Old Romulan Friends

Posted on Sat Nov 23rd, 2024 @ 10:32am by Commander Kaleetha Sloan (*) & Chief Engineer Michael Burnstein

Mission: Cosmos
Location: Esquimalt Station
Timeline: 2398
1488 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Kaleetha Sloan had not been to a Tech Conference since the last one on Starbase Sirus and that had been nearly 3 years ago back at the beginning of 2396 before things had gone a little bonkers for her. That conference had been full of excitement and innovation, the kind of event she thrived in, surrounded by like-minded individuals, exchanging ideas about the latest technological advancements. But now, as she thought back, it felt like a lifetime ago.

She was relieved to have survived 2397 intact thanks to the holoship issues but thanks to the Crew of SS Mary Rose or maybe the bad luck of the crew she had survived and lived to tell another tale. Sitting there now, on the eve of another tech conference, she couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. 2398 had been so different. She was different. The lessons from those experiences still clung to her, shaping how she saw the world and the people around her but she could see a familiar figure walking towards her.

Vriha wandered the station with a sort of nostalgia; it was both odd and exciting to be back on a Starfleet base. Despite her relative youth (or perhaps because it made her more expendable), she had spent time as exchange officer with Starfleet, and that had now led to Galae Science Command choosing her to join the small delegation to the Federation Technical Conference. Romulan stations were all order, and she had almost forgotten how chaotic Federation stations could be - such a mix of species, sights, sounds, smells - and old friends, apparently. Spotting a once familiar face, she headed toward the woman. "Jolan Tru, Kaleetha."

Kaleetha took a couple of moments to remember the greeting before she repeated it back with only a little bit of an accent. She had not been raised Romulan but her mother and father had tried their best to teach her some things despite her attempts to ignore them. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" She explained. "I did wonder if any of the old crowd would be on the base."

An eyebrow rose a moment at 'sore eyes' - she was out of practice with Federation idioms - but filing it under things to look up later, she smiled, feeling a warmth at being named as part of the old crowd since she had never quite seen herself as such there. "It is good to see you again. Have you heard from anyone else? I'm afraid I lost touch after being recalled to the Galae."

Kaleetha nodded. She had to admit that she saw a lot of people as some of the crew had transferred to the Cosmos. "I hear often from them. Lots of them transferred to Cosmos. Commander Agrax and Petty Officer Dezom are the ones you would know better but quite a few people are there. It was a shame you were recalled, I think you'd like the Commodore and the Cosmos."

"I'm glad everyone is in a good place," she replied neutrally. The Tal'Shiar might not have as much presence here, but it wouldn't do to be seen agreeing with the sentiment that it was a shame she was recalled. "It was good to see my family again, and I returned in time to be present for my brother's promotion to erei'Arrain."

"Oh, I did not say they are in a good place. I just said here." Kaleetha commented with a wink at the neutral tone. It always amused her when the woman used that time. "That is great. I know you were hoping your brother would get a promotion." She was genuinely pleased that the woman was as happy as a Romulan could be.

Vriha laughed, relieved Kaleetha had understood. "Still, I look forward to running into them while I'm here. And I hope to see some interesting engine tech to tell Yhea about. I was happy to see him promoted, not just for recognition, but because it will get him out of a fighter and into helming a starship. Since Liha went MIA during the war, I've worried about losing him the same way."

"It is always hard to worry about siblings. I am lucky my own siblings are too interested in the Atlantis to leave the museum so I am the only one they ever need to worry about getting into trouble." Kaleetha laughed and winked. And boy did she give her mother more grey hairs yearly.

It was obviously meant to deflect from a difficult topic, so Vriha nodded and smiled politely. It was for the best. Memory lay heavy in her home - how could not when over half their people had perished only a decade ago? - but she had come here to view potential for the future. Putting on a more genuine smile, she picked up the lighter banter. "And what 'trouble' have you been into lately?"

Well there was too much trouble but her mind when instantly to the one that had made the Federation News Network and beyond thanks to the loss of life. "Oh well that would be telling but I nearly died on my holiday thanks to a computer virus on a cruise ship," Kaleetha announced with a shrug.

Slanted brows rose. "Indeed? I would have thought that civilian vessels would have multiple safeguards." Especially in the Federation, she thought, but didn't voice it. "Did it affect the engines or navigational systems?"

"Everything including the holograms," Kaleetha explained shivering at the memory. "It was... lets just say I think our old friends the Sons Of Cheron were involved." She hinted at in the same tone as the full Romulan has used to talk about the Tal'Shiar.

Vriha's head tipped slightly. "They are attacking civilian vessels now?" She recalled bomb attacks by the group, but those had been Starfleet targets. And acts committed by some rogue group, as there was a political party in the Federation that also went by that name. Federation politics were very strange - in none of the states that had emerged from the shattered RSE would such a party have continued to exist. "I am pleased you survived."

"It seems so." Kaleetha had not been sure that the woman would believe her but she was relieved that the woman did as it was nice to not have someone doubling her view on the chain of events. "Me too." She had too much left undone in the universe to due before she reached a decent age, especially at the hands of something as ridiculous as a hologram virus.

Vriha nodded in human fashion, but felt at a loss as to what else to say. Perhaps it was a sign she had been away from Federation society long enough to have lost whatever degree of assimilation she'd previously developed - which was not really a bad thing now that the Free State wasn't all that Free - but it made 'small talk' awkward. She vaguely knew she should offer something interesting about herself, but there was nothing beyond her family news that she felt safe sharing. "So... have you had any other Romulan exchange officers?"

"Unfortunately not. I believe the Free State have grown reluctant to send people on exchanges right now." The woman was not sure of the reasons for the changes but she could hazard a guess like most political landscapes things were changing. "But I have seen Romulan cousins recently." She shrugged.

The reasons were easy enough for Vriha to guess, but not something she was going to speak to. "I am glad you could see your cousins. How do they fair?"

"They have not caused any incidents and have not been arrested by either the Free State or Federation which my mother seems almost disappointed about but alas she can have everything she wants." Kaleetha grinned as she indicated a bar. "Are you on duty or off?" She wondered hoping it was off so they could have a drink.

Disappointed was an odd reaction to children avoiding arrest, but perhaps it was joke. Federation humor was odd. Deciding not to comment, she instead smiled at the ned toward a bar. "I am free until the technical sessions." And given that most Federation drinks were barely more intoxicating than fruit juice, she was not concerned about remaining appropriately sober for those. "I would enjoy the opportunity for a drink. It has been some time since I had the beverage you call beer."

Kaleetha smiled. It sounded home a date to her. “Then we shall get you a beer from Earth that I have loved having.” The scientist decided tugging the older woman towards the bar knowing it had its own still and other stuff for making proper stuff.

"Thank you. I look forward to trying it," Vriha said with a smile. "It seems this conference may be productive in more ways than one."