Star Trek: Starbase 777

The trill sat down at the club, as the lights continued to flash colours of purple and blue all around, with music pumping and vibrating the floor. She was already out of her uniform, in a rather long, covered dress, with her combadge being the only identifier that she was indeed an Imperial. She had a lot to think about, as thinking was something she did best. Well, better than socializing. She did not fully grasp on why she felt an urge to stay on this station, and weird sense of comfortability she felt when she entered her quarters here. It was weird, as if a hidden nature she was unfamiliar with was trying to tell her something, something her years in the Empire made very difficult to understand, like an out of phase wall blocking you as a more innocent reflection stares back from the deep abyss of one’s mind.

Shira was there too, enjoying some Andorian ale - always one for the classics, she was - and mingling with the citizens. She wasn't in uniform, considering it easier to learn from people who don't see their enemy's livery. Unlike Jayrehi, the scarred Andorian kept her combadge in her pocket. Not that it would match her outfit anyways; a pair of blue jeans and a leather jacket, straight out of old Terran fashion magazines. Shira strolled over to the tables, glass of blue drink in hand, and smirked upon seeing a familiar face. She sat at the same table as her Trill crewmate. Might as well keep up her appearances of not hating everything to do with her role in the galaxy. "Howdy stranger," she said plainly. "Learned anything of interest so far?" (edited)

“Not much, you?” motioned Jayrehi. She took notice of Shira’s lack of a combadge, and decided to follow suite.

Shira shrugged. "I've gotten a good look at the park and promenade so far, but the rest of the public areas I've yet to visit. People aren't guarded here, It's... odd." Unnerving was the word she'd rather use. Aren't these people worried that one wrong move will get them into a fight, that being too arrogant meant a knife in the night?"

“I mean, I can’t blame them. They don’t kill each other as often as we do, no wonder they feel safe.” she muttered, as looked around the room. A conflicted look was on her face, but she tried her best to hide in the presence of another Imperial.

"No wonder indeed. Ale?" Shira said, offering the bottle to Jayrehi because of course she has it. The glass was just cause she feels like a savage drinking from the bottle. "Ah, where are my manners," she said before taking a sip to prove it wasn't poisoned. "There you go." (edited)

“Thanks.” she said, taking a sip out of the drink. “So.” she quizzed. “How do you find this station?” She wanted to know more about her before she could assume her loyalties lie, as she looked at the Andorian closely.

She took a sip of her own ale before responding. "Frankly, it's impressive they've kept it intact and running this long, being so close to our territory. I remember visiting here when i was younger, it was so dim and drab back then. At least the air is natural now."

“Hmm…” she muttered, looking around. “So, it’s better then?” she quizzed again, wanting to see the Commander’s reaction.

"Better?" She smiled a bit before shaking it off. "Meh, it's just another place, with enough other people that i can't let my guard down. Keeping my wits and appearances about me is how i've stayed alive this long, and i'm not planning to change that right now."

“We’re alike in that way.” she chuckled, winking at the Andorian. The trill had taken notice of the brief smile on her face, hmm… “The name’s Jayrehi, what’s yours?”

"Shira Zh'nirhas. You may already know the second half considering i'm your ACTO," Shira said jokingly, running a finger along one of her mildly distinctive cheek scars. Her face changes a bit, and she looks around this corner of the club, making note of the other persons there.

She noticed the change in expression, not sure if it was positive of negative. She had a brief look of concern on her face, before looking in the same direction Eshiri was. “Something wrong with ‘em?”

"They're other people, reason enough to be suspicious. Even if they're softhearts, we still ought to watch our backs till this whole 'treaty' thing is over. Then maybe we can actually have some fun that doesn't threaten our lives." Shira took another sip of her ale. Thank goodness for synthohol; it pays dividends to keep a level head among the enemy.

"Ah, fun." she chuckled, turning her head slightly. "Do you like it?"

She tilted her head curiously. "Like what? The ale, sure. The people, who knows. Getting blown up every time it's time for a new ship? Gets tiresome after a while." She looked at Jayrehi a little more seriously and took another sip of ale. "I prefer a little more variety in my thrills. Just haven't been getting that lately."

“Gotta agree on that one. It does get boring.” Jayrehi sighed, looking down for a moment. “Have you ever been through so much, that just doing something boring seems exciting?”

"I've had days like that, not gonna lie." Shira leaned back in her chair and stretched her legs a little. "Nothing like relaxing with a glass of ale after a long day of dealing with the bullshit of ensigns. If i treated my superiors like that when i was their rank, i wouldn't have lived to see this one"

“Talk about it.” she paused for a minute. “You never thought of punishing them?” She assumed most Terrans would, but they way she said it was rather vague.

"Oh i did, just not lethally. Underlings are more useful alive and humble than dead for their arrogance." Not to mention she didn't actually buy into that whole 'just kill your problems' mentality that most Imperials did. No, Shira Zh'Nirhas was a strategic murderer, not an impulsive one.

“Hmm, I suppose we are rather similar. Maybe in more ways than just this?” she said, with a slight bit of sarcasm in her voice, masking the actual seriousness of the question, but how affective this was, depended on her reaction.

"Whatever do you mean by that?" she asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Do be careful what you say. Wouldn't want your superior officers to think something's amiss." She took another sip of ale and winked, casually, deniably, a wink that could mean anything.

“Well I- don’t really know exactly, but I can sometimes tell when someone thinks like me. Though in this world of rampant of any form of extreme imaginable, it’s kind of easy.” She chuckled a bit, her body language starting to shake a little. It wasn’t so much fear as it was social anxiety kicking in.

"Thinks like you, huh?" Shira demanded, putting on a show for appearances, though it may not have been clear. She set her glass down harshly. "Meet me in the arboretum, Lieutenant, and we'll see what you really think." It was too public here, after all. Too many ears to hear, and she didn't know every crew member of the Eventide. She got up and walked towards the exit, pausing to see if Lt. M'kahl was following. (edited)

The trill hesitated, but soon moved off to follow her. She hoped she wouldn’t have to confront or even fight the Andorian, and that she was as non-lethal as she said she was.