Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vora Zorell (Scientist) in Dvorak’s Quarters

Posted by Captain Johann Dvorak (CO) in Dvorak’s Quarters

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vora Zorell (Scientist) in Dvorak’s Quarters

SNIP

With a grin, Vora ordered two of the brightly coloured Tenraith drinks and brought them to the table. It was a blend of fruit juice from the tropical region around Kebbran that had an added kick from a slightly spicy root.

Moving across to the coffee table she grabbed a PADD and came to join him at the table. “So… I know I’ve been talking about writing some sort of memoir, something to chronicle my experiences, but of course the major issue became about publishing it. Cortallo, while I’ve not heard one word one that end for ages now, won’t abide being named and shamed, and I won’t put anyone in danger that way. But I have a solution to anonymously publishing it in pieces through the therapist I was working with during my relapse.” She inhaled deeply. “But I’m not a solo person anymore. I showed it to Jerrin and he’s okay with me doing this, but I want you to feel okay with it as well. So I want you to read it then tell me honestly how you feel about me doing this,” she said, sliding the PADD towards him, her maroon eyes gazing at him deeply.

~Vora Zorell, Sciences

He picked up the PADD and started reading. And then he kept reading. He was clearly interested in the text, and seemed to focus on nothing else. There was a slight bip as he pressed a button with his thumb to scroll the text. Toward the end, he let out a slight smile, having recognized the passing reference to himself.

While slightly anxious about his response, Vora just let it be and picked fries gooey with cheese from the plate. Popping it into her mouth, and felt that warmth of delight from having something wonderful that you probably shouldn’t.

“That’s very well written,” he said after a minute. “You should write more often, generally, if you’re this good.”

Warmth coloured her pale yellow cheeks and she smiled shyly. “Maybe I’ve been saving it all up for this. I tried writing lyrics but despite my love for music it never worked quite right. Or maybe I hadn’t found the right story to tell.”

“Could be either, or both,” he said simply.

“You don’t think the bit about you having a ‘beautiful name’ is too much of a giveaway, do you? Or your resume in the middle there? I mean, someone clever could put all of that together. Not that I’m really concerned about that; nobody could be worse than Roquan.”

– Johann Dvorak, CO

Vora considered this and after a moment shook her head. “I was at first, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realized that anyone who could identify me would either have sought me out by now, or doesn’t matter. I’m not untouchable, but if Cortallo wanted to have some sort of proper say, they would have made a move after Roquan’s death. My refusal to even acknowledge that situation means they’ve been on their own all this time. I’m sure it’s about as non-issue as it could be.” She sometimes wondered if Roquan had done something, arranged things somehow so that she could live in peace away from Tenra if things didn’t go his way. But that would have required a depth of kindness in him she wasn’t sure had still existed by the time he had abducted her from the ship. His death (accidentally by her own hand) had left a lot of questions unanswered but at the same time Vora had grown okay with that. After all, she had Jerrin in her life safe and sound and she had done the one thing she had promised herself: to keep him safe and out of Cortallo’s grasp.

~Vora Zorell, Sciences

“Yeah, you’re probably right. They’ve had a few years now to do something if they really wanted to, assuming they haven’t had other… problems.” It had been actually a number of years since he last read any intelligence reports or news items about organized crime on Tenra. He hadn’t needed to. Then again, he also thought he hadn’t needed to right before the last time…

“I’m OK with it,” he said more directly a moment later, and set the PADD down on the table. “So, I remember through who you planned to publish, but I don’t remember how. As in, were you going to serialize it, or…?”

– Johann Dvorak, CO