Reflections

Posted on Tue Dec 8th, 2020 @ 4:40pm by Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova & Lieutenant Michael Harris

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Science Labs - Deck 4 - USS Mercutio
Timeline: TBD

Edruj was overjoyed to be back in her labs working on her experiments. Nothing made the scientist happier. She hummed a Klingon tune as she worked. The ship was heading to the unknown, and the Klingon woman was happier for it.

Millie gave a soft rap on one of the panels, hoping not to startle the Klingon--such things were usually not advisable. "Hey..." she said softly.

"Ah Counselor welcome to my little corner of the galaxy. What can I do for you?" Edruj said and turned to acknowledge Millie's presence briefly before returning to her work.

Millie gave a soft smile as she pulled up one of the work stools to sit next to Edruj. "They haven't cleared me for duty yet, so to be honest, I'm going a little stir crazy in my quarters."

"Well you are always welcome here to observe and chat." Edruj replied curtly. However, the Klingon knew there was something on her friend's mind. But Edruj would not force Millie to say it, it would come out all in due time.

Millie gave a soft shiver. The average ship's temperature was significantly cooler than what she'd been used to the last couple of months, and the lab seemed a little chilly. "What are you working on?"

"Right now I am checking how this fern from Oldersven V transplants. The oxygen output from this plant is double that of most other plants. If I can get it to survive on other planets in different atmospheres it can clean up environmental issues on many planets. However, I believe that you did not come here to discuss plants." Edruj responded.

Millie gave a quiet nod. Klingons were rather insightful, and if it weren't for their rather blunt diagnosis, they would make excellent counselors. "I was--hoping for your insight on my last mission."

"Always happy to help a friend, and if I must admit it appeals to a Klingon to hear about others exploits. There is honor in storytelling. So as the human saying goes I am all ears." Edruj said as she set her work down for the moment to give her friend her undivided attention.

Millie nodded again. There was much truth to the statement of the Klingon love for storytelling, as Edruj had spent many of their training sessions together regaling her with Klingon history and lore. "Do--do Klingons ever struggle with the knowledge that they've killed someone?"

"Hmmm..." Edruj began, she realized that this conversation would perhaps go a little deeper than she initially thought. As such she put her scanner down and turned toward her friend. "That is a tough question. It would depend on the nature of the death. If it was an honorable combat then no a warrior would not struggle. For death in combat is honor and glory. We should not only savor the victory, but we honor their death and their glory in battle. However, if the death was not an honorable one then yes I believe that a warrior would struggle with it. Of course this struggle would be done in private to not show weakness, but I digress."

Millie pulled her sweater tighter around her body. "I--wish it felt as simple as you described it. Instead, I don't want to close my eyes or fall asleep, because it haunts me. I see it the way it happens, but sometimes it twists and goes in horrible directions."

"That my friend is because you are not a warrior. Most who are not Klingon are not. We look at things a lot differently then the rest of the galaxy. However, why don't you tell me what happened as you see it. For there is glory in sharing your tale as well." Edruj replied as she hoped telling the tale would alleviate some of the remorse that Millie felt.

Millie nodded before quietly retelling what had been nearly two months of adventure. She began with the discovery of the abandoned colony, the ambush, killing the metal-mouthed creature that pinned Banks to the ground. She told about the crash landing, waking up on the planet, hunting for snakes, and the radiation poising that almost killed her. Millie told about waking up in the village, returning for Banks, the attack, the murder of the sapling, and training the villagers. She talked about Taan, Tsshk, and about the close bond she'd formed with the warrior Knn.

"The battle was brutal," Millie said quietly. "I lost count of how many of those metal-mouthed things attacked, or how many of the villagers lost their lives. I think we all would have died in the battle if Chance and Evelyn hadn't arrived right then."

"Well then what is there for you and your conscience to wrestle with. You killed, but you killed for survival and in defense of the defenseless. This is truly honorable. The glory of battle must have been with you..." Edruj said in typical Klingon fashion, and after a pause added. "You know sometimes I regret being a scientist and missing battles like that."

Millie managed a soft chuckle. "I think the scientist in you would have loved it as well. There was some kind of plant or bark that they would make into a tea to help to protect us from the radiation sickness. The locals drank it daily, and one of the species would just eat the plant raw. Not to mention all of the plants and animals that are unlike anything I've seen on other worlds. Everything just seemed...bigger."

She gave a soft sigh. "And because they are a pre-warp society, it is unlikely that I will ever be allowed to return to the planet."

"That does sound interesting. However, just because they are a pre warp society does not mean that you will never see them again. No one especially Starfleet knows how quickly a civilization will progress. For all we know this society of yours will be traveling at warp 5 by next year." Edruj replied with a tone of optimism in her voice. She truly loved the idea that everything is forever an unknown.

There was a pause. "Our contact has certainly changed the development of both societies we met." Millie's fingers played with the edge of her sweater. "The things we saw, the things we--I did... They come back to me in nightmares."

"For someone who is not used to the horrors of battle that will happen. However, if you fought valiantly and with honor than there is nothing to worry about." Edruj replied as she realized that Klingons would indeed make the worst counselors.

"I envy you. I envy Klingons. You're taught to be strong and brave from the very beginning." The counselor gave a quiet sigh. "If it weren't for you and Patricia insisting that I needed to be stronger--I don't think I'd be sitting in front of you right now." She smiled. "Thank you for that."

Edruj smiled, which was not such a pretty sight on the face of a Klingon. "There is no need to thank me. It is what friends do. However, I feel that I should let you in on a secret. Klingons are not that strong or brave. We have simply learned to master fear, to martial it into something we can harness to do our bidding. To make our fear work for us instead of the other way around."

Millie noted the smile--it was not something she saw Edruj do often, and she returned the smile in kind. "Maybe you can help me learn to master that fear...once Medical gives me the all-clear, that is."

"It would be an honor." Edruj replied in due course. It would seem that the scientist has gained the job of counseling the counselor. The Klingon thought that task to would be one of the most honorable.


Lieutenant Edruj
Chief Science Officer, USS Mercutio



Lieutenant JG Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova
Chief Counselor, USS Mercutio