Commander Kor approaches, a plate of food in his hands. He glances around the mostly empty mess hall, and, seeing one table already occupied, makes his way to Effie's table and takes a seat.

"Lieutenant," he greets.

(Reply) (Thread)

Effie looks up with just a bit of a start. Someone is there, yes! Someone she knows who is not an engineer! Great! Oh, right. Acknowledging! "Commander. Hello," she says pleasantly.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

He glances at her datapad. "A working lunch?" he asks.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

She nods, smiling. "I want to send off a few scientific-journal contributions soon, before it's not an option for a while."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"Oh?" he asks. "What journals? One of my spouses had published a little in some of those journals."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"The Starfleet Astrophysical Review, the Delta IV Journal of Stellar Phenomena -- Oh? What was his or her name?"

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"Eres Aldin," he says with a small smile.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

Effie beams. "Oh, I loved her work! Her piece on quasars two years ago was brilliant!"

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

He nods. "She was brilliant," he agrees.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

Effie nods, smiling. Then just a pause before it occurs to her that maybe, just maybe, there should be more beyond 'I think your dead wife's just so neat!' "...I'm sorry about your loss."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

He looks up and gives her a small smile. "Thank you." He takes a bite of his tubers and gravy. "I believe you would have liked her."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"I think so, too." A few more bites of her own meal. A few more thoughts she doesn't think to voice.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

He takes a few more bites in silence.

"How are your contributions coming along?" he finally says.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"Pretty well. Going to make some...maybe-unusual?...points on some of the newly-hotly-debated topics, so I'm trying to remember to put in all the obvious parts so it doesn't get confusing. I forget those sometimes," she admits.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"Is it difficult to remember that not everyone knows everything you do?" the Andorian asks, curious.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

Effie looked sheepish. "Well...you know...from inside one's own mind, it's sometimes hard to keep track of what's practically universal information and what's not."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"Fascinating," Kor considers. "Andorians are a very social, communal people. Secrets are highly treasured. Forgetting who knows what would be a problem." He smiles at her. "It must be refreshingly honest."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

Effie blinks. "You know, I hadn't thought of it like that. You have big families, huh?"

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"By necessity. First, there is the fact that there are four genders required for reproduction, and thus four partners in a marriage. Then there is the fact that Andoria is a frozen world, and we gather together to survive. There is little privacy within our family homes. Thus, what we do manage to keep a secret is a treasure... and a secret shared is a great honor."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

Thoughtful Effie is thoughtful. "That makes sense. My family's pretty reasonable sized for humans. The six of us at home, and lots of cousins scattered around. Mostly all primarily on Earth though. I haven't really been away from Earth for very long before."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"Andorians do not leave their families often," Kor says. "Since the change allowing families aboard Federation vessels, there have been more, of course. But my spouses and I entered the Federation together and intended to always serve together."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

"Oh. So did any of the others..." Effie stops. "I mean... the accident...I know she...I'm sorry."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

He gives a sad smile.

"Thank you," he says, taking her hand and giving it a friendly squeeze. "I still miss them." He releases her hand and sits back. "But I did survive, and I must continue to do so."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

Effie manages a small smile, glad he apparently handled her fumbling of the issue all right. She'd only just now processed that he'd lost three spouses in the accident Eres Aldin had died in. "I guess that's an important way of looking at it."

She thinks again, then looks at the window. "This seems like it's going to be quite a voyage."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

He nods. "I believe the mission will be an important one. The Romulans have been quiet, but I believe they'll be a threat again soon."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)