One and a half minutes; that was how long it took before she could force a finger to chime the door. Katriel likely already knew she was there.
She'd been injured- Chassy had finally confirmed that much. The severity hadn't put her in intensive care, and fretting over what-ifs now was pointless. Still, the woman was unsettled, as friend and previous superior, as someone who witlessly promised that the negotiations would go smoothly.
Chassy didn't add her voice to the door's inquiry, but instead her thoughts, or rather, a singleminded focus on the gummy jumja shapes with their coconut toppings, packaged individually, in hand.
Katriel's head tilted as the door chime went off and her brother's voice halted mid-word. She had moved from her bedroom to her sitting area, sometime during the conversation, and had been occupied playing with Fairy, so had not noticed the disturbed presence outside her door.
"Expecting someone?" he asked.
"No... though maybe I should have," Katriel responded, as she stood and turned towards the door. "Come in?"
When the doors swished open to admit Chassy, Katriel's eyes bulged just a fraction, knowing as she did the Trill's tendency to ... fret. But the counselor composed herself in record time.
"Chassy, hello."
Oh, please don't freak out, please don't freak out...
"Expecting someone?" he asked.
"No... though maybe I should have," Katriel responded, as she stood and turned towards the door. "Come in?"
When the doors swished open to admit Chassy, Katriel's eyes bulged just a fraction, knowing as she did the Trill's tendency to ... fret. But the counselor composed herself in record time.
"Chassy, hello."
Oh, please don't freak out, please don't freak out...
If only telepathy worked both ways.
"..Katriel..."
The social platitudes the Trill had collected as stock- 'I was so worried', 'it could have been worse'- are lost to genuine distress at the Betazoid's injury. It doesn't take much interaction with Klingons to recognize a blade wound. The disruptor shot, that's fine, a grazing wound soon to be forgotten. But a blade...
If only Chassy knew someone was on the line.
"I- stars, Katriel. That will-- ..no scarring?"
"..Katriel..."
The social platitudes the Trill had collected as stock- 'I was so worried', 'it could have been worse'- are lost to genuine distress at the Betazoid's injury. It doesn't take much interaction with Klingons to recognize a blade wound. The disruptor shot, that's fine, a grazing wound soon to be forgotten. But a blade...
If only Chassy knew someone was on the line.
"I- stars, Katriel. That will-- ..no scarring?"
The veiled alarm in Katriel's eyes blew out into full grown panic. Her voice was just a little too high when she answered and was interspersed with nervous chuckling. "Oh, no, no! Of course it won't, I ju--"
"What do you mean, SCARRING??" Katriel flinched as Brian's tenor was not nearly as warm this time. "You said it was just a scrape!"
"It is! Just ... a small cut, that's all, barely..." Katriel temporized, her gaze flickering between the befuddled Chassy and the ceiling.
"Turn your video feed on, Katriel, or so help me --"
"OKAY, okay, fine!" Katriel exhaled an exasperated breath and flopped back down on the couch. "I was an idiot and nearly got sliced open by a Klingon bat'leth, but he didn't hit anything critical and it just needs a few more passes with a dermal and I promise I'll take care of it and there won't be ANY SCARRING."
... so there. And she still wasn't going to activate the video.
"Oh, right. Chassy... the overzealous protective voice is my brother. Brian, Chassy Skyler Quaen. You've heard me mention her."
"Ah, of course. Good to meet you, Commander. Sorry for yelling, there."
"What do you mean, SCARRING??" Katriel flinched as Brian's tenor was not nearly as warm this time. "You said it was just a scrape!"
"It is! Just ... a small cut, that's all, barely..." Katriel temporized, her gaze flickering between the befuddled Chassy and the ceiling.
"Turn your video feed on, Katriel, or so help me --"
"OKAY, okay, fine!" Katriel exhaled an exasperated breath and flopped back down on the couch. "I was an idiot and nearly got sliced open by a Klingon bat'leth, but he didn't hit anything critical and it just needs a few more passes with a dermal and I promise I'll take care of it and there won't be ANY SCARRING."
... so there. And she still wasn't going to activate the video.
"Oh, right. Chassy... the overzealous protective voice is my brother. Brian, Chassy Skyler Quaen. You've heard me mention her."
"Ah, of course. Good to meet you, Commander. Sorry for yelling, there."
Chassy's recovery from the scene left Brian on the line with silence, silence that was stunned in Chassy's case and- no doubt- awkward for the Sedais.
