Interlude – More goodbyes
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian
Post Details
::ON::
Watching the green lights dissipate as his luggage was beamed on board the Dhelan, Ai'lani let out a loud sigh. He couldn't help but feel nervous now that he was almost off. Nervous and slightly afraid, wondering the possibilities of what may happen. He looked over at Dominic, who was having breakfast with Kaelin. He was chuckling softly to himself at something Kaelin was talking about. Ai'lani smiled softly, looking lovingly at his son. He felt a pang of guilt at having agreed to go now, but he couldn't just tell Rianni he'd changed his mind, especially after promising her father he'd look out for her.
Of course, he wasn't sure how he expected Ai'lani, a journalist, to look out for the CO of a Romulan warbird but he'd promised nonetheless. He just loathed the idea that, if anything happened, his son would be alone. Sure, Ai'lani's parents would take him in but it wasn't the same. Dominic had already lost so much, could he really risk letting the boy lose more?
His fear must've been quite apparent as Kaelin seemed to pick up on it instantly. He looked up from his breakfast and met Ai'lani's gaze. Changing his expression lightly, he silently asked a question. Ai'lani just gave a sad smile and lightly shook his head once in answer. Understanding, Kaelin looked back at Dominic who was sipping his fruit juice. Putting a hand on the boy's forearm lightly, Kaelin stood up from the table and walked over to Ai'lani, who'd retreated into his room. Standing at the doorway for a moment, he saw Ai'lani sitting on the bed, his fingers playing with a gold ring. Raising an eyebrow in question, the pathologist came over and sat down next to him. Feeling the questioning gaze of his friend, Ai'lani spoke.
"Malene gave me this..." he began, not looking up at Kaelin. "Dominic's mother," he clarified. "Is this cruel? Going with Rianni?" he asked, not looking up now at the other Deltan. Wanting to remedy that, Kaelin looked back at him and reached up, taking his chin with his fingers and lifting it up to make Ai'lani face him.. He shook his head lightly. "You'll be fine," he assured him.
Ai'lani leaned into his touch, closing his eyes to soak in the familiar feelings they exchanged through the soft contact. Kaelin's presence was soothing, positive. But how could he be so sure?
Feeling his doubt, Kaelin continued. "Rianni would not have called for two journalists if she'd thought the danger was too great," he said and Ai'lani looked down at his hands. He was right, after all. He'd come to learn that Kaelin was often right about things.
"You know it makes sense," Kaelin smiled, squeezing his friend's hand affectionately. Carefully, he slid the ring back on Ai'lani's finger and held his hand in both of his. "Malene would be proud of how you've raised Dominic," he stated, looking back up at his friend.
Ai'lani smiled, reaching with his hand to put it on Kaelin's shoulder, giving it a grateful squeeze.
"Dad?" he heard Dominic say as the boy appeared at the doorway. "You okay?" he asked, having heard their hushed tones. Ai'lani smiled, standing up from the bed. "I'm a little nervous," he admitted, walking over and kissing the top of his head. "Come on, Rianni is waiting for us." They'd agreed to meet her near the docking ring so that Dominic could be placed in her grandfather's capable hands and they could all say goodbye together. The three men cleaned up breakfast and made their way out.
Rianni was beginning to worry, Ai'lani was late, ~Deltans are generally pretty punctual, what's up with this?~ She wondered as she paced around the docking ring.
"Would you relax, Rianni?" Gregori laughed, "He's coming. Now stop it before you wear a groove into the damned deck."
As Rianni continued to test the endurance of the floor, Ai'lani was nearly running towards her through the corridors. Rianni would kill him. Kaelin and Dominic ran after him, keeping up with the journalist. Sliding across the deck, the shorter Deltan came to a stop near the entrance to the docking ring. Kaelin came to a stop as well next to him. Dominic, not quite as graceful in his movements, came crashing against Kaelin, sending all three of them to the floor. "Sorry..." the teenager's muffled voice sounded and he pulled himself up.
Kaelin jumped to his feet and grabbed Ai'lani's hand to pull him up as well. "Come on, we're late," Ai'lani told them, deciding to ignore his son's clumsiness. He was used to it by now. The young human was the clumsiest being he'd ever seen in his life and him falling over his own feet like this came as no surprise.
