A Different Kind of Peace 1/3

Posted on Fri Oct 16th, 2026 @ 4:35pm by Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Moriarty & Tavrek Harland

1,824 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Pilot - "The Gate"
Location: Tavrek Harland's Quarters, USS Guinevere
Timeline: A few days after 'First Contact'

Tavrek stirred the stew slowly, the savoury scent of cooked vegetables and seasoning rising in the quarters. He had decided to make a traditional meal...again tweaked to suit his own style. Root vegetables cut up and boiled into a stew, mushrooms for meatiness...seasoned with pepper, salt, a hint of soy sauce for the umami. On the side lay flatbreads he had rolled impossible thin and then baked in the pan...making them fragile, yes, but not to fragile that they wouldn't be buttered. And the butter had been replicated to a specific recipe, for creamy saltiness. He let out a breath and stepped back, hands on his hips for a moment. Underneath the apron he had put on he wore simpler clothes. Black trousers and a simple green tunic...Vulcan in origin, yes, but he had long since lost the belt that went with it. But he liked the fabric, how it felt and looked.

Things had calmed down on the ship in the last days. Thankfully anyway. It was not perfect. But routines had re-established again...hence the dinner with Moriarty.

Moriarty cleared his throat as he pressed the chime, taking a moment to tug the black shirt a little straighter. He didn't often wear it. He usually went for a jumper, poloneck or t-shirt. But his hand had hesitated over it long enough to be picked. He carried a gift again; another data chit. He was pretty sure he could smell food even from the corridor, and it was good.

"Come in," Tavrek called out and turned, looking at Moriarty with a smile. "I am glad you could make it..." he went to get the two bottles of cold beer, carrying them over and offering one to Moriarty as the door closed behind him.

"Mind reader..." Jesse accused as he took the beer, clinking it to Tavrek's before taking a swig. "Just about perfect," he admitted with a soft sigh. "It smells good in here...."

"Stew..." Tavrek admitted, looking at him with warmth as he watched him. "I like the shirt." He sipped the beer, holding his eyes. "Come and get comfortable, it won't be long."

"Thanks," Jesse moved to rest against the kitchen counter, so he could watch him. "I...brought you some music..." he lifted the chip, setting it down on the top. "Just...some of the stuff I like listening to." Alongside the holodeck program he'd bought last time, he had no idea if they were the kind of thing that was meant to be given as a dinner gift.

Tavrek smiled at that, looking at it before he met his eyes. "Maybe you can put it on?" he suggested, giving a nod.

"Sure," Jesse replied with mild surprise, having expected polite tolerance rather than actual engagement. He slotted it into the computer, setting the list to play. The first track was smooth jazz by a band he'd seen live at a bar.

Tavrek smiled as he put the butter on the table, as well as the thin, crisp flatbreads. His eyes went to Jesse and he smiled, nodding. "Somehow...I don't know, I didn't think this would be your sort of music."

"I tried to pick music you might like," Jesse admitted, glancing to him awkwardly. Because now he was doubting himself. "I like a lot of music though...especially if it's live."

Tavrek met his eyes, holding them before he let out a soft breath. "You judged right," he finally said. "I...like this sort of music. Do you like the live performances because...it's not perfect?"

"It feels real," Jesse moved back to him, settling with his beer. "You literally feel it, here..." he tapped his chest. "It's like it's in your soul."

Tavrek smiled as he looked at him, giving a nod as he held his eyes. "It's how it should be...the things that matter. You feel it there."

"What do you feel there, Tavrek?" Jesse asked with a small, almost playful smile...but it was a genuine question.

"I suppose I feel my own soul," Tavrek said with a smile, his eyes shining at the words. "And...the beat of things. Heart. Music. Warp core."

"You'd get on well with Elen. She feels the warpcore," Jesse chuckled, shaking his head as he sipped his beer. "I don't know how you make food smell this good."

"Ah...replicators don't really allow the scent of cooking through the room," he said and moved to check on it. "I think it is done...why don't you sit down." He hummed softly as he ladled up the stew, the music relaxing him.

Jesse hesitated, not keen on not helping...but he decided he'd probably just end up getting in the way. He moved to the table, sitting himself down as he studied the collection on the other man's shelves.

Tavrek smiled as he carried over the food and sat down opposite him, motioning to the butter. "It's got some dill through it," he said, as if that would make a difference. "And I seasoned it. Stew's...vegetables and mushrooms. I hope you don't mind the lack of meat."

"It will be amazing," Jesse replied with certainty. He leant in to smell it, sighing with warmth. "You're a genius," he declared, taking a generous amount of butter to spread across the warm bread.