"I- ah.." A token of acknowledgement while she sized the situation. Katriel's brother; she had been talking to him. He was over protective, as Kat had described him, but then again, if Razor or Katriel had hid this from her...she found herself wanting to side with him...but then, Katriel
"...a pleasure, Mister Sedai." More temporizing, and an apologetic look to Katriel for the intrusion and subsequent scene.
"It's, ah. ..not as bad as it looked at first, and our medical services are excellent." Her assurances came with a captain's undertone; it was a safe bet for awkward situations. "Your sister is quite an impressive woman, to counter a Klingon in close quarters."
"I- ah.." A token of acknowledgement while she sized the situation. Katriel's brother; she had been talking to him. He was over protective, as Kat had described him, but then again, if Razor or Katriel had hid this from her...she found herself wanting to side with him...but then, Katriel
"...a pleasure, Mister Sedai." More temporizing, and an apologetic look to Katriel for the intrusion and subsequent scene.
"It's, ah. ..not as bad as it looked at first, and our medical services are excellent." Her assurances came with a captain's undertone; it was a safe bet for awkward situations. "Your sister is quite an impressive woman, to counter a Klingon in close quarters."
Katriel openly rolled her eyes at the compliment, while Brian laughed outloud, dispelling any lingering doubt that he might still be angry.
"I can see we're going to get along just fine, Chassy, if you're going to flatter her like that in front of me! She hates the attention, you know, and it's my duty as an older brother to embarrass her as much as possible so I'll just have to agree wholeheartedly with you when you say she's impressive and --"
"Brian! I think you must have work to do and I should find out what Chassy wants and I'll call you tomorrowokay?loveyougoodbye! Computer, end call!"
The computer chirruped in the middle of Brian starting to laugh again. Katriel heaved a sigh of long-suffering as she stared up at the ceiling for a moment, before her glance swerved back to Chassy.
"Hi. Sorry about... that. Did you need something?"
"I can see we're going to get along just fine, Chassy, if you're going to flatter her like that in front of me! She hates the attention, you know, and it's my duty as an older brother to embarrass her as much as possible so I'll just have to agree wholeheartedly with you when you say she's impressive and --"
"Brian! I think you must have work to do and I should find out what Chassy wants and I'll call you tomorrowokay?loveyougoodbye! Computer, end call!"
The computer chirruped in the middle of Brian starting to laugh again. Katriel heaved a sigh of long-suffering as she stared up at the ceiling for a moment, before her glance swerved back to Chassy.
"Hi. Sorry about... that. Did you need something?"
With a little added effort, Skyler boosted her rising smirk until it reached her lips, amused for the siblings' exchange. She kept it there for as long as she could, despite the emotional gravity.
"Just to ah- to make sure you're...alright, which..seems to be the case, for the most part." That said, she puts forth her candy offering and fixes her eyes on Katriel- not the burn, not the angry scar- but the astonishing black of Betazoid eyes.
"You make a good family."
"Just to ah- to make sure you're...alright, which..seems to be the case, for the most part." That said, she puts forth her candy offering and fixes her eyes on Katriel- not the burn, not the angry scar- but the astonishing black of Betazoid eyes.
"You make a good family."
Katriel gave an amused snort as she stood. "Well, we're not nearly as dysfunctional as some, I'll grant you."
The counselor gently plucked the pro-offered candy out of Skyler's hands and ushered the Trill to a seat. "You're really going to spoil me with all of these sweets," but she unwrapped the carton anyway and set the box on the table between both of them. Fairy promptly appeared out of whatever corner she had been hiding in to come sniff at the foreign treats.
"I'm quite all right, under the circumstances. These were just severe enough that ... well, you know a dermal can only accelerate healing so far in a given period of time, so I'll just have to run it myself in sixteen hours or so to finish the job."
Katriel's discerning eyes fell on Skyler again. "Truly, Chassy, I'm fine. Please don't fret."
The counselor gently plucked the pro-offered candy out of Skyler's hands and ushered the Trill to a seat. "You're really going to spoil me with all of these sweets," but she unwrapped the carton anyway and set the box on the table between both of them. Fairy promptly appeared out of whatever corner she had been hiding in to come sniff at the foreign treats.
"I'm quite all right, under the circumstances. These were just severe enough that ... well, you know a dermal can only accelerate healing so far in a given period of time, so I'll just have to run it myself in sixteen hours or so to finish the job."
Katriel's discerning eyes fell on Skyler again. "Truly, Chassy, I'm fine. Please don't fret."
When the household demon revealed itself, Chassy's relaxed descent into the chair hiccups with a start, and the remainder is slow, cautious, until she's seated alertly-- suspicion narrowed on the feline's every move.
