78: At First Sight

by Zanh Liis
80111.00

--=Twenty four hours after We're Catching Up=--


Standing once again in Admiral Vox's office, Liis shifted her duffel bag uncomfortably as the thick leather strap tugged down on her shoulder.

Jariel took note of this, and knew that it meant she was still feeling considerable pain from her recent surgeries. They had begun to cut back on her pain control medications, and no matter what else they did, she was going to feel it.

[[Let me take that for you.]]

"No," she protested, hastily adding, "thank you. You brought me this far," Liis smiled at him gratefully, squaring her shoulders and standing as tall as she could. "It's my job to make it the rest of the way."

She bent slowly at the knees, and lifted her small leather suitcase from the floor with her left hand. She winced slightly, and hoped she'd be able to keep from those who knew her well just how far her recovery still had to go.

"Ready, Liis?" The Admiral's eyes twinkled with anticipation. He made sure to clear his schedule for the morning, this was a sight he had to see with his own eyes.

"Let's go."

Vox grinned and tapped his badge. "Serendipity," he paused, taking note as Jariel gently reached over and clasped Liis' free hand in his. "Three, including your CO, to beam up."

Liis closed her eyes as the transporter took hold of her. She wanted the nothingness to melt away in an instant as she opened her eyes again, and this new ship, her ship, came into focus.

She felt the slight tingling sensation fade as the beam faded out, and slowly unclenched her eyelids. Everything around her was bright, clean, and shone like freshly polished silver.

Serendipity was breath taking. Even her transporter rooms were beautiful.

Jariel released her hand, knowing she'd be anxious to descend from the pad and start poking around.

"Welcome home." Vox announced, as an extremely nervous looking crewman at the transporter controls looked up at Zanh, sweating bullets.

Liis made it a point to approach him, before saying word one to anyone else.

She extended her hand, which the young man clasped in his own clammy appendage, and Liis pulled him near. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear, and he laughed.

"Thank you, Captain Zanh. I appreciate you saying so, Sir."

The young man was still beaming as Liis turned back to the two gentlemen who had escorted her aboard.

"So. Let's see what makes this thing so-" She stopped, looking up again as the doors slid open. A very familiar man dashed between them, before they had even parted completely.

It was unlike him to be tardy for anything, and he had so wanted to be on time for this meeting. To be there the moment that she appeared, standing on her own two feet and on the mend. He wanted to see it, so that he could believe it.

Liis didn't care that he had arrived a few seconds behind her, in fact, she found his entrance even more charming this way, as she watched just a glimmer of excitement flicker across his dark irises at the sight of her.

Jariel moved aside a step as did Vox, as Liis and Salvek just stood there, staring at each other.

"You're late, Commander." Liis' lopsided grin told him she was merely teasing.

"It will not happen again, Captain." Salvek answered, speaking the last word with an unfamiliar lilt to his voice. One would almost have thought he was actually happy to still be able to call her by the title. "Allow me to assist you." He tried to take the duffel from Liis' shoulder, but she objected, pulling the bag back toward her.

"I can manage."

Salvek tugged on it still, and it moved between the two of them as each struggled for control of it.

"I can do this all day." Salvek informed her simply. The comment actually caused Liis' eyes to mist over.

It was the same thing exact thing she'd said to him, when he finally returned from the heart-wrenching recovery mission after the devastating storms on Bajor last year, and she'd known with one look he was too tired to carry his bag another step.

"As you wish." She relented, choking back her emotions. Salvek had done such a good job commanding the mission that saved her life- taken such risks not only with his own life but with his family's as well, that Liis barely knew what to say to him. "Thank you."

"It is nothing." Salvek reached out and took her second bag as well, and Liis put her hand on his arm. She was no longer indicating the baggage services, only.

"No," She replied, "It was everything."

The two exchanged another knowing look, and Salvek only slightly lowered his eyes, acknowledging her thanks.

"It was only what was necessary, Captain."

"Yeah, well," Liis squeezed his arm once again before letting go. "We'll talk about that more later."

"Indeed! You'll have plenty of time to catch up at the dinner tomorrow evening." Vox interjected.

"Dinner?" Liis raised one eyebrow in a distinctly Vulcan fashion. "Jonas, what did you do? You know how I feel about fuss."

"It was not my idea. It was Commander Salvek's."

"You? Party planning? Did Hell freeze over while I was in stasis?" Liis nudged him gently.

