Interlude – Welcome to the Family (Part 4)
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Colonel James Darson & Alderman Dorian Gabriel & Commander Chelsea Dunham & Lieutenant Commander Jarred Wallace & Commander Richard Dunham & Lieutenant JG Taleria von Alesk & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek
Post Details
Jarred saw an opportunity to make a quick exit, and he almost would have made it, but he was intercepted by the Ambassador as he tried to exit.
It was the same moment that Isha and Proconsul tr'Vainlli returned to the party. "Are you leaving us already?" she enquired of Wallace giving a parting nod to the Proconsul before he moved away.
Jarred stopped to speak, "I wanted to stop by main sickbay and check on a few of our new guests, plus my fiance is several weeks pregnant and I want to check on her."
"How delightful, Lieutenant Wallace, I do hope she is well," Isha said with a soft smile. "I wonder that my niece did not invite you both to her party," she added - perhaps the fiance simply had not wished to attend, or parhaps Wallace himself only really came to see who had made the journey from ch'Rihan.
"Claire was covering a shift in sickbay for some of the staff who are tied up with casualties from a rescue mission." Jarred said reminding the Ambassador of the dozen officers that were being transferred back to Romulus early tomorrow.
"I quite understand," Isha replied. "I believe that my mother has offered to berth them on her warbird. She will be returning directly to ch'Rihan," Isha said pausing as she plucked a glass from a passing tray with a mutter of thanks to the waiter. "I wonder what you think of that arrangement?"
"That would be helpful, they expressed a desire to see their families soon as possible, and they did manage to get a relatively clean bill of health."
"We thought that it would be inefficient to repatriate them in any other manner," Isha said, "and I'm sure that there will be ample time on the journey for any residual injury to be treated. They will be back with their people soon enough." What Isha did not say was that the journey would also give the Tal'Shiar ample time to question them about their recent activities, but that was not the sort of thing that one mentioned explicitly.
"I think the most subversive thing they did while being held was learn chess." Jarred said with a chuckle the lone medallion rattling along.
Isha laughed softly, "My people are notoriously paranoid," she said, "and distrustful of aliens, and of anyone who has spent much time among them without good reason," the ambassador explained, thinking that there was often good reason for such paranoia and distrust, though she did not say that.
"Its understandable, but I've also known a few Romulans to be grateful when it comes to missing loved ones." Jarred commented.
"Our families are remarkably close knit," Isha told him, "It often surprises strangers. Take this gathering - most of them are members of my mother's House, they are fiercely loyal to that Great House and our traditions, yet beyond that they are equally loyal to their own more intimate family units. I'll not bore you with a lecture on mhnei'sahe Lieutenant Wallace, for I have never yet met an alien who truly understands what Rihannsu honour means. Suffice to say that the gratitude expressed is a reflection of that honour and the esteem in which we hold our families."
"Devotion to family seems to be a common theme tonight, and for the last few days, finding my brother today has ended ten years of uncertainty for me."
"That must have come as something of a surprise," Isha said. She had no wish to pry into the circumstances of his brother's disappearance or his recovery. "I trust he is doing well?" she asked instead.
"He'd been missing since the battle of Chintoka, along with twenty other officers and enlisted, and what we later discovered a dozen various romulan officers from the same ship that crashed on the planets surface." Jarred paused as he relived some of that moment in his life.
Isha's breath caught in her throat for a moment as she stared at a distant spot apparently somewhere behind Wallace, "Both my husband and my eldest son were lost at Chintoka," she said as her green eyes refocused, "some families at least will find great joy in the miracle that anyone has been found from that time."
"There was one lucky lad we found during an evacuation from the planet, I found his escape pod crashed about a hundred meters from the installation I was responsible for evacuating, I never got his name or what ship he was from, but he was transferred to a Romulan hospital and I never heard any more."
She could not help but wonder if there was any luck in surviving captivity for so long, or in surviving captivity at all for that matter, losing one's liberty changed one. This thought Isha kept to herself, "I sure that he too will be reunited with his family in due course," she said instead.
"I just do my job and try not to seek the rewards that come with it," Jarred commented.
