USS Dark Fire (IC)

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1800

L’Sa:​

“Yes, there are many Vulcan’s that use the English translation for the ease of others.” L’Sa replied watching the counselor. “Do I need to adjust the environment and warn the Commander?”

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Perfect. She’d work on accuracy on her own time. She shook her head at the suggestion. “Oh no, no thank you. I’m alright, I just need to grow accustomed,” Xiana reassured.

She took a look around the room. Now that she thought about it, she had never been in another individual’s home. Returning her attention to L’Sa, she continued. “Do you typically host dinners? Could I help with anything?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1805

L’Sa:​

“No Everything is already prepared, we’re only waiting on The Commander.” She replied in the insufferable Vulcan calmness. She’d probably give directions while operating on someone the same way.

Picking up a book she held it out for the doctor. “Vulcan-English translation. Written by a Human for better understanding.”

“Dark Fire can say the words, but is unable to provide the proper inflection for some words. If you change the accent point you change the meaning.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Xiana grabbed the book and gave it a quick skim. “This is wonderful, thank you so much.” If the spoken word could still be troubling, she could at least work in the written one.

She glanced at some words on the sheets and looked back up at the doctor. “How would I say ‘thank you’ and ‘my pleasure’ in Vulcan?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1800

L’Sa:

“Thank you is shaya tonat and My Pleasure is T'nash-veh sanosh however sanosh is old High Golic, as Pleasure is an emotion and no longer used in normal conversation. Vulcan is phonetically the same as Human English, spoken left to right. My is T'nash-veh to possess something. And Pleasure is sanosh the state or feeling of being pleased or gratified; a source of enjoyment or delight.”

Pausing she said excuse me and walked to the door stopping five feet in front of it. Ten seconds later The Commander stepped through the door and stepped up to her. The index and middle finger of his right hand touching her left temple as she did the same to him. Then he bowed his head until their foreheads touched and he inhaled deeply.

They stayed that way for about 15 seconds and then he straightened up and looked at the Counselor. “Live Long and Prosper, Xiana Marlowe,” he said moving his fingers from L’Sa’s temple to form the Vulcan Salute. “It is considerate of you to join us for the evening meal, this house is blessed by your presence.”




https://funtranslations.com/startrek
https://www.starbase-10.de/vld/​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Xiana wished she had brought something to write with. She ran the words over and over again in her head, hoping she’d be able to remember them by the time the evening was over. She smiled warmly as she watched the two, although she stopped a few seconds in when she realized the interaction was rather long. In the silence, she fixed her posture up and placed the dictionary on the counter.

“Live long and prosper, Commander. I’m happy to be here, shaya… tonat?” Xiana replied, giving a quick look in L’Sa’s direction to confirm she had said it right.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1815

L’Sa:​

Giving a slight tilting of the head, L’Sa followed the Commander over to the table.

Reeves:​

“Very good, Counselor. May I call you Xiana in our residence?” he asked, almost like it was a formality. “Will you be learning Vulcan?” he asked as he stepped to the side and allowed L’Sa to pass him.

He way they moved was like one unit, were they telepathic? Looking over at the food as L’Sa brought it to the table he raised an eyebrow. “Tevmel? This is a rare meal indeed.”

Placing the plate in the middle of the table she moved to collect everything else as The Commander assisted her.

“I apologize if L’Sa and I made you uncomfortable when I came home. It’s a standard Vulcan greeting when a beloved returns home.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“Yes, Xiana is okay,” she answered, doing her best to head over the table without the weight being noticeable on her pace. She was growing used to it, but at a snail’s pace. “I do hope to. The pronunciation is difficult but I’m hoping the reading and writing aspect will be just as intriguing.”

She moved her fingers as if dismissing the commander’s thought. “Oh, not at all. It was sweet, I just didn’t know the length,” she smiled. “Can I help you two set the table?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1820

L’Sa:​

“No, we have this covered please sit. If this were Vulcan you would have had to prepare the meal and served, but I’m Human.”

“Unfortunately,” L’Sa commented. Her face deadpan.

“Dark Fire adjust to Ship standard environment.” Instantly the gravity and heat became normal as The Commander watched her. “Better now?”

“And if you're using the book as a guideline for writing, don’t bother. That’s the phonetic translation. Written is far harder than spoken.” he said, pointing at a wall Decoration.

“Some of the Writings of Surak,” he told her. "Twenty seven Consonants, and twenty-four vowel's. It took me two years to learn the language so I could propose in Vulcan. Tradition."

"And Please, off duty I'm Jordan."

​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

She chuckled at L’Sa’s addition. At the change of the ambient, Xiana was able to carry herself as usual. “Yes, thank you.”

Granting her attention to the nearby decoration, she listened carefully. She’d really have to immerse herself in her multilingual endeavors. Back in Texas, just knowing one additional language was impressive. Here, she had some catching up to do. Luckily, she welcomed the challenge. “I see.”

