First Year Christmas Break

Posted on Wednesday 4 July 2018 @ 12:22 by 1st Lieutenant Cara O'Reilly MD & Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Lieutenant Colonel Kachiko Bayushi

Mission: Academy Days
Location: San Francisco Star Fleet Academy Cadet Commissary
Timeline: Saturday, 1430 hours, December 23rd, 2389
3630 words - 7.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Sav gently walked around the Academy Commissary. She really wasn't needing anything, but she had to get out and away from her room. It was December 23rd, a Saturday, and Christmas Break at the academy. Most students were away with family, or with friends who had family. As Sav had been involved with an altercation with Senior cadets earlier in the year, she really didn't have any friends. Oh, she had acquaintances who like being with her, for helping with their classwork or solving for extracurricular assignments, but none who wanted to be a friend, well, except for Rina.

Sav moved over to a display of various puzzles and brain teasers. She began looking over them without really looking over them as her mind was busy on other calendar events. She sighed as she realized she had missed her birthday, again. That was the third year in a row. Well, in 2387 she was undergoing StarFleet psychic imprint counseling at Strom Thurman, then in 2388 she was involved in heavy classes at the Advanced Studies Institute, and this year she was under Medical and Administration leave for the Incident with the Senior Cadets. She closed her eyes to try and tamper back the melancholy trying to take her over along with stopping the tears that came with it.

Sav idly picked up an IQ Brain Teaser puzzle, one labeled SiamMandalay: Lock-a-ball - Vulcan Edition. As she looked over the shapes of the interlocking wooden pieces, her mind built up a spatial representation and she saw how to solve it. She went to a try table, unaware of several cadets watching, as well as a couple staff. The Cadets were getting ready to egg the newcomer on about such an 'easy' puzzle, even though they had never solved it. The staff was wondering if they would need to dig out the manuals again to work at arranging it correctly to be finished taken apart and put back together.

Sav surprised them all. Playing with the wooden puzzle, she quickly disassembled it down to individual pieces, including playing with the used to be trapped ball inside, and then she dutifully reassembled it back to pristine condition. Now the puzzle awaited for the next person willing to try to release its prisoner inside. She put it on the table and looked at it for a bit, really wishing it was a cupcake with a candle, with some friends around, and knowing it would not be.

The staff were floored at not needing to do anything with the puzzle. They returned to their normal stations and helping Cadets. Several Cadets began talking among themselves about how she could have so easily solved it, she must have done it before, she cheated somehow, while some were ribbing friends at if she did it so easily, why don't they give it a whirl.

The door opened and in walked a Chinese woman with long black hair and sharp eyes. Cadet Tillatix would recognize the woman immediately as the former head of Starfleet Intelligence, her gently pointed earlobes hidden beneath her long hair. The Vice-Admiral wore a simple black parka over what appeared to be black slacks.

Sav heard the door open and glanced that way. The facial features looked familiar, but Terrans looked very similar to her. However, the scent that came to her was 'Vulcan', and with that information she recognized who it was, Vice Admiral Yu Xsin Chen. And, behind that scent was one she was intimately familiar with, Kachiko. Sav turned and waited for them to get over to her, if they were coming her way. If not, she would return her attentions to the puzzles and try to find a harder one.

The incognito Flag Officer noted the Mephetian next to a Vulcan child's logic puzzle and arched an eyebrow inquisitively. Following behind the woman was a more familiar face, in uniform: Captain Bayushi. She found Sav's gaze with her own, "~The Admiral isn't revealing herself as yet, Doll. Just call her ma'am.~"

Sav returned, ~Ma'am, got it. I was going to ask if it was Miss or Mrs., but Ma'am works fine. *churr* I'm glad to see you, but I truly hope you're here for supplies and not just because of me?~

Kachiko shook her head slowly, "~No. The Admiral wished to do a bit of shopping before the holiday. As a flag officer, she needs an escort. Hence why I'm here.~"

Sav's ears flicked as her tail shook at seeing the raised eyebrow on Chen. She remarked, "It was something to do, so I solved it and put it back together so the staff wouldn't have to." She curtsied to the two and said in her Apollonian swamp area accent, "Aftahnoon, Captain Bayushi, Ma'am. Ah hope tis day finds yah well. Findin whatcha need?" Sav's padd held a list of a total of two items: 1: Sidecutters 2: Biohazard Material bags, small, 100 count

Yu Xsin smiled at the Cadet's explanation for the puzzle, "That was kind of you, Cadet. It is rare for non-Vulcans to be able to solve that puzzle in a short period of time."

