JP: Lt. Cmdr. Sevantha Saa & Cmdr. Alora DeVeau: Where Fate Finds Us
Amanda Nordstrom
(( Sevantha’s Counseling Suite, Deck 10, USS Thor ))
oO Mandatory counseling until further notice…Oo
Sevantha read the notice attached to Alora’s file once again as she prepared for their session. The lights of the room were dimmed to a faint blue, the holographic waterfall splashed in the corner into a small pond with a few flower and stone cushions for patients needing meditation space. Faint stars twinkled on the ceiling above as Sevantha played with the settings on her PADD and set it out for Alora to set as she desired. Currently her African Violet was getting a little more tender love and care in the nursery after she’d been away from it during her Division 14 vision. Morro tried to care for it but with Gwen’ora and Vala also out of action, he’d simply tried his best.
She’d do one more passover Alora’s file, noting several redacted entries limited to certain Commanders, but offered a hint of the long career Alora had in Starfleet.
Then the door slid open and in came the Commander Matriarch.
Saa: Alora, welcome.
She stood up to greet her.
For Alora’s part, she met the woman with a smile. She was no stranger to counselling. Since her first traumatic experience in Starfleet, she had seen her share of counsellor’s offices. After the accident at the research station, that intermittent counselling had turned consistent, requiring a weekly, if not monthly session with a counsellor. The problem was, not all had the required security clearance to understand the entirety of what had occurred. However, she’d had others work with general knowledge, if not specific knowledge the past and do their best to help her. To be honest, she got more out of her calls with Raymond than anyone else since Ashley’s departure from Ops.
Now, she was on a new ship, and she was required to see a new counsellor. Back on the Eagle, she’d been quite happy to have Karen, because they were friends, and that always made it so much easier. With the transfer to the Thor, there was no guarantee of any of that, but she was happy to see that the person she was assigned to was none other than a young woman she’d met when she proctored an exam. Sevantha Saa.
DeVeau: It’s always good to see you, Sevantha.
Saa: You’re right on time, I was just getting the room set… ::looks around:: Though you’ll be able to set the environment to something you feel more relaxed in.
DeVeau: I rather like this, actually.
Her eyes drifted around, taking in the scenery, her eyes lingering over the water which added a pleasant natural melody to the atmosphere.
Sitting back down in her seat, Sevantha set her PADD to the side, pushed control PADD towards the Matriarch.
Saa: How are things?
DeVeau: Things are going well, thank you.
Settling down in a comfortable chair, she crossed one leg over the other and eased herself into the the plush lining, wiggling a little in enjoyment.
DeVeau: How about you?
Saa: I am well, settling into the new office, you’re the first getting an actual visit. ::speaks lower:: I prefer it to the CMO office.
Alora paused and found the control that allowed her to change the settings as Sevantha had indicated. She paused for a moment, then decided to add one tiny thing to what Sevantha had on display. Tapping a bit, she grinned as she came to a setting, selected, then set it down. Immediately, several fish appeared in the little pool where the water from the fall spilled over. Gold, silvery white, and even several that sported splashes of black danced beneath the surface.
DeVeau: Koi.
She explained as she set aside the little control, her addition the only thing she changed about the entire thing.
DeVeau: A type of carp native to Japan on Earth. I have a particular fondness for them.
Alas, she could not easily have a pond on a ship, but at least the holograms gave a semblance of one. Perhaps she would see if the arboretum had a spot she could take advantage of. That would be lovely, wouldn’t it?
Saa: They are lovely. Is Japan your home?
The name of the country was familiar, she believed Dr. Kris Fianna whom she’d previously worked with was from there, though Earth geography was not her strong suit.
DeVeau: Actually, I was born in the United States, in a State called Georgia, but we moved to Japan when I was 10. Honestly, it’s more my home than Georgia ever was.
Even though transporters made travelling easy, the company wanted her father closer, and he had been happy to transition. Even her mother hadn’t minded, and Alora had certainly embraced the culture entirely - and Japan had embraced her and her family.
