Making Amends

Posted on Tue Aug 8, 2017 @ 12:56pm by Lieutenant Corsa Yeros & Lieutenant JG Mirok

Mission: Strange Matter
Location: Deck 27, Officers' Quarters
Timeline: MD 26, 1030

Corsa Yeros was a man who followed orders regardless of how uncomfortable they made him feel. The idea that a superior would give a wasteful order was not something he was capable of processing. There was a logic to making up with Mirok. He was a member of the crew and a fellow officer. It didn't do well to let animosity simmer.

He sauntered up to the lieutenant's door and pressed the chime button and waited. Corsa didn't do his typical ritual of checking his uniform as he had done for the Commodore and Commander each. Then he waited for admission.

Mirok had actually been in the middle of reading more about the sundering--or what Vulcans knew of it at least--when the chime rang. Who is needing to visit me now? He thought, putting his PADD in the table. "Come!"

The Traxian opened the door and stepped over the threshold before closing it behind him. His hands came to rest against his lower back in an 'at ease' stance as he inclined his head. "Lieutenant Mirok. Is now a bad time for a visit?"

"I wouldn't have let you in if it was." Mirok said, getting up and walking to the replicator and producing a light blue drink known as Kali-fal. "You didn't come here willing, I can tell by the fact that you're keeping bearing somewhat."

Mirok gave him a once over, "I ain't a marine, drop that shit with me behind closed doors, besides, I should be the one with all the bearing, I'm just a junior lieutenant." It wasn't a lie, and he held up the collar of his uniform tunic to show the one solid and one black pip.

"So let's cut the formalities, deal?"

"Habit. I'm a military man. With military bearing." replied Corsa who then placed his hands on his hips instead. "And you're correct about me not coming here of my own volition, Lieutenant. I spoke with the Commodore about our little....food fight. I admitted to him that I was the catalyst for the incident and he's ordered me to apologise."

The Traxian straightened his shoulders a little as he mused the next part. "He's also ordered me to study Vulcan and pre-Hobus Romulan culture. To better understand you and your two peoples."

Mirok blinked. "The Commodore told you to apologize?" He couldn't believe the CO stood up for him--even if Corsa had started it, it was conduct unbecoming of a Starfleet officer.

"To better understand both, start just prior to the sundering. During a time called the Time of Awakening, circa approximately 400 on the Earth calendar. It'll explain why both exist and then one branch will lead to Surak and one will take you on a journey with those who march beneath the raptor's wings."

"The raptor?" Corsa furrowed his brow at the reference. "The Romulan flag is that of a bird of prey. A hawk or falcon that most refer to as a 'raptor'. Not mere coincidence?"

"Its long been lost why we chose it, but its possible the first Romulans found the name translated nicely." Mirok said.

"You mentioned Surok before. That he started the idea of using logic rather than emotions to rule." the Traxian mused. "So what exactly brought this around? I mean a massive shift in philosophy usually comes around because of a rather large societal event."

"Vulcans as a whole were a rather war mongering people, constantly involved in civil wars and trying to kill each other. Surak had philosophical ideas that if one suppresses their emotions, they'd be more logical and capable. That was also speculated to be the reason they unlocked their touch telepathy."

"Amazing how near self-induced obliteration has on a species. Yet Vulcan is still going strong so there must be something right about his teachings." Corsa said before he tilted his head to the side. "What exactly happened with Hobus? A star, I think, doesn't just go supernova for the sake of it. There must have been some readings or warnings for years."

"We'd seen the signs for years, but the problem was with it going supernova, it was the scale of it." Mirok said, "it went almost hypernova, reaching Romulus far faster than we thought it would. We couldn't stop it and millions died."

"What was it like? The Empire? Before the supernova, that is?" the Traxian asked with his brows raised upwards and head tilted. "I've read about it at the Academy but...well. Books and holograms do little to give a place or people justice than the real thing."

"We were proud, we were a power. Feared by many, with a Navy, Army, and four different branches of the Intelligence service."

"And now? What are the Romulan people up to? Rebuilding, I imagine? Is the Federation assisting?" asked Corsa.

"The Federation will help us only when we decide it necessary." Mirok said, "right now we're still shaken, trying to find out who from the Senate survived and once we find it any did, they'll lead us in rebuilding the Empire."

