The Cardassian Cometh

Posted on Sun Jul 3rd, 2011 @ 8:45pm by Lieutenant Jasad Broca
Edited on on Mon Jul 4th, 2011 @ 7:10am

Mission: Too Close for Comfort...
Location: Various, Initially Corridor on the USS Shras
Timeline: Various, Initially Some days before 'Saddle Up.'
Tags: Chief Engineer, any other PC in Engineering who wants to chime in

"Lieutenant Broca," called a voice from behind him.

Jasad turned towards the sound of the voice, concealing his dismay. He had nearly made it to the transporter room without having this encounter. Lieutenant Commander Vasilev was a well-intentioned superior, and he had no idea how much Jasad had come to loathe him during his time on the Shras. The inherent incompatibility of their personalities was not helped by the fact that Vasilev had joined as an Ensign the year after Jasad had been assigned here. Despite this, it was Vasilev who had been promoted when Lieutenant Commander Borgia had received his own command. And then he had been promoted again, while Jasad remained an Ensign. It was hard not to be bitter about such things, though Jasad liked to think he was professional enough to conceal his dismay.

"Commander Vasilev," he acknowledged with a nod. "Nice of you to see me off."

"I wouldn't miss it," Vasilev said with a slight Russian accent, slapping Jasad forcefully on the back. "Nice to see you finally getting a kick upstairs to play with the big boys," he said. "I like to think I was responsible for that. Honing you into the officer you are today, like a fine blade forged from pig iron."

Jasad smiled weakly, "Yes, Sir. I feel very privileged to have studied under you."

"Well," Vasilev said, "it wasn't always a picnic, I guess, but we got all your kinks worked out. Do you remember when I first arrived, and you tried to tell me how to calibrate the subspace regulators? Ha! Well, how could you know I was a specialist in the field, eh?"

Jasad swallowed any comment he might have made. Vasilev had, indeed, failed to calibrate the regulators properly. His failure to acknowledge that fact had kept the ship operating at suboptimal efficiency for nearly a month. Jasad had been forced to sneak a correction into the system when Vasilev was off duty.

"No harm, no foul" Vasilev said. "Since then, you've come a long way. Take orders like a champ. And who knows? Soon you may even get an Engine Room of your very own. Then you can chew out the first cadet who tries to tell you how to do your job!" He laughed.

Jasad smiled again, humorlessly. "Yes. Well, I was an Ensign, actually, and had been here for a year before you-"

"An Ensign?" Vasilev interrupted him. "Huh, I always thought you were still a cadet when I came aboard. There were so many cadets on ships back then, on account of the war. Well then, you should have known better! Ah well, water under the bridge. It's better times now, Jasad. I wish you the best."

Jasad unclenched his teeth, "I am grateful, Sir. I hope to make you proud."

"I know you will," Vasilev assured him. "Now, don't let me hold you up. It'd be a shame if you were late to your new assignment."

Jasad nodded, "Thank you, Sir." Then he turned and proceeded hastily to the transporter room.

Minutes later, as his atoms were torn asunder, he made a mental prayer of gratitude to the universe for the fact that he would no longer be serving under such a man.

Of course, there was no telling what might wait in store for him at the Arizona.

*****
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Character: Lt. j.g. Jasad Broca
Episode: Too Close for Comfort...
Location: Transporter Room, USS Arizona
Timeline: 11 Hours after 'Saddle Up'


Days later, he had arrived at Starbase 900 and been transferred to the Arizona just before they departed stardock. Chief Petty Officer Merriweather greeted him at the transporter pad.

"Lieutenant Broca reporting," Jasad said, citing formal procedure, "Permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted," the young human replied, after taking a moment to process what he was seeing. Jasad wasn't certain whether or not he was the first Cardassian in Starfleet, but he knew there were certainly not many. He almost always earned a double-take from those not informed about his race before his arrival. "We're just about to get underway. I can show you to your quarters, sir, if you like?"

Jasad nodded, hefting his traveling case. "Lead the way."

*****
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*****

Character: Lt. j.g. Jasad Broca
Episode: Too Close for Comfort...
Location: Engine Room, USS Arizona
Timeline: 12 Hours after 'Saddle Up'

After making a very basic hash of unpacking his kit, Jasad freshened up and headed to the Main Engine Room. It was only now that he allowed himself a sense of satisfaction and deep appreciation for the assignment he'd been granted. While no longer brand new, the Prometheus class still represented the cutting edge of Starfleet engineering. The multiple cores and warp systems aboard her, and the innovative 'multi-vector assault' capability were only barely shy of bleeding edge innovations. However, while he had imagined a pristine marvel of modern technology, the ship he passed through did not quite match his dream.

Most of the damage had clearly been repaired, but his eye caught signs of battle scarring here and there. She had been in quite a tussle, and was still getting over it. It would probably be another day or more before she had been restored to the image of perfection he held in his mind as an ideal. As he looked around the engine room, he saw that technicians were rushing hither and tither, completing repairs as the ship thrummed to warp speed. The USS Shras hadn't seen battle duty in years, but seeing the fingerprint of violence on the Arizona brought the memories of war back to him.

He shook off the reverie, and was immediately surprised to see another Cardassian in Engineering. At once, his mind flooded with questions. What was this man's story? What had brought him into Federation service? Had he been forced by circumstance, as Jasad had, to fight his compatriots during the Dominion War? But he asked none of these questions and showed none of his excitement and curiosity. Instead, he approached the man with a professional bearing.

"Excuse me, Chief-?"

The Cardassian looked up, seeming to be as surprised as Jasad had been. "Corvak, Sir."

"Chief Corvak, I'm Lieutenant Broca. I need to report to Lieutenant Minamoto, can you direct me?"