Two Vulcans Walk Into the Mess Hall

Posted on 11 Nov 2025 @ 7:29pm by Commander Suzanna Batenburg & Lieutenant Commander Adrian Sorvak

575 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: After Tarvik
Location: USS Arawyn

=/\= Mess Hall, Arawyn =/\=

Though it was lunchtime, the mess hall was unusually quiet. Most of the
crew had taken advantage of shore leave, preferring the variety of the
starbase’s restaurants to the ship’s replicators.

Sorvak preferred otherwise. He valued the silence of a half-empty room
and the predictability of his own company. Shore leave, to him, was not
a location but a state of mind — meditation could be conducted anywhere.

He chose a table by the wide windows overlooking open space, carrying a tray that held a bowl of lentil stew and a small green salad — a simple, efficient meal. The starbase itself was only a sliver of light at the edge of view; beyond
it stretched the steady field of stars. To Sorvak, that was preferable —
the stillness of the void, not the noise of a port.

Suzanna walked into the mess hall and looked around, it was quiet, and
she liked that. She had done enough talking this morning to enjoy a
relatively quiet room to have some lunch. She ordered from the
replicator, and took the plate out and looked around. She noticed a
Vulcan by the window and recognised him as the Chief Science Officer.
She hadn't made it to the Science labs yet in her rounds, so she walked
over to his table. "Commander Sorvak, I'm Commander Batenburg, may I
join you?"

Sorvak looked up to see who was talking to him. "Commander Batenburg. Of course."

He considered Batenburg as she took her seat. He had, of course, looked up the incoming XO as soon as she was announced. They shared many things - they were both half-Human, half-Vulcan. They were both on the Science tract.

But Batenburg had once commanded her own ship.

"Welcome to the Arawyn," he said.

"Thank you, Commander." Suzanna placed the tablet with food on the table and sat down opposite of Sorvak. "I am attempting to meet all the senior officers prior to our departure," she explained. "How has your time on the Arawyn been so far?"

Sorvak chewed thoughtfully. "Busy," he finally answered. "As you're aware, we did not have a day's rest before the entire ship was under attack." He paused, recalling that according to her record, something similar had happened to Batenburg's first command. "We had been prepared for such attacks, but we did not expect them so quickly. The Arawyn itself sustained no damage and my officers were able to respond efficiently and effectively."

Suzanna had taken a bite of her sandwich as he spoke and listened to his summary. "That is good to hear. Especially for a newly commissioned ship, that is not always a given to be able to react so well. Teams tend to take time to... gell together. It is also good to hear what happened from someone else besides what I read in the reports." She paused a moment. "Is there anything you need for your department, that I can help arrange before we depart?"

Sorvak considered the question for a long moment. “I cannot think of anything at the moment, however, I would appreciate if you would come see the science department. You may have insights into emerging methods or technologies from Fleet Science that could benefit our department."

Suzanna nodded, "Thank you. Do you have any questions for me?"

Sorvak shook his head.

With the conversation concluded, they continued their meal in silence — a silence both regarded as natural and untroubling.

 

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