captainjtk:

“Earth? Uh… Captain of a Starship for the Federaition of Planets? Gotta tell ya Pauly, I never heard of where you’re from, but I feel like I understand it a whole lot more than I should. It can’t be that different from the ‘Fleet. But no. We’re from different worlds. I’ve not met a single being from my world.”

He refused to be sad about that. Sure, it meant that Spock had taken over command of the Enterprise and that Bones had lost his best friend and that the best crew in the universe was short one up-start captain but it was nothing to them. He was sure of that much. Besides, what if he’d met a Klingon or something similarly vicious? He’d be S-O-L here. It was better that he was nobody.

He hated being nobody.

Oberstein looked the other with a slight surprise after hearing the word “Earth”. There certainly seemed surprisingly many similarities between their worlds from what Oberstein could gather of Kirk’s explanation but some differences as well.

“….Earth?”

This really piqued Oberstein’s interest since it was actually known in the Galactic Empire and actually in their old opponent’s side as well. Its’ name had turned into Terra and after the demise of the Terraist church a while ago there was hardly any people living there.

“That is a familiar name to myself as well, though the term is unused these days.”

captainjtk:

Kirk stopped in his tracks and straightened his back. Time for one hell of a show. He saluted, trying, in vain, to keep the smirk from his lips.

“Admiral.”

He broke the stiff pose, the smirk becoming a smile.

“Good on ya Pauly. I’m a captain. ….. Was a captain.”

The smile fell but returned quickly.He would never not be a captain. Not anymore. It was the only thing that ever made him feel useful, important, worthwhile. In Jim’s heart he’d always be a Starship Captain.

Obersrtein replied to the salute with a simple nod. 

“…I see. But I am assuming you are from the different world?”

Well, at least this man’s uniform was entirely different from Oberstein’s own.  

For Oberstein his position had been no less than his whole life. In fact Oberstein really didn’t have much life besides it. He would get home after work, feed the dog with the daily boiled chicken and spend time with it but otherwise his freetime activities were rather unlively sort. 

So, when set up with a chance to actually live a little Oberstein couldn’t really say he was content with the situation. 

captainjtk:

“Galactic Empire? That’s pretty cool actually.”

A planet in an empire, this was actually, for once, something Kirk could identify with. The Federation might not be an empire, but for everything it controls it may as well be. And a war too? It was too easy to understand.

“You’re a General? Or did I miss understand that whole, Chief of Military Affairs thing?”

“No, my rank is that of a Fleet Admiral. Chief of the Military Affairs would be my occupation, I lead part of the military police among my other duties.”

Oberstein had been a busy man before arriving here - he had used to having nearly no free time at all. In fact that’s how he often attempted to organize it for the work had been important. After all it was the kind of job that affected people’s life quite strongly.

captainjtk:

Jim shrugged, keeping his fake smile on his lips.

“Nah, I was just desperate to get out of the house is all. I’ve got nowhere to go.”

He paused for a long moment. Some people hated his next question, but Pauly might not. Pauly wasn’t like most people he’d met in Hive.

“Pauly, what was your life like before? Can you tell me about your world?”

Well, that was to be expected. Oberstein was entirely unsurprised by where the subject turned to. It wasn’t a bad subject though, actually it was far more interesting than the idle chitchat that would bring.

“…I lived on Phezzan, a planet that is part of the Galactic Empire.  It’s the capital centre. I work as the Chief of the Military Affairs for the Empire there.

He paused a little.

“We just ended a long war.”

captainjtk:

Kirk grinned, though it never did reach his eyes. What he really needed was someone who was excited. Someone he could leech the happy from. He needed a distraction.

“Awesome. Thanks Pauly. I appreciate it. This town’s too dead to walk aroudn alone.”

He put his hands on his hips, a habit he’d gained from somewhere or another. It didn’t help that his black uniform pants didn’t have pockets.

“So, you off to somewhere or just wandering to walk the dog?”

“I was intending to take walk, yes.”

He didn’t really make any comment to the other comment since he didn’t really have anything to say about it. It could be considered quite rude but that was just how Oberstein was. 

Oberstein gave a quick nod forward as he started walking again, expecting the other to follow. He was also intending to let the other lead the conversation, should he want to do that. 

