A Couple of Cats

Posted on Wed Nov 21st, 2018 @ 12:00pm by Lieutenant Commander Catrina (Cat) Tendai & Candy Templeton
Edited on on Mon Mar 11th, 2019 @ 2:22pm

2,429 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Mission 2: Into The Breach
Location: Cat's Quarters
Timeline: MD02 - 2100

M'Mira had given Candy a great deal of information. The question was how to use it. One thing was certain, she did not think particularly highly of the Chief Engineer. On the other hand, she was particularly close with Mint, which Candy found more than a little interesting. Generally, female Orions, especially Mint, had a very difficult time making friends with women. Their heat cycles practically forced women away. Perhaps there was something unique that Caitians were immune.

Mulling those thoughts, Candy did some quick review and research on the file she had created on Lieutenant Tendai. She made a few interested noises before she felt that she had enough material to talk to the woman. M'Mira also had made it clear that everyone was to cooperate with her, so what better time to drop in on someone unexpectedly?

She quickly located Lieutenant Tendai's quarters and rang the chime.

Glancing up from her couch, Cat knew she wasn't expecting anyone, and was finishing up her reports for the night. Not many people came by to see her as it was, so she was awful curious. Setting her cup of tea down on the table, she kept the PADD in her lap.

"Come in," she stated.

A woman with long blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders flowed to and fro. She had a nearly perfect hourglass figure. Her face was youthul and her lips were puffed in a perfect pout that would catch any man's attention. However, what drew a person in was her dark brown eyes that had a certain, "come hither," look. "Good evening, Lieutenant."

The woman stuck her hand out and introduced herself. "I'm Candy Templeton. How are you this evening?" There was a certain effervescent quality to Candy's voice that made one wonder if there was any activity going on between her ears. She smiled happily at having found Cat in her quarters.

Raising an eyebrow, Cat knew exactly who this was just by the information she'd heard about a reporter arriving. Taking the hand, she professionally shook it and nodded to the other side of the couch. "I'm alright. Just finishing up reports. What brings you here?"

"Have you heard of me?" Candy asked curiously, while in a faux demure manner, placed herself on the couch near Cat.

"Just that we were getting a reporter, and seeing as I don't recognize you, and I've met quite a few here?" Catrina shrugged. "Just a guess."

Candy giggled innocently, "Well, aren't you just the intelligent one? I guess that's why you got to be made a Chief, huh?"

Raising an eyebrow, Cat tucked her legs up underneath her and swapped her PADD for her cup of tea. "Either that or I earned it." Taking a sip, "What can I do for you this evening?"

"I'm confused," Candy told Cat. "Isn't being intelligent generally a way of earning a position? Are you implying that you could earn one another way?" she asked curiously, her thoughts straying to how Mint likely got her position.

"I also could have earned it by the work I've done in the past, I didn't ask why I was offered the position. I only know that I was. Do I consider myself intelligent in engineer?" Cat eyed the other woman, "I do."

"I would certainly hope so. I would not want to think we had unintelligent engineers running around Starfleet. Would make for quite the disaster, don't you think?" Candy asked pleasantly. "But, I would think that such an intelligent woman would know why she got to where she is."

Cat chuckled slightly. "I did engine research previously, at Starfleet, for the last year before getting here. Never actually worked as an engineering officer not on a ship. I'm guessing the captain liked my performance at my previous posting."

"I guess so!" Candy agreed enthusiastically. I wonder if she's like Mint and sleeps her way up the chain. There does not seem to be a lot of intelligence here, as M'Mira implied. Taking on the effervescent blond tone, Candy exclaimed, "Did you know that we're both CATS? I hear that you prefer to be called Cat rather than Catrina and I am a CAT, too. Candy Anise Templeton! Isn't that cool?!"

“I only go by Cat because my family came up with the nickname, and it stuck.” Cat shrugged, not sure why the woman before her was so excited about the name thing.

"Tell me, Cat, how have you been settling in here? Have you been experiencing any sorts of difficulties?"

Taking another small sip of her drink, Cat thought on the answer. “Worked straight through for quite a while. Slept in my office when I could get a small break. Just got settled in in my quarters recently. But for difficulties? Just the non-stop work. Not that I guess that would be a difficulty.”

"This station is not that old. What could require so much work?" Candy asked interested, crossing her legs.

"Power systems more than anything. A lot of cross wiring to clean up. That's really it." Cat was not having fun with the questioning, but knew she had to put up with it.

"So, you're saying that the station was designed faulty?"

Cat shook her head. "Not at all. But whoever worked on the power systems before Starfleet got here decided to criss cross some wires so certain areas got power but it shut down the others." She shrugged. "I honestly don't know what whoever was here before was thinking, but it is all back up and running to Starfleet specs."

"That's such good news!" Candy said pretending to be enthused but bored at Cat's explanation. Time to spice this up. "Why don't you tell me about yourself? I mean, so far, all we've talked about is work. Certainly you must do other things and have other interests, right?"

"Me? Um..actually I'm all work and no fun." Cat sat up a bit straighter, not wanting to talk about her personal life at all. Right now, it wasn't what she wanted to think about.

"Come on!" Candy said playfully. "That can't be true! A pretty girl like you. Certainly you must have a significant other - girlfriend or boyfriend...."

Cat shook her head and looked down. "No..no one." She had no desires to talk about Sarah, she was missing, and she didn't need reminding of things she couldn't control. She felt a tear trying to come to her eye and did her best to hold it back.

She was getting close, she could feel it. There was someone. "That's a shame. Do you think that is because of your past?"

Eyes shooting up, angry and filled with tears, Cat glared at the other woman. "You stay the hell out of my past!"