Seeing Rianni pacing, Ai'lani couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. "I'm here!" he called across the docking ring so she could hear him, unembarrassed by the attention the new arrival's had gained because of it.
"Yes, and one step away from desperately needing medical attention." Rianni laughed, "Welcome to the Dhelan, please watch your step while boarding."
"I always watch my step, I'm a journalist," Ai'lani pointed out, giving Rianni a bright grin as he stepped up to her. The rest followed him, with Kaelin giving Gregori and Rianni a small nod in greeting, stiffening up a little around the non-Deltans. Dominic, for his part, didn't say anything, simply looking at Rianni intently.
"I wanted you to meet someone. This is my friend Kaelin, he works in the Infirmary with Dr. Adams," he introduced Kaelin, who smiled. "Morning," he told them, his voice softer and slightly higher than Ai'lani's.
"Nice to meet you." Rianni smiled.
"It is a pleasure." Gregori nodded.
"And this is Dominic, my son," he said with a hint of pride in his voice. "Dominic?" his father asked expectantly, looking at the teen, who didn't say anything for a while.
"Wow, you're beautiful," he suddenly told Rianni. And she was. Tall, with short black hair and rich, chocolate colored eyes that had a lively shine in them. There was no point to mention what the rest of her looked like. It was like she was molded into perfection and Dominic looked very appreciative of her, looking her over openly.
"Thank you." Rianni smiled, playfully ruffling Dominic's hair, "Hey, you take care of my Grandpa for me while I'm gone, okay, sweetheart?"
"Okay," he said, straightening up a bit to stand a little taller in front of her, feeling a strange fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach as she ruffled his hair.
Ai'lani raised an eyebrow at his son, confused. "So when do we need to leave?" he asked Rianni, though didn't really want to hear the answer.
Rianni gave Dominic a sly wink, she knew exactly what was on his mind, the same thing on every boy's mind at that age: Sex. ~They're so cute when they're young like that.~ She laughed to herself, realizing that her three former husbands were all probably the same way and simply never grew out of it, "We're looking to pull out of port within the hour, so it'd probably be best to be as close to settled as possible before then."
Ai'lani frowned. "That means we have to say goodbye now, doesn't it?"
"Well, not right now." Rianni smiled, "I suppose a few more minutes wouldn't hurt anyone. Then, then maybe Dominic will escort me to the bridge."
Dominic's eyes widened and a grin broke out on his face. "Really? I'd love to!" he said enthusiastically. Ai'lani blinked, then looked from Rianni to Dominic. Rolling his eyes as he realised what was going on he couldn't help but dread the fact that the day he'd loathed had finally arrived. Dominic was finally taking an interest in people in that way.
Gregori laughed and shook his head, remembering what it was like to be Dominic's age, even if it was a very long time ago, "Well, if we're going to get underway we should say our farewells and get started, otherwise pirates won't be busted and treasures won't be found." Gregori said, lifting Dominic's bag over his shoulder, "I'll stow this while you escort my granddaughter to the bridge, Dominic, try not to get lost."
"Oh, I won't get lost, I'll be right behind the Subcommander," he assured him. "And dad can escort me back," he added, looking up at his father, who smiled and nodded.
"Well, Gregori, I suppose this is it. I wish you luck on your trip," Ai'lani told the old Greek, holding his hand out to him.
Gregori shook his hand firmly and clapped him on his shoulder, "And I hope you find the story of your life out there with my granddaughter, Ai'lani. Don't worry about Dominic and I, we'll be fine. I look forward to hearing all about your adventure when we return."
"And I yours," he nodded.
Ai’lani turned to Kaelin then, who smiled at him. Then Ai’lani spoke, the words coming out in a soft, melodic language the others didn’t understand.
Watch out for him he said in Deltan to his friend, stepping closer to him. Kaelin put one hand on Ai’lani’s arm gently, the other reaching up to place itself on his shoulder. There was a small release of pheromones the others picked up on and Dominic stepped away as all children did in this situation.
You worry too much Kaelin returned, smiling.
