Two Way Mirror: Part 2/2

Posted on Tue Mar 24th, 2026 @ 8:32pm by Lieutenant Darik Moreau & Lieutenant Alice Penrose

2,262 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Ghost Starship
Location: Counsellor's Office

CONTINUED:

Darik nodded, meeting her eyes as he sat back. "I did well enough at archery...and the school hadn't been wrong. It did look good at my Starfleet Academy application."

"You also looked good on your Starfleet application," Alice assured quietly, wanting him to know that. She'd seen it, and the notes.

Darik's eyes widened a fraction with surprise before a small, measured smile settled on his lips. He straightened slightly where he sat. "I worked hard on it," he said, knowing that would be there too. "And tried to be above reproach."

"You were worried you'd be held to higher standards, because of your heritage," she nodded lightly. It wasn't a question, she knew that was what he meant. "Do you still feel that way?"

"Sometimes," he said as he watched her, tilting his head a little. "Less in the last few years...as awful as it sounds, a lot of the people who fought in the war are now retiring out, or are in positions where...I'd most likely never meet them. Captains. Admirals. And I know that my new Captain is younger than me."

Alice nodded gently, her features neutral, but inside, it was disheartening to hear someone being made to feel 'othered'. "Has that made it easier? Or does it still feel...a lot."

"It's...it doesn't touch me that much anymore," he said and tapped a finger against the chair, watching her. "People can have their opinions. The job still needs doing. I don't need to be friends with people to serve alongside them."

"Do you ever challenge that behaviour?" Alice asked softly with curiosity. There was a way to do it in a non antagonistic way, but it didn't mean he would be comfortable doing that.

"If it compromises the mission, then yes," Darik's voice was firm as he met her eyes, tense...and then caught that he was tense at the question. So he exhaled, slowly, before giving a shrug. "If not, I am good at ignoring it. I know it is not personal."

"What made you tense there, Darik?" she asked softly, almost a whisper as she met his eyes, her entire body still.

He watched her, his face falling into an almost disapproving look as he thought about the question. Not the answer. More about how to best say it, and what he was willing to disclose. "I was not raised to challenge it," he finally said, taking a slow breath. "So the question, the mirror of having to consider times I have challenged it versus not...it made me tense."

"I'm sorry," Alice bowed her head slightly, her hand touching her chest for a moment, as if to temper the emotion. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

He looked at her before he gave a small smile. "Don't apologise," he said, his voice a touch gruffer with it. "You saw something I did and you asked about it. I am not used to people reading my body language so easily."

"It's my job," she assured with a small, half smile, shaking her head gently to him. "As much as it is yours, I'm sure."

"Yes," he said and gave a small nod. And decided he might as well give her a little more than he would usually. It was in his file...but saying it aloud was different. "I left Cardassia Prime when I was five. My father took me to Federation space, and back to the Moon where he had grown up. He was...very firm on how I needed to be...more human, because my features went against me on that. Never start a fight, never speak back. Because if something happened, and it was my word against someone else's? Well. Mine wouldn't measure up well. It was a harsh lesson for a child. But not untrue. The one thing he has never done is lie to me."

Alice listened intently, her head tilting as she watched him with understanding. His father had passed the responsibility for people's prejudice onto his son to manage. It had likely come from a place of love, worry and anxiety, but it wasn't a burden a child should carry. "That's a lot of responsibility," she replied simply, not wanting to push too far too soon.

"Yes," Darik said, because there was no point in denying it. And then he gave her a small smile. "It was a different time. And..." he stopped, swallowing as he thought about it. "And it might have been worse if we had stayed in Cardassian space."

"Did it make you feel safer? Following his advice?" she asked quietly, pulling a leg up to rest her chin on her knee as she watched him.

"I suppose it did," Darik admitted before he reached for the tea, now cooler. He still sipped it, watching her. The taste...was soothing. It was as close as he got to Cardassian red leaf tea after all. "The first year in Federation society, I clung to all he told me. I had spoken Standard with him on Cardassia Prime, but it wasn't my...first language then. I struggled with the grammar, the pronunciation."

"What was it that made you want to join Starfleet?" she asked, a small smile on her lips with the question. It could be so telling, the motivation behind joining....and sometimes, whether someone didn't want to be honest about it.

"My archery teacher had been Starfleet, and she was...honest about it. No rose tinted glasses, but a focus on what Starfleet did," Darik said and gave her a small smile in return. "And I wanted to serve. My mother put duty and service high. And...if I was going to be stared at, I might as well do it somewhere where I could do that."

Service. Loyalty. Safety, perhaps. Alice could understand that, especially for a man like Darik. The uniform offered a shield. And then they had persuaded him to go into intelligence. Something more grey. Less safe. "And you enjoy it?"

Darik held her eyes at that, taking a slow breath. "I don't regret it," he said, instead. Because there was a lot he enjoyed, and had enjoyed. And a lot he had not enjoyed and outright hated. "And I can serve well in Starfleet."

The wording didn't escape Alice, but she didn't want their first meeting to feel like an inquisition. "Well, there is no doubt in that. Your have a good record behind you."

"I know," Darik said, a fact...and then he chuckled softly. "That...sounded arrogant, more arrogant that I intended."

