Star Trek: Starbase 777 - section-ii-mess-hall

Orza entered the mess hall, a big smile on their face. Despite practically just stepping off the transporter, they’d already found the starbase… Amazing. Maybe they could ask for the blueprints later? They looked around, kind of just standing there somewhat awkwardly. Despite being excited, they were also quite nervous, what if they messed up introductions or broke something important, or angered someone? Wee there social rules here that differentiate from the ones at the academy?

Sauk was eating alone, like normal. He had a vegetarian lunch in front of him, a redspice soup from the replicator. As he ate, he looked around awkwardly, painfully aware of the fact that not only was he eating alone, he was a hybrid, and he stood out like a sore thumb. He sighed.

Orza noticed them sitting alone, maybe they could go talk to them? Maybe that’d be a good idea? Unless people were avoiding him… then? They took a deep breath, then approached Sauk. Their voice was somewhat enthusiastic, but their hands lacking any gestures, as they usually did when they spoke “Hello! May i eat here with you, or just sit here? I’m new so uh, i thought maybe it’d be good to get to know people? Unless you want to be left alone, that’s fine i could go find an empty table.” Orza was also quite obviously a hybrid, and they didn’t much enjoy being the subject of stares or questions. Couldn’t they just be there??

Sauk looked up, somewhat startled. “Oh- h-hi!” He stuttered out. “Uh- go ahead! I’m Tral,” He introduced, nodding at the seat across from him. This person…they were a cadet as well, weren’t they? Sauk had never done well with his classmates, he felt a pang of anxiety at this revelation. “Nice…nice to meet you!”

They sat down, taking out a strangely large cookie from the one of the pockets on their belt “Tral, that’s an interesting name! I’m Orza!” This seemed to be going okay so far, maybe they would succeed in meeting someone and it going well? Woohoo!

“Is it? It’s Bajoran,” He shrugged. He’d always known his name was weird. I mean, he had two first names, for the Prophets’ sake! “Orza, that’s Trill, isn’t it?”

”Oh yeah, my name is Trill. Kind of caused a few people to refer to me as orzo as a kid, but anyways… What do you do here?” Orza attempted casual conversation, nibbling on their cookie. Casual conversation was weird and usually kind of boring, but most people did it upon introduction, so…. It was a good idea right?

“Oh- I’m a communications officer. Well, I’m not an officer yet, obviously, but I’m getting there! One more year at the academy…” He trailed off. “I’m in operations,” He added. “I do a lot of work in the COMMs lab,”

”Oh cool! I’m engineering but… I’m not really sure what i want to specialize in yet… Hopefully being here will help? Maybe…?” Orza did a sort of hand swirl gesture with a slight drop at the end while they said this, then paused, launching into back-to-back questions “What are the COMMs like here? Are they better then the ones used at the academy? Ooooh are there extra systems and sub categories for more specific targets, wait am i even wording right? Oh, and what type of COMM is it?”

“Subspace and internal COMMs, and there are tons of different systems, it’s crazy,” Sauk was getting braver, his job was a passion to a certain extent. “It’s so much more in depth here than it was at the academy, I love it. I really hope I get posted here when I graduate,” He grinned.

”Amazing! I wonder if i’d ever get the opportunity to study the coding behind it? That’d probably be quite fun!” Orza enjoyed this sort of conversation, anything to do with machinery was much better then talking about there being a sun in the sky or normal casual stuff “If you feel that way it must be this place is good right? Well that’s great! Wouldn’t want to suffer through this….!”

“Oh, no, you won’t suffer at all. The engineering team is great! The CEO is a bit strange, from what I’ve heard, but I’ve never met him. I’ve never loved anywhere as much as I love the station. Apart from maybe Bajor,” Sauk sighed. Bajor was his true home. Maybe when he got older, he could move there. Maybe a certain human helmsman would move with him? “It’s a great opportunity to be here,”

”Oh okay good. Also what do you mean by strange…? A good kind of strange or the scary kind…..?” Orza took a quick pause, before continuing, their cookie now done “What’s Bajor like? I’ve only been to Earth and its moon so far, rather sad really….”

“Bajor is just a planet unless you’re connected to the prophets, from what I’ve seen. And good strange,” He said, taking another bite of soup. “I couldn’t really describe it to you,” (edited)

”Thank you for talking, and well, not telling me to go away, I appreciate it. I should get going, gotta figure out where’s where on this base,” They said, standing up. Was this a rude thing to do? Was it too abrupt? “Hope the rest of your day is good…?” Orza was pretty sure it was rude, social norms were… Difficult. They really hoped they hadn’t just ruined an okay first interaction by doing so.

“Oh, okay! See you later!” Sauk said with a smile and a tiny wave. He walked as the other cadet walked off, then went back to his soup. He finished and decided to head back to his quarters. He put his bowl back in the replicator to be reclaimed, then walked out.

1

After one of her shifts (that we will just believe happened right before this), Conny made her way to the mess hall and replicated herself kale soup, bread and a big glass of Cola. After she took a quick look around she approached the next best free table. She would have asked a random person whether she could sit down with them, but there didn't seem to be too many lonely people around right now. Instead she began tipping the bread into the soup and brought up a game on her PADD so she wouldn't get bored.

As he entered the mess hall. He looked around for a seat were he could sit all by himself. However every table in this room was full. After awhile he saw Konstanze, whom he had met once. He replacated a meat soup and moved to her table."Hey? Nice to meet you again, mind if I take a seat?"

She looked up when she was addressed. When she saw T'kata it took a second before recognition and then a bright smile appeared on her face. Distracted as she was she quickly lost the game she had been playing, but she just turned the PADD off entirely. "Yes... I mean no, I mean sit down. Nice to see you. How have you been?"

The caitian listened, quit amused to her reaction. However on the inside he had his cold facade. He took a seat."I have been good. I met Lieutanant Hsarr M'ow. We've had a nice talk. How have you been?"

She shrugged. "Work, you know? Nothing out of the ordinary really, but it's a buch still. We got sent some cargo that was meant for starbase 767, they hadn't even noticed it was missing yet, so at least there's that." With another shrug she returned her attention to her food for now.