About ten minutes later, Darson reappeared at the bar, alone, making content whistling noises. He was about to go and get a drink before he spotted the CIO and Romulan Ambassador talking. He made his way smoothly over to them and said in all his glory.
“Madam Ambassador, Lieutenant…good evening to the both of you. I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”
"Why Colonel Darson," Isha said her tone blandly polite, "just small talk."
Darson cocked his head at Isha, wondering what the bland tone had to do with anything, before turning his attention to the definitely inebriated Wallace, “Mr. Wallace…congratulations are in order, for your…successful…raid of the POW camp. I’m still expecting my reports. Please get them to me as soon as possible. On a related note, I’m holding a meeting tomorrow I would like you to attend…I’ll send you the times later.”
"I'll let my staff know Colonel, if you'll excuse me I have some other matters to attend too."
He turned back to Isha, his monocle glinting, “And Congratulations are also in order for you, my dear Isha. Such a magnificent party…fitting for such a magnificent occasion,” He glanced over to the bar, where Rianni was still holding court, “I still haven’t had the chance to go and talk with the guest of honor yet…but in due time. In the meantime, if you’re not talking about anything important…perhaps I could steal you away for a moment?”
"I have delayed Lieutenant Wallace much longer than he hoped," she said with a nod to Wallace. Then she extended a hand so that Darson could lead her aside if he chose; it was the hand on which she wore the ring he had given her, "Colonel Darson?"
Darson nodded, taking her hand gently with the grace manner befitting a gentleman escorting a lady, and led her away from Wallace. As he did so, he considered exactly what he was going to talk to her about. His mask rendered his face inscrutable, but inside his thoughts were going quickly. He did have some business to discuss, but this was a party…more precisely, her party. Business would have to wait. In the meantime, there were certainly things that he wanted to talk to her about.
“Did I ever tell you,” he said suddenly, “That I knew you before I ever met you aboard this station?”
Isha raised an eyebrow. "You intimated that you had worked with my late husband," she said, "but I am not aware of having met you before we met here, Colonel," she continued. The lack of visual clues always made talking with Darson difficult. "Of course as I have no idea what you actually look like, there is no way for me to be certain of that. So if we have met, you were using both a different name and different appearance."
---
Kreallia had continued walking towards the exit after her episode with her Grandmother, witch of a woman if you asked her. It had taken time to get to the exit though, after countless "You're Uni t'Jay's daughter aren't you?" and "I know your Grandmother Shiarrael" or they said more in respect "I know your grandmother Arahe, great woman.". Kreallia had wanted to scream and stomp her feet that she hated both women but just nodded it off.
As she came to the exit she found Isha and company blocking it off, surely Isha would say 'stay my dear' or she might run into another family friend. She tried to glide past the party, going behind Isha's back not to come into vision. But was forced to stop right into Isha's view as she saw the next batch of new arrivals come in the door. Kreallia might have thrown up her arms and spat out a dozen curses if she had not been so struck at the appearance of her mother's mother who after shifting through the crowd almost came into eye contact.
Kreallia tried to turn back but hit another solid being as she tried to make her escape into the crowd. She looked up at the figure and clasped her head as she looked him over. "Sorry colonel." She said briefly trying to bypass him.
As Darson was talking, his motion detector and his instincts warned him of somebody slinking around the outside of their little chat. He looked around and found only a flushed and frantic looking Krellia t’Jay. As she moved towards them, he stepped forward slightly to intercept her, unintentionally…or intentionally? Shielding her from her grandmother’s gaze with all his monstrous bulk.
“Are you alright my dear?” he said with clinical concern, as he grasped her shoulders gently with his gloved hands.
Kreallia was slightly disoriented after crashing into the rather large figure, she being only about 5'6'' and not offering much in the way of muscle, was still recovering when he made his grand gesture to shield her from her grandmother. "Yes colonel." She said briefly, more interested in looking behind him which detailed her grandmother's actions. "I must have just slipped." She said returning to his figure.
Rianni had been watching this for a while now, more than curious about what was going on between her Aunt and Darson, who'd always given her the creeps, ~It's the fracking mask.~ She reminded herself, she'd seen enough horror movies to know the guy in the mask was never friendly.
