Late!

Posted on Sat Feb 14, 2015 @ 6:08pm by Captain Isha t'Vaurek
Edited on on Tue Feb 17, 2015 @ 5:05am

532 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Beholder
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD02 16:00

After she left Bembleman's Bakery, a small box beneath one arm Peridot made it to Ops as quickly as she could. A glance from one of the crew confirmed that the Captain was not happy that her yeoman had decided to take an extended lunch break.

I can rescue this, Peridot thought knowing how much the Captain liked the pastries she got her for breakfast - the cakes would do the trick.

Before she could even hit the door chime the doors parted.

“Well?” Isha said from her seat behind the desk.

“I’m so sorry, Ma’am. I completely lost track of time,” Peridot began.

Isha raised her hand to cut her off, “I had appointments with two rival trade delegations this afternoon. You had explicit instructions to keep them apart by showing the first to the Observation Lounge and inviting the second in here.,” she said.

I can see where this is going, Peridot thought as her heart fell into her stomach.

“Both arrived here in my office within ten minutes of each other. What could have been an easy negotiation that should have lead to good relations between the Federation and both parties became a squabble.”

“I’m sorry, I …” Peridot burst into tears. She genuinely, genuinely didn’t want to let the Captain down. She simply didn’t know what had happened. “I got you these,” she held out the small box of cakes.

Such a display of emotion! Isha mentally tutted. Still she rose to her feet and came around the desk. Placing a hand on Peridot’s shoulder she said, “there is nothing that cannot be rescued,” she said with as much understanding as she could manage, “Why don’t you dry your eyes, make some tea and then we can talk about it.”

Peridot sniffed and nodded. She dried her eyes as she went to the replicator.

As she returned with a pot of tea on a tray Isha noted that her yeoman was one of those rare people who could cry and not look hideous after the event. If anything it made her eyes shine more. She invited Peridot to take the seat opposite.

“Let’s see what we have here,” Isha said. She placed her fingers gently on the corners of the box and with a light flip opened the hinged lid. “Is this a joke?” Isha said, her compassionate tone transformed to one that bordered on outrage.

“I don’t understand<” Peridot said. This day was getting worse by the second – she couldn’t believe the Captain would like the cakes – they looked and smelled delicious.

Without a further word Isha turned the box so that the open lid faced Quirm.

What Peridot saw within were not the beautifully iced fancies she had bought but an assortment of grass and pebbles.

Oh my god!

“Leave us,” Isha said in a tone she rarely found use for outside the senate. “We will consider your position.”

Peridot fled utterly baffled at how she’d gone from looking forward to a luscious lunch to facing the sack in what to her had felt like half an hour.

 

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