He eated some soup while listening to her."For real though, how is it possible to send cargo to the wrong station, and the other one didn't even realised it?"He couldn't believe that this was possible, and that fact made him chuckle."I hope it is ok for you that I walked with my roommate, around in your holoprogram?"It sounded like a question, which it wasn't meant to be.

She waved her hand around as she quickly chewed and swallowed a mouthful of soup with bread, so she had her mouth free for answering. "Well I'm assuming someone mixed up the number, doesn't usually happen tho, which is good because let me tell you getting them to pick it up here and bring it there was a real hustle." Thinking back to all of the completely unnecessary (in her mind) messages she had had to send, she grimaced. "Anyway yeah it's dealt with now. And nah I don't mind at all, I hope they enjoyed it?"

He listens, like the good listener he was."Well it is good, that is it dealt with. Oh my, isn't it like just telling them to pick there stuff up?"T'kata took another bite at his soup."Oh yes, she enjoyed it a lot. I don't know we just had a great time. Thanks for that."He was really thankfully, that she showed him her holoprogram.

"That's nice, feel free to use it whenever, I don't use the holodeck much so it's really wasted on me." She shrugged lifting the last spoon of soup towards her mouth. Then she pushed the now empty plate away from herself. "The food here reminds me of one of those places that is cheap, but just good enough that you can actually got there without being drunk, hungover or desperate."

He looked around, it was getting emptier in the hall. Also did his plate. He took the last spoon."I will do that, thank you."another look in the room."Mhh, I also like the facilities in the utility ring much more. Or to say handmade food. Sometimes I am just way to hungry to wait so long or I simply don't have the time, which is really sad, if you think about it."

"I mean it's fine, plus it makes eating good food even better." She sipped her Cola, attempting to analyze its taste as well as she could. "The drinks are fine tho. The Cola on my last assignment tasted like mud sometimes."

He shrugged his shoulders."I guess everyone has there own opinion."T'kata really enjoyed talking to her. Not in the way he enjoyed it with his friend, but still. And that fact made him feel bad."Oh, that sounds awful"He looked around."Mhh, what do you think about your position on the base, in general?"

"Oh it was." She rolled her eyes, perhaps a little over dramatically. "It's wonderful here tho, everything works and there's a bunch of amazing people. How do you like it here?" The starbase just seemed so much more organized than her last post had been and it made working in the logistics department a hundred thousand times more enjoyable. She continued to sip on her drink until there was barely anything left.

He really didn't know how he liked it, for him it was just a workplace and those people were just good colleagues. But he couldn't just say it like that, or could he. The caitian would feel bad about it, if he sayed that out loud. Or would the truth be the better decision. It took a really, really long time before he answered."It is a good place. Really good organized, has a good crew. A working system. I like it."He said that kinda slow, because he still thought about the words he would say.

She tilted her head to the side at his delayed response, but didn't further comment on it, instead she drank the last of her Cola and placed the glass next to her plate. "I really look forward to my bed, not gonna lie..." She was quite tired, but the real reason she waned to get to bed was so she could finish a movie she had started the day before. "Do you still have a shift today?" , she asked, both out of curiosity and because she wanted to keep the conversation going.

He looked at his padd."Nop, not today, how about you?"He asked curiously.

"Same.. Tho I should probably get to bed, I gotta be up early tomorrow and still wanna do something before sleeping." She stood up and started to collect all of her stuff. "It's been nice talking to you."

1

After a short jaunt down the corridor the new officer arrived at the mess hall. There’s various tables filled with junior officers currently eating their own meals. Only one or two even take a moment to look in their general direction. Even fewer paid any real attention.

Elí stopped by the replicator to pick up a meal, fish and potato stew. Then, she sat down at an empty table with an extra seat available once Oshan had picked what he wanted to eat. She didn't wait for him to start her meal- unpacking had made her rather hungry, which she had only recently realized.

“So, Elinora, tell me how a pink skin can tolerate a setting I had my room.set to? Most shudder the first moment they their breaths.” The Andorian asked.

Oshan's term for humans amused Elí, and a faint smirk crawled up her face. "My home is in the northern latitudes of Earth, off the coast of an island perhaps fittingly called Iceland. The name is an exaggeration, perhaps, but cold and I are well acquainted. That being said, I imagine it's not nearly as cold as you prefer?" She replied between bites of her meal.

Oshan looked at the food Elinora was eating with delight. It was like this assignment had a chance after all he considered. He looked up after inspecting his own meal. “Perhaps you can teach me a few replicator recipes you enjoy. Whatever it is that you are eating smells delectable.” Oshan says with rare delight.

"Oh! It is, at least in my opinion. Some find it bland. At home, this was dinner most nights. So it helps remind me of dinner with my family." Her smirk grew into a little smile, enjoying the company of her new roommate. It was a relief to have already met somebody who was friendly. "What reminds you of your home?" Elí inquired.

“This place does. Everyone is in a uniform. I am surprised how similar it is despite people wearing different colors.” Oshan’s antennae moved fluidly as he spoke. “I forgot to even ask. Are you a doctor?” He quizzically inquired

"I see. This place is about as far as it gets from my idea of home. But with enough time, that may change." "Doctor, no. I'm going to be a counselor on base. Free for anyone to come speak with about their troubles, worries, or just because. I'm looking forward to getting started." She finished the stew, gazing around the hall. She wondered about all of the other junior officers. What they were like, what stories they had to tell.

1

“A counselor, huh? I should mention that I never stepped foot in Starfleet Academy so I’m not so familiar with sharing my problems.” There was a slight tone in Oshan’s voice of condescension.

"And, I should mention that the service is entirely optional, so rest easy, I won't be bashing down your door asking you to open up." Elí chuckled, ignoring the condescension and rather finding humor in the premise of indignation. "Never stepped foot in the Academy, hm? Where were you trained?"

“I acquired my commission through Imperial Guard Academy on Andor. Like your services, I elected to join Starfleet instead of joining the Guard.

