JDL | Captain DiAgessi (CO) & Commander Satie (XO) | "Je ne connais pas la fin" (I don't know the end)

Posted on Mon Oct 9th, 2017 @ 9:52pm by Captain Jacob Satie & Captain Aine DiAgessi

Mission: The Round Table
Location: CO's Quarters | Cold Station Theta

"Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru," Aine sighed the name, "C'est bon." The bottle was heavy in her hand as she sauntered delicately back across the plush rug. It was soft, cool to the touch, and heaven against her bare feet. She wasn't sure what she'd been thinking when she'd decided to cut the crap and end the professional balancing act they'd been hanging to. It was growing tiresome, the pretense of their ranks tugging heavily on each as they tried to learn the basics of one another. So far she knew he was an attorney, that he was uniquely human, not married, no pets. She knew he was a hard ass, but hardly as stuck up as Archer had suggested. What she didn't know was the man behind the stuffy tunic and yet she was supposed to trust him with her life, implicitly, and those of thousands of other people that used the station as home and business. That reason alone had been why she'd continued on her tour and invited him in to a living space she'd yet to call her own. While a crew had done their best, moving her furniture and unpacking the majority of her knick knacks, it still didn't feel like 'home'. Shoes off, tunic hung up, she felt freer as the cool air brushed along bare arms, but she couldn't bring herself to untuck the red sleeveless shell from the waist of her duty slacks.

"Ever had?" She finally asked, digging herself back out of her head and casting a look over her shoulder to where she knew she'd at least catch sight of him. Procuring wine glasses had proven to be a task best left for a time after she had a chance to organize and memorize where things were, but a quick stop at the replicator gave them a reasonable substitute and she chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Kind of feels like I should be eating Chinese take out on the living room floor with plastic cutlery, but here I am about to play twenty questions with my XO over a bottle of fine wine." Comical didn't begin to cover it.

On one hand, Jake was thrown off by her impromptu invite to dine with her in her quarters. On the other hand, he was on the verge of captivated by her and would have almost asked her out if she wasn't his Captain. The wine was a very fine vintage and Jake searched his memory looking for the label. "I think my parents served this when my kid brother, Tommy, graduated from the Academy, Ma'am." She had stripped down to her undershirt and taken off her shoes almost the second they had come in. The signals were confusing and Jake was sure she was messing with him so he decided to tread lightly and play it safe. "The bouquet of that wine goes great with lamb if I remember correctly."

In the lift when she had first arrived she stated she owned a dog, Jake nonchalantly looked around for the animal. Dogs had always liked him and for the most part he liked them back. "You mentioned you had a dog? My grandparents had a Golden Retriever when I was a boy." The dog had often walked the wooded pine trails of Oregon alongside Jake and his Grandpa. In the winter, she would sleep at the foot of Jake's bed keeping his feet warm and fending off the terrors of childhood night time. Daisy had been her name. The thought of the dog made the corners of Jake's mouth draw up in a small grin. His mind back on the present he watched her glide across the space and gather two replicated wine glasses from the replicator tray. They were etched with the station crest, crystal, and round with large open mouths, the better to let the wine breath and oxidize. She knew what she was doing and looked comfortable doing it, he decided. "Chinese take out was never my thing. I'm not a big fan of rice. I do like sweet and sour chicken though," he offered. "Thankfully in the twenty fifth century we don't have to wait for "twendy meenud" to get our dinner. Do you mind if I cook, Ma'am?" Jake smiled as he gestured toward the replicator.

"I'm more of a lo mein or dim sum type girl myself." She grinned, biting her lip to keep from taking the bait and laughing over the lawyer's cheesy attempt at an accent, "You have a keen memory. The wine does pair decently with lamb, kind of cuts through the gaminess and brings out the smoke and vanilla undertones of the wine. I'd say you've earned your right to cook." The fine chardonnay had always been one of her favorites and growing up within the household she'd been privileged to be born into, fine wines had never been in shortage. It had been part of the charm associated with being her mother's daughter. She'd never thought twice about the etiquette and responsibilities that came alongside such responsibility, they were a given just as the delicate nature of the evening was a given. Aine knew that she'd baffled the poor bastard, sending him into a world where signals crossed and his moral sensors blared klaxons and 'Danger, Will Robinson, Daaaangeeerrrrr' on repeat. Or something like that. So far he was handling himself well, giving her a wide berth while remaining engaging. She poured the wine, he head towards the replicator. It was a fine song and dance.

