. As I was under age and had no home, I was fostered to the Glymer family, a prominent family. Shaye’s father had been an engineer so he was constantly away. Her mother, though, was abusive. If Shaye messed up the slightest thing, she would be beat. When I arrived I was scared of all women and that included little girls." Del stopped a moment to gather his thoughts and to push back the flood of emotions accompanied by the memories.
Xandra listened, her jaw tight and her hands balled in fists buried under her arms that were crossed over her chest. He had grown up scared to death of women his whole life. And here she was, all angles and attitude. So prickly a sehlat probably wouldn’t find her appetising. And nothing like Shaye with her softness and vulnerabilities. Xandra wanted to help him understand not all women were that way. She wanted to take that pain she saw in his eyes, or the walls, or whatever the darkness was behind those sapphire jewels and make it a thing of his past. But she had no idea how. “Not all women are like that, Del,” was all she could think to say. And as it fell from her lips she realized how stupid it sounded.
"I know this now. But then I didn't. Her mother was sweet as pie when her dad was there. After this one time, where I had actually stood up for Shaye, she turned on me with a knife. She had already cut Shaye. And after a fight, I was on the floor with these cuts. We laid there for a time, our blood mingling on the floor before I could muster the strength to get up. I managed to get us bandaged and the bleeding stopped before she came home. When we had gained our strength enough, we ran away. I was about 17 at the time and Shaye was 11 or 12. We had lived off the land and stayed in a cabin we had found for a couple of years before a bunch of people came. They took both Shaye and I away separately. I have no idea where they took her, but I was placed into a special training which I excelled in. I requested a transfer to Xerxes when, for some reason, I had the urge to go there. When my shuttle picked up another transfer before arriving I was reintroduced to Shaye. If I had been frozen yesterday and thawed today, it would have only been about 2 or 3 years ago." Del paused as a chuckle at the memory escaped him. "I didn't recognize her after almost 12 years apart. I was still scared of women then, but not as bad as I was when I first left Zelark. We reconnected after we had realized it was each other and we have been close ever since. Between her and Alieya, I got over my fear of women for the most time. I mentioned I was married and my wife was Aleiya." His voice failed him as he spoke of Aleiya. He turned away from her and put his jumper top on to cover him wiping the couple of tears that had formed. He quickly stamped down his emotions to be channeled later and when he had regained his composure, he turned to face Xandra.
She was standing as she had been, arms crossed with the look of someone who wanted to both kill those people in his past as well as touch him to remind him what kindness was.
“Shaye is lucky to have you. And you all are lucky to have made this far, despite the obstacles.” She took a couple steps towards him, her hands dropping. The numbness in her palms from clenching them hid the pain of the crescent moons her nails had dug into her flesh. She was halfway to him before her feet brought her up short so quickly she almost rocked on the balls of her feet. “I want you to know that you never have to fear me. I know it’s naive to say ‘you can trust me’ and expect you to do that out the gate. Maybe I can earn that sometime. But till then, you can trust, as my XO, and, I hope, a friend, I will not let you down out there.” Her head nodded towards the door. “And in here, whether it’s to merely listen or something else you have need of, I will endeavour to be that for you as well.” She wondered if she sounded as ridiculous as her mind said she was being. Her words sending a shudder through her the way his oath to Nik had when they were promoted. It was a shiver that made you wonder if forsaking the words would cost you your soul because the Universe had taken note of it.
Del smiled at her though he did notice that she had moved closer to him. Was she interested in him? Nah, she was just feeling empathy for his past. "I know that I have nothing to fear from you or any female I encounter, unless it's a Zelarkian." He laid a hand on her shoulder as he spoke. "I just wanted you to know who I was. I'm a warrior and protector, an old relic from a time long past trapped in the present. The only good thing that has come out of cryo was that I get to meet a new team. Though having some of our old team here helps though." He let his hand drop.
She smiled up at him. When his hand rested on her shoulder, it felt warm and firm. It wasn’t condescending and it surprised her. Anyone else had done it, it would have angered her to be treated like a frail thing. But it didn’t come across that way from him.
