Hi, Nice to Meet You!

Posted on Tue Jul 23rd, 2024 @ 10:59pm by Lieutenant Cassian Maritz & Lieutenant Commander Victoria Cross

Mission: Mean Green Queen
Location: Senior Officer's Quarters - DECK 3
Timeline: Mission Day 4 at 0730

It was really hard to believe it. Chief Operations Officer, and the new second officer of the ship, and a new senior officer's quarters that were considerably nicer than her last ones, all within the span of a day. Victoria uploaded an image from her PADD to a personal photo frame on the endtable of her bed, depicting her wife smirking with approval on a beach, surfboard in hand, dressed in swim shorts and a black shirt. The rest of Victoria's personal belongings - Books, nic-nacs, and a box labeled 'USS Sojourner 1:1000 SCALE" all were neatly stacked on her personal desk.

After adjusting her collar, she stepped out of her room into the shared common area.

Having only just arrived and cleared to come aboard, Cassian had just waited for the doors to his shared quarters open before he could step in and put his bags down. He was finally getting to see his career goals manifesting in front of him: Chief Security Officer.

He didn't mind that he had to share the quarters with someone else, he just didn't realise he'd be meeting them so soon.

"Hey, I'm Cassian, the new Security Chief." He put the bags down and stuck his hand out towards the woman. This was going to be interesting.

"G'day, Cassian! I'm Chief Ops Victoria Cross, it's a pleasure." She gripped his hand and gave it a shake. "How's life outside the ship? Haven't been groundside on Earth in .." She shook her head in thought, "feels like a couple of weeks now. Where are you transferring from, mate?"

"Ah, life outside the ship... I wouldn't know, I have been back home for quite a while myself." Cassian admitted as he picked up his bags and opened the doors to his own quarters and putting them in before coming back to the conversation.

"You're an Australian, aye?" He asked with humour in his voice and a smile on his face. "It's rare to seen one, but I dig the accent!"

"True Blue. Brisbane born, family's from there and got kin all over the island. I was hoping to hear from someone who'd been on the homeworld for some time, but that's alright! Tell me, where are you from? Where were you stationed? I was on the Rendlesham for some time before they popped me over here."

"Wow, you're really enthusiastic," Cassian laughed as he took a seat just to the right of him. After all, he was still tired from the shuttle over here, "Well, I came straight from the Halberd as a Security Officer there, but I'm a Cali gut through and through." He slipped off the jacket he'd been wearing for the past eight hours and folded it across his lap.

"Super, mate. On the job, I'm as serious as a surgery, but off hours, I'm a chatterbox." She took a seat to join him, crossing her leg over her knee and smiling to him. "Oh. I love California. The surfing off of the beach in Santa Monica is something else at the right time of year, that and the Monterrey Bay. Got my wife hooked on wind surfing and the board sports, so that's something we bond over. South Africa, the sea off 'Straya, and Miami, all hot spots."

Cassian could hear Blue meowing for him to come pay her attention, and for a moment, he'd totally forgot she was there so he felt guilty. "I think some of my favourite spots were in South America, but I got smacked really hard in the face with my board one day and it broke my nose, so I kinda gave up after that." He had to laugh at the memory.

"Oh, that'll happen. But, you know, I have other hobbies, and I would be remiss not to ask you about yours. What do you like to do for fun outside of work?" She ran a hand through her hair and leaned back, getting comfortable in her seat. "We do have a holodeck, but time is pretty scheduled, so you should be quick on it to get in."

"I love going hiking, of all things, and playing guitar too." He had left his guitar with a friend back home and he hoped that they were taking care of it because it was almost 50 years old and a gift from his father. "I think the most beautiful place I've gone hiking was on a break from college spent in New Zealand doing the Tongariro Crossing." He also understood about the holodeck time being scheduled and offered a smile, "I might have use the holodeck at some stage just to visit there again, and you'd be more than welcome to join if you wish!"

