Joint Duty Log (Backlog) | Lt Cmdr Dhej, Lt Cmdr Rinehart - "The Stars Are Maligned"

Posted on 241408.17 @ 9:34pm by Commander Tierney Rinehart

There was discord and where there was discord, there was misery. That much could be said at any time and place in history. Every known culture even had some bizarre twisted metaphor used to describe it. The words that came to mind at the moment, however, weren't meant for polite company and best left for those who walked the gutters and owned the night. Tierney, while a lot of things, wasn't one.

The halls that night were quiet. A pin could have dropped and been the singular most loud thing in the entire ship, roaring even over the steady hum of the ship's electricity powering the ship's life support as she sat docked and still. And then, coming around the corner, the sound of footsteps piqued the young woman's interest. She half expected it to be just another scornful face, but was quick to allow herself a small smile as her eyes traveled up to the familiar face of the ship's Executive Officer. "Karim." She breathed in relief, after her little quarrel with Lucas, he was the proverbial cherry on the cake -- the saving grace for her tattered nerves in a long day of histrionics she would not soon forget.

Karim looked up at the mention of his name and said "Tierney, it's nice to see you. I was just heading to my quarters to go off duty. Is everything ok?"

"Yes and no." She answered honestly, closing the gap between them, "it can wait if you're off duty."

Shaking his head, he said "No its ok. If we're going to be friends, we need to be there for each other whenever. If you don't mind waiting for a moment for me to get changed once we get to my quarters, I'm all yours."

She nodded in understanding, "I can do that." a small smile tugged at her lips. Friends.

Soon they entered his quarters, and he gestured for her to sit "Take a seat, Hell take your boots and jacket off and snuggle up on the sofa if you like. I'm sure I have a blanket there for you to wrap around yourself. I'll be right back." Walking into his bedroom, he began to change into casual clothes.

"Thank you, Karim." Tierney's smile broadened as she unzipped her jacket and slid out of it as she approached the couch and took the offered seat. The comfort of being able to find happiness even when a storm was bearing down was a rare and wonderful treat, one she'd savor and covet as if it were a fine wine. The Trill was a welcome respite from the hail that waited for her out in the rest of their little world, one that came with quarters that smelled of jasmine and a couch that threatened to consume her if she didn't allow the stress of the day to melt away from her frayed nerves. Having shed her boots and found a warm throw, she curled up in the far corner and rested her cheek on the back cushion, waiting for him to reemerge.

Karim walked out barefooted in a pair of linen sleep pants and a t-shirt. Taking the chair bedside her he said "Comfy are we? Tell me what's going on please, I know we don't know each other well yet, but I can tell you're upset about something."

She watched him, appreciatively, enjoying his candid and easy nature. He was a different kind of gentle, one that she could easily relate to. "I told Lieutenant Lucas where to go and how to get there, more or less." She started, with a shrug, drawing the throw tighter around her shoulders, "I've never been so frustrated in all my life, Karim, all of these egos and talking heads with no one willing to shut up and just listen to what the other has to say. Just an eternal pissing match." Her head shook as she spoke, her eyes closing against the stupidity of it all. It rubbed Tierney horribly raw to live in such space of conflict. It made sense for others not to trust her, but to attack one another? Barbarism.

Nodding, and taking a moment to speak, he said "Ok, so off the record, did Lucas deserve to be told off? Also, I have heard ...rumors of the tension between people on the ship. Funny thing is though, no one has come to me to talk about it, except you."

"Off the record? She did. She's bullheaded and so stuck in her own rut it's almost dangerous." The young woman sighed, her eyes rolling and a hand darting up from the warm cocoon she'd created to brush away a wild strand of strawberry. She'd need to re-dye soon, the iridescence of her natural hair color was slowly starting to shine through. "I think people are just hoping it'll all go away with due course and time." Said Tierney, tucking herself back in, "Somehow I don't believe so."

Thinking for a moment, he said "I for one don't like the "drama" for lack of a better word that is happening on the ship either. But we have to live with it for now and try to rise above it. You know you can always come to me to vent right?"

The Starling nodded along in to what he said, showing her that she agreed wholeheartedly. "The charade is wearing thin, but I know. At least we have like minded people afoot, right?"

"Exactly" Karim replied and with some hesitancy, added "Can I share something with you Tierney? It's kind of personal"

"Anything." She said, lifting her head from it's relaxed position against the cushion, offering him her full attention.

Blushing slightly, he quietly said "I've met someone...and I think he likes me."

A smile, this time soft and genuine played across her refined facial features, "Tell me more. That's a wonderful thing!"

Sighing, he said "I met him the other day in Shakers. He bought me a drink and we chatted a bit. Then just before I ran into you, we met again as I was leaving the bridge. We shared a snack together, and made plans for a hiking date on the holodeck. He's an Ensign from Waste Reclamation."

This time, Tierney set her chin in her hands, allowing her elbows to rest on her knees as she listened, "He's not intimidated by your position?" She asked, forgetting all about the drama and the stupidity for the time being.

Shaking his head, he replied with a smirk "He says he isn't. When we first met he was a bit nervous about it, but he said I had beautiful eyes and spots, and after some teasing called me his 'classy girl'."

Her smile broadened, radiant and free. "I think you may have something there, Karim, I'm rooting for you."

"Thanks" he replied "I'll keep you up to date." With a smile, he said "So can I ask you how things are going with Mark?"

"You better." She replied with an emphatic nod. In her mind there was nothing more perfect than two people finding happiness, true love, a place in the world to make it better. Find a soul mate was not something best left in fairytales, and while Tierney herself was only now exploring the definition of the word love, she knew how important it was for those around her. What Karim said next, however, made her blood run cold. Mark. He knew.

