Beg, Steal or Borrow – Reunion
by Lieutenant T'Pal & Klingon Ambassador Toran of the House of Moqrhat
Post Details
The shuttle finally docked in one for the stations massive shuttle bays. Before Charg had even completed powering down the shuttle, a woman began to approach. She wasn't in uniform so it couldn't be any of the docking crew, but a feeling of warmth began to fill his mind. Turning to Xae, "That must be your cousin, I assume."
X'aedell glanced at him with a wide grin to confirm that he was indeed right. "That's her," she said and watched Ayren approach, impatiently waiting for the shuttle door to allow her out.
Charg shook his head at her obvious anticipation. She was like a horse in a starting gate.
"A horse?... I will get you for that one," she laughed over her shoulder as she rushed forward. ~As long as it is a pretty horse~ she shot to him and then crossed the floor of the docking bay to embrace Ayren.
To see X'aedy was a great relief from what they had all just gone through. ~It is so good to see YOU!~. The hybrid Klingon had always been one ball of energy and emotion and what she had felt eminating from her was her usual intensity, but with ... "What?!" Ayren exclaimed out loud. "You are in love!! I don't believe it... you little cow!!" she said laughing in surprise.
The grin she got from X'ae confirmed it and she opened her mind for Ayren to see what had happened to her.
"Married?! X'ae... dell!" Ayren received one surprise after the other and just shook her head. She was rather unprepared for the last one though and she sobered, her eyes and mind peered into her cousin's. ~A Klingon?.. You are married to a Klingon?~
Solemnly X'ae nodded, looking over her shoulder, searching for Charg who was just stepping out of the shuttle.
His hand above his head on the frame of the hatch he paused there as the two looked over at him. With his best smile bowed his head slightly in their direction. Dropping his hand he head over to them, "You must be Ayren."
Ayren took in as much as possible from the hybrid Klingon as if she was looking for an answer as to why X'aedell fel in love with a person from the race she hated with such passion. Human, Vulcan... her mind halted for a split second, her pulse beating in her throat, but she quickly pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She smiled and stepped forward, stretching out her hand. "Yes that's me and you must be the hapless man who would have to put up with this one...." she said with mock sympathy, grinning widely.
His grin widened as she stepped forward, "What can I say, I'm glutten for punishment.
"Please come with me," Ayren said. "My quarters are big and it survived the attack," she said grinning as she passed the coordinates to the ops officer who would transport their belongngs directly there. She lead they way and the three of them left, continuing their chit-chating and bantering. She was distincly aware of a change in X'aedell and the more her cousin spoke of the mental bond between her and her hushand and that it had occured *accidently*, the more concerned Ayren grew. She would have to speak to Charg. She hoped that she could trust him.
Some time later:
When X'aedell had disappreared safely into the shower after a sumpteous meal and cleaning up. "Walk with me to the Promenade, I need to talk with you," she said in a warm, but serious voice. They would have to create distance, so she could sheld her mind. This was not a conversation X'ae should be hearing, mentally or physically.
Charg eyed her curiously but rose from his seat and motioned to the door. "Lead the way."
The moment they were in the corridor, Ayren slowed her pace. "If I understand correctly, the bonding that had occured between you was unplanned, am I right?"
Nodding slightly. "At first...yes"
Ayren nodded and proceeded. "Then there is something you should be told. There are a few things that you don't know about X'aedy's parents' assimilation and that is because she doesn't remember," she said immediately letting him know where the conversation was heading. "She thinks both her parents were assimilated, but only her father was." She paused, letting him take that it in and then she went on. "In the first moments after his assimilation, he killed his wife to save her from the Borg. He would have killed X'ae too, but was too far gone and of course the Borg lost interest when the other vessel approached. Only X'aedy, two other children and one Vulcan officer remained on the ship. "
They approached a small coffee outlet and the owner recognized Ayren and simply nodded at seeing her. Obviously she was a regular there. When they sat down at a table, she continued. "Betazoids develop their mental abilities in their teens and at the beginning don't have the barriers in place to filter what you feel and sense yet. X'aedell was just beginning to develop hers, so she heard everything that day.. all the thoughts, the feelings the horrors of her parents an the crew that was close enough to her... everything as they were being assimilated."
