Lieutenant JG Niev Galanis - Speaking of Coffee...
Niev Galanis
((Paxau District, Amity Outpost ))
Letting out a small sigh, Niev looked around the sparsely decorated common area of their apartment slowly, a terrible realization dawning on them. All of this space was leading to bad habits. Growing up, room to work and study had been at a premium. Niev was as cluttered as any other scientist, but the clutter was contained out of necessity. Now there was space… and it was becoming increasingly undeniable how often Niev tended to simply set things down on the closest surface and move on when their brain called for it.
There were PADDs and a tricorder, even a few scattered papers and notebooks about. A still-sealed container of rock samples from Idrustrix they’d gathered specifically for home study sat precariously on the edge of a coffee table. Niev hadn’t interacted with or seen their roommate very often yet, but they imagined this wasn’t the kind of common area decor anyone was looking to embrace.
It was in the middle of contemplating where to start when the door softly chimed, Niev’s eyes going wide as they looked over at it. A visitor? Perhaps the roommate? Pressing their lips thin, Niev headed over to the door themself rather than just call whoever it was in. Bracing themself for the social interaction, the androgyne opened the door, and found themself face-to-face with none other than Aitas.
Aitas: Lieutenant! ::she held up a bag:: I brought dinner.
Galanis: You brought… what?
Of course, Niev knew what dinner was. It was the meal they ate so they didn’t keep themself from sleeping with hunger. The scientist’s eating habits had only gotten more irregular since the Sushi Incident. They shifted their foot to the side to allow Fureri within the apartment, looking down briefly to watch it before their gaze moved back to the bag of food.
Aitas: You did help me with unpacking, and I know enough scientists to worry. Your visit to Uwe II wasn’t exactly smooth.
Galanis: It wasn’t anything a Starfleet officer shouldn’t be prepared to handle. One way or another, the hospitality is appreciated, Miss Aitas.
Niev leaned in toward the bag of food as Aitas offered it, peering curiously inside. They recognized some of those pastries - still fresh from the nearby market. For somebody who thought of themself as caring little for their meals, Niev was suddenly keenly aware of how hungry they were. The Centauran stepped away from the door, gesturing to invite Aitas inside.
Aitas: When I first arrived on Starbase 118 I was recruited to help retrieve Taelon from a fortress of coffee cups. ::a shrug:: And we haven’t had much chance to speak as of late. The Diplomatic Corps have kept me quite busy.
As their eyes widened in recognition, Niev’s head leaned curiously to the side as they led the way over to the unassuming table near the kitchen.
Galanis: Ah, you mean Lieutenant Taelon? I had a chance to meet with him in the SRC. His work is fascinating. ::they blinked, looking from the bag of food and then toward the kitchen area:: Ah… speaking of coffee. Can I get you something to drink?
Aitas: Response
With a nod of their head, Niev set about trying to make things as comfortable as they could. The PADDs that had been resting on the table were scooped up and stowed away on a counter, chairs straightened. As they worked, they bit lightly on the inside of their cheek. They knew they wouldn’t be able to hide how unsettled they actually were about the confrontation on Uwezo, but there had been something even more pressing than that. Questions they’d spent quite a bit of time thinking of how to present to Aitas. It seemed the chance to ask had fallen into Niev’s lap.
Galanis: I… don’t mean to impose, especially after you’ve already brought food. But since you’re here and the subject was broached, I was left with some questions after my experiences on Uwezo. I was hoping an experienced diplomat like yourself could answer them.
Aitas: Response
Galanis: I felt as though things could have been handled more… I don’t know. Obviously, I am a scientist, not a diplomat. But it felt quite like we wound up with something of a Kobayashi Maru - an unwinnable situation. Perhaps things turned out well in the end, for now, but it felt like… ::they trail off thoughtfully for a moment, knitting their brow:: …I have learned to use words to precisely describe outcomes and observations. Using them to interfere with an outcome is something else entirely. How exactly do you… do that?
Aitas: Response
TAG!/TBC…
