Interlude – Chessmatch
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian
Post Details
Gregori was wandering through the Promenade, past a Romulan cafe, when he saw something that caught his attention: a pretty young Romulan woman with a chess board and no opponent, "You play?" He asked.
Arrienye looked up as the man spoke up. She'd decided to take a few moments to herself that morning, what with the drama that would no doubt follow during the day. It was the anniversary of her Vulcan great-great-grandfather's passing and, as he was the one with whom she placed chess with nearly every day her entire childhood, playing a game by herself their old board seemed a fitting way to mark the occasion. The board was wooden and beat up. Obviously used quite a bit. And since it was a human game her grandfather had played with her, Arrienye couldn't really find an opponent. And she didn't have the patience to teach anyone.
So when the human came over her curiosity was peaked. "Yes," she simply answered him.
"And a magnificent old board, too." Gregori smiled, sitting down across the way from her, "Oh, permit me to introduce myself, beautiful young lady. I am Gregori Monteros, and I am a Greek Grand Master for many years."
"Arrain Arrienye t'Merek," the woman introduced herself back to the human, crossing her legs in an act of instinct.
"Ahh, you are the t'Merek who works for my granddaughter's Aunt, Ambassador Isha!" Gregori smiled, "Yes, I have heard many good things about you from my son in law, he says you have great potential as an officer. So, you have great potential and are very pretty, but can you play chess?"
"Of course I can. I learned to play when I was four years old. From my grandfather," Arrienye replied, a bit surprised her name was being passed around the Khelliana household, especially from Admiral R'Vek.
"Good, good." Gregori nodded with nothing short of glee, "I could never get my daughter or granddaughter interested in the game, my wife, she was too busy taking care of us all. My light is flickering with Ashara, though she has much to learn. So it is good for me to find someone who can already play. An old man needs company, after all!"
"If you wish, we could play a game," Arrienye told him, finding it a bit rude that he just sat down and joined her without invitation. She would've expected better from a man his age.
"We could, but not here." Gregori smiled, "Chess is a game best played in comfortable surroundings, with a fine brandy and perhaps even a good cigar when they can be found. And the players should be seated in large leather chairs, it is truly the only way to play! You should come with me to my quarters, I have brandy and overstuffed leather chairs, perfect for chess. Come, you can even admire my collection of ancient weapons. I've everything from a Samurai sword to German sniper rifles to an Bat'leth that may be over ten millenia old."
"I am not going with you to your quarters. If you require such an environment to play in, I suggest we go to the holosuite," Arrienye said without hesitation.
Gregori through his head back and laughed, she had the entirely wrong idea, "My dear girl, I assure you, it is nothing like what you seem to be thinking. I simply invited you over for a game of chess, not to try and castle your king. You seem to think I'm a man of boundless energy, I assure you, there are indeed bounds."
Arrienye actually laughed at that. "I'm afraid you have the wrong idea. I was going from the point that I've known you for less that ten minutes. Even if you were anyone or any other gender, I wouldn't follow you anywhere. Besides, I'm quite capable of defending myself from one old human," she rolled her eyes.
"I'm not as old as you think, my dear." Gregori laughed, she had no idea who she was looking at, but, then, neither did anyone else on DS5, not even those closest to him, "But, if you insist, we will play here."
"Alright," Arrienye nodded, "Black or white?" she asked him.
"Lady's choice." Gregori smiled, motioning a passing member of Ashara's crew to come over, "Uhlan T'reid, would you be so kind as to have Lady Ashara bring a bottle of the good brandy for Papa Gregori. This young lady and I are about to play chess and I'd like to set the right mood."
The Romulan said nothing, simply nodding to Gregori and going to deliver his message, though he did silently salute Arrienye when he recognized her.
"He's a nice boy, that T'reid." Gregori laughed, "So, what color am I?"
"Black," she told him, handing him the dark oak king, keeping the ash king for herself and setting up her pieces quietly. She was beginning to look forward to this match.
"Good, good." Gregori nodded, Arrienye didn't realize that she had just given him an advantage he always sought, black moved second, which meant he got to see her first move and her strategy unfolding before she could see his.
Their pieces set on the board, Arrienye made her first move - a very standard play.
Gregori now knew something about his opponent, she was sandbagging, so he countered with another standard play, ~What's good for the goose, lovely Arrain.~
Countering his move, Arrienye chose a more advanced, risky move.
~So she likes to try and open soft then go for the jugular, a very Romulan move.~ Gregori smiled as he began to move his Rook into position for his famous 'Castle Blitz', it was unbeatable, the first time someone saw it anyway, but would never work twice on the same opponent. He'd have her in about three moves, but he'd have to work a lot harder next time.
