Glacial Differences

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"Hello? Excuse me?"

The small voice belonged to an unseen body, but it wasn't long before Sgt. Entor had the notion to lean forward. Stubby, calloused fingers gripped the front edge of his podium, pulling the rest of his bulk forward so that narrow, brown eyes could peer down at the origin point of the voice demanding his attentions. The Sgt. blinkind, not exactly sure of what he was seeing.

"Ah! Yes! Hello there!"

Another blink, but the little thing was still there, waving up at him.

"I have my transfer files here, if you'd be so kind as to take them."

A datapad was lifted up, and slowly, Entor took it. His mouth opened as if to speak, but deciding it best to not say a word, he ponderously returned to his previous position, perched atop a stool and processing Jovan's new arrivals. The 'pad was set on the podium with a light clatter, and Entor flicked it on, thumbing through the files it contained.

"HR."

It was a curious mumble, more than anything else.

"Well yes, my field of expertise is what brings me here. I've been made aware of more than a few incidents that necessitate my particular talents. Alliance Standards and Compliance Officer Bar-Atoch, at your service."

Again Entor leaned forward, gripping the podiums edge to bring the small thing back into view.

"You're... a penguin."

A flipper came up in correction.

"Pengauani, Sir. And, might I add, it's ok for other Penga to call each other penguins, but I'm afraid it's rather crass for other species to speak it."

Entor stared, blinked slowly, then frowned.

"Perhaps you can finish signing off on my papers, yes?"

[Mags Sondeeta]

Mags sighed audibly, shifting from one foot to the next. Her lekku shifted on her shoulders, making space for the strap of her duffel that had been slung over. Embarkation was supposed to be a tidy affair. Her orders had been put through in advance. She was supposed to just get the rubber stamp more or less and be free to move about her business. Unfortunately, it seemed that the rules of a warship didn't exactly equate to the rules on a space station. The process became muddied. What should be a swift-moving river of bureaucracy had become a deluge of cold treacle.

She glowered ahead at Sergeant Entor, and down at the comically-diminutive Pengauani.

"Come on already, 'aven't you gawked enough, just sign ze papers and let 'eem through."

Far be it from Mags to cast aspersions. She would have been just as surprised to see a talking penguin if she wasn't so perturbed at having to wait due to the ruckus it caused.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

The voice behind him wasn't entirely a surprise, but Bar-Atoch still shifted, his entire upper body twisting about and angling back so that he could look up at the Twi-Lek standing behind him. He blinked, staring at her for a moment before speaking.

"Patience, Ma'am."

Again a flipper went up.

"It's best not to rush these first impressions. Best step forward and all of that."

Turning back to Entor, the Pengauani opened his beak in his best approximation of a smile.

[Mags Sondeeta]

Every well-meaning word said seemed to weigh down the Twi'lek's frown.

"You 'ave been introduced. Zees eesn't a dance. Eet ees a queue. 'E does not care 'oo you are, or 'oo ze next sentient ees."

The more Mags stood next to the Pengauani, the more questions it was obvious she was going to have.

"Wait, 'ow do you even 'ave paperwork, you don't 'ave 'ands!?"

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

Bar-Atoch kept his 'smile', though a second later his head dipped, eyes closing.

"There are ways around many obstacles that rise up in the absence of hands and fingers, Ma'am."

But, she did have a point in a manner of speaking, at least. The Pengauani returned to looking up at Entor.

"I've looked over the personnel files of everyone on this station during my transit here," there was a moment's pause before he went on.

"You are Simon Entor, yes? Born on Ord Grovner?"

That got Entor's attention even more, though it was a suspicious attention. "... Yes."

"Good. It is wonderful to meet you, Simon Entor. I do not want to take up your time any more than I already have, so if you can go ahead and allow me the 'stamp of approval', as I think it's called, that would be just lovely."

[Mags Sondeeta]

Fortunately, Simon Entor took the hint that this encounter might be a lot longer if he didn't just move it along. Reluctantly, he cleared Cleveyet's file, swiping an authorizing wand over the flimsi before returning it.

"Ugh, finally."

"Name." Entor droned with the same amount of enthusiasm as before.

"Mags Sondeeta."

The clerk scrolled through a list of expected arrivals, his brow knitting as he went along.

"I don't see a..."

"Eet's under Magalani, and zat weell be ze first and last time I say. Ozzerwise eet ees Lieutenant Commandant Sondeeta."

She waited for her information to clear. Irritatingly, the Pengauani was still loitering at the periphery, staring at him with that irritatingly head-canted, bird-like stare.

"Yes?"

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

A small, leather sling pack was opened, and the datapad was tucked away out of sight. A normal and unassuming motion that was strange to see done without the use of hands. But, Bar-Atoch had had many years practice. There were always ways to get things done, and his chosen profession was one that demanded he find those different methods.

"Magalani is a very pretty name."

A partial bow was given then, that same approximated smile parting his beak. He wasn't completely ignorant of her rank though, and offered a salute before turning to trundle his way further into the station.

"Much prettier than Mags."

[Mags Sondeeta]

The Twi'lek's lekku both retreated up her shoulders like a pair of pit vipers ready to strike. Of course there was no use. Though she had no idea why the position was called Human Resources, her short stint in the Alliance Navy had educated Mags that HR officers were the kind of needling busybodies who only became more irritating and unavoidable when you throttled your coworkers for being idiots.

" 'as anyone told you zat you look like a leetle fat man een a tuxedo?"

Still, she could be snippy. Snippy for days.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"Oh yes!"

The cheery response was given from over his 'shoulder' as he continued putting distance between himself and the Twi'Lek.

