JDL|Cpt. Dhej, Civ. Sh'eik|"Families"

Posted on 241510.14 @ 9:13pm by Cadet Sh'eik

=/\=Ready Room=/\=

"Please Sh'eik, take a seat."

Sh'eik heard the gentle whish of the ready room doors closing behind him, as Doctor Keál exited, and he moved over to sit on the velour sofa.

"These test scores are impressive. I take it you've made your decision to stay aboard the Enterprise?"

Sh'eik's heart fluttered a little. Nearly six months had passed while he was in stasis, but it felt barely like a day to him.
Thus it felt like he still hadn't had much time to mull over the decision in his head.
Despite this, he nodded in response to the Captain's query.
"Yes sirrr. If you'll have me, I'd like to stay. I owe you and Miss Rrrineharrrt my life. I can see no higherrr honourrr than to serrrve." Sh'eik's brow furrowed a little, left ear flicking a few times.

Nodding he said "I appreciate that you feel that way Mr. Sh'eik, really I do." Gesturing with the padd, he added "As I've said before, you have a home aboard the Enterprise if you want one. Also, I will commit to you to help you with whatever path you choose to follow."

Sh'eik scooched on the couch, until his shoulder met the Captain's. He knew it was probably a bit too familiar an act, but he was about to share some rather personal information, and he'd never been that good with personal boundaries anyway.

Sh'eik tapped a box in the lower corner of his test scores, hiding them and bringing up a picture and service record.
"This is my motherrr, Shan'ik." A rather delicate looking, sandy coloured Caitian appeared on the screen, "She was a federrration scientist, heading a team of biologists and botanists." A brief but notable record scrolled beneath picture, finishing in the doomed deep space expedition Sh'eik's family had been a part of.

Karim was touched with how much Sh'eik seemed to trust him. After the woman's image had vanished, he said "She appears to have been a wonderful woman, and a promising scientist. I see where you get your quick grasp of technical information."

Sh'eik's ears went back then, as he tapped the little box again.
Shan'ik's picture disappeared to be replaced by another felinoid, this one much more thickly built, with a longer snout and much more feral features. His fur was the same dark chocolate colour as Sh'eik's.
"This is my fatherrr, K'Tal. He helped with ship operrrations, but was not an officerrr."

Nodding, he replied "I am sorry for the loss of your parents, I hope that with time you can learn to see the Enterprise crew as some sort of extended family."

Sh'eik nodded politely, but wasn't at all finished.
"Thank you, sirrr. Ourrr family unit was verrry tight knit. Therrre are no secrrrets on a ship wherrre the crrrew numberrrs less than 50. My fatherrr was... K'Zinti."

He let that settle a moment before thumbing the button once more.
Up came an image, a middle age Terran female with streaks of grey among light brown hair. Three pips denoted her rank as Commander, and a long star fleet history scrolled below her image.

"This was commanderrr Sarrrah Findlay. The perrrson I most admirrre frrrom ourrr little ship. Sorrrt of like an aunt. She used to be a helmsman beforrre she starrrted to be executive officerrr forrr Captain Webb. She taught me the basics of space flight and stellarrr carrrtogrrraphy. Without herrr knowledge, I would neverrr have been able to prrrogrrram the prrrobe you picked up... She's also rrresponsible for getting what was left of Perrrsephone down in enough pieces for us to surrrvive..." He took a breath then.

"If my scorrres supporrrt it, I'd like to be a helmsman orrr pilot, as she was."
He looked to Karim, eyes glistening, ears up and hopeful.
"My clan, was the crrrew of the Perrrsephone, space is the only life I've everrr known. This is wherrre I belong, and I want to help." Sh'eik ended his windy moment, there.

Nodding, Karim replied "While these scores are promising, you will still require a lot of training. With your permission I can contact Starfleet Academy on your behalf, and advocate for you to complete your studies aboard the Enterprise. If they agree, you would start as a year 1 Cadet."

Sh'eik nodded, left ear flicking a few times.
"Therrre is no place forrr me on Ferrrasa. My bloodlines arrre... Impurrre." He fidgeted with wording, not quite satisfied with his own choice of words.
"I would be prrroud to call Enterrrprrise home, and herrr crrrew, my new clan. I would like to enlist in the serrrvice."

Smiling, Karim said "Ok then. I will officially contact Starfleet Academy and submit your test scores, and a strong letter of recommendation from me. If they agree, I will personally be overseeing your education here on the ship. I can't promise it will be easy, but I will do all I can to help you. Will you be pursuing the officer track or the enlisted crewman track?"

Sh'eik looked pensive, left ear flicking a few times as he looked inwardly.
"I... I wasn't surrre until just now, but I think someday, I'd like my own command. So I suppose it's the officerrr trrrack, sirrr." Sh'eik had a look of determination on his face as he responded.

Nodding, he replied "Understood. I will let you know when I hear back from the Academy. For now, please begin reviewing the first year cadet manual and the bridge officer's manual." Pausing, he added "Is there anything else before I get to work with this message?

Sh'eik eyed the Captain's desk, overflowing with PADDs... His left ear flicked a few times.
"Do you think the academy would give me crrredit for serrrving as a temporrrarrry yeoman, until I earrrn my license?" Clearly the Captain, with no XO, was buried in paperwork.

Smiling, Karim said "They would take that into consideration. Please change into a crewman's uniform and report back as soon as possible ."

Sh'eik blinked for a few moments, left ear flicking, then snapped to, standing with a salute, "yes, sirrr!"

Smiling, Karim said "You're dismissed Mr. Sh'eik". After the young man left, he began composing his message to Starfleet Academy.

=/\= End Log =/\=
Captain Karim Dhej
Commanding Officer
USS Enterprise NCC 1701-F

Cadet Sh'eik
Yeoman
USS Enterprise NCC 1701-F