Arrienye casually moved another piece, not really giving her own moves much attention. Only enough to test Gregori's strength.
"Very interesting, my dear." Gregori smiled, moving the first of his blitzing rooks into position, landing her king in check, the next move would be the coup de grace, ~She's very smart, she could've avoided this and will know how to for the future. Finally, a worthy opponent!~
"I was taught that a game of chess should proceed in silence," Arrienye mentioned, sliding her Rook forward.
"Bah!" Gregori sneered with a grin, "Silence is overrated, that's why we don't do it much in Greece." Then, with a flourish, he took her King, "So, are you ready to talk now, Arrain?"
As he finished Ashara joined them, "Arrain t'Merek, I see Papa Gregori castle blitzed you."
"Yes, he thinks he was rather clever," Arrienye commented, looking up at the erie'Riov's sister.
"I won, didn't I?" Gregori quipped, "But you play well, my dear, very well. So, shall we have that Brandy now?"
Arrienye looked over at him. "Fine," she said simply, putting her pieces back in place.
Ashara sat beside them and produced three beautiful old brandy snifters, pouring them each a generous portion of the caramel colored liquor, "Trust me, Arrain t'Merek, you will enjoy this." Ashara smiled, wafting her glass under her nose and breathing in it's bouquet, "Beautiful."
"I taught all my girls an appreciation for fine Brandy." Gregori smiled, raising his glass, "To new friends, old friends, worthy opponents, chess, and bright futures for all of us."
Arrienye raised her glass back to him, tapping it against his before taking a small sip of the brandy. He was right, it was excellent.
Ashara smiled and laughed softly, Papa Gregori was a man amongst men and one of the truest and kindest souls she'd ever encountered, she hoped t'Merek would appreciate the friend she had just made.
"So, shall we begin again?" Arrienye asked, motioning to the chessboard.
"I do think we should." Gregori smiled, "If there is one thing I love better than a good game of chess, it's another game."
Arrienye nodded and made another move. A pretty regular one once again.
Gregori, knowing she would never fall into the castle blitz trap again, made his first move, setting up a classic Kasparof gambit.
But Arrienye was in the game now and didn't miss it. Instead she countered with a move her Vulcan great great grandfather had taught her. It seemed harmless enough.
Gregori recognized the move, it was Vulcan in it's origin, ~Very good indeed.~ He smirked, countering with a gambit he had learned from Ambassador Spock himself, "I see we've both learned a lot about chess from a logical perspective, dear Arrain."
"Yes," Arrienye nodded, "I learned from my great great grandfather. He taught me to play when I was five," she explained, making a move that seemed completely useless.
Gregori saw through her 'useless' move and countered with one equally 'useless.' "Then your Grandfather was quite a teacher, my dear." He smiled; she was walking into another trap, another move he couldn't have learned from Ambassador Spock during top secret negotiations that never happened because he was never there, he swore.
But Arrienye wasn't about to walk into a trap again. As Gregori planned his next move, she skillfully moved her pieces away from danger.
~So now she is playing not to lose.~ Gregori thought, it was typical in many ways of the Vulcans he had played over the years, making calculated moves designed not to lose their pieces, grinding the game to a near halt and waiting for their opponent to make a mistake which would win them the game; his oldest and dearest friend, Capt. T'onn, called it Surok's Siege, and if one fell into it they would surely lose, ~But I've seen it before my dear.~ Gregori smiled, making another counter move to keep her on defense, ~I'm an old, retired man, arrain, I truly have nothing more important to do today.~
But suddenly, as Gregori was beginning to move his pieces into a more strategic point to avoid Surak's siege, t'Merek made another set of moves, carrying on with the siege and then speeding up her moves, flanking his active pieces with her Bishop. This was a strategy she doubted very much that he'd seen before.
Gregori smiled at her totally unexpected move, this girl had a lot of spirit. He made a couple of defensive moves before going back on offense in a strategy he knew she'd never seen, a Klingon strategy that would put her back on defense for the foreseeable future.
But Arrienye was Romulan, an opportunist. She didn't go on the defensive, simply carrying on with her offense, attacking Gregori all across the board.
"Well, well, this is indeed most impressive, Arrain t'Merek." Gregori smiled, "None will ever confuse you for a mere pretty face again." With that he made a series of blitzing moves, a tactic he had learned from a Breen many years before, attacking Arrienye and slowly marching in on her King.