"Sounds like a ripper to me! I've been to Zealand a few times, of course I have, but I've never done the Tongariro Crossing. I would be happy to take that hike with you. I took a break from college and studies and wound up with a Vulcan wife, so you and I are a bit different spirits, I think," She laughed. "Oh, boy, that was a .. that was a ordeal on Vulcan, but it worked out."

"I can only imagine!" Cassian added with a nod, "The only girl in my life, at the moment anyway, is currently sitting just through those doors. But who knows, that can always change. May I be so bold as to ask where your wife is?"

"Oh, T'Kass is back in Brisbane, she's a schoolteacher. She teaches life experience and tries to help kids under ten learn how to share, play, and create, that sort of thing. You'd think they'd hire someone less rigid than a Vulcan, but she's great."

"As long as she loves what she does and the kids are benefiting from all of her experience, then I guess it's a win win situation, right?" Cassian offered in return.

"Right! She does love what she does. Told me so. Human children are really challenging to teach, so she gets enjoyment out of that. Anyway, you! Tell me about yourself, roomie! Got any loves waiting back home like me?"

Cassian let out a loud, hearty laugh, "No, no. No loves waiting back home for me, I'm pretty sure my ex-wife wouldn't say she still loves me either, so the only love I have is Blue Chai." Seeing the quizzical look on her face, he went and opened the door for to his quarters and a cream and white coloured Oriental Shorthair cat with jade green eyes came walking out with a guttural meow, wrapping herself around his legs affectionately.

"This is Blue Chai, or just Blue." Cassian said affectionately and he bent down and picked her up. "She's the main love of my life right now." Blue was already making biscuits and purring away.

"Aww! What a cutie!" She approached, giving the cat a scratch around the neck. "Hello. Blue! I'm Vic! It's nice to meet you!" She cooed the cat and ran her fingers through her fur.

"We have no pets, T'Kass and I. We definitely need to get one."

Blue meowed back as she lapped up the attention. "I highly recommend getting a cat. She's been the best little adventure buddy I've ever had, and I've got siblings." He laughed again. "If you're not careful, she's going to end up on your bed of a night, cuddled up next to your face."

"I've had worse things happen to me. She's a beautiful critter, mate!" She gave the cat a appreciative pet along her fur once more, before stepping back. "So, Cassian, seeing as you're new on the boat, do you have anything you'd like to know about her? I've been here for a few weeks, meself, but there's a lot of things you may be curious about, the Sojourner, that is, so ask away! I'm an open book."

"Where's the nearest bar or lounge and a holodeck?" Cassian grinned in response as he watched Blue look up at Victoria, "Nah, I don't actually have anything else I need to know right at this moment, I'm more of a 'figure it out as I go' kinda guy who just needs some food." He nodded in agreement with himself.

"Cracker. Truth be told, the 'figure it out as I go' mentality I think is required for Starfleet success. So many people just took the education they got and used it to fly by the seat of their pants. No day you'll ever live on this vessel is procedural and the same, trust me. But the Holodeck and Bar are both places that will get you through them on off-hours. The bartender hea' can make this cocktail with cola and Bolian whiskey that - Oh, you'd best try it yourself." She snickered.

Cassian nodded slowly in agreement and approval, "I'll have to try it out for myself, as you say. But for now, I think I'll just finish getting settled in, feed Blue and maybe crash out for a little bit before I get to it all."

"Always a good decision. Anyhoo. Glad to have you aboard the Sojourner, she's a fine ship and I'm sure you'll do great, roomie. If you ever have any questions or need assistance with anything, please let me know. I'm as quiet as your cat's paws as a roommate, so just give me a knock on my side and I'll be right with you." She offered her hand to the new recruit with a smile.

"Sweet," Cassian smiled and shook her hand, feeling the solid grip she had. "I'll be sure to let you know." With that done and dusted, he decided to retreat back into his quarters and finish unpacking his things before heading out to get some sort of lunch.


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A post by:


Lieutenant Commander Victoria Cross
Chief Operations / Second Officer

Lieutenant Cassian Maritz
Chief Security / Tactical Officer