The Newbies Enjoy the Holiday Decorations

Posted on Wed Dec 14th, 2022 @ 1:31pm by Lieutenant JG Charlotte Dawes & Lieutenant JG Harry Voight & Lieutenant JG Vashir & Lieutenant K’lar

2,283 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 113 - No One Left Behind
Location: Promenade
Timeline: Their first day on the station
Tags: Charlotte Dawes

As they were leaving Ops, Charlotte nudged K'lar. When he looked over at her, she smiled devilishly. "I saw you push that button. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Charlotte gave him a teasing wink.

K'lar replied with a nervous 'hrumph' at first. He quickly replied, "I simply ran a diagnostic." His voice escaped in a low, hissing rumble. K'lar's facial features widened into a playful smile as he laughed quietly. His eyes carried a glint of warmth.

To the rest of the group she announced a little more loudly. "Everyone calls me Charlie. Did anyone want to go check out these decorations the Captain was just talking about?"

"Count me in", said K'lar while walking with the group. He'd only learned a few things about Christmas since his KDF transfer and exchange into Starfleet. Bonding with his new crew-mates over holiday tradition seemed like an exciting prospect.

"I'd love to," Vashir beamed happily. "Outside of being on Earth at the Academy, I can't say any of my other postings have done much for these holidays. The Captain made it sound fascinating. I can't wait to see it!"

Lt. Voight thought his daughters would love to see the holiday lights and decorations. “Hey, Charlie- give me a minute will ya? My girls would want to come up. Our new apartment is all the way down at level 750. I can do a site-to -site transport and have them here right away.”

K'Lar turned to Vashir, “So they celebrated Christmas at the Academy?" K'lar had never attended Starfleet Academy, despite completing a transfer study program at his last posting. "I've barely been to Earth honestly. I've studied in underground labs on Qo'nos.. And Qu'Vat. Served on ships Klingon and Federation. As an exchange officer... I sometimes feel.. Out of touch." K'lar turned to Vashir. "Maybe Lieutenant Dawes can help us acclimate", he said to Vashir, but also to Charlotte.

"Oh sure," Vashir responded. "Nothing too in your face, but there were definitely decorations around, and parties to go to. But did the Captain just say SNOW, on the PROMENADE? That's something I want to see," Vashir commented, bubbling with excitement.

Although she attended the Academy, K'lar wondered if Lt. JG Vashir also sometimes felt out of place. It was likely more intense of a feeling for K'lar because he lived a life surrounded almost entirely by Klingons. Starfleet life had been a culture shock since his first day.

"There are so many places, I've never been either, and I want to see them all - Q'onoS and Orion included," Charlotte confessed to her companions on the turbolift. "I'm happy to help acclimate any way I can. And maybe you'd want to teach me something about Klingon life as well," Charlotte smiled, happy that K'lar seemed different enough from other Klingons that she had met before. Charlotte enjoyed having friends from all places and cultural backgrounds, but she had yet to meet a Klingon who was interested in befriending a simple human nurse.

The turbolift doors opened to reveal a magical setting on the Promenade. As they stepped off the turbolift, Charlotte and Vashir both looked up at K'lar through light snow flurries that were part of a nearby Christmas scene with carolers.

"Anyway," Charlotte added, "Don't feel out of touch, this is just one human holiday. Humans are just but one race of hundreds who are here."

The Klingon nodded and smirked while looking from Charlotte, to Vashir and around the transformed landscape surrounding them. "Wise observation", he said in a low voice to not draw attention. "It is no major matter."

While on the turbolift, Harry had contacted his wife, Sarah, and made sure that the kids were ok with beaming to where their dad was. They were both very excited and couldn’t wait to see Daddy at work. In less than a minute, they were beamed directly to the Promenade. Harry saw them a few feet away,and temporarily left his new colleagues to greet his family.

“Kenzie! Kayla! Come here! Come on! Come and meet my friends!" Harry said, swooping the young girls into a big hug, and a dramatic kisses on their foreheads. He led them over to the group, pointing at each person as he said their name, "This is Charlie, K’Lar, Vashir. These are my daughters, everyone. Kenzie and Kayla.”