"She also heard the Borg, we don't know for how long though, but she suffered a complete psionic overload, causing a breakdown...." Ayren eyes moistened at the memory of what X'ae had gone through and pressed her fingers against her eyes. "Sorry... she sat with her mom's body, wouldn't leave it untill Zarvek got her away... but that time she was basically catatonic from shock. It took Starfleet six days to reach them, not a few hours like X'ae remembers." Ayren took a few moments to regain her composure. "You must be wondering where I am going with this," she asked with a small smile.
"The only way Zarvek could think of to save X'aedy was with a mind meld and that was what he did, risking his own mental stability. He managed to stabilize her and put Vulcan barriers in place. It is like building a wall around those memories. It had saved her, but left Vulcan patterns in her brain. That was why the two of you could bond so easily. When she opened her mind to you, your Vulcan part, which I can sense is well developed in meditation, recognized those patters and felt "comfortable* in there so to speak," she said lacking a better description.
"Please don't probe those memories.... I don't know what would happen to her. When she came to us...." Ayren's eyes filled with tears again, but she fought them back. "She didn't speak for more than six months. And I mean not mentally either..."
"I see. Well my mental abilities are'nt the well developed. In the past the only links or melds I've been able to experience have been...instinctive. Sort of heat of the moment type of thing.
"My Links with Xae have been deeper than any I've had before. I had merely though that it was because I was using her as a conduit of sorts, but rest assured I will do as you say and not 'probe' her past."
He thought about what had transpired on the shuttle to the station. "While on the subject of her past. I can across some information that....What do you know of her Klingon House?"
"They are nobles, her grandfather sits on the High Council... he played a significant role in the negatiations for an alliance with the Federation. her uncle is in Starfleet...... and when X'ae tried to contact them on several occations, she was refubbed, threatened and then ignored. I don't have to tell you how painful that was to her, especially since she had a good relationship with Kretorg when she was small. Her emotional association runs deeper than that though... I am not telling you anythong you don't know though..." she said wrily.
"Then it appears that you knew nore than she. Unless those mental block managed to include her Houses nobel status. While the subject came up she refused to believe it. It has also come to my attention that her House had no knowledge of her survival. According to Kretorg she was reported lost with her parents."
"You contacted Kretorg?" she asked surprised.
Nodding his head again. "Before we became...involved, yes. We were sparring one day and I notice the crest on her bat'leth. She told me how they had treated her and it didn't sit well with me. You see I did some time with Klingon Internal Security, which basically watched over the activities of the various Houses of the Empire. Over the last century there have been several attempt at coups so the Department was developed and report directly to the Chancelor and key members of the High Council. A House to disown, what used to be called 'theld barred' is literally unheard of. Usually other methods or used to take care of matters within a house. Having personally met the members of the Counsel, plus having access to the information I did. I contacted Kretorg to confirm, to which he denied the disowning of any member of his House. I'm surprised that no one persued the matter."
"After what happened and what X'ae had been through, we saw no reason to contact them." Ayren thought about the implications for moment. "Look, we had little contact with X'ae's family until she came to live with us. For most of her life before the Borg attack, they were in deep space somewhere. It was only later that we had heard which House Karach had belonged to and my father recognized the name, but we never persued it. And now you are saying they believed her to be dead or assimilated? That is really shocking news...." Ayren wasn't sure if it was good or bad. From what she knew about Kretorg, it really could be either.
"It is indeed. Powerful Houses have pwerful enemies. It could be possible there is someone that had something to gain by keeping her away from her Klingon family." Adding with a slight shrug. "What that could be I don't know....yet. However I must be cautious, my inquiries may alert those that think their plan is still intact."
"If it is how you say..... yes, please be careful." If there was one thing Ayren understood, it was politics and the powers that be. She knew from her studies exaclty who the House of Torath was and what they had stood for. She also knew of M'urgh', head of that House and X'ae's grandfather's, part in the negotiations for an alliance with the Federation during the Dominion war and afterwards. "You know ... my father... it makes sense now. He never insisted on persuing anythng to do with her House. He was, still is an Ambassador for Betazed. Maybe he knew that if we did, we might have stirred up a hornet's nest politically..." she said thoughtfully.
"Perhaps he knew..or senced something. You may want to cantact him I'm sure he still has contacts in the Empire. One thing is certain, discresion is in order, I has a feeling we are dealing with a very old wound."
