TECH CONFERENCE:: Awkward Ducks

Posted on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 7:02pm by Commander Alexis Agrax (*) & Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*) & Ships Doctor Quinton Sarratt MD

Mission: Cosmos
Location: Starbase 621, Main Promenade
Timeline: 2396
2087 words - 4.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Alexis stood there in the grand summit chamber bored as she could be right then and there. Her stomach kept rolling and she so tired she could barely keep her head up but she kept an eye on her Captain best she could among all the other red uniformed officers. It was hard when Ledeya was small and brown-haired, she blended in far too well. She should have refused to do security for this occasion and just headed to bed and sleep off whatever was ailing her.

She glanced up as a waiter brought over some ginger tea for her. She raised an eyebrow at the woman who just smiled and walked away. It was odd but the woman was a fellow betazoid she must have just twigged that she felt unwell. "Thanks." She called after the woman.

Neil had managed to pull away from the crowd for just a moment, as he headed to the bar. Brushing passed a few people who insisted on chatted, he'd almost tripped over a stool. "Sorry," he commented failing to notice the individual in the chair. As he leaned over the bar, "can I get a coffee, two cream and two sugars, please," he requested.

"No harm no foul Sir," Alexis said without missing a beat. They had been friends for many years before they kept falling into each other's bed. It had been easy but that was completely in the past. She was back with Liam for the most part though she had not moved back in properly.

Neil turned and saw the pips first, "Commander," he was about to grab his drink when the voice hit him. He turned back to the figure, "Alexis," he smiled, "I didn't know you would be here. I mean I should have known you wouldn't stray that far from Ed, while she was on the station, but still." It had been some time since the last time they had seen each other. They had been friends before, perhaps.. he wasn't sure on the status of their friendship now. He pointed to the empty chair, "may I?" he asked.

The tired-looking woman nodded. He was always welcome to come and just sit down and talk. "How have you been Neil?" She had seen all the news. It was hard to miss when it was all that a few officers could talk about.

Neil took a seat, "been good, despite what's in the news," he nodded figuring to get that out of the way before they were too far into the conversation. "Things are finally going very well," he smiled, "I am not sure if I should be grateful, or wait for the other shoe to drop." He sipped his drink, "of course parenting four children, and the uniform can be a bit of a struggle... but that's a good struggle."

"Well you do have a habit of getting yourself in the news." The woman commented with a small smile. She picked up the steaming mug of ginger tea and supped it. "Being a parent is hard work for anyone before adding in Starfleet from what I hear." Alexis was sure she was not cut out to be a parent in any shape or way.

"Twins in diapers," he laughed, "one doesn't need the uniform to make that challenging, it's challenging on its own," he replied. He sipped his drink, "the news and I are having a bit of a rough go around, yes. Most of what is in there is mainly lies and partial truths, thank god the family is taking it well and the kids are too young to know." He didn't mention Adira, or the fact that they were soon to be married. It wasn't sure how she would take it. "The news will move on, once they find someone else to badger."

"Well yes that would be hard work," Alexis commented. "I do not have that issue."

"Not yet." The waitress from earlier said with a smile as she brought over the man's drink.

Alexis frowned but just kept her attention on Harrington. "I am sure they will find someone else eventually."

Neil gave a puzzled look as he took the order from the waitress, "not yet," he questioned? "I assume things are going well between you and Liam?"

The Civilian waitress just smiled at the pair and shrugged at her comment. She filled up the Security Officers ginger tea before she disappeared back to bar. "She is odd," Alexis commented glad it gave her a few moments to think on what he said. We are back living together. It is different but it is good." It was honest and it felt good to talk about it.

"It's strange when things go from chaos to good, you almost feel like the other shoes hasn't dropped yet," Neil replied mainly thinking of his own life. "Everything is great, I've got four beautiful children," he opted not to explain Mikky, it was complicated. "I've got a wonderful partner, and yet..." he sighed. "When things get too comfortable, bad things always happen," he gave a nervous laugh.

"Don't I know that as fact," Alexis commented. Every time her life calmed down and become routine something came up to knock it back into the very known ground of chaos and destruction. "I think you humans have some very good phrases for the situation like this." She mused.

"We have a few, but I won't repeat them here," he laughed. "I hope the move to the station has settled things down, I know Tess has sure enjoyed it and now as a big sister. Things are not that bad..."

Alexis just smiled and sipped the tea. It was nice to just sit there without alcohol involved in her case. She was feeling healthier than she had in a long time thanks to it. "That is good to hear. The Commodore taking me in has settled things down for me." She nodded, Ehestri was the type of Captain where the crew would follow anywhere. It was easy to see why Farragut had chosen her.