Continued: “I was hoping to go fleet but somehow by some circumstance I get assigned here. Now I wait assignment.”

"Interesting. What prompted you to join Starfleet instead of the alternative?"

“The Guard does not venture far from Andorian space. At this point we, as a species, are so distant from a hostile border or frontier that most Guardsmen never see an enemy vessel during an entire career.” Oshan points to the table “So now I’m here. To do what, I have no idea..” Oshan’s antennae twitched as if he was deep in thought.

Elí let the silence linger, as not to interrupt his thoughts. After a few moments she spoke up, as she stood with her dishes. "May you find a fulfilling purpose here, Oshan. We can dine together anytime." With a nod, she returned her dishes to the replicator and bid him farewell for now.

The doors of the messhall slid open as she stepped in, a wave of ambivalence crashed over her. Sound of roaring laughter and chatting carried throughout the room which to her acute hearing was irksome but at the same time felt a sense of sincerity emanating from the people huddled around the table's. She had not yet attempted to try human food as she approached the galllery to view the items being served her nose scrunched up at the bombardment of smell. Other members seemed particularly interested in a greasy triangle sliced pastry that was called pizza. It was unpleasant to the sight but thought better off viewing her options, not that she were picky but chosen meat considering it was better than pizza however not accustomed to the food she did share a tea at one of the camp sites on their new planet. Acquiring matcha tea she walked to the further corner of the room. Sipping her tea quietly, the hazel orbs flickered around the dining areas of the nearby laughter. Though she hadn't openly showed her discomfort she continued to eat her meal in peace, her presence would be soon required in science lab. During her time the Tal Shiar she had found intriguing discovering relating to science that were in need to further analytical study. It would mean she would most likely be in there until next dawn but it was better than being alone with her thoughts.

Entering the mess hall, Elí scanned around for a place to sit with her light meal of skyr yogurt and granola. Lots of tables were filled with people, but as she noticed an individual in the corner eating by herself, Elí recalled her resolution to try and meet more people. Gritting herself for an awkward introduction (her specialty), Elí approached the table and gestured with her tray of food at the open seat across from Ensign Verlith. "Hello there. May I sit?" Elí inquired.

The hazel orbs lingered up onto the fellow Ensign, she raised an eyebrow at the voice. Inclining her head down at the seat in a acceptation before sipping her tea and carefully placing it back down to the table. "You may." Mer answered.

Elí nodded, relieved that the hardest part was over. She placed her tray down and then took a seat. "If you'd rather not chat, I won't take offense. Otherwise, I'm Elí, and it's nice to meet you. I just recently boarded Base 777, and I'm new here. Your name is?" She tilted her head vaguely to the side in inquiry, curious to meet someone new.

She was vaguely interested in this greeting however awkward it may seem, it was a change of status from her loneliness as she studied the newcomers features actively avoiding starring but resumed her mealnas casual. "My name is Merikh-Sovatha Verlith, I do not mind your company. Very few people do." She disclosed to her newly founded acquaintance.

Elí wasn't sure which name to use so she used all three, despite the mouthful. She was used to rather long names in Iceland. At this point Elí didn't mind holding eye contact, except to take small bites of her meal. "Thank you, Merikh-Sovatha Verlith. How long have you been stationed here? As I said, I'm extremely new. It's good to meet a new individual."

"Myself, I have only been stationed here for a short while after I completed my mission to reside continuing my studies as a physicist. Yes, it is good to meet someone." Mer eyed her comrades meal as she dared to inquire "I have heard that crew are fond of what you call pizza, what are your opinions on it?" The eyes wondered up after stabbing her knife into the steak awaiting for their reply.

"Physics, sounds interesting," she remarked, sincerely, even if it was something she knew little about. "Regarding pizza... it's not my personal taste. I believe many people grew up with it on Earth, so it is a fond staple for them. There can be some that are very delicious, but in general, it's a little too greasy for me. I prefer simple meals." She paused for a moment. "What kind of food do you like?"

She raised an eyebrow bemused of the fondess of pizza though was somewhat comforted by the statement. "To simpler meals. Physics is one of the most fundamental scientific disciplines, with its main goal being to understand how the universe behaves. It can be challenging but rewarding." The question caught her off guard but allowed her thoughts to ponder before replying. "On Romulus we had a large selection of meat and molluscs though I personally always had a sweet tooth along with Romulan ale that usually allowed it to go down pretty nicely." Talking about her former homeworld brought a sense of sincerity but an overhealming sadness but it was best not to dwell on the past.

Archer entered the mess hall, and looked around nervously. Taking cautious steps towards the line for the at the galley. Selecting a meal of tomato soup, with a grilled sandwich, he saw some open seats near a window and chose to sit down there, he had his data pad pull up the flight manual of the shuttles aboard the Starbase. And began to read it while he ate.

it didn't take long for Anthony to finish his food, clearing his plate to the waste receptacle, wiping off the bit of soup that dripped onto his shirt, and then putting his data pad away as he headed back out to the hallway in order to make his way back to his quarters to unpack.

[D] After probably one of the most relaxing shifts, Renakir was finishing up his Tube Time™️. Aside from the random spacism in the beginning (from a very fresh out of the academy ensign no less), the rest of his day was pleasant. He added new sensors to the turbolifts, delivered some furniture, and his favourite part of the day was running diagnostics in the tubes! Seriously, his father may have wanted him to follow his diplomat career path, but the Romulan-Reman officer much preferred the Tube Lyfe™️. He decided to take the tubes back to his quarters, crawling through each junction and section that he had memorised. After a wrong turn, he realised he was headed straight towards the mess hall. Already a bit sleepy, he thought it woudl be best just to step out and use doors for the rest of the trip. Renakir popped open the hatch to the mess hall and stepped out. It was probably a very strange sight, just a random OPS officer crawling out of the tubes. Renakir looked as misplaced as ever, full unform, fluffy black locks with an undercut, grey skin, oh and the sunglasses. He was trying to be inconspicuous although what he did not notice was the other Romulan officer at the table right beside the hatch.

