Captain's Log; Stardate 2254.017: Captain Zeek Alveren reporting. After a long tour as first officer aboard the U.S.S Pegasus, Starfleet has saw fit to give me command over their new line of cruisers known as the Constitution class. Mine is named the Balindez, registration number seventeen thirty-five. Both the ship and crew are fresh out of dry dock and I hope that I'm up to the task of whipping them both into shape. We are currently finishing up our shake down cruise and are on route back to Mars drydock. As it comes to a close I can't help but kick myself for missing breakfast this morning. I'm starving.
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Commander Eric Lexington was a human from earth, stationed as the ships science officer and Captain Alveren's first officer. He had heard a few curious things about his captain which prompted him to do a bit of research on her. From what he gathered she was a Lapinas from a system that had only recently joined the United Federation of Planets. The Lapinas were a rabbit-like species that were still fairly new to warp based travel, yet their goals and ideals were so much like the Federations it was inevitable that they would join the federation. Captain Zeek Alveren was amoung the first of many of her race to achieve the rank of captain.
As the human watched his captain, he couldn�t help but wonder just what type of individual the blond haired rabbit was. Her attire was an off color yellowish-green vest that was standard issue for all Starfleet captains with matching black slacks and boots. The intense gaze she held as she stared out the view screen hinted to him that there may be a lot of distinguished pride and confidence becoming of a worthy Captain such as her. His mind wandered a bit over just the type of strong woman that she was. He also couldn't help but feel that it would no doubt lead to bigger and greater things for him. Surely she would recognize his talents and see how much of a valuable asset he would become to her.
A smile crept on Eric's face as the thoughts of glory ran rampant in his mind before he eventually returned them to the present. His gaze locked on the captain whom continued to stare out the window, that is until her stomach grumbled and her expression quickly changed to something akin to almost infantile demeanor. A slight whine emanated from the humanoid-rabbits muzzle while she held her stomach pleadingly, her body now very much slouching in the chair. All visions and glory in Eric's mind quickly shattered soon after as the captain cried out about her obvious hunger pains, earning the attention of the entire bridge crew.
Yeoman Natasha Barns, a human female from Rigile Seven had anticipated this, though was not expecting the almost humorous show, approached Zeek with a fresh bowl of fruit picked from the ships arboretum. She was rewarded when the Captains demeanor quickly improved.
"Yeoman, I love you!" Zeek exclaimed before she took the bowl and scarfed down it's contents ravenously.
For Eric, that comment was the final nail in the coffin for his dreams of commanding his own ship one day. With a heavy heart he was about to return to his station when a Vulcan ensign approached him. "I'm Ensign Talmon and I'm here to relieve you sir." the Vulcan said in a monotonous voice. His eyebrow quirked when he noticed his superior�s demeanor "Is everything alright, sir?"
"No, not really." Eric sighed before he continued in a low whine. "Just watching my future slowly disappear before my eyes."
The Ensign quirked an eyebrow once more while following the commanders gaze in time to see the captain shove an entire bunch of grapes in her muzzle. The rabbit's cheeks puffing up as her maw was filled with the delicious fruit. She soon pulled out only the branches formerly occupied by the grapes that now filled her cheeks to the brim. With a giddy sense of glee she munched on her snack before swallowing them all down in one gulp.
"If I may speak candidly sir?" The Vulcan ensign asked the commander.
"You do that." Eric huffed before making his way to the turbo-lift without even acknowledging what the Vulcan had said
Confused, Talmon simply decides to take it as his cue to begin his shift, approaching the Captain just as she was finishing her snacks and handing the bowl back to the Yeoman.
"Yeoman," Zeek spoke up once more. "I can tell you and I are going to get along just fine."
That
"Thank you Ma'am." Natasha smiled nervously, thanks in part to the Captains earlier exclamation. Her thoughts on the matter were cut short however when the next science officer on duty approached the captain to check in.
"Captain if I may speak candidly with you?" The ensign quipped.
Zeek simply smiled while repositioning herself in her seat. "Of course Ensign. I always keep an open door policy with any of the concerns of the crew."
