[USS Athena] "Center of Attention" - Part 1
- From: T'Shana Tubed <antediluvian2370@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: USS Athena <ussathena@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:34:10 -0700 (PDT)
Center of Attention
Part 1
T'Shana's eyes darted from the left to the right side of the mess hall,
evaluating each of the groups.... the Fleeters and the Rihannsi. She quirked
her face in a crocked frown, as she stood akimbo, "So, where the heck am I
suppose to belong? Hmph."
Hanaj only raised a brow. He was sure she didn't want his input on that.
"I'm not a Fleeter," she gestured to the one group, "nor am I a
'Rihannsu'," she twitched her fingers to indicate quotation marks. "This is
about the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen."
Again, she looked back and forth, contemplating. Then, she suddenly marched
to an empty table, grabbed a hold of it and a chair, and pulled the whole thing
in the middle of the mess hall, just in between the two groups. She checked
that it was sitting fairly in the center and smiled with satisfaction, as she
sat down.
Her action did not go unnoticed. The Fleeters' heads turned one way, while the
Rhinnasi's turned the other, all staring at the strange woman. T'Shana ignored
the stares. She looked over to her guard. "So... gonna sit with me, or
what? You are suppose to guard me while eating, too, right?"
Hanaj wasn't sure what to say. He just looked at her dumbfounded, briefly
glancing at the Rihannsu side of the room. After a long moment of silence, the
Security officer finally walked over to her table, but remained standing in his
typical 'guarding' position. "Maybe I should just take my meal later."
T'Shana quirked a brow, "What? Afraid your kindred will frown upon you
sitting with me?"
He sighed, having a rather awkward look on his face.
Noah had decided to make the trip to the mess hall, for lunch. He could
have gone to the Officer's Dining Hall, but he opted for the crew mess. And he
was glad he did. As he walked into the room, he could not help but notice the
lone table placed directly in between the two groups. And who was at that
table? A wide smile came to his face. To say that woman was going to be
interesting, was an understatement.
Noah checked the mess hall special for the day and decided to order up
something Terran from the replicator instead. Getting a simple chicken-salad
sandwich and some iced tea, he made his way to the table in the center of the
room. "Is this seat taken," he asked the bemused T'Shana.
There was a low murmur rising on both sides of the mess, as the Doctor
addressed her. But it ebbed quickly, and all returned to their own business, at
least in appearance.
T'Shana smiled at Noah, looking at the lack of chairs, "Well... not really.
But I figured you would prefer sitting on a chair rather than the floor," she
winked. "Why don't you get one?" She pointed at the chairs she had left behind,
when moving the table. "I could use the company, since stiff boy over here is
worried about his rep," she nodded sideways to the guard.
"It's Erein Hanaj," he corrected her without changing that somber
expression on his face or his official stance.
T'Shana shrugged, grinning at Noah.
Noah set his tray on the table, grabbed one of the empty chairs, and sat
down. He looked at Hanaj and just shook his head. Hanaj, Noah remembered, was
one of the more stubborn Rihannsu, demanding to have Aensai perform his
physical when he came aboard ship.
"So," Noah said to T'Shana, ignoring the glaring guard. "How are your
accommodations?"
She leaned back in the chair, "They're adequate for guest quarters. I hope
I'll be assigned something more permanent soon." Her eyes studied his meal, "I
was going to get myself something to eat as well.... is that any good?"
Noah took a bite from his sandwich. He swallowed it before answering. "It's
not lahke mah grandma made it, but it's okay."
T'Shana grinned broadly, "Well... I don't think I've ever come across
anything replicated that couldn't be surpassed by home made food." She stood
up, holding her hand out to Hanaj, "Don't worry, just going to the replicator.
You don't have to follow me like a dog."
He arched his brow. "Believe me, lhhei, I'm more than capable of shooting
you even at that distance, should you decide to make a wrong move."
"Hmm... he's got a dry sense of humor, doesn't he?" She smirked at Noah.
Then marched across the room, ordered herself a chicken-salad sandwich and a
glass of water, and returned to her seat.
The doctor chuckled. "The Rihannsu have never been noted for their sense of
humor." He watched the eyebrow on Hanaj, arch again. Which elicited yet another
chuckle.
She began eating her sandwich, "Hmmm... not half bad."
For a little while, silence fell over the unusual seating arrangement, as
they both enjoyed the meal. Then, T'Shana sat back, leaving just a couple of
bites of the sandwich on the plate, and raised the glass to her lips. "So...
what's with this strange segregation in here? Is that something Starfleet and
the Romulan government have agreed on? Or who dictated this absurdity?"
Noah finished his sandwich and took a sip of his iced tea. He glanced over
to the Romulan side of the room, then over to the Fleet side. "You would think
it was government mandated, but it has been this way basically since the
Rihannsu have been aboard ship. Captain Namid trahed her best to integrate the
two crews. Svonn didn't seem to care one way or th' other, and Captain Mergahn
was left with this. Ah know she wants the crews to get along better, but Ah
guess nature is ruining those plans."
She took a sip of the water, then chuckled. "What are they afraid of? That
they're gonna get cooties?" She chuckled louder.
Noah laughed, heartedly, at that. "Ah really believe they are afraid of
just that. Or, Elements forbid, that they actually start to lahke each other.
Ah have seen some instances where members of the different departments,
especially engineering, are getting along. That is until they walk in here,
then it's us and them all over again."
Hanaj shifted slightly.
.......... TBC
Jointly logged by:
Dr. Noah Fyrstk
T'Shana cha'AAnikh
"Knowledge becomes wisdom only after it has been put to practical use."
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