Capernum: Becoming Larger Than Yourself

Posted on Fri Aug 8th, 2025 @ 8:07pm by Captain Taavis {SF/Meji Intel} {Meji} & Lieutenant JG Jynxza Dahl & Lieutenant JG Ken Kudo

Mission: Stellar Problems
Location: CO's Quarters
Timeline: Current

ON:

Having returned to the USS Capernum and checked with the computer as to the whereabouts of Captain Taavis, Lt. Jynxza Dahl approached the CO's quarters. Turning the bend into the short corridor leading to her door, Dahl saw a team of three officers in gold removing standing lamps and other small furnishing items from the interior of the Captain's cabin. They were placing the items along the wall in the corridor to be moved once all said items were out of the cabin in question. Taavis had come out after them, her expression a pleasant one as she addressed them. "Thank you for your help, people. Much appreciated. Distribute these equally among the VIP suites, please. Dismissed." The trio gave acknowledgement to the Captain's words and began to place transporter tags on the items. Taavis looked to the officer approaching. "Lieutenant Dahl. Please, come in." Turning, she went back into her quarters.

With the offer extended, Jynxza casually followed inside, the door closing behind her as she entered the quarters proper. "Good afternoon, Captain." As her eyes glanced around the cabin she noted that much of the furnishings provided by Starfleet had been removed leaving a barren landscape in every area of the spaces. "Are you a minimalist, now, Sir?"

Taavis, standing at her L-shaped buddy bar, breakfast bar, gave a grin as she poured herself a steaming mug of hot beverage. By the coloration, one could assume it was tea. She spoke as she poured and set the pot back on the hot pad. ""What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" Taavis asked even as she hooked her fingers into the handle and lifted her steaming mug, lightly blowing on the liquid's surface after she had asked the question.

Jynxza noted how the query was asked. Not what do you need, not something in regards as to how she could assuage Dahl's Starfleet needs. It was put in a more personable way, the tone clear that she was asking how she could help her personally, whether it was Starfleet business, or not. What can I do for YOU? "I came to inform you that I spoke to Captain Geen, Ma'am. I saw her text you in that regard as we sat together sipping our drinks. I like the personal touch so, I came to let you know that Captain Green has given me permission to fly an X-wing. With your permission, of course." A delicious aroma wafted across Jynxza's nose and that was the moment that she realized Captain Taavis was not drinking tea, but instead, was enjoying apple cider with a hint of cinnamon. An Earth beverage that she herself had been introduced to and found enjoyable.

Taavis placed her mug down on the bar top, releasing the handle. "Would you like some apple cider?" She asked her Department Head.

"I would love some," responded Jynx, giving a grin at getting to imbibe the tasty beverage. "Thank you." Taavis gave a nod at the gratuity, walked over to her kitchenette counter and took a cup hanging by a hook under a cabinet unit. Returning, she then poured a mug and set it further along the bar top from herself, towards Dahl. "The cinnamon is blended so you don't have to add any. Enjoy."

Dahl stepped forward and hooked her fingers in the mug, lifting it and blowing as she sipped. It was heavenly. There was no way this was replicated. Taavis must have some in her personal stores, she thought. "Delicious, Captain, thank you."

"You're welcome, Jynxza. Now," the Vulcan said as she played with the handle of her own mug. "As I asked, what can I do for you?" Relying on her Vulcan discipline alone, the Force always with her but not something she relied upon for her daily alignment of her being, she kept her face passive; stoic.

Another sip of yumminess, then Dahl stepped into the conversation with full intent. "Did you have time to read Green's approval?"

"I did." Taavis remained stoic, lifting her mug and sipping before setting it back down, allowing time for Jynxza to continue after her affirmation.

"Alright," said Jynxza. "I guess I'm overly curious as to what your response will be, Captain."

"I see," Taavis replied. Her hand came away from her mug and she stepped in closer to Dahl, the distance of a pace, clasping her hands behind her back as her gaze was firmly engaged with Dahl's. "You do understand that my permission does have an oath and obligations that need be met?"

Jynxza, not wanting to fiddle with anything outside the scope of this dialogue, also let go of her mug and faced her CO head on, clasping her hands behind her back in a matching pose of seriousness. "I was not informed of any oaths or obligations other than the fact that the X-wing is considered Meji tech, and needs to be treated as such. To be used by Starfleet when, and if, the Meji allow it."

Taavis changed at that moment, her face breaking into a friendly grin even as her hands went to her sides in a more relaxed posture. She motioned to the stool next to Dahl's hip, then sat down to face the woman on a stool of her own, with one stool empty between them for polite distance. "Please, Jynxza, have a seat."