As his hand dropped, she nodded. “I just hope you can find us worthy.” She laughed, trying to make light of his life and training. “I admit, I am good, but my training was just that… training. It wasn’t survival as I was growing up. And it wasn’t essencial.” She looked at him and smiled. It was an open smile that she used to convey that she was sincere and wanting in her following words. “Anything you can show me, I’m open to it.” Her choice of words, said in her head, sounded completely different out loud. She blushed and her eyes widened slightly. She spun swiftly and moved back to her tea. “I meant any skill um… work skills… It would help me to know what you are capable of. And vice versa as well.” She was at the desk. Realizing she had basically ‘run’ from him, she turned and gripped the top behind her. “Does that make sense?”
Del stifled a small chuckle at her moving away from him as if he was gonna bite. "Yes it does and you can be yourself around me but it is close to dinner and didn't you ask Shaye to meet with you?" He asked as he walked over to stand next to her. He reached behind her and picked up the tea cups, his arm brushing slightly against hers as he grabbed the one behind her.
She had planned to see Shaye tomorrow. But something in the way Del spoke made her think tonight might be better. Or perhaps he was just suggesting it as a way to dismiss her.
But then he paused beside her and reached to grab the cups. Her breath hitched a moment as he rubbed past her arm. To her credit, she didn’t flinch. Looking up at his face, she nodded. “Yeah, I probably should. Before it gets too late.” She stood there for a moment longer then slipped one step sideways before turning to go.
Just before she reached the door, she turned. “Would you be willing to look over the living quarters layout for Bravo team for me before I turn it over to Nik?” It was the next reason she could think of to come see him. She wasn’t the ‘hey, just stopped by to say hi’ kind of person. Though, right now… she wished she was.
"I would like that. Give us more time to chat. If we're gonna serve together, better to know who we'll be dying next to under Nik." Del said with a grin and a chuckle.
She smiled and nodded. “I’d like… the talking part, I mean. Not necessarily the dying part.” She put her hand on the door and looked at him a long moment before she nodded. “G'night, Del… I’ll let Shaye know I’m up if she wants to meet tonight instead of tomorrow.” She lingered just a moment more, then headed for her room. If his door remained open, he would see hers close behind her as she absently lifted her hand to grasp her arm where he had brushed her.
Del watched her leave from over by the replicator. The door closed behind her as he turned to his desk and walked over. He sat heavily in his chair and looked at the terminal screen. The file open on the screen was that of Aleiya Darkshadow. His eyes read the damning word in red next to her name for what felt like the millionth time. He felt the warmth and the stinging as tears came to his eyes. That one word burning itself into his mind: DECEASED.
Del tapped the screen and opened Meni's file before he laid his head down and let it go. The sleeves of his nanosuit grew slick with the tears that flowed unfettered. His chest ached and his lungs burned from the silent sobs that racked his muscular frame. Only in private can he let this side of him show, he can't show this personal weakness. He has to show them that he's tough.
Del sat up after some time and stared across his office. He took a deep breath as he wiped his eyes and face with a spare clean rag from a drawer. He would talk to Meni about maybe training him to suppress his emotions like a Vulcan, he'll be a stronger person and a stronger leader for the team.
It had been a while she had been asked to prove herself. Xandra, not for the first time, wondered if accepting the commission so late in her career had been a good idea. Most saw 'Ensign' and thought 'newbie'. The fact she had seen and done more than most Lieutenant Commanders never seemed to cross anyone's mind.
So once more, here she was, programming the holosuite to run a program that would help reassure Del that the Second Officer position wasn't misplaced anymore than her claim she had his back when in the field.
She stepped in, regaled in regular field wear. She had told him not to wear the nanosuits they used in the field. This was a mission to prove her worth, not her ability to survive in armour. She had her long arm, and side arm. Her long hair up and coiled to stay in place no matter what.
The scenario was simple. They were to infiltrate a building a get to the roof, three stories up, to cover the ground troops as they arrived. They had one hour to be in position and ready. That meant clear the building of hostiles, secure it below them as they rose up and be sprawled and ready to provide cover.
She bit her lip absently and leaned on the building wall just inside the arch while she waited for Del. <e>
Delhashi (Omega)05/01/2020
Del was dressed in black clothing, his bandoleer of daggers across his chest and his rifle and sword crossed his back as he walked in. His bright sapphire eyes quickly found Xandra and he offered her a smile. His platinum hair was cropped short except for a single braid that fell to his mid back.