Saa: You feel more more kinship with Japan than this Georgia? ::considers:: I understand the feeling as often ships become our homes…
DeVeau: And you’re from Betazed. While I’m not native, it is now where my home is.
Even though Japan would always be home to her, Betazed had wriggled its way into her heart, even before she’d met Kalin. With Kestra a close friend, she’d come to know the people and culture through her, and even more thoroughly since Kalin’s death. Now, she was a Matriarch, placed there through marriage, though there had been those who protested it. However, Enzada had insured her seat when she died by putting Alora in her will, and previous to that, it had already been legally decided that her position did fall (legally) within the Nobility Charter. It was a strange position to be in, but there she was.
Saa: …It is a hard place not to love.
DeVeau: You are correct.
It was even harder not to love it when it was the birthplace and home of someone you loved and who loved you in return. That made it all the more special in her heart. Across from her, she observed the counsellor, and felt something was off, though what, or why, Alora could not say.
Somedays her heart longed for Betazed, but she remembered a home that was destroyed when she was young, and while it’d been rebuilt, she struggled to see it the same.
Saa: How has it been settling in on the new ship, for yourself and your daughter, it is a big change… ::she lingers:: And I would be nagged terribly if I didn’t share Velaan is on call if you ever need it with Operations, he’s offered more than once.
Velaan hadn’t properly introduced himself but the moment he’d heard a human Matriarch was on board, he’d eagerly offered his assistance. Sevantha had refused to introduce him until Divya had wrangled him down in Operations a little more… or the two would feed off one another, to which Sevantha sighed inwardly.
Velaan….oh! It took a moment, but Alora realised she was talking about her brother, the man she’d mentioned in one of their subspace calls. She hadn’t met him, but hopefully she would have that pleasure soon.
DeVeau: I’ll be sure to take him up on it if I need anything.
Truthfully, she probably wouldn’t ask specifically for him. Just like everyone else, Alora was an officer on the Thor, not a Matriarch - not really. Her position didn’t mean anything there, and that was just fine.
Saa: I would like to ask about your Counseling history, from your perspective, along with what your goals are.
Mandatory counseling wasn’t something people were actively enthusiastic about, so she tried to offer those forced into the situation some controls by letting them create goals and helping build upon those. Stretching out her legs, Sevantha took a more relaxed posture to quietly encourage Alora to feel comfortable doing the same thing. Ever since her birthday celebration with Wes and Lhandon, she’d reflected how much counseling adverse people enjoyed simply existing comfortably in a space and talking. The formality often created a space that felt too observational. Nesre’s own advice had also encouraged her to continue developing her method and space, and Krystal’s talents had inspired her to learn the system considerably better to fix it herself.
Already sitting in a relaxed position, Alora sank further into it by resting her elbow upon the arm of the chair and leaning her head upon her hand. Her eyes half closed in an almost sleepy, though her verdant gaze shone through the shadows of her lashes, bright and quite alert.
DeVeau: It’s been an ongoing thing for some time now. It was rough for a while, but I’ve come a long way. Shyla’s birth has certainly been a light.
A light and a delight. That baby had changed so much in her life, and only in good ways.
DeVeau: What about you. You’ve not had it easy yourself.
Of course, one only had to look at her to see that Sevantha herself had changed - recently, and quite quickly. Seeing her had been something of a shock. Vala hadn’t been the only one affected by that strange creature’s abilities.
Saa: …I had nice stay in Division 14 with Rivka, though, I got out…
Rivka didn’t, but she didn’t voice it out loud.
DeVeau: I’m sure your family was shocked. It can’t be easy.
Her lips curled into a small smile and gently shook her head.
Saa: I haven’t informed them yet, I’d just been working on how to inform them about Velaan and now this. I worry about an extreme response
Alora’s eyes opened, returning to normal before her lips curled down in a frown. An extreme response…well, being in Starfleet often meant extreme events, but yes, she could agree this was one of the most that she had seen. Still…
DeVeau: Why do you worry about that?