The Starling shifted uncomfortably in her seat, averting her eyes to the floor as she tried to think of something, anything, that could be used to divert or derail the conversation. "It's that obvious?" She asked, finally looking back and choosing honesty as the road to take with someone who had just showed her a piece of their soul.

Shaking his head defensively, he replied "No its not obvious, but I knew Mark, I mean Mavala knew Mark a long time ago, and she could tell when something was up with him. Also, there have been rumors of the two of you spending time together. Don't worry about it though, from what I've heard people think you two make a cute couple."

"Somehow I doubt people think the Captain and his pet snake make a cute couple." She replied, shaking her head. Snake. Oracle. Witch. They had all been used to brand and scar her with their horrible intonations. She'd heard them whispered in shadows as she passed and directly from her resources that fed her information from within the ship's boundaries. Being the intel officer in times of such grief and crisis had many disadvantages, attempts being made on her life were the least of her worries, at least the physical wounds could fade.

"Mark is a good man. He's sweet and sincere. Sometimes I think he's a bit old fashioned, but I need that slow and steady hand of his. I..." Tierney paused, nearly blushing crimson at the fact she was about to share, "I've never done this before." She shrugged, sheepish. It must have sounded so crazy to a joined Trill.

"Tell me more about Mavala? Was she your last host?" She asked, quickly dismissing her own short comings.

Knowing he may have hit a nerve, Karim decided to leave the topic for now. Nodding, he said "Yes, she was the host just before I was joined with Dhej. I was the chief medical officer of the ship she served on, and she was a security officer. She was a ... strong woman, and died in the line of duty. Being the only unjoined Trill on board, I had no choice but to join with Dhej or it would've died."

"And the commission was ok with that? There's the proof you're a special man, Karim." Tierney nodded along, having only heard rumors about the process of Trill joining and their laws surrounding it. Most recently circulating around the death of the Vindicator's Captain and the Symbiosis Commission coming to retrieve the dying man's body and the symbiont within. She made no claim to being an expert, only that she knew she couldn't do it; live to die for the sake of experience alone. The man she watched before her was a special breed indeed. Selfless and willing to make sacrifices knowing death was around the corner one way or another. But there was something deeper there, a knowledge so intricate she could almost touch it, "How did Mavala know Mark?"

Nodding, he replied "The Commission didn't have much of a choice but to be ok with it. They informed me they weren't happy with the sudden joining, and suggested I go back to Trill to recover, but I chose to recover at Starfleet Medical instead. They have a few specialists to assist in the transition. Also I had already gone through the Symbiosis Institute when I was younger, so it kind of got them off my back. That all was about 6 months ago. And Mavala knew Mark back at the Academy. He had a crush on her."

"I'm glad they let you be." She replied, scooting closer to where Karim sat. "Back during his academy days, he had good taste." Tierney smiled, reaching to take one of Karim's hands in hers in a rare display of affection. She chose to accept him, to honor him as a friend -- as such the rule of the bubble didn't apply to him any longer, nor did the rule of no contact.

Squeezing her hand slightly, Karim smiled and said "Thanks Tireney. Though to be truthful I turned him down. I was a bit too strong minded and thought he just liked me for my womanly curves and not my mind."

The Starling chuckled softly and shook her head, "I'm sure a young Captain Rhodes would have been interested in more than just curves. Then again," she smirked, "I could be wrong. He's decidedly male after all."

Giggling, Karim replied "I believe he has matured over the years. At that time however I distinctly remember him asking me nervously out because I was one of the most beautiful girls in our class."

Tierney shook her head and chuckled lightly, "I stand corrected."

Smiling, Karim said "I'm really enjoying this Tireney. I'm glad I can let my hair down with you and put my position aside."

Looking back to Karim's face, she too smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad we found each other. It's lonely out here without people that seem to understand you." She said, patting the top of the Trill's cold hand. It was hard to contemplate all the secrets she wished she could tell him, all the experiences that had set her up on this path in life -- all of them, however, so hesitant to be told out of fear of retribution and retaliation. Someday, she decided, he'd know.

Karim smiled and without being able to help it yawned slightly. Blushing he said "I agree, its nice to meet someone who you feel like you can say anything to with no worries." Pausing, he added "I'm sorry to yawn, I guess I'm getting tired."

"Agreed." She nodded and slowly slipped her hand from his, "It's getting late. I should probably let you get to sleep and head that way myself."

Standing, he almost followed is impulse to hug her, but instead said "Would it be ok to give you a hug? It seems like the best way to end a wonderful evening."

Slipping on her boots, Tierney, too, found her feet and straightened her clothes out. She considered the question and the implications surrounding it, nodding as she decided the pros outweighed the cons, "Always."

Leaning forward he gave her a big hug then pulled away with a big smile "I'll see you soon Tierney. Maybe we can grab dinner sometime and gossip more about boys."

Hugging back, the petite woman felt a rush of relief. She'd been accepted fully by someone else, allowed to live and allowed to smile. It was an uncanny knowledge, but one she truly embraced just as she embraced the Trill who'd brought her to such a point. "As soon as we both can muster it." She nodded emphatically, taking a few steps towards the door, "Goodnight, Karim. Thank you for everything."

Nodding, he waited for her to leave, and smiling walked to his bedroom to try and get some sleep.

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Lieutenant Commander Tierney Rinehart
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Enterprise 1701-F

Lieutenant Commander Karim Dhej
Executive Officer
USS Enterprise 1701-F