Welcome to starbase 400.

Posted on Sat Aug 13th, 2022 @ 6:14pm by Lieutenant Xalanth & 1st Lieutenant Geneviève Boudreaux

1,618 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 113 - No One Left Behind
Location: promenade

The busy sound of a federation starbases inhabitance on their coming and going echoed around the promenade

Sitting at one of the tables was the ship's security chief. At his side was a creature who was clearly his child the smaller lizard smiling as she tucked into a large bowl of ice cream.

Her slightly damp black eyes a clear sigh of her joint heritage looked up from her bowl and gave a chirp to her father. Rubbing his daughters head in a playful sigh of affection Xalanth smiled at her though his eyes gazed around the seating area.

Geneviève, once briefed and given her duty roster, prowled the promenade with sharp green eyes as she took in her surroundings. It had been forever and a day since she had served on a space station- having normally been suited to space ships and the like. But this was new, this was nice. At least the likelihood of a warp core exploding was pretty much nil here.

Spotting a family unit in the lunch area, she wandered over with the intent to introduce herself. It was only a shame her son was staying with her parents- could have given his kiddo someone to play with on this station.

"Well good morning! Had I known there were other parents and kids aboard, I'd have moved mountains to bring mine along!" She started out, keeping her tone even and good-naturedly. Some species were awful protective about their young.

"I'm Geneviève, just transferred aboard this morning."

Xalanth was indeed very protective of his daughters through only from his darting yellow eyes could you see that. Noting the woman was in a starfleet uniform and he did recognise the name from the newly arrived transfers his posture eased as he rose to offer his hand.

" Xalanth chief of security of this station. Nice to meet you Genevine." He said warmly doing his best to control his species' strength as he shook her hand. " This is Travla my second born." He said looking over to the smaller lizard. Her dark black eyes showed her mother was betozid though the tried tears were still obvious in her face. " Do you think I'm a freak?" She said softly which caused her father to jump to her side.

" You are not a freak little one no matter what that little brat said." He said softly to her as he wrapped his arms around her as a few slight tears started up again. " She's had a nasty day at school." He explained to petty officer.

Geneviève politely shook the other officers hand..claw? Either way, they shook and parted contact in all under a few moments before his daughter spoke. The 'freak' question almost automatically caused her red brows to shoot upwards, concern and surprise evident on her features as she attempted to parse her words into something meaningful for the little hybrid.. Thankfully her father had come to the rescue.

She watched with almost disbelief as he father consoled her- still reeling from the question and why a small child like her would even understand what such a thing meant. Her heart ached for the little reptilian, wanting desperately to embrace her and assure her that even though they had known each other for only a matter of moments, she could tell she was the loveliest, sweetest little baby on this base. But that was most assuredly way out of bounds.

Looking to Xalanth, she gave an almost apologetic smile before she spoke. "I have a hybrid child myself, it gets easier as they get older..kids can be so cruel at that age, though. I'm so sorry honey." She cooed at the little girl, her brows now furrowed as she expressed her sympathy. "You ain't nothing but perfect, doll. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, yeah?"

The small lizard let out a happy chirp in reply as she reached for her bowl of ice cream and offered the stranger a spoonful. " It's kind of you to say Genevine. Still shocks me people can think like that in the federation and from a betazoid of all people. You'd think they'd know better. Especially as Travla is second in line to her family's dutchess title. " Xlanth replied still keeping one arm around his daughter. " We never had this problem with my own people. "

"Ah well, I'm of the opinion that there's nasty people in every species, Betazoids included." She mused softly, offering a sympathetic smile to the young reptilian girl as she offered her a bite of ice cream. At least she seemed sated enough by her response to go back to being a kid again. Politely shaking her head, she looked back to Xalanth with a subtle hum.

"I don't think kids much understand or respect titles in the way adults might. To them? She's just another kid. No matter where you go in or out of the Federation, children are kinda the same wherever you go."

" I guess. " Xalanth replied from his seat. " Guess it's this old war dog upbringing. Even children on my world understand we need to stick together to survive. Speaking of children you mentioned you had one of your own?" he inquired.

"Oh yeah- Rigel." She gave a quick smile before she dug her PADD out of her labcoat pocket and double-tapped the screen for it to blink alive. The dark background of the PADD and the starbase directory were still on-screen when she flipped it around to show the Lieutenant, but just as quickly as she's turned it, the screen had been closed and on the background stood a quite tall young man, perhaps not quite a teenager even despite his height if the chubbiness of his cheeks were anything to go by. He looked mostly like his mother, but sported pointed ears, dark hair, and a strong browbone, indicative of his obvious half-Romulan ancestry.

"My baby boy- though he ain't much of a baby anymore I'm afraid.. He plays boys rugby on Earth, attends a real middle school- transferred him off to go live with my mom n' dad so he could live a bit more normal life.. It's actually my first assignment without him."

" I've been separated from my girls and mates before. The worst time I ever had in the fleet. I could barely sleep and was worrying constantly even if I knew it was the right thing to do. " Xalanth replied as Travala hugged her father at him mentioning his time away as if he's vanished again.

" Still you can tell Rigel is your son. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to his father?" The lizard inquired.

"Oh it's. ah. It's sorta complicated.." She started off, a grimace gracing across her normally soft, heart-shaped face. It inevitably came up whenever there was talk of family- and while she had always been open and honest with people, as well as her own son with what had happened, it never seemed to get easier even despite the number of times she'd retold it.

"Short version is we met in the academy, he knocked me up, married me, and then left back for Romulus the day Rigel was born. Found out he was a secret agent going to Starfleet Academy to funnel back what new cadets are learnin'. He ain't ever even seen Rigel, and I ain't heard from him since either. Big surprise to me! Haha~"

Despite her laughter, her smile was tense, always feeling a little bit like a traitor herself for having not caught on, for never catching a single clue- having been so blindsided.

"Anyways, maybe when summer break comes 'round you'll have yourself a new playmate, yeah? He'll be sure to come spend a few months here while he ain't in school!"

" Ah" Xalanth replied with the look of utter confusion he always had when other species described their mates abandoning them. Coming from a species that mated for life the idea of leaving a mate or divorcing them was still so utterly alien to him. Still he gave her a look of pity and understanding warmth as he replied. " I'm sorry for asking. You've probably hurt him more than you know if you've raised your son to be a good man. I'm sure my girls would like a new friend." He said as he looked at his mated bracelet and the jew to represent his first born.

"Oh pfft. I ain't worried about that jerk. He made his choices n' I made mine. It is what it is sometimes, y'know? But hey, I ain't ever looked down the rabbit hole without feelin' some twinkle of opportunity. Y'never know, I might find my real husband here on the Starbase! Ain't no tellin'." She mused good-naturedly, though she certainly wasn't holding her breath either. She just needed to focus on her career, being a good doctor, and everything else would fall into place.

"Well in any case? I guess I oughtta head down to the Marine floor n' see who my brand new besties are gonna be! It was a real treat meetin' you Lieutenant Xalanth, and you too Miss Travla~"

" Good bye." The little lizard said from her seat waving her hand at the lieutenant. " I'll see you around Genevieve. If you need help with anything security always just a call away." Xalanth replied warmly


"Heh! You're too kind. I'll be sure to call if I need it- See you around!" Giving both father a daughter a sweet, warm smile, she gave a wave and turned heel, tucking her PADD back into her lab coat pocket and heading back to the lift, seemingly headed for the 'Marine floor."

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