Save'ena - First Check in, Chow

Posted on Friday 27 April 2018 @ 22:30 by Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Lieutenant Colonel Kachiko Bayushi
Edited on on Sunday 20 May 2018 @ 08:58

Mission: Academy Days
Location: Earth Starfleet Academy - Admin Building
Timeline: Timeline: 1513 hours, August 24th, 2389
3663 words - 7.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

<< Passenger Car 5, 1513 Hours, SD 65322.52 >>

Sav got off at the Presidio West Transit Station from car 5, her L'Tandrey duffel bag over her left shoulder, her Ship duffel bag over her right. She looked up and down the debarking area and saw the first two cars with their Cadets spewing forth. She churred lightly at finding other newbies also on the same train, even though not in the same car.

As the cadets organized themselves, Sav walked over to them and stood aside, waiting for their chaotic order to pan itself out. One of the Cadets noticed her and motioned to one of the three trying to get the cadets into a semblance of order. The Andorian Male came over to Sav with a scowl upon his face. Sav took a step back from him with a small measure of fright at his countenance, and that he was a tall, robust male. Upon seeing this, he slowed down and stopped two paces away from her

"This is the stop for new Academy Recruits only, Ma'am. Please, get back on the train and go about your business. I am sure there are tours during the day and weekends for you."

Sav nodded to the Andorian and responded, "Sir, I am Merchant Marine Lieutenant Save'ena Tillatix and I have been accepted into the Academy and am to check in tomorrow. I arrived a day early from Apollonia... and didn't know you needed to wear the Cadet uniform to check in."

The Andorian grumped a little, then said, "Okay, fellow Cadet, we are in uniform because we wanted to be. Nothing in the rules stating you have to be.. but we wanted to make a good impression. And, seeing as you're from off-world, follow us and I am sure they have student housing arranged already for you. Get in line with us."

Sav churred and eased over to be behind a couple of female Cadets, feeling much more at ease around them than the burly lot of males taking up the front of the grouping. However, before Sav could start introducing herself, the lead male, Terran, called out, "Forward, March." Sav followed along, the last one in the third line, admiring the scenery as the group walked down the path past the Transporter Center, the Infirmary, and then past the Administration building to get to its Entrance, which faced south.

To the right of the entrance was three areas for new cadets to check in. Sav stayed in her line. As each Cadet had to show Padd, get found in the system for schedules, place of stay, and check-in appointment with Medical if not already done en-route, Sav was in line for a good forty minutes. She was in light pain from her insides for having stood so long, but she ignored it. As she watched people go through, she snorted out in light humor that her line, as per normal, was going the slowest.

Sounding incredibly bored, the attendant working the desk called out, "Next!"

Finally her turn, she approached the desk and put onto it her Order Padd, her Sponsor Letter, and the Padd containing the results of the Entrance Testing. She churred gently and stated, "Merchant Marine Lieutena.. I mean, Cadet Save'ena Tillatix reporting in. I'm a day early as the passenger liner I was on arrived early."

Before the man said anything, a petite human woman appeared from the Cadet's left, "Miss Tillatix. I'm Captain Bayushi. I will be advising you from here on out. Please, follow me. You've been expected."

Sav jumped slightly as words sounded out next to her.

'Sav, you're slipping... ' trampled across her mind. However, these were thoughts unto herself as they stayed behind her very good mindshield. While all Mephetian's were Telepathic and Telekinetic, with training in shielding and such, Sav's abilities were 'stunted', wrapped back onto themselves, creating a very good mind shield, and one of the reasons why the 'counseling' on Apollonia by the psychic counselors to imprint memories into her failed to wipe out the true memories, and those imprints were able to be kept in a compartment of her mind, only peeking out when direct phrase words had to be responded to by the looking 17 year old Mephetian.

Sav's psi abilities were shifted to another realm, one known as cyberapathy, in which she would touch a control panel and 'flow' with a ship to fly it, reacting seemingly instantaneously to what was happening around her from direct sensor inputs, direct control, and intimate understanding of a ship to push it to its individual limits, sometimes exceeding known parameters, sometimes not, depending upon the specific ship quality and maintenance. Thus, her telepathy was stunted to where, while she could feel someone trying to read or initiate contact with her, she had to be touched or touch the other to initiate that telepathy, and then it could work at a distance. Her telekinetics, instead of being one to four mind hands as per her race, was down to very short range and lifting ability, and was comprised of three mind 'tentacles', no hands.

