[USS Tempest] Making Accomodations by Miranda Craig and Nat Lynley

[TKilyle@xxxxxxx]

Miranda heaved her duffle bag onto her shoulder again  as she headed down the 
hall towards the small office that belonged to her  sister's assistant. She'd 
finally received her quarters assignment from the  operations officer who 
clearly must have over looked her first name. There was  no way these orders 
were 
right. Walking up to the door, Miranda ringed Lynley's  door and then waited. 
 
Everything was, fortunately, falling in to place.  More importantly,  
everything was working.  He was beyond relieved that the tour wouldn't have  to 
be 
held up while Rosie and her engineers made more repairs.  That is  definitely 
not what she or the captain needs.  He was just about to take a  sip from the 
perpetual cup of tea he had when the chime rang.  
 
"Come in," he said automatically.  No matter that she was an ensign,  Nat was 
taught to stand up when a lady, or a respected elder, entered the  room.  The 
young lady looked rather familiar.  "Can I help you,  Ensign?"
 
"I hope so, Chief." Miranda stepped closer to the desk and stood  
respectfully if not at full attention. He was still an older officer with more  
experience under his belt then she had in one strand of her hair. "I can't seem 
 to 
find our head of Ops and besides I hear your the man to go to with issues."  
She 
handed him the PADD. "I think I should have my own quarters. Those aren't  
going to work."
 
"At ease, Ensign.  I don't bite," he said with a smile as he took the  PADD.  
He looked down to read the screen then back up at her.  "You're  Lindsey's 
sister then?  I didn't know you were aboard.  How nice for  you both then.  
Now, 
what's been done here?  Oh.  Hmm..yes,  that would be terribly inconvenient 
for you, wouldn't it?"
 
Miranda smiled as she nodded. "I love my sister to bits, Chief, but we'd  end 
up killing each other if we had to live on top of one another. Not sure how  
I ended up assigned to live with her. I'm fairly sure it wasn't her."
 
"Have a seat, Ensign," Nat said as he retook his own seat.  "and help  
yourself to some tea if you'd like.,  It's freshly made."  He shook  his head 
with a 
smile.  "If I had to take a guess, I would say that whoever  put the room 
assignments out figured this was easier because you were  related.  Believe me, 
I 
have three older siblings.  I know what it is  to have to share rooms with 
them.  Shall I see to moving you to regular  quarters?"
 
Miranda nodded. "That would be great, but can you just double check and  make 
sure it wasn't Linds who did it. If it was her then it's ok. That  would 
actually mean a lot, but if not I don't want to trample her space so yeah  my 
own 
place would be nice."
 
Nat chuckled slightly.  "That will be easy enough to check.   Believe me, I 
definitely understand the problem. Half of my family has  deluded themselves 
into believing that I am still just their little  brother.  I imagine that 
having one's sister as your CO will be something  of a challenge.  The least we 
can 
try is separate rooms," he said  dryly.  He tapped a few keys, looking for 
who issued the assignments.   "No, it wasn't Lindsey.  No problem to change 
things."
 
"Do you think I can get a cabin close to hers?" Miranda felt silly for  
asking, but she wanted to be close to Lindsey. Just not on top of her space. 
 
Nat tapped the screen a few times then spun the screen to face  Miranda.  
"The available cabins are in green.  The ones in yellow are  slotted with one 
person right now.  The only thing I have no control over  is, if you should 
chose 
a vacant room now, you may get a room mate later.   Such is the fate of an 
ensign--or petty officer, when I was much younger."
 
Miranda looked at the screen, spotting Lindsey's cabin right off the bat,  
and then checking out the open spaces around her. "I think I'll take my chances 
 
with a vacant room and hope for the best." Laughing lightly she reached out 
and  tapped green cabin down the hall and around the corner from Lindsey's. 
That  one." 
 
Nat spun the screen back around and tapped the highlighted area.  "You  may 
consider it yours as of right now.  If anybody gives you a problem over  it.  
In fact, if Lindsey says anything, remind her that she's met my  brother David. 
 That should be sufficient to squash any protests from her,"  he said with a 
wry smile.
 
"Thanks Chief!" Miranda smiled a familiarly bright smile. "I'm sure that  
Linds won't have any problems since she didn't set it up. I mean, I guess it  
wouldn't look right to have one of her officers living with her even if I am 
her  
little sister." 
 
"One never knows what people will look at oddly, Ensign.  You  are quite 
right in doing this," Nat with his usual smile.  "Rules are  there for a reason 
I 
suppose and any hint of favoritism, even if it never was  thought of, would be 
perceived badly."
 
Miranda nodded. "I know, Chief. I plan on being very  careful so that my 
being here doesn't interfere with Lindsey and her crew. I  don't wanna cause 
trouble."
 
"Miranda, if may be so personal, you are a part of that crew now,  too.  
You'd do well to look at yourself as Ensign Craig upon occasion  rather than 
just 
'the captain's sister'.  It might be a hard go at first  but I am willing to 
bet that how people react to the relationship will depend on  how you do.  Of 
course, my siblings, while all older than me, aren't aboard  the Tempest so it 
is quite easy for me to say this..."
 
"I have no choice but to be Ensign Craig, Chief. All of  this," She waved her 
hand around to indicate the Tempest and her crew, "rank  higher with Linds. 
It always has. But that doesn't mean people wouldn't jump  right to their 
assumptions."
 
"I wouldn't say it ranks higher," Nat said thoughtfully.  "In the few  times 
that we ever got together long enough to have a civilized conversation,  she 
always talked about you and your family.  I would venture to say she  thinks 
the world of you."
 
Miranda smiled a small smile. "I didn't say she didn't  love me, Chief, only 
that I know what comes first with her. Which is fine. I  mean I'm just her 
sister this is her life." 
 
Nat bit back a sigh.  "Such is the choice of a Starfleet captain I  guess.  I 
wouldn't be able to truly tell you more than that.  I am  just pleased to 
even be here," he said.
 
"You and me both, Chief." 
 
"Miranda, you are quite welcome to come hide here any time you feel the  need 
to.  I may be Lindsey's friend but I should like to think that that  has 
nothing to do with anything else.  I am not just her aide, I'm the crew  
liaison 
and you are crew, as we have figured out," Nat said with a smile.
 
"Thanks, Chief." Miranda smiled. "I can see why Linds  wanted you with her."
 
"You're very kind, Miranda, but I would say the same thing about you.   What 
good is being in command if you can't have one little perk after all?" Nat  
asked with that silly half smile he usually had.
 
"Thanks for the help, Chief." Miranda replied. "I'll  see you at the party."

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[USS Tempest] Making Accomodations by Miranda Craig and Nat Lynley