Securing Captains

Posted on Fri Jul 3rd, 2026 @ 5:49pm by Captain M'Mira & Lieutenant Tomer Chaim & Lieutenant Kora Sidero

1,638 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 5 - The Cold War Ends
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD05 - 1100

Tomer sent an advance alert to M'Mira's yeoman so that she could wake up the Caitian who was likely sleeping on her desk, even if she would not admit to it. However, Caitian hairs did not lie.

Tomer got Kora to the door and rang the chime, escorting Kora into the room. "Good day, Captain! I present to you Lieutenant Kora Sidero. Starfleet says that she is to take over as the Chief of Security, which means that I will go back to my assistant role, pending your approval."

With that, Tomer slipped out of the office and let it close behind him.

The sinewy Captain rose from behind her desk and moved over towards Kora. Immediately evident was her fancily painted red claws. She reached her right paw out to shake Kora's hand. "It is verrrry nice to meet you, Kora. Would you like to have a seat?"

"It's a pleasure meeting you as well, Captain." Kora reached out with both hands and gently shook the Caitian's paw before unceremoniously taking a seat. "I have been told by quite reliable sources that you may be in need of someone with a lot of experience. Lots of rumors flying around, as they say."

"Tomerrr's been worrrking well herrre for eight plus yearrrs now," M'Mira told Kora as she moved around to her side of the desk, her tail swishing dramatically as she circled. "He's had a lot of differrrent Chiefs. I've offerrred him the Chief position beforrre but he does not seem to want it yet. So, we sought someone with a good deal of experrrience to handle all the unique issues we have out herrre. So, tell me, can you do it?"

"It sounds like he's got something he's waiting on before he accepts and I can respect that." Kora pursed her lips in thought as she tapped her chin with one finger. "Since I was pulled away from a high profile security detail that also needed my experience, I believe it fairly safe to assume this posting needs someone with the patience to interrogate a slab of granite and arrest a politician if needed. Am I correct, Captain?"

"Hopefully therrre will be no need forrr arrrrresting any politicians. I do not need that nightmarrre herrre." She favored Kora with a toothy smile. "Howeverrr, Tomerrr, though it is not supposed to be public knowledge yet, is expecting anotherrr cub with his wife, the Chief Counselorrr, Karrra. Perrrhaps his prrriorrrities are shifting."

"Indeed, more kids means a desire for a more stable position, though if he's already found one..." Kora eyed her assistant with a sly grin. "But to answer your question directly, Captain, yes. Though it pains me to leave my other work, I can see that you need me here."

"Well, we need someone who is capable and who I can trrrust. So, tell me about yourrrself. Why should I let you take the rrreigns as the Chief Securrrity Officerrr and rrrelieve Tomerrr?"

Kora nodded sagely and finally flipped on her human half's serious side. "As you are likely already aware, I am half Lanthanite and that's granted me with an exceptionally long life compared to most others. That means I have survived and in some cases thrived across some of the darkest times in Federation history. I have seen what happens when evil people come to power and are let loose upon civilization and it is one of my goals both in a general sense and as a Starfleet Officer to thwart such deceitful ways."

"I have extensive martial arts training, as well as generations of practice training and interrogating younger minds. But my history is in my official records. The bigger question you are probably wondering is how I passed a background check without any family history." Kora tapped a finger to her lips, a private smile slowly spreading across her face. "Because according to official records, even my full Lanthanite mother died of old age over four hundred years ago. I have no family so I've made some wherever I've gone."

The shorter woman leaned towards Tomer and elbowed him gently. "It's more fun being everyone's crazy old aunt."

"I am currrious how you can be alive if your motherrr was dead 400 yearrrs beforrre you werrre borrrn. Clearrrly it was an untrrruth unless you werrre borrrn frrrom a frrrozen embrrryo. Which is it?" M'Mira inquired.

Then she continued, "And while I am currrious about that, my question was meant morrre as to telling me about you as a perrrson. What interrrests you? What drrrives you? What do you do forrr fun?"

The short woman just stared at the Captain for a moment as if she were rethinking her current life choices. "Captain, I'm almost 500 years old. That's just how long it's been since I've seen my mother so it was easier to declare her deceased than track her down when I joined Starfleet."