With her peripheral on the viscerally benign actions of the black demon, she lifts a mild smile on Katriel.
"Do I look like I'm fretting?"
Onstensibly, she was not; as far as Kat could tell, she was relieved to find the woman alive and evidently well...but....
"...you actually, ah, came into melee range of a klingon, with only that to show for it? I should recommend you for reassignment as a diplomat for the Klingon Empire."
A joke, which might be hard to tell given the deadpan delivery, but the method wasn't unfamiliar to Katriel-- even if it were, the internal twinge on Chassy's part gives it away.
With her peripheral on the viscerally benign actions of the black demon, she lifts a mild smile on Katriel.
"Do I look like I'm fretting?"
Onstensibly, she was not; as far as Kat could tell, she was relieved to find the woman alive and evidently well...but....
"...you actually, ah, came into melee range of a klingon, with only that to show for it? I should recommend you for reassignment as a diplomat for the Klingon Empire."
A joke, which might be hard to tell given the deadpan delivery, but the method wasn't unfamiliar to Katriel-- even if it were, the internal twinge on Chassy's part gives it away.
"Oh yes, I'm sure my brother would be pleased to hear of THAT reassignment," Katriel's tone was very, very dry.
"Truthfully, it wasn't so much that I came into a Klingon's melee range, but that I had to retreat to the point that the Klingons were forced to come into tighter quarters with me. I had no phaser, so there was no option for long range combat in my case and the narrower area prevented them from a fuller range of movement. Fortunately, Ambassador A'Printa was better prepared... her and her Gorn bodyguard. They disabled the most of them. We were just lucky that there weren't so many more of them."
In the meantime, Fairy had decided that coconut was really not her thing after all and she instead pounced on a nearby rag toy and amused herself with wrestling.
"Truthfully, it wasn't so much that I came into a Klingon's melee range, but that I had to retreat to the point that the Klingons were forced to come into tighter quarters with me. I had no phaser, so there was no option for long range combat in my case and the narrower area prevented them from a fuller range of movement. Fortunately, Ambassador A'Printa was better prepared... her and her Gorn bodyguard. They disabled the most of them. We were just lucky that there weren't so many more of them."
In the meantime, Fairy had decided that coconut was really not her thing after all and she instead pounced on a nearby rag toy and amused herself with wrestling.
Make-pretend disembowelment of the rag toy did little to assuage Chassy's biased ill ease towards the cat...but she politely kept quiet with one eye on it, and- comfortable enough in Katriel's presence for the mild faux pas- claimed a corner piece from the candy box.
"And to think I once worried about taking a civilian counselor aboard with only basic training under her belt. ...that's, ah. that was, as far as I can recall..your first close-combat encounter..." An observation aimed to prod without the pry, for whatever unseen damage the day might have done.
"And to think I once worried about taking a civilian counselor aboard with only basic training under her belt. ...that's, ah. that was, as far as I can recall..your first close-combat encounter..." An observation aimed to prod without the pry, for whatever unseen damage the day might have done.
Katriel quirked a brow at the query, but maybe for the sake of easing Chassy's mind, Katriel decided to humor her.
"I've had very few combat encounters in general, actually, close-combat or otherwise. As adequate as I am with a blade, we can all agree that it's somewhat outdated as a combat weapon and my aim with a phaser is pretty mediocre." No false humility was in her tone, this was just fact.
"Still, we were encouraged at the Academy to hone at least one combat skill, so fencing is what I went with. You can thank my brother for that, he was co-captain of his squad by the time I was persuaded to give it a try and there's nothing like a devoted older brother to drill the finer details into you.
"Ultimately I don't believe I'm very exceptional at it, but since I'm ... blessed with the ability to read an enemy's intention before he executes it, I often manage to keep up. Against an opponent I can't read, or who can likewise read me!, it's a much sadder affair," she smiled vaguely.
"I've had very few combat encounters in general, actually, close-combat or otherwise. As adequate as I am with a blade, we can all agree that it's somewhat outdated as a combat weapon and my aim with a phaser is pretty mediocre." No false humility was in her tone, this was just fact.
"Still, we were encouraged at the Academy to hone at least one combat skill, so fencing is what I went with. You can thank my brother for that, he was co-captain of his squad by the time I was persuaded to give it a try and there's nothing like a devoted older brother to drill the finer details into you.
"Ultimately I don't believe I'm very exceptional at it, but since I'm ... blessed with the ability to read an enemy's intention before he executes it, I often manage to keep up. Against an opponent I can't read, or who can likewise read me!, it's a much sadder affair," she smiled vaguely.
