Ethom: Part 3/3
Posted on Mon May 11th, 2026 @ 11:55am by Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Moriarty & Tavrek Harland
2,140 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Prologue
Location: Tavrek's Quarters
Timeline: Early 2389
Previously in Part 2:
"Bet you are beautiful when angry," Tavrek said with a smile, sipping his beer. Because he imaged the flush of anger, the narrowing of the eyes...yes. Jesse Moriarty would be beautiful when he was angry.
Continued:
"Beautiful?" Jesse laughed warmly, watching him with surprise, shaking his head lightly. "More like an absolute mess..." he grinned to him.
"Messy things are beautiful too," Tavrek said and grinned back, watching him closely. "You eaten enough?"
"Yes, thanks....it was really good, Tavrek, I'm amazed..." he stopped, frowning at himself. "No...that came out wrong. I didn't mean you couldn't, just it was really good...I give up..."
Tavrek laughed and stood, touching his arm to make him stop. "I know what you mean," he said and winked before he cleared the table. "Cooking is one thing. But you always expect it to be...either too exotic or too boring. I think this...hit the spot, as humans say."
"It's the kind of food I like though," Jesse stood to help him, careful as he collected the plates. "Simple but delicious....feels nourishing."
"Something real and solid," Tavrek said before he smiled, watching him before he went to recycle the plates. He had replicated them for the occasion, so it didn't feel wrong to let matter be dissolved again. "Same. I prefer food like that."
"It was like being back Ethom," Jesse almost whispered, shaking his head with a small smile, setting the beer bottles down.
Tavrek looked at him, his eyes gentle as he watched the other man. "I'm happy to cook it again, whenever you want," he said softly. "I enjoy sharing the meal with you."
"You're sure?" he asked with a half smile to him, shaking his head with a sigh. "This has to be a lot of hassle, especially for two."
"Less hassle than for one," he promised as he met his eyes, searching them for a long moment. "Because the company made it better."
Jesse chuckled softly at that, leaning back against the counter with a small smile, folding his arms across his chest. "This company? Gristle and gruff..."
Tavrek looked at him before he chuckled, nodding at that. "That side is there, yes...but there's a lot more to you, Jesse Moriarty, than you let on. Maybe more than you know."
Jesse watched him with a small smile as he let his hands push into his back pockets instead. "Do you know something I don't then?" he teased.
"I mean..." Tavrek raised an eyebrow in a playful manner, considering it for a moment. "I know one thing that you might not have figured out...you like having someone cook for you."
Jesse laughed with surprise, watching him for a long moment before finally nodding. "You win," he admitted softly, shaking his head with a chuckle. "I...did enjoy it."
"Good, because I enjoyed cooking for you," Tavrek said before he looked thoughtful, then nodded. "We should make it a regular thing. You seem to enjoy having...things planned. Routines?"
"It's what the Forces live and die by," he admitted seriously, shaking his head gently, unsure if the offer was genuine or just kind. He finally nodded, giving him a half smile. "I'd...like it. So long as it's really not a bother."
"No bother," Tavrek said firmly before he nodded, meeting his eyes as he reached to touch his arm. "It is good to have someone to rely on."
"And do you?" he asked bluntly, holding his eyes for a long moment.
Tavrek didn't look away, but the smile faded a little bit. "Maybe once a fortnight, on a Tuesday, at 1900 hours...?" he suggested, quietly.
Jesse nodded gently, squeezing his elbow as an apology for making him uncomfortable. "Better than joining the ship choir...."
"Is there a choir?" Tavrek asked and the smile picked up a little and he gave a nod in thanks. "Because...I am not a singer. More a chanter. If I wish to...fool someone into thinking I am more serious than I am..."
Jesse watched him with amusement for a long moment, his lips pursing with it. "You pretend to meditate?"
"Yes," Tavrek said with a chuckle, nodding as he considered it for a moment. "I can do real meditation and...I do. But sometimes, if I really don't want to talk to anyone...I will pretend to meditate in public..." his eyes shone with humour. "Works better on starbases...feels more static."
Jesse laughed at it, unable to help it as he clapped his hands together. "That's amazing. I wish I could pull that off...."
"The ears help," Tavrek said, dead-pan before he winked, the smile warming as he looked at him with awe. "Want coffee?"
"Sure. I mean, I won't sleep all night, but let's do it," Jesse chuckled softly, taking that as an invite to go and sit down on the sofa.
Tavrek watched him, nodding as he looked at him with a small smile. "Trust me to deal with it, or do you have a preference? On the coffee...."
"Give it to me how you like it," Jesse assured with a small, half smile, looking around the room with curiosity to figure out more of what he liked.
Tavrek smiled at that and nodded, moving to the replicator. "Computer...two Irish Coffees," he said and smiled as they appeared, before he carried them over. "We may as well enjoy them..."
"Thanks," Jesse smiled as he took the cup before nodding across to a shelf with rocks and bits and pieces on. "Where are they from?"
Tavrek sat down, looking at them before he smiled to himself. "All over," he said softly, looking at him. "Places I've visited. I like...having things like that."
"Ah...a collection from your travels," Jesse nodded with understanding, smiling weakly. "I wish I'd have done that," he admitted softly.
"Where would you have picked up rocks from?" he asked as he shifted to watch Jesse, studying the other man's profile.