Rianni didn't know exactly what was going on and didn't understand a word of what was being said, but she knew it was a private moment, and took a step back to grant them their privacy.
I know Ai'lani admitted with a chuckle. "I'll miss you," he said out loud, pulling the other Deltan into a hug. Kaelin returned it, remaining like that for a while.
"Come on, Dominic." Rianni laughed, "The ship can't take off without it;'s Captain, right?" She stopped and gave Dominic the opportunity to take her arm as they decided to give the two Deltans a minute alone.
Dominic took her arm all too happily, standing close to her as they walked. ~Wow, she smells amazing,~ he thought as the slight scent of her perfume filled his senses.
"Come on, while you walk me to my post you can check out my ship." Rianni giggled, for some reason when a young guy sniffed her perfume it wasn't creepy, ~But let somebody's uncle do it and.....~
"Isn't your crew going to mind me?" Dominic asked, quite comfortable walking beside her like this.
"They might, but check these out." Rianni giggled, knowing what Dominic was probably hoping for, as she pointed out her rank insignias, "They mean I'm the boss and if I don't mind you walking me to my seat then I don't have to care if they do. Kick ass, huh?"
Dominic actually giggled. "Yeah, they are." Before he had time to say much else Ai'lani caught up with them. "Hey, you two trying to get away from me?" he asked with a grin, coming up behind them and putting a hand on their shoulders.
"No, you were busy with Kaelin," Dominic said with a smile.
"Not at all." Rianni smiled, "I was just showing Dominic his pass for admission to my Warbird."
"What do you think so far?" Ai'lani asked curiously. "It's pretty awesome," Dominic nodded, looking around the corridors as Rianni and his father led him along.
"It is cool, isn't it?" Rianni smirked, "The Norexan class is the latest and best warbird in the Romulan fleet. I mean, we might not pack the punch of the D'Deridex class, but our speed and maneuverability make us capable of doing things a larger, slower D'Deridex class couldn't dream of doing. Me, I cut my teeth in fighters, so speed and handling are my be all and end all when it comes to military craft, this one is almost like it was designed with me in mind." ~And I bet the Galae aren't the only ones with me in mind.~
"Wow, beautiful AND an amazing fighter pilot, that must be rare," Dominic complimented and Ai'lani rolled his eyes once again. "Tone it down, Dom," he told him. He didn't want Rianni to feel uncomfortable. Dominic frowned at him.
"Beautiful and with 50 kills in the Dominion War." Rianni said with a wink, she wasn't uncomfortable, far from it. ~I wonder if Ai'lani has forgotten I'm an attention hound? I mean, Jesus, I'm Isha's niece!~
Dominic smiled up at her as they finally reached the place where they needed to part. His face fell. "Guess this is it," he said, looking around.
"Yeah, this is my stop." Rianni smiled, kissing Dominic's cheek, "Thanks for the lift, handsome. I'll see you when I get back."
Dominic blushed deeply as she kissed him before a bright grin erupted on his face. "Okay," he said. "Come on, handsome," Ai'lani told him. "I'll walk you out," he said, moving Dominic away and walking back with his to the exit.
Ai'lani looked over at Dominic who was looking back at him, mirroring his expression. They were both trying to compose themselves, put on a brave front and for a moment, the two young men seemed nearly identical.
“Be careful,” Dominic finally said, breaking the silence.
“I will,” Ai’lani promised, pulling his son into a strong hug, holding him close and relishing the feeling of having his son close and the nearly desperate amount of love he held for his child at that moment. He kissed the top of his head, feeling himself tearing up. “Be good,” he told him, his voice muffled in Dominic’s black hair.
Dominic held onto his father, his face buried in his chest. “I will. Promise,” he replied, inhaling his familiar scent. The comforting mix of herbal essences with a slight hint of paint fumes from his workshop. “I love you, dad,” he told him. Ai’lani held him a bit tighter at that.
“Love you too, Dommy,” he told him, kissing his hair again. After a few more minutes, he pulled away and looked down at him. His gaze softened as he saw tears in Dominic’s eyes. “Don’t be sad,” he said, his own heart tightening further at the sadness he felt from his son. “I’ll be careful, I promise,” he said once again and Dominic nodded.
