Vacation: A Fate Worse Than Death [Thelos/Jiseth]

[Main Shuttle Bay]

The Ghiberti was prepped and ready to go, but not by the pilot who sat steaming in the left seat. The aviation conference on Casperia Prime had been a ruse to get her to agree to leave the ship for a week. She was no longer allowed to focus on her work which was her usual coping method aside from skydiving and reenacting dog fights on the holodeck.

The EPH stood at the hatch of the auxiliary craft, looking for the other passenger to arrive. Finally he caught sight of Thelos, but this did not stop him from pulling his head back in the cabin to poke fun at his superior officer.

"I don't know what you were expecting, hording your days off like some shiny treasure pile. Don't worry, your flight plan is already set in, my lady. So even before you get to your destination you can sit back and relax otherwise there'll hell to pay with the Captain and Lady Alpha."

With that, the holographic man disappeared and Jiseth's head lurched forward. Her ridged forehead repeatedly thudding against the console.

"Just. Shoot. Me."

[Main shuttle bay]

Thelos grumbled irritably to himself as he crossed the relatively large floor of the shuttle. He'd been practically wrenched from sickbay for this vacation. He didn't want one, but someone higher up the command structure than he was had decided he was spending too much time working and not enough time for himself. A silver travel container was slung over his shoulder and swung with every step.

He'd heard that he was to have a traveling companion. Now, who exactly that was he didn't know, and he was a bit too irritated to care. This was unusually for the normally goodnatured Andorian, but being removed from his place of work without his desire to do so wasn't high on his list of good-mood causers.

It was only when he approached the shuttle and saw Jiseth hitting her head against a console that he managed to crack a smile. "Hello, Lieutenant. Do I have to report you for self-destructive tendencies?" He was joking, and then immediately realized he regretted it. From what he knew of this Romulan, that hadn't been the smartest move.

[Shuttle Ghiberti]

"No... Not yet, Ensign."

With a single rigid index finger she hit a button that went from grey to amber as the ramp door began to rotate upward after the Andorian had entered the cabin. Lifting her finger from the console, Jiseth flopped back into her seat.

When the hatch sealed, there was a few seconds of silence before the shuttle began whirling itself up. The EPH literally had automated the whole flight to Casperia Prime. It was going to drive the Romulan mad before she even reached their destination.

"I'm going to warn you right now, I find your partner infuriating, but I will try my best not to say something unkind. Now then..."

With a flick of her wrist, Jiseth flung off her commbadge and leaned over the side of her chair opposite Thelos. Rummaging through her bag, she pulled out two glasses and a liter for Romulan ale.

"...I want all of this gone by the time we arrive."

"Alright, I won't write you up, but really, you shouldn't do that. It's bad for the brain," Thelos admonished as he took a seat. He was surprised that Jiseth, a pilot, wasn't going to actually be flying them there. In this case, he decided not to ask- it probably wasn't a pleasant reason.

Well, then. Do tell me how you really feel. He knew that Gavin and Jiseth weren't exactly on the best of terms-- and Thelos had assumed it had to do with Zero Alpha. Beyond that, no one had shared anything with him for privacy reasons, and he hadn't attempted to pry. "I'll agree enough to leave Gavin out of conversation."

The ale surprised him, though. Though technically still legal in the Federation, it wasn't exactly sanctioned for Starfleet officers. This, of course, had stopped no one Thelos had ever known from drinking it- including himself. The Andorian sighed and pulled his own combadge off. He didn't really have a use for it, anyway.

"By all means." No time like the present to get plastered on an automated shuttle ride.

As the shuttle moved itself into position and then zipped out the barrier shield into space, Jiseth poured the azure beverage until both cups almost overflowed. There was a tinge of a manic look in her eyes. Perhaps finally being able to unwind was showing its perks. Zero could not drink until Callion was fully to term which left the Romulan without a partner for one of their preferred hobbies.

Sliding the glass across the console to the Andorian, Jiseth wasted no time in bringing hers to her lips. First there was a sip as she stared straight out at the oncoming stars streak by as they went into warp. Then she slowly began chugging the whole rest of the thing. Normally she would do so slowly to savor the flavor, the character of the beverage. Not today. Setting her empty glass on the console, she held the bottle in her other hand, though not yet ready to refill it as her face blushed a dark green.

"I apologize... I was rather curt when we first met. Party of some sort? You were with that Gavin-oh to hell with it! I promise I won't say anything terrible. He seems nice. There I said it!"

From the first second the liquor touched his blue lips, Thelos knew there was going to be a little more than a bit of intoxication after a while. Romulans were probably the only species that could rival the Andorians with the alcoholic content of their ale. It burned his throat much more than the lighter blue liquor of his homeworld, but it wasn't bad by any means.

Jiseth seemed to be much more indulgent. Thelos briefly wondered what was causing that-- then assumed it had something to do with being effectively forced on vacation. That was enough to make anyone want to drink, he though.

And so he took a more generous sip of the ale, and allowed to to feel like he'd just swallowed battery acid. He covered having to cough by speaking instead. "No, that's quite alright. ... and quite frankly, lieutenant... your opinion of my partner is your own. Don't censor yourself for my sake."

"Please, call me Jiseth. I prefer my old title, Subcommander, anyway. It's more dignified. Subservient maybe, but quite close to commander. Besides..."

Jiseth took another long sip and leaned her head back.

"...I want to get as much of this poison out of me as possible that's been building up. I suspect your colleagues want the same for you, though you're far more pleasant to be around. Zero only keeps good staff around. So how did you meet Mr. Van Gelder?"