Transmutare Fabrica Chapter 6
The Garrack arrived at Starbase 31 approximately and hour before they were expected. The Captain had granted shore leave to his crew since the ship would be in the shipyard for about a week. T'lar stepped out of the docking ring onto the main walkway. The Conference did not start for another hour, so T'Lar had plenty of time to relax and explore the station a bit. T'Lar started walking down the nearby corridor as he saw a Caitian walking his way. The Caitian was about five feet tall with messy red colored fur. She had an armful of what looked like padds and schematics,, and looked to be having a hard time keeping her grip on them. A passing Bolian hurried past the Caitian and bumped into her, scattering the padds across the station floor.
T'Lar bent down and started to pick up the loose padds, when the young Caitian looked up at him and smiled.
"T"Lar Sorrat, as I live and breathe. "
T'Lar gave the Caitian a second glance and his eyes widened in surprise. "Alkidan!" T'Lar smiled widely and hugged her gently. "It's been too long T'Lar."
"It's been what, six years?" T'Lar said as he handed her the last padd.
"Give or take a few months." She stood up and brushed herself off with one paw, still griping the padds in the other.
"So Alk, what are you doing here? Last I heard you were on Europa Station." Alkadain shifted the padds in her arms and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
"Well I was On Europa Station until I was offered a lab here near the shipyard. Now I can tinker with my starship designs more effectively."
"That's great Alk." T'Lar then noticed Lt.Lee walking down the corridor towards them.
"Lieutenant! Come here I want you to meet someone."
Lee smiled and approached T'Lar and Alkidan. "Lt.Lee I would like you to meet Doctor Alkidan Ikadios.She is responsible for designing the Garrack and most of the third and fourth fleet." Alkidan balanced her padds against her chest and reached out to shake Lt.Lees hand. Lee took Alk's paw and shook it.
"It's a pleasure Doctor, the Garrack is a fine ship."
"I'm glad you like it Lieutenant. It was one of my Greatest accomplishments. Aside from the waste disposal unit on Settie IV."
Lee smiled and lowered her hand. "Say Doctor, would you like some help with those padds?"
Alkidan smiled revealing her sharp teeth.
"I thought no one would ask."
T'Lar and Lee both took a stack of padds from Alkidan. T'Lar adjusted the stack in his arms.
"So where were you headed Alk?"
"To my lab. Its down that corridor." The three of them started off down the corridor towards the lab.
"So Doctor, how do you know the Captian?" Alkidan looked at T'Lar and smiled.
"You could say we grew up together."
"You could say?" T'Lar chuckled.
"Its kinda complicated . You know my father was in the Caitian military, and when I was a cub my family moved between two homes. I would spend a year in the Fatalusavium Desert where I was born and a year in the Talus Jungle where Alkidan lived."
"Oh I see."
"My family home was right next to Alks, we often spent the whole year playing together."
They reached the end of the corridor and Alk pressed the pad besides the door. Alkidan walked into her office. "Common in you two."
Lee and T'Lar slowly followed behind her. The office was huge, about three times the size of the Garracks observation lounge. On the far side of the room was a long her desk that sat beneath seven tall windows reveling the inside of a drydock. A ship was docked there but seemed to be missing several sections of hull. It looked like it was being refit from Alkidans first ship design into something else. Her desk was covered in padds and schematics, and what looked like a plant that had been extinct for a few billion years. Lee walked up to what looked like several ships hanging from the ceiling.
"Isn't this Zefram Cochranes' ship? The Phoenix."
Alkidan set her padds down on her desk and walked over to Lee. "Yes, I built that model over three years ago, I have an affinity for old ship models."
T'Lar walked up to another model and examined it. "This is the Isaranus, and what great detail to the dorsal struts."
Lee turned over to her captain with a quizzical look. 'The Isaranus? What ship is that?"
T'Lar took his paw off the model and gently spun it. "It's the Caitian first warp flight ship. In fact the creator and pilot was the direct ancestor of Doctor Alkidan."
Alk smiled and joined T'Lar. "Yes Yadara Ikadios, she took a land transport and turned it into a warp vessel."
"That's fascinating Doctor, you have quite the talent for building models."
T'Lar smiled at Alk. "Personally, I collect bottles, but to each their own I guess."
"Oh then remind me I have a few bottles to give you after the conference."
T'Lar jumped a bit after the doctors last sentence.
"Doctor, how did you know I was attending a conference?" Alkidan crossed her arms and gave T'Lar a sly grin.
"I was ordered to attend the conference, before you were I belive."
T'Lar pursed his lips and raised his eyebrow at Alk.
"I was not aware you were contacted at all, let alone before me." Alkidan's face burst into a huge grin.
"T'Lar theres a lot you're not aware of."
Lee tried to cover her face as she tried to keep from laughing. Captain T'Lar shot the lieutenant a look and she quickly got a hold of herself. As the Doctor approached her desk, the door chime echoed throught the room.
"Enter"
Alk said picking up one of the padds on her desk. A young Benzite female stepped in.
"Captain, Doctor." She said as she nodded in their direction.
"The conference starts in ten minutes. The Admiral sent me to come and get you two."
T'Lar straightened his uniform jacket and nodded towards the Benzite. "Thank you Ensign, We'll be there monentarily."
T'Lar turned to his weapons officer. "Lee I need you to contact the ship and check in on the repairs."
"Yes sir, I will do it right away." Lee hurried passed the Ensign and out of the Doctors' office.
Alkidan placed the padd under her arm and looked at the Benzite. "After you Ensign."
The two officers followed the Ensign out of the doctors' office and down the corridor towards the conference room.