[After observing that look of uncertainty, Ari would have politely declined the food for sure if she'd subsequently been assured it was lab protein, but the corn substitute is very difficult to resist. It's fine, she tells herself. So she'll owe a favor. A commensurate favor, and that's nothing to worry about. She smiles, and accepts the wrapped dough readily, with both hands.]

Thank you. It was good thinking, bringing food along. [She tastes it. The first bite is hesitant, but then the young lieutenant grins, and her next bite is much larger. She does have the grace not to talk with her mouth full, so it's a moment before she speaks again.]

This is excellent! If we were shipside, I'd ask you to pass my compliments to your cook. And you're right, there are all kinds of people here. I'm glad we don't have to establish a single line of command; it'd be a nightmare trying to work out equivalencies. As far as I can tell, everyone's been offered a ship of their own out here. [Ari's not sure what that means for her own status. It depends, she reasons, on whether one counts SUPERBIA as a captain or not. Whether an AI can be a captain is a question she really isn't qualified to resolve, so she'll stick with just plain lieutenant.]

I suppose it's not impossible that there are multiple planets out there with the same name, especially one with that sort of symbolism. [Ari has studied multiple languages; she knows enough to follow Adela's meaning when she switches, although how civilisations from so far apart have seemingly developed the very same languages is another mystery. One to delve into later, perhaps.]