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."

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"Pengauani," came the correction. "A slip of the casual on my part, and for that I apologize."

The Herglic, Gradoona, seemed quite perplexed beyond the outward appearance of their run-in, and he had a good notion as to why, but it was one that he chose not to act on. Yet.

"You are Engineer Pod-Floewander, yes?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Huh." She monotoned in response to the full name of a species she'd never once heard of before, honest!

She watched it - him emote and talk an tried - tried so hard - to not imagine what he'd look like on a kebab. With the crispy skin and all the schmaltz and oh dear there she went again.

At the mention of her familial, Gradoona faintly nodded her beak in the affirmative.

"Guilty as chaarged, but moost foolks just caall me Gradoona."

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"Ah."

He seemed to pause, as thinking through the notion of calling her by her first name. So new to the station and its' denizens, he opted to hold off on settling himself into such a first-name basis. As it was she had a strange, slightly worrisome look on her face. It made him take the slightest of half-steps back.

"I think that for now I'll stick with Ms. Pod-Floewander. More professional and all. Don't you agree?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Honestly? Um...no?

Gradoona gulped, feeling completely hemmed in and with no obvious escape routes. She dipped her beaked muzzle, which pronounced her double chin a bit as she looked down at the tiny compliance officer, who definitely shouldn't be put on a grill with a can of lager in his wow hole.

"The oonly time I ever goo by the family name is when I'm in trouble oor The Numbers are aaskin'."

Her blowhole sighed mournfully and Gradoona pleaded her case.

"I'm just askin' to meet me in the middle here. Today's kiiinda started weird with the whoole youu...being...a pengu-err-pengauani...thing."

The Herglic glanced away, a fleeting look of wistful wanting in her expression.

"I think I'm haaving an existential crisis."

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"As I'm not a therapist, I'm not trained to assist you on that front."

There was a certain level of detachment in his voice, and Bar-Atoch gave a look past the Herglic to the toolbox that she'd dropped so unceremoniously. It sat there, silent and waiting. A fin was placed over the top of his pack as if to steady it, despite the strap being slung across his body and holding it fast.

Another moment, and he let out a breath, turning to continue on his way.

"I look forward to working with you, Engineer Pod-Floewander."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Bewildered, Gradoona could only nod absently to Cleveyet's parting words. Her little eyes darted left and right, and she at last haauuumed in resignation.

"Whaat just haappened?"

[Mags Sondeeta]

In Bar-Atoch's wake, the only witness to Gradoona's lamentations was a thoroughly unimpressed Twi'lek who'd witnessed everything.

"You were speaking to a fat, eerritating bird, and 'e made you look like a fool."

Without a further word, Mags walked off.

[Joey Rabeak]

Despite its size, word traveled quickly through Jovan Station about the arrival of new starfighters, and among the live wire of gossip within Titan Squadron, word was almost instantaneous. Of them, Jofar "Joey" Rabeak was closest to docking bay two, and his boots clapped along the floor as the freshly-minted Nehantite pilot dashed along, intent to be the first of his squadron to actually see the new craft.

"Excuse me, pilot coming through!" he said to those he wove through, a smile on his muzzle bearing his white teeth. While it might have only been his third day aboard the station, Joey was already feeling quite at home, and his official Alliance pilot's uniform was starting to break in, moving easily with him as he navigated the crowd coming the other way.

A quick sidestep took him around a Twi'lek pilot, still in her flightsuit, and then it was straight on past the login desk and into docking bay two. Or at least that was the plan until someone's suitcase found it's way right in front of his foot as he prepared to move around Gradoona, and the suitcase... squawked? Tumble-stepping to a halt, scarcely managing to avoid falling or connecting with a bulkhead, Joey spun around to see what it was he'd hit, only to realize in horror it was someone's pet!

"Oh, shit! I am so sorry!" he said aloud, and made his way back to help the little pet... bird-thing back onto its feet, before glancing around for its owner.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

Twice in almost as many minutes. A grim thing for anyone who'd been knocked off their feet or shoved roughly down at any point in there lives.

But, helped back to his feet, Bar-Atoch could appreciate the thought as well as the apology. Though, the expletive could've been avoided.

For the second time he gave himself a dusting over, flippers brushing down his front before a myriad of tiny, thin feathers floofed momentarily, and his entire body gave the slightest of shakes, puffing out for a fraction of a second. And just as soon as they had, they once more flattened down.

"Think nothing of it, Sir. One becomes... used to things like this happening."

[Joey Rabeak]

As words, actual words, started coming out of the avian bowling pin's beak, Joey's attention returned to it in full force, pink eyes going wide. "Oh, Garfife... I... I thought you were someone's pet," he admitted. Blinking back to reality, Joey immediately realized his poor choice of words, and he stood up, attempting to look respectable.

"I'm sorry, I mean, I'm not familiar with your race, sir," he attempted to backpedal. "I didn't realize you were sapient. Er, not saying I ran into because I thought you weren't, that is. I mean, uh, it was just an accident all around. Are you okay?"