R'Vek, like his daughter, had been watching the comings and goings of the various guests, especially in reference to their dealings, or lack thereof, with Isha, ~We have another t'Jay here, I see. More Tal Shiar, this is indeed a most interesting party. A Proconsul, a t'Jay, and an unexpected General, not to mention the masked Marine. I'm going to have to increase my intelligence gathering efforts here, it seems.~
Just as interested in the goings on was Ashara, who'd excused herself from a gathering of low ranking officers lined up to kiss her ass to get closer to the bar, and thusly her father and sister. She watched her sister, who was apparently chasing the Bokkai barmaid, with sadness, ~Great, better hide the knives.~ What caught her interests more though was the fact that not only was her father observing the many VIPs in the room with great interests, but so was the man she too called 'Papa Gregori.' ~I wonder what's going on there.~
Rianni, realizing that Yolanthe was quite serious about being all business tonight, slipped away towards Isha and Darson, wondering if she was walking into the middle of something she wanted no part of, ~Next party, hold the intrigue.~ She decided, walking at normal speed until she reached Isha, "Well, this is some party." She smiled, "Thanks."
"Have you met my niece, Colonel Darson?" Isha asked, sure that he probably had. "It is not every day that someone chooses both to reclaim their heritage, and to acknowledge their upbringing," Isha said. Now that she had got the Empire's business out of the way she could mingle, and Isha still knew how to work a room.
"The Colonel and I have met, Aunt Isha." Rianni smiled, "We used to work together after all. How are you, Colonel?"
Darson stood tall, staring down at Rianni with the same blank expression that was afforded to everyone because of his mask. He was silent for a moment, and it was a good thing that there was no way for a telepath to read his thoughts, because some of them were very nasty at this juncture.
“So here she is,” he thought coldly. He had some choice words for her, but harking back to his conversation with Isha, this was a party. And business could wait. In place of any scathing remark, he said in a cordial tone that betrayed none of the darkness that lurked beneath the surface of his armor, “Very well my dear. Congratulations are in order. Your aunt is correct, it is not every day that someone chooses to reclaim their heritage. I did that once, and ended up in the middle of a massive war that had been going on for eons. Sufficed to say, after I fought and killed the last of the great Dragons whilst suspended over an active erupting mega-volcano while getting the incredibly rare flower to cure a horrible disease, I received the legendary title of…’The Dragon of Jita’! And you know, found myself and accepted an upbringing of sorts…that sort of thing.”
There was a pause as the two women stared at him.
“But…that is a story for another time. Also a story for another time is the occasion when your niece covered me and my Marines on Hadrian III. That should be a glorious tale of her bravery to tell others of your house. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to work the room. My dear Isha, please do not forget to come and call on me as we discussed. Good night.” With a tip of his officer’s cap, he spun on his heel and walked off into the crowd.
"I do not trust that creature," Isha said when Darson was gone. Everyone had had long enough to get lightly toasted and there was one more thing to do before Isha could make her own excuses and slip away, she was just waiting for the right moment. "Have you managed to meet many of the House?"
"Not really." Rianni replied, aside from her immediate family so far it had only been Yolanthe and her old friends who had even bothered talking to her.
"How odd," Isha remarked, "they probably assume you wish to keep your distance. Never mind, you will meet many of them soon enough. There's one last little ceremony we need to go through," Isha told her niece.
~Uh oh.~ Rianni thought, then realizing it was now too late to keep it from escaping her lips, "Uh oh." ~D'oh!~
"Rianni," Isha said finally placing her untasted glass aside. She had no illusions about how tedious the formalities could be, she had years of training and experience that enabled her to sit through them, while others were kept awake by the spectacle. "This is the fun part. You don't think that we are all formal speeches and blood stoppingly dull ritual do you?"
"Of course not." Rianni laughed, ~At least I was hoping not.~
"You are an atrocious liar," Isha told her as she grasped her niece's hand. "Come on, this way."
to be continued ...
