<strong>Day 1 - 1840</strong><br/><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/3/3f/Yul_brynner.jpg)</div>Character: Dr. "Tiger" (Ty) Nadami (Lt. Cmdr. Aono Tsayafa Nadami), CMO<br/>Location:  Officer's Mess<br/>With:    Captain O'Connor<br/>Doing:  Choking down a ruined<em>makhto</em>stew<br/>Tagging: Capt. O'Connor<br/><br/>The plates of blackened, sulfurous, heavily kel-spiced sludge in front of him and the Captain hardly qualify as<em>makhto</em>stew, and he knows it. Still, he's determined to make the best of it. "Ahem," he says, regarding the unappetizing mush in front of him as he sits down across from her. "I, uh, understand that some of the pre-Surakian tribes preferred their<em>makhto</em>slightly singed. I've, ahhh... tried to replicate the effect. So to speak." The words sound unconvincing in his own ears. Smiling wanly, he says: "By way of good faith, I'll take the first bite."<br/><br/>The combination of rotten sulfurousness and unforgiving spicy heat hits his tastebuds like a blow. Mopping his brow with his napkin, he chews with grim determination. Swallows. Swallows again.<br/><br/><em>Horrible. Absolutely horrible. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, damn it all, I could swear I had it right this time...</em>he thinks. "Mmphh... not bad," he says aloud. "Like I said, um... very... complicated flavours. Probably a bit of an acquired taste."<br/><br/>He's suddenly desperate to distract the Captain before she thinks of following suit and taking a bite. Hurriedly, he reaches over to the table beside them and grabs his PADD, shoving it at her.<br/><br/>"Anyway, sir, here's the report I promised you. As you can see, we've pulled out all the stops... tried to gather every scrap of data we could find to support Dr. Nuress' work." Tactfully putting down his fork and pushing his plate to the side, he goes on: "I've spoken to Dr. Nuress. A bit of a difficult personality... but driven. She seems to care deeply about the work. My plan is to be as unobtrusive and non-confrontational as I can, occupy myself with normal sickbay duties and leave her to her work. I'm very confident that as long as we're able to focus on our shared objective, we can pull this mission off with no conflict whatsoever."