---
Lipstick was expertly
applied with decades of experience. Smacking her lips, Kathryn smiled at herself
in the mirror. Turning her head she checked her hair style for the day then
stepped away to look at the uniform. Brushing her shoulders to wipe away dust
that was not there, she nodded in satisfaction. Turning toward the door, the
gray-colored ball near her feet was noticed last-second and Kathryn stumbled to
avoid it, arms wide as she awkwardly danced around the immovable object.
Catching herself she turned and frowned.
Merow?
Kathryn signed a little, and then smiled as she knelt down while reaching for her pet. The feline gracefully leaned forward to meet Kathryn's outstretched hand and started to purr.
"Duty calls, Hector."
She patted his head then stood to walk out of her quarters. Turning as the doors opened, Kathryn said, "this time don't go into the Jefferies Tubes."
Hector licked a paw and wiped it across an ear.
Merow.
+++
In a Jefferies Tube junction, Ensign Mallory Aralla pulled Lieutenant Jim Bushel toward her by the collar. He kissed her passionately, lowering his hands and cupping her buttocks. The action caused Mallory to breathe harder and press further onto his mouth. She raised a leg to wrap around Jim"s waist as he pulled her from the floor.
Mallory opened her eyes to look at Jim when movement caught her attention behind him. Fear struck like a thunderbolt that their tryst was discovered by another crewman and she pulled away from Jim. He looked confused by the sudden withdrawal.
Merow?
Both sighed at the sight of Hector looking at them. Jim turned back to Mallory and leaned in to continue when she ducked under an arm to escape.
"Sorry, Jim."
"What?"
Mallory pointed to Hector. "That's the Captain's pet. I hear his collar has a built-it camera."
Jim looked amused. "You think the Captain sends her cat to spy on the crew?"
"Not taking any chances. Maybe after our duty shifts?"
Sighing, Jim looked to Hector. "Sure."
Hector's tail swished.
Merow.
+++
Lieutenant Vivian Warshawski looked at the rank pip in her hand for several seconds while sitting in the shade between two cargo canisters. Placing her head in her hands she started crying, curls of long blonde hair bouncing with each breath. Her soft sobbing echoed in the cavernous cargo bay. When she was finished, Vivian snorted mucus and stared at the cold steel floor.
"I ... I can't do it. There are more deserving on the team."
Vivian heard small steps padding around a canister and she became curious. Sliding out from the darkness, she met two golden eyes staring back at her.
"Oh, hello Hector. A little far from home too?"
Merow?
Vivian nodded and reached for the cat but stopped short to let Hector sniff her hand.
"I know, smells like coolant or a gel-pack. Sorry."
The feline started to purr and walked into her hand, rubbing from head to tail and rounding back to repeat. Vivian smiled and scratched Hector"s back as he paced.
"I mean, why did he pick me?"
Hector stopped and sniffed at the air.
"Truth be told, after I was put in the brig, I thought my career was over."
The cat yawned wide.
Vivian paused as memories raced from one image to another: from pouring over technical readouts, to stealing a quick snack in between assignments. Her smile faded slightly recalling her last boyfriend broke up with her because she had been so busy for the past few months.
"Yeah well, Jim was a jerk anyway."
Hector walked up to Vivian's hand that held the rank pip and sniffed her skin. He then pushed the top of his head onto her hand compelling more back scratching. The pip fell to the ground and Hector sniffed at it, and then swatted it playfully toward the lonely Engineer.
Picking it up, Vivian looked at the silver bar. She recalled the look on Thel's face when he presented it to her; he had a faint smile on his face, as if he were proud of her! Maybe, in light of her previous transgression and her diligent efforts to make up for that, she had proven her worth - to the ship, to the crew, to the Chief Engineer! Her smile returned.
Sniffing back her melancholy, Vivian looked back to Hector. "You know, I can do it. I wasn't looking for a promotion, I earned it. If Thel thinks I am up for the job, then I can't let him -."
Merow, Hector interrupted.
"Heh, you're right. I can't let the Captain down either."
Hector purred.
+++
Ensign Engig pulled the panel from the wall and set it to the side. Looking both ways down the hallway the Saurian recognized being alone then opened the repair kit. Pulling out a PADD he accessed the designated schematics then looked back and forth from the device in his hand to the technical maze inside the wall.
"Let's see. Circuit A-One to router four seven."
Without looking, the engineer reached for a tool in the kit and touched soft hair instead of hard metal. Engig yelped from surprise and jumped from the wall.
Hector ran away a few steps then turned and hissed, showing fangs and raised fur.
Engig slowly stood and raised a hand as if to calm the animal. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." From embarrassment, he looked both ways of the hallway again. Noticing he was alone with the cat, Engig gradually returned to the open panel.
Hector deliberately crawled to the opposite wall and kept an eye on the red skinned Saurian.
Both settled into their place calmly. Hector's tail swished back and forth on the carpeted floor while Engig worked on damaged circuitry. Occasionally he would look over his shoulder to see if Hector had moved.
Hector just watched Engig.
After several minutes, Engig placed the tools into the kit, and locked the panel back onto the wall.
