Chance Encounters

Posted on Thursday 19 November 2020 @ 12:19 by Captain Melody Jones & Commander Caroline Miller & Lieutenant Nir’anyar

Mission: A Whale of a problem (We're going to need a bigger boat)
Location: Round Table
Timeline: MD6 2130
1986 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Tired of being just the Doctor was something of an understatement. Yes, she was a little more abrupt than most of the other medical team on the Merlin but why should that stop her from getting to know others on the ship. She had kept herself locked away for too long. Yes, she had been through more than enough for one lifetime given what the Romulans had done to her but that was in the past. This was now her time to start building her own life again.

Since arriving she had spoken to only her patients, she had even only spoken to the Chief Medical Officer on one occasion since she had arrived and that was only because she needed clarity on something, she likely wouldn't even remember her. Beyond that one encounter, she had not even met any of the other senior officers. Sufficed to say she was feeling disconnected, even more so than she had been comfortable with, so now she intended to go and sit in the round table for an hour or so and see if she couldn't make a new friend... or at the very least talk to someone.

It seemed to be abuzz with activity. Someone was sitting at a piano, playing quite beautifully so she ordered her drink, a simple Saurian Brandy, and planted herself at a window seat close to the pianist with a view of the rest of the room. It was this moment she spotted a face she recognised, someone she had not seen since her time at the academy. She cocked her head quizzically looking her up and down before she spotted that this Benzite woman was giving her a thorough look over. Caroline had done well for herself, Commander and here she was still just a Junior Lieutenant.
"Miller... It has been far too long!"

Caroline turned around and a big smile ran up the corners of her mouth. "Nir’anyar, how are you? Can I join you?"

The Benzite simply waved at the chair opposite her having expected Miller to just sit down anyway.

The blond sat down and one of the waiters locked eyes with her. "Andorran sunset?" he mouthed. Caroline nodded and flushed a little. "I'm clearly becoming too predictable for the staff," she chuckled.

"Was that not what you drank at the Academy... The late nights when we should have been studying?"
A quirky little smile tugged at the Nir's mouth, mostly obscured by the tendrils but the devilish glint in her eyes conveying the mischievous intent of her comment. "So I had no idea you had been assigned here... If I had known I would have sought you out sooner... I could have done with a friend!"

"It is but the difference is we used to mix it so it was a lot stronger back then," Caroline quipped. "Well you have a friend now," she smiled. "So what else have you been up too. Eaten yet? I'm starving."

It had been some time since her last meal, and why not enjoy it while reconnecting with an old friend. It had been so many years, and so much now sat between them that Miller wouldn't be aware of... or not to her knowledge anyway.

"Some savoury Uttaberry Crepe's would be lovely!"

With it being Melody's night off, she had come down to the Round table to relax. She had ordered a glass of Aldebaran whisky when she noticed a piano had been placed at one end of the room. She sat down at the piano and placed her glass on a small table nearby and started to improvise some soft jazz, just as background music. Most did not notice. Once or two looked around and were surprised to see the CO entering in the Round table but smiled and enjoyed the music.

She had been concentrating on playing that she hadn't seen Caroline and a Benzite medical officer enter. When she finally looked up, she saw them sat at a table not far away. She thought for a moment to remember the Benzite's name. She had reviewed file when she came aboard but not met her personally yet. Nir'anyar! Yes, that was it she thought to herself.

Melody remembered Caroline saying she liked a particular piece of music from Earth. She shifted styles seamlessly and soon, the strains of 'Clair De Lune' were wafting through the air.

"It sounds good but I'm thinking some serious carbs. Then I can go swim tomorrow morning and work them off," Caroline chuckled. "Loaded nachos for me."

She looked around hearing her favourite piece of music and spotted a familiar face. "Happy for some more company once she's finished her set?" she indicated the pianist.

"A friend of yours?" Asked the Benzite as she waved over one of the servers and placed the order.

Melody picked up her glass and came over to their table. "Hi Caroline. How are you this evening?" She turned to her companion and held out her free hand. " You must be Nir'anyar. We don't have many Benzites onboard. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Melody."

"I am indeed. You play wonderfully... I did not realise that Merlin had a civilian entertainment team! I'm not accustomed to many of the luxuries this ship has to offer".
Nir'anyar accepted her handshake readily "And please call me Anya... A nickname someone gave me back at Starfleet Academy... It stuck!"

Caroline couldn't quite believe her eyes. She had to stifle a little laugh. "Anya that's the Captain. Melody Jones."

"Melody the piano playing Starship Captain!" Anya was more than a little sceptical just from the fact it started like the beginning of some form of joke. "I find it hard to believe the Captain would be a lounge entertainer... Nice try though Caroline!"
The Benzite laughed... or at least what passed for a laugh from an amphibious for of life.

Melody raised an eyebrow. “Actually.....”

