Pairing Up.

Posted on Sat Sep 28th, 2024 @ 7:40am by Captain Addison 'Rico' Leyton & Teevs Dosivi

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: Mess Hall; USS Elysium
Timeline: MD 2; 1500 Hours
1053 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Addison, wearing her flight suit watched as people began to disperse, leaving the hall while others went to grab food, going off to their own private worlds of conversation. Addison moved to approach the man. She hadn't had time to actually talk with and get to know the new passenger on the Elysium. "Hey," she called out to him.

Teevs was in the middle of taking a bite of his now lukewarm food when the voice caught his attention. The group that had practically swarmed him for more information about the A'janie had dispersed, leaving him slightly overwhelmed. The air pressure felt like it had increased with so many bodies around him, and it was a relief to feel it ease up. Looking up, he put his fork down and gave a smile toward the woman. "Hello there," he said politely.

"We never met but I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Captain Addison Leyton but many call me by my call sign, Rico," she said as she stopped across the table from him

"Rico," Teevs repeated. He extended a hand toward one of the chairs, an invitation to sit if she chose. "I'm Teevs, though I'm sure you likely knew that." Even if she didn't, the mass of people bombarding him with questions surely would have hinted to his name. "What do you do on the ship?"

"Thank you, Teevs I'm a Starfighter pilot. I pilot the Gryphon Attack Craft," she stated as she took a seat, smiling. "Can't see myself doing anything else in Starfleet."

Teevs nodded with interest as she explained. "That is fascinating. I have a particular respect for fighter pilots. The skill I have seen from them is truly remarkable." He studied the Human for a few seconds, avoiding her eyes out of habit. Without the conversation, he probably would have guessed that she was a strategist of some kind. "How long have you been flying, Miss Rico?"

"I piloted my first shuttle pod at the age of fourteen but I have been around air and space craft my entire life. I come from a long line of military pilots," she explained. "How are you finding life aboard the Elysium?"

To be a pilot since such a young age was a feat in and of itself, at least according to Teevs. "It was overwhelming at first, because your vessel is so massive," Teevs responded. "... but you all continue to be very welcoming toward my daughter and I."

"Yeah, the Elysium can take some getting used to. She's the largest ship class in the fleet," Addison stated with a grin. "And I'm glad you and your daughter are comfortable aboard. How old is your daughter?"

Teevs briefly paused to do the conversion in his head. "She will be fifteen in a couple months, if I did my conversion to Earth years right. I can't believe it, it feels like time went by too fast."

"Hmmm, fifteen," she mused. "An exciting age. She has her whole life ahead of her and the possibilities are endless."

"Indeed, Miss Rico. It's almost time for her to start making those decisions," Teevs replied with a nod. "I believe Humans call it... puberty? For Lonians, it happens after the fifth rotation around our star, or approximately fifteen to eighteen Earth years. We develop our forehead ridge over the course of a week, and it's a sign that the child is ready to make decisions on their own." It felt like just the other day, Kerilia was small enough to carry in his arms. Now, she was almost as tall as him. "Do Humans have a similar custom?"

Addison paused as she thought over the subject. "Well, It depends. Humans have different customs depending on their heritage. For females specifically, some humans still celebrate with the Bat Mitzvah, the Quinceañera, or the “jumping the broom” ceremony to mark that a girl is transitioning into womanhood. But many humans simply celebrate it with a birthday celebration and being trusted with more responsibilities."

Right, Humans had a lot of diversity, much more than Lonians did, so it only made sense that they would also have diverse customs. Teevs ate a little of his food as he listened, nodding along. "It sounds like there is a sense of community, or perhaps better phrased as communal support, in the Earth customs around this moment, much like how it is for us." He paused for a couple seconds before adding, "I will admit, something that has fascinated me about your vessel is the number of different species aboard, and how you all create a community out of your differences. This is because of your Federation, yes?"

Addison nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. In the Federation, we encourage unity. We all come together for the idea of exploring and understanding the unknown. Embracing our differences. Do your people have similar values?"

"Hmm... mostly." It was an honest answer, and Teevs paused briefly to take a drink of his beverage. "The Second and Third Houses often work together, combining their respective diplomatic and cultural specialties to make society better for us and for visitors. A lot of trade is done on Niea IV, so we have adapted to welcome other species and cultures, however there are a couple of species that are not welcome to our planet, usually because they have hostile intent."

"Well, I can guess at least one of those hostile species," Addison grinned. "Have you ever visited this station that we've recently docked to?"

Teevs chuckled at the unspoken guess. "I haven't, no. Most of the time, I have just never crossed paths with them. I will admit that I am a bit curious, though. The Wandering Child is impressive just in pictures."

"That it is," Addison agreed. "I was debating on whether or not to go." She took a brief pause as she looked at Teevs. Going with someone sounded a lot better than going alone. "Care to join me?"

"I would be happy to," Teevs answered with a smile in her direction. Glancing down at his plate, seeing that he was almost done now, he followed up with, "unless you have responsibilities you must attend to first, Miss Rico, perhaps after this meal?"

Addison shook her head slightly, grinning. "Nope. I'm free untill tomorrow morning. And call me Addison."

 

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