A subtle noise brought her out of her intrusive thoughts as her eyes wondered to the hatch and out came the officer, with an raised eyebrow as a small amused grin broke upon her features. Nonetheless a Romulan hybrid much like herself had their bad day's. Raising up from her position with her hands clasped around her tea she made her way towards them but stopped a few feet away from them. "A wrong turning perhaps or do you always look like you've been in a tube hours at a time. Tea?" Mer inquired with a head tint, it wasn't everyday that tired officers came crawling out of hatches and vents after all.

Tenakruvek be a fence, was the first thought that ran through Renakir's mind. Why was it always Romulans? It wasn't that he disliked his countrymen, no, but every time he met one of them it felt like a game of Schrödinger's Spacist™️. Were they chill and without the superiority complex that plagued their people or were they Tal Shiar sympathisers who called Remans 'beasts of burder'? At the offer of tea Renakir wrinkled his nose and readjusted his sunglasses. Strike one. "Jolan tru," He said, a bit of caution in his voice as he spoke softly, also keeping his distance from the other. Stabbing distance apart, that's the Romulan Way™️. "No thank you. I meant to come here," A skillful lie, but he didn't want to show any weakness to this stranger. "Did I interrupt your meal? I apologise, may I sit here?" He asked, curious about this new person but he also needed to take a breather. The tubes were fun but he was pretty exhausted from climbing so many ladders.

Still amused she took the time to analyse the fellow officer but showed no sign of immident threatening stances nor dirty looks but instead remained stationed as she brought the cup up to her lips to sip her tea. "I was merely finished with my meal, be seated. You do not require my permission you know. If you didn't intentionally mean to come here then perhaps subcontiously you knew you were hungry." Outright teasing would something she wouldn't thought she'd be doing but found herself enjoying the rather awkward circumstance.

Renakir took a seat and rested his hands on the table, subconsciously tapping his rather sharp black fingernails against the hard surface. Alright so this person wasn't going to stab him nor did they seem to have any spacism about them. Surely they were a refined Republic Romulan ,right? They were in Stafleet after all, but they looked older than he was. "I'm not hungry," He lied well, unfortunately a skill he was all too good at. "Are you new to the station? What's your name?" He looked at the stranger sitting across from him, trying not to seem too suspcious but he had a strange feeling. Romulan paranoia? Reman paranoia? Ever since his roommate moved out he had less motivation to continue his Vulcan meditation and he was now just letting his strong as ever Vulcanoid emotions run free.

Moving towards the other end ot the table to sit across them, she placed the cup of tea down as she looked up at them. "I am somewhat new to the station however my services strain out of Starfleet. My name is Merikh-Sovatha Verlith, Mer if you wish to simplify oftenly I find that humans have a Nickname for one another. What about you?" Mer detected uneasiness from her companion but she didn't bring it up, perhaps they thought she had something to with the tal shiar. She made no outright movement ensuring the movements she made were no indication of scaring them away.

Renakir narrowed his eyes when the other gave her name. Thankfully his sunglasses obscured his eyes enough that Merikh wouldn't have noticed, but perhaps she would have picked up on the slight furrowing of his brows when he heard her name. Was she disrespecting him? Was Renakir's first thought, but then she gave a human-friendly nickname, interesting. "I have no problems with saying your full name, Merikh is appropriate, right?" He asked, as he took his eyes off of her for a moment and got a glimpse at his own hands on the table. For seemingly no reason at all he very quickly pulled his hands under the table and rested them on his knees. 'Don't offend her with your hideous fingers,' he mentally scolded himself before giving his response to her question. "Solait ir-Biscae tr'Torre'vnau," He said, purposefully leaving out his Reman first name as if he could really hide his mixed heritage. Even if she wasn't going to introduce herself in the proper Romulan way, Renakir was going to. It still hadn't occured to him that she may be mixed, his mind was too busy trying to make sense of this Romulan 3d chess game. The thought occurred to him that perhaps she would know his family-- or maybe not. The Torre'vnau house was well known but he in fact was not a real prince of any kind.

Merikh studied them closer, though she had an alert course through her body. Their uneasiness would oftenly indicate they had something to hide, much like the Tal Shiar she thought but they were clearly too skittish to even remotely be considered a successful agent unless it was an act The clan name was vaguely familiar as of her own, they were both well known clans but his uneasiness had brought upon her own though remained stoic in debating how she would proceed with them. How would she go about mentioning their destroyed homeworld, it was aheavy topic but she wanted more information without pressuring the younger man or making him suspicious of her carefully placed words. A further suspicion was raised when they practically snatched their hands away like they touched a burning conduit, she proceeded with caution though they may not have anything to do with the Tal Shiar but they seemed all out of sorts which she vividly remembered her lecture of allowing her curiosity to destroy her. It was all a sudden a flashback occurred to the rapid response ship, the ship rocked violently as all hands were on alert as they traveled back into the system where the devastation occurred of watching their homeworld combust into flames the into nothing but she brought out of it as she answered. "Yes. You may call me Merikh, your clan name is known however does s'Khaethaetreh sound familiar? I suppose it wouldn't matter after all we are in shambles. Do you miss home at all?" She quired as she empathised the word home, though humanising it was home though the situation at hand still made her wary despite now all Romulans having to merge together it still made her suspicious of his behaviour, perhaps it was Romulan paranoia or it was her instinct telling her something was up though she sipped her tea again afterwards.

