New face in a new place.

Posted on Sun Jun 14th, 2026 @ 12:22pm by Lieutenant Kah’lyn Chiara

724 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Side Plots
Location: Barisa Prime
Timeline: MD11, 1400 hrs

Here she was again uprooted from her life and moved onto yet another assignment. Only this one was too good an opportunity to pass up, her first assignment as Chief Counsellor. Not that Kah’lyn wasn’t ready for it, she had wanted to make Chief and now here she was.

Problem was she’d been pulled in to Barisa Prime just as the unification talks were on, whether that was a coincidence or not she wasn’t sure. She was after all half Romulan, not that she knew anything about her father’s identity she’d asked her mother a few times when she was young, but when she saw how unhappy it made her she stopped asking. Where the Romulans were concerned she’d be an outcast, fortunately those on Betazed didn’t care, and neither did anyone else in Starfleet. At least not that they’d said, she had pointed ears but for all intents and purposes she could easily pass as half Vulcan.

Having found herself somewhere to stay she was enjoying taking shoreleave time on Barisa Prime, her new ship the USS Astrea was currently off world so there wasn’t any chance of getting aboard anyway. As she sat taking in her surroundings her thoughts drifted back to her last meeting.

— 24 hours earlier, USS Wildcat —

“You wanted to see me Sir?” Kah’lyn smiled warmly.

“Ah, Kah’lyn yes, please take a seat.” Captain Thomas motioned to the chairs in front of his desk.

Nodding Kah’lyn sat down giving her CO a curious look.

“We’ve received orders from Starfleet. It seems something has gone awry at the Unification Conference on Barisa Prime, you’re to report to Barisa and take up your new position as Chief Counsellor aboard the USS Astrea.”

“Chief Counsellor?” Kah’lyn couldn’t help but smile at that one, before she gave her CO a more serious look. “What does that have to do with something going awry at the conference?”

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. “To be honest I’ve no idea, Starfleet hasn’t said it does. In my opinion…and you didn’t hear this from me…is that there’s a separate investigation ongoing and the brass want someone new on the Senior Staff that they can refer to, who better than a Betazoid? Plus you’re half Romulan, it may go some way with the Romulans already there.”

“I doubt it” Kah’lyn shook her he’d. “I’m an outcast in Romulan society, I’m half Romulan. To them I’d be an insult rather than someone they’d prefer to talk to.”

Thomas nodded. “You maybe right, but orders are orders. It’s been a pleasure having you here Counsellor, I wish you all the best in your new position, and you’ll always be welcome here anytime.”

Kah’lyn smiled warmly. “Thank you Sir, I’m going to miss this place. I was starting to feel at home here.”

“Such is the Starfleet life kiddo.” Thomas grinned. “We go where we’re sent.”

“That we do” Kah’lyn nodded. “Take care of yourself Sir. How long do I have until we get there?”

“We’ll be dropping you in about…” he paused to check. “20 hours approximately, that’s if nothing pops up in the meantime.”

Kah’lyn nodded. “Well I guess I’d best get packed ready then” she stood to leave, giving him one last look before heading out of the door.

— Now, Barisa Prime —

Thomas’ words were still rattling around in her head, was she being assigned to the Astrea to be high command’s spy? Were they going to be requesting reports on the crew? She couldn’t say she liked that idea. A Counsellor needed to be trusted by the crew, reports were covered by counsellor/patient confidentiality and she certainly wasn’t going to be breaking her oath of care on that.

She picked up a PaDD pulling up the personnel files of the Astrea. The ship’s current counsellor Leilani would be the one she’d need to meet with, they’d be working closely together and she didn’t want to tread on Leilani’s proverbial toes.

For now Kah’lyn was going to relax and enjoy her time off it would come to an end soon enough.

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