OPS Ensign Inala Emeric SD 11407.30 W/ Captain Rome, Hyperio
Posted on August 4th, 2014 by Inala Emeric

3 Weeks Ago…

Inala was taking her time packing her things. The transfer orders sitting on her nightstand meant that her time on the Hyperion was over, and she’d been unprepared for the emotional impact of the news. She’d been getting used to being here, finally; she was fitting in nicely in Engineering, and she’d even developed a good relationship with the Captain. Now, here she was, having to leave it all behind and start all over again on another ship, the Atlantis.

It was a prestigious posting; the flagship of the third fleet, the Atlantis was a legacy ship, carrying a ‘D’ designation after its registry number. Speaking purely from a career standpoint, this transfer was a huge opportunity for her. Still… it was going to be hard to leave everything she’d built on the Hyperion behind.

Outside of her department head, she hadn’t told many people; just a couple of friends. This was going to be difficult enough without having to say goodbye to everyone. So, she’d simply begun to pack, taking breaks to read up on the Sovereign’s systems, if only to give her mind something else to ponder. She barely heard the door chime until the second time, then looked up from her underwear drawer.

"Enter?" she called. Jonathan stepped into the bright quarters, looking around pensively before stepping into the main quarters. He had forgotten how small these officer quarters were… and that also made him realize that he hadn’t visited any officer quarters since arriving on this ship.

"Ensign?"

"Captain," Inala said in surprise, not having expected him to come all the way down to her quarters. She was touched, briefly, by the gesture, until she remember her current state of dress; a long, baggy shirt, and a distinct lack of pants.

"Oh, hell," she shouted, mortified that he’d seen her like that. She dove out of the entry to her bedroom, scrambling in one of her bags to find a pair of pants to put on. In a panic, she also grabbed a robe and threw it on, feeling a need to cover herself as much as possible.

"I’m so sorry, sir! I wasn’t expecting any visitors," she called. Jonathan just smiled as he stood by the doorway.
"I’m sorry Ensign, the hour is late after all. I… I just wanted to see you off personally, before tomorrow." He had tried to keep his gaze on the decorative lamp rather than Inala’s state of undress, but had only been partially successful, and felt strangely ashamed as a result.

"Shall I come back?" She took a deep breath, fighting to calm her nerves as the seconds ticked by. Finally she felt her mind relax a little, and she stepped back out into the living room.

"No, sir, it’s fine," she said, wearing a brief, still-embarrassed smile. "I’m… glad you came, actually." Jonathan looked up smiling somewhat equally embarrassed.

"Atlantis eh?"

"Yes, sir," she said, allowing herself a small moment of excitement at the thought. "I’m not sure why, to be honest. I didn’t really have a chance to prove myself at Operations; I thought we’d had an abundance of OPS officers.." Jonathan walked over to the small purple sofa and sat down, testing the bounciness before settling down.

"You had great reviews. I can understand Vice Admiral Blackthorne wanting a qualified Operations officer." Inala watched him sit down, and after taking another moment to clear her thoughts, she joined him on the sofa.

"I hope I can meet his expectations," she said. She sat quietly for a moment, sparing him a glance or two before finally forcing herself to meet his gaze. "To be honest, sir, I’m sorry to go. I was just getting comfortable here, and I’ve enjoyed spending time with… the crew," she said, hoping she’d caught herself before she made things any more awkward. Jonathan looked up and smiled.

"We’ll miss you, Ensign. I hate to lose you, but I know this will be a great opportunity for you." Inala smiled, but was quiet for some time. She wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t even sure how she felt; she had been in awe of Jonathan Rome since day one. He was more than just a Captain to her. He was the first real example that any of her dreams about serving in Starfleet might be real. He was like something out of a holonovel, a classic hero-type character. She had become aware that the perspective might not be fair to him, of course. You didn’t just start out like that. Her brief, mildly embarrassed glances at his service record had given her the impression that he’d earned every ounce of his confidence.

She forced herself out of her thoughts, suddenly aware of the passing silence.

"I, uh… I want to thank you, sir. I’ve learned a lot from you, about how to be a Starfleet officer," she said softly. Jonathan placed his palms flat on his thighs and nodded politely

"You were a good student. A good friend." Inala fell silent once more, starting to be annoyed by her own awkwardness. He was right; they had become friends over the previous months. He’d told her countless stories about the Scimitar, and his old crew. He’d been so patient with her numerous questions about life in Starfleet. If she couldn’t feel comfortable around him, she wasn’t going to feel comfortable around anyone. Looking down, she realized how silly the robe looked; it was plain to see that she was fully clothed. Taking a deep breath, she decided to let go of her paranoia, if only this once. She discretely untied her sash, and slipped the robe off her shoulders. A small sigh escaped her lips as she folded her hands in her lap.

"Part of me wants to stay," she said. "It’s not easy for me to get comfortable in a new place." Jonathan looked up and smiled knowingly.

"I know the feeling… took me months to get comfortable here" he said, gesturing outwards. "This ship, is still new to me. I almost got lost coming down here"

"For me, it’s not the ship so much as the people," she said, folding her arms despite herself.

"You’ll make new friends on the Atlantis. Just don’t forget us, eh?" He knocked his fist lightly against his knee and stood up slowly. "Now I have to go find a new Engineer." Inala stood with him.

"I don’t want to-" she said, not stopping herself in time. "… Make new friends," she finished, moving away slowly and looking somewhat dejected. "Another round of paranoia, of watching everyone’s eyes closely. Invariably, someone’s going to look at me like a piece of exotic ‘green alien’ meat." Inala folded her arms once more, her insecurity coming to the fore.

"I was just starting to get comfortable. I don’t want to have to start over." Jonathan looked at her sympathetically and took a step to close the gap between them.

"You’re not some stereotype, Ensign," he said rather sternly, then smiled as he saw the mild shock in her eyes. "You are a beautiful woman, one that men should respect rather than fear. Remember that. And above all, you are a Starfleet officer." She couldn’t help but tear up a little at the praise. Inala had heard many words used to describe her, but ‘beautiful’ had been a surprisingly rare one. Sexy, hot, gorgeous, fine; ‘beautiful’ had that certain air of respect about it in comparison. She lightly wiped away the dampness before looking up at Rome.

"Thank you, sir," she said, feeling a renewed sorrow at knowing she wouldn’t be able to talk to him like this again. Jonathan reached out and grabbed her shoulder softly.

"Stay in touch." Inala felt a brief rush of panic at the touch. The reaction itself wasn’t a surprised; that was usual for her. How she felt was new, however. For a brief moment, she tried to think of ways she could stay on the Hyperion, could stay near Captain Rome, to benefit both from his leadership and his guidance. She looked up at him, covering his hand with hers for a moment, struggling to find something to say, some way to explain the mess she was feeling. Eventually, she just sighed softly, and let go of his hand.

"I will, Captain," she said softly.