Thalos listened intently, never once interrupting as Elyss spoke of her childhood.

A faint smile settled upon his face as she described following her brothers on their adventures, tending to their inevitable injuries so the day’s excitement could continue uninterrupted.

“I can picture it.”

His silver eyes met hers across the table.

“Four siblings exploring the coastline together. It sounds… lively.”

There was genuine warmth in his voice.

“It also explains a great deal about you.”

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

“Most people are drawn to medicine because they are fascinated by the science. From what you’ve told me, you were first drawn to helping people.”

His antennae inclined slightly in quiet admiration.

“I find that… admirable.”

Before he could continue, the server returned carrying their meals. The aroma of the Andorian icefish immediately reminded him of home, while the saffron risotto before Elyss looked equally inviting.

As Elyss suggested a toast, Thalos reached for his glass of Saurian brandy, raising it with a small smile.

“To new friendships…”

He paused, considering his next words.

”…and to evenings that remind us there is more to life than duty.”

He gently touched the rim of his glass against hers before taking a measured sip.

Setting the glass down once more, he looked thoughtfully at his meal before returning his attention to Elyss.

“You asked me earlier about my time before Starfleet.”

A faint smile returned.

“Unlike your childhood, mine was considerably quieter.”

He gave a soft chuckle.

“The Imperial Guard does not encourage the sort of adventures your brothers apparently excelled at.”

His expression softened.

“Still… there were moments I look back on with fondness.”

He picked up his cutlery.

“Perhaps, while we eat, I’ll tell you about one of them.”

Lieutenant Thalos ch’Ravik
Chief Of Security
USS Merrimack

The waiter arrived with their meals and Elyss thanked him. “Mmm this looks delicious.” She’d ordered saffron risotto with asparagus and tomatoes on the side. Still thinking about the fun she had growing up with her brothers, the smile stayed for a little while. “Should we toast?”

Lieutenant Elyss Zavey
Chief Science Officer USS Merrimack

“Oh, I’m sure I would enjoy that very much.” Elyss followed his lead and began to eat. The risotto was delicious and the asparagus still had a bit of crispness to it. “So why don’t you regale me with one of those stories from your childhood? What was Thalos like as a boy?”

Lieutenant Elyss Zavey
Chief Science Officer USS Merrimack

Thalos smiled faintly, his gaze drifting beyond the viewport for a moment as memories surfaced.

“I was perhaps nine years old.”

He let out a quiet chuckle.

“Which, by Andorian standards, is old enough to believe one is capable of surviving anything.”

He picked up his fork, though he seemed more interested in the memory than the meal for the moment.

“There had been a fresh snowfall the night before. My cousins and I decided we would climb a frozen ridge overlooking one of the fjords near our family home.”

His antennae lifted slightly at the recollection.

“Naturally, we ignored every warning our parents had given us.”

A rare grin appeared.

“We were convinced they were simply trying to spoil our adventure.”

His expression became thoughtful.

“About halfway up, the ice beneath one of my younger cousins gave way. He didn’t fall far, but he slid toward a narrow crevasse.”

His voice remained calm, though the memory still carried weight.

“I remember reaching for him without thinking. Another cousin grabbed hold of me before I followed him over the edge.”

He paused, taking a measured sip of his brandy.

“It was my father who eventually climbed down and pulled us both to safety.”

Looking back to Elyss, a warm smile returned.

“That evening I expected a severe lecture.”

Another soft chuckle escaped him.

“Instead, my father sat me beside the fire and said something I have never forgotten.”

Thalos’ voice became quieter as he repeated the words.

“‘Courage is not running toward danger because you believe you cannot fail. Courage is knowing exactly what the danger is… and choosing to protect someone anyway.’”

His silver eyes met hers.

“I believe that was the day I decided I wanted to serve.”

He looked down briefly at his meal before continuing.

“Not because I wanted to fight.”

He shook his head gently.

“Because I wanted to be the one others could depend upon when everything else had gone wrong.”

A faint smile returned.

“The Imperial Guard simply happened to be the path that allowed me to become that person.”

Lieutenant Thalos ch’Ravik
Chief Of Security
USS Merrimack

Watching Thalos as he spoke of being a boy, Elyss didn’t realize how her face softened and her smile lit her eyes. He told of an adventure much like the ones she’d had with her brothers, the only difference being that their father never knew where his children would end up when they piled out of the house in the morning.

“When did you begin your training?” Andorian military were legend when it came to their soldier training. Elyss had never experienced anything like that as a child, and felt badly that Thalos might have. After all, you only get one childhood, right? That was her thinking anyway.

Depending on what he told her, she thought she might plan an afternoon for the two of them that included something they might have done as youngsters—or at least, something she might have done, but also something he might enjoy.

Lieutenant Elyss Zavey
Chief Science Officer USS Merrimack

Thalos smiled thoughtfully before answering, taking a moment to savour both the memory and the meal.

“Formal training?”

He gave a slight shake of his head.

“Not until I was old enough to choose that path for myself.”

He met Elyss’s gaze.

“There is a common misconception within the Federation that every Andorian child is raised as a soldier.”

A faint smile crossed his face.

“We are certainly encouraged to value discipline, honour, and self-reliance from an early age, but childhood is still… childhood.”