While that information on her psi was a part of the L'Tandrey Protectorate records, it was not in the Federation records, and another reason why Sav was able to survive Mr. Thompson's 'gentle' care. He did not know, and therefore, was not able to compensate for it and never was able to break Sav's will and get the Uniqueria slave personality fully imprinted. It was there, well hidden, dormant, waiting for it's chance to take over Sav and then return to Diostros so she could be killed, skinned, and become his bedspread, as for what he bought her for. Now, several years later, Sav being able to dive into a ship to fly was the only thing that kept her going, and sane.

Sav turned her head to see the diminutive Terran beside her, and in noticing a female, relief could easily be seen flooding through her. She managed to say, "Ma'am, uh, yes Ma'am." She turned back to the desk and gathered her two Padds and her Sponsor Letter from it, then shifted to face Kachiko. As she had not put them down, over her left shoulder was slung a duffel bag made with unusual looking fabric, a crystalline/silk weave, while over her right was slung a standard Merchant Marine Ship Duffel bag. Sav smiled as she handed Kachiko the Padds and sponsor letter, shaking her tail once as she said, "Glad to meet you, Captain Bayushi. Here are my papers."

Kachiko deferred the PADD, "No need, Cadet. I have already committed your file to memory. Let's get moving."

Sav replaced the items into her L'Tandrey duty Sashe and began waking beside and just a touch behind Kachiko so she could follow along and not get in the way of turns, yet be able to chat. She wondered at this superior officer committing her file to Memory and had also noticed no other Cadet's with an Advisor. There was a burning question now within her mind, and while she loathed what the answer could be, she asked anyway, "Ma'am, are you my Advisor because of me being from a frontier world?" Sav could only hope the answer was not 'no, because of your incident with a Federation Representative and Starfleet on Apollonia,' but knowing how life had it in for her, figured that was what it would be, but still hoped that would not be it.

"No, darling," Kachiko smiled. She understood the poor thing walking with her, having more knowledge of her than provided in the dossier. Her Intelligence docket was a bit more expansive regarding her history, mostly her very recent history.

Sav's ears perked up at the 'darling', a term of endearment among Terrans. It was usually given between friends, from older to younger, or those of fiance or marriage, as far as she knew. So, she hoped it was because of older to younger as she did not know, at all, this 'Captain Bayushi'. Still, a light churr sounded from her chest, a rather exotic and erotic sound, at the 'darling' spoken.

"You're a species new in the Federation and the first of your people at Starfleet Academy. Besides, I also understand that you have an instinctual distrust of humans, given your more recent experiences with us back home?"

Sav blinked. Did her diplomatic status as dual citizenship with the L'Tandrey Protectorate follow her.... then, the words formed more associative within her mind. New - Federation - First at Academy. However, what was with the distrust of Terrans? It was of Starfleet and what the Esteemed StarFleet Strom Thurman Advanced Research Medical Facility, docs and counselors, had done to her. Still, if she ran with distrust of Terrans, it would make it easier on her at the Academy. One little white lie of not information given... but that was not her.

Sav stated, "Umm, no Ma'am, not of Terrans... it was more distrust of.. umm, StarFleet because of the Strom Thurman Advanced Research Medical Facility and their 'tender' care.?.?" Sav's tone rose along with her words. She hoped she had not just kicked herself out of the academy as this was also Starfleet.

The tiny, black uniformed woman paused and looked up at considerably taller girl, "I would like to give you a kinder impression of us, that we aren't all terrible people. I was also assigned to help you better integrate with how the Academy functions. While we are alone, you may call me Kachiko, otherwise I am Captain Bayushi."

Sav 'felt' around her by listening with her ears, feeling with her whiskers, and smelling of pheromones and scent markers of those nearby. She was still very fuzzy, even after this time, and her senses were dulled, but still sharper than a lot of races. She realized they were isolated among the crowd, and stated, "Yes, Kachiko. And, that is what Marshall Kenathau said, and one of the reasons he sponsored me." She swallowed, then quietly whispered, "If allowed, please, Call me Sav when we are alone." She pronounced it like 'Sahv'.

"Your Academy Commanding Officer is Vice Admiral Yu Xsin Chen, Cadet. You will need to report to her before the class day ends."

Sav's entire body momentarily froze at hearing 'Admiral' from Kachiko's words. Her churring had stopped even as the fur on her tail fluffed out even more. Her tail, now in protective mode, now caused Sav to disappear from life sensors (and any active tricorders) for the moment. She managed to unfreeze to nod and say in an only semi-shaky voice, "Vice Ad Admiral Yu Xsin Chen, yes Ma'am. Wh wh will that be today, or tomorrow, Ma'am?"

