Why Are They Here?

Posted on Mon Sep 4th, 2023 @ 3:56am by

1,794 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Deck 12: Medical Bay
Timeline: MD 27: After Mutara Crossing

Lissa had prepared the pheromone counter agent as she was asked, but had sent a handful of med techs up to the transporter rooms to administer them. She had no intention of interacting with anyone from the Orion Space Navy, or any arm or member of the Botchok Planetary Congress unless there was major reform in the Orion government. Once she had finished packaging up the hyposprays and sending the techs off she asked Dr. Takanashi for a break, and went down the hall to see if Feeva was free to grab some coffee.

She popped her head into the Counselor's suite and was relieved to see she didn't have any patients. "Orion naval officers have infested the ship. Want to grab some coffee with me?" Lissa asked.

Feeva looked up from her desk. "Aye, I am aware. Sure, coffee sounds...necessary." She stood up. "Thank you," she said. "Doc has asked that I stay alert, obviously. I don't know why; pheromones, yes, but they're generally only leaked when one is aroused, and there's nothing arousing about me or them to me." She shrugged as she followed the Nurse out of the room.

"Oh you'll be fine, but you would be surprised what a hormonal female can get a male to do for them, we gave them blockers, but still. If anyone decides to hook up, I don't know how well they will work." Lissa walked to a nearby lounge that was meant to be a comfortable area for loved ones to sit while waiting to see patients in sickbay. "Rakijino?" she asked walking to the replicator.

Fee nodded. "I am aware," she said. "I was raised by a man, and was married," she said. "Most of my cousins are male. My father was the only one who had a girl," she said, "back on Vissia." She smiled. She followed the nurse. "Sounds good, thank you. Nothing with it, just plain. I worry mostly about having to do more triage and the like, just in case the medical department falls apart. All we're taught, really, is triage and basic first aide," she said. Counselors could, in a pinch, assist the medics in the field, but she didn't LIKE it. "Otherwise, I feel useless to help; I am not an empath and it is difficult for me to see a problem and not able to assist. I doubt that the Orions need my services," she said. They got the hot drinks, and settled in on a bench.

"Oh I doubt the Captain thought you'd be needed in medical. You know Orion women have a way of performing mind control, right? Leaving men in a drunken stupor not knowing why they just gave a stranger their security codes," Lissa shook her head in distaste. "I can't believe they are letting so many of them on board the Columbia. And if any of them need medical attention, they can go back to their own ship as far as I'm concerned."

Fee realized that they were talking about two different things. She smiled a little. "Ma'am, do you...dislike Orions?" She asked. "I haven't had much interaction, truthfully. I only know the basics they teach in the Academy-I had to take a few anthropology courses, for obvious reasons," she said. "It IS a bit concerning that we're a male-heavy crew and they're just...INVITING them aboard, I do agree." She said. Hopefully, the woman would share some of her concerns so Fee could help.

Lissa held up her green hands for show, "Depends on the Orion, but the ones who work on that ship will look the other way if a slave transport or pirate ship shows up on their sensors. My mother was a slave, and it wasn't the Orion Space Navy that came to her rescue. It was Starfleet."

Fee nodded. "I see." She sipped her coffee, and then started again. "You know, back home on Vissia, we have a third gender. We cannot procreate without them-they're called cogenitors. They provide a necessary enzyme. Without it, I am-EVERY Vissian-is functionally impotent. They're considered to be third class citizens, even though without them, our people, quite literally, wouldn't exist. It's SLOWLY changing, now that Vissia is a neutral planet, and has been exposed to outsiders, but...it's slow going. We're not as...progressive as other races. Much like the Andorians, I suppose. It's always been interesting to me that you have people who are the very key to your presence, but they're treated so poorly." She said. "I think what I am saying is...I hope, in time, that the Orions you are speaking of will learn a more peaceful way of being," she said.

"They've been space-faring for thousands of years. The Botchok government is just to scared to go to wa..." Lissa's voice trailed off as two Orions, a male and a female, both tall, sturdily built with jet black hair and dressed in impossible-to-miss bright white uniforms meandered slowly down the corridor pausing at the lounge entry. Lissa stiffened.

"Ah! I didn't know a fellow Orion was on board," the male said pleasantly as he walked in to greet the two women. "I'm Dr. Lorrek, and this is Dr. Desevu," he said gesturing to the female. "We were hoping to have a tour of your medical facilities. Are you doctors?"

The female stood beside him looking back and forth between the two women as he spoke.