Relieved at the relaxed postures, this kind of thing not usually in the playbook for Jynxza Dahl, she took her offered seat. "Thanks. I stand tall when needed but not a normal part of my gig." She smiled.

"So I have noticed," Taavis responded. "But, let's get back to it." A slight clearing of the throat. "The oath I speak of is one that is just as important as your Starfleet oath. Matching it in dedication, duty, and loyalty. The oath to live your life according to a code of conduct. To fly the X-wing, to have one assigned to you as if it was yours, means that you must take the oath for joining the Meji Order. Yes, there are some among us who can use the power of the Force, and why the Order was formed. But, not all who swear to be in the Order can use that power; that energy. Doctors, scientists, engineers, all walks of life," She gave another crooked grin and a knowing expression to Dahl. "Even pilots."

Sitting and listening with her full attention, Dahl took that all in. She had seen some crew mates around the ship wearing a small pin on their uniform. A triangular shaped pin with a gold border around the edges, and a Federation blue field. Over that field were silver chains, each one coming to the center of the pin from each corner. They met at a circle in the center, each chain connected to it and holding it in place as well as relying on its strength to keep them all equally taut and holding to the center of life from those corners. Now, hearing what Taavis was saying, the pin made sense to her. Those in the Order would come from every corner of the galaxy and hold fast to their central beliefs, working together to maintain a balance so that one chain would not snap and falter due to standing alone to maintain the circle of life. Being a joined Trill, that made so much sense to Jynxza. After all, the Symbiont Dahl, could not survive to make a difference without being carried within her. Sitting in a pool on Trill would not allow the Symbiont to go out and affect the galaxy. Now, there was a chain between Jynxza and Dahl, to support each other while at the same time making a difference for life in the galaxy. "Captain, I will swear that oath. With everything I am, I will swear that oath. As Jynxza," she motioned at her face, and then the hand went down and motioned towards her belly. "Dahl."

Taavis could feel and see the conviction in the woman. She had never met a Trill yet who did not agree to anything unless they believed in it. Once the decision to commit to something was made the Trill dove in with conviction. Nothing could deter their beliefs nor their drive to see to those convictions. "Honestly, Jynxza, I had no doubts that you would. Your drive to sit in that cockpit was pretty strong. Like you had been waiting your whole life for it and, upon seeing an X-wing, you knew where you belonged."

"Damn," Jynx giggled and smiled, trying to deflect the attention put on her with such serious commentary. "Am I that easy to read?" The moment passed and she collected herself. "Sorry. I do what I do just because. Praise is never the paramount reason."

"All the more reason why I approved your request, Lieutenant." Taavis stated. "Sure, you like attention on yourself for sass and banter, not for doing your duty. When the humble pie was baked you didn't have to steal the whole thing. For you, one slice of it is enough to remain full of humility."

"Nice parable." Responded Jynxza, ready to add more when the door chime sounded. Taavis looked that way passed the Trill even as Dahl spun halfway around with her belly to the bar to look to her left at the door.

"Enter," Taavis offered.

Lt. Ken Kudo walked in when prompted. His eyes showed in their expression that he was expecting to see the Captain but not Lt. Dahl, too. "Good afternoon, Captain, Lieutenant." His eyes made a quick scan of the room bereft of almost all furnishings. "Remodeling, Captain?" He saw both women smile to each other as they stood up, sharing some private amusement. He deduced that perhaps Dahl had asked the same thing when she first got here, too.

Taavis decided to be cheeky while at the same time diverting the conversation to another path. "Nope. Minimizing." That said with a complete poker face she then moved on. "Good to see you, Ken." They shook hands. Dahl followed the gesture with a handshake of her own.

"Good to see you both," Kudo said after shaking both their hands. "Not to be rude, Captain, or rush from your presence but, engineering needs me to get back promptly. Ejo and I have been working with the base engineers to install the updates to our systems."

Taavis gave a nod to that. "Understood. This won't take long, Ken." Side-stepping a pace and reaching to the bar top, Taavis picked up a clipboard-sized PADD and came back. It had been sitting there the entire time she and Jynxza had been talking but, like any device not immediately used to make a point, it had been overlooked by the Trill. "Here." She held it out for him to take. "Read the expectations for those joining the Meji Order, make sure you agree them, and then put your mark. That will secure your Oath and solidify your place among us. That easy."

Ken took the PADD and held it up to read it. He had read it all before when his interest had been piqued and he had discussed the Order with the Captain. Being from an ancestry that had been long-standing members of the Samurai, and still held to that to this day, Kudo found the idea of the Meji to be most interesting. Seeing that nothing had changed from his first reading, Kudo put his thumb print to the screen in the box provided, then his retina scan. His Oath of allegiance now complete he made to hand the device back to Taavis, who chinned for him to give it to Dahl. Casually turning Ken then handed it off.