“Okay,” he smiled. “Don’t get into too much trouble either!” he warned then, with a serious look on his face. Ai’lani laughed.
“Only if you promise to get into as much trouble as possible,” he told him, pulling him into a quick, tight hug again. Dominic was always a very calm boy, never getting himself mixed up in anything and Ai’lani couldn’t help but feel that he may not be enjoying his youth as much as he should. He was probably the only parent in the galaxy to beg his son to skip a class just to experience something new. He got a comm half an hour long for that.
“Deal!” Dominic laughed.
The said their goodbyes once again before Ai'lani made his way back to Rianni. "So, where do you want me?"
"There's a loaded question if I ever heard one." Rianni quipped, "For right now I guess just make yourself comfortable."
Ai'lani chuckled. "Dirty mind," he said, shaking his head before sitting down.
"Moi?" Rianni asked with an expression of faux innocence.
"Yes you. Don't look so innocent. You'll pay for that once I get you alone," he teased, winking at her.
"Now that was unexpected." Rianni laughed, knowing she was far from Ai'lani's type.
"erie'Riov, I must object." Rianni's XO, Enarrain T'rin tr'Vail spoke up, "I do not think having reporters on this mission in the first place is a good idea, nor do I think it wise to allow one onto the bridge."
"Duly noted, Enarrain." Rianni sighed, turning to Ai'lani, "That's my XO, tr'Vail, the world's only living personality donor."
tr'Vail merely turned his head skyward and sighed, he would never get used to this woman.
"He's right though. I'll go and find Thomas," he said, not wanting to add to the already high level of stress for this mission. He stood up, "Catch you later," he said.
"All right." Rianni nodded, shooting tr'Vail a nasty look before asking, "So where the hell is my Tal Shiar guy?"
"Your 'Political officer'," Maiell announced from his seat behind her, "is here," he said, then looked at the Deltan. "Did you receive my memo, Mr. Elley?"
"Yes, I did," Ai'lani nodded. "Today at 08:00hrs, correct?" Maiell nodded and Ai'lani left.
"Okay, somebody want to tell me what that was about?" Rianni asked, "I'm the boss, need the info."
"And I need to make sure whoever is brought onboard is not a safety hazard. So I have scheduled an interview with the two journalists," Maiell explained.
"Okay, well, next time how about letting me know this stuff, okay?" Rianni asked, this sort of thing didn't strike her as being like Maiell, ~What the frack is this all about?~
"erie'Riov, you should know that he is not required to inform you of anything." tr'Vail offered, "He is Tal Shiar, and therefore not technically bound by your authority." tr'Vail put an emphasis on the last word to let her know that her authority was a joke to him, as was she, ~I hate humans.~
Catching the officer's eyes with his, Maiell spoke. "If I were you, Enarrain, I would spend less time needlessly defending my position and more time watching my tone when speaking with my seniors." Maiell's own tone was cool and went right through tr'Vail's spine, leaving no doubt as to exactly who he was related to.
For some reason that rankled the Hell out of Rianni, who turned to Maiell and said softly, "Hey, I got this. I'm a big girl."
She then turned to tr'Vail, "Okay, Enarrain, I get the fact that you don't like me, And, to be honest, I don't give a damn. But, when this mission is over, and we've busted a huge piracy ring, then you'll probably be offered your own command and won't have to be around me. But, remember, when it's all said and done and you do have your own ship, it's all going to be because of me."
Maiell stayed quiet, observing the interactions. Rianni was very emotionally involved in everything she did, even menial things like speaking to the lesser officers. He would need to watch that in the future.
