Cmdr. Alora DeVeau - "Time To Pack"
Amanda Nordstrom
((Awards Ceremony, Rooftop Garden Patio, Soldotna))
Alora had joined the rest of the crew with the applause, congratulating those who had received awards as well as promotions. She flashed a smile at Tanner, glad to see him moving up in the ranks. Afterward, Tomas rightly received his own recognition, and she was glad the woman had paused to do that. However, Alora hadn’t expected to be notified that she had only ten hours to get her and her daughter all packed up to move to the Eagle. It seemed she wasn’t going to get any sleep for the next twenty four hours. Despite the sudden news, she didn’t want to seem rude, and something was bugging her about Williams. The man looked familiar, but she couldn’t remember what. Something about him sparked the remnants of a memory, but it remained in the back of her head, like a hazy dream that upon waking, she couldn’t quite recall. So, she made an inquiry.
DeVeau: Williams, I understand you arrived rather recently. Where did you serve before here?
Of course she could have certainly taken a look at his public profile, and likely would still but it was a conversation opener, and it also opened doors that would allow others to get to know the man better.
Williams: That is quite a list. I started on the Apollo, that was about 12 years ago. From there to the Apollo-A, the Constitution, and a short stay on the Excalibur and Za. So me and our new CO have a short shared history.
Immediately, Alora’s eyes lit up. That was it! That was it! She hadn’t been dreaming or hallucinating, nor was she going crazy. She did recognise the man from somewhere.
DeVeau: Oh really?
Williams: Well… as much fun as teaching can be. I wanted to be back out here. Make a real difference, and be at the place where it all happens.
DeVeau: I see.
Then again, maybe she was wrong. But no, she wasn’t. He had to be the same one, after all, they had served together, though she had literally only been around him for about ten minutes, and they had only interacted once afterward, and only over voice coms.
Williams: From what the commodore just told us, it seems we are once more heading towards the unknown.
Drex: Why do you keep saying we? :: He suddenly blurted out, then realized who he was talking to :: I apologize, Sir.
Opening her mouth, Alora started to mention her thoughts, but Drex’s sudden exclamation distracted her. She turned toward the Denobulan and, for the first time, noticed the distress on his face.
Deveau: Are you all right?
Drex: The Commodore is taking the Eagle, but she did not say we’ll all transfer there. The ship is almost fully staffed, needing only a few officers to complete it.
Alora’s eyes slid over the crowd, but the new CO, while not the shortest of the bunch, was hidden somewhere in the crowd of people. Either that, or she had slipped out - Alora wasn’t sure which.
DeVeau: It might be. Starfleet shifts around staff all the time, and I don’t know the full extent of the orders -who’s staying, who’s going.
Williams: Response
Drex: No Sir, I'm not at all excited about the idea of a transfer. Ships can be useful and interesting, but this place still has a million secrets that interest me much more.
Her expression softened and Alora couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Even if they were only limited to the immediate area that Denali encompassed, there was so much to discover. They weren’t, though, and the ring only offered millions upon millions of opportunities for discovery - but if they were those called to the Eagle, it seemed their time there was to come to an end. She could understand the desire to remain and dig deeper for answers.
Williams: Response
Despite wanting to physically offer some comfort, Alora refrained. Although Drex was quickly becoming more like family than simply a fellow crew member (after all, he was Uncle Drex), she knew the man didn’t care for physical touch. So, her hands remained at her side as she offered an expression of sympathy. He didn’t deal well with change, but if she had learned nothing else in her time as a Starfleet officer, she had learned that change was inevitable. Evidently, he made the decision to switch tactics and broach the more recent events.
Drex: Congratulations to both of you on your awards :: Said sincerely to cover up the next lie :: I have a project going on in the lab that needs to be checked out. With your permission, I wish you a nice evening.
DeVeau: Of course. I’ll touch base with you later.
And as much as she would like to remain, she had her hands full. By that point, Shyla was asleep, but she had to talk to Bini and see if the woman was willing to come, and if she was, if that was even allowed. Then there was the matter of making sure all her plants were packed up not to mention clothes, toys, instruments. No, she was not going to get any sleep that night. With a soft sigh, she turned to the chief security officer.
DeVeau: Unfortunately, this announcement means I have to get going. I have a lot more to pack up than some do.
At least she could put all her plants into stasis without too much trouble, but still, it was a lot. Oh her beautiful quarters, all that room! Hopefully she could find a way to fit it all on the ship - Alora had been far too spoiled between Ops and Denali. She followed a soft sigh with a small smile.
DeVeau: We can reminisce about the Za later.
The smile turned a bit mischievous as she turned and walked away, not allowing the man a response before her departure. No, she had far too much to do, and WIlliams would just have to wait for an explanation.
Williams: Response
[End scene for Alora]
-- Commander Alora DeVeau Chief Science Officer & Second Officer Denali Station & Matriarch of the 15th House Betazed M239008AD0