Shooting the Breeze

Posted on Thu Apr 23rd, 2020 @ 3:22pm by Major Ashley Rogers & Lieutenant Rehana t'Shaan

1,251 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Prologue: Before the Inferno
Location: Raven's Claw, Galley
Timeline: In Transit

Rehana sat back in her seat in the Claw's galley and took a bite of something the replicator had SAID was Andorian iceroot stew. She wrinkled her nose at the taste-clearly, like everything else on the Claw, the replicators also needed some maintenance.

Ashley Rogers walked into the galley in search of a specific person. She scanned the room and made eye contact with her target: Rehana t'Shaan. Ash hadn't really interacted much with the rest of the motley crew on board the Claw, and didn't really see reason to, but she did familiarize herself with everyone. It never hurt to know who she may have to rely on to watch her back and who she may have to be extra vigilant around. And some... like Rehana t'Shaan, she was still uncertain about. As Ash moved closer to the Romulan, she never took her eyes off of her target and she nodded at the empty seat in front of her.

Rehana grinned up at the newcomer. "Before you eat anything, I apologize in advance about the food."

Ash took the grin as approval to sit down. She looked at the bowl in front of the Romulan and furrowed her brow, she's familiar with Romulan food, but whatever that is was utterly unfamiliar, "What the hell is that? It smells.... like regret and sadness... and looks worse than what I was fed as a POW..."

Rehana nodded. "It's miscellaneous protein and nutrients masquerading as ice-root stew. So it'll feed you and keep you healthy; it just tastes awful."

"I think I'll pass..." Ash put her PADD down and stared at the bowl again. "You do realize that you're the one that can fix the replicator, right?" She didn't miss much about her old life, but she did miss Renee's cooking... she shook her head at the errant thought, this was neither the time not the place to reminisce.

Rehana laughed. "Yeah, it's item number 5 or so on my very long list of to-dos. Right behind the warp core, the engines, the shields, the life support systems... Plus we've got an actual chef with us now, so..." Rehana shrugs. "I cannot wait to get paid for this job."

Ash smirked, "We have a chef... yet you chose to replicate that." She waves the PADD she was holding up, "Maybe I need to find someone with better judgement to run these ideas by..." She raises a teasing eyebrow at the engineer.

Rehana sighs. "Yeah, I just figured the best way to see what was wrong with the replicators was to, you know, replicate something."

"Untrue. The best way to see what's wrong with the replicators is to watch someone else replicate something..." Ash taps the PADD on her temple with a grin. "I think I'll be going to the chef for dinner..."

Rehana laughs. "Probably a wise move."

"I've done some pretty... unwise things in my life. And I'm not going to let this be another one of them. I'm not going to spend the rest of this mission in Sickbay. Although, speaking of this mission... it's why I wanted to talk to you," Ash slid the PADD across the table. "I have some experience in clandestine missions where the price of failure is quite unpleasant... I'm no engineer but, here are some ideas to squeeze every drop of shields and weapons capability this ship has. Thoughts?"

Rehana frowned as she looked over the schematics. "It's decent. Gedak's going to have a field day with the part costs, though."

Ash shrugged, "All I'm saying is that I'd hate to have to tell him, 'I told you so.' Just some recommendations."

Rehana shakes his head."Eh, he'll be fine. He'll screech at me about profit margins and budgets, I'll remind him that the modifications keep us from getting blown up, then he'll go have the time of his life bargaining for them."

Ash leaned back and crossed her arms, "Well, I'm glad we see eye to eye on this. Just as long as I'm not footing the bill for the parts... if we have to do that, I have no qualms about stealing from someone who may not have a great... a need as us." She was kidding... somewhat.

Rehana grimaced slightly. "I can understand that. Personally, though, I prefer stealing from people who had it coming."

Ash smiled widely, "Oh, that is ideal." She took a deep breath before continuing. "There's a lot of people out there that have it coming. More than enough to keep me busy for a long time. It's why I'm out here. It's why I'm on this ship... on this crazy mission with this motley crew..." Ash sighed. "Someone's got to do the dirty work. The pay out of this little excursion will advance my cause quite a bit. So why are you out here? I'm sure keeping a ship older than your parents from falling apart wasn't your dream as a child..."

Rehana leans back before answering. "Well...I've never been anyone's idea of acceptable in Romulan society. I was born out of wedlock and nobody knows who my father was, and my mom's family gave her hell for it. So she decided to raise me with the elements of Romulan society she liked. So I'm every bit as clever as your average Romulan. I just...apply it differently. In short, I took one look at the life that would had awaited me had I toed the line and ran in the opposite direction."

"I know that feeling..." Ash nodded wistfully. "You figured it out early in your life... it took me stints as a Prisoner of War and in a Federation Penal Colony all in the name of doing the right thing... and a lot of soul searching trying to continue to do the right thing... trying to fit into that Starfleet officer mold. I almost believed I could.... but yes... toeing the line... never worth it... "

Rehana shrugged, "I dunno. Could be worth it, if it was the right line."

Ash leaned in, "But who decides what's right? The highest bidder? The Tal Shiar? The Romulan Empire? Starfleet? Section 31? The Federation? There is no line, friend. At the end of the day, we can serve any master, get kudos, awards, accolades, a pat on the back, a kiss from a partner.... but none of that matters. In those quiet moments of solitary contemplation... whether it's when we close our eyes at night, alone in our own minds... or the moment of death, when you're one breath away from life slipping away... right is nothing but a word. You're the one stuck living with yourself. Or dying with yourself..."

Rehana frowned, "Well...for one thing, we've got our consciences to work with. Ultimately, we decide what's right. Course, I'm young, I haven't had to make a lot of the hard choices yet. But it seems to me that ultimately, only we can decide the best course for ourselves."

Ash nodded, "I envy you, then. But I do offer you this as advice... warning, perhaps? Don't ever let someone else decide what's right for you. Call it conscience... call it whatever. Difficult things may need to be done... right or wrong... but stay true to who you are." She ran her hand through her short hair as it flopped back onto her forehead and sighed. "Didn't mean to lecture you... sorry I ruined your already terrible meal."

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