"I see you two are going to be at this for a while." Ashara laughed, kissing Gregori on his cheek, "All right, Papa Gregori, I need to get back to my ship."
"Of course, darling." Gregori smiled, making eye contact with Ashara while keeping one eye firmly on t'Merek, "I'll see you for dinner."
But Arrienye moved her king out of danger, instead getting closer to his steadily. As Ashara left, Arrienye's competitive nature kicked in as usual and she aggresively moved forward, sacrificing a few pieces as she went along, her eyes fixed on her target while moving her king around to keep him out of troublesome spots.
Gregori saw the fire in the beautiful Romulan's eyes, knew what her intentions were, and began to move his King defensively, while moving his Knights and Bishops offensively, protecting his King with his Rooks. With a quick sweep he took her Queen with one of the Knights, leaving him in a position where he couldn't take her King, but too close for him to be ignored.
Raising an elegant eyebrow, Arrienye simply continued calmly with her offensive, guarding her King with her Knights as she advanced on him. He took one of her Knights as she cornered him. She had him in check once, but he managed to move away quite expertly, taking her other Knight. With a smirk, Arrienye moved her Bishop, which she'd snuck up with on the side to distract one of his Rooks before moving her King forward on his own. "Checkmate," she smirked, looking up at him then down at her Kings facing each other.
"Bravo, Arrain, bravo!" Gregori smiled, eh was going to have to work hard on his game to beat her the next time they faced off, "So, we should eat now. Come, let an old man buy his pretty young chess partner a meal."
Arrienye reached to a small chronometer on her belt and checked it. With a shrug she said, "Alright, if you wish," she said. She was intrigued. This was quite an exciting match and she couldn't deny the man had great skills. She'd never met a human that was skilled at anything besides running their mouths.
"I do." Gregori laughed, taking her arm, "Come, let me introduce you to Greek food. You'll fall in love!"
"If you say so, though I wouldn't put money on it. I'm a very picky eater," she warned him, taking her arm back with a look.
"Proof you've never had a good gyro." Gregori laughed, this girl had a personality, even with some serious rough edges.
"No, it's proof I cook well and am highly critical of anything else put in front of me," she countered, following him.
"I like you already, t'Merek." Gregori said, continuing to laugh and enjoy his testy companion.
"What's not to like?" she asked with a smirk. She had to admit his mood was contagious.
"Nothing so far." Gregori nodded, "Nothing at all."
She smiled a bit, motioning to the door of the restaurant he'd led her to. "After you, Mr. Monteros."
"Gregori." He corrected her, "If my mama meant for all the pretty girls I met to call me Mister she wouldn't have given me such a fine name."
"You are much older than me. I was taught to show respect to those older than myself," Arrienye said.
"And pointing out my advanced age helps my self esteem so much." Gregori laughed, "Well, let's see if they have a place to park my walker....."
"Old age is a sign of wisdom," she pointed out. "At least, it is with my people," she added, motioning to an empty table in the far corner.
"It is with mine as well." Gregori nodded, "As my papa said, you don't get old without getting smart somewhere along the line."
"That's true," Arrienye allowed, moving to sit down, crossing her legs.
"So, I would suggest the lamb gyros, with a small Greek salad with olive oil." Gregori advised, "It's the specialty of the house and is almost as good as being in Athens."
"Alright, then I will have that." It wasn't like she had much choice. She'd never had this type of cooking before. But she was curious. Usually she avoided trying new food since it was a sensitive spot for her, but occasionally she felt adventurous.
"As will I." Gregori smiled, "It is a rare treat to share your native delicacies with a friend."
"It is. Especially if you have little contact with other species."
"That, my dear, is a true tragedy." Gregori shook his head sadly, "In this big universe, with so much beauty and so many peoples to share it with, to not have the chance is a waste. I tried so hard to expose my family to as much of the universe as I could, to let them see things beyond our own backyard. It makes you appreciate the universe and makes you appreciate your home even more."
"You can say that again," Arrienye agreed with a nod. "Never have I loved Romulus more than when I came here. It's so...far away."
"I feel the same way about Athens." Gregori nodded as the waiter came over.
"Τι μπορώ να σας πάρω σήμερα ο κ. Monteros?" (What can I get you today, Mr. Monteros?) The waiter asked in Greek.
"Η νέα κυρία και θα έχω τα γυροσκόπια με μια μικρή σαλάτα με το ελαιόλαδο, έπειτα we' ll τέρμα με κάποιο baklava." (The young lady and I will be having the gyros with a small salad with olive oil, then we'll finish with some baklava.) Gregori replied in his native tongue, he ate here at least four times a week since he had been on DS5, just to keep his Greek from getting rusty.