The jingle of tags gave Shango's position away. The dog was hardly the ideal cuddly creature, trading the soft fur of the golden retriever in for a sleek bronze coat that suited the breed's purpose far better. It was silent aside from that brief tinkering of noise, allowing Aine to remain relaxed. If the dog didn't feel threatened, then she had no need to consider being guarded. Saite wasn't the enemy. "Formalities aren't for people in our position," The sentence nearly made her cringe as it left her lips, "A last name basis works just fine. Breeds familiarity and keeps things a little less sterile." Progress, better. Less like a bad porn. She could do this. "Unless you have something else in mind?" A thump and canine sigh from the direction of the couches heralded Shango's arrival. Her awkwardness was to be the Rhodesian Ridgeback's entertainment for the evening, it would seem.

Jake turned at the jingle and clack of thick dog nails on the hard tiled floor. His eyebrows perked up momentarily as the large copper red dog lumbered through heading to one of the leather covered couches in the lounge area. He turned his attention back to the Captain as she tried easing the tension by shedding formal address. "I think moral and free thinking adults may address each other as they wish when not on duty and in the privacy of their quarters, Ma'am. If we are going to step out of uniform, my name is Jacob. My friends call me Jake and I would be honored to count you among them." He turned back to the replicator and began to enter his grandmother's recipe for roast leg of lamb with rosemary. The dish was a comfort food and reminded Jake of his childhood. It also happen to pair extremely well with the white wine she had selected. Within minutes the dish materialized and Jake picked up the ornate china serving dish it was displayed on. The smells of roast lamb filled the room and Jake's stomach let out a growl that he though might have perked the ears of the Ridgeback on the couch. With a practiced ease, he placed the server down on the polished dining table and returned to the replicator for the plates and other accoutrements they would need to consume the culinary delight. In minutes the table was set to a gold standard any butler would be proud of. Folded white linen napkins atop a small salad plate which it's self was nested atop the diner plate. The forks to one side the knives to the other and the spoons missing as there would be no soup course. The last trip brought a crisp house salad to the table to cleanse the pallet before eating the lamb.

Jake stood behind a chair and said, "Madame, le diner est servi." in flawless French. He gestured for her to take a seat. "My Grandma made all this from scratch but big as this station is, I don't think many people would approve of an open range ranching project. Fewer and fewer people out there can even tell the difference between butchered and replicated these days. The replicator can get pretty close but it's not quite like Grandma used to make."

"Merci. C'est fantastique." Aine smiled brightly, taking her seat and allowing herself to be pampered for the time being. Shango seemed to approve as well, simply watching with a twitch of his nose and his head resting against his paws. Was human life truly that interesting? She couldn't help but wonder as she plucked her napkin from the table in front of her and placed it across her lap, "Probably shouldn't encourage the ranching idea, but wouldn't it be novel? I'm sure the Ferengi would find a way to profit off it." She couldn't help but laugh at the idea. It was no small secret that her mother had spent hours upon days working to mold and shape the station's magnificent arboretum into what it was; Eden light years away from anywhere of consequence. The thought of adding a bunch of sheep to the mix was highly amusing even if she was certain that mommy wouldn't approve in the slightest.

The question of the hour really had nothing to do with sheep running freely on a starbase, but everything to do with sheepishness. She waited until she was settled and he settling deeper into his role of... Whatever this was... To take a sip of her wine and follow him with her eyes, "Do you dazzle everyone you meet with grandma's leg of lamb?" The question begged to be asked, to test the waters and see where his head was in these early hours of their time together.

Putting on his lawyer face, Jake said, "When first impressions and a bottle of wine that nice are at stake, yes." Do you always invite your subordinates to share an informal dinner with classy wine and relaxed uniforms on your first day at a new command?" Jake wanted to retort but didn't. Instead he simply smiled and chewed his next bite. The roast lamb was good, even if it had come from a replicator. Cutting to the chase Jake was ready for some more substance in this conversation. "Tell me about yourself. What are your interests, hobbies, do you like basketball? I played as a freshman at Harvard. Couldn't keep up with my studies so I made the choice to step up my degree rather than my extracurricular activities." Offering this little tidbit about himself was meant to help break the ice but as he said the words he could see the pattern his life had taken. He often gave up the things he enjoyed for the things he labored toward.