Sav's eyes grew rounder in surprise even as a blush began to show upon her muzzle and along her earcups. She spoke out in a quiet voice, "Thank you, Ma'am. Ana, sorry, didna know. Ah will be more cahreful ina future, ayuh." Sav shifted to be farther away from the try station and glanced about to make sure no one was paying close attention. No one was, except for Kachiko and Chen.

Her voice went back to normal volume as she asked, "Here shoppin? Want me help fer anythin? Ah ama here only fer two items, ana they can wait, not really needed rahght now, ayuh." She realized how she spoke, and she now 'crisped' her speech, "Sorry, I slip to my native dialect when I am not in a formal environment. If it gets on your nerves, I can keep to Fed Standard."

"I'm mostly just browsing for potential gifts," Yu Xsin said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "I can understand you either way you choose to speak, Cadet."

The woman looked around them briefly before asking in a hushed voice, "Were these other Cadets giving you any grief?"

Sav answered respectfully, "No, Ma'am. They and I have been mindin ourun own business. Ah just... Ah just... Ah know when one isa special, it attracts unwanted attentions, tis all. Ah.. have had enough ofa tat, ayuh." Unknown to Sav, a couple of Third Year Male Cadets had noticed the Mephetian and were contacting others to get to the gift shop to have a little fun. They had heard rumors of what happened on the SSH weekend, and if they were going to have a chance at such a weekend, they needed to keep this upstarts mouth shut and let the Dad's do damage control. However, those Cadets would not arrive for another ten minutes, and so the three Junior male cadets kept a watchful eye on their charge and her newfound friends.

Sav now began moving towards the hygiene area. She said, "Ah did leave ah note fer Rina to come thisa way ifin she didn't leave fer France. Mind ifin we go that way while we are talkin?"

<< Continued Below >>

==== Meanwhile ====

Rina stood in the long line at the entrance to the shuttle pad. She shifted her weight and sighed.

"Cheer up, Cadet," a lieutenant said, stepping up to Rina and looking at the PADD in her hand. "You actually get to get out of here for a couple weeks. The rest of us are stuck here until you guys get back from Christmas break. Name?"

"Cadet First Class M'Katerina," Rina said. "I'll trade with you, Lieutenant. Unlike everyone in this line, I'm not going home for the holidays. I'd rather stay here," she said.

The lieutenant liked at Rina's orders and said, "these are voluntary orders," he said. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. Although why you would give up two weeks of fun in the sun in the South of France I don't know."

Rina looked at the lieutenant with surprise. "No one told me I could stay," she said.

"So....are you saying you want to turn down Holiday Leave?" the lieutenant asked.

"Absolutely," Rina said, excitedly.

"Then step out of line, Cadet," the lieutenant said and moved aside.

"Thank you, sir," Rina said, grabbing her duffle. "Merry Christmas, Lieutenant," she added and ran away from the shuttle pad. A few minutes later she ran breathlessly up to her dorm room and burst through the door. "Savvie......I'm back!"

The dorm room was cleaned up immaculate, Rina's bed made with pillows fluffed and prettily styled. Sav's bed looked utilitarian with its pillows placed in a row along the wall. As per usual Sav, she left a note for Rina, just in case something happened and Rina had to come back to the room, or the two week vacation to France fell through. The note said, "Heya Rina-Girrrl, I am off to the commissary. I have two hygiene items to pick up, you know, female stuff. If you have time, come on by. I will be windows and game looky looing while there. Kisses and Hugs, Sav"

Rina tossed her duffel on her bed and headed off for the commissary. She walked through the doors and looked around for the hygiene department. Seeing the sign that hung over the aisles, she started with the first one, then up the second and stopped at the end of the third as she watched Sav reading labels on bottles of shampoo. She knew she wouldn't be able to sneak up behind Sav so she simply leaned against the shelving unit and waited for her scent to reach her friend.

Sav glanced at the lables of the shampoo. She was always on the lookout for specific combinations of botanicals for use with her fur. She hated chemicals and her body coming up with weird oils to fight those chemicals. While not on her list, she really wasn't going to go by the hygiene area with the bio-hazard bags or the hardware section for new side-cutters, now with Kachiko and Chen there with her. She suddenly paused, a scent coming to her. She smiled to Kachiko and Chen, saying, "She's here." She turned to face Rina and called out, "Rina Rina Rina... hi."

Rina pushed off of the shelving unit and walked towards Sav, her arms outstretched.

Sav gladly gathered Rina into a hug with a light kiss to her lips. She turned to Kachiko and Chen and said, "And this is M'Katerina, my roomy. She isa cool, fer sure."