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Colonel James Darson & Alderman Dorian Gabriel & Commander Chelsea Dunham & Lieutenant Commander Jarred Wallace & Commander Richard Dunham & Lieutenant JG Taleria von Alesk & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek
Post Details
| Title | Welcome to the Family (Part 4) | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Colonel James Darson & Alderman Dorian Gabriel & Commander Chelsea Dunham & Lieutenant Commander Jarred Wallace & Commander Richard Dunham & Lieutenant JG Taleria von Alesk & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek | |
| Posted | Wed Aug 04, 2010 @ 6:35pm | |
| Location | Box of Delights | |
| Timeline | An hour after 'Hypothetically Speaking' |
It was the same moment that Isha and Proconsul tr'Vainlli returned to the party. "Are you leaving us already?" she enquired of Wallace giving a parting nod to the Proconsul before he moved away.
Jarred stopped to speak, "I wanted to stop by main sickbay and check on a few of our new guests, plus my fiance is several weeks pregnant and I want to check on her."
"How delightful, Lieutenant Wallace, I do hope she is well," Isha said with a soft smile. "I wonder that my niece did not invite you both to her party," she added - perhaps the fiance simply had not wished to attend, or parhaps Wallace himself only really came to see who had made the journey from ch'Rihan.
"Claire was covering a shift in sickbay for some of the staff who are tied up with casualties from a rescue mission." Jarred said reminding the Ambassador of the dozen officers that were being transferred back to Romulus early tomorrow.
"I quite understand," Isha replied. "I believe that my mother has offered to berth them on her warbird. She will be returning directly to ch'Rihan," Isha said pausing as she plucked a glass from a passing tray with a mutter of thanks to the waiter. "I wonder what you think of that arrangement?"
"That would be helpful, they expressed a desire to see their families soon as possible, and they did manage to get a relatively clean bill of health."
"We thought that it would be inefficient to repatriate them in any other manner," Isha said, "and I'm sure that there will be ample time on the journey for any residual injury to be treated. They will be back with their people soon enough." What Isha did not say was that the journey would also give the Tal'Shiar ample time to question them about their recent activities, but that was not the sort of thing that one mentioned explicitly.
"I think the most subversive thing they did while being held was learn chess." Jarred said with a chuckle the lone medallion rattling along.
Isha laughed softly, "My people are notoriously paranoid," she said, "and distrustful of aliens, and of anyone who has spent much time among them without good reason," the ambassador explained, thinking that there was often good reason for such paranoia and distrust, though she did not say that.
"Its understandable, but I've also known a few Romulans to be grateful when it comes to missing loved ones." Jarred commented.
"Our families are remarkably close knit," Isha told him, "It often surprises strangers. Take this gathering - most of them are members of my mother's House, they are fiercely loyal to that Great House and our traditions, yet beyond that they are equally loyal to their own more intimate family units. I'll not bore you with a lecture on mhnei'sahe Lieutenant Wallace, for I have never yet met an alien who truly understands what Rihannsu honour means. Suffice to say that the gratitude expressed is a reflection of that honour and the esteem in which we hold our families."
"Devotion to family seems to be a common theme tonight, and for the last few days, finding my brother today has ended ten years of uncertainty for me."
"That must have come as something of a surprise," Isha said. She had no wish to pry into the circumstances of his brother's disappearance or his recovery. "I trust he is doing well?" she asked instead.
"He'd been missing since the battle of Chintoka, along with twenty other officers and enlisted, and what we later discovered a dozen various romulan officers from the same ship that crashed on the planets surface." Jarred paused as he relived some of that moment in his life.
Isha's breath caught in her throat for a moment as she stared at a distant spot apparently somewhere behind Wallace, "Both my husband and my eldest son were lost at Chintoka," she said as her green eyes refocused, "some families at least will find great joy in the miracle that anyone has been found from that time."
"There was one lucky lad we found during an evacuation from the planet, I found his escape pod crashed about a hundred meters from the installation I was responsible for evacuating, I never got his name or what ship he was from, but he was transferred to a Romulan hospital and I never heard any more."
She could not help but wonder if there was any luck in surviving captivity for so long, or in surviving captivity at all for that matter, losing one's liberty changed one. This thought Isha kept to herself, "I sure that he too will be reunited with his family in due course," she said instead.
