TECH CONFERENCE: Four Heads Are Better Than One
Posted on Sat Aug 1st, 2020 @ 3:32am by Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*) & Commander Adamya Ryon & Lieutenant Junior Grade Karis
Mission:
Cosmos
Location: USS Cosmos
Timeline: 2396
2557 words - 5.1 OF Standard Post Measure
Karis walked happily into their shared quarters and stole Ryon's hand as he sat in his favorite chair. She turned his palm upward showed him the pip and dropped into his palm. "Will you do the honors? Also . . . before you have too much time to think about it. I told the Commodore we'd agree to have dinner with her and her new boyfriend. Since you two have been friends since way before we met I thought it was probably okay. Apparently they were just pretending to be married to get rid of the Bolian. Can't say I blame them there. I was certainly glad to be attached to someone in that moment."
"You know how much I love these surprises," Ryon half joked as he stood from his chair. Were it not Ledeya, he may have tried to change plans. But, she knew where he worked and would know if he lied about his schedule.
Smiling, he looked down at the pip in his hand. It immediately brought back certain feelings for him. He had not been part of a pip ceremony since he traded his Commodore pip in for the three Commander pips. Still, it was a huge career accomplishment for Karis, and he was proud of her. "I used to always tell people that their uniform was no longer in compliance of code to break the ice." He looked down at the red-haired woman in front of him, "And you are certainly not in compliance with Starfleet uniform, Lieutenant Karis." He began to pin the pip to her uniform, "This is a big moment, congratulations."
"Thanks," She turned her head sideways a little bit eyeing him. "I'm sorry," Karis said suddenly. "I didn't think about how that might make you feel."
"Don't worry, this is a big day. And I feel honored that you choose me," Ryon tried to reassure her, He shook his head, as he added with a smile, "My mistakes are my own, they shouldn't take away from your day."
"Don't be silly, who else would I ask? And if it makes any difference, I don't think you were in the wrong. I know you, you never do anything but fight for good. Come on," Karis said more cheerfully. "We should get ready for dinner."
"Ledeya might transport us into space if we're late again," laughed Ryon as he followed Karis out the door.
"Uhhh . . . ." Karis said momentarily stunned before she follow Ryon off to the bedroom. "Is that again in reference to being late or has she actually beamed you into space?"
Ledeya was not sure that this was a good idea but it was the only invite she had ever received from a crewmember since she had become commanding officer of Cosmos it almost felt rude to decline. "I've known Ryon a long time," Ledeya whispered to herself as she paced the quarters.
Karis had slipped her arm in Ryon's and though she was a bit nervous she was also pretty excited about this dinner. She was extremely curious about the new guy and was also looking forward to maybe hearing some stories about Ledeya and Ryon in younger years.
“Come in.” Ledeya called as the chime sounded. She worse a dress that was simple and comfortable. She wanted things to be comfortable and relaxed.
Wearing a sort of dress casual, Ryon motioned for Karis to enter the door first. He was dressed in darker earthy tones as was common in Bajoran fashion. As the two entered, he asked as if there was a real choice, "So Officer's Mess or the Aft Lounge? Unless there is a good restaurant programmed in the holodeck?"
"Hello to you too Ryon." Ledeya said with a roll of her eyes. "I was actually thinking about the holodeck." Ledeyea had set up a programme with Betazed for them and arranged proper food with the mess.
"Forgive him, he's nervous and trying not to show it." Karis had taken the opportunity to wear a dress, which she rarely ever put on. It was soft silk and a light blue in color which went lovely with her bright red hair that she'd opted to leave down, something else she rarely ever did.
"And hungry," the Bajoran added with a smile. Noticing that one of them was missing, Ryon asked, "Speaking of, where is Lake?"
"He is meeting us at the holodeck." The Commodore explained.
"Since I have both of you in the room, how did Captain David survive the Yorktown? I was there, and so were you," he said to Karis. "Hard to believe he survived without the Rhea picking him up and is now leading 621. I think my sister would say something about the Prophets."
