Betazoids...

Posted on Wed Sep 23rd, 2020 @ 7:49am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke

1,226 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: Captain's Ready Room - Deck 1 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD007 1300 hrs

Zaire stopped outside the captains office and pressed the buzzer. He had been sent to drop a padd off from science as well as meet the captain.

Tyler was surprised at the sound of the chime to his Ready Room. No one was expected. In fact he thought most of the crew was living it up on Starbase. "Come one in..."

Zaire walked into the captain’s office and stopped by his desk. “Ensign Bryne.” He identified himself. “I was sent to give you this pad, Captain as well as introduce myself.

Tyler took the PADD and glanced at it. It was nothing special, just some of the preliminary scans of Romulan space. "Morning Ensign have a seat. I always like to get to know my crew."

Zaire took a seat. “Thank you, Sir.” He said with a smile. “I am glad to be serving here.” The Captain didn’t seem near as intimidating as he had thought he would be.

Tyler wanted to get a feel for the man, more to see if he was going to have to officiate this arranged marriage or not. Of course the Captain could not come out and say anything of the sort. "Well welcome to the Pioneer. I trust you have settled in and met our elusive Romulan. He is a night owl, here is a hint if you want to butter him up bring him coffee. What is your area of expertise?"

“I am an alien anthropologist,” Zaire informed him. “With a minor in astrometrics.” He smiled then. “I had a hard time choosing between the two of them.” He took a dee breath. “I have met the chief and I will remember to bring him coffee.”

"Well see right there you and the Chief have something in common. He locks himself in Astrometrics. Sometimes I wonder what he does in there." Tyler laughed at his own tongue in cheek joke. "Why here, why the Pioneer?"

“I am glad to hear that,” Zaire grinned. “It means I am not alone in that fascination.” He thought on the captains question. “I was slated to go to the USS Horizon but when my marriage was arranged to Ensign Solwick I was transferred here.” He looked at the captain. “I am very happy to be here, the Pioneer is impressive.”

"This ship is only as impressive as its crew, but I thank you for the compliment. You must know someone in high places to get assigned with your betrothed. It took my wife Katherine and I years to get that pleasure." Tyler smirked... Of course he knew who pulled the strings for Zaire. It was the good Ambassador Solwick. "Would you mind if I asked you something a bit more personal? By all means feel free to say no."

“I don’t mind at all,” Zaire said with a nod. He always tried to be honest and upfront. Besides, he didn’t have anything to hide.

"How do you feel about being one half of an arranged marriage? The concept is not foreign to Humans but it is in our distant past. The idea can be one that is often hard for my people to wrap their head around." Tyler leaned in as he was genuinely curious about the subject.

“I have always known I would be part of an arranged marriage so that doesn’t bother me, I will embrace that,” Zaire said with a smile. “It was the way I found out, from someone outside my family that bothered me more.”

"I can understand that. Do you think in due time you will come to love Ensign Solwick?" Tyler could sense the look that Kat would give him if she were in the room. "Forgive my forward questions. It is just that this subject is one of a few fascinations of mine."

“For us,” Zaire murmured. “We have to first see if our minds can bond and then how compatible we are.” He looked at the captain. “After that our hearts get involved. I am hopeful that I will love her.”

"Yes I have read of the Betazoid Imzadi. That it was something that transcended love. It is simply fascinating. You see for humans very often couples will fall for each other physically. The chemicals reacting in the brain etc... Then in time the emotions and the spiritual will follow. Almost the opposite of what it seems that Betazoids do." Tyler replied thoughtfully.

“It isn’t all that different,” Zaire said with a smile. “We just bond on a mental level and the emotions come as we learn who each other is.” His eyes met the captains. “Where we get comments about how can you be willing to marry someone you don’t know, we look at it that we don’t have to go through worrying if they like us. We will know.”

"I can see how that may be an easier way of doing things. However, I am not sure I can survive knowing what everyone thought all of the time. Between you and I, I am certainly glad that I do not have the Ambassador breathing down my neck. I can imagine how stressful that may be. She can be a formidable woman." Tyler sipped his coffee. He wondered if Betazoids could hear the thoughts of children as they grew in the womb.

“I don’t believe I would be able to survive either,” Zaire said seriously. “Besides the regulations that we cannot read others thoughts without permission it is...” He thought for a moment. “I learned when I was young that there are times when you don’t want to know and I like surprises. Knowing when someone is doing something nice for you kind of ruins the surprise.”

Tyler nodded and he suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. He like a lot of other Captains with Betazoid crew members will often use the Betazoid empathy to get an edge on an adversary. It seemed now that it was wrong to do so. Tyler always knew it was frowned upon but never really thought about it until now. Realizing that the silence went on for a bit too long Tyler smiled. "Well is there anything that you would like to ask me?"

Zaire thought for a moment. “I don’t believe so, Captain. I have felt welcome ever since I came in, everyone has been great. Like I said earlier, I am happy to be here.”

"Excellent! You will be serving on the bridge during Beta Shift so make sure you have your bridge protocols up to date. Other than that welcome to the Pioneer and I think you may have your work cut out for you." Tyler was glad to meet the latest of his Pioneers. Young and fresh-faced, he hoped that the young man would stay that way. The fleet could use the fresh blood at this time.

“Thank you, Captain,” Zaire smiled as he stood and shook his hand. “I am looking forward to the challenges placed in front of me.” He turned and left the captain’s office.

A Joint Post By

Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

Ensign Zaire Byrne
Science Officer, USS Pioneer

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