New Beginnings

Posted on Fri Aug 25, 2017 @ 11:15pm by Ensign Zahara & Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Barnes

Mission: Strange Matter
Location: Operations
Timeline: MD 28 || 1600 Hours

Zahara followed the red arrows along deck thirty toward the Chief Of Operations office. She'd been here once before in another, less friendly form, but now she hoped to make things better. It seemed that Commander Weisz had forgiven her, but wasn't willing to forget. She couldn't blame the redhead for that. Perhaps, in time, she could prove herself to everyone, but for now, all she could do was offer her sincerest apologies. Which was exactly what brought her here... standing in front of Master Chief Barnes's office.

The white haired woman wasn't even sure if he was inside or not, but thought taking the chance was worth it. How she was received by him was another matter entirely, and if she were able to feel nervous and unsure, that's what would be standing out. There was still so much for her to learn, and with the proper teachers, she would accomplish that and more.

It wasn't as though Zahara couldn't feel anything. She felt a great deal... guilt, remorse, sadness and more... all learned when presented with just how grave her actions against the ship and her crew were.

She extended her free hand, the other holding the PADD Commodore Aravan presented her with listing all the information she was required to know regarding what was... and was not... okay for her to do, then pressed the sensor that would activate the chime on the other side of the door. Would he recognize her? Probably not, and that was simply due to the fact that the last time he saw her, he and the Commodore were able to see through her. Now, Zahara had a more solid form... a look that was all her own.

On the other side of the door sat Tom Barnes, sitting uncomfortably on the other side of his desk, reviewing status updates from throughout the ship. The tri-core was back to peak efficiency. The power system was as good as the day it was first activated. There were still some inconsistencies with the holographic emitters. He'd have to give the EMH and the other holographic matrices a once-over as soon as possible.

Then the chime sounded. Glancing at the chronometer, he took note of the late afternoon hour. "Come in!" he called out, dropping the report he was holding on the middle of the desk.

Once granted entry, Zahara moved forward and through the door when it was open. Her eyes immediately fell on the man sitting behind the desk, and a smile formed on her lips. She really didn't think he would recognize her. "Hello, Mister Barnes. I hope I am not interrupting anything."

Tom blinked twice, staring at the woman for a second. She was unfamiliar, but that voice... that voice was oddly familiar. "Can I help you?"

"I did not expect you to recognize me as I am. The last time we saw one another, I was being placed inside the cube as punishment for the horrific acts I committed," she explained. "Commodore Aravan, and the rest of the Command team, have granted my release, and I wished to begin make amends. I owe you an apology."

His eyes instantly widened. It wasn't that he thought the entity was beyond saving. It's that he thought this would have taken much longer than it did. At least he now knew why he recognized the voice.

Tom rose from his chair and instinctively gestured towards one of the others in front of his desk. "Zahara! Hi! Uh, have... have a seat!"

"Thank you," Zahara said as she took the offered seat. "I have already spoken to Commander Weisz and apologized for my actions. She has forgiven me, but is not willing to forget. I shall not forget. My actions were beyond atrocious, and I also owe you a debt of gratitude for making me see that."

He sat back down, carefully studying the woman before him as he did. "Forgetting the deaths of over two hundred is rather... it's just..." Tom sighed, unable to finish his sentence. And to think that Maddy could just as easily been another part of that statistic. "It is easy, even for a culture as enlightened as ours, to maintain prejudice or avoid fear, even in light of things we don't understand."

"I do not wish people to fear me, but I understand why some might. I even expect some to wish me the same fate," she said softly. Zahara knew there was a possibility that there would be personal attacks against her for what she'd done, and she even understood. Of course, there would be no retaliation from her. She would do as the Commodore instructed and immediately return to the area where the cube was still being held, then contact Michael directly. "No one should forget the lives that were lost due to my foolish behavior. In fact, if I could go back and undo what I did, I would. I would go so far as to give my life if it meant they could have theirs back."

Tom nodded, if only to give some sort of response. He'd seen many situations in life that had ended badly, whether they be wars or mistakes. And when those mistakes cost lives, they became all the more difficult to work past. "So what now?" Tom asked, very much curious. "Do you have a people you can go back to, or...?"

She couldn't blame his curiosity, and didn't mind it. "I have not seen another of my kind in so long, I would not even know where to begin searching," the Thasian woman replied with a slight frown. "Commodore Aravan managed to acquire me quarters on deck nine, so I will be staying on board the ship for a while. Should that cause problems, I will move on to keep peace among the crew."

