Books, Beads, and Beginnings
Posted on Wed Jul 23, 2025 @ 10:17pm by Commander Tayanita 'Tay' Lio'ven & Commodore T'mpest Michaels
1,405 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Time After Time
Location: Promenade, The Square Mile
Timeline: MD16 - 2020 hrs
The scent of cardamom and plasma lingered in the air, a fusion of spice and circuitry that could only exist on a place like Deep Space 5. Tay wandered through Promenade Deck 47 with her hands tucked loosely behind her back, eyes tracing the flow of colour and commerce along the curved walkway. She had no destination in mind, only the quiet instinct to observe—to let the station reveal itself in glimpses rather than grand impressions. Life pulsed here: in the metallic laughter of children, the hiss of a steam kettle, the flash of a shuttle’s flare through the viewport.
She had paused at a small market stall—admiring the craftsmanship of wooden pendants—when the presence registered. It wasn’t dramatic, just a subtle shift in the rhythm nearby. A stillness in motion. Tayanita turned slightly and saw a woman at a nearby bookstall, tall and calm, dressed with the precision of someone used to scrutiny. There was a tartan sash at her shoulder, a fountain pen clipped beside an IDIC symbol. Something about her stance suggested both strength and solitude. Tayanita recognised her immediately: Commodore T’mpest Michaels.
Their eyes met briefly—enough for silent acknowledgement. Tayanita offered a small, respectful nod. She did not speak first. This was not a moment for introductions made with ceremony. It was the kind of meeting shaped by subtle gravity, where time didn’t hurry and words, if they came, would mean something.
T'mpest noticed the woman partly by the way she carried herself, but more by the way she seemed to inhale her surroundings to capture each scent, each color, each nuance. That she was new to the station was clear. The woman intrigued her. There was an essence of timelessness, of being. A woman rooted in both the past and the present.
She gave her a half-bow and a smile. She recognized the face, but the image did not properly convey the new doctor's aura of calm. She hesitated, debating if she should introduce herself or wait for a more formal occasion. Then, deciding, she walked over to her. "Doctor Lio'ven. Welcome to the station. I'm T'mpest Michaels."
Tayanita held the Commodore’s gaze for a quiet moment, then pressed her right hand lightly to the centre of her chest and offered a slight dip of her head.
“May your path be clear, and your steps remembered,” she said—the traditional El Aurian greeting spoken with soft reverence. It felt right to offer it here.
“Thank you, Commodore,” she continued, more casually now. “I was just taking it in. The station’s got… a kind of energy to it. Not just the size or the noise—something quieter underneath.”
She gave a small, honest smile. “Feels like the start of something, not just another transfer. It’s good to meet you.”
"Yes. I feel that way about the station myself. A feeling of coming home. Of belonging." T'mpest smiled again. "At least it does for me. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."
Tay’s smile lingered. “That’s a rare thing,” she said softly, “especially in deep space.”
She glanced once more at the carved pendants, then back to the Commodore. “I think I’ll like it here.”
There was a pause—not awkward, but thoughtful—before she added, “If you don’t mind me asking… what’s it like, living out here? Beyond the briefings and station reports. What does Deep Space 5 feel like, day to day?”
Her tone carried no expectation, only curiosity—an openness to understanding the station not just through its systems and structure, but through the people who called it home.
T'mpest considered the question for a moment. "I have only been here a few days myself, but in that time I have found friends, people I wish to spend time with, who have come through battle and betrayal with determination to not let it make them bitter or fearful. Not all, of course, but a good many."
Tayanita blinked, a flicker of surprise softening her expression. “You’ve only just arrived?” she echoed, her brow rising slightly. “You carry yourself like someone who’s rooted here.”
A faint smile followed, more reflective than amused. “Maybe this station has that effect on certain people.”
She paused, then nodded slowly. “It says a lot, that there are people here choosing hope over fear. That kind of spirit… it draws others. I think I was meant to come here.”
T'mpest nodded. It was the people--or one particular person--that had her so rooted. Although she had to admit that she'd already started putting down roots when she met Lasuma. "I served on starships before coming here. It is not just the place, but the time. I need to be here now."
"You feel the same, yes? The right time and the right place." T'mpest definitely felt that DS5 was the right place, but it was also the right time for her to be here. A time when she was ready to put down roots and make this her home.
Tayanita tilted her head slightly at the question, as if weighing it not just in her mind, but across the long arc of her memory.
“I’ve lived a lot of lives in one,” she said quietly. “Different faces, different names, always moving forward. But this… this doesn’t feel like the next step. It feels like a pause I didn’t know I needed.”
She met the Commodore’s eyes. “I don’t know if it’s the right time. But I think it might be the first time in a long while I’ve let myself wonder what that even means.”
Her gaze lingered for a moment longer, not searching, just present. “What do you hope this place becomes for you?” she asked, voice low. “Not as a commander. Just… as you.”
There was no pressure in the question—only an invitation, soft and sincere. One kindred soul to another, meeting in the quiet space between duty and becoming.
"I want roots. Someone to share my life with." It was a more honest answer than T'mpest had given anyone, apart from Lasuma. "I feel this place can become home." It was more than she thought possible as a Starship captain. But here...there were so many possibilities. And a planet that sang to her about exploration and knowledge.
The commodore laughed softly. "Your...calmness--invites confidences. I do not generally speak so freely."
Tayanita’s expression softened, a quiet warmth settling in her gaze. “I think we all want that, when it comes down to it,” she said. “Roots. Someone who really sees us.”
She let the silence settle for a moment before offering a small, honest smile. “People say I draw things out of them. I don’t try to. I just… listen the way I’d want to be listened to.”
Her eyes drifted to the stars beyond the viewport. “This place feels different. Like there’s room to breathe. Maybe even to settle.”
She looked back at T’mpest, her voice steady but sincere. “I appreciate you sharing that. Honestly. It means something.”
Then, after a pause: “If you ever need someone to talk to—no ranks, no uniforms—I’m around. Being a doctor means I’m used to patching up more than just injuries. And being El Aurian… sometimes I just know when someone doesn’t want to carry something alone.”
Her tone stayed light, not pressing. “Just know the offer’s there. That’s all.”
"It is appreciated. I will likely take you up on that at some point. As you said, sometimes you simply need someone to talk to." T'mpest smiled. "And I will do the same. If you just wish someone to listen, I am here. Or simply to become friends."
Tayanita’s smile deepened, more certain now. “I’d like that,” she said simply. “The listening, and the friendship.”
She let the moment breathe, then added with a light nod, “It’s rare to meet someone who just… gets it. No effort, no explanation. I won’t take that for granted.”
There was no need for more just yet. The connection was there—early, yes, but real. And sometimes, that was enough to build something lasting.
A post by
Commodore T'mpest Michaels
Commander
Deep Space 5
Commander Tayanita Lio'ven
Chief Medical Officer
Deep Space 5
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