Sam gently put an arm about her shoulder as he guided her down the passageway. "And miss a perfectly good excuse to use the Captain's Mess?" he made a dismissive gesture with his free left hand, "never! ancient naval traditions die hard, you know. You're the first guest we've had in many months. You might be off the books but that doesn't mean I have to treat you as such."<br/><br/>He escorted her several doors down to an open hatch labeled 'Captain's Mess'. The room inside was small, but had enough room for a long wooden dining table and seating for ten. The ship's crest, a gold-leaf-embossed image of a manticore, still bearing the ship's GSN pennant number, stood on the wall behind was was obviously the captain's chair, having clearly been well-polished.<br/>A handful of others were already at the table in various forms of dress. Clearly only the pilot had bothered to change into something resembling formal attire. He sat next to a young 20's looking blonde girl who, judging from her posture and dressed down appearance, had never seen a military academy, unlike McCandless who sprang to his feet as the captain entered.<br/>"you've met my pilot, Peter McCandless," Sam said, passing behind first the girl, then Peter to the third empty chair to the captain's left. "My Comms officer, Miranda Lafollet," he said, motioning to the blonde.<br/><br/>The three other in the room all stood on the opposite side of the table, the right-hand seat next to the captain empty. Sam gestured to the dark-haired, olive-skinned woman across from Pater, "my astrogator, Brenna Muldoon," and the tall, wiry redhead to her right in a junior Enlisted uniform, "Will Albins, weapons, and," the third person in the room nodded, a blue-eyed, gray-haired man in a GSN Commander's mess dress uniform with medical insignia. "And Doctor Evan Hawkins."<br/>Sam pulled out the plush, rolling chair for Tahlia and gestured for her to sit.<br/><br/>"My first mate, Chief Engineer and a chunk of the ship's company are on leave, but we'll catch up with them soon enough. Please, be seated."