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“Captain Torian sent me. I have your meal,” she said, raising the small tray she was holding.
“Yes. Of course. Thank you,” Quaia said, reaching for it.
“The captain was wondering if you might enjoy a dining companion?” the female said.
Quaia eyed her with some suspicion. There was no shortage of intrigue on the station, and sending a friendly dining companion to a rival was one of the oldest, and easiest, tricks in the book.
Still, she had to admit it might be distracting to someone who had no idea and, hopefully, no interest in the humiliating ritual to which she was being subjected. And, with any luck, she might even end up with a few morsels of information herself. If nothing else, it would be more interesting than Space Donkeys. “Of course,” Quaia said, stepping aside to let the female in. “Please. Come in.”
The female smiled and accepted her offer, stepping into the compartment and letting the hatch slide shut behind her. She set the tray down on the desk, folded her hands together in front of her before giving a slight bow. “I am Avalar,” she said in a gentle voice.
Quaia was about to offer a hand in greeting when she remembered it was not a Vokl custom. She bowed her head instead. “Quaia.”
Avalar smiled, then turned toward the chair. “Do you mind if I sit?” she asked, nodding at the chair.
“Yeah, sure,” Quaia said, taking a seat on the bed herself.
Avalar picked up the tray and set it next to Quaia.
Quaia peeled open the cover to find a small sliver of lab meat and a couple of soggy root vegetables steaming next to it. “Is there a fork or something?” she asked.
Avalar, still wearing her smile, turned her head to the side, avoiding Quaia’s gaze. “Sadly, that is not permitted,” she said.
Quaia smirked. Because that was hilarious. That whoever was doing the permitting or not permitting thought she might actually harm herself because of this fiasco. She reached into the tray, plucked the meat between a finger and thumb, and tore a chunk off and chewed, staring at Avalar.
To her surprise, Avalar cast a rather sympathetic look in Quaia’s direction. “Forgive the indignity. It is a bureaucratic…”
Quaia smirked and waved away the apology. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re aware there’s a lot more indignity going around here than eating with my fingers.”
“You are most understanding,” Avalar replied. She watched Quaia consume a few of the vegetables.
“So, uh, are there lots of you on the Andomocles?” Quaia asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Lots of us? Who?” Avalar said.
“You know. Females.”
“A few,” Avalar replied. “Mostly in civilian positions. It is not common for Vokl women to serve. I am on the mission as a psychic well-being monitor for the crew.”
That caused Quaia to smirk again. It all became clear in an instant. “So Torian asked you to come check up on me,” she said.
Avalar’s lips parted, but she paused a moment before answering. “Captain Torian asked that I deliver your food. And keep you company if you so desired. He did not mention anything about checking up on you, as you say.”
Quaia wasn’t sure whether to believe her. But Avalar seemed sincere. She decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. “Well… here I am,” she said, putting a hand out to each side.
Avalar’s smile was tighter this time. More formal and less friendly. “If you do not wish me to stay, then…”
“No, no. No. I’m sorry. This is just…” She shook her head and looked around. “Absurd.”
Avalar nodded. “I am sorry that you are forced to endure this…” Her eyes moved side to side as she searched for a way to describe what was happening to Quaia. “This… custom,” she finally said.
Quaia smirked and bit off another chunk of meat. “That’s one way of putting it,” she muttered through the mouthful of food.
Avalar waited for her to finish chewing the food before continuing the conversation. “Captain Torian is not particularly pleased with his post,” she said.
Quaia looked at Avalar out of the corner of her eye. Her heart jumped inside her chest. It was such a forthright, direct statement that she felt like mistrusting it. It also happened to be something she kind of wanted to hear, and probe. That made her mistrust it even more. It was a classic tactic of High Mother’s, for example, to send someone in to make friends with one of her potential rivals, and then stab them in the back.
Well. If Avalar was some kind of plant from Torian, she could just keep quiet about herself, while getting the information she wanted about Torian.
