Dinner Pt. 2: Friends, Family, and Starfleet

Posted on Fri Sep 15th, 2023 @ 8:14am by Commander Chalan Kendri

986 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Deck 19: Sports Bar
Timeline: MD 62 19:30 hours (After Pt. 1)

“You did an amazing job with the dinner party you hosted. If I didn’t tell you then, I’ll tell you now,” he added. “Thank you for the wonderful food and hospitality. It was an extraordinary evening.”

“We’ll be due for another after Campor sometime,” Kendri suggested.

Kobi pointed to the batch of wings with the barbecue. “Hey, you have to try these with the barbecue sauce. Sweet and smoky. Very nice.”

Tomm took a sip of his beer and looked out over the top of his pint glass. “Kendri, can I ask you a personal question? If it’s inappropriate, tell me, but…. do you get to socialize much as XO and Second-in-Command? It has to be hard… I feel lucky to be able to do something like this with you. And our coffees, of course.”

She took one of the wings that Kobi pointed out and took a bite. She smacked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she processed the flavors. “It’s alright. Not my favorite,” she said as she took another bite.

“Why do you think it would be hard?” she asked nonchalantly, avoiding the barbecue, reaching for another of the spicier flavored wings.

“I’m sure you have your free time to do whatever you like, but socializing has to be challenging at times. You have your command obligations and everything. I think it’s beneficial to have friends and connections outside of work. Like we’re doing here. Springball. Coffee talk. That’s just my take. Maybe I’m just talking in circles here and I don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s none of my business anyway.”

Kendri was confused by Kobi’s statements. She stopped eating for a moment to take a drink and realized her fingers were covered with orange sauce. She lifted her pint glass by spreading her fingers wide and using her palms to press against the glass so that she could get a drink. She looked at her fingers and considered them a lost cause. Looking back up at Kobi quizzically and asked, “Are you worried I don’t have enough friends?”

“You can never have too many friends, Kendri. Take it from someone who’s had over 100 years of life experience. Friends will stand by you when some family won’t. I’m lucky enough to have the support of my family but Tajod and Miara did not have such luck.”

Tomm paused for a few seconds to take a bite of chicken and a swig of his beer. “We’ve gotten to know each other over the last couple of weeks, right? Does that make us friends? I would like to think so. All I’m saying is that as Starfleet officers and just people in general, we should stick together and hold each other up. Starship crews are families, through good and bad.”

Kendri rested the backs of her hands on the table, her orange fingers sticking up in the air. She looked at Tomm solemnly. “I learned that lesson when I was 12 years old, and my mother was killed. I don’t think I mentioned, but when my father dropped me on Bajor, my mother’s family didn’t want to have anything to do with me. They couldn’t stand to look at my Cardassian features. I don’t have any blood relatives that I am close to. Just friends that have become my family over the years.”

“Damn, Kendri, I’m sorry about that,” Kobi said empathetically. He hesitated at first but lifted his hand toward Kendri’s and brushed his fingers against hers that were sauce covered.

“I happen to like your Cardassian features. The way your eyes look against the smoothness of your cheeks. I’m not embarrassing you, am I? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but I’d be honored to be considered your friend…. and part of your family. If you’ll have me.”

Tomm suddenly stopped talking and quickly untangled his hand from Kendri’s. What am I doing?, Kobi asked himself. Am I moving too fast? Is she even interested in me that way? But she was lovely. And brilliant. And kind. And good.

“I’m sorry, Kendri. If I offended you by touching your hand….”

“No, it’s, uh fine,” she said, an amused look on her face. “I didn’t realize these were so messy to eat,” she said a light laugh in voice. “Of course we’re friends…” in the middle of her sentence a server stopped by with cleansing cloths for their hands. “Oh thank goodness, I mean thank you,” Kendri said to the server, thankful to free her fingers from the sticky sauce.

She smiled at Kobi. “What was I saying? Of course we’re friends. I hope in time, all of the senior staff will all feel like family.”

“I’m glad you feel that way. The awkwardness of outside-of-work interactions can be, well, awkward. I’ve never been good at eggshell walking, especially when dealing a direct superior. You have to worry about how to act, what to say, and all that. You’ll always have my respect and admiration, Kendri. And I’m glad we’re friends.
Do you need more to drink? I’m getting another beer.”

“I’m still working on this one,” Kendri said, tapping her glass. Kendri sat back in her seat.

Another time, another place she might have explored what Kobi was hinting at earlier, but not two months into being his direct supervisor. She hoped they could stay friends without this becoming an issue in the future. He’d become a great friend, but she’d worked too hard for this position. It was something she hoped to excel at.

Lt. Commander Chalan Kendri
Executive Officer
USS Columbia

Lt. Kobi Tomm
Chief of Security
USS Columbia

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