Heading for Agincourt

[H'Rasha Trenral 0]

Sitting in the co-pilot's seat, though not doing any flying, H'Rasha Trenral looked over out of her sparlking golden eyes toward the pilot. "I'm surprised they let you bring me here in this." Brown furred with a shoulder-length sweep of dark auburn hair and long, arching bangs framing her feline face, the fine-boned Caitian female's voice purred quietly as she spoke.

 

The pilot grinned, showing his own set of fangs on a happy face with spotted fur. "I needed to come this way to pick something up, so I managed to convince them giving you a lift here would be just what the doctor ordered."

 

"Which doctor?" H'Rasha asked with a chuckle.

 

"Both." The pilot's paws gracefully moved over the console as he checked the sleek vessel's various systems. "I'm still surprised you decided to take a starship posting, little one."

 

"Me too," H'Rasha conceded. "It seemed like... the time. I just haven't been as content as I expect to be."

 

"Curiosity finally getting to you?" The pilot asked, his voice purring.

 

"I suppose, yes. I guess I'm feeling like I'm not helping out enough, you know?"

 

"Yes, I know. I've been there," he answered. He looked over at the smaller Caitian and smiled. "After five years of planetary medical duty it'll be quite a switch to being on a starship. Bring your holoprograms?"

 

"Loads of them," she replied. "Mother sent along about twenty-five herself, along with a sealed container of home-cooked food, and everything else she could sneak into my packs. Leave my bedroom for five minutes and my bags would gain two kilos."

 

"Aunt Mrenga," he chuckled. "The Worrywart of the Year Award winner since 2367."

 

"Don't let her hear you say that, Mreh!" H'Rasha said, laughing. "She'll send Aunt Kharril after you."

 

"Good point. Now that my mom's retired she's being a major pain in my tail." Mreh K'hal's fluffy tail lashed around behind the seat in emphasis. "She still talking to your mom every day?"

 

"Not every day." H'Rasha rolled her eyes. "Only because mom stopped answering the comm every day if she saw who was calling. Aunt Kharril finally gave up after two weeks of that."

 

Mreh laughed. "Your mom is as smart as mine is stubborn."

 

"Oh, my mom's very stubborn too," H'Rasha stated. With a sigh, she looked at the energy streaks through the viewport. "I'm going to miss the K'hal reunion this year, it'll be the first one I haven't been to."

 

"With as many of us in Starfleet as there are, the family is used to it. I haven't been to one since I was in the Academy." Mreh reached out a paw and patted his cousin on the shoulder. "It will just make everything nicer when you finally do get back for one."

 

"I suppose, Mreh." She sighed again. "I'm homesick already and I haven't even arrived at my destination."

 

"It's hard," Mreh conceded. "I can't say you'll 'get used to it' because I don't think I ever have. There's always a little part of me that misses San Fransisco, mom and dad, my brothers and sister so much it aches. But once you get settled into a routine it takes a back burner and you get through."

 

"Really? As long as you've been in the Fleet you're always homesick?" H'Rasha asked, intrigued.

 

"Yup. I don't know if the other races feel like that. Well, Vulcans probably not unless it's their Pon Farr, but... It's easier with other Caitians around, I know 'my' JoNs made me feel considerably more comfortable when I served on the Excalibur, hopefully I did the same for her. I'm sure it'll be the same with your JoNs. You'll have to say hi to M'rrett," he paused and chuckled, "that'll be 'Commander JoNs' to you, for me. Haven't seen her for ages.

 

"Well, we're about fifteen minutes out, you should go get your gear and set on the transporter pad. While I'd like to stay and see you aboard the Agincourt..."

 

"I know, classified people to see, classified things to do," she said with a smile. "I'll go get my stuff, and I'll be sure to give 'Commander JoNs' your regards. I'm sure I'll see her at least straightaway. I'm told ship XO's like to grill their new officers sooner rather than later."

 

"Not always grill... sometimes they only lightly saute them," Mreh responded with a fanged grin.

 

"Comedian," H'Rasha said with a chuckle as she headed into the back. A few moments later, her belongings ready to go, she returned to the cockpit.

 

"I haven't seen her myself since our Academy days. She and I were in the same class you know. Not that we spend much time around each other. The security grunts didn't schmooze with the science geeks." She grinned at Mreh's eye-roll. "You can see what difference it makes going in for the extra schooling. She's a Commander, XO of a starship, already."

 

"Tell me about it," Mreh said with a little whine in his voice, remembering his own slow advancement after leaving the medical career on the Excalibur.

 

H'Rasha ruffled her cousin's mane from behind. "I'd say you've gotten somewhere, Mreh. That is I'd say it if I knew what on Cait that you actually do now."

 

"Oh, I'm somewhere all right," Mreh said. "More like everywhere, but that's neither here nor there."

 

"A lot of words in that statement, and none of them made any sense," H'Rasha replied after shaking her head.

 

"Good."

 

"I hate it when you do that, you know."

 

"Good," Mreh said with the tiniest of smirks. "Here we are, the Corianis System, dropping out of warp."