"It will be today," Kachiko had noticed the girl's reactions. Not to mention while her telepathic senses were currently closed off, particularly in a highly populated area like Starfleet Academy, her empathic senses were wide open.

Sav almost balked, but kept moving and keeping with the pace of Kachiko. She stated, "To today, y yes Ma'am." The undergraduate dormitory complexes were just east of the Main Administrative building. They arrived at the B Complex, that reserved for Alien Academic attendees.

Before the pair entered the dormitory, Kachiko tried to calm the sweet girl, "Sav, I know Vice Admiral Chen quite well. The Admiral is half-Vulcan and a very pleasant lady. She has never encountered your people before and like many Vulcans, is curious. She bid me to bring you to see her before evening chow."

Some of Sav's trepidation seemed to disappear at the words, 'Vulcan' and then even more so at 'lady'. She seemed to relax, her churrs returning, as she answered Kachiko, "Coolio, Vulcan Lady curious about a Mephetian." She snorted in light humor, saying, "I hope I live up to her expectations as I am not sure what they would be."

On the seventh floor, the pair went to room 31. Thus, they were at B731 for dormitory accommodations. Sav actually let out a pleasant sigh at seeing herself being among the standard cadets and not isolated into a diplomatic section.

The pair paused before B731 hatch, "This is where you will be living for the next eight months. You will be moving to progressively nicer quarters as you move on to each progressive year. Please, step in and set your possessions on your rack. We have more to see and do."

Sav nodded and went inside. She found the four rack space only occupied by one rack on the bottom left. So, she placed her two duffel bags onto the upper left. She was a race of tree dwelling Sentients, she felt at home higher than lower. And, she had caught the name on a journal below, that of M'Katerina. That specific name denoted Caitian, and Female, so she felt at ease. She came back out from the space and made sure the door closed. Sav remained dressed in her civilian attire as she did not have a Cadet uniform yet. Her L'Tandrey duty sashe remained upon her and ran from left shoulder to over right hip, while her left forearm still had her thin crystalline 'jewelry' bracer around it. Sav touched that bracer and a holographic representation of where the two were appeared. She smiled to Kachiko and said, "Okay, recorded on my wrist computer. Ready to continue?"

"Excellent," Kachiko looked at the map projection with a bit of curiosity. "I thought I would show you where your classes will be held, some Cadet areas, the chow hall and finally to the Vice Admiral."

Sav grinned as her wrist computer projected a hexagraphic control panel. She easily strung together a query and control statement, and then the display disappeared. She smiled to Kachiko, "Okay, recording paths and patterns, ready."

"Let us be off!" Kachiko exclaimed as she moved off.

There was a path from the B complex that led directly to the Academic buildings. The first building to pass in going east was the Student Union. Next building was the all important Library. After this was the Surak Astrophysics Hall, and after that was a grouping of academic buildings around the Christopher Pike Hall. The athletic grounds were south of the Academics area, past the Faculty housing units.

Sav was enjoying the classroom tour, seeing the names and what they represented. She had no qualms about proven males and their actions, it was the current and unknown quantities that she was afraid of, and in her personal experience, very, very warranted. Still, according to the courts on Apollonia, everything she had tried to say was the ravings of a Teenage Raver trying to pin blame upon an esteemed Federation Councilman and was proven to be false and the recorded events real. Even though, to any with investigative prowess, the court events could not occur and never should have been admitted. Still, what was done, was done, and life went on.

The Chow hall was just west of the Thomas Kendel Hall. By this time, it was 1700 hours, and time for chow. Sav followed Kachiko into the Chow hall, marveling at the amount of Cadets and feeding of those Cadets. As she followed into one of the lines, she could not but overhear several comments about her appearance and the usual sniffs about her, searching for the namesake skunk odor that one knowledgeable about Terranic life forms would know and look for. Sav ignored the comments as she repeated over and over to herself, "Sentient, not animal, sentient, not animal, sentient, not animal."

Kachiko could sense the building tension from young Sav in addition to a number of other Cadets whom seemed focused on the girl. She kept her eyes on Sav, trying to judge her impending reaction. What words she heard from the other Cadets were unkind and unusually cruel. However, she was not going to intervene, as young Miss Tillatix needed to learn to handle the adversity.

Sav opened her eyes in slits to see Kachiko looking at her. She grinned, not really feeling it, but knowing it was expected of her, and said, "I'm a Mephetian, a sentient race, no familiarity with this Skunk of Terran fame. I'm used to it on Apollonia, I'm fine, honest." Sav felt herself say the words, but in actuality, the slants against her stung a little. That would always be there. She shook herself, knowing she was the 'trespasser' as she was here on a letter, and had to let the words slide, honest. "Let's see what they have for food. Maybe, they might have a good stew with a decent base and plenty of root vegetables."