"I've visited more planets than I can remember in the line of duty," Jesse shook his head with a weak, half smile. "I guess that's why I wish I'd done this, to keep track of them."
Tavrek nodded and reached out, touching his shoulder for a moment. "It is never too late to start a hoarding habit," he said and then smiled.
Jesse looked to him with surprise before laughing softly at the way he'd put it, nodding lightly. "Especially now I have bigger quarters," he joined in.
"See, ambition..." Tavrek smiled, nodding as he watched him with clear warmth. "In six months time, I bet you'll have a plethora of exotic stocks and seashells from places we get sent to."
"Especially with where we're headed," Jesse agreed with a soft chuckle, shaking his head lightly. "It's hard to get your head around this kind of mission."
"It is...yet it makes us closer to...people like Captain James T. Kirk...." he said before he then gave a small smile. "Or if it goes a little more sideways...the crew of the Voyager?
Jesse actually laughed at though, shaking his head as he looked to him with a small smile. "Apart from the trip home would be a lot harder..."
"Indeed," Tavrek said and shook his head, thinking about it. "I know it is a risk. But...I am ready for an adventure. Are you?"
Jesse nodded with a soft chuckle, searching his eyes. "I go where I'm told. But...yeah. I have no one to leave behind. Things have felt...different the last few years. Maybe this will give some sense of...purpose."
"My mother thought it was certainly more interesting than a normal ship..." he said before he nodded, thinking for a moment. "You've been adrift for a bit? Even in the uniform?"
Jesse was silent for a long moment before nodding gently, letting out a soft breath as he looked into the murky depths of his coffee. "When you're lower down the chain, your purpose is to follow orders. The higher up the chain you go, the more you see of the bigger picture."
"And that...makes you feel disconnected? Or just depressed because the bigger picture is...not great?" he asked, his voice soft as he watched Jesse for a moment. He moved his hand to his shoulder, letting it rest there.
"Maybe a bit of both," Jesse replied quietly, glancing his way, but with a frown. Because it wasn't something he was used to talking about. "It definitely makes you question more."
Tavrek nodded, but he watched Jesse, the frown...and he got it. "It does," he said quietly before he let out a breath. "I've not been in your shoes. But I know when things...translations get too big, too much with the overview...I focus on the small passage and work on that...not entirely sure what that'll translate to for you..."
"Diving into training, probably," Jesse admitted with a small smile to him, but with gratitude, for his taking the time to listen. "Get stuck into the day to day minutiae of the Forces."
"Focus on what you can...make better," Tavrek said with a small smile, giving a nod. "Even if it is just the people in your detachment."
"There's good people there," Jesse said softly, propping his elbow up on the back of the sofa and resting his head in his hand. "They deserve to go far..."
"Mmm..." Tavrek sipped the Irish coffee, looking at him as he shifted, crossing his legs to be more comfortable. "Well we are all going far with this mission...and I hope you count yourself as well."
"Where do you want to go?" Jesse asked softly, searching his eyes as he rested his head in his hand.
Tavrek took a slow, deep breath, but there was warmth in it...he was doing it for effect. But there was truth in it. "For me, it's the journey that matters," he finally admitted. "I have no fixed destination. I don't have missions like you do. But...I take pleasure in day to day life."
"Living in the moment?" Jesse asked softly with an arched eyebrow, nodding before smiling at the idea. "I feel like you have to be...laid back for that kind of life."
"Not necessarily," he admitted as he met his eyes, before he looked down. "Truthfully, Jesse...I have no set destination in my life. Living in the moment is better for me than worrying about what my ambitions should be...if that makes sense?" he met his eyes, holding them.
"It does," Jesse said softly as he watched him, frowning as he nodded gently. It wasn't so different to what he had felt, about the bigger picture. "Maybe this can be the ambition for a while?" he suggested quietly. "In years to come, people might look back on this mission, on this discovery, and wish they could be part of something so remarkable."
"That is what my mother said...in a very Vulcan way," he said with a small smile, nodding as he gave his arm a squeeze. "Maybe this can be our...focus."
"For now, at least," Jesse whispered with a weak smile, nodding as he watched him thoughtfully. "Assuming we don't all get immediately vaporised, of course..."
"Of course," Tavrek said with a nod, before he suddenly smiled, holding his eyes. "And if we do get vaporised, at least it is instantaneous, so no one has the time to go I told you it was a bad idea..."
"Oh I'm sure someone, somewhere will find a way to say 'I told you so'," Jesse laughed with him, shaking his head, certain of it. "The most stubborn words ever..."
Tavrek laughed, shaking his head as he looked at him, before he narrowed his eyes. "And how many times have you said it?" he asked, teasingly. But also curious about if Jesse saw himself as stubborn or not.
"Oh, I don't say it...I just think it....so you'll never know..." Jesse teased with narrowed eyes before finally laughing and shaking his head, scratching his jaw.
Tavrek laughed at the words, nodding as he reached out and touched his wrist, giving it a light squeeze. "I will learn to notice the way you look when you think it. And then I will know. And I will look at you...and know you were right."
Jesse smiled at the way he put it, chuckling softly. He searched his features, the warmth in his eyes. He was too easy to talk to. Too easy to like. "So long as we keep it between us," he teased.
---
OFF:
Tavrek Harland
Translation Specialist
USS Guinevere
&
Lt. Colonel Jesse Moriarty
CO Ground Forces
USS Guinevere
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