"I just do my job and try not to seek the rewards that come with it," Jarred commented.
About ten minutes later, Darson reappeared at the bar, alone, making content whistling noises. He was about to go and get a drink before he spotted the CIO and Romulan Ambassador talking. He made his way smoothly over to them and said in all his glory.
“Madam Ambassador, Lieutenant…good evening to the both of you. I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”
"Why Colonel Darson," Isha said her tone blandly polite, "just small talk."
Darson cocked his head at Isha, wondering what the bland tone had to do with anything, before turning his attention to the definitely inebriated Wallace, “Mr. Wallace…congratulations are in order, for your…successful…raid of the POW camp. I’m still expecting my reports. Please get them to me as soon as possible. On a related note, I’m holding a meeting tomorrow I would like you to attend…I’ll send you the times later.”
"I'll let my staff know Colonel, if you'll excuse me I have some other matters to attend too."
He turned back to Isha, his monocle glinting, “And Congratulations are also in order for you, my dear Isha. Such a magnificent party…fitting for such a magnificent occasion,” He glanced over to the bar, where Rianni was still holding court, “I still haven’t had the chance to go and talk with the guest of honor yet…but in due time. In the meantime, if you’re not talking about anything important…perhaps I could steal you away for a moment?”
"I have delayed Lieutenant Wallace much longer than he hoped," she said with a nod to Wallace. Then she extended a hand so that Darson could lead her aside if he chose; it was the hand on which she wore the ring he had given her, "Colonel Darson?"
Darson nodded, taking her hand gently with the grace manner befitting a gentleman escorting a lady, and led her away from Wallace. As he did so, he considered exactly what he was going to talk to her about. His mask rendered his face inscrutable, but inside his thoughts were going quickly. He did have some business to discuss, but this was a party…more precisely, her party. Business would have to wait. In the meantime, there were certainly things that he wanted to talk to her about.
“Did I ever tell you,” he said suddenly, “That I knew you before I ever met you aboard this station?”
Isha raised an eyebrow. "You intimated that you had worked with my late husband," she said, "but I am not aware of having met you before we met here, Colonel," she continued. The lack of visual clues always made talking with Darson difficult. "Of course as I have no idea what you actually look like, there is no way for me to be certain of that. So if we have met, you were using both a different name and different appearance."
---
Kreallia had continued walking towards the exit after her episode with her Grandmother, witch of a woman if you asked her. It had taken time to get to the exit though, after countless "You're Uni t'Jay's daughter aren't you?" and "I know your Grandmother Shiarrael" or they said more in respect "I know your grandmother Arahe, great woman.". Kreallia had wanted to scream and stomp her feet that she hated both women but just nodded it off.
As she came to the exit she found Isha and company blocking it off, surely Isha would say 'stay my dear' or she might run into another family friend. She tried to glide past the party, going behind Isha's back not to come into vision. But was forced to stop right into Isha's view as she saw the next batch of new arrivals come in the door. Kreallia might have thrown up her arms and spat out a dozen curses if she had not been so struck at the appearance of her mother's mother who after shifting through the crowd almost came into eye contact.
Kreallia tried to turn back but hit another solid being as she tried to make her escape into the crowd. She looked up at the figure and clasped her head as she looked him over. "Sorry colonel." She said briefly trying to bypass him.
As Darson was talking, his motion detector and his instincts warned him of somebody slinking around the outside of their little chat. He looked around and found only a flushed and frantic looking Krellia t’Jay. As she moved towards them, he stepped forward slightly to intercept her, unintentionally…or intentionally? Shielding her from her grandmother’s gaze with all his monstrous bulk.
“Are you alright my dear?” he said with clinical concern, as he grasped her shoulders gently with his gloved hands.
Kreallia was slightly disoriented after crashing into the rather large figure, she being only about 5'6'' and not offering much in the way of muscle, was still recovering when he made his grand gesture to shield her from her grandmother. "Yes colonel." She said briefly, more interested in looking behind him which detailed her grandmother's actions. "I must have just slipped." She said returning to his figure.