Kachiko smiled in return, not exactly believing her words, "In the Twentieth Century on Earth, there was an animated children's television show featuring a a male cat with the same colors as your fur and similar markings, named Sylvester. Sylvester could walk on two feet like we do and even talk, albeit with a severe speech impediment."

Sav raised an eyebrow as her tail shook once as Kachiko talked. She was real, while the show was animated, and anything could be done in animation. She continued to walk along in the line as she asked, "Okay, and..?"

"Sylvester had a tendency to mistake female skunks with cats and tried to woo them. Another character in said program was a male skunk name Pepe, who routinely wooed lady cats."

Sav let out a light giggle at this. It was funny that the two mistook each other's 'kind' for pursuing for romantic endeavors, and would be funny from 6 year old kitlings and up. The show's creators probably knew that. She churred in her answer, "That's funny."

Several guys nearby heard that churring, finding it rather exotic and erotic, changing their notice of her from 'skunk' to 'ooOOoo, exotic female'.

"You just reminded me of this program, which is a happy thing," Kachiko grinned.

Sav churred again, her tail jouncing twice in affirmation, "Thanks, I think."

The two were now at the head of the buffet line with its various dishes. Buffet style was the easiest and fastest way to feed a large number of people. However, the serving containers were kept medium to keep food quality up, while chefs and Cadets in the food program cooked up and replaced what was being taken by the cadets.

Sav managed to find a Shepherds Pie that was to her liking, as well as an herbal unsweetened tea. As her last meal was an egg sandwich breakfast, she was getting very hungry and glad for this meal. "This is actually nice, for a change. Doesn't taste of swamp, or replicated. Thanks for this, Captain."

"Sav, sweetie, this is where you will be eating so daily," Kachiko shrugged. "Attendance here includes three meals a day. I will be sure to get you the meal schedule and the upcoming menu for the next week."

Sav looked up from eating at Kachiko, a pleasant expression on her face with a slight smile across her muzzle. That sounded nice, the word 'sweetie'. That, coupled with the 'darling' from earlier, made Sav wonder if this was how Kachiko spoke, or if she was taking a liking to her. Sav remembered others saying those terms to her in high school and college, but had not really heard them again after Mr. Thompson. She just thought that now being an adult instead of a teenager had been what occurred, but now here were endearing terms again. She blushed lightly and responded, "Thank you, Kachiko. I look forward to the Menu and planning for quick grabs. Homework here will probably be even more than the Advanced Studies University where I studied where I got my Starship Operations Business Degree."

Kachiko shook her head, "Humans have centuries of experience with education facilities and programs like the Academy, hon. It has been discovered that large quantities of homework was not conducive towards an effective learning environment. Don't get me wrong, there will be homework, but there won't be nearly as much as you may already be used to. At least there wasn't when I attended."

Sav finished her Shepherds Pie and asked, "Did you enjoy your time at the Academy? The students here seem more adjusted than those in the civy Universities... " She laughed, a marvelous sound interspersed with her churrs. Many students brightened at hearing that laughter. Sav finished with, "Then again, on a Frontier Colony world, I bet the students are a little more harsh than would be on a home world."

"No, but I cannot discuss why, for both matters of confidentiality and classified Intelligence. I apologize," the diminutive Marine shrugged apologetically. The small woman finished her small meal before setting her utensils atop the cafeteria tray.

Sav was saddened to hear that Kachiko had not had a pleasant time, and she hoped this wasn't a foreboding of her time to be at the academy. She downcast her eyes, blushing lightly, as she said in a low voice, "Sorry to hear that, and, I understand, apologies not needed. Life is what it is." She shook herself to show question dismissed and ready for a new start with a conversation with Kachiko.

Sav finished her tea, focused her ears onto Kachiko, as well as her whiskers coming 45 degrees out from her muzzle, as she smiled sweetly and said, "This day has sure turned out pleasant. I'm ready whenever you are to go see Vice AdMiral Yu Xsin Chen." Sav did not stutter this time, doing better, but there was still a tone of fright within the word of Admiral, except Sav's expression showed she had not noticed, or at least, didn't show it.

"Certainly," Kachiko stood and gathered up her tray. "The Admiral awaits us."

TBC

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Cadet Save'ena Amilia Tillatix
Apollonia Sponsored Cadet
San Fransisco StarFleet Academy

(Marine) Captain Bayushi Kachiko
Academic and Student Life Advisor
Starfleet Academy, Earth