'Oh definetely... where X'ae is concerned.. and with a House like that as you would know... things are never simple.." she said with a wry smile. lookin up as the cafe owner brought her a packet and three staeming hot chocolate drinks.
"You know we probably shouldn't be gone too long. Tell me, other than attacks by Romulans. how are things on the station?"
Taking the packet form the owner and the hot chocolate, she nodded a thank you to him. "We can go back. By the way the third hot chocolate is for you, but you don't *have *to drink it, X'aedy and I will fight over it, I just didn't want to deny you the rare pleasure.... and I don't mean two woman fighting over chocolate," she said giving him a tight lipped grin.
Chuckling he took the beverage. "What are you talking about? That is the perfect spectator event."
As they started walking back, Ayren answered his question, still chuckling. "There is never a dull moment here...usually hectic, but more so recently. We have had some changes in the staff, and I think that brought about some feeling of instability. The CO , Captain Tahir is on earth, our previous sec chief, Commander Rakka left, our new strat ops chief, Commander Da'nal got transferred to his own command.... so you see all in a day's work." She shrugged. "I guess it would always be more like a space city than a staion," she mused with a wry smile.
Charg stopped in his tracks. "Da`nal!.....Of the House of Varal?"
Ayren saw the recognition in his face and smiled. "Yes.. that's him. And his two children," she informed him.
The surprises never stopped coming. "Children?! Is Anita here too?"
Her face sombered immediately, having to tell him the unpleasant news.. "I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but there were complications with the twins' birth... she passed away," she said softly.
Charg's exhiliration was cut short upon hearing of the death of his friends mate. "Is he still on the station?"
"Yes as far as I know, he still has to come back here."
Grinning widely. "You wouldn't mind setting him up for me would ya?"
"No not at all!" she said. 'I could always invite him over and he could stay for dinner," she said thinking that she wouldn't mind seeing him again.
"Outstanding...lets do it."
OFF:
Ayren Kelan
Chief Diplomatic Officer
DS5
Lieutenant Charghwl'IH
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Merlin
(Guest played by Chris)
Lt X'aedell Kelan
Chief Counselor
USS Merlin
(Guest played by Sharon)
by Lieutenant T'Pal & Klingon Ambassador Toran of the House of Moqrhat
Post Details
| Title | Reunion | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant T'Pal & Klingon Ambassador Toran of the House of Moqrhat | |
| Posted | Wed May 20, 2009 @ 8:21am | |
| Location | Docking ring E37, CDO'd quarters, Promonade | |
| Timeline | Backpost - just after the battle. |
The shuttle finally docked in one for the stations massive shuttle bays. Before Charg had even completed powering down the shuttle, a woman began to approach. She wasn't in uniform so it couldn't be any of the docking crew, but a feeling of warmth began to fill his mind. Turning to Xae, "That must be your cousin, I assume."
X'aedell glanced at him with a wide grin to confirm that he was indeed right. "That's her," she said and watched Ayren approach, impatiently waiting for the shuttle door to allow her out.
Charg shook his head at her obvious anticipation. She was like a horse in a starting gate.
"A horse?... I will get you for that one," she laughed over her shoulder as she rushed forward. ~As long as it is a pretty horse~ she shot to him and then crossed the floor of the docking bay to embrace Ayren.
To see X'aedy was a great relief from what they had all just gone through. ~It is so good to see YOU!~. The hybrid Klingon had always been one ball of energy and emotion and what she had felt eminating from her was her usual intensity, but with ... "What?!" Ayren exclaimed out loud. "You are in love!! I don't believe it... you little cow!!" she said laughing in surprise.
The grin she got from X'ae confirmed it and she opened her mind for Ayren to see what had happened to her.
"Married?! X'ae... dell!" Ayren received one surprise after the other and just shook her head. She was rather unprepared for the last one though and she sobered, her eyes and mind peered into her cousin's. ~A Klingon?.. You are married to a Klingon?~
Solemnly X'ae nodded, looking over her shoulder, searching for Charg who was just stepping out of the shuttle.
His hand above his head on the frame of the hatch he paused there as the two looked over at him. With his best smile bowed his head slightly in their direction.
Ayren took in as much as possible from the hybrid Klingon as if she was looking for an answer as to why X'aedell fel in love with a person from the race she hated with such passion. Human, Vulcan... her mind halted for a split second, her pulse beating in her throat, but she quickly pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She smiled and stepped forward, stretching out her hand. "Yes that's me and you must be the hapless man who would have to put up with this one...." she said with mock sympathy, grinning widely.
