Carpathia IV: Episode 84 - Something Precious
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer
The Shadowdancer passed out of Tokkastran space unfollowed and unmolested. With the threat of discovery passed, the ship raced on to the location where they abandoned their mission. This allowed the crew some much-needed personal time, particularly those directly involved with the rescue mission. Rather than rest, they devoted their days to helping Kit reconstitute his quarters with Amenaru and Teek as the most enthusiastic helpers. Mrs. Tiggywinkle also accompanied them, for she wouldn't abide being left behind, meowing incessantly until Amenaru took her with him.
Cleaning was the easy part. More difficult was repairing or replacing the broken furniture and other personal items. It took some time, rooting around in the storage areas and occasionally asking for donations, but Kit's quarters slowly started looking like its former self again. While Amenaru and Teek lugged the new table to its position, Kit examined his Shadowdancer wood carving on the shelf.
Kit: I've been so busy with everything else, I didn't even notice this. I can't believe you fixed it!
Amenaru and Teek put the table down and watched Kit cradle his carving close to his chest.
Amenaru: We did our best. Messed up with the glue a bit and we couldn't remove the dents.
Kit: I love it!
Teek and Amenaru smiled at Kit's exuberance and nearly had a chance to high-five each other, but a beep from Kit's console interrupted them. Kit rushed to his new chair by his console where the monitor came on all by itself, showing the same document that Amenaru saw days before.
Amenaru: The light is green now. I guess we have our communications system back again.
Kit: I set the computer to send this as soon as we had a connection.
Sure enough, the document disappeared from the screen, off through the great dark of space to Tokkastra leaving only a search browser behind. Kit sighed a contented sigh and slumped in his chair, more relaxed than anyone had known him to be.
Kit: That's it. As soon as that's processed, I'll be rohin. No longer a Savea. Nobody can lay claim to me.
Teek: That's great news, Kit, but you're not rohin. Not completely. You have us.
Amenaru: You can change your last name to Shadowdancer!
Kit chuckled.
Kit: Heh. Thanks, guys.
The computer wasn't done yet. It took time to pull information from the the Tokkastran public database through subspace, but it finally appeared on the screen, Kit's last search attempt before giving up. Amenaru and Teek looked at the screen, but couldn't make anything of it. Just a load of Tokkastran text and the face of funky tokki with a mixture of brown and white hair plus white tips on his ears, and a load of piercings everywhere.
It meant something to Kit and he immediately sat up straight in his chair and leaned toward the monitor, nearly touching it with his nose. In short order, his face fell, ears drooped, and it appeared that he had difficulty summoning the strength just to stay in his chair.
Teek: What's wrong?
Kit never did regain composure. Instead, he seemed to be getting worse as he raised a shaky finger and pointed it at the screen.
Kit: That's... Seiwan. He was... he was my boyfriend. He... my father...
All Amenaru and Teek could do was wait patiently while Kit tried to spit out the words and they remained ready to catch him if he started to fall out of his chair.
Kit: My father killed him.
Neither Amenaru nor Teek knew what to do or say. Not many would, for this was not a typical revelation and certainly not one for which you could find a greeting card. Mrs. Tiggywinkle, however, seemed to know exactly what to do, jumping onto Kit's lap and plopping herself right on his legs.
Mrs. Tiggywinkle: Meow.
This, of course, did not immediately cheer Kit up, but it did help him collect himself so that he could speak in fluid sentences again.
Kit: Not directly, I guess. It's a long story. Father told me what he did and I wasn't sure if I could believe him, but there it is. The record says he died last year.
Kit's breathing began to ease as he reached down and rubbed Mrs. Tiggywinkle's ears.
Kit: A pet is a nice thing, isn't it?
Amenaru, at least, finally came to his senses. Pulling another chair up next to Kit's, he took his hand.
Amenaru: Would you like to tell us about him?
Between sniffles, Kit managed a weak, almost imperceptible, smile.
Kit: He taught me about a lot of things I never knew about. Games. Movies. Water slides...
Though Kit's sadness persisted, he did not stop speaking about Seiwan in glowing, loving terms for the next few hours.
Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer
Aire sat uneasily in his chair, drumming his fingers on the armrest while he conversed with Minnie down in Engineering.
Minnie: Everything should be all set. All communications are now restored and the transponder is active. Let me know if you experience any trouble.
Aire: Thanks, Minnie. Bridge out.
Aire heaved a heavy sigh. With the transponder active, the Admiralty will know where they are and how to contact them. Soon, he would have to face Zhang. Thinking it would be at least a little better if he contacted Admiral Zhang first, he called on Quenya.
Aire: Quenya, contact...
Before he could finish, Quenya's console beeped.
Quenya: Incoming message from Admiral Zhang, Captain.
Aire rose from his chair. Admiral Zhang was quick, no doubt.
Aire: Patch it to my ready room.
Quenya: Yes, Captain.
As much as he wanted to drag out his remaining time before facing Admiral Zhang, he had to move quickly. Keeping her waiting would make things worse. Aire hurried along into his ready room, allowing the time for one last sigh before he sat in his chair and activated his console.
Teri: Captain Valro! Where have you been? We've had ships searching for you for days!
Aire put on his best poker face and did his best to hide his terror.
Aire: Apologies, Admiral. We've been having some problems with our communications systems. I believe we have them sorted now.
Admiral Zhang squinted skeptically.
Teri: Correct procedure in that circumstance would be for you to find the nearest station or subspace relay buoy and connect to that, but I'm sure I needn't remind you of that.
This was it. Aire practiced for this moment for the last several days and the result would be... He had no idea what the result would be. Maybe Admiral Zhang would contact Joust and have him thrown in the brig.
Aire: I'm sorry, Admiral. You see, we lost something very precious to us and I decided that we must retrieve it.
Pure equivocating horseshit. Aire knew it and he knew Admiral Zhang knew it. The only question was how she would react. Admiral Zhang paused and cocked her mouth to the side, which, in no way, gave Aire any clue as to how grumpy she was. For several long, painful seconds, they simply stared at each other.
Teri: I see. We'll deal with that when you get back here. Any casualties to report?
Aire: None, Admiral.
Teri: Good. I am ordering you to return to Polaris Deep immediately. I have a tokki ringship on its way here now and they are demanding to meet with you.
A future dressing down and another meeting with the Saveas? This was even more terrifying than the worst outcome he'd previously imagined. This time, Aire completely failed in hiding his terror and knew that it was obvious to anyone looking at him.
Aire: A tokki ringship?
Teri: It's not the Saveas this time. Apparently, their leader has suffered some pretty nasty injuries somehow. The ship coming here is from the Elai Enclave.
Nalma's and Reylen's people. Aire could breathe easier.
Aire: That's good to hear, Admiral.
Teri: I have to go. I have some meetings and it seems that I'm receiving a rather large video file from your First Officer. Anyway, before I go, one more thing, Captain.
Aire: Yes, Admiral?
Admiral Zhang's face suddenly softened, her eyebrows parting and arcing down the outer sides of her eyes.
Teri: Did you find what you were looking for?
Aire responded with a slow nod.
Aire: We did, Admiral. Damaged, but back with us again.
Teri: I'm very pleased to hear that. Hurry back. Zhang out.
And his screen went dark. Aire leaned back in his chair and let all the air out of his chest.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