Before she could continue the waiter came back. “Here is your food.” As he sat the plates down he noticed Melody. “Ahh, Good evening Captain. Is there anything I can get you?

“Double Altair sandwich, no mustard, please. And another one of these.” She drained the glass with the Aldebaran whiskey in.


“Yes ma’am. One double Altair sandwich and a glass of the usual. Beautiful playing as always, the piano is available to you anytime.”

“Thank you.” She replied.

He headed away to get her order. Melody turned her attention back to Anya. “Who says a starship captain can’t play the piano as well?”

Anya just wanted the floor to open and swallow her, she just stared, alternating between Caroline and Melody, her mouth flapping lending a practical example to the old earth saying 'A fish out of water'.

"Don't worry about it." Melody smiled at her, trying to reassure her. "We haven't formally met before now and I am out of uniform. Anyway, there's no harm done. I take it you know Caroline before you were posted to the Merlin?"

The waiter returned with Melody's sandwich and drink.

"Yes sir. We went to Starfleet Medical Academy at the same time."
She didn't know how to react so she just took it in her stride and ploughed on ahead as if nothing was wrong.

"Melody is fine off duty. So how are you liking your tour on the Merlin so far?"

"I couldn't comment so far sir... Melody" she corrected herself. "I seem to have hit the ground running and the ship is so large I keep getting lost... And I had thought the Galaxy Class had been oversized!"

Melody Jones was not what Anya had been expecting in her ships Captain. Far younger than was customary, more informal that was expected. This ship was certainly full of surprises, not least of all finding her old friend on board.

"You'll get used to her eventually," Melody replied. "It took me a while after I came onboard. I didn't know Caroline here until I joined the Merlin but we quickly became good friends."

"That's true," Caroline said. "And now I know you're around we can hang out more. That would be nice. Maybe not a crazy as we did at the academy ehh? No telling Mel here any stories."

"You mean no telling the Captain about the bottle of Tequila, the naked Tellarite and the watermelon!"
A crooked smile spread across Anya's features knowing she would have already caught the Commander's attention. "My lips are sealed!"

Melody raised an eyebrow. "Caroline, have you been keeping secrets? And I thought I was the wilder one. Please go on Anya."

"Commander!" Anya began as a matter of fact as she could muster. "Commander Miller is now technically my patient and as such I am bound to confidentiality and not even an order from my Commanding Officer carries enough weight to compel me to break that unspoken bond between two individuals!"
She tucked into her food which had been untouched to this point.

"Not necessary Anya," Caroline laughed. She had been joking. "And it was two naked Tellerites. Quite muscular actually. So Mel how come you're tinkering those ivories tonight? I take it Draxx ....."

Melody drained her glass in a single gulp and got a waiter's attention. "Yes, he knows and no, he didn't take it well. I thought I'd give him some space tonight," she told Caroline. "Another, make it a double," she told the waiter as she handed him her glass.

"Do you have children Anya?" Melody asked.

"I'm afraid not... The Romulans saw to that" the Benzite said, still eating her food hoping it covered the sorrow she felt at that. As with most women of any species, could she truly be considered female if that one very simple biological imperative had been removed with no chance of it being restored to her.

"I'm sorry..." Melody said. "I can appreciate how you must feel. Before I had Sansa I didn't think I could even have children after my experience with the Borg. Then, Sansa experienced the similar rapid ageing as I did. She's lost a lot of childhood. And now she's sharing her body with Fay." The waiter returned with her drink which Melody took a long sip from.

"Well, this turned into a cheery conversation," Caroline observed. She wondered if there was any further research into possible treatment for what Anya had endured. "Draxx just walked in," she indicated the door.

The Bajoran made his way over to his wife and then. Caroline lent into Anya. "That's the captain's husband,"

"Evening ladies," the Bajoran said. "So this is where you got too red?"

Melody looked up, slightly surprised. "Draxx! I wasn't expecting to see you. I thought you'd want some space. This is Lieutenant Nir'anyar. This is my Husband, Ricardo Drax."

"A pleasure Mr Ricardo!" Anya called to memory that the Bajoran people ordered their names differently than most humanoid species, surname proceeding the given name.

Draxx held out his hand and shook the Benezite's. "And the same to you Lieutenant. But I go by Draxx. I'm not your typical Bajoran."

"Of course... Draxx" now confused if Draxx was his surname or not. Just another one to add to the mounting pile of confusion she seemed to find herself in on a daily basis on the Merlin.

He put his arm around Melody and kissed her on the cheek. "I think it's safe to come home now Red. Still processing but let's go eat that dinner shall we?"

Melody quickly eyed the empty plate in front of her and slyly pushed it away from her while she picked up her glass and drained it before she smiled at him. "Sounds wonderful." She stood. and linked her arm in his. "Good evening ladies." before they walked out together.

Caroline smiled to herself. It looked like things were certainly on a more positive keel.

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