The Logistician and the Linguist

Posted on 03/16/2024 @ 9:34pm by Lieutenant Gilora Paret & Lieutenant Jason Beauvoir

1,656 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Pages...
Location: Starbase 50 (Poseidon Station) Lieutenant J. Beauvoir's Quarters Deck 29 Room 34

Jason was still getting used to his transfer to Intel. He'd spent most of his career in Sciences blue.

He was a man of many interests, but in the moment, he was just interested in doing his job well, making friends and staying out of trouble. His meeting with his boss had gone well, but he feared her husband may not appreciate the flirting.

It was time to meet his new colleagues.

"Computer, what is the current location of Lieutenant Gilora Paret?"

"Lieutenant Paret is in her quarters." The computer's even toned voice sounded.

"Thank you, Computer. What is the location of Lieutenant Paret's quarters?"

"Deck 28, Room 27, Center Core." The Computer replied.

"Thank you, Computer." Jason said heading for the door, grabbing a bottle of kanar from his drinks' cabinet before leaving.

Gilora sat on her couch with her uniform jacket unzipped. She was grateful for the time away from the office. As much as she loved her job, it took a lot out of her. The constant organizing and making sure all resources were available when they were needed could get to a person. She inhaled and exhaled slowly as she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the silence.

Arriving at Paret's quarters, kanar in hand, Jason pressed the door chime and waited for a response.

Gilora pinched her nose and rubbed her cranial ridges. It was an affectation she did when manners circumvented what she actually wanted, or simply put whenever she was frustrated. "You may enter." She called out and could actually hear the computer release the lockout. I wonder who the hell this is going to be." she thought.

Walking in Jason said "Kiba'avzayn (Good tidings in Cardassian)". Then returning to English he said. "Sorry, Lieutenant, I trust I'm not disturbing you, I'm Lieutenant Jason Beauvoir, I'm new top the Station and the Intel department, I'm just visiting to get to know my new colleagues better."

Gilora eyed the newcomer and internally screamed. She wanted to be alone however, her damned Cardassian manners dictated that she spend some time with this man. He was in her home and he brought something, even if she did detest the stuff. "Thank you and welcome to my home..." She began in what is the traditional greeting on Cardassia, translated for ease in this case. "...Please have a seat Lieutenant. Is there something I can get you?" Her question was both formal and informal. She was after all a logistics officer.

"I'm fine thank you." Jason said taking the offered seat. "So, Lieutenant, why Logistics?" He asked.

"Its what my people excel at, we can arrange just about anything. I mean as much as I hate to say it for the first half of the Occupation, Bajorans actually wanted us there. That due to the unique ability to know what people want and get for them in short order. You speak Cardassian pretty good for a human. It is said that the soft sounds of my language is not easy for the human tongue. So I am guessing you are a linguist." Gilora said with a smirk she did not intentionally want to sound superior. That was just the way she talked.

"I'm not entirely human, my father is, but my mother is 3/4 Vulcan. So I inherited the pointy ears, increased strength and better memory." Jason said. "And yes, I am a linguist, a knack for languages runs in my family, but I'm the only one that made it a profession, though it aided my father, mother and sister in their work."

"I know those abilities sure come in handy. So, tell me are you in the habit of showing up on a woman's doorstep just to say hi?" Gilora was determined to either learn all she could or make him die of embarrassment. Whichever came first.

"Only those I find interesting." Jason said with a smile.

"And I am interesting in what way?" Gilora replied with a small amount of bite to her voice. If he is going to want to get anywhere, he is going to have to show more backbone than that. she thought.

"Well, for a start, there aren't many Cardassians in Starfleet. Also Cardassian women tend to excel in the Sciences, but you chose Security, is that because you wished to protect people, or do you just like guns?" Jason replied.

"Actually I chose Intelligence, and that is because my former career was with the Obsidian Order." Gilora replied flatly. If he thought I was fascinating before. I must be amazing now. she thought. In truth this man was easy on the eyes for a human. However, it was a man who could hold his own in conversation is what a Cardassian woman wanted.