The food, indeed, was excellent. Richly favored it balanced perfectly with the wine and brought out more of the butterscotch undertones than she'd thought it would. Leave to it a lawyer to know wine, excellent food, and shove the word Harvard into easy conversation. Her amusement was boundless, refusing to let doubt and the need for control tether her back to the more professional aspects of her life and personality. "Ok," She nodded, allowing him that small part of her. After all it was supposed to be a sort of match of twenty questions, was it not? "I don't dislike basketball, but I tend to like soccer a bit more. I never played, didn't go to Harvard either." Aine smirked, "It was straight into the Academy for me," As if there were any other choice. She'd been born on a starship, would likely die on one too, "I have a love for the fine arts, rock climbing, hiking... Basically if it has something to do with theater or the outdoors, I'm there." Oh what else was there? She paused briefly, taking another sip of wine, "Fun Aine Fact number one? I really don't like Klingon food. It makes my stomach turn just thinking about it. Andorian also, while we're at it. I'm really texture driven." She nodded. "Your turn."

When she said she was texture driven, Jake almost spit out his lamb and it took all his self control to keep it in and not choke. He swallowed hard and then cleared his throat softly. "Well, basketball, horseback riding, hiking, skiing, swimming, the symphony languages and reading, round out my key interests. I also like the color red in all of it's shades. Detest most art beyond music and I'm with you on the Klingon and Andorian food. Even though my parents were, and my Mom still is, a space jockey. I prefer my feet on solid ground. Other than Vulcan when I was fresh out of the Academy, all of my other posts have been planet based." Jake took the last small cube of lamb and ran it around the remaining sauce on his plate before putting it in his mouth. When he finished chewing and had swallowed he asked, "Are you by the book, a loose cannon, or somewhere in between when it comes to your leadership style? I won't lie, in most cases I fall back on the regulations. They were put in place as experience dictated for the most part and it's the easy choice, isn't it?" Jake wiped his mouth and then took another drink.

"Well..." She breathed, "At least we agree on something." Never would she be subjected to gagh or any of the other nasties that usually graced the plates of those cultures so long as she continued to dine with Jake Satie. It was good to know. Comforting, really. "My mother is still active duty, most of my childhood was spent on one starship or another, and a very brief stint in San Francisco when she married my step father." Admitting DiAgessi wasn't the biological cause for her existence felt... Awkward, but it was the honest truth and Jake deserved nothing less if they were going to be the well oiled team that Starfleet demanded they be, "I think living on a planet would be..." She shrugged, "An adventure?" And then came the fun question; what was her leadership style. Thinking back she considered just how it was that she conducted herself as an officer. "Somewhere in between," Aine started with a slow nod, her brows knitting as she settled on that conviction, "I know there are rules, that they're there for a reason, but I also know that the law is reason free from passion, but it's also written to be open to interpretation." The smile she gave was almost coy, and she knew that her answer would spark both thought and further conversation, "More wine?"

"I think I've had enough for now, thank you. If I'm not careful I may actually get some sleep tonight. That hasn't happened in years and I wouldn't want to break with tradition. Even over a bottle of very fine wine." Jake leaned back in his chair full and satisfied with the meal. "Space is big but largely unusable. Planets are big and offer so much room to... live. When I was on New Romulus we were asked to accompany Ambassador Alaric through a newly discovered cavern system. The trip lasted four days. You can learn a lot about a people by how they handle themselves seventy meters underground with no easy way out. Romulans are almost human when it comes to stress reactions. I had expected them to be more like Vulcans with the shared genes and origin." Jake was in all honesty exhausted. He had enjoyed his sparring exercise with his new commanding officer despite the fact that it was informal and almost too personal for a first day. Now, however he wanted to hit the rack and catch at least fifteen wink before his alarm went off at four thirty. His morning exercise routine sounded less and less appealing the longer he stayed out.

"I suppose you would." Aine nodded, tucking away the bits of information concerning the Romulans and the man's time on their home world for another time and another place, "They're nothing alike, unfortunately. At least with Vulcans you can begin to predict them by patterns and logic. Romulans..." She fell silent, allowing the slow shake of her head to finish her sentence, "I know all too well that they're a significant threat to us, our space. Or at least one of them is. In the grand scheme of things we'd be remiss to think that playing host to the USS Vindicator as her home port didn't paint a great big giant target on our backs where Senator Tr'Bak is concerned. Anyway... Thank you for dining with me and allowing me a chance to get to know you a bit better."

"It has been the highlight of my day, Ma'am." Jake's mouth drew up into his million dollar smile. "We'll have to do this again sometime." Soon he added mentally. Taking orders from her would be easy, guarding his heart would be another story but Jake wasn't at all sure that was the tree he should be barking up right now. She had put out signs and he had read them well, however, she was his captain. He told himself he would do well to always remember that. "I'll see you in Operations tomorrow then, Ma'am." With that, Jake walked toward the door.

---

Captain Aine DiAgessi
Commanding Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170

&

Commander Jake Satie
Executive Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170