Needing help? Needing advice?
Posted on Wed Dec 31st, 2025 @ 4:50am by Lieutenant T'seng & Lieutenant Cadence Tyree
1,983 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Scientific Diplomacy
Location: Cade's office
T'seng was feeling, out of sorts? No those weren't the right words. She wasn't quite certain how to describe what she was feeling. She didn't want to talk to the Captain's wife, the other counselor. She didn't feel drawn towards the woman. It might be, it was because she was a woman. Though she'd not given the Lieutenant a chance. She felt little bit skittish, T'seng didn't know why.
She will address that at a later time, she needed to talk to someone and perhaps Lieutenant Cade Tyree would be helpful.
Tapping on her combadge she spoke, kind of shyly.
"Lieutenant Tyree, could I have a moment or two of your time? Perhaps in your counselor's office?" T'seng waited for his response.
Cade was using his non-filled office hours running on the treadmill, linked into a holo-headset to be running on Betazoid. At the chime over the comms, he killed the program and dropped to an easy trot as he activated the comm, "Of course...." he tapped rapid commands into a wall panel and pulled the badge's identity and said, "Lieutenant."
Tapping a follow-me command into the panel as he retrieved a towel and utilized it. "I've sent a tracer if you're unsure of where my office is. I'll see you as soon as you like."
"Well in about five minutes or so?" T'seng answered, rubbing her arms to warm them up, feeling like there was a chill in the air. She hoped that he won't find her a strange person, for her awkwardness in interacting with others.
Following the indicators that Cade had sent, T'seng found her way to his office, and stepped inside, smoothing back a strand of dark blonde hair, which had escaped her braid she wore it in.
Cade had opened the door when T'seng's comm badge reported her arrival on the deck and stood when he saw her shadow at the door. "Please come in, Lieutenant." Gesturing toward the wicker lounge chair, Cade said, "Could I offer you some tea? I have a botanical blend from Betezoid I'm sampling this week."
"Tea would be lovely, Thank you." T'seng responded and took a seat upon the wicker chair. Her hands rubbed along the polished wooden arms of the chair, feeling the coolness of its surface.
"I like how you have your office decorated, its soothing." T'seng looking towards Cade watching as he prepared the tea.
"Thank you," Cade said as he filled two mottled green ceramic mugs with the blend, he turned and offered T'seng one. "This blend is a citrus and black tea, though it's leans into the citrus," Cade said as he slid into one of the round chairs that sat near the wicker chair. He adjusted the back so he could lean into it while ,cupping his mug in his hands as if to warm them.
"Now then," Cade smiled, "What would you like to talk about?"
Taking a moment to enjoy the heat of the mug, in her hands, T'seng gazed at Cade, as if to maybe gauge him. There was the tangible curiosity where he was concerned, interest and something else, worry.
A sip of the tea, allowing the liquid to stay upon her tongue before swallowing it. She liked it, not having any of this sort of tea before.
"This is good." she spoke softly.
A half beat of a pause then T'seng remarked. "I am having a devil of a time figuring out how to be around people again, to connect. I had spent over ten years in a stasis chamber, interacting with photonic people. Living sort of a life all within my mind, or mental holosuite, waiting for someone to find me and wake me up. This way, I can join the land of the living. I was found, taken out of the stasis chamber, died briefly, brought back to life after my heart was repaired."
T'seng looked down and blew into her mug to cool it down even further.
Cade mulled on that for a moment and asked, That is a lot to balance out. I'm not familiar with the photonic beings. What was your interaction with them like?"
"Well--" T'seng thought for a moment."I made friends, we went out on adventures. There was some romance, I learned skills that were more close to getting back to the old ways. tilling the land, going hunting.They seemed real enough but there was also the knowledge that it was also all in my mind, it was artificial. That came to a halt, as for a time, we all went to sleep until Adna was woken up by the USS Majestic.Then we helped the crew that were trapped on the station."
She swallowed hard, "I had lost a few of my friends due to Adna.due us fighting her. As I said they were real enough, on an emotional level, but could they be considered real?"
She stopped to drink her tea. Maybe she said too much, it didn't seem to T'seng that she was really answering the question, he had asked.
"So," Cade attempted to quantify. "Real enough to feed your need for socialization at the time. What you needed to get through a trying time, but ultimately leaving you relatively alone between worlds, so to speak. I'm trying to boil down where your feelings seem to have you adrift, T'seng."
