Before and After

Posted on Wednesday May 25th, 2022 @ 12:35am by Lieutenant Commander Niali Deval Dr & Lieutenant Finchley Kerr

Mission: EPISODE 1: SHAKEDOWN
Location: USS Oberon

::ON::

Niali studied her new quarters, she was so thankful she had a window and a replicator but there was not much to say for the rest of them. The bed, too small not big enough to stretch one’s legs out. The sonic shower, fine unless you love a real shower. She sighed. Brutus came out from the bathroom and she scratched him under the chin. “Well, what do you think Captain Brutus, want me to replicate you a gigantic cat tree so you can look out of the window?” He meowed quite sullenly she thought. She walked over to the replicator. “One Scottish salmon, lightly cooked 4inches by 4inches by 2 inches.” Brutus was already by her legs looking up expectantly. Putting it down for him she walked over to her mirror and brushed and wound her hair up to a presentable length. Put on her uniform and boots and placed her new communicator on her chest and sat there. She HATED reporting in, all that glad handing and honest nicety, of course being able to hear someone’s thoughts was, at times useful and at others not so. She looked at her trunks of books waiting to be placed on the shelves she had had replicated for her here and In her office and promised herself the treat of unpacking them after she reported in. She sighed again and watched Brutus lick his thick orange fur. She took an inward breath to sigh again and stopped herself. The Bridge she knew, was waiting.
She stood and left, walking along the corridor following the computers direction she entered the turbo lift. “Main Bridge.” She said beginning and ending her journey in a matter of seconds. Walking onto the bridge with the wide sweep of the view screen she looked at the back of a male in a Lt Commanders uniform. “Lieutenant Niali Korial reporting for duty as Chief Counsellor” she said.

Finchley turned his head at the sound of the voice, looked the person who had spoken up and down, the looked back at the PADD he'd been checking over. Handing it to the Yeoman beside him he said "Take this to Engineering, ask them to double check the figures, if it's right, ask them to run a few simulations as it's very promising."

"Aye Sir" the Yeoman replied, moving off.

"What's your story Lieutenant?" he asked Niali, without turning back to look at her.

There was no way she did not recognize that voice. “Finchley….Finchley Kerr?”

Finchley turned at the sound of his name and looked at the person's face. Instant recognition came straight away, "Good grief...Niali Korial, I'll be damned!" he said, rising from his seat and almost running round it to give her a big hug.

He stood back and grinned at her idiotically "What the hell brings you here, after our last mission, I thought you'd been re-assigned or gone off training with a head shrinking lot!"

She smiled at the look on his face enjoying the hug. “Well I went off training with the head shrinking lot, hence, your new Chief Counsellor. Damn it Finch it’s good to see you too but I’m not sure I would have taken this assignment if I had known you were here” she said seriously and then burst into laughter. “I still remember that night when I drank you under the table, is Karadis with you?”

"It's good to see you again Niali" Finchley replied "and don't remind me of that night, it still makes me shudder!" he mimicked being sick and then laughing as well. "Yes, Karadis is here...somewhere" he said, looking under his chair then doing the 'Seaman looking into the distance' with one hand up above his brow "Did you need her, I can ask her to come to the bridge, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you?"

“I always need Karadis to drink under the table, is she still the same old Klingon reprobate one has to love? I still cannot get over her hugs.” Niali held him at arms length. “Damn you’re a sight for sore eyes, how the hell did you get here? An XO, on a starship!”

"Oh, that never changes, I think she lives to be a reprobate and I'm sure she'd love a hug from you" Finchley laughed "You're a sight for sore eyes to Niali, you always have been and always will be. As for how I ended up here, well, three days ago I just finished a mission assignment with the Polaris team, and was told to get my backside in gear as I'd been asked to join the Oberon as her XO, by Captain Bennett. Sorry he's not here for you to report in to, but he's busy around the ship, very nice guy, and very approachable."

He looked at Niali quizzically, then whispered "I don't suppose you still have that little number you showed me, before you drank me under the table, you know the..." and he raised his eyebrows a couple of times.

She stepped nearer to him and patted his cheek “If you are thinking of THAT little number then I can show you a few more, if, of course you are ready.” She looked at him seriously, “why the hell did we never get together?”

"Oh, I am thinking of that little number, and I'd 'love' to see what else you have" he replied, loving her close proximity to him "and the reason we never got together, from my point of view, was that I thought you were way out of my league, you had so many admirers, I didn't think I stood a chance and I'd have been heart broken if I did ask you out and you'd said no" he finished honestly.

Niali blushed. “And I thought you were way out of mine Finchley. I don’t remember any admirers and, anyway all I could think about was you, you looked so hot in that ‘black ops’ gear I had to stop myself from……well. I suppose this is not the place to discuss this perhaps after I check in with the doc? …I still cannot believe you are here in front of me, outranking me no less!”

Finchley smiled at the compliment and said "Well, at least we both now know we had a crush on each other. You know the old saying 'All the girls like a sailor'. Yes, I think we ought to discuss those things after you see the Doc. What do you say, dinner this evening?"

“So long as Karadis is not cooking that would be wonderful,” she laughed, “I mean I love Klingon food but not that raw. Where and what time?”

"No, I'll cook, Karadis won't be there, so the food will be a little more palatable" he laughed "Shall we say, my place around eight?"

Niali nodded, “where are your quarters and can I get there in heels?” She smiled knowingly.

He smiled at what she asked "My quarters are on deck 2, crew quarters are on decks 3, 4 and 5 so it depends on where you've been assigned. However, there are these new 'things' that have been incorporated into the ship, they're called corridors and turbo lifts, try using those, you should be able to totter up" he ended, supressing a laugh.

‘Yeah, I tried one just now, all new to me” she laughed, “I am on deck 3 so no loud music or jumping up and down okay! I will see you at 20.00. Commander.” She said smiling.

"Maybe just the odd stamp on the floor, just to get your attention" Finchley smiled "I'll see you at 8. I'm so glad you're here Niali, really I am" he finished.

“I’m glad to be here too, adventuring together again.” She took his hand briefly. “Commander.” She said and left the bridge.

Lieutenant Commander Finchley Kerr
Executive Officer
USS Oberon

&

Lieutenant (jg) Niali Korial
Chief Counsellor
USS Oberon

::OFF::