And fact it was-- regarding Katriel's self assessment of her skills. Chassy took it at face value. That she could was something she prized in their friendship, reflected upon with a tart aftertaste.
"Hopefully all you had to read was intention." Because who would want to read a Klingon's mind? The trill's opinion of them on the whole was...well, flatly, speciesist.
"Have, ah, you told Brian? That his 'finer details' paid off? Or are you concerned that he might, ah, gloat? Depending on your reticence at the time, anyone would be, ah, hard pressed to withold an 'I told you so.'"
Conversation: always awkward with Chassy-- perhaps only because she herself felt it to be awkward and therefore made it so, but the underlying concern behind it is there and genuine, and slowly alleviating as the betazoid's composure and mentality seems... well enough, given the ordeal.
"..you're alright? Not with the-- ..you know what I mean."
"Hopefully all you had to read was intention." Because who would want to read a Klingon's mind? The trill's opinion of them on the whole was...well, flatly, speciesist.
"Have, ah, you told Brian? That his 'finer details' paid off? Or are you concerned that he might, ah, gloat? Depending on your reticence at the time, anyone would be, ah, hard pressed to withold an 'I told you so.'"
Conversation: always awkward with Chassy-- perhaps only because she herself felt it to be awkward and therefore made it so, but the underlying concern behind it is there and genuine, and slowly alleviating as the betazoid's composure and mentality seems... well enough, given the ordeal.
"..you're alright? Not with the-- ..you know what I mean."
Katriel was silent for a moment. "Brian is probably chastising himself right now for not being more insistent that I keep training on my own, actually. Had he actually seen..." and she made a vertical gesture near the length of the cut, "... he'd have been even harder on himself. Even when he's nowhere near me, he feels like he needs to keep me safe."
"As for what happened..." her lips thinned in remembrance and she leaned back in her seat. "It was just very unexpected. Ambassador Cei was wary at first, but polite and willing to deal honestly with us. And just as suddenly..."
She sighed, unhappily. "I just try to remember that there was nothing I could have done, that the Klingon Empire had their hands in the matter far sooner than we had anticipated. That we couldn't have predicted that they'd be interested in thwarting relations with a relatively minor power in the area."
There crossed a fleeting expression of uncertainty.
"Right?"
"As for what happened..." her lips thinned in remembrance and she leaned back in her seat. "It was just very unexpected. Ambassador Cei was wary at first, but polite and willing to deal honestly with us. And just as suddenly..."
She sighed, unhappily. "I just try to remember that there was nothing I could have done, that the Klingon Empire had their hands in the matter far sooner than we had anticipated. That we couldn't have predicted that they'd be interested in thwarting relations with a relatively minor power in the area."
There crossed a fleeting expression of uncertainty.
"Right?"
"Your poor future neices and nephews...despite however, ah, adorable it will be to see young versions of you waving fencing foils about..." Chassy had never been trained on injecting light heartedness-- stabbing somewhere around the vein of it was as close as she got with an apologetic smile promising- unconvincingly- to hit it next time.
"Your job isn't to predict, even if it could have been prevented."
This was much more her arena.
"You did everything that was asked of you, everything you could do, and you did it well, Katriel."
She lifted the box of candies and stretched to offer it to the counselor.
"I'm unfamiliar with how, ah, Waydi communication functions, but perhaps another Waydi who was there, or..listening, can pass on your goodwill. I would not discount them just yet, if the Ambassador himself was uninformed..and perhaps a willingness on our part- your part- to return to negotiations..with...necessary precautions, will speak loudly..ah. ...perhaps not the most effective phrasing... the point is..."
The trill leaned back into her seat, setting down the candy box absently after Katriel's interaction, or lack thereof.
"...the point is, the negotiations have proven the natures of both the Klingon Empire and the Federation. I believe it speaks well of us, as an organization, that we are not yet so, ah. ...so cynical as to expect every move to be a trap or ambush without prior cause."
"Your job isn't to predict, even if it could have been prevented."
This was much more her arena.
"You did everything that was asked of you, everything you could do, and you did it well, Katriel."
She lifted the box of candies and stretched to offer it to the counselor.
"I'm unfamiliar with how, ah, Waydi communication functions, but perhaps another Waydi who was there, or..listening, can pass on your goodwill. I would not discount them just yet, if the Ambassador himself was uninformed..and perhaps a willingness on our part- your part- to return to negotiations..with...necessary precautions, will speak loudly..ah. ...perhaps not the most effective phrasing... the point is..."
