Lost in Translation

Posted on Thu May 15, 2025 @ 11:14pm by Commodore T'mpest Michaels & Commander Cara Letsul & Ensign T'Vren

1,263 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Time After Time

The shuttle docked with the station, and many of the other passengers immediately stood, gathering their things as they did. T’Vren took a moment to inventory what she needed to do. Her bag was at her feet. DS5 was a Celestial Class station. The shuttle docking bays were lower on the station, while Operations, Communications and the Quartermaster were all on the upper levels. She would be expected to report to the Commodore, the Chief Operations officer and then finally to the Quartermaster for her quarters assignment, in that order.

Having arrived, there were three possibilities. First, that the Commodore would meet her at the shuttle bay. That seemed unlikely. The station had hundreds of crew members, with the civilian population on top of that. It would not be an efficient use of time for the command staff to disrupt their schedule for a single ensign. Second, a crew member might be sent to meet her. That was what would have been done at the Consulate. But the Consulate was run by the Diplomatic Corps. The rest of the staff was there as support for their work. The station had a significant diplomatic presence, but that was not its primary purpose. Being met by a crew member was possible, but not guaranteed. Third, there would be no one to meet her. This was also a strong possibility. She was a Starfleet officer. It was expected that she familiarize herself with the layout of the station before her arrival.

T’Vren had not been informed of what to expect, which was not pleasing. But annoyance at the situation would change nothing, so she set that aside as not useful. Most of the passengers had already disembarked, so she reached down and grabbed the strap of her bag, hauling it over her shoulder. Fewer passengers exiting meant fewer chances of someone accidentally bumping into her. The downside of being a touch telepath among those that were not. Not all species had the same sense of personal space that Vulcans did.

She was one of the last passengers off the shuttle. There were many around the docking bay in Starfleet uniforms, but none seemed to be interested in her. No one to meet her, then. It affirmed that this posting was to be distinctly different from her work at the consulate. The station was a larger posting, with more responsibility for T’Vren, and she would be expected to be self-sufficient. It was a logical expectation. In addition to familiarizing herself with the station’s general layout upon receiving her assignment, the station’s directional signage was excellent. The only difficulty she experienced in finding her way to the Captain was the multiple times she was stopped and asked to show her orders to explain why she was there, though she was finally allowed through to the Commodore.

T'mpest had never seen so many PADDs before. Each day they seemed to multiply, as if word had spread that there was a new commander on the station and everyone needed something yesterday.

When she was informed that someone wished to see her, she gratefully set aside the PADD she'd been reading and went around her desk to greet the new arrival.

The Commodore was half-Vulcan. T'Vren hesitated. Typically, she would offer a Vulcan greeting, but the Commodore's use of a human family name suggested that she may not consider herself Vulcan. Instead, T'Vren settles for "Greetings. Ensign T'Vren, reporting for duty as the Assistant Chief Operations Officer for Communications."

Excellent. The station could definitely use a communications specialist. "Welcome, ensign. I hope your trip here was uneventful." T'mpest could not guarantee that her stay would be the same.

The door to the Ready Room opened, Cara stepped inside carrying several PADDS in hand, she was looking at the latest report from the Marines and other information as to Station repairs. She was about to say T'mpest's name realized that the Commodore wasn't alone. "Commodore, sorry to disturb you. I was bringing in several items for your signature." She looked at the person who was in the office with T'mpest. "Hello, I'm Commander Letsul"

T'Vren studied the new arrival. She appeared human, but there were many species with a similar phenotype. Nor did she recognize the same 'Letsul.' "Ensign T'Vren. Communications."

"This is Commander Cara Letsul," T'mpest said, introducing the new arrival. "She is my executive officer."

"Ah. Greeting." T'Vren nods her head to the Commander. "If your needs are urgent, I am content to wait."

"It is just something for the commodore to go over and sign them, otherwise nothing more." Noting that T'Vren was Vulcan, Cara decided she was going to excuse herself from the conversation. "Commodore, since you currently have someone in an interview, I will take my leave. " The last encounter with T'Lul, and being shut out of the conversation, the XO decided she wasn't going to risk a repeat. Normally she'd not allow things like this to affect her, but what happened stung. Stung more than what she had realized.

T'mpest would have stopped her, but the look on Cara's face made her hesitate. She would have to talk to her first officer about whatever was bothering her sooner rather than later.

But for now, she turned to T'Vren. "I apologize. With both Cara and I being new to the station, and the repairs, it has been chaotic. Please, tell me why you chose communications and why you want to serve on a station like DS5."

"I have an aptitude for languages. Communications allows me to both utilize and further develop those skills." She paused to consider the second half of the question. "My previous posting was a Consulate. As a Commodore, you are aware that these postings are of limited duration, to avoid staff developing potential conflicts of interest. I did not seek DS5 specifically as my next assignment, only a position that would allow me to be of use."

"Yes, I do understand that. As a scientist, I worked on several planets where we needed to learn the local language. A linguist is quite useful. Here, we have travelers from across the galaxy. Your skills will be appreciated."

"Good. Are there any specific needs that I should be aware of and prioritize?" T'Vren asked.

T'mpest shook her head. "Not that I am aware of. But then, I am still getting familiar with the station. So, if you become aware of anything, please let me know."

"Of course." T'Vren wasn't clear on how the Commodore could be so sure she would be of use when she knew so little of the station's needs, unless she meant that lack of a Communications Officer meant communications needs were not being addressed. "I will be meeting with the Chief of Operations, but is there anyone else you would have me seek input from?"

"The chief counselor. She works with some of the civilian groups and would know if any of them could benefit from a translator. Beyond that, we will be entering negotiations with the Cardassians and Xi-Cadians before long. I believe you could be of help there as well."

"I am currently studying the Cardassian language, and will make a point to familiarize myself with Xi-Cadian," T'Vren said. "If there is nothing else, I still need to report to the Chief of Operations, as well as have quarters assigned."

"I have nothing more," T'mpest said. "Welcome to Deep Space 5."

OFF

Commander Cara Letsul
Executive Officer
Deep Space 5

Ensign T'Vren
Assistant Chief Operations Officer - Communications
DS5

Commodore T'mpest Michaels
Commander
Deep Space 5

 

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