At Your Service

Posted on Sat Dec 20th, 2025 @ 7:16pm by Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai & Lieutenant Amarok tr'Ragnar & Index
Edited on on Sat Dec 20th, 2025 @ 7:25pm

Mission: Port of Call
Location: USS Sojourner, Bridge, XO's Office
Timeline: Mission Day 15 at 1700

It was fascinating to meet a member of new species, Lieutenant Xex Wang was quite interesting to talk to. Lieutenant Amarok tr'Ragnar ran high on excitement, a massive grin and closed eyes as he walked the corridor towards a turbolift to head to the bridge. He figured he'd start there. What if they were off the ship? Amarok suddenly realized. He stopped, opened his eyes, and his grin from his excitement faded slightly before he huffed. Like a Captain and Executive Officer could disembark their starship in the first two days of their return, so much had to be organized. He knew from the last time the Olympia pulled into dock that his superiors often were last to get off the ship.

He should check with the computer. Amarok touched the wall console. "Computer, who should I report in to after officially boarding, I have already checked in with Medical?" He inquired.

They- or perhaps... She.... phased in to existence. Skin pale almost like paper. Her presence was highly androgynous, yet pleasant. Pale eyes were waiting. Her clothes were simple and layered light earthtones. Her gaze at the new officer- in what was absolutely an unusual countenance- was unemotional, phlegmatic. "Welcome aboard the Sojourner. The ship's personnel files name you as Amarok tr'Ragnar, Lieutenant, Full Grade. Assigned Bridge Science Officer and Department Head. Expertise in Xenobiology. Previous assignment, Daystrom Institute. Is this correct?"

Her gaze shifted fully to the man's face. "Current Sojourner protocols suggest the following courses of action: report to Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai, Executive Officer, currently located on the Bridge, Deck One. Report to Lieutenant Bailey Good, Security Officer, Deck Five, for authorization code recognition and security level interview. Report to Quartermaster's Office, Deck Three, for cabin assignment." She blinked once. "Does this help?"

Quite taken aback by a hologram's unexpected appearance, Amarok was in mid back step until they spoke. He half stepped closer as he smiled. "Hello, what do I call you?" He began. "Yes, that personnel file information is correct, and yes that does help. Is Lieutenant Good," he paused a moment at the oddity of how the rank and name sounded, Amarok quickly shook himself out of the distraction, "in the Security Office?" He asked, subtly attempting to determine if this hologram has the similar shine that Doctor Xex appeared to have.

"I am referred to as Index." The hologram blinked, "Yes. Lieutenant Bailey Good is the present security chief. Would you like to schedule an appointment with Commander Emni t'Nai, and Lieutenant Bailey Good now?"

"Yes please Index, at their discretion and availability, I'm ready any time." Amarok smiled. "Thank you," he added.

The androgyne AI turned and expanded her hands- a holographic schedule panel appeared between them and flashed indicating openings. "Commander Emni t'Nai is available now. Lieutenant Bailey Good's next availability is in twenty five minutes. I have booked you in both appointment slots."

"Much appreciated, Index. I better hurry to meet with the Commander. See you around, thanks." Amarok called as he took off at a jog, he wasn't sure if Index needed to be told to end the hologram program. The form appeared out of the air, that told him that Index could vanish as needed and time was of the essence.

Impassive gray eyes followed the officer. Folding their hands in front of their lap, the hologram phased back into the limbo of access retrieval.

========
Bridge, then XO's Office
========

A little winded from his exertions, getting to the bridge after a brief turbolift ride up. Amarok entered the bridge, it was definitely more advanced than the Olympia's, and he knew which was the Executive officer's chair. The one closest to him, on the left of the Captain. "Commander?" He inquired.

Whatever anyone else might say about being the XO, Emni felt it was the most boring role possible at that moment. Even docked it was necessary for a bridge command certified officer to be present. There were repairs and upgrades and restocking orders coming in to address Commander Cross's requisition orders. She'd been adamant that the Captain let her take the bulk of the administrative tasks too. He and Andrew were still recovering after the events of two weeks ago. Besides, new crew typically checked in with her first. She might as well make herself easy to find.

