Post Number: 192 *Meeting the New Boss*
Posted on Fri Feb 7th, 2025 @ 5:04pm by Ensign Erin Couldis & Lieutenant JG Lirian Tarel
2,184 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission: Secrets
On:
Erin got the notification on her computer that a new Acting Chief Counselor had been assigned, and that she had arrived already, a Lieutenant JG Lirian Tarel. Her eyes flickered slightly in recognition, not of the person, but of the origin of the name. It sounded Betazoid, and it was a welcome sight. She glanced up as someone entered the office across the hall, and she stood.
"Lieutenant Tarel," she asked? "My name is Ensign Couldis, I will be working under you. Welcome to the Obsidian Station... I just wish it was under better circumstances."
Lirian turned around from looking at the office. She immediately took in the young ensign, not just her stance, but the emotions humming beneath the surface. Her lips curved into a warm, but measured smile. She moved with the unheard grace of someone who rarely rushed. “Ensign Couldis welcome it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her tone was calm and inviting with that natural Betazoid warmth that put people at ease.
Erin had been right, the new Counselor was also a Betazoid. It wasn't often these days that she was able to interact with her people, and the thought of working in close proximity to another person from her homeworld warmed her. She stayed in her doorway, looking across the hall at the other woman.
"I am sure you are aware, but it looks as though we will have our hands full for the next... who knows how long," Couldis offered with a humorless laugh. "It's all a little horrible."
Lirian’s dark eyes softened as she regarded Erin, the weight of recent events lingering in the air between them. She let out a slow, measured breath, tilting her head slightly as if listening to something just beyond the spoken words.
“Yes,” she admitted, her voice carrying the quiet steadiness of someone accustomed to guiding others through turbulence. “It is.”
She stepped closer, just enough to offer a reassuring presence without encroaching on Erin’s space. “There is no denying the strain, or the loss. But we will shoulder it together. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” Her smile was faint but genuine, an unspoken promise of solidarity.
Her gaze held Erin’s for a moment longer, conveying understanding in a way words never fully could. Then, with a light touch of dry humor, she added, “And if we ever do figure out how long this ‘who knows how long’ will last, I suspect we’ll be too exhausted to care.”
"I am sure that's true," Erin replied in kind. "You are welcome to come in and talk for a few if you're not busy," the younger woman offered, motioning towards the comfortable seating arrangement she had in the corner of her office. "If you are too busy, I completely understand. We can always talk another day. I just like to get to know the people I am working with."
Lirian’s expression softened further at the offer, appreciating the gesture. There was something grounding in small acts of connection amid uncertainty.
“I’d like that,” she replied, her tone warm but unhurried. “It’s always good to start with understanding those we’ll be working alongside.”
With a quiet grace, she stepped into Erin’s office, taking in the space—how it reflected the person within it. Settling into one of the seats, she crossed one leg over the other, resting her hands lightly in her lap.
“I imagine you’ve been carrying quite a bit lately,” she said gently, her dark eyes steady on Erin’s. “Tell me, how are you holding up?” Erin nodded slightly.
"It has been... challenging," she admitted honestly, looking down at her hands. She appreciated the woman's directness, and yet the question was filled with kindness. "With so much devastation and fighting, for so long, many of the crew feel as though they will never see the end of it. Thankfully I was working with another excellent Counselor, Doctor Stokes, it helped with the burden." She looked back up and met Lirian's gaze. "Have you dealt with anything like this before?"
Lirian’s expression grew pensive, her gaze briefly distant as if weighing memories before returning to Erin with quiet sincerity.
“Not quite like this,” she admitted. “I’ve seen hardship, loss, the slow erosion of hope in people’s eyes… but every situation has its own weight, its own unique ache.”
She shifted slightly in her seat, her posture remaining composed yet open. “Back home, before Starfleet, I worked in crisis intervention. Natural disasters, conflicts—moments when everything felt shattered beyond repair. The hardest part was never just the event itself but what came after—helping people rebuild themselves while the world around them still felt unstable.”
Her voice remained steady, though touched with an undercurrent of understanding. “There’s no easy way through something like this. But I’ve learned that even in the worst of times, there are still moments of connection, of resilience.” She offered Erin a small but reassuring smile. “And those moments are worth holding on to.”
Her dark eyes studied Erin’s face, not probing but present. “Doctor Stokes—she sounds like someone you trusted. It helps to have someone like that in times like these.” Nodding, Erin thought a moment before speaking.
"Even though the Obsidian is a large station, the crew is tightly-knit, and I think that helps." She glanced around the room, as if searching for what to say. "I trust every member of the Obsidian with my life, because they do the same thing for me." Erin smiled quickly and then her face grew serious. "It has been a long time since I was home on Betazed. What made you decide to join Starfleet and leave home? You do not have to answer if that's too personal, of course."
Lirian’s expression softened at the question, her gaze momentarily distant before she refocused on Erin. “It’s not too personal,” she assured with a gentle smile. “In fact, I think it’s an important question—why we choose to leave home, to serve, to face the unknown.”
She exhaled softly, thoughtful. “For me, it was never about leaving Betazed behind, but about carrying a part of it with me. I grew up surrounded by empathy, by the understanding that healing isn’t just about the body but about the mind, the spirit. I wanted to take that into the wider galaxy—to be where I was needed, where I could make a difference.”