"The crew of the Alchemy , Captain. They are all very anxious to see you, and a dinner to celebrate your return to health and to duty seemed to be the appropriate solution." Salvek explained.

"You couldn't say no to Reece."

"Precisely."

"Where is the little speckled pup anyway? I thought he'd be waiting here to serenade my arrival."

"He has not returned from his honeymoon yet, Captain."

Zanh's eyes widened, she was still under the impression that the Grace/Reece union was a secret. She couldn't believe that Salvek would make such a slip.

[[It's all right, Liis,]] Jariel smiled, noticing her expression. [[February and Dabin told the last of us that didn't know during the trip to Bajor. We needed some good news, and they were kind enough to supply it.]]

"Well it's about damn time! I was sick of trying to remember who knew and who didn't." Liis smiled and clapped her hands. "Well, boys, there are fifteen decks on this ship and I don't want to stop until I have seen every inch of every last one of them."

Liis left the three men in her wake as she headed to the doors, and nodded again to the transporter operator.

"Thanks again, Troy. Be sure to stop in at the party, won't you? Everyone is invited. Spread the word." Liis called as she exited the room.

Salvek looked at Vox, and Vox at Salvek.

"Salvek, apparently the Captain just invited the entire crew to your party."

"I had better tell Ms. Le Marc to make more food." Salvek concluded, tapping his badge and stepping aside to do so.

Jariel followed Zanh into the corridor and watched as she was overwhelmed by all around her.

"Do you see this? Do you even see this!"

[[I see it. I'm so proud of you, Liis.]]

Liis reached out and caressed his face gently with the back of her hand. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

Jariel thought of all the times she had saved his life, in so many ways and places that it made him confused and disoriented to try to recall them all.

[[Likewise.]] He smiled at her. [[Now, give me your bags, you go finish your tour I want to see to some things. I'll catch up to you later.]]

"All right. Hurry back, though, I want you to see as much of this with me for the first time as possible."

He turned to go, arms weighed down with her two bags as well as his two, but he stopped, dropped them to the floor and signed again. [[They assigned me separate quarters,]]

The question he was asking her was obvious.

They had always kept separate quarters in the past when they'd been on the same ship, if for no other reason than the 'keeping up of appearances' that was demanded by her previous commanding officers when she'd been XO.

But this was her ship, and he wanted to know up front what she wanted, when it came to formal living arrangements.

Liis smiled at him, and raised her hands to sign, as the hallway bustled with activity and she didn't want to speak aloud. [[This ship is much smaller, and space should be conserved,]] she paused, [[If you don't mind. . .sharing.]]

The joy he felt was evident not only in the grin on his face, but the sparkle that came to his eyes. [[By your leave, Captain.]] He picked up the bags again.

"Wait, before you go," Liis unzipped her duffel and pulled out a small black box, and the gift that TC Blane had given her on the trip from Bajor to the Atlas. "I need those."

She zipped it shut again, leaned in, and whispered in Jariel's ear. "I can't wait to see our quarters."

Jariel continued grinning, and began to whistle happily as he disappeared down the corridor, ready to unpack.

--=Later=--

"I've saved the best for last," Vox said, as he and Salvek walked confidently through the hall, both having learned their way around the ship already. "We should head up to the bridge."

Liis smiled and nodded to each member of the crew they passed. Most were unfamiliar faces, and she knew that she'd be meeting them officially soon. From the hushed whispers that followed her like a wake, she wondered what all they had heard about her before now.

The three stepped into the lift. "Care to do the honors, Liis?" The Admiral asked.

"Bridge." Liis requested. She rocked her weight back onto her heels, then forward onto her toes, lingering there a moment before standing flat on her feet again.

Salvek knew that mannerism implied several different possible emotions in the Captain, but this was one he had seen only rarely in the past. She was excited.

The doors parted, and Salvek and Vox moved aside to allow her to exit first. But Liis insisted that they go ahead as she took a deep breath, and finally saw Sera's command center for herself.

"Captain on the bridge," Salvek announced. Those who were seated rose to their feet, and all snapped to attention.

"At ease." Liis replied, her voice cracking a little. She recognized a few faces, a few were new. There was but a skeleton crew here at the moment, seeing how the ship had not yet left dry dock.

"Micah," Liis rushed forward to the Science station, and set down the items she'd been holding on the now vacant chair. She grasped Samson's hand. "It's good to see you."