"If you wanted to know my hobbies and interests..." Kora waved a hand thoughtfully. "I've spent a lot of time with bonsai trees. They're relaxing and I enjoy being around them. I enjoy art, especially the neo-classical era of Shonen 5. I also enjoy a good bit of watching the markets. I once found an entire collection of wall panel art in immaculate condition that turned out to be half recreation. I got a great deal and sold it to a collector that didn't care for triple the price."

"Those seem like rrratherrr solitarrry hobbies. Do you not enjoy otherrrs?"

"Are they?" Kora asked innocently. "I do enjoy the company of others, but let me ask this of you, Captain. Where will you be in a century?"

"I cannot say, but not likely in Starrrfleet. I may be dead orrrr rrretirrreed. Why?"

"I'll probably still be in Starfleet or separated and doing something related to it. I need hobbies that I'll still be interested in after several hundred years. I don't want to get bored, after all."

"You will not be borrred on Faltan Station, that's cerrrtain. But perrrhaps, we can find you some new interrrests, as well?" M'Mira wondered.

An amused grin spread across Kora's face. "I certainly look forward to adventure, Captain. I also look forward to getting involved in any group activities that may happen around the station. I am always looking for new activities to supplement my more long term hobbies."

"Therrre arrre plenty of those. The station is big enough and therrre arrre a lot of interrresting people to watch. Just do not mention Candy to Misterrr Turrrnerrr."

"I assume you don't mean the sweets, but the reporter," Kora replied with a knowing nod as she pulled a butterscotch candy out of her pocket and handed it to the captain.

"Corrrrrect," M'Mira answered while politely declining the butterscotch. The Caitian sighed and waved her hand vaguely in circles, as she said, "I suppose that I could quiz you for hourrrs, but you have had many morrre yearrrs than I, so it may take as long. "So, what else can I help you with beforrre I let you take over as Chief?"

Even though she already knew what she was going to ask, she made a show of thinking about her question. It was more fun that way, after all. "Well, you could tell me about what's not documented. Every crew has procedures and traditions that aren't written down anywhere." She ended her statement there, but the weight that hung in the air was twofold. As security, she wanted to know if the Captain herself wanted to know what secrets were going on. Also, as someone that was going to live far longer than any of them, she'd be able to keep any unwritten memories alive far longer and she wanted to see what the Captain considered important enough to keep around and remember but not enough to add to official documentation.

"We just had our first station parrrty yesterrrday. We had not had one since the incident on the planetarrry station. The station does seem to observe a numberrr of winterrr solstice trrraditions. Therrre was that Santa Claus incident.... You can rrread about it in the files, if you would like. As to morre, I would have to think on it. As long as I have my white Rrrusians with extrrra crrream, I am generrrally happy."

"Very good to know, thank you Captain," she replied with a hint of a purr of her own. "I'll have to remember to contact an old friend of mine and see if I can get a supply of Koldovian cream for personal use later."

"I do not know what that is, but it sounds lovely." The Caitian's tongue practically hung out as she spoke.

Kora's voice softened and took on a huskier tone as she explained. "The original recipe was somewhat addictive for the natives of Koldovia, leading to one of their biggest societal collapses. Even safely reformulated thanks to Ferengi entrepreneurs and Starfleet intervention, it is one of the sweetest, fluffiest creams you will ever find and it is amazing when paired with most deserts."

There was no stopping M'Mira's primal instincts. Her tongue involuntarily came out of her mouth and brushed itself across her lips and teeth. "When will you intrrroduce me to this delectable trrreat?"

"It will likely take me a few weeks to get a supply from an old friend of mine," Kora replied with a wink. "I'll let you know as soon as I have some."

"I will hold you to that," M'Mira answered almost too anxiously. "So, welcome aboarrrd. Make cerrrtain you meet with everrryone you can. It is a unique compliment on this station."

"Thank you Captain. It's a pleasure being here."

Lieutenant Kara Sidero
Security Chief
Faltan Station

Lieutenant Tomer Chaim
Assistant Security Chief
Faltan Station

Captain M'Mira
Commanding Officer
Faltan Station

 

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