"Πολύ καλός, ο Sir. Και μπορώ να σας ενδιαφέρω για το κόκκινο σπιτιών?" (Very good, Sir. And can I interest you in the house red?) The waiter replied.
"Ναι, και σιγουρευτείτε it' s πολύ κρύο, παρακαλώ." (Yes, and make sure it's very cold, please.) Gregori answered with a smile, turning to Arrienye, "The House Red here is spectacular, not as good as that Brandy we were just drinking, but damned good all the same."
"Πολύ καλός, ο Sir." (Very good, Sir.) The waiter replied, leaving quickly to fill their order.
"Yes, now where were we?" Gregori asked, ready to continue his conversation with his chess partner now that the order was on the way.
"That's a very interesting language," Arrienye observed, having listened intently.
"Yes, that is my native Greek." Gregori smiled, "I speak it as often as I can. I refuse to let my native tongue become a dead language while I still breathe. Rianni and Eleni speak it fluently, and I've even managed to teach Ashara a bit."
Arrienye nodded. "I speak my own more often as well. It's why I still have this accent," she explained. Unlike Isha's, t'Merek's Federation Standard was heavily accented, if grammatically correct and easily understood.
"There is nothing wrong with having an accent." Gregori replied, his own Greek roots showing right through with every word, "I have no idea why Rianni works so hard to keep from speaking with one; she is Greek, she is expected to sound Greek. My granddaughter is an amazing young woman, but she worries too much about fitting in."
"I never worried about that. And erie'Riov t'Khellian is also Romulan. Does she speak Romulan?" Arrienye couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Very little." Gregori replied, "I think only what her aunt has taught her. And, I'll ask you, do you think of her as a Romulan? I mean, I see her as a Greek, because I am a Greek. With you being Romulan, do you lean towards viewing her as one of your own?"
Arrienye thought about it for a while, then shrugged. "I suppose I don't. Not yet. But I do know that a lot of the other officers do see her as one of us," Arrienye revealed. "I suppose I see her different because I was raised very traditionalist."
"I can understand." Gregori nodded, "I was raised in an era where the Romulans were a shadowy enemy, always lurking around the next corner, even though, in reality, you weren't very interested in us at all, so I found it hard to accept when Eleni told me she had given birth to a Romulan child in a prison camp. But, the first time I held that baby girl, she was a Monteros, not a Romulan, not a half breed, a Monteros, and that was all that mattered."
"I understand," Arrienye nodded. "You live and learn. It is partially the reason I accepted this position. To try something new."
"Life is sum total of new experiences, Arrain." Gregori nodded, "And here is your next one." Gregori's face broke out into a broad grin as two steaming plates of gyros were set down in front of them, along with two beautifully prepared salads and a jug of icy cold red wine, "And this is where the fun starts!"
Arrienye looked down at the food on her plate. It looked pretty good, she saw. Looking up, she watched the waiter pour her a glass of wine.
"This is our house red, Madame." He informed her, "It's very good, this particular bottle is a 2258 vintage, one of Mr. Monteros' favorites."
"One of?" Gregori laughed, "It is my very favorite! It's one of the few wines I have even drank and enjoyed replicated! I've got my geneticists at my vineyards working on cloning this wine so I never run out!"
Arrienye smirked. "If my uncle could hear you he'd turn in his grave," she commented. "He never approved of geneticists dabbling with nature," she revealed, smiling at the memory.
"Nor did I, but good wine, like species, should be kept off the endangered list." Gregori laughed, sipping the wine with bliss that was probably best described as orgasmic.
Arrienye took a sip as well, tasting it. She winced, hoping to hide the look of disgust on her face. The wine didn't settle well with her at all. "I don't like it," she announced quite freely though.
"I see that." Gregori laughed, "I'll tell you what, my son in law keeps a bottle of good Romulan Ale behind the bar, why don't we have some of that, since red wine is obviously not to your taste."
"No, that's a little to strong for me. I need to be at work in an hour," Arrienye explained. "I'll just have some iced tea," she said, moving the glass of red away.
"All right." Gregori smiled, "We'll keep the ale on ice for our next match then." He motioned the waiter over, and asked for the iced tea to be delivered, before resuming his meal, "I do look forward to our next match, Arrain."
"So do I," Arrienye nodded.