Slowly standing, he turned to the cat still sitting on the floor who just watched him contently. Thinking of what to say to the feline, Engig struggled with the idea of talking to an animal that more than likely would not understand a word. He mentally shrugged away whatever words he could use and decided on a course of action.
Engig saluted.
Hector licked a paw and wiped it across an ear.
Merow.
+++
"Go!"
Arms quickly moved in blurred motions. The two officers grabbed at parts laid out on a table as if randomly and attached them to a metal frame. With each piece clicking into place, another piece was already in motion to be added to the frame. A third officer watched intently while keeping count silently.
The shortest of the three, a Tellarite, snapped a piece and looked up for a split second. Reaching for a part, he smiled. "You too slow, Carter."
The Human fit his scope into place. "I've beaten you seven times in a row, Tras. The less you talk, the faster you'll be."
Bur'ar tried not to roll his eyes or say something to refocus the two officers. They were to assemble, then disassemble, their MACO rifles twenty times before allowed to join the team in the mess hall. Their banter finally came to blows and the Klingon security chief had had enough. This was the first level of their 'rehabilitation'.
The doors swished open and Bur'ar looked at who entered the room, then to Tras and Carter. Realizing he was the only one who noticed the doors open, a mischievous thought came to his mind.
Standing, Bur'ar shouted, "officer on deck!"
Stumbling to their feet, the other two snapped to attention as rifle parts fell and clattered to the floor. After several seconds, Tras and Carter looked around but did not see anyone they should be saluting to.
A grey cat peeked out from behind a nearby console.
Merrrooww!
Bur'ar bellowed in laughter.
"Aw, Chief. That wasn't funny!" Carter started picking up rifle pieces.
Tras helped. "Yes it was. You jumped faster than escaping Vaadwaur ships."
Bur'ar pretended to wipe a tear . "Silence, that's the lesson here."
Hector turned and quietly left the room.
Gesturing to the closed doors, Bur'ar continued. "See. The animal gets it."
+++
Kathryn entered her quarters and fell forward onto the couch, sprawling arms and legs. Several seconds passed in relative silence as the ship's engines hummed at a lazy Warp 2. Kathryn relished the moment.
Hector rubbed his head into her open hand resting on the floor and she responded by scratching the top of his head. He purred.
"I hope you had a good day, Hector."
Merow.
Kathryn smiled. "Good, anything interesting out there?"
Hector sniffed the air, then lifted a leg and started grooming himself.
"I guess not."
Merow?
Kathryn signed a little, and then smiled as she knelt down while reaching for her pet. The feline gracefully leaned forward to meet Kathryn's outstretched hand and started to purr.
"Duty calls, Hector."
She patted his head then stood to walk out of her quarters. Turning as the doors opened, Kathryn said, "this time don't go into the Jefferies Tubes."
Hector licked a paw and wiped it across an ear.
Merow.
+++
In a Jefferies Tube junction, Ensign Mallory Aralla pulled Lieutenant Jim Bushel toward her by the collar. He kissed her passionately, lowering his hands and cupping her buttocks. The action caused Mallory to breathe harder and press further onto his mouth. She raised a leg to wrap around Jim"s waist as he pulled her from the floor.
Mallory opened her eyes to look at Jim when movement caught her attention behind him. Fear struck like a thunderbolt that their tryst was discovered by another crewman and she pulled away from Jim. He looked confused by the sudden withdrawal.
Merow?
Both sighed at the sight of Hector looking at them. Jim turned back to Mallory and leaned in to continue when she ducked under an arm to escape.
"Sorry, Jim."
"What?"
Mallory pointed to Hector. "That's the Captain's pet. I hear his collar has a built-it camera."
Jim looked amused. "You think the Captain sends her cat to spy on the crew?"
"Not taking any chances. Maybe after our duty shifts?"
Sighing, Jim looked to Hector. "Sure."
Hector's tail swished.
Merow.
+++
Lieutenant Vivian Warshawski looked at the rank pip in her hand for several seconds while sitting in the shade between two cargo canisters. Placing her head in her hands she started crying, curls of long blonde hair bouncing with each breath. Her soft sobbing echoed in the cavernous cargo bay. When she was finished, Vivian snorted mucus and stared at the cold steel floor.
"I ... I can't do it. There are more deserving on the team."
Vivian heard small steps padding around a canister and she became curious. Sliding out from the darkness, she met two golden eyes staring back at her.
"Oh, hello Hector. A little far from home too?"
Merow?
Vivian nodded and reached for the cat but stopped short to let Hector sniff her hand.
"I know, smells like coolant or a gel-pack. Sorry."
The feline started to purr and walked into her hand, rubbing from head to tail and rounding back to repeat. Vivian smiled and scratched Hector"s back as he paced.
"I mean, why did he pick me?"
Hector stopped and sniffed at the air.
"Truth be told, after I was put in the brig, I thought my career was over."
The cat yawned wide.
Vivian paused as memories raced from one image to another: from pouring over technical readouts, to stealing a quick snack in between assignments. Her smile faded slightly recalling her last boyfriend broke up with her because she had been so busy for the past few months.