He didn't really feel this was necessary but he did want to know those he worked with that were new. He looked her up and down. She had a body that was use to physical activities. He glanced at a padd he had in his hand then back to her as the padd diasappeared into the folds of his shirt.
"Says in your record you know terrains. Wanna give me a brief overview of your skill set and level?" Del asked.
<e>
LlewelPendragon05/01/2020
She liked the way his mind worked. Most would ask about the sim. But asking about her skills meant he would know and expect to be able to reply on them.
“I specialize in alien terrain and maps. I can remember routes and escape lines once I have seen them either from intel or in person. I specifically had the computer randomly generate a scenario from this intel.” She handed him the small padd she had been holding at her side.
“I can spot, or snipe, once in position. Though to be honest, despite my own sniping record, spotting is my strength. Long arms and short arms I can use once I have had a chance to hold and examine them, in 99% of the cases, regardless if I have seen them before or not. I can survive with a blade, but it's mostly defensive not offensive skill.” She glanced down the 'street' and tried to think. “And I don't tend to chatter much, as you already know.”
Even one of the soldiers on scene after all was said and done said she was the quietest woman he had ever met. It almost seemed to unnerve him. “But I won't hold my tongue if needed.” She smiled to reassure him.
* * *
The scenario he read would be fairly straight forward, but there was no telling how many enemy would be around. She had done that on purpose so she didn't subconsciously count them off. Safety was engaged, but weapons' fire would be felt as if a rock had been thrown at them by a child. Noted, but not lethal or deadly.
* * *
“Oh yeah....” she smiled and winked holding up her hands. “I don't worry about chipping my polish.” She laughed, her nails bitten back, but clean, on hands that showed softness but not lack of experience to weapons. There were small white spots where callouses had built up and hardened under the skin in all the right spots. <e>
Delhashi (Omega)05/02/2020
Del listened closely to her list of skills and accepted the padd when it was passed to him. He looked it over while she spoke and chuckled at her comment about her nails. He looked up to see her nails condition. "You might want to file those down so they don't snag on something." He said with a chuckle.
"What terrain do you specialize in and what ones are harder for you? Whats your preferred load out for weapons and your typical supply bag contents?" Del asked as he pulled his padd from his pocket to add the data to her file. The padd she had handed to him rested tucked under his armpit.
<e>
LlewelPendragon05/03/2020
The comment about filing down her nails, which didn't exist, made her look at him and stick her tongue out a moment like a child. She then smiled. “Trust me, they don't snag, but that doesn't mean I don't have claws.” She laughed and nodded to the building.
“Buildings and ships are fairly strait forward if I have access to a map. Once I'm in though, I can tell if each subsequent floor or level is identical and get us where we need to be. Jungles and wilderness areas are a bit of a hobby and specialty. Swamps, and dessert terrains, believe it or not, are harder. Slip sand, swamp holes and the creatures that inhabit those areas make them some of the most dangerous areas.”
She leaned on the wall and watched him prep his own PaDD. “Go bag varies on location and end game.” She reached up and put her fingers around the padd under his arm in silent offering to take it back and hold it. “For this scenario, I have climb rope, a couple each of frag and concussion grenades. Standard equipment in every pack, regardless, include field first aid kit, water, rations for two days and spare socks.” She smiled and nodded that she wasn't kidding. “I also carry flares for places like this, and an extra transponder in case our comms are compromised. As well as extra scopes for the long arms if I am sniping or taking second to you.”
She looked at him and nodded. “I would also, in a team situation, pack out with the team so I would know what other gear was wanted or needed.” She waited to see what his reaction was. <e>
Delhashi (Omega)05/03/2020
Del let her take the padd as he filled out the pack load. He added the finer details of her skill set into her file. He looked up from his padd. He had caught her sticking her tongue out at him and had stifled the urge to chuckle as it reminded him of Shaye.
Delhashi (Omega)05/03/2020
He reached out and barely touched her mind. 'During a mission, there might come a time orders will be given telepathically due to the need for silence. I will never delve into your thoughts except for the very surface thoughts. If I talk this way to you any thought your thinking at that moment might be read but if you think your reply, I will hear it.' She heard in her mind before he put his shields back up. "You have my word that I will only read your thoughts when I'm passing on orders." He said out loud with a smile. "Now what would you say your biggest weakness is Xandra?" He asked.
