Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in SideSIM: Manoeuvre First, Talk Later (Attn. Lovejoy, Gruver)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Sara Lovejoy (Comms Officer/Helmswomen) in SideSIM: Manoeuvre First, Talk Later (Attn. Lovejoy, Gruver)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in SideSIM: Manoeuvre First, Talk Later (Attn. Lovejoy, Gruver)
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Saturday, 0559. Everyone knew what that meant. 0600 was a minute away, and it was rolling up its sleeves, puckering its lips and preparing for a grand entrance. Today, it had its eyes on a pair of Helmswomen. Not a second delayed, it barged into their quarters and shattered any semblance of silence with a string of harsh beeps! They had mail.

If they dared to snag their PaDDs from wherever the night had left them, Evelyn and Sara would see the words Presence Requested snaking across their screens. Should they open it, they would find a quaint message from the ship’s XO:

Good morning. Please meet me in the mess hall at 0700 hours. Duty uniforms are not mandatory, but I suggest you wear something comfortable. - Lt. Cmdr. T’Aria

There was no rest for the Helmswomen.

– T’Aria, XO

Evelyn was in her quarters snuggled underneath her covers lying on her left side fast asleep. It was finally her first weekend off on the Chernov and she had stayed awake until 02:00 socializing with a small group of lower deck crew members around her age. They had played a game of poker and had a few drinks resulting in her being quite tipsy most of the evening. There was not that much to do on a starship in comparison to the night life in San Francisco back on Earth, but she made the best out of her new situation. Her PADD was lying sideways and upside down literally right next to her on the bed. She had been browsing on it until she passed out just like every other night ever since she was a teenager. The chirping sound went off at 06:00 and she groaned heavily as she reached for her PADD. Evelyn reviewed the screen, sighed heavily, and had a groggy tone in her voice, “Seriously? She would give me an hour notice on my weekend off. Ugh.” Her body shifted as she laid on her back for a moment and closed her eyes as she debated the situation in her mind. What would the consequences be if she told Lieutenant Commander T’Aria, the Chernov’s XO that she accidentally slept through the notification? She pondered for a moment, “Hmmm, yeah not worth the risk.”. Evelyn slowly got out of bed, turned her bedroom light on, used the restroom, brushed her teeth, and changed her outfit.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror quickly evaluating her appearance. Evelyn kept it simple wearing a white tank top with black leggings along with matching runners. She tied her jet black hair quickly in a basic bun, “I look awful this morning, but what can I do? I am a Starfleet officer now. Who needs any sleep?”. She shrugged her shoulders casually in the mirror and threw up her soft hands which revealed her red coated manicured fingernails. Evelyn was lying to herself, she was actually an attractive woman and her assessment of her appearance was questionable at best. She glanced at the time on her clock and saw that it was 06:52, “Oh crap!”. After that, she took off and made it to the mess hall at 07:00 on the dot. It was simple to spot T’Aria since she stood out like a sore thumb being extremely tall in comparison to her, blonde, and Vulcan. Evelyn immediately headed to T’Aria’s location and stood directly in front of her.

T’Aria sensed the imminent doom of approaching footsteps. She lifted her chin, piercing hazel eyes flush with the crowd, and married the tamed clitter clank of eager steps to one Evelyn Gruver. A fleeting sigh escorted the Vulcan to her feet. Adorned in a bronze tunic cinched at the waist and comfortable drainpipe pants, T’Aria stood a shadow against the rainbow array of duty officers. “Ensign Gruver,” T’Aria greeted and snaked her hands behind her back.

Evelyn’s emerald green eyes shifted upwards to meet T’Aria’s gaze. They had a six inch height difference which made Evelyn feel like a younger adolescent sister in her presence. She offered the XO a friendly smile, “Good morning ‘LTC’. Are we having breakfast together? Why are we here?”. She tilted her head slightly asking out of curiosity. “Also, I recognize you from Starfleet Command School. You probably do not remember me, but it is nice to see you again. It looks like we will get to know each other better this time serving together.” She was always happy to make a new friend and being a natural extrovert she became energized when around other people. Her fatigue was fading quickly and she was definitely looking forward to spending time with T’Aria. She felt that she could learn quite a bit from her in general since she was still considered a brand new officer. Evelyn also naturally enjoyed meeting and getting to know about the various different species in the known universe along with their cultures which helped make a career in Starfleet a solid fit for her.

• Ensign Evelyn Gruver, Security & Helmsman

The Ensign’s zest was for people of a livelier cast than her, but if T’Aria was at all fazed, it wasn’t evident in her schooled features. She afforded Evelyn a quaint nod and a rhythmic gesture to sit. “Ensign,” she spoke with an eerie calm, “I understand you’re a newly commissioned officer.” T’Aria phrased the statement like a question, then continued without a moment’s delay. “I’d advise you to consider your audience before you entertain small talk.”

She dismissed the thought with a raised eyebrow. “To answer your question,” her hardened expression softened somewhat, “yes. Lieutenant Lovejoy should be joining us shortly.” She rolled her wrist and took note of the time but made no mention of the officer’s delay. “Until then, may I interest you in coffee or water?” She emphasised the latter in open deterrence from the caffeine that may provoke another energy spike.

