Solaris

A sneaky woman sits in one of the lounges chairs, facing the window. She has almond shaped red eyes. Her thick, straight, white hair is pulled back in a style that reminds you of a trailing ribbon. She is tall and has an elegant build. Her skin is paler than normal. She has high cheekbones and small feet. Her name is Solaris, a 5th Year cadet in Starfleet. Her uniform bears the colours of a Starfleet Intelligence cadet. Solaris leaned back in her seat, the transports lounge mostly dark. The dim light of a PADD on its lowest brightness setting illuminated her face. On the screen were her orders, telling her to report to Starbase 118 for her cadet cruise. She hoped that after the cruise, she would be assigned to the base itself, knowing it was pretty much the center of Intelligence for the Trinity Sector. Around her, other cadets busied themselves with their own PADDs. Cadets weren't the only passengers aboard the transport, however, other officers and civilians populated the seats too, presumably on their way to destinations throughout the Trinity Sector. She set her PADD down on her lap and let her eyes scan the lounge covertly. Being a 5th year, she was a year older than most of the cadets on the transport, which would make most people self conscious, but she didn't care, she had taken 5 years by choice. She picked the PADD back up and powered its screen off, then placed it back in her bag. She produced a book out of the bag and settled back again, opening it to where she had left off. The lounge's internal PA system dinged. "Ladies and gentleman, this is the Captain speaking. We are currently preparing to dock at Starbase 118. If you are disembarking to the base, we ask that you please gather your belongings and make your way to one of the airlocks. Solaris closed her book, and placed it back in her bag, closing it. She stood, and stretched, grateful that her travels were coming to an end for the time being. She collected her bag, and a slightly longer soft case and slung both over her shoulder. She made her way toward the nearest airlock, glancing out the windows as she walked along the corridor. The ship was slowly moving into the massive internal docking bay of the Starbase. Shuttles and work bees flitted around darting between locations as the base went about its business. The ship shook gently, as it was grabbed by the stations mooring beams. As she arrived at the airlock, people were just starting to disembark. She moved along the gangway with a light step, weaving in between slower moving passengers. She emerged from the gangway, directly onto the station's massive Promenade, and stood for a moment, in awe of its seemingly infinite size. She glanced around, having emerged in a section themed to appear like New Orleans on Earth. The sounds of trumpets and other brass instruments drifted through the air, adding to the ambiance of the area. She was almost positive she would see a restaurant named 'Sisko's' sitting there. There wasn't of course, but it wouldn't have surprised her. She gave a glance at one of the old styled clocks that dotted that section of the Promenade, finding she had a couple of hours to kill before reporting in. She made her way to a small cafe and found a seat. The hostess approached. "Welcome to the Café du Monde. What can I get you?" she asked cheerily. Solaris smiled. "A cup of earl grey tea, and a plate of beignets, please." she said in her Irish lilt. The hostess smiled, and nodded moving off the get her order. Solaris turned her attention to the Promenade itself, simply observing people as they went about their business. A group soon approached and took a position out of the main flow of traffic. The were assembling their instruments, clearly a jazz quartet. They soon struck up a rousing rendition 'When the Saints Go Marching In', causing her to smile faintly. The hostess soon brought over her food and tea. "Thank you." she said, nodding. The hostess smiled. "If you need anything, just holler. Name's Anna." she said. "I will, thanks." Solaris replied, going back to enjoying the music, eating her food. She too a bit of one of the sweet pastries on her plate, savoring it for a moment, before washing it down with some tea. She wondered just what was in store for her on her cadet cruise.