"You too, Captain. I am so glad that you're well."

"That's in no small part thanks to you. But we'll talk about that in more detail later, all right? You're going to be at this dinner thing tomorrow night, aren't you?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. See you there."

Liis turned next to TC Blane, who was standing at the Ops panel and grinning from ear to ear.

"Vacation over, Mr. Blane? Was it relaxing?" She had not seen him in a day or two, since they'd separated at Command to be debriefed.

"Oh, yes, very, thank you. Boring, actually." Blane's icy eyes seemed even more blue due to their surroundings, with everything decorated in vibrant azure tones and varying shades of platinum.

"Nothing exciting happened? What a shame." The smile faded from her lips and she turned serious. "Well, before I move on I have something important I need to discuss with you,"

Blane's expression evolved quickly, the tone in her voice leading him to believe that something may be amiss. That worry evaporated though as Liis turned back to the Science station and retrieved her things, among them a small black box.

This sort of box was very familiar to TC by this point. He'd already seen it not once, but twice in the past year.

"Captain," he began, but Liis held up her hand.

"Thomas Cassius Blane, I hereby promote you to the rank of full Commander, with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. Lucky you, I'm told you get to stay here and serve with me," she grinned, truly enjoying this. "If you believe in a higher power, now would be the time to drop to your knees and start praying for mercy."

Blane laughed. Liis replaced the last black pip on his collar with a third gold one, and then she handed him the one that was now obsolete. "For your souvenir collection."

"Thank you, Captain."

"No, Mr. Blane," Zanh said with sincere affection in her voice, "Thank you."

She moved away as his hand brushed over the three pips, all lined up in a row, and he returned to analyzing the data on his screen.

"Want to see your ready room?" Vox inquired.

"Oh, yes. I have to drop off a very important item I want to keep there." Liis cast a gaze back over her shoulder, and saw the look on Blane's face as he realized that his gift was going to be on permanent display, somewhere in that room.

Upon first sight of her ready room, Liis was stunned. With the size of the bridge, she hadn't expected the space to be so large.

There was a full size couch, upholstered in bright red, situated across the room and up against a large bank of windows. Two plush, royal blue chairs sat facing it, with a coffee table between. The replicator was not far away.

Her desk, which sat at the far end of the room, seemed to be pitch black but upon closer inspection she noticed that it was bordered by shining silver trim.

Her computer sat beside a large carafe of coffee and a tall mug.

Liis owned very few possessions, this was something that Vox knew about her from years of working with her. But he also knew she had a fascination with all things nautical, and had taken the liberty of employing this scheme when designing her ready room for her.

A large, antique wooden ship's wheel graced the wall behind her desk. On either side, illuminated, jewel-toned stained glass panels ran from the ceiling to the floor. One panel featured prominently the symbols and signs of Zanh's homeworld, Bajor. The other, the insignia of Starfleet and the UFP Seal.

Liis moved behind the desk, set the item she held down on top of it, and then reached up, running her hand along the contours of the ship's wheel.

"It's authentic. Made of teak." Vox remarked.

She wordlessly continued on, looking around. Navigators tools centuries old were placed into pewter colored shadow boxes and lined the walls: sextants, compasses, chronometers. Sections of rope fashioned into various sailor's knots.

"Admiral," Liis was barely breathing, awestruck. Vox and Salvek nodded to each other with satisfaction as she added, "this is amazing. Thank you."

"Thank your XO for helping me to be certain it was ready for your arrival. He only had a week to get it done."

Liis moved over to the large built-in bookcase and found a library of vintage reading material, with one large, obvious space left open on the top shelf.

"For your Tennyson collection." Salvek explained.

Liis shook her head again. "You never cease to amaze me, Logic."

"I take it then that the space meets with your approval, Sir?" Salvek asked without acknowledging her use of the nickname.

"Are you kidding?" She looked at each man in turn. "Thank you."

"Well, Bob seems to like it." Vox remarked casually, and Liis laughed as she realized what he meant.

Across from her desk there was a free standing, octagon-shaped terrarium made entirely of glass. Bob the Bajoran Tree Lizard was inside. He sat on top of a rock, happily munching on a lettuce leaf. "Unless you'd rather have him in your quarters,"

"No, this is perfect."

Liis tapped on the glass gently, and the lizard barely bothered to look up to acknowledge her presence. One small sign, she thought, that while change may be happening all around her, some things never change.


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-=/\=- Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012