The New Counsellor

Posted on Fri Feb 20th, 2026 @ 9:18am by Lieutenant JG T'Lar & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali

1,118 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Character Development
Location: Counselling Office

( Previously )

As T’Lar entered the Counselor’s suite she was met by an aesthetically pleasing blonde bajoran male in his 50’s.
“May I help you Lieutenant?”, He asked, then recognition spread across his face, “Ahh you must be Lieutenant T’Lar! Very nice to meet you.”

“It is agreeable to meet you as well,” T’Lar countered, “I am here to report to Counselor Vali and see how I may best be of assistance in whatever is going on…”

(Now)

Aurora was just exiting her office, her hair tucked behind her pointed Vulcan ears. “Did I happen to hear the name T’Lar?” She offered a warm smile. “I’m Aurora Vali, it’s nice to meet you.” She motioned towards her office. “Please come on in.”

T'Lar was momentarily taken aback by the woman's cheery disposition and most disconcertingly, her smile. While at the Academy T'Lar had formed a relationship with an upperclassman named Brian Kernan who helped her understand many things about humanoid gestures and expressions and their effects. She had herself adopted the practice of smiling to indicate openness and affinity but had never seen another Vulcan do it.

"It is agreeable to meet you as well," T'lar said stepping into the room.

"Lieutenant T'Lar reporting for duty," she said, then added cautiously...

"Forgive me, Counselor... but you are...", she cocked an eyebrow quizzically, "Vulcan?"

“Half Vulcan, half Betazoid” Aurora smiled warmly, motioning T’Lar to a take a seat. “I chose not to purge my emotions something my father didn’t agree with, I prefer to follow my own path. I am married to a Vulcan, Commander Savar.”

T'Lar raised both eyebrows and cocked her head. Vulcan hybrids had been known to skew occasionally to non-Surakian mindsets.

She sat down as bidden, in that perfunctory way that Vulcans do
.
She briefly considered the fact that this was the wife of the Ship's XO. One tended to remember the names of the Vulcans in leadership on a starship when one was a Vulcan. She decided that now was not the best time to indulge her curiosity about what her department head's executive officer husband thought about her superior's emotional independence.

"Fascinating. I have never met a Vulcan/Betazoid before. I look forward to getting to know your unique perspective," was the best she could do instead.

Aurora nodded. “I can switch from emotional to emotionless where necessary, but I prefer to use that simply to keep my emotions in check. It’s something I very rarely do. Anyway…back to you, welcome aboard the Sunfire. Have you had a chance to look around as yet?”

"Thank you, but no, Commander," T'Lar answered, continuing

"I was given instructions to report to you at once. Apparently there is a serious situation underway and it is all hands on deck. I've not even been to my quarters yet. My personal effects were taken directly to the quartermaster's office and I came straight here. How may I best be of service?"

Aurora smiled at T’Lar’s professionalism. “What do you know of the Beholder statue?”

"If memory serves," T'Lar began, suddenly realizing the implications of having rendezvoused with the Sunfire in the Vadia System,

"During one of the early Enterprise missions Captain Marie Batel was instrumental in stopping a recursion of an extra dimensional parasitic species known as the Vezda on Vadia IX after the original Beholder statue was destroyed. Apparently Captain Batel had the genetic makeup necessary to curtail the recursion and hold the Vezda in prison by literally becoming the new Beholder."

T'Lar paused.

"Is that the source of our current situation? Has something happened to the Beholder?"

Aurora nodded. “You could definitely say that, we currently have Captain Batel onboard ship. To say her situation is unique is an understatement.”

T'Lar swore a Vulcan curse, inwardly of course; not audibly, though if one knew how to read Vulcan body language, she may as well have.

"Captain Batel is onboard the Sunfire? That is an incredible honor," is what she did say.

And indeed it was. Batel was a legend at Starfleet but most importantly had undergone an apotheosis and become a veritable demi-goddess. The story of her sacrifice was taught right alongside that of Spock's giving his life to save the Enterprise- true examples of the Vulcan proverb where the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. Scientifically, the event was studied in every temporal mechanics course Starfleet offered as an example of effect before causality.

This was as close to Fan-girling as Vulcan's got. Still there was the situation at hand...

"But if she is here, and no longer functions as the Beholder, what is the status of the Vezda?"

“I think the term not good is factual, the crew is working on a way to sort that, at least I hope it can be sorted.” Aurora offered.

"Understood," T'Lar replied. "What if any are our responsibilities during this crisis? Am I correct in thinking you will be attending to Captain Batel?"

Aurora nodded. “I’ve already had some contact with Captain Batel, she knows it’s been some time but we haven’t divulged exactly how long as yet. We don’t want to risk putting too much pressure on her currently fragile state.”

"That would seem to be the logical course of action," T'Llar agreed.

"Please do not hesitate to put me to work, Commander. With the Senior Staff involved in dealing with the Vezda problem, and you being needed to monitor and potentially assist with Captain Batel, surely there must be something I can do here."

“There’s always plenty to do T’Lar” Aurora smiled. “Please feel free to set up your office how you wish, and start seeing patients as soon as you’re ready. You can access my calendar as well incase anyone would prefer to swap to you.”

"Thank you, Commander. I shall get right on that," T'Lar answered.

She spent the remainder of her shift settling into her new office. Midshift the quartermaster arrived with her duffel bag and her ship's quarters assignment. As far as personnel seeking counsel, most of those had already been seen for the day or preferred to reschedule and keep their appointments with Lt. Commander Vali. T'Lar understood the desire to keep to a single counselor where therapy was concerned, and was not offended. On a ship of that size there were going to be new cases incoming soon enough that would be slotted to her in the rotation.

She bid Counselor Kajun a good evening as she went off shift, taking up her duffel and PADD and went in search of her quarters.

 

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