From one Counsellor to another

Posted on Sat Oct 17th, 2026 @ 10:28am by Lieutenant Liarra Xan & Lieutenant Jeremy Ezio & Lieutenant JG Clied Sqelde

1,466 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Bloodline
Location: Deck 9; Counselling offices
Timeline: 2439-08-13, 08:25

OOC: Prior to Times like these.

[IC]

Liarra was sitting in her office, right now it was the basic office but she preferred to make hers feel a lot more comfortable with the addition of soft cushions, faux fur blankets and rugs, and a little corner with a large bean bag with toys and books for children. She would also have calming images on the walls once it was all complete. Right now she needed to call the members of the Counselling department together.

=^= Xan to Ezio and Sqelde, please come to the Counselling office. =^=

Jeremy blinked at the announcement, since when had a department head arrived? He shrugged to himself and headed to the office. The hybrid smiled as he walked in. "Lieutenant Ezio, ma'am," he introduced himself, "though I prefer to be called Jeremy. It closes the distance a little when with a patient."

“It’s nice to meet you Jeremy, and it certainly does.” Liarra offered a warm smile. “I’m Liarra Xan, your new department head. I apologise for my unannounced arrival, I go where Starfleet sends me so here I am.”

"It happens," Jeremy smiled as he eased himself into a seat.

The heavy, rhythmic hiss of the counselling office doors parting interrupted the warm exchange, drawing attention to the new arrival.

Lieutenant JG Clied Sqelde stepped smoothly into the room, his large, amphibious frame gliding with a quiet, natural elegance. His vibrant blue skin caught the ambient light, and the three pairs of delicate gills on either side of his broad head rippled gently as he took a measured breath, processing the room’s emotional atmosphere.

Sqelde offered a polite, low bow of his head, his webbed hands clasped loosely in front of him. Beneath his calm, professional exterior, his innate empathic senses immediately registered the residual tension drifting down from the Bridge—a sharp, lingering spike of anxiety and defiance—though the immediate vicinity of the office hummed with a much softer, conversational warmth.

"My apologies for the delay, Lieutenant Xan," Sqelde said, his voice smooth and melododic, carrying a faint, resonant cadence native to Khwopa. He cast a friendly, knowing glance toward Jeremy. "I was finishing up a review of the crew's bio-metric stress logs. It seems the atmosphere aboard has... shifted significantly in the last ten minutes."

Sqelde moved gracefully to an open seat, folding his tall, upright salamander-like form comfortably into the chair. He offered Liarra a reassuring, empathetic smile, his large dark eyes sharp and observant. "I am Clied Sqelde. Though most of my colleagues simply call me Sqelde. Welcome aboard the Saratoga, Lieutenant. It is a pleasure to join your department."

Once both had arrived she took a seat. “Just so you both know I don’t plan any changes, or disruption to your normal routine with the exception of keeping me updated on patient progress, and a weekly meeting. Normal rules apply for reports any problems please feel free to come see me. Are there any questions, or is there anything you’d like to know?”

"Why not tell us a little about you?" Jeremy queried with a smile, "anything you want us to know?"

“I’ll give you the shortened version” Liarra smiled. “My mother was Betazoid, my father is Romulan. Unlike most Romulan father’s my being a hybrid didn’t put him off seeing my mother and I were taken care of. I lost my mother when I was a teen so I moved on with my life from there. I wanted to join Starfleet and one of my tutors at Betazed university sponsored my entry. It’s all history from there. This is my first posting as Chief Counsellor.”

The young man's eyes widened at that revelation. "My dad was Romulan too," he exclaimed, "though mom was Trill. They were killed when I was seventeen. He was a chef and he had a restaurant on Earth which my sister now runs. This isn't my first posting, fortunately but I have no desire to be chief."

“I’m sorry about your parents, but it seems we have a bit a common always a good way to start off.” Liarra grinned. “My father is still alive, but I don’t have any contact with him. More due to my not wanting to affect his standing in the eyes of his own people.”

"I regret you don't have contact," Jeremy offered in return. "My father adopted a Human last name to fit in and was happily married to my Trill mother. She was the reason they moved to Earth so they could be together without consequence. I don't remember much these days as I was young when they died, but I remember more than what Nora, my sister does. And we try to keep what little we do remember alive through the restaurant." He smiled warmly at his memories. "I could wield a ladle before I could walk, and feeding people is a form of therapy right?"

Liarra nodded. “I’d say so, it’s a good way of getting interaction with others. Plus there’s the joy of seeing others eating food you’d helped to prepare and serve.”

Jeremy smirked at her. "Exactly. And I happen to be a trained chef, so I have my course set huh. I might just hold office in the galley...if Patrick lets me that is. That man is horribly possessive of his kitchen."

Liarra grinned. “That sounds like a chef who loves his work, but as you’re a trained chef I don’t see why you couldn’t help each other. It would give you a fun hobby if you wanted it.”

Sqelde let out a gentle, resonant hum that rippled through the three pairs of gills on the sides of his head, his webbed hands resting lightly on the arms of his chair.

"It is a complex emotional signature, Lieutenant," Sqelde replied smoothly, his dark, expressive eyes shifting between Liarra and Jeremy. "There is a sharp, distinct spike of defiance and concentrated stress coming from the direction of the upper decks—specifically the bridge. It carries a rigid edge of confrontation, yet beneath it, there is an equally strong current of unity and protective resolve among the command staff."

He tilted his head slightly, his amphibian features catching the light as he focused his empathic impression outward.

"Whoever is at the helm of that friction is holding their ground against an immense external pressure," Sqelde added, his voice maintaining its melodic, calm cadence. "It feels less like panic and more like a calculated standoff. Whatever is happening up there, the crew's collective pulse is elevated, but disciplined."

"I don't want to invade his domain if it's assigned to him. I can always use the holodeck." Jeremy turned his head towards the other counselor, taking in his serene appearance. "Are you suggesting there's trouble on the bridge?" He asked, unable to hide his surprise, "should we head up there?" Not that he thought they could do much if there was some sort of stand off between bridge personnel.

“I’ve been feeling that too” Liarra nodded. “I think I’ll take a trip to the bridge to see what’s going on, I do like having the opportunity to be on the bridge, it all depends if the Captain will allow it. In the meantime please continue with your normal duties, if there’s any problems or anything that needs my attention please let me know.”

"Why wouldn't he ma'am?" Jeremy queried curiously, "you're the chief counselor, aren't you expected to have an advisory role to the captain?" He glanced sideways at Sqelde. "We'll hold the ford here, right?"

"We will hold the fort here, Lieutenant Ezio," Sqelde replied, his melodic voice smooth and steady. "Lieutenant Xan is well within her rights to observe, but our place is here, ensuring the departmental workflow remains steady while the rest of the ship navigates this current friction."

Liarra smiled. “You are quite correct, and I appreciate that, thank you. Unless there’s anything you need to discuss I’ll let you both get back to it.”

"Perhaps the two of us can continue a little chat," Jeremy commented, gesturing between himself and the Axolotl-like alien.

“I’m very much looking forward to getting to know you both better” Liarra smiled warmly as she rose from her seat. “If I’m needed you know where to find me.”

Sqelde offered Liarra a respectful, amphibious nod as she prepared to depart, his webbed hands shifting gently on the armrests.

"Safe travels to the upper decks, Lieutenant," Sqelde said smoothly, his resonant cadence soft and polite. "We will maintain the department here."

“I appreciate that, thank you both.” Liarra smiled warmly before she headed for the bridge.

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