JP - Lieutenant Madison Marsh, Lieutenant Gila Sadar, Lieutenant Commander Robin Hopper, & Commander Alora DeVeau - “The Velestus Conference” - Part I
Madison Marsh
Part I
((Docking Bay 23, Starbase 118))
The first leg of her journey was completed. Gila was still slightly overwhelmed with the fact that this request for leave had actually been confirmed - though she was not ignorant of the sarcastic way that the Captain had commented that Gila’s ‘request for leave’ was in actuality a ‘request for work’ - as she stepped out of the shuttle, the USS Hera. In a few days, she would board another shuttle - the one in charge of bringing her and the other attendees from this area of the Quadrant to Velestus for the conference.
She was looking forward to the conference. She was certain she’d be able to learn a lot - she was particularly looking forward to Dr. Brenner’s presentation on the use of synaptic prosthetics, as it would likely have some great pointers for her OlSOR-project - but more so than that, she was looking forward to actually seeing Velestus in person. She’d heard so much about it, and she had probably the most qualified tour guide lined up.
Speaking of the sun…
Madison approached Gila with a warm smile on her face and arms wide open to welcome her back to Ops. She pulled Gila in and glanced up at her significantly taller form with her ocean blue gaze. It was nice to be reunited with her best friend from Starfleet Academy. Gila had been shipped off to the USS Artemis while Madison was stationed on Ops for her assignment.
Marsh: Gila! My favorite Mizarian.
Sadar: ::embarrassed smile:: H-Hi Madi-net.
The hug that followed was not entirely unexpected, but Gila still felt the powerful urge to twist her anxiety band as she awkwardly patted the back of her short friend. The height disparity was probably one of the things that most triggered Gila’s anxious nature when dealing with Madi-net’s expressive brand of affection. If only Gila didn’t stand out like a tower-sized cutout of panicking cardboard, this wouldn’t be so bad.
She held Gila tight in their hug for a moment before releasing her. She knew that if she held the hug for too long that she would embarrass Gila further. However, she wanted Gila to come out of her shell and this was the first step in doing just that. Madison took a step back and tilted her head slightly as she responded in an upbeat tone of voice.
Marsh: How was your trip?
Sadar: G-Good. Uneventful, which is always nice… ::looks around, discreetly:: It’s… Weird, being back here. It’s already been 9 months since we graduated.
Madison nodded her head once in acknowledgement. Gila did have a point, it had been a while since graduation and would understandably be somewhat strange to be back where she had started. They had learned and grown a lot based on their experiences on the Artemis and the Narendra as a whole. Nevertheless it was nice to hear that her trip was uneventful and that she had arrived in one piece.
Marsh: I’m glad that you are here and weird is not always a bad thing, my dear. It definitely has been a long nine months though. A lot has happened since our days together at the Academy.
Sadar: ::slightest lapse of attention, followed by a morose expression:: That’s certainly true...
Madison raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she had many questions for Gila to answer. She was naturally curious to see where she had travelled, what she had been up to, and learn about new friends she had made on the Artemis. She would also be bringing Gila to her quarters to stay until their transport to Velestus arrived in the coming days.
Marsh: Come walk with me Gila. I will take you to my quarters because I’m sure that you want to get settled in as soon as possible. Tell me a little bit about your time on the Artemis. How do you like it there overall? Give me all of the details, girl.
Gila followed her exuberant friend with a nervous chuckle. Madison was what some people might call a bit of a ‘gossip’, but never from any malicious intent. She was simply very invested in her friends’ daily lives, or that’s how Gila saw it anyway.
Sadar: The Artemis is… Interesting. The crew is very diverse, both in species and personalities, and our missions are as varied. Some days, I’ve considered whether I made the wrong choice requesting my first posting to be an actively serving vessel. My research progresses at a snail’s pace because of all the interruptions, but… ::slight smile:: It’s also invigorating.
The pair of friends continued on their path to the turbolift. Madison listened closely to Gila, but definitely wished there were no restrictions on site to site transporting. If she could, she would have beamed the two of them directly to her quarters to make it easier. However, at the same time, she understood that it consumed energy and was to be used sparingly each month. It sounded like Gila’s first assignment was a mixed bag and she hoped that over time the Artemis would fully grow on her friend. No assignment was perfect and every ship or station likely had opportunities left to be desired in her eyes.
Marsh: I’m sorry to hear about the interruptions, but perhaps a bit of work-life balance would prove to be beneficial to you in time. I do believe that every ship and station has their own pros and cons though.
((Turbolift, Starbase 118))
After walking for a few minutes they finally arrived at the turbolift. It definitely took longer to travel around a space station in comparison to being on a ship. Wait until Gila heard what deck number her quarters were on. She entered the turbolift along with Gila and glanced upward into space for a moment addressing the invisible computer.
Marsh: Deck one thousand. ::Madison shifted her gaze to Gila:: There are a lot of decks here compared to the Artemis. Have you made any new friends over there? If so, I want to hear about them as well.