His grin widened as she stepped forward, "What can I say, I'm glutten for punishment.
"Please come with me," Ayren said. "My quarters are big and it survived the attack," she said grinning as she passed the coordinates to the ops officer who would transport their belongngs directly there. She lead they way and the three of them left, continuing their chit-chating and bantering. She was distincly aware of a change in X'aedell and the more her cousin spoke of the mental bond between her and her hushand and that it had occured *accidently*, the more concerned Ayren grew. She would have to speak to Charg. She hoped that she could trust him.
Some time later:
When X'aedell had disappreared safely into the shower after a sumpteous meal and cleaning up. "Walk with me to the Promenade, I need to talk with you," she said in a warm, but serious voice. They would have to create distance, so she could sheld her mind. This was not a conversation X'ae should be hearing, mentally or physically.
Charg eyed her curiously but rose from his seat and motioned to the door. "Lead the way."
The moment they were in the corridor, Ayren slowed her pace. "If I understand correctly, the bonding that had occured between you was unplanned, am I right?"
Nodding slightly. "At first...yes"
Ayren nodded and proceeded. "Then there is something you should be told. There are a few things that you don't know about X'aedy's parents' assimilation and that is because she doesn't remember," she said immediately letting him know where the conversation was heading. "She thinks both her parents were assimilated, but only her father was." She paused, letting him take that it in and then she went on. "In the first moments after his assimilation, he killed his wife to save her from the Borg. He would have killed X'ae too, but was too far gone and of course the Borg lost interest when the other vessel approached. Only X'aedy, two other children and one Vulcan officer remained on the ship. "
They approached a small coffee outlet and the owner recognized Ayren and simply nodded at seeing her. Obviously she was a regular there. When they sat down at a table, she continued. "Betazoids develop their mental abilities in their teens and at the beginning don't have the barriers in place to filter what you feel and sense yet. X'aedell was just beginning to develop hers, so she heard everything that day.. all the thoughts, the feelings the horrors of her parents an the crew that was close enough to her... everything as they were being assimilated."
"She also heard the Borg, we don't know for how long though, but she suffered a complete psionic overload, causing a breakdown...." Ayren eyes moistened at the memory of what X'ae had gone through and pressed her fingers against her eyes. "Sorry... she sat with her mom's body, wouldn't leave it untill Zarvek got her away... but that time she was basically catatonic from shock. It took Starfleet six days to reach them, not a few hours like X'ae remembers." Ayren took a few moments to regain her composure. "You must be wondering where I am going with this," she asked with a small smile.
"The only way Zarvek could think of to save X'aedy was with a mind meld and that was what he did, risking his own mental stability. He managed to stabilize her and put Vulcan barriers in place. It is like building a wall around those memories. It had saved her, but left Vulcan patterns in her brain. That was why the two of you could bond so easily. When she opened her mind to you, your Vulcan part, which I can sense is well developed in meditation, recognized those patters and felt "comfortable* in there so to speak," she said lacking a better description.
"Please don't probe those memories.... I don't know what would happen to her. When she came to us...." Ayren's eyes filled with tears again, but she fought them back. "She didn't speak for more than six months. And I mean not mentally either..."
"I see. Well my mental abilities are'nt the well developed. In the past the only links or melds I've been able to experience have been...instinctive. Sort of heat of the moment type of thing.
"My Links with Xae have been deeper than any I've had before. I had merely though that it was because I was using her as a conduit of sorts, but rest assured I will do as you say and not 'probe' her past."
He thought about what had transpired on the shuttle to the station. "While on the subject of her past. I can across some information that....What do you know of her Klingon House?"
"They are nobles, her grandfather sits on the High Council... he played a significant role in the negatiations for an alliance with the Federation. her uncle is in Starfleet...... and when X'ae tried to contact them on several occations, she was refubbed, threatened and then ignored. I don't have to tell you how painful that was to her, especially since she had a good relationship with Kretorg when she was small. Her emotional association runs deeper than that though... I am not telling you anythong you don't know though..." she said wrily.
"Then it appears that you knew nore than she. Unless those mental block managed to include her Houses nobel status. While the subject came up she refused to believe it. It has also come to my attention that her House had no knowledge of her survival. According to Kretorg she was reported lost with her parents."
