Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Posted on Fri Sep 14th, 2018 @ 12:35am by Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Thex sh'Zoarhi

Mission: Holographic Horrors
Location: USS Hera, Deck 24, Main Engineering
Timeline: 2395, Stardate 72676.5

Shore leave at the Artan Orbital Family Fortress was drawing to a close, but there were still a few days left. Which meant that Rita Paris had to get a hustle on if she planned to get everything done. Which was no different than any other day of the week for the frenetic first office of the USS Hera, really.

At this moment, she was making her way through main Engineering, looking for the diminutive and acrobatic chief engineer. Because she had a favor or three to ask of her best friend, and Rita hoped Thex was in her usual cheerful and giving mood.

The ship's engineer was in the storeroom off to the side of the engineering bay. It was rank with the scent of oiled metal, plastic and replicators as she kept looking over the list of spare parts that needed to be made, which seemingly wasn’t getting any shorter. The station's holograms could do it, but this way she could make sure she had everything she needed. Thex looked around as the door opened and flashed a smile to Rita. She headed towards her friend and stepped out of the noisy room so she could hear what she was saying. "What can I help you with, Rita?"

Always ready to help, Paris thought to herself as a smile graced her face. The little Andorian had been the first friend she had made on the Hera, who had cheerfully educated Rita on much of what had changed in the time she had missed, and given her someone to turn to when she was lost in a time and place so wholly unfamiliar to her. For that alone she would consider her friend, but the woman had saved her life, damn near at the cost of her own. Quick-thinking and inventive in a crisis, Thex was an exemplary officer and a genuinely good person who did the right thing because it was the right thing to do.

Truth be told, Rita would take a disruptor hit for her pal, all of which ran through her mind before responding.

“Well, I’ll admit, I’ve come with a few favors to ask, Thex. First up, think you can fabricate me a 2266 era phaser with modern interiors to get the same power out of it as a current model dustbuster phaser? It’s silly, I know, but I really am a better shot with a phaser that I can aim as opposed to one with a more ergonomic design.” With that, Rita flipped the PaDD under her arm out to show the specs for the old Type 2 phaser of her era, complete with removable type 1.



"Easily! It may already be in the database… you know how many old techies live in the fleet," The andorian said as she walked over to one of the consoles before she started typing on the flat panel keyboard. “Oh look, someone’s already made one for the older model of phasers. Give me a sec and I'll update it with the latest specs."

Just like that, off she went, interrupting her own work to cheerfully help another. That was Thex, all right. “So while you’re at it, question- and I know I should know this but, gimme a break, I’m new,” Rita joked. “Are starship hulls still made of duranium?”

"Yeah, they're still made out of Duranium. Though it is a reinforced duranium composite now. Makes it harder to scan, and it can take one hell of a beating." The andorian replied as her eyebrows raised slightly. "What's with all the questions, Rita?"

The impish grin that graced the lost navigator’s face was almost bashful by comparison to her usual jubilance, but those baby blues never lied. “I need a couple of rings fabricated, too, if you have time… preferably polished duranium, in a size 8 and a size 9. Because I am getting married today, apparently in front of the entire crew and the universe on the flight deck.”

Poor Thex’s brain had to pause and relisten to her friend's words before she replied. "Well, congratulations my friend. Who's the lucky guy and why do you need the rings for?"

“Puh-lease,” Rita rolled her eyes. “All the time I spent mooning over Sonak… wait, I guess it isn’t common knowledge, is it?” Rita leaned against the door frame and her smile became a wistful one. “Captain and Dedjoy figured out how to send something small back where I came from. So I recorded my chronospatial dimensional coordinates into my old communicator and we shipped it back where I came from, so I could send one last report to my old command. And if they couldn’t rescue me, to request a transfer to the Hera be placed in my record.”

“When he got the message, Sonak went to work. He got here two years ago, returned to his home planet that isn’t blown up here, reunited with his people, then attended a year at the Academy to catch up, so he could graduate top of his class and name his assignment. And he knew exactly the ship to ask for. So… he came aboard yesterday. He’s the new assistant chief science officer.” Rita paused to shrug broadly.

“Explaining to people that I lost my boyfriend to time and space really didn’t summarize what I had lost, so I asked him if maybe we could formalize things a bit so that other people might know what he means to me. Brought it up to the captain, and here we are.” Leaning over a bit, Rita loomed a bit into her plucky pal’s personal space, but more at eye level.

“So that’s why I need the rings, because I don’t need a rock on my finger- starships brought us together and starships will be our destiny, so starship duranium rings seem a logical choice. Of course I will need a maid of honor, to be there with me and bear witness… and I would be honored if you would stand beside me for this, Thex. You are my best friend, and the only person I could possibly imagine standing by my side in that moment.” Paris turned her head slightly to look out from under her brows at her cerulean skinned pal. “Assuming you are willing and available to participate in this spectacle I didn’t exactly plan to have, but you know the Captain…”

Thex let out a warm smile as she wrapped her arms around her friend. "Congratulations, Rita! I don't exactly know what a maid of honour is, but I'll do my part."

“The maid of honor is an Earth tradition that you are there to offer emotional support, and it is supposed to be an honor to be chosen, because that signifies to all gathered that you are the best friend of the bride…” Internally Rita chastised herself for expecting Thex to know what she was asking. Her matings and marriages were 4-way affairs, so it was little surprise the traditions and ceremonies of an alien planet would be unknown to the Andorian engineer. Pulling back from the hug, she continued the explanation.

“That’s the female in the ceremony between a man and a woman, although it can also be two men, two women or two indeterminate gendered individuals. Basically a marriage is a union between two people who are formalizing their commitment. They might have opened that up to include more people, but I’m just familiar with the pairing version. Just me and Sonak. Does that help a little?” Rita eyed her blue-eyed bestie, hoping this made some small amount of sense and that the main ideas were getting through.

"Yeah, that helps. Don't worry, I can get the rings done by then. Do you want me to be coloured, or will the standard metal be okay?" Her blue friend replied.

Briefly Rita considered the outer coating of the Hera, the pearlescent stealth plating that just looked black to her eye. Then she considered that as a wedding band, and shook her head. “No, thank you Thex. Just plain old polished composite duranium grey, please. That will suit us just fine. A simple plain metal band, no adornment, no stone, just smooth edges, none too thick. But on the bright side, it will stop a pressure door from closing in a pinch,” the time-traveling trouble magnet observed. “Oh, and nothing fancy for the ceremony- just your uniform is fine, not even dress uniform. We won’t be wearing them, so there’s no reason for you to look like a snowdrift.”

"So an hour or so?" Rita clarified the timeline. "Not for the phaser, just the rings. I shouldn't need a phaser at my wedding."

Pausing to look around with a concerned expression, Rita pursed her lips. "See, now that I said it, I probably will..."

"Sure, I can whip them up in an hour. Just need to fire up the laser cutter and grab one of the hull plates," the andorian replied with a grin.

"Okay, then call me? Ceremony is at 3 on the flight deck I think, unless this has gotten more out of hand than previously noted." At that, Rita swept her friend up in an unexpected hug. "It's going to be the happiest day of my life, and I want you there with me. Because otherwise it couldn't be my happiest day, right?" Kissing the snow-white haired top of her Thex's head, Rita released the hug and scooted off on some other errand, leaving her slightly dazed companion in her wake.

Thex smiled as Rita hurried off, then started walking towards the storage bay to grab a sheet of the required material. She hoped someday when she found someone who loved her that much, that she could feel as happy as her friend did.