K’lar nodded to the newcomers. “Welcome”, he said with a bow.

Charlotte, bent over with her hands on her kneeds so that she was at the same height as Harry's twin daughters. "Kenziie, and Kayla. Very pretty names for absolutely stunningly gorgeous girls. I bet you both are smart too, huh?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, kinda," Kayla said with a shrug, inciting a giggle from Kenzie.

"What does everyone want to see first?" Charlotte asked.

Kenzie grabbed Harry's hand and led him over to where a group of children and adults from the station were singing Christmas carolers. Kayla saw where they were going and skipped ahead, stopping directly in front of them to listen to the carolers sing.

Vashir had already taken a few steps toward the carolers, and was trying to figure out where the snow was coming from. Obviously replicators, or a holomatrix of some kind, but given that the temperature on the promenade was comfortable, and the snow wasn't melting she assumed it wasn't a simple water compound. She resisted the urge to take a sample, and promised herself she'd just come back with a tricorder later.

K'lar also moved towards the carolers. He didn't catch the meaning of some of the pleasantries in the terms. "What is this they sing of?" K'lar couldn't fully understand the pleasant emotions portrayed in the song. He wasn't exactly sure what 'merry' meant, for starters.

Although K'lar was different in many ways, he was still Klingon. He related to these two officers because they were clad in the same teal-accented uniform as he. This uniform was also the reason for his self-doubt and frustrations. If he could simply escape the stigma he placed upon himself K'lar would resemble more a typical Klingon. Even now his eyes scanned through the thick, falling flakes for the judgmental stares of other Klingons.

Charlotte noticed that Vashir and K'lar were both drawn to the carolers so she joined them. "They are singing Christmas carols," Charlotte explained. "It's a very old tradition. Predating the Eugenics wars and all of that, but I am not really sure when it started. People gather together and sing in public places, or even go door to door and sing for their neighborhoods. It spreads cheer," she said a matter-of-factly.

K'lar seemed to ruminate on the word for a few moments. "Door to door." He tried to visualize masses of Klingons banding together in song. He could relate with that image. "Interesting tradition.. We must find a Christmas tree! And battle Krampus.."

As a prank, one of the earliest science officers working with K'lar told him that battling the holiday entity known as Krampus was part of the holiday celebration. This explains his fascination with the creature since the holiday's first mention.

"Um, well, I don't recommend battling anyone on the promenade," Charlotte suggested, putting a hand up cautiously. “If there is a Krampus here, they are probably just for decoration." Charlotte gestured broadly across the promenade, and as for Christmas trees, they are everywhere," she said laughing good naturedly. Charlotte pointed to a large tree in the center of the promenade, but then pointed out several smaller ones throughout the display.

K’lar tilted his head and stared at her hand in an animalistic, confused response.

"They really did go all out," Charlotte commented. "I don't remember anything quite this elaborate at the academy, do you, Vashir?"

"Not at the Academy, no. But I did take a ski trip one year over break, and the town we went to - Breckenridge, I think it was - they had a set up like this. Real snow though. I'm dying to know the molecular structure of this snow they are using here," Vashir responded.

Somewhat dejected about Krampus, K’lar began to fixate on the trees. Lacking the restraint Vashir had shown earlier, K’lar snatched a small tricorder from his pocket. He usually carried this compact model, but brought a Type IX when assigned to a specific duty. “These trees are all different. Balsam Fir. Noble Fir. This one is a pine… Grand fir..”

Kayla frowned when she saw the Klington studying the tree. "Can we do something else?" She whispered to her dad. "I see Santa."

Kenzie piped up, "And it looks like they have a toy making factory over there. Can we go make a toy with the elves?" She asked pleadingly.

Harry laughed, enjoying his daughter's excitement. "You bet," he said the girls. He looked back to the group. "We'll catch up with you later. We're going to see Santa and some elves." He waved with his free hand as Kenzie dragged him away, Kayla skipping ahead in her usual manner - stopping every so often to make sure she didn't get too far ahead.

