From Sun To Shining Sun (Part 1)

Posted on Wed Jan 1st, 2025 @ 9:39pm by Captain Violet Bluegarden & Commander Celeste Tiae

1,140 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: 84 Years Young

The transition from Harbinger to the station didn't look that dramatic: The sparse decorations of the ship were matched by the lack of decor in the docking tube that served the bare minimum of need to transfer people from the station to the ship and back. Even still, the air that blasted Celeste in the face as she stepped onto the station proper felt warmer, more congenial and just full of additional hope. The gold uniformed ensign that boarded with her extended his hand and she took it, "Thanks for seeing me out, George, you'll take care of seeing my baggage to central storage?"

"Not just that, but I'll make sure your temporary quarters has your 'Go bag' and a few things for your little buddy." The Operations Ensign reached out gently and stroked the creature who was wrapped around Celeste's neck, which pressed the top of his head against the hand with a buzzing purr from deep in his throat. "We're going to miss him, you know?"

She shook her head as he made that specific mention, "But not me, I get it." Celeste softened the rebuke with a smile as she also accepted the messenger bag and draped it across her body, "Keep Commander Tigris sane for me?"

"You got it, ma'am." George took a step back and drew himself up to a proper salute, "Fair voyages, Commander."

"May the wind guide you on the smoothest path." She gave the traditional blessing from her homeworld of Aethereum, then they parted ways. She'd done her research after her old mentor had commed her with the new orders and this uniform just felt a bit different. Even while she was serving as the XO on board Harbinger, she'd still worn the teal of her native Science section because she was doubling up on positions. Captain Bluegarden had obtained an office space deep in the station, the path to get there winding and elaborate, but she'd memorized the path.

It was a matter of several minutes before the door numbers began to approach what she'd been looking for and she only realized that she'd been idly stroking her pet's long fluffy tail out of habit when she'd finally stopped in front of the right one. She quickly inspected herself the best she could, straightening the skirt and making sure that the over-the-knee socks hadn't slipped down, then at the unfamiliar red on this uniform, but it went rather well with her hair, she thought as well. Finally, she set herself into a 'rest' stance, feet shoulder-width apart and reached out to press the buzzer.

With Commander el'Ataa taking on the checklist items that pertained to security equipment, the list of items Violet was looking at was shorter, but there were still other departments' worth of stuff she could allocate once she got those positions filled: She had recently approved bringing on a fellow Cardassian war veteran to fill medical, but several other departments remained wide open, most crucial being Engineering, as by far they had the lion's share of the list.

Violet was roused from her musings when the buzzer went off. Setting her PADD down, Violet rose from the chair and faced the door.

"Enter:" She called out.

As the door slid open in front of her, Celeste brought her feet together in an audible click and clasped her hands behind her back before she crossed the threshold of the door and into the office, striding in confidently before coming to a stop a few strides in, “Captain Bluegarden, Commander Celeste Tiae, reporting.” Her voice was clipped and sounded almost English in tone. The white fluffy creature was still around the nape of her neck, tail now protectively wrapped around Celeste’s throat, eyes unblinking but watchful.

"Ah, Commander Tiae." Violet responded. "At ease; it's good to know that Science is in good hands."

As opposed to Celeste, Violet's southern accent was smooth and friendly.

Celeste’s hands went back together behind her at the release, but a small smile came across her lips, “Well, yes, ma’am, but also somewhat a ‘no’ to that as well.” One hand came back around and expertly manipulated the flap of the messenger bag and withdrew a PADD, holding it out to Violet, “New orders from Rear Admiral de Granville from Personnel. I am to be reassigned as your Executive Officer, Captain, rather than as a department head. If it helps, I’ve been the Exec on Harbinger for the last eight months, actually doubling as Science Chief and Exec to be honest. One of the first flight of Defiants, still trying to figure out how to overcome the lack of crew on board.”

"I see..." Violet sighed. Clearly she was going to have the conversation she didn't want to have right now. "Computer, secure office; authorization Bluegarden-six-three-alpha-seven."

Beeping in acknowledgement, there was a click as the doors behind Celeste locked themselves, and blast shutters lowered, blocking out the office's view of the stars.

"Office secure:" The computer spoke in acknowledgement of Violet's command.

With the computer's acknowledgement confirming that all recording equipment was offline, Violet turned to Celeste and spoke once again:

"Commander, if you've been assigned as my First Officer, then there's something about me that you need to know right off the bat: I ain't a fan of keeping secrets from my number one, so what I'm about to show you does not leave this office, understood?"

"Of course, Captain." Celeste agreed without any sort of hesitation, because there was no need for it, "Anything you tell me in confidence will remain so in perpetuity."

With a nod, Violet tugged at her right driving glove. As the brown leather glove slid off, the lights of the room gleamed off metal as a prosthetic hand was revealed to have been beneath the glove. Using her now-exposed prosthetic hand, Violet proceeded to slide off her left driving glove, revealing a second prosthetic hand. After revealing her prosthetic hands, Violet proceeded to push up her sleeves slightly, revealing the prosthetic arms that they were attached to before letting the sleeves fall back into place.

"I will admit, I did not expect that." Celeste said softly, eyes taking in the revealed falsehoods that were in the place of arms and hands, "But it would be unfair of me to conceal my own secrets from you, insomuch as they're concealed from everyone else at a sight." She raised one hand in a gesture that caused the windfox around her neck to reluctantly move, using the arm that had been raised and then lowered to delicately debouche from his perch and down to the floor where he sat primly, curling his tail around his feet. "There are fewer than a dozen Aethiri in all of Starfleet, mostly in the enlisted ranks."

To be continued...

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