::OFF::
Arrain Arrienye t'Merek
Head of Security
Romulan Consulate
Gregori Monteros
Greek Grand Master
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian
Post Details
| Title | Chessmatch | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian | |
| Posted | Thu Feb 03, 2011 @ 3:17pm | |
| Location | Promenade | |
| Timeline | SD34 - 11:00 |
Arrienye looked up as the man spoke up. She'd decided to take a few moments to herself that morning, what with the drama that would no doubt follow during the day. It was the anniversary of her Vulcan great-great-grandfather's passing and, as he was the one with whom she placed chess with nearly every day her entire childhood, playing a game by herself their old board seemed a fitting way to mark the occasion. The board was wooden and beat up. Obviously used quite a bit. And since it was a human game her grandfather had played with her, Arrienye couldn't really find an opponent. And she didn't have the patience to teach anyone.
So when the human came over her curiosity was peaked. "Yes," she simply answered him.
"And a magnificent old board, too." Gregori smiled, sitting down across the way from her, "Oh, permit me to introduce myself, beautiful young lady. I am Gregori Monteros, and I am a Greek Grand Master for many years."
"Arrain Arrienye t'Merek," the woman introduced herself back to the human, crossing her legs in an act of instinct.
"Ahh, you are the t'Merek who works for my granddaughter's Aunt, Ambassador Isha!" Gregori smiled, "Yes, I have heard many good things about you from my son in law, he says you have great potential as an officer. So, you have great potential and are very pretty, but can you play chess?"
"Of course I can. I learned to play when I was four years old. From my grandfather," Arrienye replied, a bit surprised her name was being passed around the Khelliana household, especially from Admiral R'Vek.
"Good, good." Gregori nodded with nothing short of glee, "I could never get my daughter or granddaughter interested in the game, my wife, she was too busy taking care of us all. My light is flickering with Ashara, though she has much to learn. So it is good for me to find someone who can already play. An old man needs company, after all!"
"If you wish, we could play a game," Arrienye told him, finding it a bit rude that he just sat down and joined her without invitation. She would've expected better from a man his age.
"We could, but not here." Gregori smiled, "Chess is a game best played in comfortable surroundings, with a fine brandy and perhaps even a good cigar when they can be found. And the players should be seated in large leather chairs, it is truly the only way to play! You should come with me to my quarters, I have brandy and overstuffed leather chairs, perfect for chess. Come, you can even admire my collection of ancient weapons. I've everything from a Samurai sword to German sniper rifles to an Bat'leth that may be over ten millenia old."
"I am not going with you to your quarters. If you require such an environment to play in, I suggest we go to the holosuite," Arrienye said without hesitation.
Gregori through his head back and laughed, she had the entirely wrong idea, "My dear girl, I assure you, it is nothing like what you seem to be thinking. I simply invited you over for a game of chess, not to try and castle your king. You seem to think I'm a man of boundless energy, I assure you, there are indeed bounds."
Arrienye actually laughed at that. "I'm afraid you have the wrong idea. I was going from the point that I've known you for less that ten minutes. Even if you were anyone or any other gender, I wouldn't follow you anywhere. Besides, I'm quite capable of defending myself from one old human," she rolled her eyes.
"I'm not as old as you think, my dear." Gregori laughed, she had no idea who she was looking at, but, then, neither did anyone else on DS5, not even those closest to him, "But, if you insist, we will play here."
"Alright," Arrienye nodded, "Black or white?" she asked him.
"Lady's choice." Gregori smiled, motioning a passing member of Ashara's crew to come over, "Uhlan T'reid, would you be so kind as to have Lady Ashara bring a bottle of the good brandy for Papa Gregori. This young lady and I are about to play chess and I'd like to set the right mood."
The Romulan said nothing, simply nodding to Gregori and going to deliver his message, though he did silently salute Arrienye when he recognized her.
"He's a nice boy, that T'reid." Gregori laughed, "So, what color am I?"
"Black," she told him, handing him the dark oak king, keeping the ash king for herself and setting up her pieces quietly. She was beginning to look forward to this match.
"Good, good." Gregori nodded, Arrienye didn't realize that she had just given him an advantage he always sought, black moved second, which meant he got to see her first move and her strategy unfolding before she could see his.
Their pieces set on the board, Arrienye made her first move - a very standard play.
Gregori now knew something about his opponent, she was sandbagging, so he countered with another standard play, ~What's good for the goose, lovely Arrain.~
Countering his move, Arrienye chose a more advanced, risky move.
~So she likes to try and open soft then go for the jugular, a very Romulan move.~ Gregori smiled as he began to move his Rook into position for his famous 'Castle Blitz', it was unbeatable, the first time someone saw it anyway, but would never work twice on the same opponent. He'd have her in about three moves, but he'd have to work a lot harder next time.