Saa: My mother isn’t a fan of Starfleet, it’s likely she’d try to arrange a match within families in service to Houses directly or try to find a lesser house family to marry me into. ::pushes hair from face:: …And then I can surprise her with an Orion partner.
DeVeau: It sounds like she has a lot of expectations of you.
Mothers could be very exacting on Betazoid. Since it was a Matriarchal society, it was the women who usually held the ‘power’. Not that men were second class citizens - by no means - but the women usually took the seats of authority. If Kalin had not married or perished, he would have had the house until he married and bore a child, hopefully a girl, who would then inherit. At least, that’s what Alora thought. Realising she wasn’t exactly sure, she made a mental note to look into that, more out of curiosity than anything.
Despite the traumatic experience, Sevantha found herself more than willing to make light of her mother’s reaction to the events. The two had always been at odds since Velaan’s death. Eyes darted down to the Koi as they swam by, enjoying the reflective nature of their scales in the blue light.
Saa: Is Shyla adjusting to the ship well? Change can be difficult, you were on Denali for a while until you were transferred to the Eagle, and now you’re in a whole new Quadrant.
DeVeau: She misses the man who became an Uncle to her. Drex. He’s a denobulan, and a brother of my heart.
‘Unca Dex’ was still often mentioned, and there was no way Shyla would forget that man. He’d made too much of an impression upon the child. Upon them both.
DeVeau: But she’s resilient, and she’ll adjust in time. Her nanny came with us, so there’s some stability amidst the chaos.
Saa: I am glad to hear, my first posting had a number of civilians and families, I always find it refreshing to see a glimpse of the lives Starfleet Officers outside the uniform. ::She smiled faintly:: I look forward to one day meeting Shyla. Has the change been difficult for you?
Lifting her head, Alora motioned with her now freed hand toward Saa’s PADD where the woman could find all the information about her service record.
DeVeau: I’ve had a lot of change in my life. From Georgia to Japan, to the Academy, and the Thor is the 10th posting I’ve had since I graduated. Starfleet has chosen to move me around a lot, but it’s a life I knew would come with that sort of change.
She paused, her eyes meeting the other woman’s, the rings quite vibrant in ebony background.
DeVeau: I’m not the only one who’s had to deal with change.
Saa: …Change has been something common throughout my life as well, I’m sure the most I will have to endure this round is my mother’s…::pausing to search for a polite word:: perceptions and opinions.
DeVeau: Never mind what your parents think. What about you?
Saa: I… ::She tilted her head:: There are good days where I feel I have adapted and then there are days I look into the mirror and I remember this was not my face, no matter how much it tried to fix what it broke.
Sevantha reached up to twirl a straight piece of blonde hair to illustrate a piece of her that had been changed.
Alora understood that. While her physical changes weren’t apparent on the outside, the accident she’d been in had certainly modified her in ways that she could not ‘fix’. There was no fixing it, at least not yet. Perhaps not ever. As far as she knew, it would kill her, sooner than her life should have ended had things progressed naturally. She had come to terms with that, and made plans because of it.
DeVeau: Do you feel like it broke you?
Saa: I don’t feel broken, no. I feel different… Morro says my mind feels different too but I’m still in there, and whatever side effects emerge, I’ll continue reporting to Division 14 and the science departments. ::She tilts her head:: The main thing I’m worried about currently are my nightmares bleeding through my bonds. Lightly she tapped her head then paused in consideration before looking up at Alora with concern.
Saa: Have you ever had such issues with a telepath’s dream pulling you in?
That was a loaded question. Alora’s mind was bright, and with Sevantha a talented telepath, she likely saw that. Perhaps she should have said from the beginning, offered a different sort of communication, but they had already used their voices, so she would remain in that realm for now.
DeVeau: Actually, no. I’ve never had someone pull me in their dream before.
Even with Kalin…though, maybe it could have been him. They’d shared dreams before, but she had always thought it was her, for she had done so in the past with others, and since they were bonded, she thought the frequency was merely a result of that. Tilting her head, curiosity danced over her features as she inquired -
DeVeau: Have you?