tr'Vail turned to Maiell, "I certainly meant no offense, erie'Arrain." He apologized, returning to his seat without another word to Rianni, he refused to feed into her delusions of grandeur, ~Apparently R'Vek's daughter doesn't realize she's a joke.~
::OFF::
erie'Riov Monteros-t'Khellian
CO of the IRS Dhelan
Ai'lani Elley
Freelance photojournalist (NPC by Maja)
erie'Arrain Maiell tr'Tahn
Political officer
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian
Post Details
| Title | More goodbyes | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian | |
| Posted | Thu Feb 03, 2011 @ 6:05pm | |
| Location | DS5 and the IRS Dhelan - Various locations | |
| Timeline | SD36 - 07:00 |
Watching the green lights dissipate as his luggage was beamed on board the Dhelan, Ai'lani let out a loud sigh. He couldn't help but feel nervous now that he was almost off. Nervous and slightly afraid, wondering the possibilities of what may happen. He looked over at Dominic, who was having breakfast with Kaelin. He was chuckling softly to himself at something Kaelin was talking about. Ai'lani smiled softly, looking lovingly at his son. He felt a pang of guilt at having agreed to go now, but he couldn't just tell Rianni he'd changed his mind, especially after promising her father he'd look out for her.
Of course, he wasn't sure how he expected Ai'lani, a journalist, to look out for the CO of a Romulan warbird but he'd promised nonetheless. He just loathed the idea that, if anything happened, his son would be alone. Sure, Ai'lani's parents would take him in but it wasn't the same. Dominic had already lost so much, could he really risk letting the boy lose more?
His fear must've been quite apparent as Kaelin seemed to pick up on it instantly. He looked up from his breakfast and met Ai'lani's gaze. Changing his expression lightly, he silently asked a question. Ai'lani just gave a sad smile and lightly shook his head once in answer. Understanding, Kaelin looked back at Dominic who was sipping his fruit juice. Putting a hand on the boy's forearm lightly, Kaelin stood up from the table and walked over to Ai'lani, who'd retreated into his room. Standing at the doorway for a moment, he saw Ai'lani sitting on the bed, his fingers playing with a gold ring. Raising an eyebrow in question, the pathologist came over and sat down next to him. Feeling the questioning gaze of his friend, Ai'lani spoke.
"Malene gave me this..." he began, not looking up at Kaelin. "Dominic's mother," he clarified. "Is this cruel? Going with Rianni?" he asked, not looking up now at the other Deltan. Wanting to remedy that, Kaelin looked back at him and reached up, taking his chin with his fingers and lifting it up to make Ai'lani face him.. He shook his head lightly. "You'll be fine," he assured him.
Ai'lani leaned into his touch, closing his eyes to soak in the familiar feelings they exchanged through the soft contact. Kaelin's presence was soothing, positive. But how could he be so sure?
Feeling his doubt, Kaelin continued. "Rianni would not have called for two journalists if she'd thought the danger was too great," he said and Ai'lani looked down at his hands. He was right, after all. He'd come to learn that Kaelin was often right about things.
"You know it makes sense," Kaelin smiled, squeezing his friend's hand affectionately. Carefully, he slid the ring back on Ai'lani's finger and held his hand in both of his. "Malene would be proud of how you've raised Dominic," he stated, looking back up at his friend.
Ai'lani smiled, reaching with his hand to put it on Kaelin's shoulder, giving it a grateful squeeze.
"Dad?" he heard Dominic say as the boy appeared at the doorway. "You okay?" he asked, having heard their hushed tones. Ai'lani smiled, standing up from the bed. "I'm a little nervous," he admitted, walking over and kissing the top of his head. "Come on, Rianni is waiting for us." They'd agreed to meet her near the docking ring so that Dominic could be placed in her grandfather's capable hands and they could all say goodbye together. The three men cleaned up breakfast and made their way out.
Rianni was beginning to worry, Ai'lani was late, ~Deltans are generally pretty punctual, what's up with this?~ She wondered as she paced around the docking ring.
"Would you relax, Rianni?" Gregori laughed, "He's coming. Now stop it before you wear a groove into the damned deck."
As Rianni continued to test the endurance of the floor, Ai'lani was nearly running towards her through the corridors. Rianni would kill him. Kaelin and Dominic ran after him, keeping up with the journalist. Sliding across the deck, the shorter Deltan came to a stop near the entrance to the docking ring. Kaelin came to a stop as well next to him. Dominic, not quite as graceful in his movements, came crashing against Kaelin, sending all three of them to the floor. "Sorry..." the teenager's muffled voice sounded and he pulled himself up.
