An adventure awaits

Posted on Wed Jun 10th, 2026 @ 8:19am by Civilian Teevs Dosivi & Senior Chief Petty Officer Emily Charles {Kelea-Salik} & Gunnery Sergeant Leilani Charles {Kelea-Salik}

Mission: Season 6: Episode 7: Crossroads of Destiny
Location: Niea IV :: Jekasp
Timeline: MD2
1525 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

With shoreleave granted Leilani and Emily had headed to the surface ahead of their family members, they both wanted to see what there was to do with the children along with plans to go shopping, and enjoy time at the beach together.

“It’s so nice to get off the ship, and get some fresh air” Emily smiled as she looked around.

“That’s very true” Leilani nodded. “I miss being able to go for a walk, to enjoy nature. I know we have the holodeck, but it’s just not the same.”

“So where do we start?” Emily asked gazing around. “I wish I’d asked Teevs for ideas now.”

It was nice to get away from family after Teevs had introduced Addison. He felt bad that the family ambushed her with questions. The two agreed on dinner plans later, which gave her an opportunity to unwind. Kerilia was with Teevs' parents, which meant he had some spare time on his hands.

So, he wandered.

He missed the sea breeze as he strode through the streets of Jekasp. The main shopping area had stores for any kind of adventuring gear, trinkets, clothes... he stopped by a vendor selling smoothies and got himself something.

A mention of his name caught his attention. Turning, Teevs spotted some familiar faces. He recognised them, specifically Leilani during his time with the marines, and approached. "You two look lost," he joked.

“Are we glad to see you!” Leilani grinned. “You could say we’re a little undecided, and…lost!” She couldn’t help but giggle.

Emily smiled. “We read your information on the planet, but we didn’t bring it with us so we’re not sure what to do, or where to go next.”

Teevs was worried he hadn't provided enough information, but a couple people assured him that six pages of information, on top of his cultural database, was more than enough. "Well, there's a smoothie shop just that way," he began, pointing behind him with his thumb. "What interests you? I can certainly help."

“A smoothie sounds good right now” Emily grinned. “Plus we like to shop, and go to the beach for some sun.

“Plus there’s the cultural aspects as well” Leilani added. “I’m fascinated by that kind of thing.”

With an open hand, Teevs gestured toward the direction he came from before leading the way to the smoothie shop. "For a demonstration of culture, you came to the right place. Pomei is the most diverse, but Jekasp is where you can really see Lonian culture. What types of things do you like to shop for?"

“We both love souvenirs, plus there’s always clothing, or just whatever grabs me at the time” Emily grinned.

“I’d like to take home some gifts for my family as well” Leilani added.

"Well, Jekasp has its fair share of souvenir shops," Teevs chuckled. The smoothie shop wasn't too far away, and the man behind the counter gave a friendly nod to his most recent customer when the group showed up. "Do either of you have allergies?"

“Nope not since I was a kid” Emily smiled.

“None here” Leilani shook her head.

With a nod, Teevs looked at the menu. "I got this one," he pointed to the Lonian text on the display. "It has a similar flavour to pineapple, but smoother. This one is a combination of berries. This one... hmm, maybe best compared to Elysium's apple pie entry in the replicator? This one is sour... like, very sour." He pointed out each item on the display as he spoke.

“I like the sound of the berries” Emily smiled.

“Likewise” Leilani nodded. “On Betazed it’s uttaberries that are a firm favourite, so let’s see how it compares.

The man behind the counter nodded and got to work on the smoothies. It took a couple minutes for him to present two of the berry-flavoured smoothies to the two women. They were a pink/purple colour with darker maroon streaks.

“Wow, look at the beautiful colour of that” Leilani smiled as she looked at her smoothie.

“Thank you” Emily nodded politely then took a sip of hers. “That’s very nice, very refreshing.”