Arrienye casually moved another piece, not really giving her own moves much attention. Only enough to test Gregori's strength.
"Very interesting, my dear." Gregori smiled, moving the first of his blitzing rooks into position, landing her king in check, the next move would be the coup de grace, ~She's very smart, she could've avoided this and will know how to for the future. Finally, a worthy opponent!~
"I was taught that a game of chess should proceed in silence," Arrienye mentioned, sliding her Rook forward.
"Bah!" Gregori sneered with a grin, "Silence is overrated, that's why we don't do it much in Greece." Then, with a flourish, he took her King, "So, are you ready to talk now, Arrain?"
As he finished Ashara joined them, "Arrain t'Merek, I see Papa Gregori castle blitzed you."
"Yes, he thinks he was rather clever," Arrienye commented, looking up at the erie'Riov's sister.
"I won, didn't I?" Gregori quipped, "But you play well, my dear, very well. So, shall we have that Brandy now?"
Arrienye looked over at him. "Fine," she said simply, putting her pieces back in place.
Ashara sat beside them and produced three beautiful old brandy snifters, pouring them each a generous portion of the caramel colored liquor, "Trust me, Arrain t'Merek, you will enjoy this." Ashara smiled, wafting her glass under her nose and breathing in it's bouquet, "Beautiful."
"I taught all my girls an appreciation for fine Brandy." Gregori smiled, raising his glass, "To new friends, old friends, worthy opponents, chess, and bright futures for all of us."
Arrienye raised her glass back to him, tapping it against his before taking a small sip of the brandy. He was right, it was excellent.
Ashara smiled and laughed softly, Papa Gregori was a man amongst men and one of the truest and kindest souls she'd ever encountered, she hoped t'Merek would appreciate the friend she had just made.
"So, shall we begin again?" Arrienye asked, motioning to the chessboard.
"I do think we should." Gregori smiled, "If there is one thing I love better than a good game of chess, it's another game."
Arrienye nodded and made another move. A pretty regular one once again.
Gregori, knowing she would never fall into the castle blitz trap again, made his first move, setting up a classic Kasparof gambit.
But Arrienye was in the game now and didn't miss it. Instead she countered with a move her Vulcan great great grandfather had taught her. It seemed harmless enough.
Gregori recognized the move, it was Vulcan in it's origin, ~Very good indeed.~ He smirked, countering with a gambit he had learned from Ambassador Spock himself, "I see we've both learned a lot about chess from a logical perspective, dear Arrain."
"Yes," Arrienye nodded, "I learned from my great great grandfather. He taught me to play when I was five," she explained, making a move that seemed completely useless.
Gregori saw through her 'useless' move and countered with one equally 'useless.' "Then your Grandfather was quite a teacher, my dear." He smiled; she was walking into another trap, another move he couldn't have learned from Ambassador Spock during top secret negotiations that never happened because he was never there, he swore.
But Arrienye wasn't about to walk into a trap again. As Gregori planned his next move, she skillfully moved her pieces away from danger.
~So now she is playing not to lose.~ Gregori thought, it was typical in many ways of the Vulcans he had played over the years, making calculated moves designed not to lose their pieces, grinding the game to a near halt and waiting for their opponent to make a mistake which would win them the game; his oldest and dearest friend, Capt. T'onn, called it Surok's Siege, and if one fell into it they would surely lose, ~But I've seen it before my dear.~ Gregori smiled, making another counter move to keep her on defense, ~I'm an old, retired man, arrain, I truly have nothing more important to do today.~
But suddenly, as Gregori was beginning to move his pieces into a more strategic point to avoid Surak's siege, t'Merek made another set of moves, carrying on with the siege and then speeding up her moves, flanking his active pieces with her Bishop. This was a strategy she doubted very much that he'd seen before.
Gregori smiled at her totally unexpected move, this girl had a lot of spirit. He made a couple of defensive moves before going back on offense in a strategy he knew she'd never seen, a Klingon strategy that would put her back on defense for the foreseeable future.
But Arrienye was Romulan, an opportunist. She didn't go on the defensive, simply carrying on with her offense, attacking Gregori all across the board.
"Well, well, this is indeed most impressive, Arrain t'Merek." Gregori smiled, "None will ever confuse you for a mere pretty face again." With that he made a series of blitzing moves, a tactic he had learned from a Breen many years before, attacking Arrienye and slowly marching in on her King.
