Posted by Commander Luka (Executive Officer) in Holosuite Two- A Dinner

Posted by Fleet Captain Ghubari Koraia (Captain) in Holosuite Two- A Dinner

Posted by Commander Luka (Executive Officer) in Holosuite Two- A Dinner
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Ghubari nodded in understanding as she went about rinsing some rice that needed to cook. “To be honest, I never really saw myself getting married. I came close to it once, but I’m not it would have actually happened, even if circumstances hadn’t changed things entirely.”

“Do you think you’ll return home for at some point? There are lots of people who still have Starfleet careers and have a family. It just sometimes takes some creative planning, if that’s what you want.”

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

“No,” Luka answered almost immediately, with no hesitation. “It has been experimented on, and it is psychologically impossible for a Laleri within a committed relationship to spend time off planet without a lot of emotional problems ensuing. It’s a complicated set of reasons to explain, but the short of it is that Galdori people have a mild telepathic field which allows us to communicate emotions of love and caring without physically showing them. For individuals who leave Galdor to join Starfleet, we must contend with losing that field of emotions we would otherwise be surrounded by.”

Ghubari paused after setting the lid on the pot of water that was heating up and gazed at Luka, picking up the forthrightness of the revelation but also the background emotions that came with it.

She paused for a few moments to take a sip of wine. “For those within a relationship, there is a psychic bond created between them which amplifies this signal. Extended periods of absense from one another causes symptoms similar to depression, and causes general unhealth for both individuals unless they sever their psychic link, which is essentially the same as divorce in my culture.”

Luka hoped she had explained it in a way the captain would understand.

Luka, XO

Resting her hand on the counter, Ghubari’s thumb curled tightly around the underneath and she inhaled slowly, allowing it to fill her lungs before nodded. “I get it,” she said softly. “I share a telepathic bond with Konral, but it’s not not detrimental to be apart. I won’t like it, and it would be hard, but it wouldn’t be life threatening.” She exhaled forcibly. “But I recently have been separated from my… companion, Nico, not unlike Mukin for you. He’s a treecat and they are sentient and telepathic creatures. They communicate in images and we shared a physical bond. It’s very common for those of his species to bond with Humanoids, and he bonded with me after his previous companion, a crew member of the previous Athena, died under my command on the mission that ended up destroying the ship. Under normal circumstances, Nico’s departure would have had profound physiological and psychological effects on both of us, but for complicated reasons, that has been lessened and I’m not at… risk,” she said quietly, though her expression indicated that it was still difficult for her. “So, while I am not going through what you would go through, I do understand why it isn’t an option for you.”

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

Luka nodded slightly. “It’s part of our biology and our psychology. It was difficult enough for me to come to Starfleet and leave the love-field that exists there. It’s so hard to explain the sensation to someone outside of Galdor. It’s like… you’re constantly surrounded by a warm blanket, and inside it feels like you’ve just taken a sip of creamy hot chocolate and it’s warming you up from the inside. And then… you leave the planet, you leave the ships that are full of your people… it’s even harder to explain that experience. Even with that, I can’t imagine being separated for long periods of time from a mate… that is much worse, apparently.”

Ghubari nodded slowly. She had felt the lingering effects of pervious relationship after they ended and went their own ways, but she imagined that her and Konral being apart would be incredibly difficult. But it was hard to fully comprehend how it would be to be so fully separated from someone you had such a physical connection to. It was a rather sobering thought.

She sighed. “Well, um… how about a lighter topic?” she chuckled slightly. “I’ll talk about Mukin, and you can change the subject or let me keep talking. I’m going to guess the questions you might ask. I’ve had him for nearly ten years, and trained him fairly well, I think. For comparison in age, he was two years old, which is a similar maturity to a dog who is… perhaps, one year old. They live for 30 years, 40 in some cases. I knew him since his birth, as his mother and father were ship pets upon one of the vessels I served on during my time in the Galdori Fleet. He was born in space, and I think he prefers the environment of Starships to that of planets. When I was transferred to another vessel, he had already formed a small bond with me, so he was given to me as a parting gift. I spent a year on that other vessel before joining Starfleet, and Mukin has come along with me on all the ships I have been assigned to.”

Luka, XO

“That must be a comfort, given what you’ve told me about your connection and disconnection to your world. Do you find it helps you be away from Galdor?” Ghuabri asked as she puttered with the rice. Dinner was almost ready and the smell told her that the gravy was very close as well. The timing would work out quite nicely.

“And I guess the other question I have is if there is anything I can do to help? Anything you particularly need as you settle in? I’m sure you’re well experienced with the separation issue by now, but if there is anything, I hope you will let me know,” Koraia explained.

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO