A time to relax . . . hopefully.

Posted on Fri Jun 27th, 2025 @ 12:54am by Lieutenant N'vok Holv & Lieutenant Anna Esquivias

Mission: Season 6: Echoes of the Zynari
Location: N'vok's Quarters
Timeline: MD 5
1613 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

N'vok finished laying the table, he always found such tasks meditative. The tablecloth was a lovely dark blue that caught the light and sparkled like a starry night. He was glad it had survived. The plates were Starfleet issue and sufficient for the task at hand. The silverware the same, and not made of silver which for some reason he always found disappointing. The goblets were from his personal collection, cut crystal from Alpha Centauri, a gift from a fellow scholar and friend.

Two candles were placed in black candlesticks, currently unlit. A bowl of salad waited in the center of the table. He stepped back and nodded to himself, it would do.

Anna strode down the corridor to N'vok's quarters. She had come this way many times but this somehow felt a little different. She was not dressed in her standard uniform but in a traditional Ardanan garment that she thought showcases her well. At least it was cultural. She carried an Ardanan harp which she hoped N'vok might find interesting. She came to a stop outside and beeped for him.

"Enter," said N'vok and the door slid open, a little unevenly. He looked at Anna framed in the doorway. "You look striking, Anna. Please come in."

"Thank you, N'vok," she said as she stepped inside. She looked around, her eyes landing on the table. She took a deep breath. "It looks lovely." She leaned forward and briefly pecked him on the cheek.

He favored her with a smile and pulled out a chair for her. "I do hope you will enjoy. I became a student of salads in the Academy and this is one of my favorite mixes, incorporating vegetables from Terra, Vulcan, and Tellar with a vinaigrette using Andorian salt vinegar, ginger from New Yunan, and olive oil." He gestured to the salad. "Shall I serve you?"

"You smiled at me," Anna said softly as she sat in her chair. She looked to the salad. "I would be delighted."

Once he was done filling both bowls, he took a seat across from his lovely guest. "I will let you try the vinaigrette and decide how much, if any, you wish."

"That sounds good," she said, taking a dab of it and trying it on a small baby carrot, or something similar, in the salad. She tasted it and grinned. "It's wonderful, N'vok! I would like a healthy portion of it."

"Your wish is my command," he said, providing a goodly portion of the vinaigrette for both salads. "I hope you are intending to play that harp later. I have only heard such played in holorecordings. Sadly, I lack talent with musical instruments though I have begun to practice dance as physical exercise. It is easy to spend all of one's time sitting around as a science officer."

Anna grinned. "I'll be happy to play for you," she agreed. "It is different in person. Most things are." She hesitated for a moment. Unsure. "Then, perhaps, we could dance...?"

"I would like that very much," said N'vok.

The dinner moved forward, the rest of the dishes were also of mixed cultural influences, Vulcan and Terran, Andorian, Tellarite, Alpha Centaurian, but all vegetarian. The desert, however, was an Ardanan spun crystal sugar confection both colored and flavored with fruit juices.

"I hope you approve, it is my first attempt at such a trifle, but the replicator seems to have done its job well," he said, presenting the desert.

"It looks delicious," Anna said, before taking a bite and smiling warmly. "And it tastes delicious. You've really done a wonderful job here, N'vok. You've made me feel...I mean..." She found herself stammering a little, lowering her gaze.

"I hoped to make you feel at home," said N'vok. "You have had a wrenching experience, and then to be thrown into the deep end here aboard the Elysium. I thought some comfort and stability would be welcome."

"Is that all?" Anna asked delicately. "I came here awhile ago, fresh from my wrenching experience. This seems special. The other night in the Holodeck, I..." She seemed a little shy. She reached out a hand and laid it lightly on his.

N'vok turned his hand palm up and gently clasped her hand. "I would like you to come into my home, Anna. As a . . . partner. I think we would be good companions for each other. The situation on the space station made me recognize how fragile our lives are out here and I do not want to be alone."

"You're not alone," Anna said. She squeezed his hand lightly. "Neither of us are alone anymore." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. "I saw you smile tonight."

N'vok gently returned the kiss. "We Vulcans are not emotionless; we just control them." He reached out to stroke her face with his free hand. "May I hear you play your harp?" he asked.

"I know," Anna told him. "But the rest of us rarely get to see it." She leaned into his hand and smiled softly. "You may," she said, stepping away and sitting down. She crossed her legs and positioned the harp, starting to play in dulcet tones. Her eyes were lowers as her strings moved over the instrument. It was a classic work from her mother's homeworld.

N'vok watched and listened, letting the music wash over him. "Lovely," he said when she was done. "It is a joy to hear you play."

She smiled at him and stood. The dress highlighting her form more than any uniform would. Dark eyes looked at him and she took a step closer. She seemed unsure what to do for a moment but then she extended a hand to him, lightly touching his fingers with her own. "I...ummm..." She blushed, looking to the side. Then she looked back to him and her smile grew. "Hi."

"Hello," he said, taking in her beauty. "But as much as I want to . . ." his gaze over her form was more eloquent than words. "My Vulcan honesty insists that I am sure you are aware of my position. I do not want to start a relationship with any false promises or hidden truths." He met her eyes with his. "You know I am married. However, my wife and I have always understood that when apart, we can, we should seek comfort with others." He paused to see her reaction but he would not build on a foundation of omitted truth.

Anna froze. She lowered her hand. She looked down and to the side. Her breath was coming faster now. She seemed unsure. "I didn't know exactly what your situation was," she said, which wasn't quite an answer.

"I was afraid of such," he gently stroked the side of Anna's face. "This does not change my feelings for you. I love my wife and I can love you, Anna. However, I would not make promises, even implied, that could not be kept. But while we travel towards home, I would be your partner if you will have me."

She leaned into his hand slightly, despite herself. She let out a heavy sigh. She seemed unsure. These things were seen differently among different species, she knew. Attitudes varied greatly. "I thought Vulcans had an exclusive bond with their mates," she said, even as she let him stroke the soft skin of her face.

"T'lol is my green heart, together, we are a bonded and whole couple," he said. "But we have always known that we would spend long times away from each other. We came to the agreement that we could take lovers but never another Vulcan and never without them understanding that T'lol and I are forever joined. We rejected the path of pon farr as had my parents and as T'lol was allowed to do by hers, but our bond is strong. While we are together, there is no one else for us, but when we are apart, we are apart." He looked into Anna's eyes with intense compassion. "Does that help?"

"It's complicated," Anna said needlessly. "It is hard to switch emotions on and off."

He nodded. "I want you to be comfortable, Anna. I know this is a major decision for both of us. But I would never lie or deceive you as to what I can and cannot offer.

"I rejected someone for you, you know?" she shared. "And he was cute." She tried to make it sound a little playful, smiling at him, though she was still clearly troubled.

N'vok gently placed his hands on Anna's shoulders. "I cannot change what is and what was, Anna. But I believe we can be happy together. I can only imagine what turmoil your emotions must be in." He reached up to stroke her hair. "I enjoy your company, we work well together, and our hearts beat in rhythm. Is that not enough to give it a try? Why not give us a chance? If you decide it is not what you want, I will not stop you from going."

"It is what I want," she admitted. "But it is also a little...I don't know. I worry it'll be messier than you make it sound."

"Life is always messier than it sounds," he says and draws Anna into a passionate kiss.

Anna kissed him back but, when she spoke, it was a light, playful tone. "You were supposed to reassure me there'd be no mess."

"But that would be a lie,' said N'vok, kissing her hand. "I cannot see what the future holds but I am hopeful. I know it will be better with you."

/Fade to Black
/End Scene