"The Obsidian Order, weren't they wiped out by the Founders?" Jason asked. "Or was that just their leaders?"

"The Obsidian Order is never wiped out. When Enambran Tain was killed someone else rose to take his place. Of course I was long out of the Order by then. But mark my words they are still out there. I am sure as time goes on your experience in the Intelligence Department will expose you to more than one report where they appear." Gilora smiled as it actually pleased her that people still thought the Order was gone.

Jason thought a moment. "Well, I'll take your word for it. Its not really my concern." He said. "I'm a linguist, not a field agent, that's more my sister's cup of tea, after all, she has the training and experience. Most of my career, I've been in Sciences Blue."

Gilora was surprised although her face did not show it. She was surprised that he did not know exactly what his position entailed. "Surely you know that if the Obsidian Order is out there, your position as a linguist in Intelligence is very important. I mean who is going to translate all the intercepted messages that the Order tries to get through. Your sister in Intelligence as well?"

"Got you." Jason said with a smile. "I know what my position entails. I like to act dumb once in a while, in order to keep my opponents off balance."

"Yvette was, but now, she's Assistant Chief of Operations on this very station." Jason said. "A total coincidence. And what's more of a coincidence is that my daughter has been assigned here too."

There is no such thing as coincidences. Gilora thought. It was a standard way of thinking for Cardassians. Everything was orchestrated somewhere. The smile never left her face. "Ah, well then a family affair. That must be a joyous occasion. I know family is important, that is something our peoples have in common."

"Yes, I only wish my mother thought the same. Apparently her career is more important than her family." Jason said.

Gilora was almost afraid to ask, but her curiosity got the better of her. "What does she do? I can't imagine that she is in Starfleet with no time for her family."

"She's captain of the USS Canterbury and has been so since 2384." Jason said. "She's Vulcan and finds emotions difficult, at least that's her excuse. She took a leave of absence in 2365 to be with us, but by then it was too late. My siblings and I had already given up on her."

"I pity you... Being the child of yet another self righteous Captain. If it means anything I think you should cut her some slack. All Captains are like that. I think it has something to do with the programming they give you when you take the fourth pip. Incidentally it is also the reason I will never be a Captain." Gilora said not caring if her words angered the man or not.

"Its easier said than done, Yvette and I may be able to remain civil around her, but my little brother hates her with a white hot rage." Jason said. "Luckily my mother and my daughter get along well."

"Well that is good so long as grandma does not impose her self righteous ways on the child. How old is the little one?" Now, Gilora simply made small talk as she hoped he would leave soon. Her Cardassian propriety prohibited her from simply asking the man to leave.

"Jena's 22, she recently graduated Starfleet Academy, she's a science officer specializing in cybernetics and robotics. I haven't known my daughter long, her mother never told me she existed."

"Now that is truly a shame, and one that I never truly understood." Gilora began in reference to daughter. "In Cardassian society family is everything, in some cases the only thing. A woman who did not tell a man that she was with child would face scrutiny and possibly becoming an outcast. Whether you want to speak with the father or not, the child is still his to raise as well."

"I think Tela, her mother, thought I wasn't ready to bring up a child." Jason said. "In the almost 7 years that I've known Jena, I've tried to be a good father to her."

"It is hard to play catch up so I have been told." Gilora said with a small smirk. The smirk and posturing covered up the fact that her relationship with her family was strained beyond repair. But that was her business and no one else's.

"I've heard the same." Jason said. "Now, I've wasted enough of your free time. Thank you for listening. Good night, Gilora."

"Oh, it was not a waste. I do enjoy meeting new people. Have a good night Jason." Gilora said as she watched him leave. He seemed like a fairly interesting if not timid fellow.

As made his way back to his quarters, Jason thought about the first impression he'd made on the Cardassian woman.

Lieutenant Gilora Paret
Logistics Officer
Poseidon Station

Lieutenant Jason Beauvoir
Linguist
Poseidon Station

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