LtCmdr Jovenan – Homecoming

[Jovenan]

((Second Promenade, Deck 227, DS224))

Deep Space 224. The Federation’s and Starfleet’s pre-eminent stronghold and rallying point in the Borderlands. The homeport for the Artemis. And still, it had been almost two years since the crew had actually had a shore leave there. Since switching over from Excalibur to the Artemis, every shore leave had been elsewhere. Meranuge, Cait, Betazed, Bajor, Earth. Walking along the promenades, Jovenan realised how little she actually remembered of the Station. Molly Malone’s Pub was one of the few places that rang a bell to her. That’s where she and the others – Hiro, then-Commander Niac and one other Ensign she couldn’t remember – had gathered to celebrate their survival after the disastrous space walk exercise and where Talos and the Captain – still the XO and a Commander back then – had been last seen before leaving for their unsanctioned mission to learn more about who was behind the taco attack, walking straight into a trap.

The re-familiarization journey through the station had brought Jovenan to the Second Promenade. Besides the Molly Malone’s on the First Promenade, she remembered the holodecks on Deck 222 where Commander Yalu’s evacuation exercise had made her cry. Meanwhile, this other promenade wasn’t something she recognized. Had she actually been there before? It was possible she hadn’t, actually, considering how little time she had spent on the station. She had been too shy to go and explore it as an Ensign.

It was weird to think how much excitement and, dare she say, trauma had taken place since their last visit here. Maybe there had also been some growth too. At least, the number of rank pips on her collar had grown, from one to two full and one hollow pip. The Station appeared new to her after all this time, but no longer intimidating or scary, like absolutely everything had the last time here.

Trying to find something she would recognize on the Promenade, she succeeded, though not in the way she had intended. Among the thousands of residents and visitors on the Station, she managed to find Talos. For a moment, she observed him from afar, trying to see if he was busy or if he was waiting for someone else. She didn’t want to bother him if he had other plans, but she wouldn’t have minded company – if nothing else, she could prove to herself that she wasn’t afraid to talk to her superiors any more. Eventually, she decided to walk up to him.

Jovenan: Sir…

Sir? Technically, they were on the same rank now, a fact that continued to weird her out, but then again, he was still her superior thanks to his status as the XO. After a second or two of thinking, she broke out to a smile and started over.

Jovenan: Talos. Hi. Am I disturbing you?

Dakora: Response

Over the last couple of missions and shore leaves, Jovenan had fewer chances to spend time with Talos than she had wanted to. Maybe she could use this opportunity to remedy that. If he was open to it, of course.

Jovenan: I was looking around the station. It’s been a while I was here, so some places still look new to me. How about you? Doing anything interesting?

Dakora: Response

Jovenan: Oh? Mind if I join you?

Dakora: Response

TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11