Saa: Recently I’ve had a potent one that caused Morro to be pulled into the dream, play a part of it and witness it.
DeVeau: What happens in these nightmares that you have?
Saa: I used to have a lot of terrible nightmares about Ohmallera. ::she looked up at the ceiling:: The same scene over and over, sneaking by the marines, finding the rubble, and harming the marine that tried to save me.
Usually she’d feel a sense of shame admitting that her younger self in a lash out of intense grief had harmed a Starfleet Marine, a guilt that always bubbled in the back of her throat when she looked at Greaves, but today it felt rather routine to recite. Therapy made things easier to talk about without succumbing to the grief in every retelling.
Saa: This time instead of the Constitution, I saw the ring that burned itself into my eyes, the shape of the Sound Fury, what Avander named it…::She frowned:: …I woke up when I saw Morro in there, I didn’t realize it was him until he rushed into the room.
DeVeau: What did you do when you saw him after you awoke? Sometimes the mind didn’t wake up quickly, and sometimes the dream still felt like it continued, even though it had ended. She wondered what Sevantha’s experience was.
Saa: I was already a cup deep into Raktajino trying to wake up, but I apologized for him seeing the dream, then he explained… it felt like he was apart of the dream.
DeVeau: How did he react?
Saa: Worried, last two missions I’ve gotten purple hearts, and of course seeing someone you care about’s worst moments is always difficult. I’m sure it’s been a lot for him.
Alora understood that. She had friends, even a couple of partners. One she had seen get hurt before. The other she had lost. Over the years, far too many purple hearts had been a part of the award ceremonies she’d participated in.
DeVeau: I’m sure it’s been a lot for you too.
A small smile crept up Sevantha’s features.
Saa: Starting to think we’ve played some role reversal here.
For once it was Sevantha opening up to someone in the chair as opposed to the other way around, however, Alora was a human with a unique sensitivity much like Lhandon had been. Discussions of this nature were rare and thus she indulged with someone who could understand it better than most.
DeVeau: Maybe. It gives me a chance to get to know you better, and you probably get to know me better even if it doesn’t seem like it immediately.
Alora’s smile returned. She was not tense, and if there was any concern or hesitation on her part, then she hid it well enough to keep it from an empath. Instead, there was a ribbon of enjoyment, not out of Sevanth’s struggles, but indeed out of what she said - getting to know the other woman.
Saa: It is nice to actually get to talk in person as opposed to subspace call, not that I didn’t appreciate them, I just can’t feel people over calls so I feel like I’m missing a piece of them when we talk.
Alora nodded. She might not be telepathic, but she could completely understand that.
DeVeau: Even for someone without your abilities, it’s never the same. It’s never quite good enough, though it is better than nothing. There’s something about being in person. I’m sure for you, there’s also an inability to speak with other telepaths telepathically since you’re not physically present with each other.
The Commander had a mind that was welcoming to the Betazoid Counselor. Had she’d not developed a comfort with verbal speaking since her days at Academy, she might have unintentionally defaulted to telepathic chatter.
Saa: There is one interesting aspect about the change, these scars are reactive to telepathic and empathic shifts, can’t say I dislike the interesting development.
Now that was interesting! Alora had to admit, she really wanted to run some tests on Sevantha, not because she wanted to turn the counsellor into a science experiment, but because she wanted to learn more about the the newness of the woman and, maybe in the end, help Sevanth learn something more about herself.
DeVeau: Oh? How do they react?
She felt a mind touch hearse, or at least try to touch it. Thus far, no one had been able to get past the defenses Alora had built up, thanks to those who had come behind her and taught her how to strengthen herself. However, it was Sevantha, and for her, she allowed the woman in, just far enough to connect and communicate.
Saa: ~Watch and see~
*****
Lieutenant Commander Sevantha Saa
Counselor | Head of Health | Second Officer
USS Thor
A240105SS2
&
Commander Alora DeVeau
Chief Science Officer
USS Thor
&
Matriarch of the 15th House
Betazed
M239008AD0