Kaelin jumped to his feet and grabbed Ai'lani's hand to pull him up as well. "Come on, we're late," Ai'lani told them, deciding to ignore his son's clumsiness. He was used to it by now. The young human was the clumsiest being he'd ever seen in his life and him falling over his own feet like this came as no surprise.
Seeing Rianni pacing, Ai'lani couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. "I'm here!" he called across the docking ring so she could hear him, unembarrassed by the attention the new arrival's had gained because of it.
"Yes, and one step away from desperately needing medical attention." Rianni laughed, "Welcome to the Dhelan, please watch your step while boarding."
"I always watch my step, I'm a journalist," Ai'lani pointed out, giving Rianni a bright grin as he stepped up to her. The rest followed him, with Kaelin giving Gregori and Rianni a small nod in greeting, stiffening up a little around the non-Deltans. Dominic, for his part, didn't say anything, simply looking at Rianni intently.
"I wanted you to meet someone. This is my friend Kaelin, he works in the Infirmary with Dr. Adams," he introduced Kaelin, who smiled. "Morning," he told them, his voice softer and slightly higher than Ai'lani's.
"Nice to meet you." Rianni smiled.
"It is a pleasure." Gregori nodded.
"And this is Dominic, my son," he said with a hint of pride in his voice. "Dominic?" his father asked expectantly, looking at the teen, who didn't say anything for a while.
"Wow, you're beautiful," he suddenly told Rianni. And she was. Tall, with short black hair and rich, chocolate colored eyes that had a lively shine in them. There was no point to mention what the rest of her looked like. It was like she was molded into perfection and Dominic looked very appreciative of her, looking her over openly.
"Thank you." Rianni smiled, playfully ruffling Dominic's hair, "Hey, you take care of my Grandpa for me while I'm gone, okay, sweetheart?"
"Okay," he said, straightening up a bit to stand a little taller in front of her, feeling a strange fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach as she ruffled his hair.
Ai'lani raised an eyebrow at his son, confused. "So when do we need to leave?" he asked Rianni, though didn't really want to hear the answer.
Rianni gave Dominic a sly wink, she knew exactly what was on his mind, the same thing on every boy's mind at that age: Sex. ~They're so cute when they're young like that.~ She laughed to herself, realizing that her three former husbands were all probably the same way and simply never grew out of it, "We're looking to pull out of port within the hour, so it'd probably be best to be as close to settled as possible before then."
Ai'lani frowned. "That means we have to say goodbye now, doesn't it?"
"Well, not right now." Rianni smiled, "I suppose a few more minutes wouldn't hurt anyone. Then, then maybe Dominic will escort me to the bridge."
Dominic's eyes widened and a grin broke out on his face. "Really? I'd love to!" he said enthusiastically. Ai'lani blinked, then looked from Rianni to Dominic. Rolling his eyes as he realised what was going on he couldn't help but dread the fact that the day he'd loathed had finally arrived. Dominic was finally taking an interest in people in that way.
Gregori laughed and shook his head, remembering what it was like to be Dominic's age, even if it was a very long time ago, "Well, if we're going to get underway we should say our farewells and get started, otherwise pirates won't be busted and treasures won't be found." Gregori said, lifting Dominic's bag over his shoulder, "I'll stow this while you escort my granddaughter to the bridge, Dominic, try not to get lost."
"Oh, I won't get lost, I'll be right behind the Subcommander," he assured him. "And dad can escort me back," he added, looking up at his father, who smiled and nodded.
"Well, Gregori, I suppose this is it. I wish you luck on your trip," Ai'lani told the old Greek, holding his hand out to him.
Gregori shook his hand firmly and clapped him on his shoulder, "And I hope you find the story of your life out there with my granddaughter, Ai'lani. Don't worry about Dominic and I, we'll be fine. I look forward to hearing all about your adventure when we return."
"And I yours," he nodded.
Ai’lani turned to Kaelin then, who smiled at him. Then Ai’lani spoke, the words coming out in a soft, melodic language the others didn’t understand.
Watch out for him he said in Deltan to his friend, stepping closer to him. Kaelin put one hand on Ai’lani’s arm gently, the other reaching up to place itself on his shoulder. There was a small release of pheromones the others picked up on and Dominic stepped away as all children did in this situation.
