Posted by Ensign Valleea (Doctor) in Lounge

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Marishka (CIO) in Lounge

Posted by Ensign Valleea (Doctor) in Lounge
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Valleea grinned slightly. “Well, a dynasty means something entirely different when your species lives a good two hundred years or so. That one might have produced fantastic music, but it was rather short lived, comparatively.”

She thought for a moment and smiled. “I think if I miss anything about Krios Prime, it’s the immersive nature of art and sharing it with others. It’s just… different in Starfleet.”

Ensign Valleea, Doctor

Marishka nodded and smiled a bit.

“Klingons can live to be around 150 years old so I’m told. We prefer to live fast and die a fiery death. Luckily the Orion side of my likes life a lot more. But that side also keeps their aging a secret. Truthfully I’m not certain how old we can live to be. My Grandmother is nearing 100 but she reminds me of a Human in her 40s.”

Marishka’s smile became a bit dubious remembering some of the stories about Olena.

“She was the one who taught me to play the piano, or an instrument very similar to it. What made you decide to join Star Fleet in the first place.”

Marishka was curious about this new friend.

Marishka

Valleea had gotten used to telling this part of her story, but Marishka would be hard pressed to miss the tightening of her hands or jaw. “Um, well, it’s complicated, but I decided to leave my home world and pursue a life on my own. Starfleet seemed appealing at the time and my undergraduate studies were solid enough to warrant at least a chance at the entrance exam. Starfleet became a brand new life for me. One I never imagined having but am grateful, mostly, to have the chance to live.”

“What about you? Why Starfleet?”

Ensign Valleea, Doctor

Marishka took mental note of Valleea’s changing body language before she began to tell her story.

“You used the word appealing. I believe that could fit me as well. It appealed to me because it would make both my parents angry and gave me greater opportunities than being a good Klingon daughter or a great Orion lady. I guess what I’ve discovered, over the years in Star Fleet, is that I am neither of those and so much more.” she explained.

Marishka thought about her life for a few seconds. All the things that had happened since she left Jade and especially since coming to the Genesis.

“And what did your parents think of your choice to join Star Fleet?” she asked.

-Marishka

Silence followed the question as Valleea chose to gaze out of the window. It was a valid question, if complicated. “Well, my decision to leave Krios Prime to pursue the rest of my medical training on Earth was met with hostility. After that I knew it didn’t matter what I did because it was not what they approved of. I left anyway and so I can’t actually tell you what they think, because we’ve not spoken since then and it’s been five years now. I’m certain I’m still a great disappointment to the House of Katee though, so one could say I got my wish for freedom.” Even years and a seeming lifetime of events later, Valleea could almsot feel the intensity of their reaction to her choosing to leave. It was almost an invisible weight that shifted her posture ever so slightly.

Ensign Valleea, Doctor

So it would seem Marishka and Valleea were kindred spirits in some way.

“Yes, nobody in my family approved either which just drove me to succeed in Star Fleet. We spoke very rarely after I left. About nine years ago, perhaps a bit more, I had occasion to go back to Qonos. I thought everything was going along quite well but I was completely dishonored and my father just stood there and let it happen. My mother said nothing but why would she? The attention wasn’t on her. We haven’t spoken since.”

Marishka realized she was being vague but didn’t quite know how to explain the situation any further without becoming even more angry than she was. This anger took her by surprise. Though the dishonor was a distant memory, her family’s betrayal apparently was not. She could feel her jaw setting and her green ringed eyes blazing. She motioned the waiter over and requested something harder to drink.

-Marishka