[usstempest] A Meeting on the Promenade by Nat Lynley, Pas Kaataren, & Senek Menkara

As soon as Roberta saw Rosie heading toward the red haired officer in  
commander's pips, she realized who the man had to be. It didn't look like she  
was 
happy to see him but who knew? Rather than join Rosie as she was invited to,  
Roberta waited and watched. The red head turned around when the lieutenant  
approached so Roberta got a good look at him. Damn but he's good looking. I can 
 
see why the lieutenant might go for him. She better not, though. From what 
I've  heard, though, the chief's a much better catch. What the--Oh my God! She 
hit  him! She actually hit him! Good for you, Lieutenant. 
She edged out of the bar then. I have to go tell the chief...  
~~~~~~~ 
She didn't really want to comm him just for something so minor.  Finding one 
Starfleet officer in this sea of uniforms is going to be a chore,  though, she 
told herself as she stood looking down at the Promenade from the  upper deck. 
Finally, she spotted him walking with an officer in a Medical  uniform who 
was holding a little girl's hand. 

"Chief! Chief Lynley, hold on a second," she called down from the deck.  
Both Pas and Nat looked up at the sound of the voice. Nat saw Roberta and  
gestured for her to come down. They would wait especially since he could see  
that she was rather excited. 

"What is it, Roberta?" Nat asked as she finally reached them. 

"You just missed it, sir--it was great!" Roberta exclaimed. 

"Missed what?" Nat asked patiently. He saw her glance at Pas and Mika  in 
uncertainty. "Pas...Mika...this is Roberta Dashman, my usually calm and  
professional yeoman. Roberta, this is Dr. Kaartaren and his very lovely 
daughter  
Mika. The doctor and I used to play on the same football and hockey teams.  
Though 
perhaps I should say I played and he just warmed the benches."  
Roberta had never heard Nat say anything so remotely rude but then she  
realized that it had to be an ongoing thing between them. The doctor was giving 
 
him a friendly glare. 

"Shut up, Lynley. It isn't nice to tell lies in front of a child and,  as I 
recall, it was you who kept falling on the ice," Pas said mildly. He  offered 
Roberta a hand then added, "A pleasure, Yeoman." 

"Same here, sir," Roberta said automatically but she turned back to  Nat. 
"Sir, you remember that first officer you told me about?" 

"I unfortunately do, Roberta. What of him?" Nat asked sharply. 

"Come here a second," Roberta said, pulling him away from his friend  and his 
little girl. 

Pas watched in amusement as the yeoman gestured for Nat to bend down so  that 
she could whisper in his ear. He couldn't hear what they were saying and he  
wasn't about to mentally eavesdrop but he could definitely sense certain 
things  from Nat. There was an initial rush of jealousy, which made him feel 
sorry 
for  the man. Whoever the woman was, he could tell Nat had it bad for her, 
really  bad. Then, the jealousy was still there but it subsided to a sense of 
amusement  then outright delight. He laughed out loud. 

"Thank you, Roberta. I absolutely needed that," Nat said with a  delighted 
chuckle as he and Roberta rejoined the others. 

"I thought you might," Roberta said with a grin. 

"Everything okay?" Pas asked casually. 

"Quite," Nat said mildly. There was no denying his elevated mood,  though. I 
do wish I had been there to see that. 

Before Pas could say what was on his mind, he caught sight of Senek  making 
his way down the Promenade. To Pas, he looked a bit mystified. "Is there  a 
problem, Commander Menkara?" 

"Yes," Senek said carefully. "I was supposed to meet my father here on  the 
Promenade and he's late. That is rather unusual for him." 

"Do you need help looking for him?" Pas asked. 

"Not yet, Doctor. I've already asked Nan to keep an eye for him. He is  most 
likely playing tourist, though," Senek replied. 

Nat and Roberta had been listening while Senek spoke to Pas. Nat's eyes  
narrowed slightly upon hearing Senek's name. The man's a Vulcan? I never would  
have guessed that. How very interesting. 

"I beg your pardon, Commander. I don't mean to interrupt but would you  be 
the same Menkara who worked Ops on the Wilderness?" he asked. 

"I am if you accent the past tense," Senek replied. The voice sounded  
familiar but he couldn't place it with the face. "Dr. Kaartaren and I both 
serve  on 
the Georgetown. Why do you ask?" 

Nat shook his head then and gave Senek a wry smile. "Because you, sir,  are a 
bloody pain in the neck," he said promptly. As one of Senek's brows, and  
both of Pas', rose, he added, "I'm Nat Lynley." 

It took a moment for Senek to match the name with the voice and text  
messages that he usually heard during the night shift on the Wilderness. He  
finally 
shook his head. "Then may I say the same of you, Chief? It is, though,  
pleasing to finally meet you. You seem surprised. Did you not expect a Vulcan?" 

"I did not," Nat admitted. "most of the other Vulcans I dealt with had  no 
where near as good a sense ofd humor as you nor did they have quite the  
creative vocabulary." 

Senek sniffed in amusement. It was as close to a public display of  emotion 
as he was going to get. "Chief, it has been a pleasure to actually meet  you in 
person but I do have to find my father. I hope to see you before we  depart." 

"You will. I'd like to ask you a few things about your former first  officer 
actually," Nat replied. 

"I am at your service later, then. If you will all excuse me then,"  Senek 
said as he turned to go. 

When the tall young man was finally gone, Pas offered Nat a questioning  
glance. "The first officer?" 

Nat simply shrugged and said, "I think I'd like to know something about  the 
man rather than just hate him for general principal. It's only right."

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