"I see you two are going to be at this for a while." Ashara laughed, kissing Gregori on his cheek, "All right, Papa Gregori, I need to get back to my ship."
"Of course, darling." Gregori smiled, making eye contact with Ashara while keeping one eye firmly on t'Merek, "I'll see you for dinner."
But Arrienye moved her king out of danger, instead getting closer to his steadily. As Ashara left, Arrienye's competitive nature kicked in as usual and she aggresively moved forward, sacrificing a few pieces as she went along, her eyes fixed on her target while moving her king around to keep him out of troublesome spots.
Gregori saw the fire in the beautiful Romulan's eyes, knew what her intentions were, and began to move his King defensively, while moving his Knights and Bishops offensively, protecting his King with his Rooks. With a quick sweep he took her Queen with one of the Knights, leaving him in a position where he couldn't take her King, but too close for him to be ignored.
Raising an elegant eyebrow, Arrienye simply continued calmly with her offensive, guarding her King with her Knights as she advanced on him. He took one of her Knights as she cornered him. She had him in check once, but he managed to move away quite expertly, taking her other Knight. With a smirk, Arrienye moved her Bishop, which she'd snuck up with on the side to distract one of his Rooks before moving her King forward on his own. "Checkmate," she smirked, looking up at him then down at her Kings facing each other.
"Bravo, Arrain, bravo!" Gregori smiled, eh was going to have to work hard on his game to beat her the next time they faced off, "So, we should eat now. Come, let an old man buy his pretty young chess partner a meal."
Arrienye reached to a small chronometer on her belt and checked it. With a shrug she said, "Alright, if you wish," she said. She was intrigued. This was quite an exciting match and she couldn't deny the man had great skills. She'd never met a human that was skilled at anything besides running their mouths.
"I do." Gregori laughed, taking her arm, "Come, let me introduce you to Greek food. You'll fall in love!"
"If you say so, though I wouldn't put money on it. I'm a very picky eater," she warned him, taking her arm back with a look.
"Proof you've never had a good gyro." Gregori laughed, this girl had a personality, even with some serious rough edges.
"No, it's proof I cook well and am highly critical of anything else put in front of me," she countered, following him.
"I like you already, t'Merek." Gregori said, continuing to laugh and enjoy his testy companion.
"What's not to like?" she asked with a smirk. She had to admit his mood was contagious.
"Nothing so far." Gregori nodded, "Nothing at all."
She smiled a bit, motioning to the door of the restaurant he'd led her to. "After you, Mr. Monteros."
"Gregori." He corrected her, "If my mama meant for all the pretty girls I met to call me Mister she wouldn't have given me such a fine name."
"You are much older than me. I was taught to show respect to those older than myself," Arrienye said.
"And pointing out my advanced age helps my self esteem so much." Gregori laughed, "Well, let's see if they have a place to park my walker....."
"Old age is a sign of wisdom," she pointed out. "At least, it is with my people," she added, motioning to an empty table in the far corner.
"It is with mine as well." Gregori nodded, "As my papa said, you don't get old without getting smart somewhere along the line."
"That's true," Arrienye allowed, moving to sit down, crossing her legs.
"So, I would suggest the lamb gyros, with a small Greek salad with olive oil." Gregori advised, "It's the specialty of the house and is almost as good as being in Athens."
"Alright, then I will have that." It wasn't like she had much choice. She'd never had this type of cooking before. But she was curious. Usually she avoided trying new food since it was a sensitive spot for her, but occasionally she felt adventurous.
"As will I." Gregori smiled, "It is a rare treat to share your native delicacies with a friend."
"It is. Especially if you have little contact with other species."
"That, my dear, is a true tragedy." Gregori shook his head sadly, "In this big universe, with so much beauty and so many peoples to share it with, to not have the chance is a waste. I tried so hard to expose my family to as much of the universe as I could, to let them see things beyond our own backyard. It makes you appreciate the universe and makes you appreciate your home even more."
"You can say that again," Arrienye agreed with a nod. "Never have I loved Romulus more than when I came here. It's so...far away."
"I feel the same way about Athens." Gregori nodded as the waiter came over.
"Τι μπορώ να σας πάρω σήμερα ο κ. Monteros?" (What can I get you today, Mr. Monteros?) The waiter asked in Greek.
"Η νέα κυρία και θα έχω τα γυροσκόπια με μια μικρή σαλάτα με το ελαιόλαδο, έπειτα we' ll τέρμα με κάποιο baklava." (The young lady and I will be having the gyros with a small salad with olive oil, then we'll finish with some baklava.) Gregori replied in his native tongue, he ate here at least four times a week since he had been on DS5, just to keep his Greek from getting rusty.
