Commiserating (backpost)

Posted on Tue Mar 17th, 2026 @ 1:30pm by Lieutenant Rala & Lieutenant JG Katie Kellerman
Edited on on Tue Mar 17th, 2026 @ 7:05pm

Mission: Lower Decks
Location: Deck 3, Lounge
Timeline: The evening after "Chewing the Dragon's Tail"

The lounge doors swished open to admit Rala, who stopped by the replicator to grab a beverage—raktajino, spiked with synthehol since she was finally off-duty for the evening and after the uncomfortable meeting with Jenna—and had just turned to find a seat when she spotted Katie halfway across the room. Hard to go wrong spending time with a friend, she thought, and headed in that direction.

Katie was sitting at a high table, her legs swinging under her hair idly as she read a padd. She was resting a cheek on her left hand and let out a sigh as she saw someone approach. She looked up and gave a half smile. "Oh, hey Rala."

“Hey, Katie. How—” Rala stopped, noticing Katie seemed...well, ‘dour’ felt like it might be exaggerating, but certainly less than her usual chipper self. She tilted her head and stepped closer, ears dipping slightly. “Hey, is something wrong?”

Katie gave half a shrug. "Kinda, not the biggest of deals. Just been rough at work lately. Jenna's been on the warpath, and I've no idea why."

“So it’s not just me,” Rala said, turning the chair next to her friend sideways and slipping into it. “I had a meeting with her earlier, and something was definitely off.” She placed a hand gently on Katie’s arm. “Tell me what happened?”

Katie sighed. "Well, without rehashing too much, she's had a fuse shorter than a Bolian hairstyle," she said. "Literally everything is setting her off, even if we're getting the work done. We're all working extra time but she's been micromanaging and taking on too much and I'm worried the stress is getting to her."

Rala frowned. She had a feeling Katie was leaving something out, but decided not to press her on it. She sipped her drink, then said, “That tracks with my experience earlier today. I asked her to swing by the Ops office so I could give her the rundown on a project I’m working on—chairs more suitable for us tailed folk—and see if either she could help me with it or suggest someone else from Engineering. She reacted like I’d threatened to burn down her home for no good reason. I half expected her to literally throw the PADD back at my face.” She shook her head slightly. “She didn’t, but she’s definitely wound up way too tight. I got the impression she’s trying to handle more work herself in a day than I’d expect her to in a week. And you’re saying she’s got everyone in the department running just as ragged?”

"We probably would be a bit more ragged if we were allowed to actually do our work," Katie said. "She sees us conversing and storms over, assumes we're goofing off, and takes more time to yell and 'do it herself' than just letting us get on with it." She sighed. "I mean, okay, one time, Sakura and I were distracting each other for a bit and Jenna caught us, but we were still getting the work done. It's like she forgot buffer time is a thing. We haven't fallen short of the duty list once, but she acts like we're always on the verge of collapse, rather than her being on the verge of collapse." She shook her head. "Maybe Kally's right and she needs a boyfriend after all. She's way too stressed."

Rala snorted into her mug as she took another sip of raktajino. “Maybe.” She let the liquid sit in her mouth for a few seconds as she thought, then swallowed and said, “I don’t know, it still feels like we’re missing something. How long has she been like this?” she asked. “Or did it start getting noticeably worse at some point?”

Katie sighed. "I don't know. I'd say it's been building a while. I guess it's been a boiling frog situation the whole time." She shrugged. "I just don't know what has her so worked up, and I hate that I didn't notice."

Boiling...? Rala thought, confused by the idiom. She shook her head slightly, dismissing the thought as the hopefully-comforting hand on Katie’s arm was joined by another gently touching her back, implicitly offering a hug should one be desired. “Well, whatever it is, if it’s as bad as it sounds, it’s going to catch up with her before too long. I just hope the blowback doesn’t hit her too hard.” She sighed. “Keep me in the loop, especially if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Katie leaned into the hug and put an arm around Rala as well, giving her a squeeze. "Will do. Thanks Rala."