<e>
LlewelPendragon05/03/2020
Her gasp stole her breath, eyes going wide but she recovered incredibly fast and never wavered other than the breath and eyes. "Well... I guess your quick file is lacking in some things." She laughed and nodded to him.
“Thank you for giving me that 'before' we went in. I will keep it in mind, so to speak.” She laughed at the slight tongue in cheek. “Question is, if I scream mentally and you aren't actively listening, shielded like you are now, will you hear me?” She was thinking already of the help that could be in their over-watch assignments. She wouldn't even have to be beside him. She would be able to watch other angles yet still cover him for the shots he had to take, or they both had to.
Weakness... it was a good question. She would get his in return, but she had to dig deep to admit it. “Kids.. and putting myself in harms way for the mission.” She looked at him to show him she was sincere. “I have two sealed write ups you won't find in my records, no matter how hard you look. Even the CO won't know until I have my one on one with him. I called off a 'never get another shot' mission because intel was wrong and half a dozen kids were present at the target location. We got the guy, a week later. But he was responsible for 7 more deaths in that time.” She fought to keep eye contact. Her hand not holding the PaDD balled into a fist at the strain. They had to count on one another for their lives. He had a right to know. No matter what it cost her. “And I have offered myself in place of a hostage. It worked out, in the end. I managed to kill him a few moments after he tossed the other hostage aside and took me. But it's the other write up. I tossed my weapons and belt to the side. The knife in my boot was all I had on me.”
It was too much, she finally broke the eye contact, took a deep breath and had to pace away from the wall a moment to inhale and gather herself once more. This had been a meeting to prove to him she could cover his back. This wasn't when she had planned to bare her soul and insides to him.
That would have been later. After he trusted her. After they had survived and she had proved that no matter what, she could do her job.
Her back was to her when she shot back at him, with a bit more force than she meant. “And what is your weakness, Del?” She spun on him and once more her defenses were up. She hadn't noticed her voice snipped at him. <e>
Xandra knocked on his door and peered in about 15 minutes later. She was still in her uniform, hair still perfectly in its place and boots still polished like she was heading for an inspection. Other than her side arm, she didn’t have any other visible gear on. “Del? You here?”
Del sat at his desk. He was dressed in his nano suit, his rifle, Missy, rested on a wall mount and his sword hung off a hook on the side of his desk within easy reach. There were PaDDs scattered on his desk and his terminal was open. The light from the screen cast shadows on his face that made the scar across his left eye seem deeper than it was. He looked up from the screen and smiled as he stood. "Yes, over here Xandra. Please, have a seat." He motioned to the chair in front of his desk.
She smiled and came in. Moving to the chair, she looked around the room to see what she could of him in there. “Thanks... “ She sat in the chair, but she curled her leg under her. It should have looked awkward in the suit, but for some reason, she made it seem natural. “So I want to ask, and you tell me what isn’t my business to know. Deal?” She raised an eyebrow at him and leaned on the chair arm almost feline like in her demeanor.
Del raised a platinum eyebrow at her posture. If he were to sit like that, his leg would fall asleep quickly. He let out a small chuckle. "What would you like to drink? I do not have any alcoholic drinks nor much in the way of personal drink selections but we do have access to the replicators." He asked as he stood up. He walked to the replicator in the wall.
“Surprise me,” she said as her brow furrowed slightly at his raised eyebrow. Settling back to get more comfortable, looking more like at ease than the uniform would make it seem. “You, Shaye, and Saylin were in cryo till recently? FLeet reports say 150 yrs. It’s the longest recorded cryo on record, that wasn’t without severe medical issues, for a Fleet returnee. So where is the disconnect? Were you not military when you went in, or they hiding the ‘actual’ length of time?”
She watched him move to get the drinks, there was something about him that reminded her of a predator. There was an ease to it, yet an underlying ripple that made her think he was capable of being *still* even when in motion.
She had known tons of people who were in a constant state of motion, even when sitting still. But the skill to remain still, even when in motion, was something she knew she possessed. And maybe a small handful of others. Del seemed to fit that category.
After a few moments, Del returns with 2 steaming cups. He sat one in front of Xandra before he sat on the corner of the desk. "Gerchak (ger-shawk) tea. It's from Zelark. I was happy to find its recipe had been added to the available options." A small jar floated from a side table over to gently settle upon his desk between their cups. "I find a small dollop of honey makes it better." He lifted a wand shaped stick from the jar and let a large dollop of honey drizzle into his cup.