1

Great, now you raised her suspicions, Renakir's internal monologue said. Oddly enough the voice he heard in his head was his father's, no idea. Maybe it was the trauma of living on Rator III. Anyway, he fixed his eyes back on his fellow Romulan in front of him and tried his best to remember the teachings of Surak to push away any visible signs of emotion. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then stared straight ahead. By some wild turn of events he did it and his facial expression returned to a very stoic and emotionless state. "S'Khaethaetreh," He repeated the name back to her. "It sounds familiar, however I am unaware of the status of your house," He answered honestly, probably one of the few truths he had told in this whole conversation. Paranoia aside, their conversation seemed to be going 'well' for Romulan standards. That was until he heard something that made his breath hitch and his eyes blink faster for just a second. Surak. Think about Surak, be free of emotions, he could hear his inner monologue speaking. "As you probably have guessed from my birthplace, Biscae, I was born on Remus. I was only six when my family relocated, I cannot say I particularly miss it," Because I was a damn slave, is what he wanted to say. But he wasn't going to give this Romulan the pleasure of finding out any more about him than what was necessary. There was no doubt that Merikh was smart, a boy with grey skin, sunglasses, born on Remus, with a Romulan house, hybrid. Perhaps this was a way of him testing her knowledge? For whatever reason, Renakir was clearly reluctant to give away any more. "And what about you?"

They were adapted to masquerading their emotions, sounds like a too familiar blood related cousins she thought which if she wasn't paranoid enough it did leave some questions that most likely weren't going to be answered. Although not outwardly expressing her emotions, she was no expert in control even from a young age she was considered rebellious and stubborn though she held her ground with the Romulan across the table. Remus, interesting. Considering their grey skintone and birthplace, a hybrid of sorts she confirmed to herself but she wasn't entirely convinced. The question caught her off guard as she again raised an eyebrow but frowned for a hot second before meeting his gaze. He was reluctant to give her answer's she knew that much but as to why, she had no idea but knowing persisting she would either scare them away or push her boundaries noticing their rank was significantly higher than her own. Be damned if she was going to make it any easier to know anything about her as she pursed her lips and blinked slowly. "And what about me, what is there you wish to know about me?" Be difficult then I will be difficult back, two can play that came she thought childishly.

Maybe his father was right, maybe he was filled with too much Reman anger. But he also had his father's Romulan blood that allowed him to use that anger to hone his cunning nature and skills at subterfuge. Without a change of expression, Renakir observed the emotions on the other's face. One thing he had above his countrymen was his Vulcan logic and meditation skills. Many Romulans would see learning about their genetic cousins as a disadvantage, to suppress emotions in Romulan culture was counterintuitive to what it meant to be Romulan. But Renakir found a way to spin it to his advantage and use this skill to throw off others when it was convenient. "Since you asked me about the Supernova, I am curious to know what you were doing during the event. Where did you go? I lived on Rator III, yes that Rator III," Renakir decided to offer up some more information, but he was careful with how he presented it. Rator III, the new home of the Star Empire after the supernova and more importantly, Tal Shiar aligned. He wondered how this officer would react to knowing that him, a Reman, lived-- survived in such a hell hole.

Her hazel eye's narrowed at them but complied, let's play your little game she inwardly thought as she processed the information. Rator III, how curious. A popular hotspot but given the circumstance of the supernova she elected to not hold that against him, was he born to the Empire? No matter, many were born to the empire but joined the resistance. How the tables have turned, was a human expression she remembered and how ironically so. Now she was being interrogated. To humour the situation she consented but careful on how she presented it. "During the supernova I was serving aboard an rapid-response ship. I lived on Romulus for a short period of time before travelling across different colonises including Virinat." Her suspicion remained strong as she remained to have her guard up, both fortunately and unfortunately Starfleet would not permit such to carry weapons on personnel them. (edited)

3

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Renakir was equally saddened that as Starfleet officers they could not carry disruptors. No matter, he had a sharp tongue and a quick wit, something his father was always proud of. Romulans, why were they like this? "Oh, so you must be older than me," Seeing as Renakir was six when the Supernova happened, if Merikh was in active service then surely she had at least twenty or so years on him. His tone was low with a very Vulcan-like monotone, good for hiding his true intentions however it must have sounded strange as he spoke the conversely rather emotional Rihannsu language. "I take it you must have been serving under the Star Empire? What was your job? I have to admit I don't know much about Romulan society before the event, I'm only 29," He was quite young for a Vulcanoid considering they could easily live up to two centuries. His age was no secret, it was freely available on the roster, but he wasn't going to be giving up any further information until she gave him more.

At the mention of age she leaned back against the chair and crossed her leg's but it was intriguing how they brought up the Star Empire without laced venom dripping from their tone but her undercover work as a Tal Shiar agent served their purposes but was amused by their questioning, it was like a kid discovering a candy store for the first time but a small grin appeared on her face for a split second before reaching for her tea to finish it. "The empire was a disgrace." She begun with a hiss escaping from her lips, it was not new knowledge that she despised of plaguing Romulus with corruption and chaos claiming it was for their own good as she continued with a growl in her voice. "They should of never came into power, they are the reason other species believe we are monster's, murders or what else you associate it with. Their corruption crippled Romulus but as far as Romulus goes I'm glad it took out most of the empire with that supernova but I regret the circumstances it had resulted in." If she had her knife it would have been embedded into the table infront of her instead she barred her teeth and leaned forwards at the thought of their uprising but forced to regain some control as a sadden chuckle escaped. "My job was working as an operative though for what is classified, it is true that I am much older than you but it is fortunate you didn't bare the burdens of the society that were forced upon us." Though her cup was now empty she cradled it in her hand but the firey eyes made direct contact. "I assure you, if those bastards come near this station I will personally give them hell."

The change in posture did not go unnoticed by the Romulan-Reman officer as he took it as the other was going to actually give him the information he wanted. Unmoving, he listened closely to what she had to say. 'The empire was a disgrace', was something that he had not expected to hear from this person. He wasn't exactly sure what wild theories his mind was trying to spin up, but this utterance was counter to his thinking. He was in a state of disbelief as the other continued, did they really say essentially 'the Romulans had it coming'? Because Renakir was thinking the same exact thing-- for years. The fall of the Empire was unsurprising, especially after the Dominion War. He opened his mouth ever so slightly to show his disbelief, completely unaware when he did so the tips of his pointy little teeth were showing. An operative of classified information, alright this wasn't Romulan paranoia, Merikh was actually in the Tal Shiar. But she spoke so critical of the empire, so did this mean she regretted her decision? Renakir could feel a thousand generations of Reman rage boiling inside him, but the sound of his father's voice in his mind kept him in control. "You and I feel the same about the Empire then," They were of one mind in regards to the fall of the Star Empire so it was best to connect on that, right? "It is true I did not live under the Empire on Romulus, but I was well aware of the oppressive regime, especially the conditions in the dilithium mines on Remus," Renakir rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward, staring at Merikh behind his sunglasses. Perhaps if Merikh was perceptive she'd see the fire in his silver eyes, twinkling through the blackness of his glasses.