His antennae lifted slightly as another memory surfaced.

“I spent just as much time climbing frozen ridges, racing across snowfields, and getting into trouble with my cousins as any Human child might.”

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

“The only difference was that our parents expected us to learn something from each misadventure.”

He paused before continuing.

“When I reached sixteen, I began training with the Imperial Guard Cadet Corps. It was demanding, but never forced upon me.”

His expression softened.

“My father simply asked one question.”

He smiled at the recollection.

“‘Do you wish to protect people because you seek glory… or because you cannot bear to stand aside while others are in danger?’”

Thalos looked down briefly at his plate before returning his attention to Elyss.

“He told me that if my answer was the first, I would never be happy in the Guard.”

A gentle smile returned.

“Fortunately… it was the second.”

He studied her for a moment before asking with genuine curiosity,

“What about you? When you weren’t patching up your brothers after their adventures… what sort of child was Elyss Zavey?”

His eyes sparkled with quiet amusement.

“I somehow doubt you were always the sensible one.”

Lieutenant Thalos ch’Ravik
Chief Of Security
USS Merrimack

Elyss gave his hand a squeeze before pulling away and taking a few bites of dinner. After blotting her mouth with a napkin, she twirled her wine glass and then took a sip. “I read a lot…I mean a lot!!! My mother used to worry about how much time I spent in my room, so she encouraged my brothers to take me out with them. I say encouraged, but she pretty much gave them an ultimatum—if they didn’t take me with them, they could have to stay home. Needless to say, I got to go along with them no matter what was on the agenda for the day. A lot of it was dangerous, but they were watchful and tried to keep me out of danger. I think between the ages of eight and when each of them left home, I had my feet in the ocean almost every day.”

An odd look crossed her face and Thalos noticed it. Looking over at his silent question, Elyss looked embarrassed. “You’ll laugh at me…try not to laugh, okay? On the days I was alone, like if there was bad weather or something, I played in my room. I pretended like I was a supermodel putting on a show. I’d gather all kinds of materials around the house and create very imaginative creations, then I’d walk the runway to the applause of all the imaginary viewers in my room.” Her gaze had veered down to the table so she couldn’t see his immediate reaction. Eventually, Elyss looked up at him through thick, black, lashes. “I wanted to be important and to be pretty.”

Lt Elyss Zavey
CSO, Merrimack

Thalos listened without interruption, smiling as Elyss described being reluctantly adopted into her brothers’ adventures. He could almost picture the young girl racing along a windswept shoreline, determined to keep pace with siblings who never quite managed to leave her behind.

His expression softened further as she confessed her childhood secret.

For a brief moment, he simply looked at her.

Then, without a hint of amusement, he gave a small shake of his head.

“I promised I would not laugh.”

A warm smile touched his lips.

“And I have no intention of breaking that promise.”

His silver eyes met hers with quiet sincerity.

“To me… it sounds as though a young girl was trying to discover who she might become.”

He paused, choosing his words with care.

“I think many children imagine themselves becoming someone extraordinary. Some dream of commanding starships. Others dream of winning great battles.”

A faint chuckle escaped him.

“I suspect I imagined myself as an Imperial Guard officer long before I had earned the right.”

His smile lingered.

“You imagined yourself walking before admiring crowds.”

He inclined his head ever so slightly.

“I do not think there is anything foolish about that.”

His gaze remained steady.

“You said you wanted to be important…”

He paused.

”…and to be pretty.”

Another gentle smile appeared.

“Elyss…”

There was no hesitation in his voice.

“You succeeded.”

The words were spoken simply, without embellishment or flirtation.

“You became an accomplished scientist, a respected Starfleet officer, and someone whose kindness leaves a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to know you.”

His antennae lifted slightly.

“And if you will forgive my saying so…”

His smile warmed.

”…I believe the little girl who imagined herself beautiful would be very pleased with the woman sitting across from me.”

Only then did Thalos return to his meal, allowing the silence to settle naturally between them rather than feeling the need to fill it.

After a few moments, he looked back up with the faintest glimmer of humour.

“Although…”

He tilted his head thoughtfully.

“I confess I am now curious what an Andorian interpretation of a Human fashion show might have looked like.”

A quiet chuckle escaped him, hoping to ease the embarrassment she had so bravely shared.

Lieutenant Thalos ch’Ravik
Chief Of Security
USS Merrimack

“Well, if you’re very nice, I might put on a private show for you at some point.” Her grin was mischievous.

It was in that moment, Elyss became fully aware of what a nice voice Thalos had. It was professional and had a smooth timber. She was certain that not everyone got to hear the personal aspect that came into it when the two of them spoke. She was sure the grins and quiet laughs were not shared with most others on the ship. It made her feel special. “You know, I think I had my toes in the ocean almost every day from the time I was eight until my brothers left home. Then I was on my own.”

She took another few bites and then looked at him thoughtfully. “You know, that is probably the think I miss more than I thought I would—the ocean. It was always a mystery. It held secrets and treasures that my brothers and I discovered over our years in the bay.”

“Do you have oceans on your planet?”

Lieutenant Elyss Zavey
Chief Science Officer USS Merrimack