Rianni had been watching this for a while now, more than curious about what was going on between her Aunt and Darson, who'd always given her the creeps, ~It's the fracking mask.~ She reminded herself, she'd seen enough horror movies to know the guy in the mask was never friendly.
R'Vek, like his daughter, had been watching the comings and goings of the various guests, especially in reference to their dealings, or lack thereof, with Isha, ~We have another t'Jay here, I see. More Tal Shiar, this is indeed a most interesting party. A Proconsul, a t'Jay, and an unexpected General, not to mention the masked Marine. I'm going to have to increase my intelligence gathering efforts here, it seems.~
Just as interested in the goings on was Ashara, who'd excused herself from a gathering of low ranking officers lined up to kiss her ass to get closer to the bar, and thusly her father and sister. She watched her sister, who was apparently chasing the Bokkai barmaid, with sadness, ~Great, better hide the knives.~ What caught her interests more though was the fact that not only was her father observing the many VIPs in the room with great interests, but so was the man she too called 'Papa Gregori.' ~I wonder what's going on there.~
Rianni, realizing that Yolanthe was quite serious about being all business tonight, slipped away towards Isha and Darson, wondering if she was walking into the middle of something she wanted no part of, ~Next party, hold the intrigue.~ She decided, walking at normal speed until she reached Isha, "Well, this is some party." She smiled, "Thanks."
"Have you met my niece, Colonel Darson?" Isha asked, sure that he probably had. "It is not every day that someone chooses both to reclaim their heritage, and to acknowledge their upbringing," Isha said. Now that she had got the Empire's business out of the way she could mingle, and Isha still knew how to work a room.
"The Colonel and I have met, Aunt Isha." Rianni smiled, "We used to work together after all. How are you, Colonel?"
Darson stood tall, staring down at Rianni with the same blank expression that was afforded to everyone because of his mask. He was silent for a moment, and it was a good thing that there was no way for a telepath to read his thoughts, because some of them were very nasty at this juncture.
“So here she is,” he thought coldly. He had some choice words for her, but harking back to his conversation with Isha, this was a party. And business could wait. In place of any scathing remark, he said in a cordial tone that betrayed none of the darkness that lurked beneath the surface of his armor, “Very well my dear. Congratulations are in order. Your aunt is correct, it is not every day that someone chooses to reclaim their heritage. I did that once, and ended up in the middle of a massive war that had been going on for eons. Sufficed to say, after I fought and killed the last of the great Dragons whilst suspended over an active erupting mega-volcano while getting the incredibly rare flower to cure a horrible disease, I received the legendary title of…’The Dragon of Jita’! And you know, found myself and accepted an upbringing of sorts…that sort of thing.”
There was a pause as the two women stared at him.
“But…that is a story for another time. Also a story for another time is the occasion when your niece covered me and my Marines on Hadrian III. That should be a glorious tale of her bravery to tell others of your house. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to work the room. My dear Isha, please do not forget to come and call on me as we discussed. Good night.” With a tip of his officer’s cap, he spun on his heel and walked off into the crowd.
"I do not trust that creature," Isha said when Darson was gone. Everyone had had long enough to get lightly toasted and there was one more thing to do before Isha could make her own excuses and slip away, she was just waiting for the right moment. "Have you managed to meet many of the House?"
"Not really." Rianni replied, aside from her immediate family so far it had only been Yolanthe and her old friends who had even bothered talking to her.
"How odd," Isha remarked, "they probably assume you wish to keep your distance. Never mind, you will meet many of them soon enough. There's one last little ceremony we need to go through," Isha told her niece.
~Uh oh.~ Rianni thought, then realizing it was now too late to keep it from escaping her lips, "Uh oh." ~D'oh!~
"Rianni," Isha said finally placing her untasted glass aside. She had no illusions about how tedious the formalities could be, she had years of training and experience that enabled her to sit through them, while others were kept awake by the spectacle. "This is the fun part. You don't think that we are all formal speeches and blood stoppingly dull ritual do you?"
"Of course not." Rianni laughed, ~At least I was hoping not.~
"You are an atrocious liar," Isha told her as she grasped her niece's hand. "Come on, this way."
to be continued ...