Tea (Also Known As Avoiding Mussolini)

Posted on Sun Jul 3rd, 2011 @ 10:04am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Delilah Nethercutt
Edited on on Sun Jul 3rd, 2011 @ 10:07am

979 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Winds of Change
Location: Main Engineering

Delilah had made her way down to Main Engineering to pay a visit to the Chief Engineer. Hawkins was of course too proud and too stubborn to make nice with those under his command, but Delilah felt it important to extend an olive branch from his office. It was her way.

Slowly, she strolled through the expansive space, trying her best to figure out where Lieutenant Commander Skylar would be located.

Skylar sat, behind his desk, pouring a cup of Earl Grey tea, for a man in a fancy suit. He nodded to the woman. "Senior Chief Petty Officer. Please join us. It is, after all, 4 O'Clock, and tradition demands a proper tea time. At least, that is what Mister Thomas informs me."

"Quite right. Even the low man on the totem pole deserves a cup of tea, at least once a day." Thomas said nodding.

"That is, actually, a misnomer, Mister Thomas. If you were to actually study most native north american cultures, who practice the art of the totem pole, you would discover that the lower spots on such structures for persons of high importance." Skylar said, with a quirked eyebrow. "It is an interesting course of study, actually."

Grinning broadly, Delilah pulled up a chair. "How lovely. I haven't had a proper tea in oooohhhh..." The older woman began to ponder for a moment. "Nearly twenty years." Delilah looked over to Skylar. "Two lumps kind Sir. If you don't mind."

"Of course, ma'am." Skylar said, with a nod. He prepared her tea, as she requested, and then poured a cup for Mister Thomas, and then himself. "Would you care for an unhealthy confectionery item?"

"It's a cookie, Mister Skylar. A Jammy Dodger, if you want to call it by name." Thomas said, with a disparaging shake of his head.

Delilah, mid-sip, nearly spit out her tea. Gently and slowly she composed herself and swallowed her tea. "No, ummm..." She coughed a bit. "No thank you Commander. Unhealthy confectionery items go straight to my hips and at my age..." She paused and grinned. "Well let's just say it's not as easy as it used to be, keeping off the unwanted pounds."

"Quite right, Quite right." Thomas said, nodding. "So what is it, that you do, on this station, m'lady?"

"I hear rumor that if I shared that information I might be ushered to the nearest airlock without a suit." The woman's lips curled gently as she took another sip of her tea.

"Quite probably, after a high court ruling by the Captain, yes." Thomas said, nodding.

"Actually, regulations would require a-"

"It was a joke, Mister Skylar." Thomas interrupted the oncoming, expected, rush of Vulcan/bureaucratese that made people's heads swim.

"Ah." Skylar said. He refrained from continuing his previous topic.

Delilah continued to grin pleasantly to herself. "I wouldn't worry about a ruling from the Captain. Jackie and I go way back." She caught herself, realizing that she had slipped up calling Jackson by his childhood diminutive of Jackie. "I am actually Captain Hawkins' new Yeoman. I heard he got himself a base and thought he could use a hand from his old teacher." She gingerly blew onto the surface of the tea and took another small sip.

"Not him, perhaps." Skylar said, thoughtfully. "Though the rest of us, plausibly. He has been... rather excessive... with his enforcement of regulations around here as of late."

Thomas chuckled. "I hear a bunch of people actually tried to close shop, and leave starbase, but all the commercial personal-carriers were gone. Jane had to ferry that atrocious man who deep fried everything off base, herself. He tried to get a discount, too!"

"Did he ask you, or miss Atwood?" Skylar asked.

"Jane." Thomas said, with a chuckle.

Skylar merely quirked an eyebrow, and shook his head.

"It is his way." Delilah sighed softly. "Captain Hawkins has always enjoyed solving puzzles, and that's how he looks at this command, a puzzle. He will figure out how the pieces go together soon enough. You can't rush him." She chuckled a bit remembering Jackson as a child. "Heavens knows you can't rush him." She paused a moment, smiling with her memories. "But that is, in part, why I am here. Jack isn't the most personable of men. He's tempestuous and frankly a bit of a pain at times, but his heart is good and he really is quite effective once he gets his bearings. Give him time."

"I am a Starfleet Officer, ma'am. I have no other option, save a transfer request." Skylar noted, dryly.

Thomas just shrugged. "It is not I, who's profit margins are suffering, from his actions, but my competitors. I worry not."

"Well Commander, if I see that request cross my desk in the next six months it might accidently get lost." Delilah winked at Skylar. "A joke Commander."

Skylar shook his head. "There are enough things of importance, to keep me here, ma'am. You need not worry about that, I do not think."

"Do not tempt the fates, Mister Skylar." Thomas said, with a chuckle. "I said something similar about my single life, once."

Delilah grinned and nudged Thomas gently. "Ooooh me too Mr. Thomas! Me too. I was with my Dwight for nearly forty years. A blessing and curse each one of them I assure you." Quickly, Delilah politely finished her tea and stood. "Well, very sorry gentlemen, but I work for a taskmaster so I must be off."

"I find Jane a blessing, but then, I'm rarely the subject of her fury for very long, if I can help it." Thomas said with a chuckle.

Skylar refrained from commenting, and simply nodded to the woman.

"Good day, ma'am." Thomas said, nodding.

__________

Senior Chief Delilah Nethercutt
Captain's Yeoman
Starbase Typhon

Lieutenant Commander Skylar
Chief Engineer
Starbase Typhon

Jacob Thomas
Chief Executive Officer, Owner
Callisto Salvage, Incorporated

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