Warrior talk

Posted on 02 Apr 2024 @ 7:22am by Lieutenant Commander Aiden MacMahon & Lieutenant Mat'tew el-Altaa

1,243 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M-18 The Past is Future
Location: Chief Security office

====ON====

Happy that the ship was actually moving put Aiden in a particularly good mood. There was a number of senior staff members he had not had the chance to personally meet before they left and that did not sit well with him. As part of his job to have things running smoothly on the ship, it was important to him to know each one as well as they would allow him to.

=^=MacMahon to el-Altaa, do you have a few moments?=^=

------

Down in the Security Offices, Mat'tew was sitting at his desk, going over the personnel files of the crew. When he heard the voice of the Executive Officer over the comm, he reached up and tapped his commbadge. "Yes, Sir. I am in my office, going over personnel files, familiarizing myself with the crew. How may I help you, Sir?"

=^=Good, on my way there=^=

Aiden made a hundred and eighty turn, but realised tha he was on the Prometheus class, that meant the other way, so a hundred and eighty again. A crew grinned at his confusion and Aiden chuckled. "I will get there... in this ship, some things feels reversed," he said.

A few minutes later he arrived at the security office and knocked on the side, as it was open. 'Lieutenant"? he announced himself and stepped into the office. "Thank you for taking the time," he added. "We haven't formally met, so I wanted to say a proper hello and get to know you a bit," he explained the main reason for his visit.

Hearing the voice of the ship's Executive Officer, Mat'tew quickly rose and stood at attention. "Of course, Sir. I am at your service." He dipped his head respectfully. Then, taking a step towards the replicator, he asked, "Would you care for some refreshment, Sir?"

"Always," Aiden answered as he sat down. "Some strong coffee with warm milk and a bit of sugar will be great thank you," he said. Once he was handed his coffee and the large sec chief settled in his seat he took a sip relishing the taste. "I am sure you hear this a lot, but I don't know your species at all, except what you learn at the academy. So, before I put my feet in my mouth or do something offensive to you, please tell me straight what I must avoid or do or .. you know, not piss you off accidentally," he said.

Mat'tew chuckled softly at first, then replied. "While there aren't many of my kind in the fleet at any one time, we have actually been serving in Starfleet since just after the Earth-Romulan War. As for what you should know about me..." he took a breath, then continued. "First and foremost, Sir, always be honest with me. I know it may seem trivial to some, but honesty, and honor itself, is a very important cornerstone to how my people live. I will never lie, or be untruthful in any way. At times, this can cause...issues, especially when someone doesn't like to hear the truth."

"At least it is not something I will forget to do, or say," Aiden said grinning in mock relief. "But I hear you. Being truthful can be a complex issue. What do the clever people say... It is not what you say, it's how you say it... And that is difficult enough. I am still learning." Aiden leaned back and took a sip of his coffee. "Jokes aside, it is good to know what I can expect from you, and you will hear the same from me. To a great extend, we are responsible for the cohesiveness of the crew. As XO I must keep my finger on the pulse of the whole crew, I must know what is going on, and you and your department are the eyes and ears. And if we can't fully trust each other, how can we expect them to?"

The large avianoid nodded in agreement. "Also, as I've informed the Captain, I am required, by my people's customs, to return to the home fleet periodically, to perform my ritual hunts. Failure to do so, and failing in the hunts themselves, brings severe social and physical punishments, to both myself and my family."

"That is interesting, can you tell me about it, or is it private?" Aiden asked.

"Some of the ceremony, I can share with outworlders. It is a test of my skills and abilities as a hunter. Each trial is composed of a single hunt. If I am successful in my next trial, then I am advanced in social rank among my people. Should I fail, then the resulting punishment would be severe."

"Shit, we hunted, my family owns a property on earth and those living there, lives off the grid and off the land. So we all learned. We had strict rules, and I was very careful not to make mistakes but this is on another level altogether!" he said clearly facinated and impressed. "But you are saying is severe, that means you must succeed, there is no room for failure," Aiden commented, trying to assimilate what he heard. "To which extent does that influence your way of life in general?" he asked.

Mat'tew nodded as he listened to MacMahon speak. "Yes, I must. Should I fail, both I and my wife and children would share the shame until one day one of them redeems the family. I would not be allowed to, as I was the one to bring dishonor in the first place. And that is only the social aspect of the reward for failure." Hr paused to take a breath, then continued.

"I follow in the path of Altaa the Warrior. In days long past, he was the greatest warrior and protector of my people. Today, each of us, when we reach the Age of Choosing, pick which deity to emulate our life on. I felt drawn to Altaa, so I took his name as my own and I live each day, being the best warrior that I can be."

Aiden studied the security chief as he explained. He believed that if a person was driven to live by their values, one could trust them to act in accordance with those values, whether good or bad. "Well Chief," Aiden said, "I will go to battle with you any time, but I hope we never have to," he said.

Mat'tew's eating beak clicked a couple times, before he replied. "Spoken like a true and honorable warrior, Sir. Only the foolish seek out battle. The wise hold their arms, and watch what their opponent will do first."

"Somehow I think we think we will need all the wisdom we can get," Aiden said and downed the last part of his coffee. "Chief, thank you for the chat and coffee," Aiden said as he got up. "By the way, when is the next time you have to return home?" he asked as he got to the door.

Mat'tew stood as well, out of respect, and replied. "As I informed the Captain earlier, not for another twenty months, however, should the mission demand my presence, my return can be delayed an additional year."

Aiden nodded. "I sincerely hope that nothing will delay your hunt," he said as he left the securoty office, pleased at what he had learned from the chief.

OFF

Lt CMDR Aiden MacMahon
XO

&

Lt Mat'tew el-Altaa
CS/TO

 

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