appreciations JP: Ensign Jania Nis, Lt JG Sevantha Saa: Tipping the Scales

[Lhandon_Nilsen]

It's official: the Butler is the hottest ship in the fleet!

I love shore leave—not just because it offers a change of pace but also because we get to see the crew just being people. Regular people with personal lives, goals, and a love of gossip. Believe me when I say this sim lit up our Discord channel! When you read this sim, pour yourself a glass of wine (or your preferred beverage) and indulge in the gossip with @Jania Nis and @Sevantha talking about boys, family, and clothes.

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((The Promenade, Deep Space 9))

 

Jania Nis examined a rack of clothes set up outside a small boutique shop on the Promenade. She glanced at her betazoid shopping companion, who had just asked the reason for this particular off-duty meeting. 

 

Nis: Alright, so this is going to sound crazy. We died.

 

Saa: You died? 

 

It was becoming a theme it felt like not just with the Butler crew, but her career, that she was often confided in regarding an officer’s death. Caldwell nearly died, Matthews did die, Nilsen told her how he’d died, and now Nis was explaining their own death? Sevantha looked up to Nis curious, studying the well dressed Trill for any signs of death. 

 

Nis: Oh, well, not us, but … :: looking around :: probably can’t talk about this here, come to think of it. 

 

Saa: ::nodding her head:: That’s the hard part about the job sometimes. 

 

It was still affecting Jania, of course. She sometimes had nightmares of running down the long, barren corridors of the warped Starfleet of the 2900s. And she could talk about that for hours. But it wasn’t what she wanted to talk about. 

 

Quietly the Betazoid studied her companion before looking back at the rack of clothing, she had identified a large number of vulcan designs that she’d opt to avoid now that she’d thrown that part of her wardrobe into whatever recycling bin the Astraeus had once she got there. Hopefully repurposed into someone’s drapes. 

 

Nis: What it made us realize, more than anything, is that there are wonderful people aboard this ship who care about each other. Afterward, so many people came to us to make sure we were okay, people we’d never spoken to for more than five minutes in some cases.

 

Saa: Medical is one of the most stretched thinned departments, it's only natural that you miss interacting with some people. 

 

Nis: Could be. But it also made us realize if we want to be part of this team, we need to know how all of its parts work. 

 

Briefly Sevantha pulled up a Bajoran design and held it up to herself in consideration. After a moment or so she set it back deciding she wasn’t in love with the color or the feel of the fabric. 

 

Saa: ::looking over the rack:: How do you mean? 

 

Nis: Well, when we first got here, for example, everyone had gone through this incident involving a possible changeling. Many had false memories or had experienced hallucinations. We now know we could have called someone in counseling for help, but at the time it didn’t even occur to us.

 

Right, Nesre had mentioned that event and admittedly they probably all needed that assistance, though would they even be able to help?

 

Saa: False memories and hallucinations, sounds like a telepathic Counselor would have been of great service, sorry I missed out. ::She looked down at the rack thoughtfully:: But I am here now to offer what assistance I can. 

 

Nis: And you look slick doing it. 

 

Quietly she looked down at her own garbs. A variation on her usual white romper, this one cut with a sheer overcoat and ruffled shorts and a pair of rose gold gladiator cut heels give her an extra inch of height.

 

Saa: Wait… right now? ::She raised a brow:: 

 

Nis: Oh yes, we love the summer vibe your romper brings. Great off-duty pick. 

 

As soon as it came out of Jania’s mouth, she realized it sounded like something her mother would say, so she quickly added some more context. 

 

Nis: We tend to learn toward dark colors, but that’s mostly to piss off my mom.

 

A faint hint of amusement touched her features. 

 

Saa: You don’t get along with your mother?
 

Nis: No, we didn’t mean for it to sound so harsh. My mom is a bit of a socialite, which is not really our thing. When we told her we wanted to be a doctor, her first question was, “Won’t you get blood on your outfit?” But we love her. Are you close with your family? 

 

Amusement touched her features at first then her expression became a little more thoughtful as she paused in her browsing. 

 

Saa: My mother and I are not close, Betazed be a Matriarchal society, expectations on daughters are more than those placed on sons. ::She explained lifting a unique feathered headdress with a questioning look:: She’s a… ::censoring self:: strict woman who thinks my duty is to follow in her footsteps for the safety of Betazed. 

 

Nis: Uf, that sounds rough. And what exactly would maintain the “safety of Betazed?”  

