Subject: Grail: "The Great Brightness" - 'Counselor's duty'

<<Stardate 42307.31 08:30>>

<<Mirka Tzavras quarters>>

Mirka woke up from a very light and short sleep with a heardache.

*What a nice way to start the day* she told herself sarcastically while

refusing to get out of bed. She was very tempted to stay in her quarters

forever. Two sleepless nights were just the beginning of her hell,

those anxiety attacks should last for a while.

She sighed and got out of bed. She had dealt with what happened last

night like she dealt with everything else that concerned her too

intimately. She had pushed everything away in the deepest part of

herself and she was going to pretend the whole thing never happened.

She was going to take back control of her emotions. Besides, she refused

to be like 95% of the female gender and be attracted by a dark, handsome

and mysterious man. How common! How.... *You're thinking of him again*

an inner voice warned. She mentaly thanked her conscience and prepared

herself for the day.

She was getting out of the shower when the Yellow alert began. *Oh

great!... What is expected of me during the yellow alert?* She couldn't

remember where she was supposed to be or what she was supposed to do, if

anything. *Oh well, they'll call if they need me. It's not like I can

do anything on the bridge* She grimaced thinking of the bridge, she

felt so useless there. She understood that once in a while her presence

could be required, because it permitted her to see how members of the

crew worked together. But, Epic and Thalya were empath and telepath,

they could judge far better than her the emotional state of the bridge

crew.

This training thing wasn't going anywhere either. From what she

understood she was suppose to learn the basics of everything. Basic of

helm, ops, rules of away mission, how to work a tricorder... she sighed

again. She was in one of those mood where everything seemed like a

mountain.

Getting dressed, she looked at the standard Starfleet uniform she

could wear. They had given her one even though she wasn't really

Starfleet yet. She didn't have to wear it all the time. She didn't

either, but today it felt like the right thing to put on.

She still thought it was pretty funny that she had suddenly become the

ship's counselor. She was actually working for Starfleet. Her!...

Mirka Tzavaras. Terrek would have a fit if he saw her. Even François

seemed pretty amazed when he realized she was the Grail's shrink. She

grimaced thinking of all that had to be done. She was going to this the

best way she could. But, she was going to do it her way. And if they

didn't like it, they could fire her. If they thought that she was going

to start fixing everyone up, they had another thing coming. Anyway, she

couldn't do that with the bunch of lunatics she had to work with. But,

If they thought that their little temper tantrums and their dark sides

were going to impress her, they were damn wrong. The Grail's crew was

going to have learn to live and work together and she was going to

succeed in making that happen. And Epic Terrakian could go to hell with

his "No hope to succeed" (she still couldn't believe he had said that to

his crew). Because they could make it. And they would. And his

attitude problem would have to go.

Getting out of her quarters and heading for her office, one

realisation came to her mind.

She was starting to like this pathetic bunch.

____________________________________

<<Counselor's office>>

Mirka was trying to file a report about her intervention with

Demontigny when the ship shook and the Red Alert began. Raising her

head from the report with suprise, she frowned. She knew what she was

expected to do during the Red Alert. She got up. She was suppose to

report to the bridge. Even though she didn't quite understand what she

could do there. It wasn't like she could actualy help.

She slumped back in her chair as the gravity of the situation hit

her. Her heart was beating faster, her temples were pounding and her

hands were moist. She knew they were going through the Great

Brightness, she knew it was very dangerous. Although she didn't

understand all the little details, she understood the basics. Were they

having more problems than anticipated on the bridge?

She got up again. That was it. She wasn't going to stay in her

office hiding like a child. Why try to figure out what was going on when

she could go to the bridge and have a first row seat to everything that

was happening? Heading for the bridge she still grimaced at the thought

of being there while everyone was so busy. She knew she couldn't do

anything constructif, but at least she would feel better knowing exactly

how things were going.

As the turbolift doors opened to her destination she took a deep

breath and hurried to her seat at the captain's side. She did it as

silently and as discretly as possible so no one would really take notice

of her.

Sitting in her chair with her hands on her thighs, she saw that

François was at the helm and he was working with Donnucci. Somehow that

suprising, but very needed teamwork and, she glanced at Epic, the

presence of the cool and controled Grail's captain at her side made her

feel more secure.

Her fingers nervously pinching her thighs, she opened her eyes and her

ears to everything that was happening. Barely breathing so she wouln'd

disturb anyone.

Mirka Tzavaras

Ship's counselor