"No," Alice shook her head lightly, a small smile of amusement showing all the same. "No, it sounded like you know your own quality."

Darik gave a small smile of amusement back, nodding. "I am...good at what I do. Not perfect. No person is perfect. But I know what I can, and what I cannot, do."

"And that is a valuable asset," she assured firmly, meaning it. Under self-appreciation could lead to insecurity, over self-appreciation could lead to arrogance and inflexibility. "Nothing wrong with that at all."

He nodded before he watched her, studying her features for a moment, how she sat. "How am I doing so far?" he asked, but there was a light teasing in the words. He was expecting more questions, or thoughts...but it was always good to test the waters a little.

Alice looked to him with mild surprise, not having been asked that before. She chuckled softly, unable to help it as she shook her head lightly. "I have no concerns about you being fit for duty," she assured. "On the contrary, you seem a resilient and grounded officer. I do think that somewhere along the line, you learnt that your heritage was a burden to carry, rather than a strength born of diversity. I would welcome you back here if you ever wanted to explore that, but it would be your choice. It is not a concern...only a...regret."

"Hm..." he nodded, looking down at that before he glanced at her. "I suspect I learned that when my face was the features of the enemy. But that was a long time ago and we're no longer at war with Cardassia."

"But it takes time for such instincts to ease, especially when they are wrapped up with a sense of survival. It's natural," she explained calmly, wanting him to understand that it wasn't something he'd done, but something that had been sadly inevitable. "But you have plenty of time now. You perform well at work, you're able to integrate with a crew. I have no concerns about you, but I would like to help ease that burden, if I can. If and when you're ready."

"I don't see anything wrong with having sessions...but you seem to think I have a burden," he said before he smiled, chuckling gruffly.

"I think you have learnt to behave as if there is one," Alice explained softly, because the difference was key.

He considered it for a moment before he nodded, watching her. "To the right audience," he said openly. "It makes things simpler."

She nodded with understanding, holding his eyes, her own dark eyes honest. "I know. But maybe that shouldn't be your responsibility anymore."

"You mean...stop playing the game," he said, his blue eyes on her. For a moment, there was a flicker of something else there. Not fear. Maybe apprehension.

Alice tilted her head in agreement, but offered a small, reassuring smile. "But there is no rush...and no set of targets. For now...just think on it, and what it would mean to you. For better and worse."

He nodded, watching her for a moment before he tilted his head. "I can do that," he finally said. It wasn't the sort of exercise he usually did, but he would consider it.

Alice nodded with a small smile, reaching for her cup and taking a delicate sip, to give him a moment for that to sink in and settle. "Did you have any questions for me?"

He considered it for a moment as he studied her, how she moved...reflecting on their conversation. "It bothers you, doesn't it," he finally said. "The idea that I may have been treated differently because of how I look."

Alice met his eyes with surprise, holding her breath tightly as she remained perfectly still. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I shouldn't have let you see that."

"Shouldn't...have let me see you have empathy, compassion...a strong sense of right and wrong, of Federation ideals?" Darik countered, looking at her almost innocently. "You...may believe you need to be a blank surface, to reflect back at me what I am doing or saying so I can process it. But you don't. I'd rather have your honest opinion. Even when you disagree."

Alice gave a small, half smile at the words, blinking slowly as she took them in...judged if he really meant it....then judged if he really, really meant it under thinking that he did. "You have a right to feel how you want to feel about it," she explained softly, but relented with a weak smile. "But yes, it bothers me you were made to feel that way just because you were different. That you were judged for actions that weren't your own. And that the responsibility for that was put on to you to mitigate, rather than on the people who behaved that way."

"My father pushed against it at times. If someone said something and he heard it," he finally said before he gave her a small smile. "He never denounced her, you see. His wife. My mother. Even when my grandfather baited him, he'd just look at him and tell him not to speak about his wife that way. But...I suppose with everything, he feared for me. And that fear made him make sure I was careful."

"I don't doubt it came from a place of concern and love," Alice assured quickly, not wanting him to feel he had to explain it.

"Doesn't mean it was right," he said, with a small smile, holding Alice's eyes. "I think I would like to talk about it, with you. As long as you promise not to pretend."

Alice smiled warmed a little and she nodded with amusement at his seeing through her as easily as she had him. "Fair is fair."

"Good," he gave a curt nod and stood, watching her before he offered his hand to her, the human way. And he was curious if she would take it.

Alice stood, taking a slight breath before placing her hand carefully in his to shake. "I'm glad we understand each other," she said softly.

"So am I, Alice," he said, meeting her eyes. His grip was gentle and he shook her hand once before letting go...having seen the hitch of breath. Was she not good with physical contact, or was it the ritual that had caused it? He might figure it out some day. "Next week?"

"Next week. I'll send you an appointment," Alice assured as she walked him to the door with a gentle smile. "Welcome aboard, Darik."

"Thank you," he said and gave a small nod. "And next time, we can have your favourite tea," Darik added in a slightly gruff voice with a smile before he walked out.

OFF:

Lieutenant Alice Penrose
Chief Counsellor
USS Missouri

&

Lieutenant Darik Moreau
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Missouri

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