Lunch

Posted on Sun Mar 8th, 2020 @ 7:01am by Captain Taliserra Tigran & Civilian Jessica Haugen & Lieutenant Seleya

1,194 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The science of stars
Location: The Lounge
Timeline: 18th March 2395

ON:

The day had been busy. Noting major, of course, but some small annoyances. She had a break for the moment and decided to head to the mess hall.

There she ordered a sandwich and a juice and headed for the only empty table in the room. She had a lot on her mind and while she ate she ran it through.

Stepping into the lounge Taliserra looked around at the crew enjoying a post shift meal, while as Captain she had her own private dining room she often ate in the lounge or mess hall and didn't mind if her crew approached her for a chat.

"Captain," Jessica said cheerfully as she saw Taliserra enter. "what can I get you?"

"Chicken and bacon salad please, fresh if you still have any left, and some tarkelian tea."

"I'll see what I can do for you." Jessica replied.

"Thank you." Taliserra turned and looked for a table to sit at.

Seleya looked up as she pushed around her food. The hall was full and the Captain seemed to be looking around. She motioned for the empty chair. She would be done soon anyway. The food held no appeal to her.

Seeing Seleya motioning at a seat Taliserra headed over "Good morning Dr Seleya." She said as she approached.

"Captain. The hall is ... slightly more occupied then usual. I will finish quickly and you may have the table to yourself if you wish."

Taliserra shook her head. "If I wanted a table to myself I wouldn't have come here Lieutenant, besides it's important for a Captain to show their face and interact with the crew."

She gave a nod. She shifted slightly to the left to allow Tali to sit down. "It has been busy as of late. I believe all the losses that the crew has endured have brought people together."

"Not quite everyone though it would seem." Taliserra said as she sat down.

"Oh?" She asked.

"Your tea Captain." Jessica said as she approached and put the drink down.

"Thank you Jessica." Taliserra said then turned back to Seleya, "Chief Payton for a start."

She placed her fork down, "He.....is grieving. He loved Doctor Polaris. He feels empty without her. He needs time to grieve her passing and it is natural that he is angry with me for replacing her."

Taliserra sipped her tea. "I have seen and experienced much grief in my lives before but I've never seen someone take it out on someone else like this."

She sighed, "Yes. It is unusual. I believe I can understand it. He keeps ... waiting for her to walk through the door. There are times when it seems that he almost forgets she is gone. I have brought it to the counsellor's attention." She said as she took a sip of her drink.

"He has also bought it to my attention," Taliserra said recalled what eventually led to the events in Deepaks office. "out of everyone he seems to have taken the recent losses the worst."

She gave a nod. "I hope that it will resolve itself soon. If not I will have to recommend suspension and mandatory counselling." She shook her head. "It is difficult for me to contemplate those actions."

Deepak already recommended some mandatory counselling sessions," Taliserra paused for a moment to sip her tea. "I agreed that if his demeanour has not improved after is return that he will have to attend."

Seleya shrugged. "He cared for her. I do not understand the emotion but love is, as I have heard, powerful. It is the one emotion that puzzles me."

"It is a very strong emotion for almost every species, it can make us do a lot of things you Vulcans would class as 'highly illogical' I've seen people break down completely when a loved one has been hurt or even killed and I've seen people go in completely the opposite way and be aggressive and want to get revenge on who or what caused it." Taliserra looked up to see Jessica approaching again with her salad.

Seleya eyed the Captain a bit. She then turned her attention to Jessica as she laid the salad down. "Thank you." She simply said to the young woman.

"Thanks Jessica." Taliserra picked up her fork and speared a piece a chicken. "Love is a hard one to explain in a way a Vulcan would understand."

"I see. How would you explain it to a non Vulcan?" She asked while picking up her glass and sipping from it.

"Most non Vulcans would likely already have a good understanding of what love is."

She gave a nod. "That is true. Well I hope that this mission he is on will dispel some of his hostility." She looked at the captain. "You were ill during the outbreak. How has your recovery been going?" She had examined her not a few days ago but she knew the captain tended to push herself too much.

"We're both feeling fine, this quiet week has been a nice change from the last few." Taliserra replied.

"That is good. It is important that you rest. I have observed that you tend to push yourself harder then the rest." Seleya looked up.

"A Captains life is a hard one, as I've been finding out." Tali took a few more bites of her salad before continuing. "You know it was a surprise when M'Elise decided to take an assignment planetside. I didn't expect to be given the Captaincy."

"You did not seek it?"

Taliserra shook her head slightly. "I'd not been the Xo for long so I didn't feel experienced enough to try and get the promotion to full command and while I was technically in command from the point M'Elise left, we were mid refit so I wasn't really commanding anything other than a skeleton crew."

"I see." She paused sipping her drink. "Experience is often the best teacher. I am sure you know more having gone through things then you would have if you served longer as an XO."

"Being 'thrown in at the deep end' is certainly an interesting way of learning how to be in command of a ship though. Some more time as an Xo would have been useful but I think I'm doing alright." Taliserra said though considering how her first months went that was debatable.

Seleya was glad she was having lunch with the Captain. "Well I have found you to be an efficient captain. I look forward to swerving under you in my new role."

"An efficient Captain," Taliserra repeated chuckling slightly. "high praise from a Vulcan."

She inclined her head. "It was meant as praise. I must apologise there is so much I have to learn about social aspects of all this."

"You'll get it eventually Seleya." Taliserra said smiling at the Vulcan.

"Captain," Jessica called out from the counter. "You're wanted in astrometrics."

"Alas duty calls," Taliserra said standing, "Good day Doctor, I hope we can do this again."

"Indeed." She said packing up her own tray.



OFF:

Captain Taliserra Tigran
Commanding Officer

Jessica Haugen
Lounge Manager
[npc Taliserra]

Dr. Seleya
Chief Medical Officer

 

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