You worry too much Kaelin returned, smiling.
Rianni didn't know exactly what was going on and didn't understand a word of what was being said, but she knew it was a private moment, and took a step back to grant them their privacy.
I know Ai'lani admitted with a chuckle. "I'll miss you," he said out loud, pulling the other Deltan into a hug. Kaelin returned it, remaining like that for a while.
"Come on, Dominic." Rianni laughed, "The ship can't take off without it;'s Captain, right?" She stopped and gave Dominic the opportunity to take her arm as they decided to give the two Deltans a minute alone.
Dominic took her arm all too happily, standing close to her as they walked. ~Wow, she smells amazing,~ he thought as the slight scent of her perfume filled his senses.
"Come on, while you walk me to my post you can check out my ship." Rianni giggled, for some reason when a young guy sniffed her perfume it wasn't creepy, ~But let somebody's uncle do it and.....~
"Isn't your crew going to mind me?" Dominic asked, quite comfortable walking beside her like this.
"They might, but check these out." Rianni giggled, knowing what Dominic was probably hoping for, as she pointed out her rank insignias, "They mean I'm the boss and if I don't mind you walking me to my seat then I don't have to care if they do. Kick ass, huh?"
Dominic actually giggled. "Yeah, they are." Before he had time to say much else Ai'lani caught up with them. "Hey, you two trying to get away from me?" he asked with a grin, coming up behind them and putting a hand on their shoulders.
"No, you were busy with Kaelin," Dominic said with a smile.
"Not at all." Rianni smiled, "I was just showing Dominic his pass for admission to my Warbird."
"What do you think so far?" Ai'lani asked curiously. "It's pretty awesome," Dominic nodded, looking around the corridors as Rianni and his father led him along.
"It is cool, isn't it?" Rianni smirked, "The Norexan class is the latest and best warbird in the Romulan fleet. I mean, we might not pack the punch of the D'Deridex class, but our speed and maneuverability make us capable of doing things a larger, slower D'Deridex class couldn't dream of doing. Me, I cut my teeth in fighters, so speed and handling are my be all and end all when it comes to military craft, this one is almost like it was designed with me in mind." ~And I bet the Galae aren't the only ones with me in mind.~
"Wow, beautiful AND an amazing fighter pilot, that must be rare," Dominic complimented and Ai'lani rolled his eyes once again. "Tone it down, Dom," he told him. He didn't want Rianni to feel uncomfortable. Dominic frowned at him.
"Beautiful and with 50 kills in the Dominion War." Rianni said with a wink, she wasn't uncomfortable, far from it. ~I wonder if Ai'lani has forgotten I'm an attention hound? I mean, Jesus, I'm Isha's niece!~
Dominic smiled up at her as they finally reached the place where they needed to part. His face fell. "Guess this is it," he said, looking around.
"Yeah, this is my stop." Rianni smiled, kissing Dominic's cheek, "Thanks for the lift, handsome. I'll see you when I get back."
Dominic blushed deeply as she kissed him before a bright grin erupted on his face. "Okay," he said. "Come on, handsome," Ai'lani told him. "I'll walk you out," he said, moving Dominic away and walking back with his to the exit.
Ai'lani looked over at Dominic who was looking back at him, mirroring his expression. They were both trying to compose themselves, put on a brave front and for a moment, the two young men seemed nearly identical.
“Be careful,” Dominic finally said, breaking the silence.
“I will,” Ai’lani promised, pulling his son into a strong hug, holding him close and relishing the feeling of having his son close and the nearly desperate amount of love he held for his child at that moment. He kissed the top of his head, feeling himself tearing up. “Be good,” he told him, his voice muffled in Dominic’s black hair.
Dominic held onto his father, his face buried in his chest. “I will. Promise,” he replied, inhaling his familiar scent. The comforting mix of herbal essences with a slight hint of paint fumes from his workshop. “I love you, dad,” he told him. Ai’lani held him a bit tighter at that.
“Love you too, Dommy,” he told him, kissing his hair again. After a few more minutes, he pulled away and looked down at him. His gaze softened as he saw tears in Dominic’s eyes. “Don’t be sad,” he said, his own heart tightening further at the sadness he felt from his son. “I’ll be careful, I promise,” he said once again and Dominic nodded.