"Why," Lissa stated coolly.

"Excuse me?" Desevu asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"Why do you want to see our facilities? Why are you even here? Surely the Orion Space Navy has starships far more impressive than this one."

Feeva glanced at the Nurse and then the two guests. "Excuse Nurse Kerr here. I am Counselor Feeva Drylo, of Vissia. I am not sure if you're able to have a tour of the medical bay itself; there's patients currently in. However, you're welcome to come see my office. Lissa, care to join me?" She was trying to smooth things over-diplomacy was a small part of her job, after all, and the fact that she was a mother probably contributed to it, as well. "It's just up the corridor apiece..."

Lissa rolled her eyes and groaned audibly as she got up out her seat and followed Fee and the Orions back to Fee's office.

To Lissa's dismay, Lorrek fell back to walk with her. "Nurse Kerr? That name doesn't sound Orion, but you are Orion, are you not? Did you marry and take on another name?" Lorrek asked.

"My father is human," Lissa responded, coldly, refusing to make eye contact with the Orion.

"Ah!" Lorrek responded, "And how did you parents meet?" he asked, his tone suggesting that he believed it to be an innocent question with a happy story behind it.

Lissa stopped in her tracks and for the first time made eye contact with the Orion, daggers in her eyes. "Funny you should ask," she said sharply, her tone enough to cause Fee and Desevu to turn around and see what was happening.

"My mother was a slave on an Orion 'outlaw' ships, you know the ones that the Orion Space Navy and the Botchok government turn a blind eye to and just passively go the other way whenever they encounter one. Yeah, she was on one of those, when they got so bold to enter Federation Space, and a Starfleet vessel came to the prisoners' rescue, liberating the slaves and arresting the leaders of the operations for numerous crimes." Lissa crossed her arms indignantly as she stared at the two Orions who had dared come onto their turf and act like they could be friends.

Desevu stepped forward, "I am very sorry about your mom, but it is more complicated than that. To intervene, would be the equivalent of a civil war, and we don't know who would win."

Lorrek put a hand on Desevu's arm, seeing that her words seemed to only inflame the nurse more.

Fee stepped in between the two. "Excuse me a moment. Lissa, can you fix my uniform? I seem to have shifted it when we were sitting," she said. This would put distance between the strange Orion and the Nurse. In a low voice, she spoke to Lissa. "Do you need me to call security?" She asked.

"No, I'm fine," Lissa whispered. "Captain said let them tour the ship," she held out an open hand. "Let them tour the ship."

Fee nodded. "Thank you, Ensign. Sorry, let's continue." She was glad that they were ok for now. She'd have to see the nurse separately later. This wasn't good.

Lissa lagged behind the group as they continued toward the Counselor's office. This time neither of the officers tried to engage her in conversation.

"So you said you are a Counselor? What is this space for?" Desevu asked, as she looked around the office.

Fee nodded. "Play therapy or art therapy," she said. "Usually for the chislers-children- but sometimes, if someone is experiencing undue trauma, they can find it helpful, as well. Such as someone who's fresh from a battle or somesuch," she said, prattling on in her accented Standard. She was interspersing her Vissian slang with the Standard, a sign she was going to melt down soon.

"You have children and therapists on a military vessel?" Lorrek asked. "How fascinating."

Fee sighed. "Aye, at least I do. One child. Well. There's a total of twenty aboard. Also, we're not a battleship!" She said. "What else should I have done with Leena?" She asked.

Lissa stood by the door her arms folded over her chest. "This isn't a military vessel. We are explorers. People do have families."

The two Orions looked at one another, and Lorrek spoke again, "Thank you for your hospitality today. I think we've taken enough of your time. Desevu?" he gestured to the door. They had more questions they wanted to ask, but could tell they had struck a nerve earlier.

"I'm sorry," Desevu said to Lissa as she walked out of the counselors office.

Once they were gone, Lissa looked at Fee. "I'm sorry, I can go."

Feeva watched the scene wrap itself up. "No, don't worry about it. I...won't "counselor" you but...if you want to talk about it, even off the record, I am always available," she said. "I can even meet you in the Lounge or something, if I know ahead of time." She said. She could find a quick sitter for Leena if she was needed. She had before. "How about that coffee? What were we discussing?"

Lissa laughed and let out a long sigh.

Lieutenant J.G. Feeva Drylo
Counselor
USS Columbia

Ensign Daisheliss Kerr
Nurse
USS Columbia

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