The swish of doors opening was preceded by a new emotional signature--one that gave her no small amount of pause. She'd reviewed the dossier for all of the new folks and had been particularly curious to meet their new Science Chief.

At the sound of a new voice addressing her by rank she turned and took him in.

Reman. Immediately she recognized that part of his heritage; it was writ across his features in a way that gave her pause. His black eyes were covered by a pair of corrective lenses, no doubt assisting with the brighter lights on the bridge. "Lieutenant tr'Ragnar," she responded, the use of his name as much as a question of confirmation as anything else.

Amarok walked over to his superior, he assumed the salute stance once he was at a metre's distance. He smiled, he wondered how she viewed him. "Yes, Commander, for convenience, I don't mind others dropping the tr." He replied, leaving his salute in place. "Lieutenant Amarok tr'Ragnar, Chief Science Officer, reporting aboard. I have already scheduled a meeting with Security and the Quartermaster later today, thanks to Index." He grinned. "Index is remarkable, I look forward to working with them," he rambled and stopped himself from continuing.

Emni chuckled lightly, She hadn't yet utilized Balsam's Index interface, but she'd heard it had begun to get some wider use amongst crew. "You can relax Lieutenant," she commented, noting the stance. "We're not on Romulus and I tend not to stand on ceremony unless it's necessary." As she said it she considered whether that was fully true or if it was more aspirational. She did want the crew, particularly the senior officers, to feel comfortable with her, but she knew for some comfort came in formality and not informality. "And out of respect I don't mind using the tr," she commented. "The crew has managed t'Nai well enough I'm sure if you'd prefer they use the full pronunciation that they'd be happy to do so. But of course leave that to you to decide."

"We're not exactly in the most comfortable spot here," she added, gesturing to the bridge around them. Screens with the gray mode that indicated a skeleton crew's presence only accentuated the handful of folks dotted around the space. Several stations, tactical and science among them, were unmanned as it wasn't necessary to have someone at those consoles while docked. "If you'd prefer we can move to my office."

"I believe the first time salute is necessary," Amarok smiled, while he kept the salute for a moment later than dropped his hand to his side. He decided to ignore Romulus altogether. "As you wish, Commander, but I will always leave the choice up to those I work with to drop the tr or keep it. It matters not to me." He stepped back so to give his superior more room to stand.

He nodded. "Your office," he agreed.

She nodded, taking in his view on the salute and filing it away. She'd met only a handful of Remans in her life and those few she had met hadn't looked kindly on Romulans. But it had been so long, she hoped that the kind of dislikes that had been so deeply ingrained between their peoples had petered out with time. The only way to know of course, would be to get to know the man in front of her. "My office then," she repeated to him standing and leading the way off of the bridge and slightly down a corridor to what served as the XO's office.

It was a small space--big enough for desk, two chairs, and a set of shelves though not much else. A small replicator was inset on the wall opposite the shelves and a framed poem in Rihannsu script hung to one side behind her desk.

"Make yourself comfortable," she said with a gesture toward the two chairs in front of the desk. "Can I get you something to drink?"

“Thank you, Commander.” Amarok lowered himself into the chair opposite the Executive Officer. Halfway down, a small groan slipped from him before he could stop it. Once seated, he raised an eyebrow at himself. Forty. Hardly old for a Romulan or a Reman—both long-lived, though never as long as Vulcans. By his own reasoning, he was just past his prime, still more than capable of youthful endeavours. He ignored the stiffness in his muscles—the real reason for that sound—and smiled as if it hadn’t happened.

When the Commander asked about a drink, his mind flicked back to childhood, to the odd sweet concoctions his handlers had once given him and the other children in the safehouse. The memory came and went like a taste half remembered. “Osol Twist Tea, please. I recall it’s made from a confection I once had as a child.” His voice carried a thread of regret—whether for never chasing those old flavours of his people, or for daring to taste them again after renouncing that life, he wasn’t sure. But it was there, all the same.

As the room’s lighting dimmed, his shades adjusted, the opacity lowering, so his glossy black eyes became visible across the desk. Behind the Commander, he noticed a framed piece of Rihannsu script. For a moment, he wondered what it said, but decided to ignore it for now.

