Lt Cmdr. Avander Promontory: Getting to Know You
Avander Promontory
(( Senior Officers Mess Hall, Deck 2, USS Octavia E Butler ))
The new officers had arrived punctually, and Avander waved them over to the central table—preset and well-stocked with finger foods from a variety of worlds. Avander used a popularity filter on the replicator codes and then gotten a variety, so that he was sure to cover most palettes.
Promontory: Dig in! After you have some food, maybe we could do formal introductions.
He had read all their personnel files, of course, but tonight was about getting to know them in a personal way.
If there was any initial reticence from the ensign, it faded away as they voraciously got tuck into the repast.
Nis: Oh, mhmph :: She swallowed and cleared her throat :: We mean, we're Jania Nis. I'm the . . . ::counting on her fingers :: ninth host of the Nis symbiont, and the first doctor. Two hosts ago, Nis and Lahl were . . . familiar. We were friends, right?
Oh, the Trills knew each other way back when! Avander’s El-Aurian family had similarly long memories, but without the added twist of taking on a new host body every so often. Avander was glad the new kids had some ‘built-in’ friendships already. If they were, in fact, friends.
Lahl: Some people might have called us that. However, I’m surprised you didn’t choke on your food, your palate never was that refined. ::with a playful tone::
Nis: Well, friends is how we remember it, anyway. it's a privilege to serve in Starfleet, and thank you for having us at this event. What else should we share?
Promontory: Whatever else you feel comfortable sharing. (spreading out his palms) There’s no wrong answers here.
oO Unless you lie… Oo he thought to himself, oO that would probably count as a wrong answer… Oo
Nis: Oh, well, you see, Nis's host before me was in an accident, and she . . . and she . . . :: Jania rubbed her mouth. :: She died in front of me. I was a little young at the time, but Nis would have died if I hadn't let it bond with me. And once we were together, we both thought, you know, we never wanted to see that kind of thing happen again. Because we think--it's not worth dwelling on this kind of thing, but maybe, had we known the right skills, we could have saved her. And now we do know the right skills. Anyway, what about you? How did you get into Starfleet?
Promontory: Oh! Um… I’m sorry for your loss? But glad to have you with us. I suppose I was always heading for Starfleet. I’m dad’s an enlisted fabrication engineer at Antares shipyards. My older brother served in the Dominion War.
He decided to leave out the bit about his brother actually being a half-brother (well, ¾ brother technically) and his disappearance with his ship almost a quarter of a century ago. Perhaps at the next meal.
Lahl: Oh that’s interesting.
Caras: ::stuffing his face an nodding enthusiastically::
Lahl: Anywho, I am Ensign Kimonzi Lahl, sixth host of the Lahl symbiont, but first in Starfleet. And yes, Lahl and Nis had a playful rivalry when Lahl was joined with Timorzin Lahl, and Nis was joined with Mibahm Nis. Hopefully this host has better taste buds and can properly appreciate good food. ::again in a playful tone::
Caras: It’s very hard not to enjoy whatever… this is ::taking several ravenous bites::
Promontory: (smiling) I’m glad you enjoy it. I hear the Regelian Quiche is particularly good.
Avander took a few of them and put them on his plate but held off eating as he listened to the rest of the introductions.
Nis:Response
Lahl: I ultimately joined Starfleet because I wanted to see the galaxy and had always been interested in taken apart and fixing the coolest technology, and Starfleet had that in spades. However, I did get started in the Academy late at age 20, and I also took a two year sabbatical because…I sought out a symbiont, and then I received Lahl. My personnel file makes note of my previous name “Nedan”.
Caras: Came back with even more knowledge than Starfleet could have given you in those two years.
Nis: Response
Promontory: (to Lahl) Anything else?
Lahl: And that’s about the basics for me.
Avander turned, with the others, to face the (in many ways) greenest ensign.
Caras: ::swallowing:: Ah, I’m sorry, It’s just I haven’t eaten anything all day. Busy shift and all.
Nis: Response
Avander smiled encouragingly.
Caras: I’m Ensign Morro Caras. I’m an Orion ::looking down at himself:: and I joined StarFleet because they really helped me out and granted me asylum. They protected me and my sister from some people who wanted us dead. They did it all for free and they did it with great loss to themselves. I’m not sure If I joined to pay them back, or If I joined to make sure that there were more people like them in the galaxy.
Despite the assembled lifetime experience in the room, there was a moment of silent processing as the others digested all that information. An Orion in Starfleet was still a relatively rare phenomenon, Nerse Salo notwithstanding. Avander exchanged a glance at Kimonzi, an unspoken communication that their stories for joining up were still valid, even if their reasons were more mundane.
Promontory: Well, (beat) we all come from somewhere!
Lahl/Nis: Response
Caras: Ah yes, I didn’t mean to make it sound so grave. I’m honestly very glad to be here and glad to have the vocation that I do have.
Promontory: We’re glad to have you. (looking around) All of you. I’ve read the mission reports and I’m very impressed with your first showing. Fine additions to the crew all around!
Lahl/ /Nis: Response
Caras: What about you Commander? Why did the Captain tell you she picked you as her first officer?
Avander was taken aback, although he should have expected something like that. It seemed so long ago now. His mind went back to his conversation with Lia on Deep Space 9 and the kind things she had said about him. But, no, that wasn’t right, that was when they talked about the new ship. The invitation to be the first officer, that was later on the Butler.
Promontory: (nodding solemnly) I believe it was because of my great hair.
He continued holding his face in a deadpan expression for a moment, making eye contact with the ensigns before allowing a slow smile to peek across his face.
Lahl/Nis: Response
Caras: Response
Avander just smiled again and grabbed a beetroot crisp and popped it into his mouth.
Promontory: So… anyone have any big plans for Port Coray or Deep Space 14? You got to enjoy your leave while you can.
Lahl/Nis/Caras: Response
Promontory: I took out the Gamma Flyer with Roger Hartmann—we just had to give this ring another buzz and see how it compared to Denali Station.
Avander grabbed a cheese assortment and sat back.
Lahl/Nis/Caras: Response
Tags/TBC