The Overlooked Designer

The Overlooked Designer is a companion piece to 38589 Years Difference. The author intended to give Talunas a conventional fan fiction story outside of the crossover. One of the goals was to explain one of the most controversial and visible parts of, the 2265 uniforms.

Plot
''Captain's log, stardate 8017.4. We are currently en route to Vulcan to pick up Ambassador Sarek for the Babel Conference. Once we have assembled all the delegates, we can proceed. We also have a distinguished passenger, Admiral Talunas, who is returning to Vulcan to work on the findings from the Romulan encounter last year.''

Kirk is still intrigued by the Romulan bird-of-prey that attacked several Earth Outposts a year before and so calls Admiral Talunas to his quarters. Talunas has been studying the results and is heading to Vulcan to work on the findings. However, the conversation soon turns to the fact that Scotty and Uhura both claim that Talunas designed a vital part of the mission, yet Spock has never heard of her. Kirk soon realises that Talunas designed the current uniforms and then listens to the admiral's description of the design process.

Having assembled a mood board that included Vulcan bridal wear, 20th century Earth fashion, 22nd century Starfleet uniform colours, and the works of Earth designer, Talunas came up with a new idea. Further inspired by the flares on the trousers of Andorian sailors and of the Assyrian-like Ashurites, Talunas decided that her uniform needed to be adaptable to cultures with varying attitudes to clothing and to non-humanoids. She designed a skirt variant known as the Octopus pattern. As this worked on the non-humanoid Lieutenant Commander Y-55-R, Talunas included the design into the regular uniform.

Kirk understands and comments that the prior design had a skirt variant too but almost no one wore it. Talunas, whose own wraparound has loosened, says that she hears Kirk likes that women in such clothing. Kirk counters that he only cares that the crew follows regulations. He then recalls that Janice Rand was involved in the design. Talunas confirms this and adds that the Xindi-Arboreals were also involved.

Talunas had told the Ashurites, who dislike trousers, that she added tights for the same reason soldiers wore tights under their kilts- as protection against a gas attack. The Ashurites agreed.

Kirk then asks why Talunas introduced a wraparound. She says she just wanted to be different. She also claims she undid her wraparound in front of Kirk just to test his professionalism, nothing more. She claims that if she had been wearing one of her other ideas, Kirk would likely be less self-controlled.

On being presented with Option 3, Commodore Matt Decker, Commander Irian, and Ensign Marlena Moreau rejected the design. Decker claimed the Federation was not a barbaric empire, Moreau simply refused to wear such a uniform, and Irian also rejected it but was intrigued by a possible high heel option. Talunas said she included the high heels to raise a shorter individual's height and therefore their confidence. Option 3 had officers wear a golden wraparound belt, medals, and the Federation logo instead of an assignment patch. The female uniform was sleeveless and had a bare midriff.

Kirk reveals that he has seen uniforms similar to the Talunas' rejected pattern in the mirror universe and the other Starfleet was indeed operated by a barbaric empire. However, the Enterprise has reached Vulcan and so the conversation comes to a close.

Characters
Matt Decker, Charlie Evans, Irian, James T. Kirk, Marlena Moreau, Oriana, Pileser, Janice Rand, Sarek, Montgomery Scott, Talunas, Ronald Tracey, Nyota Uhura, Y-55-R

Locations
Andoria, Earth, Starfleet Headquarters, Tellar, Vulcan

Technology
Ice cutter, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Races
Andorian, Ashurite, Human, Orion, Suliban, Tellarites, Vulcan, Xyrillian

External link
Fanfiction.net: The Overlooked Designer