"Maybe I have a feeling of detachment in some aspect? I had a brief relationship with someone who used to be a part of the crew on the Majestc, then he left. He had helped to save my life. And did I have the proper attachment to him or was it more of, I thought I was in love with him due to him saving my life. And he was just the first person I could touch and truly feel. Flesh and blood. " T'seng giving a shrug.
"There likely was some of that," Cade said, "And there's nothing wrong with that in a healthy, two way sharing. It's fairly normal for people to reach out for what which they crave when they feel safe to do so and if it's shared in a healthy way, more to the good."
"Processing being alone, craving that feel of physical and even intimate relationship is equally healthy. That you're looking back on this time rather critically is part of healthy processing. You sound like you're doing the right things, but now you're floundering a bit as you try to find firm footing after being out to sea, so to speak."
Musing, Cade sipped at his tea and asked, "What do you do with your off time? Solo pursuits or are you involved with others?"
"I have associated with the Chief Diplomat, showed her--part of my life when I was in the DnD world. Other than that. Not anyone else except for those who went on the mission to take my friends to their home. There is basically with the changes to the new ship and Rystix being sent to Earth. I--haven't truly connected with others. Hence my dilemma." she paused then uttered. "I do not even have much of a connection with my family. I haven't reached out to them, as I do not know how to make that bridge and here I am a so called diplomat."
A slightly bitter sound at the last part from T'seng.
"It's easier," Cade said, shifting slightly in his seat, "To deal professionally with those problems. Our own come harder and dealing with things alone, even more so," he reassured. "Let's talk about your family. What was your relationship with them like before?"
"My parents and I were part of the diplomatic corps and we worked alongside of each other and we worked well. And the same for my brother and sister. Then I came down ill which damaged my heart." she paused swallowing hard. "I do not have relationship with my parents anymore. They passed on while I slept."
Cade nodded, sympathy shifting over his face. "I am sorry for that. Perhaps reaching out to your brother and sister could help deal with that. Get you some closure and retie family bonds? There is a lot to be said about common ground. I'm sure they would be relieved to see the sister they thought lost to them. You mentioned that you haven't reached out before...why not?"
"I don't know where my brother or sister are. I have tried to locate them. I have an aunt who is K'tralli but she had only briefly visited me while on the Majestic. Then she left for some reason."
T'seng leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. "Any sort of outside connections, old friends, things of that nature. I-I lost quite a few people, like others had, when Hobus blew up. My human side of the family. I-can't seem to bring myself to reach out to my human grand parents, which is right now my problem. I've been gone for, 20 years. How do I bridge that gap? How do i approach them?"
Nodding slowly, Cade met her eyes and said, "People disappearing while serving with Star Fleet isn't unheard of. Send your grandparents a note or vid message to let them know you're alive and let them make their own choice. By my way of thinking, knowing anything is better than wondering and missing an opportunity."
"As to the crew...randomly start having lunch with anyone or groups, perhaps?," Cade suggested, watching T'seng for reactions.
"The party was a start wasn't it? I did attend and did enjoy the piece that you sang and played." her green eyes locked with his dark eyes, having a bit of a smile. Her mind went back to that party and him singing and playing his instrument.This settled something in her mind. If he could do something like that--
What had been a war of emotions inside T'seng, it was as if the feelings settled down. His words had broken through the self-placed barriers. They made sense, and she did need to reach out.
"You showed bravery in sharing of yourself, the music you played during the party. If you can do something like that, then-I can reach out and meet those who are on the ship." she paused then added, "As well as reach out to my grandparents. I may end up regretting not reaching out to my family while I am here. And I have enough regret as it is."
Smiling, Cade said "A plan forward is better than no plan at all. In the past, in other commands, I've also hosted dinner gatherings to get people together. If something like that interests you, it's a very low key way to bring people together and get to know both them and you in controlled settings. Any way you feel comfortable breaking the ice and getting to know your crew-mates is a plus."
"There are some that may not want to do the dinner route but there can be other ways of getting to know a crew member. Talking with you is helping to get my mind a bit more focused. Thank you." T'seng responded with a smile.
A cloud seeming to lift from her.
"Then I'm doing something right," Cade said as he shifted slightly in his chair. It was new and he was still trying to get it broken in. "It'll get easier as you do it, like most things. You are most welcome...are there any other subjects you'd like to speak on?"
T'seng thought for a moment or two then shook her head. "Not at this time. Thank you again." moving to get up out of the chair. "I'll need to talk with the chief diplomat and to make some plans or discuss diplomatic matters."
A joint post by:
Lieutenant T'seng
Diplomat
USS Orcrist
&
Lieutenant Tyree
Counselor
USS Orcrist
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