"This why you're in Starfleet? Repay the debt or is there another reason?" Corsa rolled his shoulders a little as he waited for Mirok's reply.

"There is no debt to repay!!!" Mirok shouted, "I'm in Starfleet cause I didn't want to join the Star navy."

Corsa didn't seem all that phased at the shouting as he tucked his hands behind his back again. "May I ask why you didn't wish to join your peoples' military force then, Lieutenant Mirok?"

Mirok rolled his eyes, "On Romulus you had 3 options, the Star Navy, the Tal Shiar, or the Tal Diann. I didn't want to join either."

"I suppose I find it difficult to understand why someone wouldn't want to assist in rebuilding one's own home. A military force is a potent asset against those who would wish to take...advantage...of the Romulan position." the Traxian explained calmly. "I asked why you didn't wish to join."

"I can do more to help the rebuilding effort by staying out of things." Mirok said in reply to his first statement. "I didn't want to go Navy because they suck, my father is a well-known Subcommander in the Tal Shiar, so I wan't going there, and my mixed heritage prevented me from going Tal Diann."

"Who are the Tal Diann? One of the intelligence services?" Corsa seemed mildly intrigued as he narrowed his eyes a little at his question. "And in what way does your navy...underperform?"

"The Tal Diann is the intelligence service, and you think Starfleet's section 31 is secretive, you ain't seen nothing." Mirok said, "compared to the others, they are rather bland, too many people crammed into one space with big egos."

"So. Why Starfleet? Adventure? Get away from it all? It must have been one good story at least. Travel all the way out to Earth to go through four years of school work and weird looks."

Mirok shrugged, "I needed to get away. A Romulan/Vulcan hybrid, even one raised as a Romulan is viewed as a lesser status, I rank just above Reman, and that's not by much. I had more opportunities in Starfleet because of an exceptionary clause I found when trying to get in, so I took that opportunity to get away--it probably saved my life."

"So if you could summarise Romulan society prior to the Hobus event, how would you? What makes a Romulan a Romulan? What defines them as humans could be defined by their...naivety?"

"Cunning, crafty, proud." Mirok said without a moment's hesitation, "we were proud of our empire, proud of our history, and we still are. There's just a couple bumps in the road."

"How has your time in Starfleet been? You said you were barred from the Promenade." Corsa stated. "Have you had other...issues?"

"Several before, I damn near killed a cadet in the academy, and a couple since, including the one with you."

At that Corsa raised his brow again before it settled back again. "What prompted you to try to kill this cadet?"

"He called me an enemy sympathizer."

"Would you be willing to take some advice from me, Lieutenant?" Corsa seemed content to idly amble around the room as he waited for the answer, looking up at the ceiling with a small hum of interest.

"Depends, you gonna insult me again?" Mirok would ensure he brought this up at every opportunity.

"Well that depends entirely on you, Lieutenant. Your race and its fate are of little consequence nor concern to me as my people have no experience with either side of your genetic makeup. Thus I cannot be as prejudiced as our human peers." the Flight Officer said as he turned to face Mirok. "But what does concern me is you. You are an officer of this vessel. A member of the department that oversees the external and internal defences of the vessel itself and the protection of everyone on board."

Corsa took a small breath as he gestured to the door. "Out there you, like me, like others, are responsible for every soul on board. Four thousand at least. They all depend on you to keep a level head where all others may panic or act...irrationally. You say you are a student of Surok's teachings. The one who brought logic to the Vulcan people. My advice to you is to use both of your abilities. Cunning and pride make for a good soldier but logical deductions make for a good officer. But who says they have to be exclusive of one another?"

"I never actually said I was a student of his teachings. But you are correct in that I've studied them." Mirok shook his head, "I could never achieve the true logical mindset of a Vulcan. They're emotionless puppets at times, often using logic to act over emotion. I hadn't had an outburst on this ship until you decided to liken the greatest Vulcan philosopher to pudding and claim I fought with lamps. I had a slip in judgement when meeting with a flag officer and I'm paying the price for it. Now if there's nothing else?" Mirok gestured at the door for him to leave.

"An officer does not have the luxury of being allowed outbursts. He is his duty. Nothing more. Nothing less. Good day to you, lieutenant Mirok." With that Corsa pressed the button for the door and left.