New Friends

Posted on Tue Oct 6th, 2026 @ 11:18pm by Ensign Saoirse O'Donnell & Ensign T'Shai

3,268 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X06: For Peaceful Purposes
Location: Shuttle Bay
Timeline: The Day Following An Evening Out

Saoirse stepped off the turbolift and into the shuttle bay, swiping a piece of lint from her uniform skirt before straightening up and checking her data slate as she waited for a science officer to show up so they could recalibrate the sensors on each shuttle.

It was only a few minutes later that the shuttle bay doors opened and a Vulcan stepped in with a slate of her own and glanced around, seeing the redheaded woman before nodding to her in a brief sharp motion. Her movements were fluid, but always restrained as if she were trying very hard to be proper in appearance. “I am T’Shai, science offer assigned to assist you with the sensor recalibration.” The voice was monotone as she gave her greeting.

Saoirse grinned and her hazel eyes sparkled in merriment as she stepped forward. "Ah, so you're the future Mrs. McCray, then?" she asked. "Blaine told me about your arrival. We graduated the Academy together. Let me tell ye, I can see the difference in him already. I'm Saoirse, by the way. Saoirse O'Donnell."

“I will be, presupposing that Captain T’Kal will permit it. Blaine and I don’t see the point in delaying our marriage ceremony any more than is necessary. After all, we have been betrothed since we were seven years old.” T’Shai raised a single eyebrow to Saoirse, “I am pleased that he is satisfied with my presence.”

"Oh that Vulcan understatement," Saoirse replied, grinning as she shook her head. "Well, if ye need anythin', let me know. I know how it is to adjust to livin' on a ship from livin' in a town." She nodded her head toward the first shuttle. "C'mon Lass, let's see what we can find out about our Swordfish there."

"Of course." Shai gave a curt nod, wondering just how much Blaine had told this woman, but best not to take any chances, "I have found that it is much more freeing here aboard Ark Royal. The Vulcan Science Academy was far more regimented than here, but everything was predictable, rather than having to face the new situations here."

Saoirse shook her head as she led the way to the Swordfish, opening the door for the two of them. "I'm glad you're able to feel comfortable, lass. The Vulcans I've known personally are a regimented bunch, and I'm not calling that a bad thing. And don't fret, Blaine hasn't told me more than the two of ye are betrothed, and I haven't asked." She swung the pilot and copilot chairs so that the two of them could sit down.

T'Shai sat and swung her seat to face the front, "There isn't more to tell." She said as she activated the panel in front of her, "We were betrothed when we were seven years old on Vulcan, we are simply finalizing the situation in accordance with custom and arrangement between our two families."

Saoirse kept her mouth shut on that. She'd been in enough relationships to know that there was always more to tell, but that was the same stuff that needed to be sacred to the couple. She ran the pre-start checks and powered up the shuttle's computer so that they could access the sensors. "All I"m saying is that I'm sure ye are the cutest couple. He's totally smitten with ye. I'd be willing to bet that if ye smiled at him he would forget his own name."

"I do not believe that it would ever get to that point." The edges of T'Shai's lips turned up for a moment before she actively banished it from her mouth. That someone thought that of her was a surprise, but perhaps she was just being polite. "Starting the pre-calibration diagnostic."

Saoirse chuckled to herself as she watched the screens as the diagnostic ran. If she didn't know any better, she's have sworn she caught a half smile from the young Vulcan woman. She found herself instantly liking T'Shai, and not just because she was her friend's fiancé. "If my prattling bothers ye, just let me know. My parents swore I had the gift of gab, said I could talk the hind leg off a donkey."

"I am not bothered by your talking." T'Shai replied as she keyed in the recalibration test when the results came up to pronounce the equipment as functional, "However I fail to see how any amount of talking could remove a creature's leg."

