The Queen's Bishop and the Bishop's Pawn

Posted on Sun May 31st, 2020 @ 1:52pm by Lieutenant Farizah Alani

Mission: Around The World in 8 Days
Location: Earth - Amsterdam & San Francisco
Timeline: During Shore Leave

Having left The Celadon Club and Amsterdam behind, Lieutenant Farizah Alani and her young companion had ventured out into the streets navigating their way around by holo signs and the old albeit now solar powered street lanterns that kept the ‘old’ look of Amsterdam in a more modern, contemporary setting. Leaving the old red-light district for signs of civilization, the two had made their way to a public transport station. “Your place or mine?” the youthful man said in a teasing manner as though one of them had ‘picked up’ the other. Though Farizah was amused by the joke, she was sober enough to smack the cadet upside the back of his head. Crude and crass jokes were her department and she did not like being outshined, even by a performer.

“Yours,” she replied with a small smile. “If I bring you back to where I’m staying it is going to raise more brows than I care to deal with and taking you aboard the Astraea right now is just out of the question. If I take you there, it is going to raise even more brows, and start a rumor mill that even I cannot contain” she explained. “How about your place? I imagine you have a roommate or too still? They aren’t going to let this go if they see you sneaking in after hours with a mature beautiful blue Bolian woman” she countered with a tease of my own.

“Yes, I have roommates, but not the ones you remember. They all left and went elsewhere. So, I have a new set of them as of last semester” the cadet replied. “Believe me, the gossip your arrival tonight would cause would not be because you are ‘mature’ or Bolian; the stirring of gossip would be that I brought a female back to my dorm” he explained.

“Ah, yes” she replied. “I can see why that would get people talking” she replied. “Try being a Bolian. I have several husbands and wives and children, albeit the little gremlins are not mine biologically and I cannot even remember their names most days” she countered.

The Cadet knew a lot about Farizah, but she never opened about her personal life, not like this. He did not know what to say, and he felt the best course of action was to avoid it. He chose another topic of discussion, one back on track with their previous discussion backstage at the club. “What can you tell me about her?”

Farizah was practically radiating. “She’s one of the good ones” the Bolian replied. “Captain Laurens is ambitious and headstrong, but not in the same vein as a power-hungry ass bound for admiralty. She has principles and has always placed before politics. Laurens cares about the crew. She is an excellent leader, and someone I have come to admire in my short time serving underneath her.”

“Starfleet Academy, San Francisco Campus” the cadet said as they approached the public transporter. It was one of the more frequently transported to locations. Though he was probably one of the few that frequented San Francisco and Amsterdam almost nightly. Shortly after stepping onto the platform, a light washed over their bodies and they were gone. Gone from Amsterdam but rematerialized on campus.

As they continued to walk towards the Pavel A. Chekov dormitory, the cadet pressed on. “Why do you think she would agree to it? I am not exactly what you would call the most qualified for such a position and yet I am also overly educated” he stated.

The Bolian scoffed. “Hey, do not go knocking Yeomans. They may typically be enlisted, but they are the synapses of a starship and space station. They hold the Captain together and often are the first line of defense against ridiculous requests and inquiries” replied Farizah. “The Astrarea does not currently have one and the Captain could use one. I know it is not a glorious assignment, especially for a Cadet in his last year of studies, but I need someone I can trust close to the Captain.”

“Who is going to want a cadet as a Yeoman?” he countered. “I will be there for several months at best, and then what? I graduate and get assigned somewhere else. What good will I be to you then if this situation you will not even tell me about does not end before I am slated to graduate? Oh, and how pray tell do you expect me to continue my classes when I’m not on campus and on this starship?”

Farizah hushed the young man. “I am starting to reconsider this now that I know you cannot keep things quiet” she said looking around. It was true there was hardly a soul in sight and none within earshot. She kept her tone down. “Plenty of cadets take subspace distance courses. I have looked at your unofficial transcript. You have completed practically all your requirements early; you only have a couple classes left and plenty of time to do them…remotely. I will see about getting your credit if I can get this posting for you. We will call it field experience and how about we do not present it as Captain’s Yeoman, but as the Captain’s Aide-de-camp” stated Farizah.

“You have put way too much thought into this before even asking me” the cadet replied as they reached the dorm building.

The Bolian smiled. “Never underestimate a Bolian in security” she replied.