Despite the outburst of sudden relapse, a mishevious spark ignited in her eye's as she held a gritted smile. Yes, the Empire was dragging everyone into their graves. Perhaps if they spent time and resources on evacuating people then they would still be an empire, she shuttered at the thought. They got what they deserved but so did millions of countless innocent lives, survivors guilt was something they all suffered on a daily basis. The Republic was still on the edge, rebuilding it's society whilst negotiating diplomatic term's with the Federation. To be the eye's and the ears she certainly allowed the supernova get the best of her, she survived the Tal Shiar, the Star Empire so why now is she struggling but now was a time to respond. "The empire treated it's own people like slave's, if didn't stand with them you were an enemy and of such would have been disposed off. Weakness itself would have gotten you killed, perhaps it is as to why I joined Starfleet. I never got the chance to visit Remus but I have heard of the stories there, both have decades of paranoia and corruption destroyed our homeworlds before the supernova so how can we feel we lost something we actually never had?" Her remaining blood-reletives died in the supernova, family? Gone, reduced to atoms. An uncertainty settled inside of her, could New Romulus really be a new beginning or will it revert back into the Empire, she wasn't sure. It was true, after all of the pain and torture could her people see through their way's or was it just a lie they told themselves to get through the day.

The silence between his words and the other's response was.... Unnerving to say the least. Renakir looked down at the table, then Merikh's tea cup, and then up at her. He still did not trust her, however they did share the same opinion. Perhaps it was all in his head? He took a deep breath and straightened his posture so he could pull his hands back under the table. She didn't need to see his ugly ass Romualn slenderman hands. "Sometimes I wish I was born after the supernova. I didn't even have Romulan citizenship on Remus," Renakir said, another hint that he was Reman as if that wasn't obvious enough. Depsite being seemingly on the same page about politics, he still felt uneasy around this ensign. There was something not right. "I... Should really get going," That's right, run like the coward you are, Renakir's internal monologue was scolding him. He stood up, feeling awkwardly tall now. Why did he always feel like everyone was staring at him. Were they? The tall grey skinned Reman boy with sunglasses inside. "Jolan tru," And with that he darted out of the mess hall.

2

[D] By the time they had finished their first shift in sickbay Quinn had made it to the mess hall. They had considered simply going back to their quarters to eat, or to go to the promenade, but neither seemed appealing. Their quarters was empty and quiet, and the promenade was filled with endless capitalism. The mess hall felt familiar, just like where they usually ate back at the Academy. There were people, there were noises and smells, but it felt right. They were currently sat at a table by themself eating a vegan jackfruit bolognese.

Maggje Roode hummed as she walked through the mess hall, lightly looking for a table while holding a tray of food, she wore her normal uniform at the same time before seeing someone to sit with! She walked over to Quinn with a smile. “Hi! Could I uh….sit here?” She said with a small rub at the back of her head.

As soon as Quinn saw someone approaching they braced for the inevitable. They knew this was going to happen, and they didn't mind sitting with someone in truth, but they used to sit with people they knew at the Academy. They didn't have that normalcy here, so they had to get used to it. They looked up at the woman with a rather blank face expression. "You can, and I don't mind if you do."

Maggie smiled as she took a sat across from the other officer, giving a small smile as she sat there. “Thank you so much! I’m Maggie Roode, you are?” ^She said with a smile, slowly getting used to social interaction better.*

"Quinn Rose." Quinn responded in a rather neutral tone. They never really knew how to act around new people outside of a work environment, although they did usually relax once they had gotten used to someone. Right now, though, Maggie was a total stranger. The one thing they did have in common, though, was their uniform colour. "Are you in Science or Medical?" They immediately asked. (edited)

Maggie smiled as she took a few bites of her meal, which was pancakes and bacon. She looked up with a smile. “Oh I’m in science!! What about you?” She said with glee. “I work around wormholes a lot! It’s super cool and fun.” A half lie mostly for herself. “What about you? “

"I'm in Medical." Came Quinn's simple response. "I'm a Junior Doctor. Today was my first day." They added. They had considered introducing themselves a 'Doctor Quinn Rose, but they thought it sounded a bit snobby and egotistical outside of a work environment. "I don't know a lot about wormholes, but from what I do know they they sound interesting."

Maggie nodded as she listened to what the other officer had to say. “Pleasure to meet you Quinn! Welcome to the station!” She said with a smile, lightly taking a sip of her drink. “They are interesting! I dedicated my entire life to studying the things, I should know!” She may have had a bit of a unhealthy obsession. “Where were you before this?”

"Oh, the Academy. I just graduated." Quinn explained, their previously neutral tone betraying them and instead conveying how pleased they were at that fact, the smallest of smiles creeping across their face. "Although if you wanted a literal response I was in the Middle Habitat Section II corridor, and then a turbolift, and then the Hospital Ring corridor, and then sickbay." They added, sounding quite serious about providing a literal response in case that was what Maggie meant.

^Maggie smiled as she looked at them.* “Oh! Well welcome to the great unknown then! I hope you weren’t involved in any piloting mishaps!” She said, trying to think of relatable terms for them. So the story of Wesley Crusher and his wing’s trial might as well be something. “I uh…I wasn’t meaning that no!” She said with a laugh. “What drew you to medical?”

'The great unknown.' What is so unknown about a starbase? "There were no piloting mishaps." Quinn responded honestly. "I wanted to become a medical professional from the time I was eight years old. A shuttlecraft crashed in my hometown. I was unable to help anyone due to my age and lack of knowledge, but that sparked something in me." They explained, their tone conveying a combination of straight-to-the-pointness, and passion about their desired career choice.