"Πολύ καλός, ο Sir. Και μπορώ να σας ενδιαφέρω για το κόκκινο σπιτιών?" (Very good, Sir. And can I interest you in the house red?) The waiter replied.
"Ναι, και σιγουρευτείτε it' s πολύ κρύο, παρακαλώ." (Yes, and make sure it's very cold, please.) Gregori answered with a smile, turning to Arrienye, "The House Red here is spectacular, not as good as that Brandy we were just drinking, but damned good all the same."
"Πολύ καλός, ο Sir." (Very good, Sir.) The waiter replied, leaving quickly to fill their order.
"Yes, now where were we?" Gregori asked, ready to continue his conversation with his chess partner now that the order was on the way.
"That's a very interesting language," Arrienye observed, having listened intently.
"Yes, that is my native Greek." Gregori smiled, "I speak it as often as I can. I refuse to let my native tongue become a dead language while I still breathe. Rianni and Eleni speak it fluently, and I've even managed to teach Ashara a bit."
Arrienye nodded. "I speak my own more often as well. It's why I still have this accent," she explained. Unlike Isha's, t'Merek's Federation Standard was heavily accented, if grammatically correct and easily understood.
"There is nothing wrong with having an accent." Gregori replied, his own Greek roots showing right through with every word, "I have no idea why Rianni works so hard to keep from speaking with one; she is Greek, she is expected to sound Greek. My granddaughter is an amazing young woman, but she worries too much about fitting in."
"I never worried about that. And erie'Riov t'Khellian is also Romulan. Does she speak Romulan?" Arrienye couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Very little." Gregori replied, "I think only what her aunt has taught her. And, I'll ask you, do you think of her as a Romulan? I mean, I see her as a Greek, because I am a Greek. With you being Romulan, do you lean towards viewing her as one of your own?"
Arrienye thought about it for a while, then shrugged. "I suppose I don't. Not yet. But I do know that a lot of the other officers do see her as one of us," Arrienye revealed. "I suppose I see her different because I was raised very traditionalist."
"I can understand." Gregori nodded, "I was raised in an era where the Romulans were a shadowy enemy, always lurking around the next corner, even though, in reality, you weren't very interested in us at all, so I found it hard to accept when Eleni told me she had given birth to a Romulan child in a prison camp. But, the first time I held that baby girl, she was a Monteros, not a Romulan, not a half breed, a Monteros, and that was all that mattered."
"I understand," Arrienye nodded. "You live and learn. It is partially the reason I accepted this position. To try something new."
"Life is sum total of new experiences, Arrain." Gregori nodded, "And here is your next one." Gregori's face broke out into a broad grin as two steaming plates of gyros were set down in front of them, along with two beautifully prepared salads and a jug of icy cold red wine, "And this is where the fun starts!"
Arrienye looked down at the food on her plate. It looked pretty good, she saw. Looking up, she watched the waiter pour her a glass of wine.
"This is our house red, Madame." He informed her, "It's very good, this particular bottle is a 2258 vintage, one of Mr. Monteros' favorites."
"One of?" Gregori laughed, "It is my very favorite! It's one of the few wines I have even drank and enjoyed replicated! I've got my geneticists at my vineyards working on cloning this wine so I never run out!"
Arrienye smirked. "If my uncle could hear you he'd turn in his grave," she commented. "He never approved of geneticists dabbling with nature," she revealed, smiling at the memory.
"Nor did I, but good wine, like species, should be kept off the endangered list." Gregori laughed, sipping the wine with bliss that was probably best described as orgasmic.
Arrienye took a sip as well, tasting it. She winced, hoping to hide the look of disgust on her face. The wine didn't settle well with her at all. "I don't like it," she announced quite freely though.
"I see that." Gregori laughed, "I'll tell you what, my son in law keeps a bottle of good Romulan Ale behind the bar, why don't we have some of that, since red wine is obviously not to your taste."
"No, that's a little to strong for me. I need to be at work in an hour," Arrienye explained. "I'll just have some iced tea," she said, moving the glass of red away.
"All right." Gregori smiled, "We'll keep the ale on ice for our next match then." He motioned the waiter over, and asked for the iced tea to be delivered, before resuming his meal, "I do look forward to our next match, Arrain."
"So do I," Arrienye nodded.
::OFF::
Arrain Arrienye t'Merek
Head of Security
Romulan Consulate
Gregori Monteros
Greek Grand Master