Charlotte held a hand up in a brief wave, and smiled as she watched Harry get led away by girls. She wasn't sure she wanted her own kids yet, but she enjoyed being around her friend's children - especially at the holidays.

The Klingon seemed oddly focused on the science of the tree. “What makes each one a Christmas tree? Each one is even decorated in different styles and colors.” His inquisitive mind was quickly making a mystery of this Christmas tree situation.

"Hey, scan the snow!" Vashir said excitedly when she noticed K'lar's tricorder.

The Klingon's tricorder was a blur of flashing lights as he looked up and scanned. His body twisted in a circle while doing so, following the heavy flakes from high up. "Fascinating", K'lar said in his deep, scratchy voice. "Sonic waves appear to be compressing air and mixing it with pressurized water. The cold temperature is limited to the surface of those maintenance wave generators...." K'lar followed the path to large structures high above them on the highest distant ceiling of the promenade. He pointed to them while speaking, "there, and there and.... Well... I hope that doesn't ruin the magic."

Science was always stealing the fun.

"Not at all! That is so cool. I can't believe I didn't think of that myself," Vashir responded, clearly enthusiastic about the science behind the non-melting snow.

K'lar rubbed snow between his palms until it melted. His mind focused on the texture and the sensations. For a moment K'lar meditated and felt himself alive in this moment. He looked around at all the laughter and playful emotions. At that moment he began to understand why the humans might celebrate such a holiday.

It was still very different to the grand holidays of the Empire. But K'lar could now understand. He realized that he shouldn't have avoided the holiday throughout his Starfleet career. He could even see other Klingons in KDF attire enjoying the atmosphere in the distance.

Moving back towards Vashir, and still within earshot of the others K'lar said, "temperatures are extreme on Qo'nos. I've seen a few icy sub-winters.." The climate of the Klingon homeward dealt with rapidly shifting weather patterns because of its tilted axis. "Did you see many winters on your homeworld?"

Vashir reached down and picked up a piece of snow and made it into a snow ball and threw it at K'lar. Then she realized she might have just provoked a Klingon and smiled sheepishly. "Oops. Sorry. I guess I just got too much in the spirit?"

K'lar was initially stoic as he was still distracted by the tricorder. Looking down at the impact he looked up just as Vashir was apologizing. He began laughing, deeper and deeper as her apology went on. "There is no such thing as too much spirit." He slid the compact tricorder back into its form-fitting pocket.

The tall man knelt low as he began scooping and rolling a ball. His large hands kept swiveling around the way mass until it became a large cylinder. K'lar turned towards a rung of the next level of the promenade and cocked back his arm.

His Klingon snowball flew several meters up and into the distance, splattering as it hit the space between decks. "Qapla'", he shouted before turning back to the others with raised arms.

Vashir laughed joyfully. She picked up another snowball, and tried to throw hers in the same direction that K'lar threw his. Her snowball, not surprisingly, fell quite short compared to K'lar's throw. Vashir continued laughing gleefully.

Kayla and Kenzie saw the snowball commotion and handed off their newly built stuff animals to their dad, and ran back toward the adults they had just met. Kayla and Kenzie both made snowballs as Harry ran over to catch up. Before Harry could say anything, Kayla threw one at Charlotte, and hit her right in the chest. Kenzie held on to her snowball looking at her dad for permission.

Harry was pleased to see the girls having such a good time. He was trying to keep himself from laughing after witnessing the snowball hit Kayla’s target.
“Kayla, Kenzie! Charlie, I’m…. sorry!” He burst out laughing as he whipped up his own snowball and threw it right at Charlotte’s arm and shoulder.

“Oops, guess I got carried away,” Harry confessed.

Charlotte scrunched her face up in pretend anger, "Oh no you didn't!" she teased Kalya, making two snowballs of her own, hitting each of the girls. Kenzie laughed and threw hers back.

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