LtCmdr Jovenan – Yeah, you’re looking at a real rebel over here
Jovenan
((Yem-tukh Nar-tor’i, Second Promenade, DS224))
Vulcans are unpredictable.
Jovenan knew very little about the Vulcan cuisine and food culture before taking her seat at the themed restaurant at the station, only that they had a strong cultural preference for veganism or vegetarianism. In what form and under what circumstances that food was served and eaten was unknown to her. The Vulcans claimed to base their culture on logic, but there are many types of logic, and it was finding which strand of reasoning in which individual matter that made the Vulcan unpredictable. They didn’t see everything as a matter of soulless question of efficiency, a derivation problem to be solved. It were the Borg that viewed the universe like that, and it was an insult to compare the Vulcans to the machinations of the Collective Hivemind.
The Vulcans may have figured out the maths of much they do, but there were still many aspects of life where they followed their traditional and ritualistic codes. Was eating one of them? Who knew. Maybe they ate nutritious gruel that tasted like logic. Maybe they observed a ceremony where everything had its precise place and purpose and where the intricate combination of flavours, perfected generations ago, harboured some deeper meaning.
So far, Jovenan had only discovered words she didn’t know.
Jovenan: Here’s something called gespar. Would you know what it is like?
Salkath: It is a fruit similar to Terran citrus fruit, though I could not suggest a direct analogue. Should you choose the gespar salad, you will find fresh herbs and a mild spice vinaigrette contained within the dish as well. It is a favored dish, a sound choice if you are so inclined.
Jovenan’s mouth opened in a silent “ah”. If they were like the Terran citruses she knew, a salad would certainly not be a bland porridge.
Dakora: Yeah, that sounds nice. I’ll probably go with that…
When the waiter came, Jovenan ordered a similar salad. Not a single unnecessary word had been uttered, so when the waiter disappeared, not much time had passed and the three Lt Commanders found themselves once again open for discussion. Jovenan wanted to seize the opportunity and learn more of her colleagues, in particular Commander Salkath, whom she knew little about, and approaching the issue through a neutral and inoffensive topic such as work seemed the most reasonable one to her.
Jovenan: Do I remember correctly that you joined the Artemis only after our shore leave to Betazed? So, this was your first visit to the Borderlands, or had you been here before in your previous assignments?
Salkath: That is correct. In my limited time aboard, we have served away from our normal theater of operations more so than within, so this is my first real experience here. During a previous posting, we had a temporary transit to the Celendri Nebula, but that was as close as I have been to the Borderlands before now.
Jovenan nodded. She didn’t remember exactly when Commander Salkath had boarded the Artemis for the first time. She must have been occupied with other matters at the time. The death of her sister-across-the-universes, surviving through CloQ’s tricks and the revelations therein, faring with the Frontier Day and all that trauma… This mission hopefully marked the return to the normal, though some things, within, would never truly recover.
Dakora: I wouldn’t complain if we stuck around for a while. After our last couple of missions, I’ve begun to miss the Borderlands– if you can believe it.
A smile rose to Jovenan’s face. Her thoughts exactly. The Klingons, the Suliban and the Da’al, they all seemed so calm and peaceful after everything else.
Salkath: ::turning to Talos:: And is it true that you were an intelligence officer prior to becoming the executive officer? That is an interesting career arc.
Dakora: Right. Yeah. I was Intel Chief on the Artemis and the Excalibur before that. You know, believe it or not, the roles aren’t all that far apart. I spent a lot of my time as an Intel Officer interpreting and disseminating Intelligence to the Command Officers, so that they could they could stay informed and, in turn, relay the information to their Staff. So the transitions sort of felt… almost natural to me.
Jovenan: I have to admit, I had a very different perception of the intelligence before getting to know some more through you. Looking it now, I can see what you mean.
The discussion was interrupted by the delivery of their orders. Despite the “emotionless”, stoic expression and avoidance of locking their eyes, Jovenan offered the wait staff a pleasant smile. She then turned to her dish and lowered her face closer to it, taking a sniff of it. She could certainly recognise the tangy smell, a telltale sign of sourness she associated with citruses.
Salkath: ::pausing:: Do either of you offer thanks or blessing for your meal? Feel free to do so, you will find those around us accepting of your needs.
Rising her gaze to Commander Salkath, Jovenan quickly pulled her head back away from the dish and adopted a better posture, placing her hands neatly over one another on her lap. She didn’t want to insult either of their cultural or religious traditions by starting her dish, as she had just intended to do. Talos, however, shook his head and looked over at her.
Dakora: I don’t have any specific customs no.
Jovenan: Nothing for me as well. We express gratitude to our God in other ways. ::pause, then with smile:: Thank you for your consideration, though. I appreciate it.
Her appreciation was genuine, since she didn’t expect anyone, in particular the extremely logical Vulcans, to understand the Edo insistence of viewing an interdimensional space station full of unknown aliens as their God. She did sometimes pray, though she didn’t expect a reaction, especially in such a minor matter as food, seeing that the Borderlands were far away from the claims of her god.
Salkath: Response
Now permitted, Jovenan took a taste of her salad. It turned out to be a lot less sour as she had expected, but more pleasant and rather sweet – just like some of her lunch companions once she had got to know them.
Dakora: Jovenan– if you don’t mind my asking– what brought you to Starfleet Academy? I understand there have only been a handful of Edo in Starfleet over the years.
Exaggerating her expressions, Jovenan swallowed her bite before responding.
Jovenan: You’re right, there aren’t many others. Leaving the homeworld hadn’t been even legal for that long before I left. I actually first went to the University on Hurkos III. That decision was… rebellious, I guess. Wanting to leave the stagnant little home town behind.
Jovenan let out a small laughter that came out more nervous than she had intended. Although she could now offer a humorous and self-reflecting explanation, she didn’t really think it was truly youthful rebellion as many other cultures viewed it. If she had been given the chance to make that decision again, she’d make the same choice.
Jovenan: But Starfleet, as I said, was mostly from the desire to see the galaxy. Not many other jobs could offer such a wide array of scientific opportunities and places to see. In a civilian field, the best I could have landed would be some planetary outpost, I guess.
Salkath: Response
Talos smirked again. He was about to say or ask something interesting. Jovenan hovered her fork and a new bite of her salad mid-air, expecting having to respond before she could eat some more.
Dakora: A Chief Science Officer with as many medals and accolades as you… You just might be the most decorated Edo to have ever served in Starfleet.
It was easy to smile back at that remark. Jovenan nodded.
Jovenan: Almost definitely. Not that such things are not particularly important to my people. My old family doesn’t really care. ::puts some food in, raises finger and swallows quickly:: There are some accomplished Edo out there, though. I met our representative to the Federation Council in Paris just recently. He is… an inspiring person.
Salkath/Dakora: Response
Jovenan didn’t need to ask about the highly-decorated and accomplished Vulcan and Betazoid officers and individuals, those were taught in the history lessons. She still could see an opening for a counter question.
Jovenan: What about you two? What made you apply to the Academy? A childhood dream, curiosity, rebellion?
Dakora/Salkath: Response
Jovenan: Oh? Do I understand that you had a career before entering the Academy as well?
Dakora/Salkath: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11