“I will.” Calling a superior by their first name felt strange to her, but hopefully she’d adjust quick. She didn’t want to be rude. Finally taking L’Sa’s instruction, the woman took a seat.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1830

Reeves:​

“Vulcan’s don’t touch food with their fingers. To do so makes what is pure impure.” Reeves said as he used tongs to move the ‘tevmel’ to his plate, before cutting the steak carefully and neatly.

“And yes, they have prayers, a lot of them. But those are reserved for Rites, not meals. So you can eat or drink when you wish.”

“Several Hundred years ago my people, properly called T’kashi, as Earthlings are called human. Used to have many prayers even at meals, but Surak brought us out of the age of Barbarism and into enlightenment. We used to allow our emotions to control us, now we control our emotions.”

Gesturing to the tapestry in Golic she said Surak's Word's

“All sentient populace of the universe are born free and equal with respect to dignity and rights. They are capable of possessing logic and ethical principles and should act each toward the other in a manner of universal equality.”

“Surak lived over 2800 years ago, he witnessed the Schism, also called the Time of Awakening. The violent struggle of the Planet and people. It’s when the aggressive ones departed and eventually became Romulans. But not before the planet laid waste to itself in a nuclear holocaust.” Reeves told Xiana. “Marry a T’Kashi, learn a lot.”

“We gave up instructing humans on the proper term and accept Vulcan now as both people and planet in conversation.” L’Sa said eating her salad.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Xiana reached for her cutlery, determined to follow the Vulcan customs. After serving herself, she began to cut up her food as she paid attention. “I read a bit on the emotions. The discipline is very intense. Emotions are seldom inevitable, after all.” She was somewhere between admiring the tradition and pitying it.

What a devastating history. She listened attentively at the retelling and religious descriptions. She wasn’t sure the Vulcan lifestyle was one for her enough to marry into it, but it did grab her attention.

“That’s a shame. You shouldn’t have to adjust the way you address yourself for others’ sake,” Xiana said. “Would it be okay if I used the term T’Kashi?”

 

[milkmaiden38]

Lt Shino McLeo Meltdown

Shino quickly walked away from engineering into the turbo lift. “The Red section” he ordered as the lift started moving. His whole life was crashing. He was in a tailspin and was not able to pull out of it. Everything he had been doing, quitting the nip… counseling, not pissing off Commander Reeves, everything was to impressing Ensign Cook. And she just rejected him. The turbo lift arrived in the red section. He headed toward the Old Quarter (port side) where he knew he could get some catnip.

He never made it there. Ryn Gaelston, the young man, wearing the white robe, and carrying a light saber stopped him.

“Lt McLeo?” He said and grabbed Shino’s arm. Lt Mcleo was in a daze, but he did nodded at his name. “It is you! You saved my life! Come, I owe a lot… but for now how about I get you a drink” Ryn said.

The young man turned Shino around and they walked over to new quarter, part of the red sector. He put Lt McLeo in a booth at his dad’s bar as he went to get drinks.

Finally, alone, Shino let the tears come that he’d been holding back while thoughts raced through his mind.

"What is going on?" Ryn asked softly when he returned with two beers. McLeo just shook his head against his chest and let out a heartbreaking sobs.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“You may use whichever term you find appropriate,” L’Sa replied. “At times I have been forced to recognize being called Dr. Lisa by patients of colleagues unable to pronounce my proper personal name.”

“You have a curiosity for the Vulcan people, it’s language, and culture?” She asked slowly eating. She’d spent some time on Earth in the Oriental regions and found the Japanese and Korean cultures fascinating in their deliberate slowness, and eating with chopstick, never touching food with their hands.

“If you have any questions, just ask.” According to Xiana’s file she was always curios and asking questions, which was one of the reasons she’d been at the top of the list. They needed a curios and open mind on the ship, they were at the front lines of exploration after all.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Having to constantly correct your own name sounded exhausting. It wasn’t as if L’Sa was that difficult. “It’s unfortunate. The name L’Sa is very lovely.”

“How could I not? Again, I’ve only touched on the surface of your customs, but the T’Kashi are so interesting,” Xiana agreed, taking the first bite of her steak. She made a sound of enjoyment, finding the heat to be a nice kick. “This is wonderful,” she said after swallowing.

She had a few questions, but some seemed to require a more personal delivery. While she cherished her two hosts, she wondered if they were at that level of friendship yet. “Not right now, but with some more research I’m sure to have twenty pages worth of questions.”

“Wait, I do have a question. How was it for the both of you to adapt to each other’s lifestyles? At least as far as a typical T’Kashi and human goes.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1835

“Well, L’Sa mastered English at nine, Klingon and Romulan by ten. She spent several... years.. on Earth,” Reeves said pausing on years before continuing. “So she was far more acclimated to Humans than me to T’Kashi, or the Planet.”

“I found it far easier to adjust to a vegetarian diet than she did to observing me eat meat.” He added with a soft grunt. “It took me two years to Learn the Language and customs of the people, and to learn to endure the climate.”

“I was informed that in order to propose I had to cross The Forge. Which considering T’Kashi children do this before puberty, sounds easy. It’s a ten day walk through one of the hottest deserts on the planet. Good thing for endurance training, and acclimating to the planet.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Her eyes resized constantly thoroughout the conversation. Multiple languages as a child? Having to cross a desert to propose, one done by kids without an issue as well? In theory it was incredibly romantic, but if Xiana had struggled to stand straight in the very room, she doubted she could endure such a feat.