Tavrek smiled as he looked at him before he shook his head. "No, but cooking is more enjoyable to me than therapy," he joked and took his spoon to try some.

"Can't blame you there," Jesse shook his head with a small smile, watching him carefully. "You alright? After the boarding, I mean."

"Yeah," Tavrek nodded as he looked at him, taking a deeper breath. "I'm...more at peace with it all. How about you? How...are you doing?"

"Pissed off," he admitted with a light shrug, reaching for a spoon. "But there's nothing I can do to change it. All I can do is make sure we do better next time."

Tavrek frowned, considering it for a moment before he let out a breath. It was difficult to know what to say, how well or not well they knew each other. He had seen the anger and pain. He heard it in his voice now, at least the anger, even with everything that was going on. Even when he suspected the other man wished it didn't affect him as much. "Next time," he agreed before he reached for his beer. He contemplated for a moment what to say, swallowing. "Maybe next time it never gets to a fight. That we...find a peaceful option. Or they do. Seeing as they started this."

"Well...we did come through the gate without warning...it was the risk we took, not knowing if the territory was claimed or guarded on the other side," Jesse thought out loud, shaking his head lightly. "Maybe we have to convince them we're not the invaders."

"I did...not expect you to take that view," he said as he looked at Jesse with interest, before he reached out for some flatbread, breaking it off.

"Not my view," Jesse replied quickly, shaking his head with a frown. "Just trying to see it from their side. They could have stopped and opened a dialogue with us at any time. Everything we've figured out about them points to an aggressive nature," he finally tried some of the stew, moaning softly as he nodded. "Tastes as good as it smells."

Tavrek looked at him with warmth at the reaction, taking a slow breath as something settled in him for that. "Good," he said softly, smiling to him. "I wanted you to have something...warming and...settling, I guess. Something to make you feel more grounded."

He nodded with understanding, smiling weakly with it as he took more. "Alive," he agreed gently. There were different ways to do it. Fighting with Jace had been one.

Tavrek smiled as he nodded, watching him for a moment before he looked down. "I wasn't sure what you...needed," he finally said. "When I came to see you. I just...selfishly wanted to see if you were okay."

Jesse met his eyes, a slight smile coming to him at the admission. "Thought I might be hurt? Or...you mean in the aftermath?"

"Bit of both," Tavrek admitted as he met his eyes and held them. "I know injuries can be healed in sickbay, but...you still remember getting them."

"It was nice," Jesse finally admitted before giving an awkward, half shrug. "Knowing someone cared either way."

"I care," Tavrek said before he reached for his beer, giving a nod. "I...worried, during it all. About you...because I knew you'd be leading our defence."

"Worried I'd screw it up?" Jesse chuckled with an arched eyebrow, but he was only teasing. Well, he presumed so anyway.

Tavrek chuckled and shook his head, his eyes shining. "More because I could imagine you slow motion throwing yourself between a person and the enemy..."

Jesse smiled wryly at the image he painted, letting out a long breath. "That's not always an awful tactic, you know. Not with our armour. Just so happens that in this fight, it was useless."

"Hence all the...weird twists of metal all over the ship," Tavrek said and shook his head, taking a deeper breath. "I'd have preferred it if armour...worked."

"You and me both," Jesse shook his head with a weak smile, reaching for more bread, enjoying the satisfaction of ripping it in half. "But you keep that in mind. The damage they can do. No heroics."

"Do I look like the heroic type?" Tavrek asked with a smile of amusement as he took another spoonful. It was good to see Jesse eat...he had imagined him barely eating anything sensible with how busy he had to be.

"I think if it came down to it, yes," Jesse replied bluntly, meeting his eyes, almost challenging him to contradict him.

Tavrek let out a breath as he held his eyes before he smiled gently. "I've never been in a situation to test that, Jesse," he admitted openly.

"Long may it last," Jesse clinked his beer to Tavrek's, meaning it as he took a swig. "I know you can fight though. You held your own in the gym."

"That is..." Tavrek smiled as he took a swig as well, taking a moment to consider what to say. "It is different, isn't it? Knowing the movements in a gym versus...real life?"

"Yes," Jesse replied without hesitation. It was just a fact. "Repeating movements, it builds muscle memory, yes. But it doesn't account for the fight, flight or freeze instinct. Or what it takes to step over the line and cause injury or death to another living being."


To Be Continued


Tavrek Harland
Translation Specialist
USS Guinevere

Lt. Colonel Jesse Moriarty
CO Federation Ground Forces
USS Guinevere

 

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