Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire: Mixed Vibes
Lael Rosek-Skyfire
((Pagrati Lounge, Deck 10, USS Astraeus))
That announcement had been one of the hardest she’d ever had to make, even with the joyful news that followed. It wasn’t something she’d wanted to do, but she recalled vividly the post-partum depression she’d dealt with after Kadain was born and how she’d tried coping with it while running a station.
First officer wasn’t quite the same, but with twins on the way and a history of PPD, she was concerned about the toll of the hormonal rebalancing period would take on her mental health. While it had gotten better as the months had gone by, she still hadn’t fully regained her sense of self until Kadain had turned two.
And here they were about to embark on that journey again.
Veylek: Congratulations. I am sure you will be missed by many, though.
She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Ensign Veylek’s voice and Chythar’s reply.
C. Skyfire: Goes with the territory of Starfleet, I think. Friendships are forever.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: It’s never an easy decision, but there were a lot of factors that went into it. We thought it was the right move for our family.
Veylek: I haven’t been with the crew for very long compared to some of the others, but you have been a pleasure to work alongside and I have been proud to serve under you. I wish you a long and prosperous future.
She was touched by the sentiment and had to fight back tears. Oh, the damned hormones. They were going to make her crazy. This sort of thing wasn’t supposed to start this soon. Exhaling a shaky breath, she forced the intense emotions back behind the mental wall she’d built, allowing herself to observe and recognize them, but not be surrounded by them.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::smiles:: Thank you, Ensign. That means a lot.
As the ensign stepped back, S’Rorr, their new resident Caitian, approached and offered a hand to each her and Chythar in turn. Smiling she accepted the hand when it came her way.
S'Rorr: Thank you for inviting me to the party. It's really, really lovely. You both look very handsome. Are you excited?
C. Skyfire: Beyond words. A bit shocked at having twins though.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::chuckles:: Mo ghràdh, you act like I don’t have a twin brother. I would actually have been shocked if we never had twins. As a doctor, you know the odds double if there are twins on either side.
For the first time this evening, she was able to truly bask in the fact that she and Chythar had created two lives of their own love…lives that would change theirs in ways they couldn’t yet imagine.
S'Rorr: A toast! To new family, new friends, and new frontiers.
Tam: Hear, hear. Congratulations on your new family members and the new path your life will take.
C. Skyfire: Thank you. We’ll need all the luck we can get.
Before she could respond, she felt a strange rush of emotion and it took her a minute to sort properly. Of course, Wyatt’s sudden statement helped them to make more sense.
Ral: Sorry but I need to leave. I’ll catch up with you all later.
She sombered, recalling the feelings she’d been wrestling with over the last several days. The transfer orders had come not long after her request, leading her to wonder if Starfleet hadn’t had other plans for her and hadn’t needed to change her assignment based on new information. It would certainly explain why details were still pending.
It didn’t take an empath to understand that Wyatt was feeling upset, likely about all of the sudden changes. She felt for their Chief Engineer, realizing that this couldn’t be easy on him. Many of their senior staff hadn’t known anything but the Astraeus. Her, Chythar, and Mei were the exceptions to that. They’d served aboard so many ships over the course of their careers that transfers were just part and parcel.
Not that they were ever easy. But at least having been through the process a handful of times removed some of the uncertainty about what would happen next.
S’Rorr took that moment to slip away.
Caldwell: Is he ok?
Rosek-Skyfire: ::smiles wanly:: Are any of us, really? Everyone reacts to this sort of thing in different ways. I’m certain he just needs some time to process. I’ll check on him tomorrow.
Munshi / Mei’konda: Response
Shortrith / Wright / Tovaan: Response
Tim was the next to approach, offering a congratulatory handshake like S’Rorr had. She accepted, though her thoughts were still partially on Wyatt. Like Chris, she was concerned about the engineer, but not really in a place to find him and see if he was all right.
Alentonis: It's been fun, commanders. We'll be in touch, regardless where you wind up.
C. Skyfire: Thanks, Tim. Always a pleasure.
She leaned against Chythar’s shoulder, squeezing the crook of his elbow tightly. She and Tim had served together since the initial launch of the Astraeus, working tirelessly to perfect the formula for the Reskari alloy. That work would continue, though it would need to be done primarily through written communications and the occasional video call.
It just wouldn’t be the same.
Munshi: Response
Caldwell: Sorry all, I just have to go check on something.
Lael wasn’t completely oblivious. Chris had always been very in tune with the moods and needs of the crew. It was what made him such an amazing second officer and what had made him a wonderful acting first officer. She couldn’t have imagined getting through the tension between the Al-Leyan factions without him at her right hand.
Mei’konda: Response
She offered Chris a grateful smile, uncertain if he actually saw it, before he exited to seek Wyatt out.
Any: Response
Hameldon: Who wants cake?
She groaned, resisting the urge to bury her face in her hands, thankful she and Chythar had chosen not to learn the genders yet or they’d likely be facing a gender reveal. But knowing Annalise and how far the ship still was from Earth, that didn’t mean it wasn’t in their future.
After all, she was a terrible liar.
((OOC: Feel free to keep this going and end whenever you wish. ))