"It must have been a really painful thing.... I could not imagine what it would have been like to have been in your position. Beaten nearly to death by someone that supposedly loved me.... I could see how that would make it hard to trust anyone else," Candy replied sympathetically. "How would one get past that to trust someone else?"

Cat didn't want to answer, she wanted this woman out of her quarters. Wiping the tears away from her cheeks, though they were still falling, "Why does that matter to you?"

"Oh, dear, dear," Candy replied noticing the tears. "We really should get you a tissue." She started looking around. "I'm sorry that your past still brings you so much pain. I do wish that there was something I could do."

"I leave my past in the past for a reason. And I'll be fine without one." Cat looked back down, wiping away a few more. "I trust people in my own way, and sometimes it just happens."

"Nobody can ever leave their past behind. It is there. In the papers. It was very easy to find," Candy said sympathetically. "I hope that you can trust me. I do not do this to pain you. I was merely curious...."

Cat continued to stare anywhere but at Candy. “That should not be a past that anyone is curious about. I know that everyone knows, it doesn’t need brought up. Why would I trust you when all you want to do is dig into my personal life and figure out if I’m seeing anyone?”

"Everyone does not know," Candy advised. "If they research like I do, then they could find out. Do you honestly think that anyone knows or cares? Your news was done 15 minutes after it happened." She paused and sighed, "And you are seeing someone. You told me as much. A woman, from my guess. Right?"

"If my news was done 15 minutes after it happened, then why the hell are you here?" Cat's eyes shot back up. "My personal life is none of your damned business, or those who care to read whatever it is you put out there."

"I'm here because I am going to do a report on the station," Candy replied nonchalantly. "It is my business to find out all the information that I can to provide the most accurate report. I apologize that you do not like that I researched you. However, in my line of work, you find that people lie. I need to find the truth. Otherwise, my word and my bond with the FNS audience would be broken. Does that make sense?"

Cat rolled her eyes at what was said. "If you researched me, then I'm sure you have everything you need. What I do in my personal time doesn't need to be in the report. Who I'm with in my personal time doesn't need to be either. You really want a report on the station? Don't do it on what would be the gossip part. Do it on the work that has been put into all of this, to bring it all together."

"I don't report on gossip." Candy sounded offended. "Do I sound like someone from the Enquirer to you?" She straightened herself and returned to a polite tone. "I do not tell you how to do your job. Please do not tell me how to do mine. Now, if you wish to tell me something more than generic statements, I would be happy to discuss it."

Pulling her legs up to her chest, Cat gave a soft sigh. "It's been a rough few days, I'm sorry. If we can...avoid my personal love life, I'll answer questions. But..can we please not go into that part?"

"Why does it bother you so?" Candy asked curiously, not wondering if curiosity would kill either Cat. "What's been so rough?" There was concern in Candy's voice.

"Because they are missing, okay?! Not just missing from me, completely missing. So I'm not exactly wanting to think about it."

"Missing? In this day and age?" Candy was stunned and her mind turned. "If you would like, I could do some digging for you. Who are they?"

Cat shook her head. "I can't. They are already being looked for, and is nothing to do with anything you can help with. Not the type of missing that a reporter needs to get involved in."

"You might be surprised at what I can find," Candy replied with a twinkle in her eye, excitement brimming. "Consider it a gift. Just need a name and last known place she was and department...."

"I said I can't. I'm sorry, but that is one thing I can't do, no matter what. Just, please trust me."

"There's a difference between can't and won't, Cat," Candy replied, a note of disappointment in her voice.

Cat looked back to Candy. "This is a can't. If it were as easy as a 'won't'...I'd be out looking for them myself."

Suddenly understanding, "Someone in intelligence, then?" Candy's eyes twinkled again. "Just a name, then...."

"No! You stop, just stop!" Cat didn't care if more tears hit her cheeks. She wasn't going to let this woman go digging into anything concerning Sarah. "You aren't going to go digging for anything!"

"You know what they say," Candy said as she rose. "Curiosity killed the cat. It may kill me someday but it is who and what I am." She started to walk to the door. "Take a bit of advice for what it is worth. Consider it a gift. If you want to get along with your Caitian Commander, flatter her. Find some pretty nail polish or designs. When you see that my advice is good, perhaps then you will trust me enough to assist you."

Watching Candy as she walked towards the door, Cat raised an eyebrow. "Giving me advice for Commander M'Mira? I don't even think flattering her will do any good." She didn't question the fact that it got brought up, as it was pretty common knowledge that the two of them didn't like each other.

Candy shrugged. "Have you tried it? Would it hurt you? What's the worst that could happen? Like I said, the advice is free. And you might be right. You get what you pay for...." She paused dramatically before continuing, "But I pride myself on finding the truth, Cat. Take it for what it is worth."

Cat let the words somewhat sink in. She didn't want to really listen to any advice this woman had to offer. "Won't matter if you find anything more about my relationship. Whatever truth you think you might find, you never know if it really is the whole truth."

"You believe as you will, Catrina Kali Tendai. Just one last question to satisfy my curiosity, well two, perhaps. I know that you are partially Trill. Can you host a symbiant? Do you or would you even want to?"

Running her fingers along her hairline where her spots were barely visible, Cat just shook her head. "Can't host a symbiont, never had given it a second thought. Though I'm curious why you want to know."

"I just wanted to know," Candy admitted. "Like I said, constantly curious." Walking out the door she gave a wave and said, "Let me know if I was right, if you give it a chance."

Watching Candy leave, Cat shook her head once the door closed and let a few more tears hit her cheeks. She didn’t want anyone digging into Sarah. And no one really knew about her relationship with her as it was. Would she take the advice about M’Mira? There was no way to know.

 

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