"Many times. What better than a Pengauani to be the face of proper relations, after all?"

Knowing he was reaching the limit of her hearing range, Bar-Atoch gave a last wave as he rounded a corner and disappeared.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

As Bar-Atoch rounded the corner, he ran smack into nearly 650 pounds of Herglic engineer as she strolled the corridor carrying a massive toolbox.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

One bump was all it took for him to hastily step aside on pinwheeling feet, and the Pengauani cast his eyes up. And up. And up, to a hulking Herglic that he'd run into.

"Sorry about that," still as jovial as ever.

If he was worried over being in the same space as a being many times his own size, he didn't show it. Instead, he managed around the engineer to keep moving into the rest of the station.

"Wasn't looking where I was going and all."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ooh ya, soorry abouut..."

Gradoona's normal pedestrian-collision boilerplate drifted away as she suddenly found herself too distracted to speak. She froze, little eyes at each side of her beak blinking as her mouth gaped.

Was that...could it be???

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"Think nothing of it, Friend."

One flipper moved to make sure that his pack didn't slip off, the other waved away her apology. He was determined to not be too sidetracked, as he wanted to check in with station command as soon as possible.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Gradoona immediately dropped her toolbox with an audible clang on the deck, reaching a thick hand to grasp the saluting flipper before the penguin could saunter off. Visions of penguin hotdish, penguin pierogies, penguin with cheese curds and gravy, penguin runza, penguin...oh heck...penguin by itself, it needed nothing to hide behind.

How long had it been since she'd had penguin that wasn't canned? Since she'd left Giju, certainly. Oh, fresh penguin! It was like she was back on the ice floes, watching smashball and tailgating with the rest of the pod. Definitely a flavor memory!

Gradoona pulled Bar-Atoch close, then held him with both hands as she picked him up. Hefty little butterball! That would've been prize weight material right there! So how'd a thing like this get on Jovan station?

And wait, did it just talk?

The Herglic blinked in confusion, halting a scant few inches before shoving the Pengauani into her toothy gullet.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"Whoooaaaah there... " held aloft by meaty, sausage-fingered hands, Bar-Atoch put up both his flippers, the ends pushing against the Herglic's nose.

"It's a violation of Alliance Code 92-KK3, addendum C, to eat a fellow officer, now."

He locked eyes with the beady orbs that very distinctly had hunger in them.

"And especially when it's a compliance officer."

One flipper pulled away to try and pull up on his shoulder pack. It was a futile effort.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

And as if a spell was broken, Gradoona's grasp on the Pengauani went slack, letting him fall back to the ground.

"Ooh my geepers it caan taalk!"

This must be some grand ironic cruelty inflicted by the galaxy at large upon her. The first penguin that she'd seen in two years and it was somehow sentient. Part of her wished she hadn't heard it. Ignorance was bliss. Moist, succulent, slightly-gamey bliss.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

Hitting the deck, Bar-Atoch managed to keep his footing without too much stumbling, and finally able to hitch up his pack, he did just that. His brow conveyed they touch of impatience he suddenly felt, however.

"'It'?" His feathers seemed to fluff up ever so slightly as his body gave a tight shake to reset things.

"Ma'am, I'd ask you to use proper pronouns when referring to beings. We certainly can't have some sort of conflict flair up because someone on the station's staff accidentally insulted someone else."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Feeling a bit put-upon, Gradoona backpedaled a half step as her blowhole whistled in protest.

"Ookay suure. Lookit, ya, that was a biiit, er, aawkward...what, with yoou being, yaknoo, sentient. I mean let's juust address the baantha in the room, 'eh?"

The Herglic engineer's open-beaked expression was more grimace than smile, and she spread her palms upturned.

"Sooo...penguins taalk apparently! Who knew!? Yaknoo, haanest mistaake really!"

Damn! Damn! Damn! Whyyyyy was this even a thing. It would be so much easier without words, and with chirps, squawks, and yaknoo, penguin sounds.

It did not help that Gradoona couldn't even look at him without seeing a gravy boat nearby.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

If he had glasses, he would've adjusted them out of some form of habit. As it was, the edges of his beak seemed to take a turn downward, his brow going low, eyes become cross. There was no real anger, just a sense of caution. There was only one Herglic on the station that was a part of the staff, which meant that he was now looking up at Gradoona Pod-Floewander. He'd been warned about her.

"It's ok for other Penga to call each other Penguins, but it's something of a no-no for other species to do it."

His head made motions from side to side, as if trying to crack his neck.

"Some would even call it offensive, you know."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

The Herglic engineer was literally backed up against the wall, which elicited a surprised squeak from her blowhole when impacted.

"Aalriiight, geeez!!" She protested, her voice defensively getting higher pitched in response to being skewered as some kind of speciesist, in not-so-many-words.

"It was aan haanest mistake, reeaally!" An embarassed hand went up to the crown of her open beak as Gradoona shook her head. "It's just thaat..."

shut up shut up shut up shut up

Gradoona's chatty mouth clamped closed, the corners of which uncharacteristically downturned into rubbery dimples.

There was nothing to be gained about talking about the why. It was one thing to be skewered as a speciesist, and probably a penguin of a different flavor entirely (ugh terminology) to be labeled a risk as a sentiavore. It was fine now, really! This was clearly a valued member of the station's crew. Not a fresh, well-fattened, free range...

NO

Gradoona blinked hard.

"Ookay fella...Penga, was it? I'm aan the page abouut the P-word now, youu betcha. Believe me, none aaf us waant me to get thoose words confused."