Admiral T'Vrell's Quarters

Starbase 4

Admiral T’Vrell’s Quarters

T’Vrell sat at the table with the two people she trusted most, sipping from a mug of Betazoid tea and looking over a report. “Task Force 38 briefing today. What should I be prepared for, Commander?”

Erika Marie Tatsu looked up from her food - the Academy benedict. The dark steel of the Borg implants that ran along her right cheek both above and below her eye were a stark reminder of where the pale young woman was born, of who made her. “The Borg are still quiet, and there’s no new intelligence on the Voth. The rest should be covered adequately in the briefing, Admiral, and I would hate to introduce inefficiency by replicating the work of Admiral Knox’s excellent staff.”

T’Vrell offered a small smile to Tatsu. “Your point is well taken, Commander.” Then her eyes moved to the third person at the table. “Are you ready for our first public event in this job, Sue?” The affection that sparkled in the Vulcan’s eyes was infectious.

Captain Suzanne Garcia sat with her legs crossed, head resting one one hand, while her middle finger traced one of the long scars interrupting the copper skin of her left cheek. She sat up a little bit straighter at T’Vrell’s question, taking the straw she had been chewing on out of her mouth with her free hand and nodding. The drink the straw originally belonged to had been conspicuously empty for some time. She returned that look of affection, along with a nervous smile that T’Vrell had now witnessed more times than she could reasonably be expected to count. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

“Thankfully, the briefing I’m conducting isn’t until the day after tomorrow,” T’Vrell said, shutting off the PADD and putting the projector bar that created it aside to address her meal. “And Admiral Ramar encourages his staff toward brevity. Assuming the Q&A doesn’t go long today, we should have time to pick the children up and tour the station after the briefing.” She took a bite of her toast, swallowed, and squeezed Garcia’s hand. “Hopefully, they will enjoy that.”

“After a decade working with a Rish in your position, Admiral, the last duty I expected her successor to give me was child-wrangling.” Tatsu laughed softly. “But Admiral Pinna taught me that the work of a good chief of staff is to make sure the Admiral’s work can be done.”

“Have you heard from Pinna since we left Earth?” T’Vrell tilted her head. “I still have not finished the briefing documents she left me… she was very thorough.”

“She made it back to the homeworld safely,” Tatsu replied after finishing her milk. “Her sisters were glad to see her, and her oath-sisters welcomed her to their home as if she had never left.”
“May all our retirements go so smoothly, once we reach them,” T’Vrell murmured, fingers tracing the fine bones on the back of Garcia’s hand.

Garcia focused on that feeling for several long moments, then nodded, her look reflecting a bit more relaxation. “I’m happy for her. Glad her oath-sisters were able to just pick up where they left off.” She slipped both of her hands around one of T’Vrell’s, squeezing it between the two. “If you decide to settle down in my lifetime, I’ll make sure you feel that welcome.” She smiled at T'Vrell.

“I would not have stayed in my career past our promotion off the first Dreadnought without you at my side, my wife.” T’Vrell met Garcia’s eyes. “And I would not have you anywhere else.”

“If Starfleet had tried to drag me away from your command, I probably would have resigned first. I don’t want to be any further from you than I have to be.” Garcia leaned in to T’Vrell, one hand slipping to the back of her wife’s neck, and kissed her. Then, she smiled. “...With apologies to Commander Tatsu, who is incredibly patient with us given how often we do this.”

“Captain Garcia, I had dinner meetings with Admiral Pinna. A little affection between my superior and her wife is nothing compared to watching a Rish eat a two-meter-long trough of crawfish in two minutes while explaining the subtleties of Tzenkethi marital life.”

“...You know, I can’t really argue with that one.” Garcia chuckled, scooting her seat a little closer to T’Vrell’s so she could rest her head against T’Vrell’s shoulder.

“Your patience is matched only by your competence, Commander.” T’Vrell, finished with her food, tucked her arm around her wife. “I was fortunate you agreed to stay aboard with Pinna’s retirement.”
“Someone has to ensure a smooth transition, Admiral, and I quite like the work I do. Every intelligence report in Starfleet crosses my desk. I sometimes miss field work, but this is fulfilling, and I would not leave it for the best starship command in the fleet.”

“We probably ought to be going,” T’Vrell sighed. “It would not do for the Chief of Starfleet Intelligence to be late for a briefing on the situation across an entire quadrant.” She kissed Garcia’s hair, then her lips.
“It wouldn’t be a great look,” Garcia replied quietly, pressing her forehead to T’Vrell’s for a few moments more before she moved to stand up. She straightened her uniform, then looked to T’Vrell to take the lead.
T’Vrell rose, Tatsu following suit. Then the Vulcan straightened her own uniform, checked the paired boxed pips at her breast to ensure they were seated properly, and headed out the door.

Sue gave a little wave to Tatsu as she exited. “Nice talking to you, Erika.” Then she followed behind T’Vrell.

The moment they were in the corridor, Tvrell’s posture straightened, her demeanor shifted.

Behind those doors, she was T’Vrell, wife of Suzanne Garcia and budding friend to Erika Tatsu. Outside, she was Rear Admiral T’Vrell of Dreadnought, Chief of Fourth Fleet Intelligence.

Though, as they entered the corridor and Tatsu called for their destination, someone looking through the doors as they closed might catch the adoration in her eyes as she started to ask her flag captain a question.

A joint post, written by Tia, player of Commander Erika Marie Tatsu and Rear Admiral T’Vrell of Dreadnought
and Peridot, player of Captain Suzanne Garcia