Emni heard the groan, but opted to ignore the sound. She was used to creating privacy for patients from the decades in which she'd practiced medicine. It was her experience that most people preferred their utterances to go unnoticed. She did not, however, miss the swirl of emotions that followed--contemplative, nostalgic, and a bit regretful. They were like tethers that wove together forming core parts of the emotional signature she was newly.

After a moment she returned to the desk, two mugs of Osol Twist Tea in hand. Carefully she passed one across to the Reman. As she sat she noted his eyes. She'd heard about the Reman sensitivity to light, but seeing the full black eyes was a new experience for her. She met them, unsure where to look, exactly. With any other race she'd learned to focus in on the iris--but on tr'Ragnor there was none to be seen. "I haven't had Osol Twist in a long time," she commented with a small quirk to her lips. "Thanks for the suggestion." She shipped the tea slowly, letting the tart and sweet wash of the treat mixed with the earthiness of the tea leaves linger on her tongue for a long moment.

Swallowing, she continued. "How can I best help you getting settled Lieutenant?"

“Most welcome, Commander.” Amarok tilted his head slightly, a soft smile curving his lips. He lifted the cup, blew gently across the tea’s surface, and took a sip—then another, and another. The flavour drew him back to the safehouse, to evenings when his handlers placed bowls of Osol Twists on the table after dinner. Those vanished quickly as he and the other children grabbed as many as they could. The memory darkened. The Tal Shiar’s breach, the shouts, the sound of disruptors—he saw it all again through a child’s eyes. The tea almost slipped from his grasp as anger rippled through him. Outwardly, he stayed composed, save for the faint tremor of his hands.

A deep breath steadied him. He lived now to honour his parents, and he refused to let ghosts of the past rob him of that purpose. He drank again, slower this time, and sighed. The tea was good. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting its warmth settle, before returning his gaze to at Emni. “It’s difficult to answer that, Commander—I’ve only just arrived aboard,” he said with a low chuckle that carried genuine ease. Starfleet life suited him; the wonder of serving in the Delta Quadrant still filled his chest like light.

“I’m simply glad my transfer was approved. No time like the present—it is a gift, you know.” He giggled quietly, lifting the cup again for three small sips now that the heat had softened. “I do wonder what pastimes and activities the crew share.” His tone held curiosity, balanced neatly at the edge of excitement; Amarok didn’t want to seem overeager before his new superior.

The flare of anger--hot and intense as if something incendiary had erupted inside the scientist--momentarily distracted Emni. She was used to strong emotions from the crew. They were, after all, on deep space assignment. Longing, loneliness and homesickness were regular bedfellows with moments of excitement, joy, and even a sort of giddy thrilling feeling. Anger, while not absent, was unusual for a meeting like this one. She couldn't, for the life of her, place what had caused it and forgot, for just a moment, to school her features as a small frown creased her lips.

It was there, and then following a breath from the man across from her, the temperature began to lower. It wasn't gone, though, she noted--simply held in careful check. Carefully she moved back toward the doctor neutral expression she so frequently relied on. Her cup, which she had abandoned to her desk during the entire brief emotional shift, was resumed and she took another sip, paying closer attention to the alignment of tr'Ragnar's emotions with his speech.

"I suppose that depends," she commented thoughtfully, thinking through what she knew of the crew's pass times. There were many she was aware of, but equally as may she likely was not privy to. It wasn't as if the XO was the first people folks thought of when it came to shooting the breeze. "We've a few engineers with a predilection for 20th and 21st century Earth cartoons," she began. She'd received the report on Phaserbeak's origins and so had come into that particular knowledge by way of Bailey Good. "A few musicians as well, I believe. Lieutenant Irynya is rather fond of parties and the games that seem to go along with them. I know at least a handful of folks are Velocity players and a couple others have been taken under the wing of our diner's matron for cooking and occasional server duties at Debbie's." She paused then, taking a sip of her tea and trying to pull in other notable things. Briefly she considered mentioning kal-toh. She'd taken up the game in earnest when she'd had Karim to play with, but Karim was no longer aboard and her game play had fallen a bit to the wayside. That, however, struck an uncomfortable chord. She was already unsure of how the Reman man across from her felt about Romulans. Their shared Vulcan ancestors might just as contentious a topic.