Saoirse giggled as she shook her head, her copper-colored bob bouncing. "That I can't answer. It's just something I heard growing up. Heard it all over Dublin." She leaned back in the pilot's chair. "I'm glad my motor mouth doesn't bother ye though."

T'Shai gave Saoirse a look out of the corner of her eyes before forcing them back on the work. How did she just... Talk and talk and talk? Was that an attractive trait, or an annoying one? Should she try it with Blaine? She spun her chair back to face the redhead, "Is our betrothal the only thing that Blaine discussed with you? Nothing else? I'm not accusing you of anything, I just wish to know."

"Oh, no worries at all. I've known Blaine since our second year at the Academy. We're good friends and he's helped me through a few classes. He told me ye were here and that ye two were getting to know each other better and started to talk about planning the wedding," Saoirse said, turning her chair to meet T'Shai. "I'm just excited to see my friend happy and to get to know ye too. Speaking of which, is there anything ye might need?"

"I am... Sufficient for my needs at this time." T'Shai said quietly, "Did he ever tell you the joke about the cow with three legs?" She asked with a slight upwards tone of her voice.

Saoirse giggled at the mention of that joke. “Oh he’s still telling that joke? He’s told it to everyone since I’ve known him!”

A snort of laughter came from T'Shai as she remembered the punchline to the joke, then both of her hands flew up to her mouth as her eyes went wide in shock that she'd done that in front of someone and she stilled her face, "I'm sorry, that was... Inappropriate of me."

Saoirse sat there for a moment, her eyes wide in shock. Then, that bright Irish smile filled her face, starting with her eyes as she realized what a significant moment this was. She held up her hands palm out. “There’s absolutely no need to apologize. Ye just showed two things. One, there’s a big heart in your chest, and it belongs to Blaine. Two, Vulcans have a sense of humor.”

"You-can't-tell-ANYone-about-that." T'Shai blurted out as the panic filled her, "If the Science Academy found out, they'd recall me and I would be placed in remedial training, I'm on the edge already with my thesis and they can't know that I'm not like everyone else. The Captain can't know, she'd have to report me, I know she would, I'd be labelled a heretic back home if they knew, please promise me you won't tell anyone." Desperation tinged her voice.

“T’Shai, as far as I’m concerned, it never happened and ye are the consummate Vulcan.” Saoirse’s eyes were even and her face was serious. She didn’t have a frame of reference for what T’Shai was saying, but she instantly recognized that it was imperative for her to stay here. “Ye have my word.”

Shai's chest heaved involuntarily as she shivered, "Th-thank you... It's not that I...." The Vulcan took a deep breath as she tried to focus herself inwards, "I... I just can't let people know, Blaine does, but he's special to me..." She gave a tentative smile, "You're not... Freaking out about this... Are you?"

Saoirse hit a button on the console, closing the hatch to the shuttle so that they could have a bit of privacy. Last thing she wanted was someone hearing the conversation. Once that was done, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees and looked T’Shai in the eyes. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone who only has Vulcan heritage show any sort of emotion at all, so it’s DEFINITELY a new experience. I’m used to seeing how Blaine operates though. So I wouldn’t call me freaked out.“

Actual relief showed in T'Shai's eyes and she nodded slowly, "Blaine has a good excuse: He was raised by his human grandparents... I don't. I was rebellious as a child, my parents had a hard time finding someone during the traditional time of betrothal, so they entertained Blaine as a possible match out of desperation, in hopes, I think, that I would finally settle down to follow all of the traditions. All that happened is I got better at hiding things to keep them happy. I have made a study of humanity and their emotions central to getting to understand Blaine better and to give some reason to 'experience raw emotional output' in my studies, but only under strictly controlled circumstances, with mandatory counseling throughout..." She exhaled, "I know that's a lot to tell you but... I like being able to express myself... Blaine likes it when I laugh and... I don't think we realized how good of a match we made when we were betrothed to each other."

