Lieutenant Sira Tovaan: Let's Stay in Touch
Serala
As the speech broke up, she noticed people breaking up into small groups. She hung in the back, nervous and feeling somewhat alone in the crowd. This was a family, and very soon she wouldn’t be part of that family anymore. She wasn’t sure she’d been here long enough to even be considered a member in the first place.
Sira knew she should make her way over and congratulate the happy couple, but she wanted to wait until the crowd thinned out. Instead, she grabbed a plate and served herself a moderate portion of the spread and found a table to sit at. She was just a few bites in when someone made their way over to her.
Shortrith: Hey Sira! May I sit with you?
Tovaan: :: stops mid-bite and looks up :: Oh! Please, have a seat.
Shortrith: Thanks! ::pours themself a glass of water:: would you like one?
Tovaan: Yes, that would be great. This food is wonderful, but I need something to wash it down with.
Shortrith: I'm sorry if I'm not the first person to ask this, but… how are you doing with everything?
She paused, just about to put another spoonful of food into her mouth and turned to face the doctor, looking her in the eyes out of respect.
Tovaan: I believe you are the first person to ask me that and I appreciate it very much. And to answer your question, I am not sure. I–
She paused, trying to consider how much she should admit.
Tovaan: I left someone I care about very much to come serve on this ship, and just a short while ago I received new transfer orders. I’m just not sure how I should feel. Especially after embarrassing myself on the away mission last week.
Shortrith: I feel that… It's so confusing, I must admit.
Tovaan: Confusing. Yes, that and more.
She spent a good while speaking with Renaie. She felt a bit better about things afterward, but that just meant one more potential friend she was going to have to leave behind.
(( timeskip ))
((Galaxy Lounge, Deck 26, USS Astraeus))
Sira made her way into the lounge. It had been a long shift planning routes through the Expanse. The nature of the Expanse made travel difficult for most ships, and while the Astraeus didn’t face that challenge, their flexibility did present other challenges. Sovereign space, for one. She had to be careful not to plot courses through restricted space, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
She was just taking a seat and was hoping the waiter would arrive quickly when she spotted Renaie making their way over.
Shortrith: Hey Sira! How are you?
Tovaan: Greetings, Renaie. I’m well enough. Thank you for asking. And, how is it going with you?
Shortrith: I'm… It's going. Would you like anything to drink? I can grab it for ya.
That response indicated to her that there was more going on than they had let on, but she wasn’t going to press just yet.
Tovaan: That would be great. It looks busy and the waiter might take a few minutes getting here. I would like a Rodulan Red, if you don’t mind.
Shortrith: Sounds good… and just out of curiosity, would you be up for keeping in touch when we eventually get transferred?
That thought pleased her very much. She wanted to stay in touch with some of the people here. It would feel less like starting over. She’d already done that once with Anika, and she didn’t want to go through that again.
Tovaan: I would love that. I’m being sent back to Earth, the Academy, for additional training in Intelligence Analysis. Apparently, I’m to be reassigned as an analyst somewhere. But classes should take about a year, from what I was told, so it would be great to have someone to talk to.
Shortrith: Response
Tovaan: I will be sure to do that. Have you received your assignment yet?
Shortrith: Response
She nodded and looked Renaie in the eyes.
Tovaan: Well, when you do, you know where to contact me. I hate starting over and it will be nice to have someone familiar to talk to.
Shortrith: Response