The incognito Vice-Admiral just arched an eyebrow in amusement, while the likewise incognito Marine chuckled, "Decided against going to France, Kitty Kat?"

"Found out I didn't have to," Rina said with a laugh. "I would rather stay here with Savvie."

As Sav and Rina were fully seen in the aisle, with Chen just seen and Kachiko hidden, the four junior Cadets who just came into the commissary made a bee-line towards Sav and Rina. The three Junior Cadets who had sent word joined them. Now fully seven, they bore down onto the two, rather three girls. The one was older, but, would scare off easily. As they came up to them, the lead Cadet 'noticed' Sav and Rina as just thought seeing them. He said, "Hey guys, look what I spy. A fun little Caitian who is itchin for a scritchen and that Mephetian chic who clawed her chaperoning Senior Cadets. Hey Caitian, you might not want to be that close, that Bitch isn't house trained or friendly."

Rina stiffened and her claws extended.

Sav's hands twitched but her claws did NOT come out. She was still fresh from her anger management and self control classes and she was not to pop her claws unless her life was threatened. It wasn't. Still, Rina was able to react so Sav's tail spread out in full protection as she kept it handy as a shield if those idiot males tried anything.

Kachiko smiled wickedly, behind the speaker. Stepping forward silently and swiftly, she stepped into the back of his knee, dropping him to his knees, the vicious little woman wrapping a firmly muscled arm around his neck.

The other six male cadets took a step back. The.. Marine, yeah, Marine garbed lady appeared out of nowhere and had their leader dropped and wrapped. They had not signed onto a gig like this, it was supposed to be a harass and leave affair.

"I understand that you boys think that my Cadet charges are free game, but I imagine that you won't like what's about to happen to your Academy experiences if you cunts don't apologize immediately and get the fuck out of my sight?"

As she was speaking, Yu Xsin moved between the male Cadets and the two alien Cadets.

The Leader, Junior Cadet Mark Waters, who has not seen that a Marine has him in a hold, only that he was accosted, called out, "Woah, lady, this is assault on a Starfleet Academy Cadet in high standing. We have done nothing wrong and I have only exercised my free speech rights to call out a situation as I see it. Release me now, or I have my friends call the MP's. Got it?"

The other six guys bristled forward, but remained weary of the second, small stature lady who seemed so sure of herself. Two who were security trained stepped forward to go into typical Krav Maga stances, ready to help out Mark when it came down to that.

"Do you know whom has your retarded head ready to pop off your shoulders, boy?" Kachiko growled. "Marine Special Operator Captain Bayushi. You might want to tell your stupid friends to back off."

Mark's eyes grew wide as he quit struggling. No one had said the idiot Mephetian was near a Marine special operator. This was getting bad, quick. The other six backed up, with the two security trained standing up and seeming to look about the commissary for goods.

Now Yu Xsin, still incognito, spoke up with a clear and strong voice, "You will all return to your dormitories for the day. You will turn in an essay to your Academic Advisors regarding your mistakes made regarding your attitudes towards these young ladies and you will send Captain Bayushi a copy. These are due by 1 January at 1130 hours. Am I understood?"

Since Mark was waiting to see what the Spec Op Marine was going to do, Cadet Tembil Sayanraf held up a hand and retorted, "Wait a minute, Civie. We're just having a slight misunderstanding here about that Skunk gal who is near an unsuspecting Cadet Female who might get hurt. After all, she clawed, CLAWED, some of our senior friends on a friendly camping trip." Meanwhile, the two security trained Cadet's shifted to be nearer to the civilian woman, ready to help escort her away while Mark and Tembil tried to diffuse the situation with the Marine. Tembil continued and asked, "So, who the hell do you think you are, Civie, to order us around like that? Leave and we won't report you to the M.P.s."

As Sav knew who the 'civie' was, she shifted close to Rina to let her know they were in good hands and whispered into her ear, "Vice Admiral Yu Xsin Chen, Vulcan."

Yu Xsin shot Save'ena an annoyed look, ruining her entertaining reveal. She reached up towards the hood of the heavy parka, a faint hiss sounding as the self-contained weather unit decompressed and unsealed. She slid the coat back until it slipped off and to the deck, exposing the dark uniform with its grey undershirt, Vice-Admiral's pips gracing her collar.

"You children were saying? Shall I contact Academy security and have you spend the night in the brig?" The Chinese looking woman reached up to brush back her long hair, revealing a gently pointed earlobe.