"Blaine also has a mischievous streak a kilometer wide an' I've seen him go completely logical just to mess with people. He's got a good grasp of your shared culture," Saoirse said. "I think ye have a good grasp of human culture too. I can't imagine the kind of rigors ye've been through and I know Blaine will give ye a safe place to experience. That said, if ye ever need to talk or maybe have a girl's night, let me know."

"Just the two of us?" T'Shai asked her, getting a nod and sighing again in relief, "I think I'd like that from time to time, I love Blaine, truly I do, but I'm sure living with him is going to be more constrictive than either of us think. And maybe..." She hesitated for a few seconds as she tried to form the question in an acceptable way, "Could we go shopping? Being friends would allow me to go with you and remain Vulcan about it, but I only have a handful of non-uniform or robe outfits and... I can't go to any of the cute stores to get more."

“I’m sure parts of it are wonderful, like falling asleep and waking up to the warmth of a partner… but I’d bet privacy is at a premium that I can’t imagine. Though, I bet you’ll look back on it fondly,” Saoirse said, shaking her head. “And of course we can go shopping! I’ll happily play the human friend ‘dragging’ ye to the stores. How else will ye get things Blaine doesn’t need to know about until ye want him to?” The Irishwoman giggled her lilting laugh again.

T'Shai giggled at the thought, "Even if you'll have to deal with me complaining and saying that all of this is unnecessary as emotionlessly as I possibly can?" She leaned in closer to Saoirse in a conspiratorial whisper, "Even though I'll actually be loving it?"

“Absolutely, Lass,” Saoirse said, laughing. “That’s absolutely part of it and makes me feel like we’ll be on a secret mission. Ye know we’ll have to keep up appearances!”

"Then we'll have to make a trip of it when we reach planetside or a starbase. Of course..." Shai's smile turned sly, "How do we tell Blaine that I have a new best friend? He would crap his pants if he knew that I already let someone else in on things."

Saoirse laughed at T'Shai's choice description of how Blaine would react. "Well, we can do one of two things..." she felt her own mischievous streak flare. "We can have dinner an' talk about it like sane, rational people. OR we can play a trick on him. Which sounds more fun to ye?"

T'Shai's eyes glittered with mischief, "Play a trick on him, of course." She said matter-of-factly, "Why just tell him when we can have fun at his expense while telling him?"

“That’s my girl,” Saoirse said, leaning in conspiratorially. “And what are your ideas?”

"I thought you had an idea!" Shai giggled, "I'm not used to being all sneaky and plotting and all of that sort of thing to others!"

“Well now, I was just seeing if you had any ideas,” Saoirse replied. “My first thought is we tell him that there’s something wrong with one of the shuttles. Spring it on him down here.”

"Nice!" T'Shai grinned, "But how do we want to..." She trailed off, "Do you have any rope? I could probably fashion something up... You call him down, I hide, I rope him and we tie him up?"

“Oh, ye really want to surprise him, don’t ye?” Saoirse said, shaking her head. “There’s some tie down straps under the bench seats along the bulkheads.

"May as well do it right, if we do it at all." T'Shai smiled as she hauled herself out of the chair and started to rummage around under the bench seats, pulling out one of the straps and unravelling it, nodding at the length, "I can do this... Just a honda knot and a loop at the end." Her hands worked quickly until a crude but completely limp lariat was created, "Now... Where can I hide?"

“There’s a small closet beside the bulkhead there,” Saoirse said as she watched her fashion the lariat. “And ye have been hanging out with Blaine too much of ye’re already quoting his granddad,” she said with a laugh.

"I'm quoting him?" T'Shai asked as she gave a practice swing around of the loop, holding it at the joint of the loop and 'rope' for best control, "I didn't even know I was! Go ahead and call him!" She grinned widely, "Let's make sure he's on his way before I squeeze into the closet!"

“I don’t blame you a bit,” Saoirse said, schooling her features before she pressed the comm button on the control panel. =/\= O’Donnell to McCray. I need ye to meet me in the shuttle bay. =/\=

=/\= You caught me at a good time. I’ll be right there. =/\= Blaine said as he stood and headed for the nearest lift.