Her dark eyes searched Erin’s, not intrusively but with genuine curiosity. “And you? What called you to Starfleet, to this place?” Erin sat with Lirian's answer for a moment before speaking.
"That sounds lovely," she admitted with a small grin. "I love that. For me..." she drifted off for a moment before speaking. "I was born on Betazed, but both of my parents were members of Starfleet, my father was a Doctor onboard the USS Harbinger, and my mother was an Engineer on the same ship. They had taken a leave of absence when I was born, but when I was two or three they returned. I spent most of my childhood on that ship, and I loved it. I think that's one of the reasons I love space so much," she admitted honestly, before her eyes turned sad. "When I was ten I was back home visiting my grandparents when I received word of the Harbinger's destruction. They still do not know exactly what happened, but they assume Romulan involvement." She broke off, hiding her sadness with a small smile. She knew she wasn't hiding anything, but it was a habit she had developed over time- mask the sadness. "Anyways, I joined Starfleet as a way to honor them, and to help other people."
Lirian’s expression softened, a quiet understanding settling in her gaze as she absorbed Erin’s words. She didn’t need to reach with her telepathic senses to recognize the weight beneath them—the ache of loss, the resilience woven into each syllable.
“That’s a powerful reason,” she said softly, her voice carrying no pity, only respect. “To turn grief into purpose, to find meaning in the path they walked before you—it speaks to who you are, Erin.”
She let a small pause settle between them, allowing space for Erin to decide if she wanted to say more. When the younger woman didn’t, Lirian tilted her head slightly.
“I won’t say the pain ever disappears entirely,” she continued, her tone thoughtful. “But I do believe we learn how to carry it differently. Sometimes, it even shapes us into who we are meant to be.” A faint, reassuring smile played at her lips. “And from what I can see, your parents would be proud of the person you’ve become.”
Her gaze held Erin’s for a moment, warm and steady. Then, with a gentle shift in tone, she added, “I’m glad we’ll be working together, Erin. I have a feeling we’ll learn a lot from one another.” Erin smiled at the kindness this newcomer had shown her.
"I appreciate you saying all that," she said honestly. "And yes, I am glad we are going to be working together as well. I think the crew is going to be in good hands with you here."
Lirian held Erin’s gaze for a moment, reading between the lines, as Betazoids often did—not just the words spoken, but the emotions behind them. It was clear that Erin carried her past with quiet strength, but also that it lingered, shaping her choices, her way of being.
After a brief pause, Lirian leaned forward slightly, resting her hands gently on her knee. “I have a feeling you do more for this crew than just your job,” she observed, her voice light yet perceptive. “I can see it already—you hold things together, don’t you?”
Erin was quiet for a moment before replying. It was clear that Lirian was an excellent Counselor, kind, intelligent, and knew exactly what to say to make a person feel comfortable. She hoped that she did the same, although she suspected that she still needed some experience working on it.
"Probably not as well as I should," Couldis replied honestly, no ounce of self deprecation in her voice. "I feel like our profession can become a bit...nebulous. There isn't a set guideline on how to work with a specific problem, and no two people are alike. You, however," she said as she looked at the other woman, "seem to carry yourself with such confidence and self-assurance. I appreciate that, it really does wonders, I am sure, in making your patients feel comfortable."
Lirian’s smile deepened, touched by Erin’s words but also recognizing the quiet self-reflection behind them. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “But confidence is not the absence of uncertainty—it’s simply the willingness to stand steady within it.”
She tilted her head slightly, considering Erin’s earlier words. “You’re right. Our work is rarely straightforward, and there are no perfect solutions. But I’ve found that people don’t always need answers—they need presence. Someone to remind them they’re not alone in the uncertainty.”
Her dark eyes softened as she regarded Erin. “And from what I see, you already do that. Perhaps more than you realize.”
Lirian let a small pause settle between them, allowing the weight of their conversation to breathe. Then, with a faint, knowing smile, she added, “But if you ever feel like you should be holding things together better, just remember—even we need support. That’s why we have each other.”
She sat back slightly, her posture still open, still inviting. “And, if nothing else, we can at least make sure neither of us runs out of coffee.” Erin laughed, raising her own mug in recognition.
"Hear hear," she said. "This has been nice, I am really glad to meet you, Lirian."
Lirian’s smile warmed, and she inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment. “Likewise, Erin. I have a feeling we’ll make a good team.”
She let a comfortable silence settle between them for a moment before adding, “And if ever you need a moment to breathe—or just someone to share a quiet cup of coffee with—you know where to find me.”
There was something reassuring in the simple offer, an unspoken promise of solidarity. Lirian knew that in times like these, sometimes the smallest gestures held the most weight.
Rising from her seat with quiet grace, she glanced around Erin’s office once more before meeting her gaze again. “I should settle in and get my bearings, but I look forward to working with you, Erin. And to many more of these conversations.”
With a final nod, she turned toward the door, leaving behind the warmth of a new connection forged amid the uncertainty.
Off:
Lieutenant JG Lirian Tarel
Acting Chief Counselor
Starbase Obsidian
Ensign Erin Couldis
Assistant Chief Counselor
Starbase Obsidian
RSS Feed