 

Saa: She’d have me being a peacekeeper or some kind of informant for the Peacekeepers, I’m sure. Betazed psychic security essentially. ::she set down the headdress:: My father and I are much closer, but he’s a trophy husband who retired from his job to take care of my brother and I during the war.

 

Nis: Hah! We’ve got a lot in common. My dad’s an artist. If your brother is also a jerk, we’ve basically got the same family.

 

Saa: My brother? ::she stops looking at the clothing for a moment:: Velaan is no longer with us, I took up his dream to join Starfleet when I was trying to find myself. 

 

She couldn’t have known, but could she have put it any worse? oO Jania you idiot. Oo

 

Nis: Oh. Wait, Velaan?!

 

Saa: Yeah, Velaan was my older brother, he was the one who wanted to be a doctor. 

 

Jania’s eyes got wide as she recognized the name. It was a name she’d last heard in the 2900s, the name of Morro’s descendant. Susru’s final friend. And he’d never gotten to be a doctor either, if that’s what the Velaan of the 2900s wanted. Instead he’d been caught up in the Temporal War, just like Susru … But this was about Savantha; she deserved Jania’s full attention. 

 

Nis: We’re so sorry to hear about your loss. He must have been a great person to inspire you so much. Were you very young when it happened?  

 

Saa: I was twelve, the Ohmallera tragedy… ::She seemed to try to not linger:: We were thick as thieves as my father put it. 

 

But try as she might, Jania struggled to focus on the answer. If Morro had a descendent named Velaan, then chances were high he and Saa would have a child. 

That meant if anyone messed things up for them in the here and now, Velaan could cease to exist. Jania gritted her teeth and pushed the thought aside to respond to Savantha’s words. 

 

The subject of Ohmallera made her briefly turn inwards to her thoughts, trying to figure a way to not let what had been a tragedy become the focus of her mind. The rising emotions of the moment dulled all the thoughts around her momentarily. 

 

Nis: It seems like most of us had our fair share of loss and grief before we signed up. Maybe that’s why we all want to help people so much. :: pause :: So how does mind reading work? Do you do it all the time?

 

Saa: Yes and no? ::She snaps from her thought:: Due to my excess neurotransmitters my gifts developed too early, so they’re always on but it’s like white noise unless I really focus on someone. ::motions to the station:: Like right now there's tons of thoughts in the air mingling together with the noise of the crowds. 

 

Nis: Okay, good, good. Do you ever do it by accident? 

 

Saa: Somedays are worse than others, there are days where everyone's thoughts are so loud I can’t tell when they’re speaking or thinking. ::She sighed:: I only use a neural suppressant in absolute emergencies because I have high sensitivity to them, they shut off everything completely for like two days which… ::she looks down:: is like losing a whole part of myself for that period of time. 

 

Sevantha felt a brief wave of anxiety rush through her as she explained it. It was one of those moments where people tended to decide whether they were comfortable being around her for any extended period of time. 

 

Jania on the other hand had trouble keeping her thoughts from leaping out of her mouth anyway, so her only real concern was her knowledge of Velaan. But that was certainly enough to make her feel cautious.

 

Nis: Yes, we see. :: returning to the clothes rack but now sifting aimlessly :: You know, there’s a … legend about the Butler, you could say. We got told it before we transferred here. 

 

Saa: …A legend? ::She looks up to Jania:: Isn’t the Butler a fairly new ship? 

 

Nis: Yeah, they say she’s got the hottest crew in the fleet. You’ve never heard anyone say that?

 

Taken off guard she shook her head a little with a little pink in her cheeks. 

 

Saa: Nooo. I’ve never heard anyone say that… ::she falls silent considering:: But… I don’t know a whole lot of the crew yet

 

Nis: We mean, there’s Lhandon, for one. When we found Ensign Kovacs was his boyfriend, that was a tough day. Commander Promontory’s hair is … just … perfect at all times, and even that Scottish marine with the scars has a big teddy bear thing going on. You don’t think anyone on the ship is cute? 

 

Oh Lhandon, she knew Nilsen, but as he was her patient she’d barely given the idea a thought. He wasn't unattractive when she thought about it but the built in Counselor filter had naturally done it's job early on. Though at the mention of Commander Promontory her face flustered a little more with a small laugh. 

 

Saa: Commander Promentory was my CO at Starbase 118. ::she tried not to giggle:: I feel that automatically makes him my Starfleet space dad and finding your space dad hot is... weird.

