06-11-2026, 10:19 PM
The smile that crossed Hallowette's face was immediate. "So you two finally made it official, huh?" punctuating the question with a soft laugh. "Well, congratulations, Ardanna. That's such happy news."
The happiness in the young security officers expression was difficult to miss, and Hally found herself genuinely pleased for her. Ardanna and Ollie had been dancing around becoming official for a while, and most everyone who knew the two of them, even just as acquaintances could see how much they fancied one another. Ollie had a reputation for being an unabashed flirt, but once he had settled his affections on Ardanna, his target lock had become more or less solid on her alone.
Before she could ask anything further, another voice joined them.
"Do you mind if I join you? I'm Eun Ju, by the way, or Ju for short."
Hallowette looked up and offered a welcoming smile. "Not at all. Please." She gestured toward an empty chair. "I'm Hallowette. Hally, uhm, usually." As Ju settled in, Hally moved her PADD aside and made a little more room at the table. "Perfect timing, actually. Ardanna was just sharing some good news." The Trill-Bajoran hybrid glanced toward the security officer with an amused expression. "I'll let her tell you about it herself."
Once everyone had settled, Ardanna's earlier question returned to her. How had her leave been?
For a moment she found herself looking back out toward Earth hanging beyond the spacedock. "It was nice," she said softly. "Maybe little quieter than I expected." A faint smile touched her lips. "My family is spread across several worlds these days, so I wasn't really able to visit anyone." Her delicate spot lined hands tapped thoughtfully on the table, "My Dad and his family are still on Cardassia, and with the diplomatic challenges between them and the Federation heating up, my request to visit was denied."
She missed her Dad, little sister and step mom. Knowing the state of affairs were deteriorating, she worried greatly for them, but trusted that her father's status as an official Bajoran envoy would likely protect them more than any starship could. Still, it had been well over a year since she had seem them in person, and she yearned to just be among them for a little bit. "So I mostly stayed on Earth."
Her eyes brightened slightly. "I think I spent about half my leave wandering around places on Earth I'd not gotten a chance to see while at the Academy. Johannesburg. Seattle. Kyoto. Little villages and museums and old ruins." She laughed. "I probably looked completely ridiculous. Everywhere I went there were humans walking past things that were hundreds or thousands of years old without a second glance, while I was standing there staring at everything." It was one of the things she loved most about Earth. The weight of history seemed to exist alongside everyday life in a way few worlds managed. Preserved, cherished, but not buried under the pretense of the sacred like on Bajor or the mythological like on a planet like Qo'nos - just history for history sake.
"I also volunteered at the Academy." That smile lingered. "My old instructor was looking for pilots willing to spend some time mentoring cadets." Her shoulders lifted slightly. "I told myself it was because I wanted to help." The grin that followed suggested there was more to it than that. "But honestly? I think I just needed something meaningful to do." There had been days when she felt the absence of family more keenly than others. Teaching had helped with that. "The cadets were wonderful. Exhausting sometimes, but wonderful." She chuckled. "They reminded me that every officer starts somewhere. Every confident pilot you meet was once a nervous student trying not to embarrass themselves in a simulator."
Looking between Ardanna and Ju, her expression softened. "And it was nice feeling useful. Nice being part of something, even while everyone else was off living their lives." Realizing she had perhaps become a little more reflective than intended, she reached for her beneer juice and smiled, turning towards the pretty young engineer, "But enough about me. What about you, Ju? Did you get to spend much time on your homeworld?"
The happiness in the young security officers expression was difficult to miss, and Hally found herself genuinely pleased for her. Ardanna and Ollie had been dancing around becoming official for a while, and most everyone who knew the two of them, even just as acquaintances could see how much they fancied one another. Ollie had a reputation for being an unabashed flirt, but once he had settled his affections on Ardanna, his target lock had become more or less solid on her alone.
Before she could ask anything further, another voice joined them.
"Do you mind if I join you? I'm Eun Ju, by the way, or Ju for short."
Hallowette looked up and offered a welcoming smile. "Not at all. Please." She gestured toward an empty chair. "I'm Hallowette. Hally, uhm, usually." As Ju settled in, Hally moved her PADD aside and made a little more room at the table. "Perfect timing, actually. Ardanna was just sharing some good news." The Trill-Bajoran hybrid glanced toward the security officer with an amused expression. "I'll let her tell you about it herself."
Once everyone had settled, Ardanna's earlier question returned to her. How had her leave been?
For a moment she found herself looking back out toward Earth hanging beyond the spacedock. "It was nice," she said softly. "Maybe little quieter than I expected." A faint smile touched her lips. "My family is spread across several worlds these days, so I wasn't really able to visit anyone." Her delicate spot lined hands tapped thoughtfully on the table, "My Dad and his family are still on Cardassia, and with the diplomatic challenges between them and the Federation heating up, my request to visit was denied."
She missed her Dad, little sister and step mom. Knowing the state of affairs were deteriorating, she worried greatly for them, but trusted that her father's status as an official Bajoran envoy would likely protect them more than any starship could. Still, it had been well over a year since she had seem them in person, and she yearned to just be among them for a little bit. "So I mostly stayed on Earth."
Her eyes brightened slightly. "I think I spent about half my leave wandering around places on Earth I'd not gotten a chance to see while at the Academy. Johannesburg. Seattle. Kyoto. Little villages and museums and old ruins." She laughed. "I probably looked completely ridiculous. Everywhere I went there were humans walking past things that were hundreds or thousands of years old without a second glance, while I was standing there staring at everything." It was one of the things she loved most about Earth. The weight of history seemed to exist alongside everyday life in a way few worlds managed. Preserved, cherished, but not buried under the pretense of the sacred like on Bajor or the mythological like on a planet like Qo'nos - just history for history sake.
"I also volunteered at the Academy." That smile lingered. "My old instructor was looking for pilots willing to spend some time mentoring cadets." Her shoulders lifted slightly. "I told myself it was because I wanted to help." The grin that followed suggested there was more to it than that. "But honestly? I think I just needed something meaningful to do." There had been days when she felt the absence of family more keenly than others. Teaching had helped with that. "The cadets were wonderful. Exhausting sometimes, but wonderful." She chuckled. "They reminded me that every officer starts somewhere. Every confident pilot you meet was once a nervous student trying not to embarrass themselves in a simulator."
Looking between Ardanna and Ju, her expression softened. "And it was nice feeling useful. Nice being part of something, even while everyone else was off living their lives." Realizing she had perhaps become a little more reflective than intended, she reached for her beneer juice and smiled, turning towards the pretty young engineer, "But enough about me. What about you, Ju? Did you get to spend much time on your homeworld?"