Posted by Lieutenant Commander Zef Rollo (Counselor) in Side Sim - The Arrival (Day 1)
The morning after her dinner with Alex, Zef rose from a terrible night of sleep. She was a little hung over from the wine, had only really slept for an hour or two and terribly upset about the situation with Alex. As she got up and headed for the shower, she wondered what he was doing at that moment. Normally the two of them would be having a cup of coffee in bed before getting ready for the day.

Twenty minutes later, she was dressed in dark pants and a burgundy button-down shirt as she headed toward the docking platform Anasara and her husband were arriving at. Despite the problems between her and Alex, Zef felt a good deal of excitement at seeing her old friend again. She was at the dock in time to watch the ship come through the wormhole. Alex was right, it was quite a sight.

From her vantage point, she could watch as the passengers disembarked, and the couple were easy to spot. Anasara was still a dark beauty, perhaps even more so now than she had been the last time Zef saw her. The woman whose eyes searched the crowd for her friend was now more refined and well dressed, with an air of sweet contentment surrounding her. Next to her stood Brom Ghelfi, tall, dark and handsome to a fault. He radiated a kind of nobility that was only common in those from the very upper class.

Zef headed toward them with a dazzling smile and slipped into her native language without much thought. “Anasera! Oh, my friend how I have missed you!”

“Zef! My pale one. The years have been kind to you!” and suddenly they were in each other arms, hugging and laughing, then hugging some more.

—Zef

–A Little While Later–

The three were seated in the private quarters of the Ghelfi family on the star ship Cho’kdar la. One of the servants that traveled with them had laid out a sumptuous meal on one of the larger tables, with plates and utensils so they could help themselves and move into the lounge to eat.

“What do you mean he was devastated when you told him about the Degansa?” Anasera sat next to her husband, one hand on his thigh as Zef told them about her dinner with Alex the night before.

“It hurt him.” She shook her head. “I didn’t think it would…or maybe I just didn’t think at all…” She sipped from a glass of tea and then blotted her lips with a napkin. “He’s the first Human I’ve ever been romantically involved with. I’ve just been living my life as a Bajeen woman all these years without much thought to how others might view our ways. There was no need to make it a priority, but now this has happened.”

Brom leaned forward a bit on the couch, “I don’t mean to sound unfeeling, but does this affect our contract?”

Rollo was quick to look at the couple opposite her. “No, not at all. I intend to carry your child, I am honored that you chose me.”

You could see Anasera’s posture relax a bit. “*I’m happy to hear you say that, but I am deeply sorry the Degansa has caused this situation with the Captain.”

There was more talk while they ate, some funny recollections and some secrets of girlhood exposed to Brom. Eventually, they were all full and ready for the stroll around the station Zef had offered to act as their guide on.

—Zef