Sitting crossed legged on the computer desk Octavia had thrown a blanket over her shoulders and wrapped it around herself, “Computer call Commander Ryder Raauhl, USS Leviathan on a personal channel” She didn’t have anything to hid and besides she didn’t have the clearance to be making any secure calls. Her hands were wrapped around a large mug of hot chocolate which she sipped periodically while she waited for him to respond.

She hadn’t spoke to her Uncle in a few months and no doubt a lot had happened, it was actually his idea for her to do the month long medical practice on the Ogawa and he was joined too, he’d have some non-counselling advice for her, she was growing bored of having her mind picked at every week and even Raain seemed to dislike the constant mummy cuddling.

“Oh come on” She said rolling her eyes and sighing, Ryder never took this long to answer his calls.

Casela found herself in a strange situation: boredom. Being on medical leave left her with nothing to do, but sit in their quarters and stare at the wall. Gen was off with Fenrir somewhere, and Ryder was due to be off soon, but then he walked the ship. She’d join him, but she wasn’t allowed to be up yet. Actually she wasn’t supposed to be out of bed, but she figured sitting in a chair was resting, and was close enough. Ryder and Gen probably wouldn’t agree. So she found herself filling her time catching up on her ‘special’ reports and correspondence. So when the com beeped she made her way slowly to the desk chair, “Accept, authorization…” but the message didn’t need an authorization code and that brought her up short. Who, that she was getting a call from, would be careless enough to not encrypt the call?

But on the screen was no one she had ever met before. A girl, young, and Trill. Curiously, she greeted the caller, “Hello.”

Octavia blinked at the woman on the screen, and was silent for a moment, she checked quickly that the location on the screen she had called was her uncles quarters and it was. Who the hell are you? she thought but the words translated and she said simply “You’re not Ryder, why are you in his quarters?” She wasn’t sure how she’d call Security to someone else’s quarters on another ship but she’d damn well try if this woman was snooping about Ryders stuff.

Casela fought the urge to grin. Their living arrangement was not common knowledge, at least off the ship. The girl was suspicious, her tone gave her away. “No, I’m Casela. And I’m here because these are my quarters. Who are you?” She spoke softly and easily. Another woman might get jealous or suspicious of another woman calling and demanding to know who she was, but 1, this was a girl and 2, Casela trusted Ryder. It didn’t matter to her who called or showed up. She didn’t have time for such things.

“You’re quarters?” She asked a little puzzled, Ryder hadn’t mentioned anyone to her that he was seeing. She studied the woman for a little longer before deciding to take a leap of face, hopefully Ryder wasn’t just put off the camera angle on the floor because this woman… This Casela attacked him. “I’m Octavia, Ryder is my Uncle” She added just to secure her reasoning to calling she didn’t need Casela asking questions. “So you’re his girlfriend?” She asked remembering that she said that she was in her quarters.

There was that word again- girlfriend. It was more than that though. They were planning on adopting Gen together. What would be the correct term for their relationship? Casela pondered that while the girl just stared at her. “I am,” came the simple, but truthful answer. The girl was wrapped up in a blanket sitting on her desk. Something, other than Casela, was bothering her. Ryder had never mentioned a niece, but she’d never asked. Was she who she really said she was? Her surprise and agitation suggested truthfulness. She was young enough for Casela to still see her as just barely a child. She tried to put her at ease. “Nice to meet you, Octavia. Well over subspace anyway. Ryder isn’t here at the moment. Are you okay?”

She quickly considered her options, hang up and be that rude niece, wait for Ryder and have a staring competition with Casela or she could engage with her and figure out why Ryder liked her enough to share quarters. “Not really” she sighed, “If Ryder trusts you then so do I” Octavia took in a deep breath, “I was joined with a symbiote, but it wasn’t exactly Voluntarily. They said It was temporary but the moment I went under surgery the transport miraculously had a mechanical fault and couldn’t make it in the 93 hours it takes for the joining to be permanent. They lied to me! Forced me in the most hideous way, deceit. I wouldn’t have said no but I was never given the chance.” A tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away.

Casela took in a deep breath. Trill law was clear. Even if Octavia had been given the chance she could not have said no. Ryder had had problems integrating the different personalities carried by Raauhl and had only resolved that in the last few months. Noa’s personality caused quite a bit of upheaval. She wondered if Octavia was having the same problem. “That is a horrible situation to be put in.” The tear pulled at her, and the anger and hurt at being used was something Casela was familiar with. Even if her circumstances were different. “What do you mean they lied?” Had there not been another host on the way? The girl really needed to talk to Ryder, she had no experience to help her. “Would you like me to try and find him?”
Casela Synthi-er, USS Leviathan
Octavia Raain, USS Ogawa