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"Not to worry, Sir. It's the unfortunate reality of any of the shorter species."

His beak partially opened in an approximate half-smile as his throat let out a churtling sound.

"Not many beings are aware of the Pengauani race, so that you do not know of us is no slight."

A flipper came out there, extended out in an offer of a conciliatory handshake.

"Officer Bar-Atoch, at your service."

[Joey Rabeak]

"Officer?" the word came out in a higher pitch than he'd intended, and the moment that it took Joey to come back to attention was longer than he would have liked. But when he did, he leaned down to take the tip of that flipper in his fingertips and give it a light shake.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Joey Rabeak," he introduced himself. "Pilot for Titan Squadron. Just came down to see the new ships that arrived. Are you part of their crew?"

The idea of a cute little penguin attempting to fly an A-Wing, his helmet far too large for him and bouncing all over the place gave Joey a good laugh inside, though he was careful not to let it slip out.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

Bar-Atoch shook his head, a quasi-amused expression twisting up one corner of his beak as his brow skewed.

"Heavens no, Sir. Not got the best body type to do much good in a cockpit."

He gave a pat to his shoulder bag.

"I'm with personnel and compliance. I've been assigned to this station to act as its' compliance officer."

[Joey Rabeak]

"Ah, nice to meet you," Joey replied as he stood back up from the handshake.

The friendly, calm demeanor of his exterior masked well the thoughts inside his head. Personnel and compliance? He's an HR officer! Ha! Dad's totally going to flip when he finds out we've got an HR officer!

Paws finding his pockets, the Nehanite's head cocked in mild curiosity as he ventured. "I'm a bit new here, myself. Did our old compliance officer get transferred or something? Or did we even have one?" he mused. "Not sure if we did. No real issues I've heard of that need addressing, though."

A thought came to his mind suddenly which would explain why he'd not heard anyone bellyaching about getting called into the compliance office, yet. "Oh, wait, compliance officer for whom? We've got Alliance, Cizerack, and Imperial offices here. And the Bounty Hunters Guild sub-office, but I dunno that they deal in compliance all that much."

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"For now I'm strictly Alliance. No need to dip a flipper into water that isn't mine, unless asked of course."

Lieutenant Rabeak seemed a man full of questions that he was perfectly comfortable to muse aloud the possible answers and conjectures to; it was not unwelcomed, and in fact a bit refreshing to have someone who continued along the lines of logic and conclusions. But, the name rang a bell, and without having to consult his scrawlpad, Bar-Atoch lifted a fin up to rest at the bottom of his beak while angling his body up slightly to afford Rabeak a critical eye.

"Joey Rabeak... kin to one Anauri Rabeak, Chief Engineer on the station?"

[Joey Rabeak]

A proud smile turned up Joey's muzzle, followed by a light chuckle. "Oh, yeah, he's my dad." he answered. "Funny thing, though, neither of us knew the other was here until I got assigned to Titan Squadron. Total coincidence."

His tail swayed behind him, mildly nervous. There was still the matter of Nehantite law stating that Anauri could not have any contact with Joey, but thanks to the rules and regulations of working for the Alliance, there was precisely fuck-all that Nehantish could do about it. "He's not military, though," Joey elaborated. "He's a civilian Alliance employee."

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

"Ah, I see."

Drawing out the last word, the Pengauani afforded a strange look then to Lt. Rabeak. He did not doubt the young man's words, and deep down there was a sort of amazement at such good fortune, not to mention a small bit of romanticizing of the notion of kismet in the galaxy at large. But that part he kept tightly lidded, letting it appear however that his thoughts dwelled on the explanation given as to each role father and son played.

It was a moment that lasted for a fraction of a second however, and Bar-Atoch finally took a step back, blinking and casting eyes past the Nehantite.

"Best go see to that ship, Lt. Rabeak," an encouraging flipper waved at the air in a tight circle. "I am sure that it is... " What was the best way to describe fighters? "... impressive."

[Joey Rabeak]

"Sure hope so," Joey nodded. "Anyhoo, catch you later, dude. Sorry about running into you, and all that."

That had to suffice as a goodbye, as the fresh pilot dashed off into the docking bay to see the new arrivals, knowing it would bean a bit of bragging rights to be first.

[Cleveyet Bar-Atoch]

Turning back around, Bar-Atoch once more trundled on his way, passing through milling bodies and intent on making sure that he would not be mistaken for a snack or bowled over any more today. Tomorrow was another story, and something to dwell on for the future, but today was today. It was fresh and mostly-early. He was just arrived to his new home for however long the higher-ups chose. And from the reports that he'd been provided - both personnel and general updates - Jovan Station had become something rather intrinsically valuable. On the sheer scale of beings going about their daily lives on a space station, the Pengauani had to marvel. There were a surprising amount of bodies coming and going at all times.

It was going to be a new experience, he knew that much.