"Ed is a good Commander," Neil replied, "we're lucky to have her in 72. I'm glad things are working out," he nodded as he took a sip of his coffee. "Fate seems to have worked out well for both of us."

Alexis snorted that the man called the woman Ed. Not many people dared call her that she had seen recently. "She is lucky to not have been brought in under you." Alexis teased before sobering at the question of fate, "Perhaps. Or they have not quite decided properly yet."

"Very funny," he smirked. He sipped his drink, "so is this the point where we engage in small talk cause neither of us knows what to say next." He couldn't feel a bit awkward, "that's how it normally works right when meeting up with someone you use to know."

"Oh come on it is the truth. Saulitis gets ripped apart in the news for the reasons behind her promotion." The woman teased just a little. "I still know you, Neil. I am not finding this awkward but you do not have to sit here I am quite contempt with how things are between us, you have always been my friends even if we tumbled into bed together. I am here to keep an eye on my commanding officer despite feeling like I want to go to bed."

"Captain Saulitis' promotion," he sighed, "I guess that goes to show, I can only promote men from now on," he smiled, "but then the news would call me a sexist and demand action for the unfair treatment of women." He sipped his drink, "it's one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations. Generally, I don't let it get to me, but when I have to start explaining things to my six-year-old daughter, cause she heard her father's name in a news broadcast," he sighed, "I tend to get more than a little annoyed. Lucky for me, Tess still doesn't understand it all and she just thinks the news is stupid. Adira and I monitor their access I bit more then we used to, especially now."

So many things about his words made her want to question stuff but she did not have the energy to question any more than offer a little smile of sympathy. "It will change eventually. Maybe Lancaster will do something stupid eventually and the news will follow him." She offered.

"One can only hope," Neil replied, "so you and Liam..." he gave a mild question to his tone hoping to draw the attention from him. "I trust things are going better on round two?" he asked. Neil sipped his drink as he flagged a waiter down to order a club sandwich.

"Me and Liam." The woman mused on what to say. "No idea who put us on the same ship but I guess it is fixing us a day at a time." Alexis stopped to let out a huge yawn looking back at him apologetically she carried on. "We've not killed each other and the Commodore has not kicked us off." It felt like it was a winning situation.

"I suppose given all that has happened," Neil commented, "you can't ask for more." He chuckled, "I am glad it worked out for you, I truly am." He sipped his drink, "looks like fate had other plans for us both, I know a few years ago I certainly hadn't expected for my life to end up like this. But, it's been nice."

Alexis wasn't sure where her and Liam were heading but she was relieved for the moment that they were together on the same road and going in the same direction. It had not been easy last few months between the Seabase and the void before that but they seemed to be pulling through it all. "Deities always have plans." The woman stated easily as she sipped on her tea.

Neil couldn't help but laugh, "I think my entire life up till now has been a giant deity's game," he couldn't help but see the humor in that. "How long are you here, at the conference," he asked? He sipped his drink. She was right they were friends long before they hooked up. Why was he finding it so hard to carry on a casual conversation with a long time friend? They say you should never get together with friends, perhaps this is why. "It would seem these type of diplomatic functions are the highlight of my career now," he laughed, "don't let them promote you. You lose all the fun bits."

"Five days. Maybe six if our Task Force Commander allows us more time. It will be nice to just catch up with people. This place was a mess last time we were here." Alexis chuckled at the promotion commenter. That was exactly why she had stepped back to Security Chief instead of Executive Officer.

"Well we will have to harass him until he gives you more time then I guess," Neil replied as he finished his drink. "The Commander here has had his hands full but he's done an amazing job, all things considered. I suppose is Ed wants more time, we can arrange it... and I can leave your name out of it if you desire."

"This place is so much better than when I was here a month or so ago," Alexis assured having forgotten he had not seen the base's destruction in person. He was lucky to not have seen it or been involved in the investigation. The search and investigation would stick with her for a long time.

"I can only imagine," Neil replied, "what little I know what was the reports. I am sure it was pure hell, for a while. I am glad that the staff here was able to bounce back and recover," he looked at her, "I only hope everyone has recovered from the events that took place?" He knew it would take time, some wounds don't just heal cause you want then too.

As Alexis opened her mouth to say something Ledeya appeared out of nowhere effectively ending the conversations on trail of thought the woman was having about the past. "Okay, Rear Admiral I am going to have to call time on your conversation with my Chief Of Security. She looks like she needs her bed and I know I do need mine."

TRANCATED