She took the tea and raised an eyebrow of surprise as the honey came closer. Smiling in appreciation, she leaned forward to offer her cup for a dollop as well. “Who am I to naysay the expert?” She looked up as if trying to discern, simply from looking, what else he was capable of. She watched him and her curiosity got the best of her, “What else can you do?” A slight smile curled up the edge of her lip. There was still a wall there, but something else as well.
Del raised an eyebrow. "I'm telepathic and telekinetic but I also have an ability that allows me to see spiritual energy whether it resides in a living body or not. I can also communicate with them sometimes." He added some honey to her cup for her before he took a sip. Hot but not scalding hot yet not cold either. The mint and honey made it smooth but the hint of cinnamon gave it that slight bite he enjoyed. "I'm not that strong telekinetically as I can only handle about five pounds worth of weight. The heavier the object or the greater number of objects will hamper my ability." To demonstrate, about 5 PaDDs started to float and spin. Sweat beads appeared on his brow as four PaDDs landed gently back on the stack. The one in the air still started to spin faster as it started moving to settle into an orbit around Xandra's head. It did about four rotations before it settled into her lap.
Her body was still leaning forward as he started the demonstration. Without thinking, as he started to sweat, she set her hand unconsciously on his leg as if to silently reassure him she didn’t need to be impressed. As the single PaDD orbited her head, she let go of his leg quickly, realizing it was there and had leaned back as the padd slowly lowered to her lap.
Del let out a chuckle as her hand moved from his leg. He was grateful that the nanosuit had blocked skin contact. If someone had strong emotions or thoughts and made skin contact, he could inadvertently hear them even if he was shielded.
She looked up at him. “And here I thought my ability to write impeccable Mission Reports was a super power.” She lifted the padd and held it towards him. “I will keep that in mind.” She took a sip of her tea and smiled. “I may have to steal this from you. This would help a lot on the way to sleeping after we come back from a mission.” She took a deep breath and set her cup in her lap a moment. “Can I ask you a personal question, Del?”
Del snapped out of his thoughts at her words. "The recipe is programmed into the replicator under Zelarkian cuisine. And yes, you may speak freely. We are here as equals to get to know each other since we will be working together and I'll be leaning on you when I'm in doubt or need advice. Like I'm Nik's right hand, you're my right hand." He took a larger drink as it had cooled a bit. He smiled at her. "As long as none of the others are nearby or we're in private, you may always speak frankly with me. Even if it's to tell me I'm an idiot." He grinned and winked at her before he finished his tea.
She blushed at his chuckle and took a sip of tea to hide it as he spoke. Once she had herself under control once more, she looked up at him. “Shaye… She is special to you. I can see it.” Her words weren’t a question. “There was an incident, during the last mission. It was minor, didn’t affect the mission, so I didn’t put it in my report. But I need to ask you. Is she all right? Cryo, or what happened beforehand, is affecting her. I will trust your word if you say she is all right. But I won’t lie, I’m going to ask her as well.
Del's back straightened slightly. "Yes, Shaye and I go back quite aways. She wasn't like this. She was trained in Starfleet to be a terraformer with an engineering ability. She had built a k9 AI named Sparks. But on one planet something happened where the team was found dead and Shaye and Sparks were missing. After some time she was found and so was Sparks. Not long after she was sent to Xerxes. The trauma had changed her." He said. His face took on the look that this was confidential. "She may be unstable at times but she has NEVER let me or the team down in the past when she was really needed. She is a bright woman and a great soldier. She can shoot almost as good as the three of us snipers."
Xandra nodded. “She didn’t let me down on the station, either. And she still managed to look after Troy when chips were down. But I’ve seen her, like at the training this morning. Something was wrong. But she rallied.” She looked at him for a long moment. “I will be watching her, Del. And I assure you it’s strictly because I care about her. I know that’s a hard thing to understand since I’ve known you guys less than a week. But I do. I don’t want her harmed because we pushed her. Agreed?” Her face was soft and she was looking at him as if trying to read whatever was behind his eyes.