Maggie smiled as she looked towards the officer with a small laugh. “Mhm, that’s very interesting! I am sorry about the people in that crash, but sometimes tragedy brings the best out of us you know.” Was the best trying to blow open a wormhole in space? Who really knows, probably a therapist but certainly not Maggie! “I kinda have a uh, similar reason for going into science.”

’Tragedy brings the best out of us’. Was becoming a doctor in Starfleet their best? It was certainly something, but what they weren’t sure. They were trying to help people, though, and that was a good thing. “What would that be, if I may ask?” Quinn asked curiously.

Maggie hummed lightly as she looked to the other officer and took a drink from her tea. “Oh my folks died in a wormhole, it kind of sparked my obsession with the things.” She said with a completely normal cadence, was it unhealthy? You decide!!

Upon hearing the mention of death Quinn very quickly shifted mentally from off duty Quinn to Dr. Rose. At least for how they went about processing what to say, anyway. "I'm sorry for your loss. When did this happen, if I may ask?" How she spoke of it was a tad concerning to the doctor, but they didn't think much of it right now. Different people had different ways of coping.

Maggie smiled as she sat back in her chair, rubbing at her head as she looked up towards the ceiling. “Oh they went back for something as they were being sucked in, I got onto a shuttle and then they simply died. Or so everyone says, I have my own hypothesis that I won’t share. Either way I moved in with the rest of my family and here I am! Lover of holes everywhere!”

A hypothesis she won’t share. Well it already seemed pretty obvious what it was, but Quinn decided not to pry out of respect. 'Lover of holes everywhere.' If that wasn't a euphemism they didn't know what was. “I see. Well, I hope you either prove or disprove your hypothesis, depending on which outcome you desire."

Maggie smiled as she looked towards the other officer as she rested her head against the table, before looking towards her PADD and seeing the notification about going into quarters. “Mhm, thank you very much but I think we should both get uh, going. Given whatever was going around, and I sure do hope I prove my hypothesis.” Or all her work would be for nothing.

"I agree. It would be a good idea." Quinn agreed simply, having almost finished their food now. "It was good to meet you." They added, a hint of a smile appearing on their face for a moment.

1

She walked into the mess hall and sat down, waiting for Nia. She was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. The sweatshirt looked old and slightly worn, a faded image of a wolf on the front. She was wearing the boots from her uniform, finding them comfy.

Nia had opted for something a bit simpler today: a slightly oversized red t-shirt and jeans. She came trotting through the mess hall doors a short while later and settled down across from the purple-haired human with a soft smile. "Hey. You look great..."

“Thanks! I’ve had it since the Academy. Managed to keep it nice all these years. So, what’s the best food here that the replicators don’t fuck up?” She joked.

"Hmmm." Her scaly fingers drummed slowly on the table. "Have you ever tried Cardassian food?"

“No, not really. What’s it like?” She asked. She was a fan of Lorin’s cooking, though, even if she used an unholy amount of spice. It would be good to ward off an unsuspecting lunch-stealer, though.

"Some outsiders don't like it. Somehow or other we use a lot of fish..." Niatha's nose crinkled up a bit as she scrunched up her face in slight disgust. "I don't much like yamok sauce - but then again I guess living in London for my teens really changes the taste buds. Larish pie and zabu stew are both lovely, though."

“How about you pick something for me, hm? I’ve got no cultural foods of my own to share, sadly. Lorin would probably cook something though, she’s good at that.” She thought aloud. She thought of Lorin a lot, now. Maybe she still had a thing for her? No, it couldn’t be. Maybe she was just concerned? More like it, she looked like she’d seen a war.

"Pick something? Okay, if you say so!" Niatha stood and pottered off to the replicator. When she returned a few minutes later she had on a tray a grayish colored pie of some kind that smelled suspiciously of seawater and a small pot of some kind of chunky brown stew not too dissimilar in appearance to beef goulash. "Here. It's a kind of a roll the dice deal, from what I know. Most non-Cardassians don't like it." She remarked as she ladled the stew into two bowls.

“I remember a few weeks into my first year at the Academy, it was like I didn’t even have a roommate at all. Until one day I come back and I literally can’t go in because my entire face is on fire from all the spice. I mean, I don’t have much of a tolerance for that, but apparently Lorin had tried making tacos and the little container of chili powder we had broke and dumped all of it in there. I don’t know if her taste buds are made of steel or something, but that woman fucking ate it like it was no big deal. If I can survive the gates of chili hell, I think I’ll survive this stew.” She joked. Academy stories were always funny to her. It was like she was living in a TV show. A human, her ghost of a Vulcan roommate, and one common goal: survive Finals week. Wouldn’t be the worst show.

Niatha couldn't help but grin and hand her a bowl and spoon, along with an accompanying slice of pie. The filling of said pie looked suspiciously like... fish chunks. Gross. Depending on perspective, of course.

She took a bite of the pie. She wasn’t a fan of the texture, but it wasn’t horrible. Definitely better than the hell tacos. On a scale of bad food, 1 being Hell Tacos and 10 being Strawberry Ice Cream, the pie scored a 3.5.. “It’s not horrible.” She said.

"You're the first person to tell me that, actually." Niatha chuckled and sat down to eat. "The last person to try larish pie with me spat out the bite he ate in half a second."

“What’s in it?” She asked, curious.

"Couple of varieties of fish last I recall, including one that looks like a living blancmage blob..." Niatha made a face. "Pastry. Not sure what the sauce is, though I know it has a few herbs and spices in it..."

“And the stew?” She asked.

"Bekkir meat, which is roasted and then dried for a bit before being tossed in. A few herbs and spices. Gutfish meat and bones, which is what the broth is. A few Cardassian tomatoes for flavor and color and it thickens the soup last I remember..." She noted with a sigh. "Never bothered to remember all the ingredients."

She took a sip of the stew. “It’s pretty good.” She decided.

"Really?" Her emerald green eyes lit up with joy. "You're also one of the few people to actually like it. Some people find it too sour or too gelatinous..."