"Probably," Karis remembered the conversation she'd had with Ryon's sister over subspace. "I . . . have no idea. They said he was gone. Dead. I guess someone made a mistake?" Karis was not at all sure what she thought of it. She hadn't known the man well at all and that seemed like another life ago since so many things had happened since then.
Ledeya stayed quiet and offered a shrug. She was as stunned as them but she would be finding out as soon as she had a chance to. "Don't worry about it now. It all comes out eventually. It's a home warming present for your quarters," She announced as she held out a brightly wrapped box to the pair thinking that they really needed to go meet Lake before he thought they had forgotten him.
Karis blinked at it and pushed it toward Ryon. "You didn't have to get us anything." She was completely surprised and wanted him to open it.
Ledeya shrugged a little and smiled. "I did not need to but I did." She had seen it at the tech conference and it was perfect for them.
"It's definitely appreciated," Ryon replied to the Commodore. Giving a look to Karis, he did not know whether it was appropriate to open the gift in front of Ledeya or if they should wait until later.
Karis nodded her encouragement. They might as well open it now as Ledeya was looking at both of them.
Taking the hint, Ryon placed the box on the closest table and depressed the thumb scanner. The packaging began to unpack itself and neatly disappear as the gift was revealed. It was a Bajoran charm that signified family. The Bajoran lifted it off the table to allow Karis a better look. Sending his gaze over to Ledeya, he smiled his thanks as he said, "Thank you, it is really beautiful."
"Very pretty," Karis smiled enthusiastically as she touched it gingerly. "Should make an earring for you and put it on there," she said. "But we can talk about that later. We're keeping someone waiting."
Lake was sitting at the table when the doors opened. He immediately stood up. Being around Ledeya didn't make him nervous but having the other two here did slightly and he generally liked people.
Ledeya smiled as she saw the man rise as they came in chattering."We got delayed just a little." Ledeya explained as she went to the arch and changed the program. The scene shifted from the table and chairs to a veranda on the edge of a lake.
"Well I already know you, " Karis said to him. But I don't know if you two know each other. My partner Ryon. And my coworker Lake. Oh, sorry, I should have let you introduce them," Karis said to Ledeya.
"Nice to meet you," Ryon said as he extended his hand toward Lake. He had yet to meet the man, and it was a bit interesting to see exactly who Ledeya chose as her partner.
"Likewise," Lake's manner was easy going and calm despite being a little nervous. He took the hand and shook it. "No worries," Lake said to Ledeya about being late. "Just been keeping the table warm. Sit, eat, be merry or however that goes."
Motioning with his hands for the ladies to sit first, Ryon carefully moved Karis' chair out from the table for her. After they sat, the Bajoran took his seat. His nose gave him no hints about what they were about to eat, which led to him asking, "What's on the menu?"
Ledeya grinned as she pulled up the tray lids and it was revealed to be a feast of all sorts, almost a buffet style of food. "We have a bit of all our cultures and homeworlds. I thought it more appropriate."
"Aww, that's lovely, we can try a bit of everything." Karis didn't consider herself a picky eater. Kriosian food was fairly bland and so eating most Bajoran foods was perfectly fine with her.
"We're pretty sure nothing here will harm anyway, take small bites just in case." Lake was totally joking and half expected Ledeya to give him a look but he didn't glance in her direction.
"So," Karis asked, "Now we get to think of non awkward . . . . anti awkward? Topics of conversation. Weather, but we're in space . . . sports teams? I mostly read myself so I have no idea on that but I'd happily listen."
Ledeya smiled a little as she listened to Karis. She had no idea how sports other than anti ball. "How are you all enjoying the tech conference?" Ledeya offered sitting back happily munching on a grape.
"I haven't really had a chance to look at it that much. But I was hoping to take a look tomorrow after my shift. Maybe I can talk Ryon into coming with me," Karis answered.
"Sure, I heard that the Promenade was the place to be after the lectures," the Bajoran began as he took a piece of the hasperat as well as one of the sides that just screamed Betazed. Smiling, he added, "I'm just happy we aren't forced to go in a shuttle, you know the kidnapping percent for taking a shuttle to conferences are higher than at any other time?"