Del sat his cup down on his desk. His deep sapphire blue eyes showed the barest of anything. He regarded her a moment as he mulled her words over. "Agreed, on one condition, you come to me first if you have doubts." He said as he watched her reaction
She looked to see if he was saying it to be able to block her, or to help her. Xandra couldn’t see anything but care for Shaye and she nodded. “I agree. No worries.
"As for the cryo, we were in for a while and are both suffering from cryo sickness. It only manifested in me as being unable to use my abilities except with great concentration. Or did you notice I wasn't using it?" He smiled to show he wasn't upset but just explaining. "As you can tell, i'm getting over it now but Shaye went right back in for 24 hours while still suffering from cryo sickness. It probably just extended its effects than it would take normally. She should be better in a few days."
Xandra nodded. “I was on the other team so wouldn’t have noticed. But I saw your mission report and if you ‘had’ used it, I am guessing it would have been in there. At least, someone would have mentioned it, I would have thought.”
The foot she had had on the floor, pulled up to rest its heel on the edge of the seat. She set her cup on her knee and looked at him. “How are you doing? Seriously.” She looked at him. “You used telepathy on me in the holo earlier. Are you still having headaches? And the padds,” she nodded to the stack and looked back at him.
"Not really, if I over use it, I can but I usually don't use it that much. Those uses today weren't like on the mission. But they aren't up to where they are so many multiple objects, it's a bit more tiring." Del said, he smiled at her. "My telepathic abilities I can use for other uses as well other than for communication." He opened his shield and reached out. He wasn't reading her mind, only projecting an image of the desk where he sat to suddenly appear empty. While he held that image over her mind, he silently moved over to the replicator before he dropped the masking image.
She inhaled in surprise as the desk was suddenly empty. Slowly, her jumper clad leg lowered to the floor. She barely balanced her tea as she reached towards where his torso should be. As he suddenly appeared out of the corner of her eye to her right, she yelped and turned to him. Biting her lip realizing her cry, she laughed, shaking her head. “Wow… that would certainly come in handy in a recon atmosphere.” She shifted in the chair and cocked her head with a smile. “Shaye is lucky to have you. Must be nice knowing you have her back.” She raised a hand to stop anything he was about to say. “Sorry, I know you have all our backs, as I do. But I meant her, personally.”
"No, we aren't an item. I have known her since she was around eight years old. I have always been a protector to her over the years." Del said. He moved back to his desk and sat on the edge again. "To really understand our relationship, it would require me to give a life history from my pov." His sapphire eyes watched her. "I don't know if you saw the scars on my back during our medical check up after the mission."
Remembering that during that time she had gone to a far table and waited to be the last to be seen, she shook her head. “No… I didn’t. But it’s all right. I don’t want you to feel obligated to tell me, Del.” She had almost been relieved when he said he and Shaye weren’t an item. She didn’t want him to tear himself up over a story that maybe he didn’t want her to know.
"You asked and I will tell you. Shaye isn't an interest in that way for me, I was married though. She's no longer with us though." Del said, his voice cracking a bit. He closed his eyes a moment. When he opened them again he continued. "You had asked me about where I was from. By birth, I am from Xerxes 3 but as an infant, a number of us were launched to other planets to maintain the Chronasian bloodline as they were on the verge of being obliterated from existence. Shaye landed on earth while I had landed on Zelark."
There was a look of sympathy in the back of her eyes. Not pity. He and Shaye and Nik had been thru more than five generations worth of people. They had come thru it and it made sense why Shaye was feeling off, Nik was sometimes gruff, and she had noticed an occasional look in Del’s gaze when he thought no one was looking, that seemed he was a million miles away. “I’m sorry. You guys shouldn’t have had to go thru all that.”
"Some of us went through worse yet." Del said with a sad smile. "I can't really speak for the others until I met them though. I was found and raised by the fourth ruling house of Zelark. I had three sisters, 2 older and 1 younger. Zelarkian culture is ruled by the females and males are nothing more than slaves and play things. Most are made to do menial work or general labor but for some reason my mother allowed me the freedom to hunt in the forests and jungles surrounding the city." He took a deep breath. "Males are punished for the slightest thing. Their favorite punishment was sacrifice to the mother goddess. Don't get me wrong, it's not the mother goddess that is to blame though but the interpretation of her words."
Del stood up and turned his back to Xandra. He removed the top of his jumpsuit to reveal white puckered scars criss crossing his back and sides. "Another of their favorite punishments was the Grimbald. A device similar to the terran cat o’ nine tails."