Teevs grinned at their feedback. "Glad to hear! Now, shopping..." He thought for a couple seconds before leading the way again. "The boardwalk has some nice shops for souvenirs. There's also restaurants, I can recommend some places for any future endeavours."

“Please do” Leilani smiled warmly. “I can shop til I drop, but restaurants are always good to know. I’m pretty easy to please where food is concerned.”

"Oh, if you feel like you're going to drop your items, there's a hover cart you can borrow," Teevs assured, the phrase going over his head.

Leilani grinned. “Oh no, it’s a phrase we use, shop til you drop in other words spend a very long time shopping.”

Teevs nodded in understanding. "Ahh... I'll have to tell Mister Orin about that one so he can add it to his database. He and I have quite delightful conversations about it, especially since Humans tend to produce a lot of these sayings."

“Ohh there’s plenty of sayings” Leilani grinned. “Have you heard ‘A penny for your thoughts?’ That’s a well used one.”

"Yes, I have heard that one," Teevs said with a nod. "It confused me for a while, because your people don't really use currency. If I remember correctly, it's used with someone who is in deep thought."

“That’s right” Leilani nodded. “Do they have similar sayings here?”

Teevs thought for a few seconds. "Seli inasi paneka. It basically means 'are your thoughts heavy?' I think it has a similar meaning."

Leilani nodded. “Sounds about right to me” she smiled warmly. “Has it been long since you were last home?”

"Five Earth years," he answered, pausing long enough to take a sip of his smoothie. "My late wife and I disagreed with the politics back when we were looking to start a family, so we had and raised Kerilia in space. We came back when Saphse passed, and visited a couple more times over the years so Kerilia could see family. But much of the choice to remain in space was Kerilia's; she liked to go to new places and see new things." He then chuckled, "she also likes to brag about being the cool cousin."

Emily grinned. “Well she’s certainly had an adventure out in space, it must feel good to be home though.”

With a chuckle, Teevs nodded. "We have missed this." He knew the feelings he had for his home were exactly why the Elysium had to continue on. He then turned thoughtful, "could I ask your advice on something?"

“Sure” Emily nodded. “Ask away and we’ll give what advice we can.”

Teevs paused for a few long seconds. "As you might be aware, I've been seeing Addison," he began. "And you can probably imagine the situation we're in, where staying together means one of us has to leave their home behind. I've been dreading having to make this decision for months, because, well, it's not easy. She once mentioned that she'd be willing to stay here, but I don't want her to end her Starfleet career just for me. We're going for dinner tonight, and I was hoping to mention that... that I was thinking of asking your commodore to stay aboard." He chuckled nervously, putting a hand in his pocket. "I'm not really sure what I'm even asking. Do you think the commodore would approve? How do you think Addison might take it?"

“I think that’s a wonderful idea” Leilani offered. “I think Addison would be thrilled, but are you going to be happy onboard ship? I know what it’s like to be far from home.”

The immediate answer was a shrug as Teevs guided the two. "It's not unfamiliar to me. Sure, I'd miss this," he offered a vague gesture to their surroundings, "but I've been in space for... pretty much Kerilia's entire life, and then some. Plus, I know I'd fit in with the rest of the crew; I think the last year or so has proven that."

Leilani nodded. “In that case I think you’ll fit in nicely as part of the Elysium family.

Emily nodded in agreement. “My thoughts exactly.”

Teevs gave them an appreciative smile. "Besides, I feel like I'd be a fool to not take up an opportunity that is literally once in a lifetime." They came to a casual stop by a souvenir shop that had a variety of trinkets, from shells to hand-carved items and even shirts that allowed visitors to have "I visited Palo's Gift Shop and all I got was this lousy shirt" printed either in Lonian or in whatever text they provided. "If you have any interest in gemstones, this place has a good selection, but all the wooden things were made from trees local to the area."

“Gemstones sound good to me” Emily smiled. “Let’s go and see.”

Leilani nodded. “Why not.”