The lounge / cafeteria is a large complex where meals are served and where cadets can come between assignments to relax and interact with others.
The gardens provide a peaceful environment for study and conversations.
No alcohol is served in the lounge / cafeteria, and it is strictly forbidden for cadets to consume the same on campus.
== This area is an open posting area for use by Star Fleet Academy (SFA) cadets, faculty, and administrators. Cadets may post outside of their training holodecks here and interact with each other and SFA staff in an informal environment.
All standard posting format rules apply here; posting here is a good chance to practice these skills.
To post in this thread a cadet must be current in their training. There should not be an academy post in your holodeck waiting for your reply while you are posting here. Same goes for Academy Instructors (AI) please. No posting done in this location will be taken into consideration when evaluating final exams or opt-out exam status.
Individuals found in violation of these simple rules will be reminded politely to make training their priority. Subsequent violations may result in loss of posting privileges in this thread.
This can really be a fun environment for you to practice posting skills that will be invaluable once you’ve graduated and entered the ‘real game’ so use this thread wisely and to your advantage. Any questions, please contact me.
This thread will be pruned monthly. ==
The Academy Lounge was full of cadets and staff as usually. Ava often came here to sit and think. She found noisy areas stimulating and as often happen when she concentrated on the cacophony of sounds, the noise would disappear and in that inner silence she would begin to concentrate on a particular problem or circumstance. Today her inner silence began to concentrate on herself.
I am a Vulcan by birth and a Human/Vulcan by nature. Yet, I have never been to Vulcan. My entire life has been spent on earth.
Ava considered how strange it was that she was a Vulcan who had never visited her ‘home’ planet. Among all the Vulcans she knew and associated with she had never met anyone like her. All the Vulcans she knew were born on Vulcan and grew up there.
I am unique!... she smiled and realize that the statement proved to some extent her realization. But that thought disappeared very quickly when another thought charged into her inner space.
Each species is unique and each individual was unique.
But, still, I AM unique, just like everyone else.
Ava sipped her coffee and experience what she understood was pleasure, at that thought.
She truly was unique.
Ava was truly unique.
Yes, everyone IS truly unique. This is one of the basic principles that govern the United Federation of Planet, and thus Starfleet.
Ava sat sipping her coffee.
Coffee. It was one of the good things about humanity. Ava had enjoyed coffee all her adult like. Many Vulcans did not appreciate its flavour and bitterness.
Ava's favourites coffee was a half strength Latta with one sweetener.
The noise of the cafeteria remained constant but Ava was oblivious to it as she continued to explore the position that everyone in the universe was truly unique. But training as security officer taught her that she may have to take the life of one of these unique individuals. She had read several ethical and philosophic dissertations on this subject. Ava found some of them of no use in practical scenarios. When someone was pointing a phaser at you, discussing ethics or philosophical understandings of the situation are of no use. One thing she was sure of though, the less number phaser shots you have to fire will win the day! Another way of putting it was applying only the least number of phaser shots or apply the smallest amount of physical violence that will achieve your goal. If iviolence is required at all, that is.
At that moment a Vulcan Cadet approached Cadet Baldwin.
"I am wondering why you do not sit with the other Vulcan cadets when in the cafeteria?" he said.
"For the same reason” Ava replied, “I do not sit with the human or any other of the species here in the cafeteria.” Ava answered slowly and deliberately. “I like to sit by myself, sip coffee and meditated on various subjects that take my interest. Perhaps you would like to sit with me, sip coffee and ask me more questions. You would be welcome at this table."
"I do not sip coffee. Besides I would not want to disturb you in your meditation."
"You have already done that!" Ava replied. Her assumption about the reason this cadet came and spoke to her seemed to be accurate. All he was trying to do was to depreciated her because she was not as fraternal with the other Vulcans as he thought she should. Ava had experienced this from Vulcans many times.
== Academy Cafeteria ===
The Academy cafeteria was buzzing with the low, steady murmur of cadets going over notes and grabbing a quick bite before the final block of examinations. Sitting near a corner table that afforded a clear line of sight to all primary entry points, Loma reviewed a dense cascade of tactical data on his PADD.
At twenty-eight years old, his broad shoulders and dense, athletic build made the standard-issue chair feel a bit undersized. He absentmindedly rubbed his right forearm, his thumb brushing against the faint, crescent-shaped chemical burn scar there as his deep hazel-green eyes swept the room's perimeter.