Sadar: Friends? … ::considers:: I-I don’t think so. I did make one - a Bajoran named Vailani Zoyara - but she was part of the transferred crew moved to the USS Ronin when it launched. Wh-What about you?
Her own short list of friends that transferred away from Ops ran through her mind: Alora DeVeau, Aine Sherlock, and Karen Stendhal had all moved on to other assignments. She missed them dearly, but there was always subspace or shore leave to take the time to catch up with them. They had proven to be lasting friendships over the course of time. There were always new officers assigned to Ops as well, so there were plenty of opportunities to make new friends for Madison. There were so many others that she had yet to meet due to the sheer size of the crew.
Marsh: I know what you mean about friends transferring to other assignments. It can be a drag, but there are always others to connect with on the Artemis. I have made several friends on Ops and I’m in a relationship now which is lovely.
Sadar: ::wide eyes:: WHAT!?
Madison grinned in response to Gila. She knew what her friend wanted to hear, but she wanted to be playful and drag out the conversation longer. Madison enjoyed teasing her friends for her own amusement from time to time by withholding information for a few moments. She did know that there was no escape from spilling the information to Gila now, but the point was that she wanted her to know about Haukea. She chuckled slightly in response to Gila’s adorable reaction.
Marsh: What?
Gila etched closer to her friend in a very uncharacteristic display of fervor.
Sadar: Details. Now.
Madison provided Gila with a brilliant smile flashing her pearly whites. She patted her best friend’s shoulder softly and then set her hand back down at her side. Her eye contact was direct and anyone could tell that she had been looking forward to telling someone about her new relationship.
Marsh: I’m seeing Haukea Willow, she is a security officer who works on the Crisis Response Team. She’s a joy to be around and makes me very happy. I would like you to meet her at some point.
This was monumentous! Gila was aware that Centaurans didn’t attribute the same significance to a life-long partnership as Mizarians did - not in a ‘less important’-way, but in the more organic way that these were allowed to form. It wasn’t that her family had held long-standing interviews with this Officer Willow, but more so that Madi-net had been allowed to single out a person of interest and approach their possible connection with a vested interest.
And yet, Gila couldn’t quite help but feel guilty at not having been here for the obligatory compatibility evaluations that were customary for close relations to make in her own culture, along with some others. Particularly since Madi-net showed such an interest in introducing the two of them!
oO Damn long-distance friendships! Oo
Sadar: ::eager expression:: I would love to!
She knew that Gila was introverted, but that she would take the time to meet someone important to her at least. Overall, Gila was an incredible person and friend who meant the galaxy to Madison. The two women were opposites, but made each other better through their friendship.
Marsh: That is music to my ears, thank you Gila. I think that you and Haukea will get along well.
Sadar: If this is a woman who’s caught your eye, Madi-net, I’m certain she’s a remarkable person.
((Deck 1000, Starbase 118))
The turbolift came to a complete stop at Deck 1000. Madison extended a long arm indicating for Gila to exit the lift. She would follow and continue walking side by side down the corridor to her quarters.
Marsh: We are almost to my quarters, I promise. You know it’s humorous that Haukea lives across the hall from me. What a coincidence, right? She’s unfortunately away for a few days or I would take you to her right now.
Sadar: Oh, d-don’t worry about that! I’ll make the time, I promise. If necessary, I’ll apply for an extra period of absence.
She had a look of surprise on her face caused by Gila’s inherent desire to meet Haukea. Gila was typically against social activities, so this was new for Madison to witness. There would be no opposition from her and Gila would certainly get what she wanted. However, she had to inquire about the motive of this one. It was likely her just trying to be a good friend, but could it be something else? Madison was about to find out for herself.
Marsh: Am I hearing you correctly? You want to meet another person that’s not a famous researcher? I’m excited to hear that, but do you really mean what you are saying or is this a joke of yours?
Gila shook her head vigorously.
Sadar: If it’s important to you, Madi-net, it’s important to me.
Madison crossed her arms under her chest as she pondered in thought for a moment. She appreciated Gila being the fantastic friend that she was and her words meant the world to her. Her wanting to take time off duty to meet Haukea was music to her ears. She could hug Gila, but knew that it would make her feel uncomfortably awkward, so she refrained for now.
Marsh: I’m excited to hear that, you are the absolute best! We will plan a meeting together in the near future. For now, please get settled in my quarters and then we can check out the rest of the Starbase.
**************
Lieutenant Madison Marsh
Mission Specialist
Starbase 118 Ops
ID: O240006MM1
&
Lieutenant Gila Sadar
Medical Officer
USS Artemis-A
ID: A240006GS1
&
Lt. Commander Robin Hopper
Chief Science Officer and Second Officer
Amity Outpost
ID: V239806K11
&
Commander Alora DeVeau
Chief Science Officer &
Second Officer
Denali Station
&
Matriarch of the 15th House
Betazed
M239008AD0
--
Mission Specialist
Starbase 118 Ops
ID: O240006MM1
