A Permanent Home
Posted on Sun Jul 27, 2025 @ 3:29am by Lieutenant Kael "Vex" Tharien & Commodore T'mpest Michaels & Commander Cara Letsul
1,190 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Time After Time
Location: Captain's Ready Room
After speaking with Cara, T'mpest was ready to bring Vex in and offer him a permanent position on the station. She'd been impressed with his observation skills when she met him on the promenade, but she waited for Cara, who wanted to meet with him first.
Cara entered in T'mpest's office. "Greetings." giving a bit of a smile. "I had a pleasant dinner with Lieutenant Tharien. It was eye opening." she didn't comment any further, as of yet, feeling that anything further would be up to Vex to reveal to the commodore on personal matters.
Lieutenant Kael “Vex” Tharien entered the Commodore’s ready room at the soft chime of the door, posture precise, hands loosely folded behind his back. Though calm on the surface, his mind, ever sharp, ticked through the possibilities of why he had been summoned. No orders. No clarifications. Just a request to report.
He offered a polite incline of his head.
“Commodore Michaels. Commander Letsul.” His tone was respectful, modulated—equal parts Vulcan discipline and Betazoid courtesy.
He stepped forward, but not presumptively, leaving space—both literal and conversational.
"Lieutenant Tharien, I looked over your Starfleet record and your personnel file. The commander and I would like to offer you a position on Deep Space 5 if you're interested.
Vex didn’t respond immediately. His expression remained composed, but the subtle narrowing of his eyes suggested his mind had shifted into analytical mode. He glanced between the Commodore and the Commander, weighing the offer not as a formality—but as something unexpected.
"A position." The words were repeated thoughtfully, not skeptically, but carefully. "May I ask... what position you’re offering? And under what terms?"
He stepped forward slightly, not out of disrespect, but engagement—a subtle assertion of agency.
"My last assignment ended in ambiguity, Commodore. I would prefer clarity this time."
His eyes lingered on T'mpest, then shifted to Cara—reading them both, as only someone trained in intelligence might.
"Is this a temporary posting, or has Starfleet made a decision regarding my status I’ve not yet been informed of?"
A pause, then—measured and sincere:
"I’m not declining. But I’d like to know what I’m walking into… and whether this station wants a second-chance officer, or a convenient placeholder until someone more ‘predictable’ arrives."
He clasped his hands behind his back once more, posture respectful but firm.
"You have my attention. But I’d like to know what, precisely, is being asked of me."
T'mpest watched his reaction calmly. "Starfleet gave the decision to me. The question is, do you want a second chance, and are you willing to work for it."
Cara spoke up, "As part of our discussion last night, Lieutenant. This is a good place to have a second chance, and as what the Commodore has asked. Do you want a second chance? I felt that you do, still though, today is another day, and it is still your decision to make. How much are you willing to do, and be a part of."
Vex held their gaze in silence for a breath longer than necessary. Not as a challenge—but as someone measuring the weight of his own answer. When he finally spoke, it was with a tempered calm, but the depth behind his voice hinted at the internal war between instinct and hope.
“I’ve been granted second chances before… unofficially. Usually in the shadow of something broken, rushed, or swept under.”
He turned his attention to T’mpest. “But to be asked directly? That’s rare. And honest.”
His eyes shifted to Cara, and the edge of his tone softened.
“Last night gave me reason to believe this station has more than gravity keeping people here.” A pause. “I do want a second chance. But I’m not interested in pretending the past doesn’t follow me through that door.”
He returned his attention to the Commodore, jaw tightening with conviction. “If this post is real—and not just convenient—I’ll prove I belong. Not to Starfleet. To this station.”
A breath. “I’ll work for it. You’ll get more than compliance. You’ll get results.” He allowed the formality of his stance to ease just slightly. “Just tell me where you need me.”
Cara spoke softly, "No one here is asking you to pretend your past never happened. You have a past like others here. now you have a second chance, a new beginning. A new day and a new page of an unwritten future."
"As the commander said, we all have pasts. Many here have been given second and third chances. What matters to me is your loyalty to this station, and to me." She paused for that to sink in. "We are offering you the position of Chief Intelligence Officer at your current rank of Lieutenant JG. However, the rank will be revisited after six months. Is that acceptable to you?"
Vex's jaw tensed ever so slightly, the only visible sign of the internal calculus behind his calm gaze. A pause. Then a slow breath through his nose.
“A reassessment in six months,” he repeated, as though testing the shape of it in his mouth. His eyes flicked from Cara to T'mpest. “I’ve held this rank for nearly three years. Long enough to know the weight it carries—and what I’ve carried while wearing it.”
He leaned forward just slightly, not confrontational, but present. “If this is truly about second chances, then I will accept it. But I will not pretend I’m unaware of what I’ve already proven in the field. I expect that to count for something.”
Another beat passed before he added, his voice level, but certain: “I’ll take the posting—Chief of Intelligence.” A flicker of something more—resolve, maybe even pride—stirred behind his eyes. “And if six months is what’s required to demonstrate my value, I’ll give you reason to reconsider well before then.”
Then, a subtle arch of his brow, a flicker of that signature smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. “Provided this station can keep up.”
T'mpest chuckled softly. "Six months was Starfleet's requirement for promotion. We have no doubt you will be an asset here. Welcome, Lieutenant Tharien." Mentally she added, and welcome from the shadows. She had no doubt he deserved this second chance.
Cara had a pleased look in her eyes, glad that Vex was willing to be a part of the crew upon the station. She also liked his enthusiasm.
"Welcome to the crew, Lieutenant Tharien."
Vex’s eyes flicked between the two officers, registering both the formal welcome and the subtle undertone behind it. He inclined his head first to T’mpest, then to Cara—measured, respectful, but not without the trace of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Then it would seem I’ve officially stepped out of limbo,” he said. “Thank you, both.”
A post by
Commander Cara Letsul
Executive Officer
Deep Space 5
Commodore T'mpest Michaels
Commander
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant JG Kael 'Vex' Tharien
Chief of Intelligence
Deep Space 5
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