"Yeah well, Jim was a jerk anyway."
Hector walked up to Vivian's hand that held the rank pip and sniffed her skin. He then pushed the top of his head onto her hand compelling more back scratching. The pip fell to the ground and Hector sniffed at it, and then swatted it playfully toward the lonely Engineer.
Picking it up, Vivian looked at the silver bar. She recalled the look on Thel's face when he presented it to her; he had a faint smile on his face, as if he were proud of her! Maybe, in light of her previous transgression and her diligent efforts to make up for that, she had proven her worth - to the ship, to the crew, to the Chief Engineer! Her smile returned.
Sniffing back her melancholy, Vivian looked back to Hector. "You know, I can do it. I wasn't looking for a promotion, I earned it. If Thel thinks I am up for the job, then I can't let him -."
Merow, Hector interrupted.
"Heh, you're right. I can't let the Captain down either."
Hector purred.
+++
Ensign Engig pulled the panel from the wall and set it to the side. Looking both ways down the hallway the Saurian recognized being alone then opened the repair kit. Pulling out a PADD he accessed the designated schematics then looked back and forth from the device in his hand to the technical maze inside the wall.
"Let's see. Circuit A-One to router four seven."
Without looking, the engineer reached for a tool in the kit and touched soft hair instead of hard metal. Engig yelped from surprise and jumped from the wall.
Hector ran away a few steps then turned and hissed, showing fangs and raised fur.
Engig slowly stood and raised a hand as if to calm the animal. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." From embarrassment, he looked both ways of the hallway again. Noticing he was alone with the cat, Engig gradually returned to the open panel.
Hector deliberately crawled to the opposite wall and kept an eye on the red skinned Saurian.
Both settled into their place calmly. Hector's tail swished back and forth on the carpeted floor while Engig worked on damaged circuitry. Occasionally he would look over his shoulder to see if Hector had moved.
Hector just watched Engig.
After several minutes, Engig placed the tools into the kit, and locked the panel back onto the wall.
Slowly standing, he turned to the cat still sitting on the floor who just watched him contently. Thinking of what to say to the feline, Engig struggled with the idea of talking to an animal that more than likely would not understand a word. He mentally shrugged away whatever words he could use and decided on a course of action.
Engig saluted.
Hector licked a paw and wiped it across an ear.
Merow.
+++
"Go!"
Arms quickly moved in blurred motions. The two officers grabbed at parts laid out on a table as if randomly and attached them to a metal frame. With each piece clicking into place, another piece was already in motion to be added to the frame. A third officer watched intently while keeping count silently.
The shortest of the three, a Tellarite, snapped a piece and looked up for a split second. Reaching for a part, he smiled. "You too slow, Carter."
The Human fit his scope into place. "I've beaten you seven times in a row, Tras. The less you talk, the faster you'll be."
Bur'ar tried not to roll his eyes or say something to refocus the two officers. They were to assemble, then disassemble, their MACO rifles twenty times before allowed to join the team in the mess hall. Their banter finally came to blows and the Klingon security chief had had enough. This was the first level of their 'rehabilitation'.
The doors swished open and Bur'ar looked at who entered the room, then to Tras and Carter. Realizing he was the only one who noticed the doors open, a mischievous thought came to his mind.
Standing, Bur'ar shouted, "officer on deck!"
Stumbling to their feet, the other two snapped to attention as rifle parts fell and clattered to the floor. After several seconds, Tras and Carter looked around but did not see anyone they should be saluting to.
A grey cat peeked out from behind a nearby console.
Merrrooww!
Bur'ar bellowed in laughter.
"Aw, Chief. That wasn't funny!" Carter started picking up rifle pieces.
Tras helped. "Yes it was. You jumped faster than escaping Vaadwaur ships."
Bur'ar pretended to wipe a tear . "Silence, that's the lesson here."
Hector turned and quietly left the room.
Gesturing to the closed doors, Bur'ar continued. "See. The animal gets it."
+++
Kathryn entered her quarters and fell forward onto the couch, sprawling arms and legs. Several seconds passed in relative silence as the ship's engines hummed at a lazy Warp 2. Kathryn relished the moment.
Hector rubbed his head into her open hand resting on the floor and she responded by scratching the top of his head. He purred.
"I hope you had a good day, Hector."
Merow.
Kathryn smiled. "Good, anything interesting out there?"
Hector sniffed the air, then lifted a leg and started grooming himself.
"I guess not."
---
Cast for crew:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Bur'ar - David Ramsey
Vivan Warshawski - Megan Hilty
Mallory Aralla – Alexandra Daddario
Jim Bushel – Jason Ritter
Engig – Scott Caan
Carter – Rick Cosnett
Tras – Peter Dinklage
Hector - Nebelung, mannerisms from my own cat
Mentioned but not seen:
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Bur'ar - David Ramsey
Vivan Warshawski - Megan Hilty
Mallory Aralla – Alexandra Daddario
Jim Bushel – Jason Ritter
Engig – Scott Caan
Carter – Rick Cosnett
Tras – Peter Dinklage
Hector - Nebelung, mannerisms from my own cat
Mentioned but not seen:
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
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