"That is pleasing to know, Captian." Talmon began. "I speak to you because i am concerned about the commander. He seemed most disheartened when I came to relieve him."
Zeek's ear left ear twitched a bit as she listened to the ensign recount his details over their brief encounter. Once the ensign had finished she nodded a bit as if considering her answer. "Thank you Mr. Talmon, I think I will have a little talk with my first officer. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention." With that she dismissed the ensign and returned her gaze towards the view-port. It wasn't long before Keval Endilev, her Andorian Lieutenant Commander at the helm announced that they were coming into range of Mars Space dock. Zeek smiled and instructed her helmsman to contact the starbase so they could finish outfitting the ship for active duty, authorizing shore leave to those that have it. With that she gave Lt. Commander Endilev the command and entered the turbo-lift to find her first officer.
Eric sighed as he sat in the ship's mess hall, poking a fork at his food. He hated having to eat the replicator food. It always tasted so artificial compared to the stuff he normally gets from the arboretum but he had already used up those rations for the week. He exhaled through his teeth before he stabbed the fork into the yellow cube-like object. He was about to take a bite when the Captain's voice called out his last name causing him to stand at attention almost involuntarily.
"At ease Eric." Zeek chimed happily as she approached his table. "I'm not the type to reprimand you for not standing to attention in the middle of a meal."
With another sigh Eric returned to his seat, poking at his food once more. "Is there something I can do for you Ma'am?"
Zeek took that as her cue and occupied the seat across the table from him. "To start off with this conversation is strictly off the record." She began, pausing only briefly to see him shove the yellow cube he had been poking into his mouth. Once he finished his bite she continued. "I read your personnel file and I know I�m probably not the kind of Captain you were hoping for, and I may run things a bit more loose than what you're probably used to but..."
"What's this about, ma'am?" Eric finally asked curiously as he looked up at the Captain from his meal.
Zeek relaxed a bit into her chair, bringing her hands up to emphasize her next few words. "I'm going to lay it to you straight, Eric. I'm used to working on a science vessel."
"An oberth class vessel named the Pegasus, right?" Eric said after finishing another bite of his bland tasting meal.
"Please, let me finish." Zeek pleaded. When she got a confirming nod she continued. "To be honestI have no idea how things are really run on a Constitution class cruiser as all I have are my experiences aboard the Pegasus. As such I only had my former Captain to fall on as a role model and he tended to run things a bit loose, but not enough that his crew would constantly get out of hand. Matter of fact when they sometimes did he wasn't afraid to crack that whip, and neither am I if my own crew does the same." She smiled a bit when she saw Eric's demeanor brighten up a bit.
"I'm really glad to hear you said that, Captain." Zeek said while he dunked his spoon in a mess of red goop and shoved it in his mouth, making a bitter pucker before quickly spitting it out in his napkin that earned a chuckle from the Captain. "I guess I judged you a bit poorly on the bridge, I'm sorry."
"It's not when I act infantile that you should worry about." Zeek mock grinned in a semi-menacing expression that earned a chuckle from her Commander. "It's when I'm deadly serious that you should consider heading the other way."
"I'll keep that in mind, Ma'am." Eric said after he finished his meal, however just as he was about to stand up Zeek gently grabbed his wrists.
"Please?" She asked with her hands cupped gently over his. Her fur covered fingers tracing lightly over his. She looked into his eyes softly before continuing "When not on the bridge, please call me Zeek."
Eric sighed with a bit of exasperation as he considered her request. Finally he returned her gaze with a cool calculating stare. "I'm sorry ma'am but I can't do that." Erick didn't wait for her to reply before continuing. "I was raised by my father to always do things by the book, and as such I will not turn my back on my duty, Captain." With that he took his food tray and set it in the replicator so that the remains of his meal would be reprocessed into the tasteless base vitamin and mineral elements it was replicated from.
Zeek only grinned as she watched him leave. A wicked grin spreading across her muzzle as she imagined just how much fun he was going to be, fully intending to rattle his cage at every opportunity that presented its self. "Oh yes, he's going to be very fun." she cooed softly to herself aloud.