"The Arboretum..." her expression faltered ever so slightly, "is a favorite of many. I believe Mr. Ral has taken the lead on rebuilding it." Carefully she set her cooling tea back on the desk and laced her fingers together in front of her. "We lost our botanist, and the Arboretum, about two weeks ago. It's been a difficult transition for the crew. Both Ensign Tor and the space she cultivated were well loved."

“I’m sorry for your loss, Commander. I’ll be sure to lend a hand in the Arboretum soon.” Amarok lowered his eyes to the desk and replaced his cup on its surface, sadness pulling at his features. He lifted a hand and traced the lines of his forehead's memorial tattoo with the tip of his finger. His eyes slipped closed as he performed the small grief ritual his handler had taught him during those hard early nights on Nimbus III.

Anger welled up as he traced the markings — not wild, but steady, familiar — and it mixed with the sadness he felt for the Sojourner’s fallen. The two emotions seemed to walk side-by-side through the darker corners of his mind. He finished the trace and lowered his hand to his lap. His expression had settled into neutrality. The sadness had cooled the anger; the anger had lifted the sadness.

“May the elements guide their souls,” he whispered. He meant it for his own parents, for the safehouse dead, and for every crewmember the Sojourner had left behind on its journey to Pathfinder Station. A faint smile tugged at his lips a few moments later. “I did attend a historical showing of animated entertainment once, back when I lived on Earth.” He hadn’t found the joy others did, but the absurdity had quietly amused him. “Velocity… I need to practise that again. And the Trill and Vulcan games I picked up over the years.”

He thought of playing kal-toh with Declan aboard the Olympia — of how oddly competent Declan insisted he was for someone with a non-Vulcan heritage. The memory pulled him slightly off-centre, and he leaned back in the chair, momentarily distracted by wondering what his friend was doing now. Unbeknown to him that his friend was now on the same ship as him, a reunion that will probably conclude with Declan getting hugged.

Emni was quiet throughout the ritualistic tracing of Amarok's tattoo. She'd heard of things of this nature. Markings that memorialized or indicated belonging. The Risian's had an entire family identification structure that revolved around small painted forehead markings. The shifting nature of the man's emotions continued to draw her attention, but she pushed questions to the back and determined that it may be worth rereading his file. But then they were back to talk of hobbies.

"Our holodeck is quite good. " She commented. "And some senior officers have opted for holo environments. One of the perks of being in senior crew quarters and having your own bedroom. So lots of opportunity to practice anything you like." Once again she brought her cup to her lips, this time draining the sweetened tea. "What other questions can I help with?" She asked kindly as she set the now empty cup on her desk.

"I'm okay with shared quarters, are there any still with a vacancy?" His tone betrayed his a little uncomfortable being on his own, he wasn't trying to hide it but not highlighting it either. Amarok hadn't lived on his own in a while, most of the time on the Unstable Unicorn was with other crew, mostly the Captain. He blushed as that thought crossed his mind. The other times, he'd lived with his Reclamation Initiative colleagues and Olympia crewmates. He didn't even own a house or an apartment on Earth, Rafe did, so he stayed there whenever on Earth.

The XO stilled, expression turning thoughtful as she considered the man across from her carefully. She clasped her hands on the desk in front of her and leaned forward, considering how best to respond. It wasn't common practice for department heads to request assignment to a lesser berthing than the ones typically assigned to someone of their rank and position. But the Sojourner was a small ship and sharing rooms wasn't particularly unusual for her crew. Still, she wanted be sure she understood the request fully.

"The quartermaster has assigned you to one of the senior officer berthings as far as I am aware," she commented slowly, "however I do believe there may still be open beds in the quads shared by junior officers." She watched as she spoke, relying as much on body language as latent empathy to ensure her understanding. "I've admittedly never had a department head request not to be assigned their own bedroom when given the option. But it's not a requirement on a ship as small as ours. Would you like me to request Mr. Rumat make an adjustment to your assignment?" Though the question was meant to illicit a response she continued before Amorak could answer. "Keeping in mind the dynamics between senior and junior officers. If we were to assign you to a quad then I'd want you to be sensitive to the dynamics at play there. We usually don't put anyone higher than an assistant chief in a quad."

