JL | "Brr is for Cold" | Cmdr Ivanova - Lt Cmdr Dahe`el

Posted on Fri May 9th, 2014 @ 10:33pm by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova

1,047 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: In the Dark

"We should have taken into account your need for warmth." The sound of the Executive Officer's voice was punctuated by the soft knock of a ceramic tea mug setting down on a makeshift side table. "For that, I apologize." She added as her fingers left the warmth of the mug and wrapped around it's twin still held in her other hand. It hadn't been long since she'd held the Cardassian after his collapse. Wrapped in her down coat, he'd seemed so frail while the rest of the cold world exploded in fire fight against large alien beasts. At least now, Dahe`el seemed so much more alive and well.

"I should have been the one to make that determination too, I believe I underestimated just how cold it would be here," Almar replied with a slight smile as he wrapped his hands around the mug, the coffee heating his blood as it passed through his hands.

Rochelle nodded as she took a seat across from him. "A faux pas on everyone's behalf. Just glad it didn't cost more than it did." The feel and taste of her own coffee stilled her tongue, but not her thoughts as she studied him as she always did when they were in the company of one another. "There haven't been any lasting effects, have there?" She asked, setting her mug down.

"Without a fully functioning medical tricorder it is impossible to tell," the Cardassian replied as he gestured towards his makeshift workbench, "We'll have to make do with the basic tricorders, the extra sensitivity needed for medical use is cancelled out by the shielding I have to add for this environment."

Her brows furrowed as she followed the gesture to the workbench, "So basically we'll just have to run on gut feelings and hope for the best outcome." She replied, shaking her head. "How twenty-first century." The woman sighed with a wry smile before sinking further back into the depths of her chair.

"The ones I've managed to modify will do for our mission, but anything else will have to be specially constructed and we only have facilities for that on the Vindicator." Almar replied as he took a sip of the coffee, letting the warm liquid fill him with a burst of heat.

"Then we'd better work on keeping well and keeping you warm." Rochelle's fingers ran through her hair as she found her feet and took another sip of her coffee. "Something tells me that we'll be here for a bit, though. Call it women's intuition or paranoia, but something just isn't clicking the way it should." She spoke with her brows still knit in contemplation and perhaps even worry as she looked out at the cold, wintry world they'd been sent to. Even Neyes had seemed on edge since they'd landed, so much more so than the normally cock-sure Captain she'd grown accustomed to.

"There does seem to be something a little... off," the Cardassian replied with a slight nod as he placed the mug down on the table, "but I'd be lying if I said I'd noticed too much, I've been a little preoccupied."

"Understandable." She nodded, scanning the white washed horizon as if looking for a clue or sign. "I'm hoping it's just the cultural differences poisoning our palate and not something more serious." She added, looking over her shoulder at him briefly.

"It could be any number of things," Almar replied with a slight nod as he retrieved the mug and took another sip, looking around the shuttle interior.

With a sigh, the redhead turned around and sat her coffee down. "I have to admit..." She started with a small smile and shake of her head as she paced back across the small open space, "The misogyny is... Upsetting." Rochelle shrugged, "It's easy to forget that there are still societies out there that believe women are less intelligent and important than men. I served as an ex-oh for a Captain who thought we were nothing more than sexual objects. Wasn't pretty."

The pacing stopped, her eyes closed as she set her shoulders back. The situation where she'd nearly lost Andrea and the better part of the crew of the Griffin was a different situation, no less different. Aceyhola, that asshat governor, had been another sexist pig that blocked her every move and thwarted the vast majority of her efforts until she'd willingly violated the prime directive to save the day. It had been all but swept under the rug, she wasn't proud of it -- but she'd do it again if need be. The Cardassian didn't need to hear about it. No one did.

"Here's hoping that we can just get through this."

"Perhaps our interactions with this species will change their minds slightly," Almar replied with a nod and another sip of his drink, his hands cupping around the mug again for the extra warmth, "You never know, a strong female influence might prove to be the push they need."

Rochelle drew a breath and released it as a long drawn out sigh, "Somehow I doubt they'll appreciate a strong female anything." and then she paused, tilting her head to one side and scratching the round of her jaw just under her ear, "except for maybe a strong presence in the kitch--" Catching herself, she bit her tongue and shook her head, dropping her hands to her sides with an audible slap, "I need to stop. This won't end well if I can't just learn to smile and nod."

"I have a vague feeling that you'll be biting your tongue much more when we go and visit their city, if their attitudes are anything to judge by." Almar replied with a slight smile.

She nodded, with a blink "Most likely." The woman all but whispered as she folded her arms over her chest and shook her head. This... Was going to be an interesting game and tangled web all woven into one nightmarish experience -- she could feel it in her gut, festering and threatening to send her over the edge with every coming misogynistic comment.

Patience, as we all know, was not one of Ivanova's finer virtues.


Commander Rochelle Ivanova
Executive Officer
USS VINDICATOR

Lieutenant Commander Almar Dahe`el
Chief Engineer
USS VINDICATOR

 

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