A small gasp in the back of her throat choked out in a barely audible sound. She set her tea on the edge of the desk and found herself walking over to him. “Del….” His name was a single word, but the inflection was so much more. “If I could go back…” she left the thought hanging. She couldn’t. There was no point. She reached out, about to run a finger over one of them. About 3 inches from his back, her eyes widened realizing what she was doing. She balled her fist and crossed her arms a moment to take a deep breath. “I am truly sorry.”
She wanted to touch them. To run a finger along those lines to give him a better memory when he felt them. But it would mean a tit for tat response. And she hadn’t removed her uniform in front of anyone in almost 8 years. She wasn’t sure she would be able to do it now. She took a step back. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to go thru that.” Her voice went low and then silent.
"Those are from when I was caught by a hunting party. The three women took turns beating me for being in possession of weapons and for being outside the city. I was I think ten at the time. He turns back to face her. There are a couple more scars on his chiseled chest. These appear to have been made with a blade rather than a whip. "After that I was careful of roving parties and became my family's secret. I was able to hunt and kill some of the more dangerous beasts by myself where it would take a whole hunting party to succeed. At about 12 I was able to escape from Zelark and traveled across the galaxy. Zelark is in the gamma quadrant and around 13 or 14 I came across Starfleet. This is where I met Shaye. As I was under age and had no home, I was fostered to the Glymer family, a prominent family. Shaye’s father had been an engineer so he was constantly away. Her mother, though, was abusive. If Shaye messed up the slightest thing, she would be beat. When I arrived I was scared of all women and that included little girls." Del stopped a moment to gather his thoughts and to push back the flood of emotions accompanied by the memories.
Xandra listened, her jaw tight and her hands balled in fists buried under her arms that were crossed over her chest. He had grown up scared to death of women his whole life. And here she was, all angles and attitude. So prickly a sehlat probably wouldn’t find her appetising. And nothing like Shaye with her softness and vulnerabilities. Xandra wanted to help him understand not all women were that way. She wanted to take that pain she saw in his eyes, or the walls, or whatever the darkness was behind those sapphire jewels and make it a thing of his past. But she had no idea how. “Not all women are like that, Del,” was all she could think to say. And as it fell from her lips she realized how stupid it sounded.
"I know this now. But then I didn't. Her mother was sweet as pie when her dad was there. After this one time, where I had actually stood up for Shaye, she turned on me with a knife. She had already cut Shaye. And after a fight, I was on the floor with these cuts. We laid there for a time, our blood mingling on the floor before I could muster the strength to get up. I managed to get us bandaged and the bleeding stopped before she came home. When we had gained our strength enough, we ran away. I was about 17 at the time and Shaye was 11 or 12. We had lived off the land and stayed in a cabin we had found for a couple of years before a bunch of people came. They took both Shaye and I away separately. I have no idea where they took her, but I was placed into a special training which I excelled in. I requested a transfer to Xerxes when, for some reason, I had the urge to go there. When my shuttle picked up another transfer before arriving I was reintroduced to Shaye. If I had been frozen yesterday and thawed today, it would have only been about 2 or 3 years ago." Del paused as a chuckle at the memory escaped him. "I didn't recognize her after almost 12 years apart. I was still scared of women then, but not as bad as I was when I first left Zelark. We reconnected after we had realized it was each other and we have been close ever since. Between her and Alieya, I got over my fear of women for the most time. I mentioned I was married and my wife was Aleiya." His voice failed him as he spoke of Aleiya. He turned away from her and put his jumper top on to cover him wiping the couple of tears that had formed. He quickly stamped down his emotions to be channeled later and when he had regained his composure, he turned to face Xandra.
She was standing as she had been, arms crossed with the look of someone who wanted to both kill those people in his past as well as touch him to remind him what kindness was.
“Shaye is lucky to have you. And you all are lucky to have made this far, despite the obstacles.” She took a couple steps towards him, her hands dropping. The numbness in her palms from clenching them hid the pain of the crescent moons her nails had dug into her flesh. She was halfway to him before her feet brought her up short so quickly she almost rocked on the balls of her feet. “I want you to know that you never have to fear me. I know it’s naive to say ‘you can trust me’ and expect you to do that out the gate. Maybe I can earn that sometime. But till then, you can trust, as my XO, and, I hope, a friend, I will not let you down out there.” Her head nodded towards the door. “And in here, whether it’s to merely listen or something else you have need of, I will endeavour to be that for you as well.” She wondered if she sounded as ridiculous as her mind said she was being. Her words sending a shudder through her the way his oath to Nik had when they were promoted. It was a shiver that made you wonder if forsaking the words would cost you your soul because the Universe had taken note of it.
