Posted by Civilian Sair Songz (Counselor) in Officer’s Mess- Dinner with the Captain

Posted by Fleet Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Officer’s Mess- Dinner with the Captain

Posted by Civilian Sair Songz (Counselor) in Officer’s Mess- Dinner with the Captain
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Cochrane’s expression change and became slightly more serious as the two women spoke. “I wasn’t aware of the… tendencies… of your government. Earth and Vulcan have their share of history with such times. It never ended well for either of my family’s people.” and he took a sip. “Fortunately we moved along and have, I hope, learned from our histories.” He was silent a moment and then said “Sair, I think I have a small grasp of your perspective.” and his icy eyes shifted to focus on Kel. “What about you, Madame? How do the Kobliad people of your generation view things?”

Cochrane

Kel inhaled deeply, nodding as if she expected such a question. “From my earliest memories I have led a very regimented life. It is everything from our education system we told you about to, to the fact that our physical bodies are required to have a dosing regimen or we die a painful death. Everything works in perfect order because if things stray then people get hurt, in more ways than one. That saying that Sair told you about, about service to the realm. It means something, but a very close second is also family. Family is the most important piece of our fleeting lives. When you know you can die so quickly, having a child is high above many other things we might want in our lives.” For a moment the elder Kobliad just gazed at Sair before beaming at her, even though there was a touch of sadness present. “Sair was my seventh and only successful pregnancy. But I wanted to be a mother so badly, even though I risked my life to do so, just like my mother,” she said before returning her gaze to Cochrane. “She died in childbirth. It’s very common because the hormones of pregnancy cause dueridium treatments to be less effective. When your entire society knows it’s doomed to extinction, having children seems to be an exercise in futility, but…” She took a sip of wine.

She leaned in a little, her gaze intense. “The true contradiction of our society is that we value moments of beauty too. We celebrate the fleeting through our arts. I married a musician because Sal gave me something my duty-filled life was missing: joy. Sometimes after a long shift I would go to the music hall where we was practicing and I’d fall asleep sitting against the wall just listening to beautiful music. We’re a strange people, Captain, I know that. And I understand that outsiders see our system of familial honour and shame in conjunction with how little choice we give individuals as somehow being ruthless. But it’s been necessary. Or at least we’ve gone generations being convinced it was. Now I look at Sair and Koro, and I’m actually quite envious of them, of the freedom they have. I know my generation exists in a state of perpetual fear, but it not an imagined one. It’s real and it’s very hard to set aside, even when faced with some as miraculous as a grandchild whose own children won’t have the same fears.”

~Kel Songz

Cochrane looked at Kel for a moment, and then took a very methodical and measured sip of wine. He set the glass down slowly, keeping his fingers on the stem, his eyes fixed there,, and slowly turning the glass on a circle on the table as his brow furrowed in thought. He didn’t speak even as a server brought fresh baked bread and Harv’s amazing seafood chowder as an appetizer, but he did look up briefly and give the server a small smile and a nod before going back to the glass.

A weird thread of nervousness flowed through Sair, unsure how to read Cochrane just now. Then again she really didn’t know him all that well yet, so she just focused on the server, offering a warm smile as they set the food down.

“I… apologize… Mrs. Songz.” je finally said. “I am having a great deal of personal difficulty balancing some of the contradictions I think I am hearing. It doesn’t help that I hear echos of my own species’s history in what you say.” and he finally looked up, his face a perfect mask of diplomacy and professionalism. “So I will simply say that I hope that your people weather this time and tribulation with all of the aplomb and dignity that your daughter has shown your people to possess.” and he smiled and sat slightly further upright. “Now to so subtly change the subject…” and he grinned at both women,”… the dish you have in front of you is our chef’s specialty. Seafood chowder. Its truly amazing. And he makes the bread fresh all through the day.”

Cochrane

Sair turned to her mother. “I’ve had a version of this before. It’s not unlike sisej but with marine crustaceans and a creamier soup base.” She was glad for the shift in conversation since her and her mother agreed to avoid a particular topic. There would be time for it, but not now.

Kel nodded with understanding. “This looks lovely.”

Sair took some of the bread, tore off a piece and dipped it into the creamy dish before popping it into her mouth. It was warm and luscious and salty. “Mmmm, it’s a very comforting thing, isn’t it. That and some sort of fresh bread is something I think many, many cultures have.”

Dipping her spoon into the chowder, Kel took a generous bite and looked momentarily startled but not in an unpleasant way. She pause, her already ridged forehead furrowing deeper. “Huh. I’m not sure how to describe it, but I do like it. I agree that it has some similarities to something back home though.”

The counsellor grinned and looked at Alex. “I’ve spoken with one of my Federation contacts who is in the exchange program and stationed in our capital and we’re scheming to collect the chemical compositions of a bunch of Kobliad dishes. With any luck I’ll be able to put on a proper Kobliad feast.”

~Sair & Kel Songz

Alex smiled as he took a bite and chewed. He swallowed and said “You should speak to Chef Harv. He has a knack for puzzling out flavors and textures to duplicate various culture’s cuisine. His is a rare talent, and I’m sure he’d be happy to assist you in finding something close to your native food.” He then chuckled and said “He’s also what I like to call ‘particular’, so expect some… eccentricities.”

Cochrane