T’Aria returned a minute later, Evelyn’s drink and her Vulcan mocha snug between her fingers, and set them deliberately on the table. “Tell me, Ms Gruver..” she took a seat across from the Ensign, “…what are your ambitions?” She spoke plainly and made no effort to hide the flicker of curiosity passing through her gaze. It was a strange question, but she found there was so much more in an officer’s aspirations than their motivation to join Starfleet.

– T’Aria, XO

Chimes in and waits. She then talks to herself “I feel bad for not knowing. I’m probably in trouble with something but I dont know. I’m afraid and doesnt want to get yelled at.” She said to herself.

Lt. Lovejoy

“Excuse me,” T’Aria’s attention briefly diverged from Gruver to Lovejoy. Ascending to her feet, the Vulcan woman took several steps toward her. “Lieutenant,” she extended a brisk bow and gestured to an open seat, “please join us.”

– T’Aria, XO

Evelyn tilted her head up to meet T’Aria’s gaze and listened to her brief lecture that related to her engaging with certain crew members in small talk. Time seemed to stop as she paused for a moment pondering the situation at hand. The executive officer of the Chernov must have thought herself to be above Evelyn, but was it just due to their rank differentials or was it the fact that T’Aria could potentially have a Vulcan superiority complex around humans? Or perhaps Evelyn was just illogical in her assessment here? No, she decided that she definitely was not overreacting to the situation and decided in that moment that she would help familiarize T’Aria with human interaction in a warm patient manner. Evelyn just nodded her head and smiled to be understanding of the Vulcan until T’Aria finished her lecture with a kind offer of providing her with a beverage.

Her eyes were still a bit heavy since she was awoken during the middle of the night to be ridiculed by the executive officer and was called in on her day off for reasons unknown. She would definitely take a coffee or two, she could use some good java to draw up energy to get through the morning, “Of course sir. I will have a coffee with hazelnut flavoring. It will help mask my sleep deprivation from last night.” Evelyn grinned at T’Aria and updated her PADD while waiting for the Queen of the Chernov to return. She extended her hand accepting the coffee from T’Aria, “Thank you sir.” and held the mug to her soft lips and took a sip. “Mmm, I love hazelnut. Have you ever tried it? If not, I definitely would recommend it.”

T’Aria blinked, parting her lips to contend with some admonishing quip, but she refrained. She simply nodded. Regally. “I’ll bear your suggestion in mind,” she hummed. Evelyn’s filbert-infused coffee produced a ligneous aroma that reminded T’Aria of Earth’s forests. It was bitter but not so strong as to make her regret a lower dose of nasal numbing. Strangely, she liked it.

Evelyn set the mug down on the table and thought about how she would answer T’Aria’s question about her ambitions. She then made direct eye-contact with the Vulcan across the table answering her confidently, “My ambition is to have your job in five years and Captain Taggart’s in eight. I plan to grow, adapt, develop, and evolve throughout my career in Starfleet. I have laid the ground work at the Academy and in command school already. Now I will just execute the plan and accomplish each goal over the course of time. All that I can do is my very best in pursuit of these goals and godspeed from there.” Evelyn winked at T’Aria. She then turned the question back on T’Aria, “What are your ambitions Commander?”

Unwavering in her gaze, T’Aria tended her head slightly to the left as she considered Evelyn’s response. It was almost logical. She respected the woman’s aspirations. Vulcan philosophy made no enemy in ambition. But she was concerned that Evelyn was overlooking the nuances of her career. “You will have no shortage of opportunity in Starfleet,” she assured. “Tell me a little bit more about your plans. Why are you driven to pursue a career in command?”

T’Aria mulled over her question. Ambitions were not lost on her, but they weren’t among her defining traits. Often, she was driven by restlessness and curiosity in equal measure. Intentions, life plans, aspirations.. they were concepts most Vulcans had planned to the T. But T’Aria found herself in pursuit of a goal she couldn’t quite name.

Without a hint of hesitation, T’Aria rose a seemingly aloof brow and nodded. “Vulcan philosophy demands a degree of discipline, devotion and scepticism.” She explained, deliberately omitting stoicism from its tenets. “But I do not view it so plainly.” She thought for a second, choosing to approach her ambitions with a concept rather than a precise phrase. “There is an axiom of our philosophy deemed Nome. To reduce to its most basic form, Nome is the unification of every element that make our lives… fulfilling.” Her gaze reflected a glint of introspection. “Humans might even consider it beautiful.”

The Vulcan fell silent to allow Evelyn the time to digest her words, before continuing a few moments later. “I have no desire to limit myself with concrete plans and constructs,” T’Aria would not reduce herself to human concepts of ambition or drive. “I have temporary pursuits, but my fundamental ambition is to achieve Nome. A worthwhile existence.” She wore the faintest inkling of a smile, but it disappeared behind her mug.

Evelyn took a second sip of her coffee enjoying the hazelnut flavor on her taste buds. She glanced up at the tall form of Lieutenant Lovejoy as she arrived at the table and provided her with a casual wave of her hand, “Good morning Lieutenant. I’m Evelyn, It is pleasure to meet you sir.”

• Ensign Evelyn Gruver, Security and Helmsman

– T’Aria, XO

Nudge for the boards 30.04.2021

OOC: Sorry.

IC: As the Lt. came in she then looked and said “I am confused why am I here?” She looked really confused by the whole thing until someone explains it. “Also I apologize for being late the way I did.”

Lt. Lovejoy

OOC: You’re good! Just waiting for Matt’s reply, then I’ll move this forward. :) – Trin

OOC: Okay. –Chris.