LtCmdr. Talos Dakora - Lunch and Learn
Travis
((Second Promenade, Deck 227 - DS224))
Having navigated the issue of Salkath’s apology to Jovenan (in a way that would hopefully avoid adding any extra paddwork to his plate) the trio had moved on to happier subjects; Namely lunch.
Dakora: I’m not vegetarian, but I don’t have a problem with a vegetarian meal now and then. You’ll have to give us some recommendations, Salkath.
Salkath: Certainly. They are sure to have pok tar or plomeek soup, but we will see what they have on the menu…
With an expression that he hoped projected excitement rather than trepidation, Talos fell in stride beside the others as they made their way to the restaurant.
((Yem-tukh Nar-tor’i, Second Promenade - DS224))
Authentic.
That was how Talos would describe the Vulcan eatery. From the no-frills decor to equally neutral waitstaff, the place was… well, exactly how he would’ve imagined a Vulcan restaurant.
Now seated at a small, nondescript table pouring over a menu that didn’t seem to include the typical Federation Standard translations, he noticed that the tables around them seemed to be filled primarily with Vulcans as well.
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.
He smiled to himself, wondering if Jovenan was as lost as he was in trying to decipher the menu. But if nothing else, that gespar salad sounded pleasant enough. Better than the rather bland broth that made up plomeek soup.
Dakora: Yeah, that sounds nice. I’ll probably go with that…
The server appeared and took each of their orders without so much as a word in response. Once she had gone, Jovenan made good on her desire to get to know the Artemis’ most senior Engineer.
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.
Talos winced and shook his head. The past few missions had been far from what any of them would consider routine. They’d gone from careening through time at the whim of a mad Q, to a front-row seat at the Frontier Day disaster, followed by a Prime Directive crisis.
Yeah, cruising around the Borderlands peacefully projecting the strength of the Federation for a while did sound rather nice at the moment.
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.
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.
Talos grinned and shrugged. While not all ships had their own dedicated Intelligence Officers, He’d been lucky enough to land the spot on both the Excalibur and then the Artemis. It had been a challenging role, but he’d always thought it had done a decent job of preparing him for the transition to command.
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: response
Unsurprisingly, the food was prepared and delivered with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. The plate of salad with the little bits of citrusy-smelling fruit certainly looked appetizing, even as he caught a whiff of the pungent-but-not-necessarily-bad vegetable dish that had been placed in front of Salkath.
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.
Shaking his head slowly, Talos looked to Jovenan. While he wasn’t particularly pious, he knew plenty of Betazoids who might say a quick word of thanks to the Four Deities before meals. He understood the Edo to be a similarly religious bunch.
Dakora: I don’t have any specific customs no.
Jovenan: Response
They listened to Jovenan’s response and Talos was careful to be respectful to any specifics of his friend’s faith.
Salkath: Response
Finally, it was time to tuck into their meals and Talos found himself pleasantly surprised by the array of interesting flavors created by both the fruit and the vinaigrette dressing as well. He’d just finished a bite and wiped his lips with a napkin when he directed his attention to Jovenan again.
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.
Jovenan: Response
Salkath: Response
Talos listened, enjoying the conversation and the food, despite any of his previous reservations. He shot Jovenan a smirk as he replied.
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.
Jovenan: Response
Salkath: Response
LtCmdr. Talos Dakora
First Officer
USS Artemis-A
O238811CD0