JP Ensign Yogan Yalu & Ensign Meidra Sinir – Family Ties, Part 1
jkpbem
((Counselor’s Office, Deck 2, USS Resolution))
As soon as he arrived aboard, Yogan made sure to schedule onboarding appointments with both Medical and Counseling. Even though Resolution was a smaller ship with a smaller complement, he knew that both departments would be busy with onboarding the entire crew.
Without noticing he’d gone wrong, he walked right past the Counselor’s office twice and doubled back down the corridor on Deck 2. On his third pass, he found his destination just next to the Medlab near Sickbay. He pressed the door chime and smoothed out his uniform jacket while he waited to be let in.
Yalu: ::entering:: Hello, Counselor. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Yogan Yalu.
Meidra put down her Padd, giving her visitor what she hoped was a welcoming smile. This would be her first official discussion with a member of the crew, then two other crew evaluations to do before the captain arrived for her visit. Meidra knew her day was going to be busy.
Standing up, she moved out from behind her desk, motioning to the two chairs near her office’s window. They had been a gift from Meidra’s grandmother when she’d first enrolled in Star Fleet to become a counselor. You’re going to need comfortable seating if you plan to be listening to other people’s problems all day. They’d been shipped from her Academy dorm room, and somehow gave Meidra a sense of peace.
Meidra: Greetings Ensign. How may I be of service?
Yalu: Thank you for scheduling an appointment for me in between my shifts. I am sure you must be very busy right now.
Meidra: It is actually a bit slow, most of the crew are settling into their work, and I believe I will have to send out reminders that I am here. As you may have noticed, the office is quite small and easily overlooked when searched for. ::Grabs her PADD off her desk and opens his file to start taking notes.:: I would like to express my thanks that the departure from Starbase 118 was without incident. You did an admirable job, for your first actions as Helm Officer.
Yogan appreciated the compliment, and the Counselor’s warm and welcoming tone. He wasn’t uncomfortable talking to counselors–there were some officers he knew who made avoiding the Ship’s Counselor an unofficial part of their duty–and he knew how vital they were to a starship’s mission, but getting to know each other always took a little time.
Yalu: Thank you. I really wanted this posting, and I was excited when Captain Nicholotti accepted my request for a transfer. Have you ever done any flight training?
Meidra: I am an adequate pilot, but it is not my strongest area. Please, sit. Would you care for a beverage?
The Counselor’s office was comfortable and inviting, and Yogan sat down in one of the chairs near the door. Placing his hands on the armrests, he looked at the red stripes on the cuffs of his jacket. It was strange, he’d not gotten used to them just yet.
Meidra watched him fidget and waited. Sometimes the best way to help was to just listen, as her El Aurien grandmother used to tell her. She missed Abilene fiercely, and for a moment, let herself remember summers spent at her grandmother’s farm. Coughing, she realized her visitor was speaking.
Yalu: That is kind of you to offer, Counselor. I am fine, thank you. I’m sure my medical records have been sent over, but since we’re just meeting, I guess I could start by telling you a little about me.
Meidra: That is how these things usually work, Ensign. Feel free to call me Meidra if it makes you more comfortable. Please proceed. ::opens new file in PADD:: You may begin wherever it seems logical.
Yalu: Thank you. My background is pretty ordinary. My parents were living on Earth when I was born, and we moved back to Trill when I was ten. I was accepted into the Initiate Program after university, and I was Joined with a symbiont five years ago.
Unlike most topics, it wasn’t typical of Yogan to introduce the subject of his being Joined to someone he’d just met. He wasn’t secretive about it; he just preferred to discuss it only with those he trusted. However, since the Counselor had access to his medical records, she would know about it already, and it would be relevant as she got to know Yogan in her professional capacity.
Yalu: After I was Joined, I moved back to Earth to attend Starfleet Academy, and I graduated a few months ago. ::pauses a moment: My parents have been separated for a few years, and I have a younger brother and sister. They all still live on Trill. I was hoping to get the chance to visit home before reporting aboard Resolution, but the timing just didn’t work out.
Meidra nodded in understanding. She could sense that the ensign was a very open individual, which made her job that much easier. She looked down at her PADD before answering.
Meidra: I see your previous post was started mid mission aboard the Atlantis.
Beginning a new post here with an unfamiliar crew, how does that make you feel?
Yalu: I’m mostly excited, but there’s the usual anxiety that comes with such a big change. When I was planning to visit home, I was thinking that it would be difficult to talk about it with my family. Neither of my parents nor my siblings really know much about Starfleet.
Meidra: I have two siblings, neither in Star Fleet. Are you close to your family?
Yogan pondered the question for a moment. The answer on the tip of his tongue was “yes,” of course “yes,” and while he felt that was mostly true, he had to acknowledge that things in his family weren’t how they always had been.
TBC!
Ensign Yogan Yalu
Helm Officer
USS Resolution NCC-78145
Justin
D238804DS0
and
Ensign Meidra Sirin
Counseling Officer
USS Resolution NCC-78145
Marie
R239707MS0