“No, I don’t think it is too gelatinous. Say, have you had this human thing called Jello? I wonder if the replicator can make it.” She asked. Hearing the word gelatinous just brought the dessert into her mind again.

"Several times." A wide, toothy crocodile grin spread its way across her scaly lips. "I'll eat most flavors of it except almond. Blech." She made a face and waved a hand in front of her nose, as if the memory of the taste somehow smelled bad. "Tried it once, almost threw up my dinner. Never. Never again."

She got up and made her way to the replicator. She got them some lime Jello and walked back. “I’m about to see if the replicator does a decent job, I guess.” She joked. She took a bite of the jello and smiled.

"Score." She guessed from her reaction. "I love grape and strawberry jell-o rather than lime, which is what I'm guessing that is."

“Lime’s my favorite, sorry. So, was Starfleet your first choice of career?” She asked.

"Yep. Was it yours?" She asked in return.

“Yeah. My mom and dad are both in Starfleet. My brother is, too. I’ve got two little brothers. My youngest brother didn’t join Starfleet, though.” She said. Ace and Ray, their names.

"Ah. I see." She smiled. "Well, I'm an only child, always have been. One of my mothers is a Caitian, by the way. She's super sweet, if a bit grumpy." Niatha's lips curled into a mischievous grin. That always threw people off - just a bit.

“My lab partner in the Academy was a Caitian. She was pretty cool. She was great at writing conclusions on our lab work.” She said. She was also really hot, but, sadly, her lab partner only liked guys.

"Mine loved chocolate. Ate it all the time, until my other mother had to slap her and tell her not to." She snickered. "My other mum is Cardassian, by the way..."

“I’m glad I had my brothers. Who else was I supposed to prank?” She joked.

"Your friends?' She giggled. "I used to prank my classmates all the time."

“I did that too!” She protested.

"How you pranked them is what I'm interested in..." She smirked and leaned across the table with her chin in her hand. "And with what..."

“Oh, just a replica of half a frog I made with my brother Ace. Scared the shit out of my lab partner. Fake guts and everything.” She said.

The ensign found herself in the mess hall. With replicators, a bar, and booths around, she scanned the area. Making her way to a replicator, she searched through the programs. "Gagh, warm." It was not the proper, traditional meal, for it was not served live, but she had gotten used to the dissapointing replicator version of her favorite comfort food through her years at the academy. At least it was warm, and food at all. The replicator whirred, and dispensed the meal on a tray. She then made her way to the nearest empty table to enjoy her meal and sat down.

[D] The Commander had been walking around the Starbase, almost aimlessly. Though it was more to get a feel of the place. She had worked on numerous ships, but not to one docked at a Starbase before. In some ways, she was still learning. Plus, she thought meeting some younger members would be refreshing. Her time as an Ensign was definitely interesting and wanted to meet new faces. Zellina saw one had taken a seat at an empty table, walking to her slowly. "Hello Ensign, would you mind if I sat here?"

The ensign beamed a smile. "Not at all, Commander." She was eager to speak to a commanding officer but kept her casual demeanor and continued eating lest her dead worms go cold. "It is an honor."

The Aurelian carefully pulled a chair and sat down on it. "Have you also recently arrived to the Starbase Ensign?" Zellina took care in trying to meet the people she works with. In the past, some had even been intimidated from her looks and size alone.

"I have, fresh from Starfleet Academy. Although this is far from my first space fairing experience. I was aboard a science vessel some time ago. It is... Exciting to be here to say the least." Her smile continued, sharp teeth beaming. "Among a new family."

"I see. Well we happily welcome you here! Not to state the obvious but I have also been on multiple assignments before this one." Zellina softly tapped onto the table with her talons. "What was it like on the science vessel?"

She peered over Zellina's shoulder, and then back to their eyes. "Friendly, easy-going, they found me and saved me from the Borg. I stayed aboard there as a refugee for some time." She gently tapped her scarred and covered eye. "For fourteen years I was under their hive mind. And when I was freed, my house rejected my return. Now my only house is with Starfleet. I am grateful."

"Ah.. yes it saddens me when those who are liberated aren't able to return to their past lives. Though, it gave you the opportunity to have a new life and family." The feathers on her head and neck stood up. "Another reason to love Starfleet is that it's always accepting of others."

"I really appreciate the sentiment, Commander. Are you.. Going to eat?" She ate a forkfull of worms. "We are in the mess hall."

She let out a laugh, before replying. "Actually I just ate! I've been walking around trying to meet other crewmen, let them know I'm a friendly face." Her voice then lowered. "Though there was this Andorian who looked like he was about to pass out the moment he saw me. I ought to check up on that sometime later."

She gave a hearty chuckle, banging the table. "Some crew will always be intimidated by the new and strange, but be sure that you'll get no ill reactions from me. Perhaps I can accompany you? My face appears less than friendly to some, I'm sure. It would be a good opportunity to ensure my fellow crewmates that I'm a friend." She looked to the ground for a moment. "Unless I am overstepping my boundaries."

"Hmmm... That might actually be a good idea. Likewise for me, I've had Ensigns in the past be seriously alarmed by my size alone." Though it still struck her as odd of the Andorian's reaction. "Hopefully you'll find many friends here, the Starbase has such a warm atmosphere."

"Yes, I cannot wait!" She downed the remainder of her meal quickly and stood up. "Perhaps we should check up on the Andorian you spoke of?" She put out her hand to help the commander out of her chair. The charisma oozed from her smile, and she joked, "I did graduate with high marks in post traumatic psychology..."

She accepted the help, slowly rising up to her feet. "I do not think he's too hard to miss. He stands at my height, very curly hair." Maybe his ears were pointy too? It was hard to tell with all the hair. "Walks with a cane.... He definitely sticks out."

She stood at attention, gesturing for the commander to go ahead."Lead on, Commander."

She nodded, walking into the corridors. "I think he... was in the first section of the habitat ring..."

The ensign followed, briskly walking at Zellina's side to the corridors.