 

The subject was not one she’d really ever discussed with anyone outside Gwen’ora and that was simply to tell her the whole mess that had been her meeting with Morro and her ex-fiance Lorian. Though, now it was mentioned, Morro hadn’t been mentioned and quietly she felt a small panic rise in her chest. Her own emotions clouding her telepathic as was common for Betazoids.

 

oO Does she know Morro? Does she know?! Oo Sevantha was practically staring a hole through some imported Risian piece that she’d never thought herself to consider wearing but at the moment it was the most interesting, exotic piece of clothing she’d ever seen. 

 

Nis rolled over in Jania’s belly, and she felt bile at the back of her throat. 

oO This is dangerous, Jania. Oo 

oO But what if they get together because we tell them? Morro was there--he knows what the stakes are. It’s best to be honest. But if we tell them, what if it’s too awkward and it ruins things for them? It wouldn’t really be their choice then. Is that worse than Velaan not existing at all? Maybe it is, but without Velaan, we might not make it back from the 2900s. But that must mean nothing we do will change things, because--Oh, I hate time travel. Oo 

oO You and me both. Oo 

 

Saa: ::Clearing throat a little:: Everything alright? 

 

Nis: Oh, yeah. We were just thinking of that big marine. We did some rock-climbing together a few days back. He can sure go hard. My fingertips are still sore. 

 

Even her phrasing made it impossible for Sevantha’s cheeks to lose their color. 

 

Saa: Maxwell? ::she recalled his name:: I suppose… he was very nice when we met him. ::She pauses:: Considering yourself…. Nesre…. Morro, I’d say the legend is more of an astute observation. 

 

Jania nearly breathed a sigh of relief at hearing Morro’s name. But she had to keep it together. Not too eager, not too weird. 

 

Nis: Morro’s something alright. 

 

Saa: Y-yes… Umm ::She looked at the Risan piece again:: Morro and I met while he was at the base academy and I was at Starfleet Medical. 

 

Jania remembered her own time at medical. The students were typically only pressed into duty if things got particularly intense, like a shipwreck or other major accident. Jania had only taken cursory glances at most of the crew’s medical records, but she didn’t recall anything like that happening to him during his academy days. 

 

Nis: We’re not surprised he was in medical a lot as a cadet. Is that where you met him?

 

There was envy for Jania’s ability to be so forward with the information. Betazoids were typically very blunt and honest people but details about herself she’d rarely shared out of a distinct fear of rejections and… well her mother learning and finding a means to ruin her existence. Plus the whole Lorian debacle. Finally she released the Risan fabric to avoid purchasing it out of sheer impulse to escape. 

 

Saa: …there may have already been an encounter. 

 

Nis: :: playfully putting her hand over her mouth and feigning shock:: Oh, we see. Do go on. 

 

This time, she didn’t care that she sounded like her mother. Jania forgot the supposed stakes and just found learning about Sevantha to be fun. She was happy for Sevantha before the Betazoid even spoke.  

 

Saa: It's.. complicated, or... I guess not really. ::She sighed:: I was at a celebration for my ex-fiance’s transfer to the his new fiance’s ships, the more traditional vulcan girl his parents got him to leave me for, downed a bunch of shots… spilled my last drink all over Morro while trying to flee… then.. ::she seems to make a nebulous gesture with her hands:: we danced then things..

 

Jania tried not to gasp for real. That sounded like quite the set-up. And she hadn’t expected the fiancee twist from the seemingly-innocent Betazoid. Jania herself had had little in the way of relationships, being so focused on her studies. Plus, what she’d never admit: As a teenager on Trill, having a symbiont years before most people even dreamed of getting one weirded guys out. By the time she got to the academy and no one cared much about her symbiont, she was too distracted by studying to give a relationship the attention it needed. 

 

Nis: If you don’t want to talk about it—

 

Saa:  I’m not shy about it…::shakes head:: It’s just… ::struggles for words:: more that my whole personal life outside work has been one giant shipwreck since I was twelve. 

 

Jania felt her anxiety creeping back in at the idea of Sevantha considering her hookup with Morro a shipwreck…

 

Nis: We hope you don’t think of your time together as a mistake. Morro’s a great guy, he is. We really saw him be a hero on our last mission.

 

A shirtless hero in a feather boa, but somehow now did not seem like the time for that memory. 

 

Savantha blinked a little in surprise, seeming concerned how she might have unintentionally expressed some form of remorse or distance. 