T'Shai giggled after the comm clicked off and maneuvered herself into the closet, then tested the door to make sure she could open it quietly before smiling at Saoirse. "This is gonna be fun!"

"I know it's gonna be an eye-opening experience," Saoirse said, laughing as she thought about what she was about to see. She listened for the hiss of the doors from the corridor so that T'Shai wouldn't have to just sit in the closet. It took a few minutes and then she heard the doors open and Blaine's distinctive voice.

"Alright, Saoirse," Blaine drawled as he entered the shuttle bay. "What's the issue?"

"Just need you to look at a few things on the Swordfish," she said as she ushered him into the shuttle and up to the cockpit. "Have a seat."

T'Shai watched through the crack in the ever-so-slightly open as the two people she knew best (already) on board passed and until Saoirse had him well and truly distracted with one of the consoles, then slowly opened the door so it wouldn't make a noise and carefully spun the really wobbly lariat around over her head as she closed in until she calculated she couldn't miss with the wide loop and it settled around him as she pulled in it to tighten and hold him to the street with a loud and jovial laugh, "Got you!"

Saoirse was glad the shuttle hatch had closed, dampening the sound of T'Shai's voice for her sake, but she found herself laughing as the makeshift lasso cinched around Blaine and the back of the chair. "Surprise!"

Blaine found himself laughing as he was pinned into the chair by the lasso. "Looks like you were learning when I showed you those rope tricks." He had no clue why that was the first thing that came out of his mouth as he realized that T'Shai was showing her true self to a person besides himself. "So, Saoirse brought you out of your shell too, huh?"

T'Shai kept the loop somewhat tight as she approached, leaning around to give Blaine a kiss before she finally released him, "I made a mistake... But she thought it was cute and thought you and I were good together, so I made her promise to keep our secret and then got her to lure you down here as well!"

"So both of your mischievous streaks flared an' you decided to work together?" Blaine laughed as he spoke. He smiled as he turned the chair to look at both of them. "I'm glad you both are lookin' out for each other." He felt a happiness sweep through him, knowing that T'Shai now had a friend here.

"And she's gonna take me shopping!" T'Shai said excitedly as she reached for Saoirse's hand and captured it before giving it a squeeze, "That way I can surprise you with what I'm going to wear for you and I can still keep everyone guessing about me. She'll take all the blame for it any me looking really bored, because that's what everyone'll expect!"

“Of course I would! First off, ye and I are friends. Secondly, T’Shai and I are friends. Friends help each other. Besides, I get the enjoyment of watching your wife get one over on ye from time to time.” Saoirse said, smiling. “And the same goes for ye. I know ye will want to have surprises for her and I can help with those!”

“And, when you need a break from me, I can go spend a night on Saoirse’s couch and we’ll spend all night gossiping!” T’Shai linked an arm into her new friend’s arm, “Mostly talk about you of course, just because we’re girls and it’ll be fun, but seriously, it’ll be good for us. That also means you need some guy friends, so you can do the same!”

“Oh, I see. Well, I think you deserve to experience slumber parties. An’ don’t worry about me. Commander Erickson an’ I can play darts in the lounge.” Blaine smiled at them, finding himself growing happier that Shai and Saoirse were becoming fast friends.

"Then, we'll have to set one up." Shai released Saoirse and hopped over to Blaine for a quick kiss, "But, Mister big important Ensign from the bridge, "I'm sorry we disrupted your day, but I suppose we two girls should get the rest of these shuttle sensors updated, which means you're just going to be a distraction. Besides, with you back where you belong, we can start gossiping about you."

“You’re right. I’d better get out of your hair an’ back to my duties, but I’m glad both of you are fast friends,” Blaine said, smiling at them as he stood, winking at them both.

(tag)

 

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