Karis looked confused but let the feeling pass.
"So uh, how do you know Ledeya?" Lake asked, feeling the need to bring the subject around to something he understood. "You used to serve together and now are again?"
"I try not to think about that time you nearly for us kidnapping Ryon." Ledeya teased before looking at Lake. "Ryon used to be my Executive Officer when I was lovely Assistant Chief Medical Officer." Ledeya admitted with a grin. It was fun to see how the years had changed them and their tracks both the good and bad points around them.
"Ah," Lake answered.
"I swear, everything happens to him. Probably what he was thinking when he met me too." Karis pipped up before taking a few more items to eat.
"Can't say my career hasn't been interesting," the Bajoran nodded. "Resistance fighter turned Dominion War vet. Was the boss of my current boss, met my significant other during a maiden voyager disaster rescue. Lost a few pips thanks to a poorly executed mission." It was definitely a brief summary of his career, but it certainly hit the high points.
"That does sound interesting. I can't say my career is anything noteworthy. Mostly I have my head stuck in the stars, literally. But I'm never bored so I guess I chose correctly." Lake answered him.
"Mine has been pretty boring as well," Ledeya said as a bald-faced lie before she saw everyone looking at her. No one went from medical to command without a story, and then to commodore, it was just not possible. "apart from the bits in between where we got stuck in that storm, where we floated for a week powerless or that time we got held hostage."
Karis couldn't help but giggle a little bit at the expression on Lake's face as he contemplated Ledeya's boring career. "Mine was pleasantly boring up until we lost Yorktown." She shrugged.
"What did happen there?" Ledeya wondered. She had been wanting to ask for a while but it had never come up in conversation before.
"Uhm there was a battle and we were very badly damaged. I guess Counselor Keading was on the bridge and thought the Captain was dead, the XO knocked completely out. Myself and a few others got together and tried to help a bunch of kids off the ship. We got into escape pods and got out of there but I had twisted my ankle badly and when Rhea picked us up I tried to step on it and fell out of the pod. He caught me." Karis said pointing at Ryon. "And that was when I imprinted on him. Lots of awkward conversations followed. But most things turned out all right in the end."
Lake was listening intently. He'd never heard of such a thing as imprinting but that's what being in Starfleet was all about, learning about races, planets and space.
"One of the better days in my career," Ryon replied with a slight smile towards Karis.
Ledeya smiled at the pair and shifted in her chair just a little more as she tried to relax just a little more. She had purposely cancelled an event to actually have an evening to be her instead of Commodore Ehestri. It was becoming harder and harder to keep it all separate.
Karis felt like she was terrible with small talk, she wished someone else would come up with a topic. "And I heard a rumor that you two met because you got locked into a quarantine chamber? Is that true?"
"Not exactly. We met before that in a corridor when i tried to run over her. But then there was the quarantine chamber that I knocked her into when the gas started flowing." Lake responded, feeling a bit flushed by the attention.
"He kidnapped me," Ledeya said with a small grin and only a hint of the teasing she was doing in her voice. How could she not fall for this man even if it was overly complicated and different than previous relationships?
"And he lived to tell the tale?" Ryon added to the teasing. He lifted his glass in a mock salute to the other man, "My compliments for surviving the attempted kidnapping."
"She was mostly understanding when she realized why I knocked her in there." Lake chuckled.
"Mostly." Ledeya smiled a bit bigger and winked. Only Ryon had ever seen the more relaxed version of her so she hoped that she was not unnerving the rest of the group. "But it has all worked out though so deities must like me again."
The talk of deities had the same effect on Ryon as hearing his family go on about the Prophets, it made him uncomfortable. However, he had learned to keep his feelings on the matter private. "At least he lived to tell the tale."
Karis squeezed Ryon's hand. She actually wanted to know more about the Prophets but hadn't exactly found a way to bring up the subject yet. Maybe another call into his sister was due?
Ledeya smiled and held up her wine to everyone. "A toast to the Cosmos and her many interesting crew members," Ledeya said with a grin.
Raising his glass, the Bajoran replied, "To the Cosmos and her adventures."