Del smiled at her though he did notice that she had moved closer to him. Was she interested in him? Nah, she was just feeling empathy for his past. "I know that I have nothing to fear from you or any female I encounter, unless it's a Zelarkian." He laid a hand on her shoulder as he spoke. "I just wanted you to know who I was. I'm a warrior and protector, an old relic from a time long past trapped in the present. The only good thing that has come out of cryo was that I get to meet a new team. Though having some of our old team here helps though." He let his hand drop.
She smiled up at him. When his hand rested on her shoulder, it felt warm and firm. It wasn’t condescending and it surprised her. Anyone else had done it, it would have angered her to be treated like a frail thing. But it didn’t come across that way from him.
As his hand dropped, she nodded. “I just hope you can find us worthy.” She laughed, trying to make light of his life and training. “I admit, I am good, but my training was just that… training. It wasn’t survival as I was growing up. And it wasn’t essencial.” She looked at him and smiled. It was an open smile that she used to convey that she was sincere and wanting in her following words. “Anything you can show me, I’m open to it.” Her choice of words, said in her head, sounded completely different out loud. She blushed and her eyes widened slightly. She spun swiftly and moved back to her tea. “I meant any skill um… work skills… It would help me to know what you are capable of. And vice versa as well.” She was at the desk. Realizing she had basically ‘run’ from him, she turned and gripped the top behind her. “Does that make sense?”
Del stifled a small chuckle at her moving away from him as if he was gonna bite. "Yes it does and you can be yourself around me but it is close to dinner and didn't you ask Shaye to meet with you?" He asked as he walked over to stand next to her. He reached behind her and picked up the tea cups, his arm brushing slightly against hers as he grabbed the one behind her.
She had planned to see Shaye tomorrow. But something in the way Del spoke made her think tonight might be better. Or perhaps he was just suggesting it as a way to dismiss her.
But then he paused beside her and reached to grab the cups. Her breath hitched a moment as he rubbed past her arm. To her credit, she didn’t flinch. Looking up at his face, she nodded. “Yeah, I probably should. Before it gets too late.” She stood there for a moment longer then slipped one step sideways before turning to go.
Just before she reached the door, she turned. “Would you be willing to look over the living quarters layout for Bravo team for me before I turn it over to Nik?” It was the next reason she could think of to come see him. She wasn’t the ‘hey, just stopped by to say hi’ kind of person. Though, right now… she wished she was.
"I would like that. Give us more time to chat. If we're gonna serve together, better to know who we'll be dying next to under Nik." Del said with a grin and a chuckle.
She smiled and nodded. “I’d like… the talking part, I mean. Not necessarily the dying part.” She put her hand on the door and looked at him a long moment before she nodded. “G'night, Del… I’ll let Shaye know I’m up if she wants to meet tonight instead of tomorrow.” She lingered just a moment more, then headed for her room. If his door remained open, he would see hers close behind her as she absently lifted her hand to grasp her arm where he had brushed her.
Del watched her leave from over by the replicator. The door closed behind her as he turned to his desk and walked over. He sat heavily in his chair and looked at the terminal screen. The file open on the screen was that of Aleiya Darkshadow. His eyes read the damning word in red next to her name for what felt like the millionth time. He felt the warmth and the stinging as tears came to his eyes. That one word burning itself into his mind: DECEASED.
Del tapped the screen and opened Meni's file before he laid his head down and let it go. The sleeves of his nanosuit grew slick with the tears that flowed unfettered. His chest ached and his lungs burned from the silent sobs that racked his muscular frame. Only in private can he let this side of him show, he can't show this personal weakness. He has to show them that he's tough.
Del sat up after some time and stared across his office. He took a deep breath as he wiped his eyes and face with a spare clean rag from a drawer. He would talk to Meni about maybe training him to suppress his emotions like a Vulcan, he'll be a stronger person and a stronger leader for the team.