Requests

Posted on Thu Oct 25, 2018 @ 10:27pm by Lieutenant Commander Arrda & Commodore Michael Aravan

Mission: An Oceanic Shoreleave
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: MD 38 | 1000

Having left their quarters, Arrda made his way to the commodore's Ready Room quickly. He suspected the man wanted to be off duty as much as the rest of them did, so he was going to keep this as quick as he could. But Danielle was right; it was long overdue. Well, part of why he was here was; the other part was his wife's paranoid streak and his old Enforcer nature showing itself. Reaching the office, he tapped the announcer and waited.

For a moment, Michael wanted to pretend like he hadn't heard the chime or act like he wasn't available as he tried to plow through all the final mission reports and his report to Starfleet. Then he sighed. The computer would inform whoever it was that he was in his ready room and then he'd alienate a member of his crew. "Enter," he called out while pressing his thumb to yet another PADD.

At the command to enter, Arrda keyed the doors open and stepped inside. He could immediately see that he had chosen an inconvenient moment to disturb the man. He considered telling the commodore that it could wait and leaving but decided against that as it would likely be far more annoying than just asking what he had come here to ask in the first place. Oh, yes, that was just what he needed, to annoy his superior officer. Not.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Commodore." he began respectfully. "And by the way, in case I didn't say it already, congratulations on the promotion."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Mallory," the commanding officer told his Chief of Security. "What can I do for you today?" he asked as he removed another PADD from the stack on his right and put it in front of him.

Arrda came further into the room and stood behind the chair on his side of the desk. He did not sit, purposely, as a sign that he did not intend to take up too much of the man's time. "You're welcome, sir. And two things, actually." he answered. "One," they were not in order of importance but rather ordered by which he thought would take less time to handle, "Danielle and I would like permission to take our own shield generator with us. We're sure theirs are good, but we like to be... prepared."

"A portable shield generator?" Michael asked with a raised eyebrow. "Now that's a request I don't hear every day. Or indeed every mission. What could you possibly use one for on a paradise planet that isn't related to a mission, Lieutenant?"

Arrda chuckled a bit, having half expected that question or at least one like it. "There are underwater places to stay, and we thought that would be fun since neither of us had done it before. They use shield generators to augment the structural integrity due to water pressure, but we want to be doubly safe by having one just in case of unforeseen circumstances." he clarified easily.

"I know your job involves safety, Lieutenant, but there hasn't been a underwater breach in the resorts on Pacifica in decades," the Commodore responded. "Officially, I can't give you a shield generator for that, but I can put in a request to allow you access to their systems as a inspection to relieve you and your wife's worries. I know my wife will share similar concerns about the underwater resort we plan on going to as well."

Arrda nodded. He could understand the commodore's reasons and accepted them. At least he gave them that much; he was grateful for it. "Thank you." he said. "I'm sure that will be fine." Part of him wanted to ask which resort they were staying in, have that shared moment of camaraderie, but he knew how busy Michael was, so he pressed on. "The second thing is of a more... personal nature." he said. "And... it will likely seem like an odd request to you."

"Odder than requesting a portable shield generator?" Michael asked as he skimmed another report and added his thumb print to it. "Let's hear it."

"It might seem so, yes." Arrda answered. "I need you to assist me in getting my name changed on my official records." He paused there to see what Michael would do with that before explaining more thoroughly.

The request made him look up and give the man his full attention. "That's something normally handled through Starfleet Command and the Personnel Division of Command. The amount of PADDwork you'd have to go through is pretty extensive without good reason. May I ask what brought this about?"

Arrda sighed and paced to the view port, looking out for a moment before turning back to the other man. "I am aware that the bureaucracy is... formidable." he said soberly. "This is not a new thought, though. I have been thinking about it for some time. You see, the name I have, the one on my file, Douglas Mallory... it is not my given name. It is a... chosen name." He sighed again. "The reason for it is a bit of a long tale, but suffice to say, that reason is no longer relevant, and it has been brought to my attention that, by keeping this Human name, I am in a sense denying who I am. That, of course, was not my intention.

"I remember the paperwork hell it was in the twentieth century to change one's official documents, and so I have been avoiding it. But... the truth of the matter is I feel that it is time to shed that particular part of the past, and this is a concrete step to doing that." He stopped then, realizing that he had been rambling just a bit. "Sorry, sir. That was a bit... long-winded."

Michael then remembered that his Chief of Security wasn't human despite his outward appearance. The exact name of his species eluded him at the moment, but he did remember that the being before him was over a thousand years old and had likely changed his identity a number of times for one reason or another.

"Would this change anything else?" he asked, wondering if he was going to have to look for a new Security Chief.

Arrda blinked a couple of times, not really understanding what was being asked, or rather why. "Why would it?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"It's related to the number of officers that have came and gone from other department head positions," Michael said. "Can I assume that you won't be one of those?"

Arrda blinked again, not sure how name change equated to leaving. But after a moment, he cleared his expression, relying on that Enforcer training to find that neutrality. "No, I wasn't intending on leaving." His own words clicked, and he understood why Michael had made that particular leap -- he had said something about closing a part of his life. He had, of course, meant the Earth Mission, but the commodore had no way to know that.

"I didn't mean I was closing this chapter. I chose this name long ago, when my people first came to Earth. That Mission ended... badly, but I had gained ties to that planet after it. So I had kept the name. While I still have some of those ties, the reason I chose this name, that Mission, is no longer a reason to keep it. That was the part of my life I wanted to close, the ties to the ill-fated Earth Mission." he clarified... or hoped that clarified.

"Then I'll approve the PADDwork for you," Michael told him. "Once the initial response comes in, it'll all be in your hands, Lieutenant. May I ask what name you'll be going under?"

"Thank you, sir." Arrda said, relieved. Yes, there would be a lot yet for him to do, but at least he would have it started. "My given name is Arrda. Marai don't have house names per se, so it's a single name." he answered.

"So from now on, you'll simply be Lieutenant Arrda? I'll make a note of that. Will this affect your wife's name as well?" he asked after remembering that the man was married.

Arrda frowned. "We talked about this, but oddly, that part didn't come up. I suppose it would. Her name would revert to her maiden name, un-hyphenated, I suppose. Mercursi." He frowned, hoping she was all right with that. He Had mentioned, in the beginning when he had told her his given name, that he had no last name. And when they had talked about his changing it officially, she had not said anything about being distressed at the change it would mean for her name. And she was not one to not tell him something distressed or annoyed her if it did. So he was left to believe that it didn't. "It won't change our marital status, but only her name." he clarified.

"Very well," Michael responded."If there's nothing else, I'll let you get that started and you both have a great shore leave."

"Thank you, sir. You should take some time and enjoy it too." Arrda responded, smiling, before he turned and left the room. He actually felt... relieved in a way. It was liberating in a way he had not expected, and he found himself humming an old Marai tune all the way back to his quarters.