Rala took another sip of her drink, opting for a change of subject. “Anything else interesting going on? Hopefully ‘interesting’ in a more positive sense?”

Katie blew a lock of hair out of her face and thought. "Project Dollhouse seems to be going well. Rebecca's been trying out a few duty shifts at our size. We played some basketball the other day on the holodeck. She seems to be acclimating to it pretty well."

That put a smile on Rala’s face. “Excellent! She doesn’t generally seem to mind being tiny, but I feel like having the additional option—and not just having it but being comfortable with it—can only be a good thing.”

"I hope so," Katie said. "I know she's worried it'll give her false hope, but...yeah at least she has the option if she wants it." She smiled at Rala, then frowned, tilting her head and looking at Rala's collar. "Waaaaait a minute...when did that happen!" she said, pointing a finger at the shiny new pip on Rala's collar.

“A couple of days ago,” Rala said with a touch of amusement in her voice her first right hand coming up to fiddle with the pip again, “at the same time I got officially assigned as the new Chief Operations Officer. I went to see Ca—the Captain in her ready room to pitch an idea about...well, a project I had in mind, and no sooner had she approved the project than she dropped this on me. It caught me by surprise, and I, uh...” she paused, looking down at the table and chewing on her words for a second, “...I panicked a little. Got a little emotional, didn't think I was ready. Almost turned it down. But she talked me around.” She looked back you at Katie. “Still not sure I'm ready, but I guess...who on this ship is?”

"Yeah, good point," Katie said. "Kally was in her bed staring at her pip for like a solid hour. I think she still can't believe she got it." She smiled. "Well, you deserve it. Congratulations."

“Thanks,” Rala said, blushing slightly, then looked more directly at Katie. “Wait, Kally got promoted too?”

Katie nodded. "The other day. So, I guess I better move my ass and get one too so we can be back on the same level," she grinned. "But yeah she's a full Lieutenant now, and she's still wrapping her brain around it."

“Well if I deserve it, then she definitely deserves it,” Rala said, “And I’ll make sure to tell her so the next time I see her. And damned right, you better catch up,” she said jokingly, giving Katie another squeeze, this one more playful than comforting. “You really want both of us able to pull rank on you whenever we like?”

"Guten himmel, no!," Katie said, laughing. She gave Rala a hug as well. "Thanks for cheering me up with that horrifying thought."

Rala giggled along with her. “I don’t always know what to say to cheer someone up, but sometimes I get lucky.” She took another swig of her drink. “So, any plans this evening?”

"More bare-knuckle boxing with the computer code, then dinner with Jadizon," Katie said. "Going to need some serious cuddle time tonight to unwind. You?"

Rala turned farther in her chair, leaning back against the table. She crossed her legs, one foot bobbing idly. “Nothing specific...but you’re right, company of some sort sounds nice.” She tilted her head, thinking. “Could see if Calypso’s up for more tennis lessons,” she mumbled, thinking out loud, “although it might be getting a bit late for that. Might see if Kally’s up for an evening swim...and there’s always Michelle, unless she’s got an appointment...” She glanced at Katie, once again speaking at a normal volume, “I’ll figure something out. And hey,” she placed a hand gently on Katie’s arm again looking at her more squarely, “I probably don’t need to say it, but if you ever need company, and other folks are busy or whatever? Come find me.” One corner of her mouth curled up in a slight smirk. “Perks of the new job: I can approve my own breaks to attend to personal matters.”

"Definitely will," Katie said, giving Rala a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Okay, boxing awaits. See you later!" She waved and bounced out of the lounge at Warp 9.

Rala returned the hug and did a slight double-take at the unexpected kiss on her cheek, but before she could really question it Katie was headed for the door. “Show it who’s boss!” she called with a smile, glad she’d been able to cheer up her friend.

Katie thrust a defiant fist in the air as she left the lounge, the doors closing behind her.