“If you wish to visit somewhere we can do that as well.”

captainjtk:

Kirk’s smile didn’t fade. It didn’t gain any brightness either. His blue eyes remained clouded with guilt.

“True. You’d think a Captain would know that by now.”

He stood up, giving the dog one last pat on the head. Trying in vain to reclaim his normal cheer.

“So, any chance you’d put up with a nobody like me for a while. I’d like some company at least. This empty city is… unnerving.”

Oberstein registered the captain into his mind. It could have several meanings and it was a tad difficult to make any guesses about it. For now Oberstein however kept his (low) curiousity out of the conversation. Just stared the dog for a while in these thoughts, listening while the other spoke. The canine was happily wagging it’s tail.

“Hmm.”

Well, it was not as if he had anything else to do with the city being as empty as it was. Even if Oberstein wasn’t exactly the kind of person that needed company a talk or two wasn’t that bad idea. 

“I suppose I would not mind.”

captainjtk:

“So, it’s just as shitty no matter how long you’re stuck here right? ‘Cause I’d bet you left something or someone back home that you can’t get to and you know they need you but for all they care you’re dead and gone ‘cause 9 months without word is unreasonable. And you know in your heart by now you’ve been replaced but if you let go of the idea that sooner or later you’ll get back and be welcomed home you’ll…”

Kirk looked up, smiling without cheer.

“You’ll end up like me. Pouring your heart out to strangers on the street.”

Oberstein couldn’t really say that he wasn’t able to relate to the others situation in anyway at all. Oberstein had very few people that at least respected him in the first place and whatever people thought about such matters rarely concerned him. The bigger problems pertained the state his work was left in.

But it couldn’t be helped so Oberstein did what he usually did when something didn’t sit well with him but there was nothing he could do about it: adapted.

“I see it as something that cannot be helped. Complaining about it will do nothing in the end.”

Oberstein wasn’t trying to be mean or anything like that. For him it was just stating a fact and not a tactless statement. He might have realized that it wasn’t exactly kind sounding either but just made no effort to think of anything nice to replace it.

His demeanor remained the same as he talked. This kind of unemotional reaction was rather typical of him - in the Galactic Empire no one would ever even expect anything else. 

captainjtk:

Jim watched the dog, the grin on his face devolving slowly. Becoming sad.

“How long have you been here Pauly?”

He should probably keep his questions to himself. Not go around invading the privacy of the only person he’d seen in Hive in weeks. But Kirk, though many things, was rarely tactful.

Oberstein didn’t really mind the question. It wasn’t that unusual type either nor very intrusive. Not that personal.

“9 months.”

And he was actually quite worn out about this matter, his eyebrows even made a little twitch as he replied thought they returned to the normal quite fast. Oberstein was aware that it was a difficult to do anything about it. The time he had spent here was quite good proof of that.

captainjtk:

“That makes sense. I’m surprised I wasn’t moved. Not that I’m complainin’. I”m used to having very few people sharing my living space.”

It’s all the spaces outside of his immediate living space that worried Kirk. He was used to a 400 some-odd man crew or a City filled with strange and wonderful individuals. This emptiness…. it was making him more friendly than he ever normally was.

He scratched the dalmatian gently behind the ears, the dumb grin still on his face.

“Hmm, I suppose I should say likewise.”

He was referring to the last part. Well, in Oberstein residence he had been living with the dog and the old butler of his. Here he had had some roommates but they seemed to have disappeared so at the moment there was just the dog and him. He didn’t mind really, the only thing he minded was that he was stuck here, really while Galactic Empire was still probably busy with the after war situation. 

The dalmatian did nothing much, just closed its’ eyes quite contently.

captainjtk:

“Good to meet you Pauly.”

Jim looked down at the dog and grinned. He knelt down, offering a hand to the dog to smell. He never had a dog, always wanted one, never had one. But he still knew better than to just pet any creature with a mouth full of teeth.

“You live in this sector?”

Oberstein didn’t voice any complaints about this name stretch he had just been given. Only slightly raised his eyebrows. The man was being awfully familiar but then again that was how some people just were.

The dalmatian sniffed the man’s hand with curiousity and care. It wasn’t an unfriendly one but a bit vary of unknown people.

“I was transferred from the 6th sector. I am assuming it is due to the lack of residents there.”