The trill leaned back into her seat, setting down the candy box absently after Katriel's interaction, or lack thereof.
"...the point is, the negotiations have proven the natures of both the Klingon Empire and the Federation. I believe it speaks well of us, as an organization, that we are not yet so, ah. ...so cynical as to expect every move to be a trap or ambush without prior cause."
Katriel's lips twitched at the thought of Brian's children running amok, though not necessarily out of humor. She did take a candy and glumly popped it into her mouth while Skyler comforted her with optimistic speculation.
"I suppose so," was her only response, though her tone was thoughtful, as if the perspective was genuinely new and a welcome one. After a moment, she shook her head.
"So what about you? Command exams coming up, I understand?"
"I suppose so," was her only response, though her tone was thoughtful, as if the perspective was genuinely new and a welcome one. After a moment, she shook her head.
"So what about you? Command exams coming up, I understand?"
"I do not intend to take the captaincy exams," Her reactionary pulse of trepidation was quickly tempered into that even-toned delivery. She hadn't expected to tell anyone this, but then, Katriel. She wasn't going to do her the disservice of deception.
"-hear me out, Katriel."
Without the luxury of pre-rehearsal or even intent to explain, Skyler-grade hesitation kicks in as she sought suitable words to relay her reasoning.
"...I..."
The only turmoil was over word choice, pieced together until she could say it smoothly:
"...I do not believe I am ready or capable of captaincy. Furthermore, I do not believe that joined Trill should be given positions of military command, as loyalties to the symbiont conflicts with their Starfleet obligations."
She believed it, wholeheartedly; not in a dejected sense of failure, but akin to Katriel's observation in regards to her fencing; it was fact.
"-hear me out, Katriel."
Without the luxury of pre-rehearsal or even intent to explain, Skyler-grade hesitation kicks in as she sought suitable words to relay her reasoning.
"...I..."
The only turmoil was over word choice, pieced together until she could say it smoothly:
"...I do not believe I am ready or capable of captaincy. Furthermore, I do not believe that joined Trill should be given positions of military command, as loyalties to the symbiont conflicts with their Starfleet obligations."
She believed it, wholeheartedly; not in a dejected sense of failure, but akin to Katriel's observation in regards to her fencing; it was fact.
The counselor just blinked once, then twice. "Those are two separate issues, of course. That is, there's the relevant one... the fact that you feel ill-equipped to be a captain versus a less relevant opinion on whether joined Trill should be in positions of military command. What might suit you could be entirely different from others."
Katriel tilted her head, as she regarded Skyler. "Certainly it's no surprise that you should feel the way you do, though. Your career thus far has certainly been harried and topsy-turvy. I should think it no wonder at all that you're not interested in returning to a place where you were never comfortable to begin with."
Katriel tilted her head, as she regarded Skyler. "Certainly it's no surprise that you should feel the way you do, though. Your career thus far has certainly been harried and topsy-turvy. I should think it no wonder at all that you're not interested in returning to a place where you were never comfortable to begin with."
The counselor's response was, ultimately, the right one by way of Chassy, and the Trill relaxed with her relief, reaching for another of the jumja candies.
"Thank you, Katriel. I was...hesitant to mention it, given... recent events and what most people would...assume...to be an underlying cause. I, ah. ...do not intend to inform anyone else until the matter is closed, to, ah, avoid any such misunderstandings."
For those with empathic acuity, Skyler's had more than her fair share of those 'fifteen minutes of fame' and 'what were you thinking' speeches, thank you. This, she hopes, will be the last layer of scandalous gossip on her plate.
"..what about you? No interest in moving up the ranks, now that you have, ah, a few battle scars soon to reminisce about? I expect you'll make LTC with ease."
"Thank you, Katriel. I was...hesitant to mention it, given... recent events and what most people would...assume...to be an underlying cause. I, ah. ...do not intend to inform anyone else until the matter is closed, to, ah, avoid any such misunderstandings."
For those with empathic acuity, Skyler's had more than her fair share of those 'fifteen minutes of fame' and 'what were you thinking' speeches, thank you. This, she hopes, will be the last layer of scandalous gossip on her plate.
"..what about you? No interest in moving up the ranks, now that you have, ah, a few battle scars soon to reminisce about? I expect you'll make LTC with ease."
Katriel shook her head readily enough and her voice remained fairly dry. "I have very few, if any, ambitions and rank has really never been one of them. No, I assume if I garner any promotions, it'll be in much the same manner as yourself: kicking and screaming the whole way against it."