Jynxza took the PADD and as she began to read she noticed that Taavis got Kudo to move away with herself to grant Dahl the time to read the oath and what it would mean without interruption or distraction. Taking her time to make sure to absorb the words and commit them to memory, Jynxza got to the end, satisfied that it would not interfere with, but enhance, her duties to Starfleet and the Federation. The oath was more a personal conviction to always look to defend life before taking it, no matter how difficult that may seem at times. And, it made her a member of the Order, with all the bells and whistles that came from that belief system. That way of life. So, agreeing with all of it, Jynxza put her marks to the script and placed the PADD on the bar top. "Done, Captain. I agreed and signed." She felt a strangeness in her being, in her mental sharing with Dahl. The feeling was akin to someone waking up after a long sleep and then stretching and yawning as their eyes began to flutter open. As quickly as it came, it went, with Jynxza having to mentally shake it off. So odd.

Taavis came back, with Kudo at her side. "Glad to have you with us, Jynxza. To be Meji is to serve the Federation as it was, and is, meant to be when it was first founded. Our Starfleet duties see to that as members of a peacekeeping armada and defensive force for the citizens. As Meji we add to that and live a life accordingly. I'm not saying become a hermit and live in a grass hut when not on duty. We're here to serve and protect the people, to make sure they have justice and security, even in regards to the Federation when corruption begins to set in."

Kudo listened with a pleasant, relaxed expression to his face. "To live is to serve." He said to both of them. "And, serving is its own reward. Thank you, Taavis for offering the Meji Order. The Bushido code and the lifestyle of being Meji are pretty much one and the same. It is an honor to be among those of like mind."

"It's an honor to have you with us, Ken." Taavis responded, her words full of meaning and truth.

Without meaning to herself, Jynxza felt the seriousness of their discussion, even with them standing easy and being relaxed. Subconsciously she stood a little taller, a little more straight out of respect. The last time she had felt anything like this this strongly was the day she found out she had been chosen for joining. Then, again, as she came to after the symbiosis was complete and she became whole as 'Jynxza Dahl' not just Jynxza. A joining of something greater than herself. It had taken a while to come to terms with all the memories and knowledge she now possessed, adding to her own, but over time it just became her; who she was meant to be. "I feel the same. It's strange but I feel...different. Just...different. An odd feeling of oneness with Dahl that has been enhanced somehow."

Taavis remained stoic in her poker face but, what Jynxza had just said did make her curious. She would have to keep a close eye on Jynx, to pay attention to feelings when around her. "I'm glad, both of you. Ken, if you need to go you can. We finished what I needed you for."

"Thanks, Captain," Kudo responded. "You two have a good afternoon." Bidding a nod farewell he then exited.

"As for you, Lieutenant," Tavvis said. "Pinky won't be finished until tomorrow. Rollo is working on her now. After construction he will need to download her programming but that only takes a few hours. Remember, she then becomes your property, your servant and companion. This is a life long bond."

"Understood, Captain. I'm prepared for that." Jynxza replied.

Taavis gave her a friendly smile. "One is never prepared for the mind of a droid. What kind of personality they have is greatly determined by their master, and also their surrounding environment. Something tells me that Pinky will be quite stubborn, willful, and full of cheekiness. Like her master. Oh, and never underestimate a droid. Their capacity for creative, critical thinking is quite amazing."

Jynxza smiled at the jovial warnings from Taavis. "I'll keep that in mind." She saw Taavis reach into a hip pocket and bring out a USB jump drive, handing it over. "What's this?"

"That," explained Taavis. "Is a training simulator for the X-wing, presented by Captain Green, herself. Everything you need to know and interactive. A holo-program as much as a simulator. Until Pinky is completed it will provide a droid in simulation so that you can get used to the interaction. That, and learning to fly the T65AC4, alone, is recommended. There may come a time when your droid is either incapacitated or destroyed by a near miss and you may need to rely on yourself for everything. That simulation covers all of it so, I suggest you get on it, Pilot-Officer Dahl."

Giving a smile to that, Jynxza gave a goofy rendition of clicking her heels together and a sloppy salute. "Aye, aye, Sir." They both chuckled at the nonsensical display. "But, yes, I have some training to get to. Permission to depart?"

"Permission granted, Lieutenant Dahl. Welcome to the Meji Order, and welcome to a larger universe. Dismissed." Taavis gave her a nod of respect.

With the permission spoken, Dahl spun on her heel and left the CO's quarters. Once in the hallway she tossed the jump drive in the air and caught it, smiling from ear to ear at her good fortune. Her life had just become one hell of a ride.

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