The change that came over the cadets was astonishing. Five were totally shell shocked, not really moving as their brains tried to process through a vapor lock from the reveal. Tembil mouthed an obvious expletive without saying it, "You're a Vice Admiral? In the commissary? Why? And where...." He glanced at Kachiko, then mouthed an "Oh..."

Mark swallowed within the headlock of Kachiko. He said, "Apologies, Ma'am. No need to call security. We didn't realize an Admiral with Escort was about." He looked at the others, "Guys, we may have come in a little hot headed." He looked over at Sav and Rina, then said, "I apologize for my hasty words, Caitian, and Cadet Tillatix. I only meant to make sure the Caitian knew the danger she was in being near you, as far as I know about what happened. A lot has been hushed up, and I only know from rumors about, okay? So, apology accepted, Caitian?"

"My name's not Caitian," Rina spoke up. "Evidently you flunked species versus names in school. I am Cadet First Class M'Katerina and would appreciate being called by my name."

Kachiko growled from behind her current 'captive', "It was Cadet Tillatix that you cast aspersions upon."

"You have committed a grave sin, particularly for someone whom desires to be a Starfleet Officer," the Vice Admiral continued. "You made assumptions regarding the happenings with Miss Tillatix, much more so the outcome of her hearing, subjects that you are not privy to. Learning not to make base assumptions without evidence is supposed to be drummed out of you in your first year at the Academy. Do you require additional classes to relearn this very critical lesson?"

Mark groused within Kachiko's arms. He knew exactly what had happened at the campground and could not say more so as to not give anything away that had not been expanded upon at the tribunal and the subsequent investigations by StarFleet intelligence. What the hell was up with that damn Skunk Chic that she warranted such protection? So, he said the only thing he could, "No, Ma'am. I did not think to apply first encounter or diplomatic engagement rules with a fellow cadet or crew, especially with a potential dangerous situation as far as my knowledge was concerned."

Mark gave a meaningful look to Tembil, then looked over to Sav and Rina. "My apologies, Cadet Tillatix, First Class Cadet M'Katerina, for assumptions from talks among Cadets. I will endeavor to ask and learn more before acting on rumors."

Tembril nodded and added, "Same for me too."

"I expect those essays before eleven hundred on One January," Kachiko smirked as she released Mark, pushing him forward. "Now get your dumb asses the hell out of my sight!"

Mark got to his feet and he, and the others, quickly hurried off. They had to inform the cliques of what happened and they really had to stay away from Tillatix until the investigations died down.

Rina snarled,baring her teeth at the boys then turned to the officers. "Thank you, Ma'am," she said. "With all due respect I wish you hadn't done that. You won't always be there to protect us and, if we're to be Starfleet officers we will need to learn to protect ourselves. They," she nodded toward the departing boys. "are going to harder to get along with now and if we ever get assigned to them in a team situation it's going to be even rougher."

Sav fussed lightly over Rina as Rina voiced her concerns. She hadn't given what Rina said any thought as she had already faced Academy Counselors hostile to her and signs of 'I'm watching you' from Senior male cadets who had been at the camp when she escaped her bonds. But, now, it affected Rina, and Sav felt even worse that her messed up life was intruding into her fast becoming BFF's life.

"Actually, Kitty Kat, it's a part of the investigation," Kachiko grinned. "Cadet Winters didn't know that I am a telepath with a license to peek. On his way out of here, he was thinking that he needed to tell everyone to back off from the two of you."

"We are not here by coincidence," the Vice Admiral stated. "We have had a comms lock on Cadet Tillatix since the conclusion of the tribunal. We are also monitoring comms traffic around the Cadet and we noticed the comms from Cadet Winters."

Sav shook her head to clear it as a surprised expression went across her countenance. She wasn't expecting this, at all. She didn't mean to attract trouble, but it sure had a way of finding her. She caught ahold of Rina's tail to stroke it and hoped Rina wasn't in trouble now with her.

"From this point on Cadet M'Katerina, I need you to shadow Cadet Tillatix until classes resume," the Vice Admiral sighed. "The Captain is closing in on whomever is behind this conspiracy. Until then, I must also ask that both of you remain observant and wary. There are dark forces at work and the Captain and I need to root them out."

Rina looked down at Sav and smiled. As she winked she said, "I don't need a direct order to do that, Admiral."

Sav smiled up to the taller Caitian, then turned to look at Kachiko and Chen. "Yes, Ma'ams, I will be on the lookout, and wary. I don't want to attract any trouble to Rina, or myself."





OFF:

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

Cadet First Class M'Katerina
First Year Student
StarFleet Academy

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