“Okay,” he smiled. “Don’t get into too much trouble either!” he warned then, with a serious look on his face. Ai’lani laughed.
“Only if you promise to get into as much trouble as possible,” he told him, pulling him into a quick, tight hug again. Dominic was always a very calm boy, never getting himself mixed up in anything and Ai’lani couldn’t help but feel that he may not be enjoying his youth as much as he should. He was probably the only parent in the galaxy to beg his son to skip a class just to experience something new. He got a comm half an hour long for that.
“Deal!” Dominic laughed.
The said their goodbyes once again before Ai'lani made his way back to Rianni. "So, where do you want me?"
"There's a loaded question if I ever heard one." Rianni quipped, "For right now I guess just make yourself comfortable."
Ai'lani chuckled. "Dirty mind," he said, shaking his head before sitting down.
"Moi?" Rianni asked with an expression of faux innocence.
"Yes you. Don't look so innocent. You'll pay for that once I get you alone," he teased, winking at her.
"Now that was unexpected." Rianni laughed, knowing she was far from Ai'lani's type.
"erie'Riov, I must object." Rianni's XO, Enarrain T'rin tr'Vail spoke up, "I do not think having reporters on this mission in the first place is a good idea, nor do I think it wise to allow one onto the bridge."
"Duly noted, Enarrain." Rianni sighed, turning to Ai'lani, "That's my XO, tr'Vail, the world's only living personality donor."
tr'Vail merely turned his head skyward and sighed, he would never get used to this woman.
"He's right though. I'll go and find Thomas," he said, not wanting to add to the already high level of stress for this mission. He stood up, "Catch you later," he said.
"All right." Rianni nodded, shooting tr'Vail a nasty look before asking, "So where the hell is my Tal Shiar guy?"
"Your 'Political officer'," Maiell announced from his seat behind her, "is here," he said, then looked at the Deltan. "Did you receive my memo, Mr. Elley?"
"Yes, I did," Ai'lani nodded. "Today at 08:00hrs, correct?" Maiell nodded and Ai'lani left.
"Okay, somebody want to tell me what that was about?" Rianni asked, "I'm the boss, need the info."
"And I need to make sure whoever is brought onboard is not a safety hazard. So I have scheduled an interview with the two journalists," Maiell explained.
"Okay, well, next time how about letting me know this stuff, okay?" Rianni asked, this sort of thing didn't strike her as being like Maiell, ~What the frack is this all about?~
"erie'Riov, you should know that he is not required to inform you of anything." tr'Vail offered, "He is Tal Shiar, and therefore not technically bound by your authority." tr'Vail put an emphasis on the last word to let her know that her authority was a joke to him, as was she, ~I hate humans.~
Catching the officer's eyes with his, Maiell spoke. "If I were you, Enarrain, I would spend less time needlessly defending my position and more time watching my tone when speaking with my seniors." Maiell's own tone was cool and went right through tr'Vail's spine, leaving no doubt as to exactly who he was related to.
For some reason that rankled the Hell out of Rianni, who turned to Maiell and said softly, "Hey, I got this. I'm a big girl."
She then turned to tr'Vail, "Okay, Enarrain, I get the fact that you don't like me, And, to be honest, I don't give a damn. But, when this mission is over, and we've busted a huge piracy ring, then you'll probably be offered your own command and won't have to be around me. But, remember, when it's all said and done and you do have your own ship, it's all going to be because of me."
Maiell stayed quiet, observing the interactions. Rianni was very emotionally involved in everything she did, even menial things like speaking to the lesser officers. He would need to watch that in the future.
tr'Vail turned to Maiell, "I certainly meant no offense, erie'Arrain." He apologized, returning to his seat without another word to Rianni, he refused to feed into her delusions of grandeur, ~Apparently R'Vek's daughter doesn't realize she's a joke.~
::OFF::
erie'Riov Monteros-t'Khellian
CO of the IRS Dhelan
Ai'lani Elley
Freelance photojournalist (NPC by Maja)
erie'Arrain Maiell tr'Tahn
Political officer