“I’m not sure if I should be disappointed that humans are so behind compared to the T’Kashi or thankful at the simplicity. Back home, a ring and a pretty view was sufficient, and that was a bare minimum.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1840

“I had to prove to her family that I was worthy of marrying their daughter,” Jordan replied. “They didn’t believe I was committed enough, until I crossed The Forge, and performed a koon-ut-kal-if-fee, which I was not expecting. “

“Neither was I,” L’Sa replied, brushing hair back behind her ears.

Anticipating the questions Jordan clarified, “Koon-ut-kal-if-fee is a marital challenge brought forth by another male, or the female if she objects to the suitor.”

“Thankfully I wasn’t required to kill him, though he certainly tried. I just beat him to a pulp.”

“Sonak was young and impetuous, it’s not his fault.” L’Sa commented.

“Which is why I didn’t kill him..” Jordan replied. “I understood it was a vague possibility but didn’t expect it to actually happen.”

“The Long Walk is a replication of the pilgrimage of Surak,” L’Sa said. “It’s not required of everyone, but most due choose to take the Walk, otherwise you are seen as weak.”

“It’s done at the same time of Year as Surak’s Pilgrimage, so it’s not High Summer That still means it’s 125* at noon and 43.3* at night.” Reeves chuckled taking a bit of steak.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Just a casual 125 degrees, no biggie, Xiana thought. “It sounds very intense, particularly for a group dedicated to minimizing their emotions. Would I be disrespectful if I said it was rather… ironic in my opinion?”

“For example, not wanting to be seen as weak inherently comes from outside impressions that lead to reactions, such as shame. The Comm— Jordan being dedicated enough for that journey came from love. What are the levels permitted when it comes to emotions?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1845

“Most T’Kashi do not express emotions. Nor are they required to make the Long Walk to prove their love. But the dedicated perform the Long Walk at High Summer when temperatures reach 150* and as low as 47*” L’Sa said as she selected a Tevmel, and moved it to her plate. “These have some spice to them,” She said calmly as Jordan choked for a second.

“Yeah, some spice…” He said when he could talk, "For a Takshi. For a human that’s not used to spicy food they can be overwhelming. I’d advise a small piece first.”

What was honesty for one was an understatement for another, but for a Tkashi it was like adding pepper to a salad.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“Speak for yourself. I’ve been enjoying it,” Xiana grinned, motioning to her plate. “In my defense, we had spice in practically every meal growing up. My grandmother would have peppers roasting on the stove every weekend and make huge batches. They were a hit in our neighborhood. Don’t get me started on her habanero sauce.”

“What are some typical ingredients in T’Kashi cuisine? Are they similar to those on Earth?” she asked.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1850

“Different but the same,” L’Sa replied. “We have lettuce, though it is purple, not green. As well as onions – blue, and fruits and other vegetable. You would be quite capable of eating on Vulcan with only a mild alteration to your diet as some foods give indigestion to Humans.”

“I eat from the planet all the time, some of what you’ve eaten tonight is native to Vulcan and grown here on the ship.” Jordan said. “If you’d like… we have Spice Tea or a Port from Vulcan, but it’s quite intoxicating for humans.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

She’d forgotten one of the best parts of discovering new cultures: the food. A new array of fruits she could experience for the first time? If her upturned lips weren’t closed she’d be salivating.

The suggestion of port was tempting, but whether or not they were on amicable terms at the moment didn’t change the fact that a woman she heavily respected and a man who could touch her career on the ship were in her presence. “Spice tea sounds lovely, but how intoxicating is that port?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1855



“I can tolerate a half glass,” Jordan said. “A full glass would have me on the floor.”

Standing he went into the kitchen as L’Sa looked at Xiana. ”We spoke about my name earlier,” she said with as close to a smile as a Vulcan would get. “Fully and completely it’s Leshu'sa'atix T'Sai'ker T'Sai-Gahv'n, Shortened into Federation Standard as L’Sa T’Ker T’Gahn”

“It means Lady Freedom Bearer of the Amethyst Yard,” Jordan said as he brought out four glasses - setting two next to the doctor, one holding barely more than a sip and vaguely suspiciously similar to something she may have drunk on the Bender with K’alena.

“Just a taste, and it’s not addictive.” Jordan said as he sat.

The other three carried something like a cross between mulled spice tea and vanilla Chai, with extra cinnamon.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

No way in hell would Xiana be able to recite the entire name with one listen, but she’d work on doing so. “You know, the portion Leshu’sa sounds very similar to lechuza. It means ‘owl’ in Spanish.” Or “lechuga,” but she doubted the doctor wanted to be called a head of lettuce.

Xiana thanked the commander, but couldn’t help to raise an eyebrow at the portion of the emptiest glass. Was it that potent? She held the glass up, eyeing it from the bottom.

“In the incredibly odd case I ever was drunk before the two of you, would you immediately lose respect for me?”