He recalled that he rarely had issues with those who shared quarters with him in the past. They usually accepted his dim lighting requests, and in truth, he had slept with his shades on for the majority of his life anyway. Amarok glanced down at the desk between them and considered his options.

Then, a realization struck him. As a Department Head, the dynamic was different. If he asked for special lighting, junior officers might feel they had no choice but to agree. He had been so consumed by the desire to make friends that he’d failed to look at the bigger picture: his environmental needs could make it difficult for roommates to work on their own projects, amongst other homely activities where lighting was required.

His gaze returned to Emni. "Apologies, Commander. I hadn't fully thought that through. I wouldn't want my dim lighting needs to be a burden to those around me unless absolutely necessary." Amarok smiled faintly. "I was a little too excited about the friendships I'd make in shared quarters rather than the long-term issues my position and needs might produce. It had never come up before and I wasn't a Starship Department Head until now."

"Senior officer bedroom is for the best," Amarok confirmed, a little deflated, but not defeated. There would be plenty of opportunities to make friendships to come, just not in shared quarters.

It had been interesting, and both confounding and enlightening, to glimpse the extremity of the Reman's emotions throughout the conversation. Though she'd offered the choice to him, she was quietly relieved that Amorak had chosen to follow precedent even if no specific protocol demanded it. It might well have been completely fine, but the likelihood of complicated dynamics between crew would certainly have increased if he had chosen otherwise.

With a brief inclination of her head Emni acknowledged his statement. "I believe you're meant to be rooming with Lieutenant Good. She's already settled in and we're doing a bit of musical beds right now to reset a few things. I can check with Mr. Rumat to make sure Commander Cross's belongings are all moved to her new room if you'd like, but knowing our Quartermaster that was done the minute the orders were sorted even if the Commander was halfway through brushing her teeth." Her expression was half grimace and half amusement at the thought. She could only image what the exchange between the tall blonde 2XO and the Zakdorn Quartermaster would have been in a circumstance like that.

"Is there anything else that I can help with?" she asked, though this time there was an edge of finality to the question. She was happy to support the new arrivals to the best of her ability, but she'd also left the Bridge and even settled at Pathfinder as they were, she would prefer not to leave it for long while the command responsibilities fell to her.

"Is it not inappropriate for different genders to be sharing accommodation, for all the possible situations that can happen when one is not prepared?" Amarok calmly spoke and hoped that his meaning of those various embarrassing encounters that a shared space can give rise to.

Emni's eyebrows rose ever so slightly at the question, but beyond that it wouldn't have been easy to clock her reaction. "Would the circumstance be different if your roommate were Andorian? Or Vissian? Or Rigellian?" she asked coolly listing off the first three races with more than 2 sexes that came to mind. She briefly entertained the amusing thought that Starfleet Medical wouldn't have expected this to be a way she would use her training. "We're a small ship Mr. tr'Ragnar and we have confidence that everyone aboard can conduct themselves appropriately--perhaps just avoid dashing from your bedroom to the bathroom in your underwear?"

Though her tone had been cool, her eyes sparked with a mild amusement. "Anything else?"

"No Commander, species does not matter to me, well maybe 1 or 2 but Starfleet rarely has those in its ranks," his mood improved greatly when he added, "in any case, I'll try my best to remember my underwear." Amarok slightly smirked, he got distracted by which Rigellians she could be referring to. There are many, it wasn't important right now as he'd taken too much of the Executive Officer's time already.

Amarok stood. "I do apologise for the extended report in, Commander." He smiled as he gave a small bow from mid chest.

With a gesture and a shake of her head Emni waved off the apology. "No need," she told him. "It's always nice to get a chance to connect with our new officers." She stood as she spoke, taking the two mugs and returning them to the replicator for recycling. "And don't hesitate to reach out if anything else comes to mind as you settle in. My door is always open."

He nodded. "I will, I hope the rest of your day is good." Amarok moved to stand behind the chair he'd just vacated and waited as per protocol to be dismissed.

"Yours as well Lieutenant," Emni responded and, with a smile, added, 'You're dismissed."

=/\= A Mission Post By =/\=

Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Amarok tr'Ragnar
Chief Science Officer

Index (compliments of Kyle)