That explained the mysterious request from earlier. Tom wasn't in the business of having his superiors explain themselves, and in the short time he'd served with the Commodore, he'd come to trust the man's judgment. "Any idea what you'll be doing on board?" Tom asked. "I can have your quarters outfitted with certain things, considering they are approved by the Commodore and they are in line with the duties, if any, you'll be performing."

"Commodore Aravan suggested that I apply to become a dancer at Subspace Sound, so that is what I will likely be doing. I am not too sure if there is much else I am capable of doing," Zahara spoke. "I will require a place to practice. Do you think that would be possible inside my quarters?"

"It wouldn't be much to install a small dance floor," Tom remarked. "The sound system is adequate, but we might do some additional sound proofing for your neighbors."

"That sounds like a good idea. Do you dance?" she found herself asking.

"I do," he said. "Not very often though."

Zahara suddenly looked hopeful. "Will you teach me?"

Tom blinked. He guessed he shouldn't have been so surprised with the question, but he hadn't expected her to be so forward. "I'm into more of the classical Earth styles. Not so much what they'd probably be expecting of you in Starbase Sound."

"Commodore Aravan told me much the same," she said with a smile. "I shall have to stick with the instruction of the holodeck, then. That should not be too bad." Zahara cocked her hear to the side. "How have you been?"

Thankful that the subject matter had changed, he said, "I've been well. Spending time with Maddy. Starfleet also saw fit to promote me recently, but I can't help but feel that my days on a starship are limited."

Zahara offered the newly minted Master Chief a smile. "Then, allow me to offer you my sincerest congratulations on your promotion," she said. "But, why do you feel as though your days are limited?"

"Eventually," he answered, "I'll have to trade Operations Gold for Command Red and have to go serve on a core world. Work in administration and such."

"Surely that is not mandatory. They will give you a choice, yes?" she questioned, trying to wrap her mind around such a concept.

"If I want to stay in Starfleet, there will be no choice." Tom shifted in his chair, straightening his posture a bit. "When I enlisted, and when I first became a Chief Petty Officer, I was made known of the conditions. Starfleet is the only life I know."

"Do you wish to leave your life in space?" Zahara asked. "I am willing to bet the Commodore would be more than willing to pull some strings on your behalf."

"I don't know," Tom said honestly. "I've been bouncing back and forth between planets and bases and ships. I guess I'll see how I feel when the orders come."

Zahara nodded. That made sense to her. "Will you leave Commander Weisz here? The way you care for her became clear the last time we interacted."

Tom didn't hesitate. "I don't think I'll ever leave her side. Whatever it takes."

"And I do not think she would want to leave yours. Will you forgive me? For what I did to her... to you... to the entire crew?"

"I don't hold grudges," he said quickly. "And, while I do forgive you, I have to look out for those that serve with me. Too many lost friends and family that day. Not all will be as forgiving as myself or Maddy."

"Yes, and I do not expect them to be. What I did was horrible, and I am not sure if I will ever be able to make up for it," Zahara said softly with much sadness in her voice. "I will do whatever I can to make it right, though."

He believed her, and he vocalized his confirmation. "Time will help heal," he said, hoping that his words would eventually be true. He certainly could not speak for those who'd lost loved ones.

She nodded her head. "All I can do is try, and I will. Thank you for forgiving me. It is a step in the right direction, and I am quite grateful that you, Commander Weisz and the Commodore are so understanding."

Tom rose, nodding his head. "Who knows? This all started under a tragic misunderstanding, but I have a feeling we still have much to learn from each other."

"I think you are correct," Zahara said as she got to her feet to move around his desk. She just couldn't help herself as she embraced him. "Thank you."

He took a moment before embracing her. Though he had said he'd forgiven her, he still couldn't help but think that these embraces could easily transport one to elsewhere in or out of the ship. Still, when he did embrace her, it was a gentle embrace, one of compassion. "You are welcome," he said, releasing her.

The white haired woman took a step back and looked around. "I suppose I should let you get back to work now."

"I'll bring some people by in a couple hours to lay down a floor for you," he said. "I'll see you then."

Zahara smiled. "Thank you again. This means a lot to me. Being able to practice in my quarters will leave the holodeck open for the rest of the crew. I do not wish to take up the time you and others could spend there."

He nodded. "It's my pleasure, Zahara." Tom genuinely hoped this act of kindness would go a long way to helping her feel comfortable aboard the ship, especially since she would encounter some hostility along the way. Now he just had to pick out some assistants who were new to the ship, not those who'd lost good friends during Zahara's last visit.

The white haired woman offered him another smile before she reached out to give his arm a pat. As much as she wanted to continue talking to him, Zahara knew he had work to do. "I will see you soon," she said. With that, she turned and made her way out of the Operations Chief's office.