 

Saa: No-no… it's not that at all, we reconnected a few months ago after I helped him with a problem he was having, and we became penpals.. We met up briefly here on DS9. ::she pauses:: I… I haven’t told him I’ve transferred to the Butler yet. 

 

At the notion of them being penpals, Jania relaxed again. A month ago, she might have been jealous to learn Morro had a penpal, yet here she was desperate to be a matchmaker. 

 

Nis: What?! You have to! He’ll be so excited. 

 

Saa: I… I know he would be. ::debating quietly:: I transferred for a number of reasons, not just him, but… also, ugh, it’s hard to put into words. He has a whole life on this ship now that I’m invading.

 

Nis: Oh, we don’t think he’ll be bothered. Actually-- can you … can we send you some thoughts? 

 

Saa: Most certainly. 

 

Honestly she’d be able to convey herself a little better on this subject mentally. 

 

Jania took a deep breath and focused. Keep the window small. No mention of anyone she shouldn’t mention. Keep focused. 

 

Nis: oO The future was difficult to witness. For us and for Morro. We think Commander Promontory has traveled time before, but even he seemed affected by how difficult things will be in the 2900s. We know you can’t be Morro’s councilor, but we think he needs something even more important: He needs a friend. Oo 

 

Then, without meaning to, she sent one brief image of Morro in the 2900s in one of the winding hallways of the Starfleet base they’d been trapped in. His jaw was tight in determination, his forehead dripping with sweat, and he was shirtless, in a boa. 

 

Sevantha’s expression went from one of immense concern, she’d heard reference to the time travel, but DTI had kept access to it locked down which was difficult for the new Counselor. Yet then the other image came to mind shortly, painting quite the image of the Orion that brought her to stare immediately at the floor trying to contain the gibberish that was her thoughts while they simultaneously all stalled out at once. Saa.exe has stopped working. 

 

Jania put her hand on Sevantha’s shoulder and beamed. 

 

Nis: So let him know you’re here! ::turning back to the clothes rack :: Please get out of our head now. We’re no longer responsible for whatever weird things you find. 

 

Snapping out of it, she cleared her throat and gave a little nod, attempting to recover. 

 

Saa: …My room used to be close to the holodeck on the Astraeus, it’s really hard to top weird for me, but I respect the boundary.

 

Jania’s PADD beeped from her purse. 

 

Nis: Oh, we forgot, my mom made us a spa appointment with a former director of the Golian Spa. She’s been extra since we were home after that last mission.  

 

Saa: She’s even planning your shore leave? ::she raises a brow:: Is this a bribe to stay out of danger? 

 

The comfort of the subject change, one she was also very familiar with, brought her to relax again. 

 

Jania laughed and shrugged. 

 

Nis: We like to rebel against her a little, but it’s tough when it’s spa day. We can bring a guest, you want to come along?

 

Saa: …I ::she considers and convinces herself:: Now what kind of shore leave would it be without a little self care? Everyone said I’m a workaholic anyways. ::smiles::  I’ll join you… plus if I’m here any longer I’m going to start deciding the Risan look is a good idea and have buyers remorse in two weeks. 

 

She’d motion to the one piece with shorts and a fabric wrap top common on the planet hanging on display. 

 

Nis: No! That’s too summery! Abort! Abort! :: laughing before getting serious :: You know, too many people get hung up on their species’ specific ideas of fashion. But fashion is an impermanent art. It’s freeing to think you can wear whatever you want, and at the end of the day, you can wipe the palette clean. So if you want that Risan look for two weeks til the buyer’s remorse sets in, we say go for it. 

 

Saa: I have been playing it a little too safe… maybe you can show me some Trill designs? 

 

Jania grinned. 

 

Nis: Oh, now you’ve done it. That’s a big question. One of Nis’s former hosts was an archaeologist, so now we’ve got to ask, do you mean Stone Age, or Aluminum Age, or …

 

The sound of their voices began to fade as the two of them made their way through the bustling crowds of the promenade, making their way to indulge in a routine of pampering and relaxation. 

 

[[ End Scene ]]

 

 

Lieutenant JG Sevantha Saa

Counselor

USS Octavia E. Butler 

A240105SS2

 

&

 

Ensign Jania Nis

Medical Officer

USS Octavia E. Butler NCC-82850

O240108JN2

she/her/they/them (character accepts either); he/his (player)

 

"Let your heart guide your hand."

 

[Jania Nis]

This was a ton of fun to write! If I do nothing else of note in my time with Starbase 118 let it be known I canonized the hotness of the Butler’s crew.