"You contacted Kretorg?" she asked surprised.
Nodding his head again. "Before we became...involved, yes. We were sparring one day and I notice the crest on her bat'leth. She told me how they had treated her and it didn't sit well with me. You see I did some time with Klingon Internal Security, which basically watched over the activities of the various Houses of the Empire. Over the last century there have been several attempt at coups so the Department was developed and report directly to the Chancelor and key members of the High Council. A House to disown, what used to be called 'theld barred' is literally unheard of. Usually other methods or used to take care of matters within a house. Having personally met the members of the Counsel, plus having access to the information I did. I contacted Kretorg to confirm, to which he denied the disowning of any member of his House. I'm surprised that no one persued the matter."
"After what happened and what X'ae had been through, we saw no reason to contact them." Ayren thought about the implications for moment. "Look, we had little contact with X'ae's family until she came to live with us. For most of her life before the Borg attack, they were in deep space somewhere. It was only later that we had heard which House Karach had belonged to and my father recognized the name, but we never persued it. And now you are saying they believed her to be dead or assimilated? That is really shocking news...." Ayren wasn't sure if it was good or bad. From what she knew about Kretorg, it really could be either.
"It is indeed. Powerful Houses have pwerful enemies. It could be possible there is someone that had something to gain by keeping her away from her Klingon family." Adding with a slight shrug. "What that could be I don't know....yet. However I must be cautious, my inquiries may alert those that think their plan is still intact."
"If it is how you say..... yes, please be careful." If there was one thing Ayren understood, it was politics and the powers that be. She knew from her studies exaclty who the House of Torath was and what they had stood for. She also knew of M'urgh', head of that House and X'ae's grandfather's, part in the negotiations for an alliance with the Federation during the Dominion war and afterwards. "You know ... my father... it makes sense now. He never insisted on persuing anythng to do with her House. He was, still is an Ambassador for Betazed. Maybe he knew that if we did, we might have stirred up a hornet's nest politically..." she said thoughtfully.
"Perhaps he knew..or senced something. You may want to cantact him I'm sure he still has contacts in the Empire. One thing is certain, discresion is in order, I has a feeling we are dealing with a very old wound."
'Oh definetely... where X'ae is concerned.. and with a House like that as you would know... things are never simple.." she said with a wry smile. lookin up as the cafe owner brought her a packet and three staeming hot chocolate drinks.
"You know we probably shouldn't be gone too long. Tell me, other than attacks by Romulans. how are things on the station?"
Taking the packet form the owner and the hot chocolate, she nodded a thank you to him. "We can go back. By the way the third hot chocolate is for you, but you don't *have *to drink it, X'aedy and I will fight over it, I just didn't want to deny you the rare pleasure.... and I don't mean two woman fighting over chocolate," she said giving him a tight lipped grin.
Chuckling he took the beverage. "What are you talking about? That is the perfect spectator event."
As they started walking back, Ayren answered his question, still chuckling. "There is never a dull moment here...usually hectic, but more so recently. We have had some changes in the staff, and I think that brought about some feeling of instability. The CO , Captain Tahir is on earth, our previous sec chief, Commander Rakka left, our new strat ops chief, Commander Da'nal got transferred to his own command.... so you see all in a day's work." She shrugged. "I guess it would always be more like a space city than a staion," she mused with a wry smile.
Charg stopped in his tracks. "Da`nal!.....Of the House of Varal?"
Ayren saw the recognition in his face and smiled. "Yes.. that's him. And his two children," she informed him.
The surprises never stopped coming. "Children?! Is Anita here too?"
Her face sombered immediately, having to tell him the unpleasant news.. "I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but there were complications with the twins' birth... she passed away," she said softly.
Charg's exhiliration was cut short upon hearing of the death of his friends mate. "Is he still on the station?"
"Yes as far as I know, he still has to come back here."
Grinning widely. "You wouldn't mind setting him up for me would ya?"
"No not at all!" she said. 'I could always invite him over and he could stay for dinner," she said thinking that she wouldn't mind seeing him again.
"Outstanding...lets do it."
OFF:
Ayren Kelan
Chief Diplomatic Officer
DS5
Lieutenant Charghwl'IH
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Merlin
(Guest played by Chris)
Lt X'aedell Kelan
Chief Counselor
USS Merlin
(Guest played by Sharon)