If the tactical board throws another randomized variable into the sector-defense simulation, I'm going to have to rewrite the entire secondary protocol, Loma thought, frowning slightly as he took a slow sip of his black coffee.
A simple, packed meal sat half-ignored beside his device while he thoroughly dissected a schematic for internal defense grid layouts. His dark hair, kept to a regulation short fade with a distinct dusting of gray at the temples, caught the overhead lights as he leaned in closer to study a shift-rotation failure log.
He took a measured bite of his lunch, his expression entirely focused and deadpan as he prepared himself for the rigorous academic testing ahead.
== Academy Gardens ==
Her role might have gotten bigger in recent times, but that hadn't prevented Amelina from enjoying the extra responsibility or following her usual routine. Which meant taking a walk in the gardens between classes, something the Instructor had always loved to do, ever since she was a Cadet, and she doubted it would ever change. Besides, the Academy held a lot of memories for her, from her Cadet days right through to starting her teaching career, and it was also where her friendship with Miles had started. A friendship that ultimately led the pair to become bonded, with a bright future ahead of them as a couple.
Miles was more than a partner, her confidant and sounding board, something Amelina cherished and valued, because she'd never been happier, and now it seemed she had found the almost perfect work/life balance. Nothing was ever a hundred per cent perfect, and Amelina was content with that, even with all of her experience and earlier goals. Life was good, and she wouldn't have it any other way, as she found a spot near the old oak tree and sat down, taking a moment to appreciate the slightly salty sea air and the view over the bay.
The PADD in her pocket chirped, but Amelina didn't rush to look at it, as even Acting Deans and Senior Instructors needed a moment or two to slow down and take a break.
== Tag Altura ==
== Academy Gardens ==
Loma maintained a steady, unhurried pace along the winding stone path of the Academy Gardens. With his final evaluations behind him and his official starship orders pending, the sudden lull in his schedule felt unnatural—almost uncomfortable. In the salvage yards, downtime usually meant a breakdown or a missed haul, and the adjustment to Starfleet’s administrative waiting game was taking some getting used to.
The crisp breeze blowing off San Francisco Bay carried the familiar scent of salt air, a sharp contrast to the humid, simulated foliage of his recent holodeck exams. As he rounded a bend near the ancient oak tree, his gaze swept the area—a reflex that no amount of leave time seemed to dial back—and landed on a familiar figure seated on the bench.
Lieutenant Commander Whittaker.
Having taken several security tactical modules under her instruction—and having just completed his final evaluation scenario under her watchful eye—Loma recognized her instantly. He knew her background well enough to respect the balance she struck between field experience and classroom discipline—a standard he’d tried to match during his own runs through the grid.
He slowed his approach, keeping his hands loosely at his sides, his broad, six-foot frame casting a tall shadow across the edge of the path.
"Commander," Loma said, stopping a respectful few paces away and offering a concise, professional nod. "I didn't mean to intrude on your break, Ma'am. Just taking advantage of the quiet before the deployment board posts the next round of assignments."
He paused, looking toward the bay for a brief second before bringing his dark eyes back to the senior officer.
"I wanted to thank you again for overseeing my final exam—and for your feedback throughout tactical response scenarios last term."
== Tag Whittaker ==
Amelina may have hung up her phaser years ago, but that hadn't kept the brunette from her instincts; in fact, the skills she had honed continued to serve her well, both as an Instructor and off duty. Sometimes you could find her at the phaser range or in the gym, where she maintained those skills and the disciplines that often came in useful, especially when teaching Cadets. So when someone approached, Amelina looked up at the sound of her rank, to find Midshipman Altura standing there at a respectful distance. Altura had impressed her during his final exam, but then again he had proved to be an excellent student, especially during the lessons he was under her tutelage.
She liked to think she was approachable even with her new responsibilities, because she knew how important it was to be there to support Cadets, for them to come to her if there were any issues, as she herself wouldn't be where she was today without the guidance of tutors, her Uncle or those she had served under during her time with the Fleet.
" Great minds think alike, Midshipman", she said softly. " I also remember that time and how exciting it was to find out which ship you'd be serving on".
When Altura thanked her for overseeing his final exam and feedback for the last term, Amelina smiled warmly. " You're most welcome; it's what I love to do, and it makes things easier when you have a Cadet who's willing to learn, willing to accept both the negatives and positives".
She might have been on a break, but that wasn't going to stop Amelina from inviting Altura to continue the conversation.
" Please join me, and tell me a bit more about yourself, and where you would ideally like to be assigned to".
== Tag Altura ==