Later that evening

Posted on Tue Dec 22nd, 2020 @ 10:12pm by Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Commodore Keiben Haistro

1,947 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: D’BrooNi quarters
Timeline: MD4 21:00

ON:

“It was nice to see you Lance,” Mel said to the young man as he was leaving. She didn’t see Keiben begin to walk round the corner more concerned with having a word with her daughter immediately once the boy had left.

Charlie’s excited face rushed past her though and poked out in front of Mel. “More SKUL next time Lance. We can work on your dancing too,” she chuckled bobbing back in again just as fast.

“That’s mean,” Mel said simply as the door shut. “He quite likes you madam and he’s the only other person on this boat your age so you need to play nice. And you have school with him ....”

“Captain,” the young man said eyes widening as he almost collided with the man half way down the corridor. His hands went to his newly multicoloured hair. “Ermm ....” he moved them back again and in horror as the stuff stuck to his hands. Not thinking he then touched the bulk head and mentally screamed as he smeared it blue. “I’m sorry. I shall get this cleaned up immediately sir.”

"If you wouldn't mind" Keiben suggested more than asked, curious as to what it actually was in the young mans hair. "What have you been up to?"

“I’d just stay away from quarters 107,” he offered miserably scrubbing the blue off with his sleeve fast. “I better go shower see if I can get this out,” he muttered running off.

Keiben smiled as the form of the retreating young man disappeared around a corner and away into the bowels of the ship. 'Oh to be young!' he thought to himself before continuing on to the very same quarters the young man had mentioned.

“FINE,” came a loud voice as Keiben approached the offending door.

He hesitated a moment, hearing the beginnings of a domestic argument, or he hoped was, not sure if he should press the chime or not. In the end he pressed it, hoping to save them both from what sounded like a hearty discussion.

Mel appeared at the door, Charlie no where to be seen in the living part of their quarters.

“Hi,” Mel said her hands going to her own hair sporting some interesting colours. She knew he had said he was going to see her later but had hoped she could get this stuff cleaned out before he saw her.

“Come in. You just missed SKUL,” she said with amusement kissing him quickly before any host could start making suggestions. In the far end of her quarters behind Charlie’s door some loud and strange noise started up. Mel grimaced and said out loud, “Computer filter out noise from my daughters bedroom please.”

"I'm changing my mind about Klingon Opera... Its a joy to listen to in comparison to whatever that is!"
He offered, wincing at the pain he was feeling in his ears.

“Sound kings universally loved,” she rolled off. “Not to be confused with SQUL, sound queens universally loved and SRUL, sound royalty universally loved. When they collaborate,” she explained trying to tidy up the hair chalk and snacks away.

“I managed to keep your books safe during the concert but I fear Lance won’t venture back any time soon. Her teacher thought as it was just them now they ought to try bonding and being friends. Charlie’s idea of bonding is terrifying,” she admitted.

"If now is a bad time, I can always come back!"
He offered indicating the door he had just stepped through.

“No...” Mel said quickly.

“I want you to stay,” she said simply. “Unless this is just too frightening,” she lifted a lock of hair jokingly.

“Suggest another bath,” her courtesan host chuckled.

“Shes in there all-night now,” Mel told him. “Thats her usual MO once shes screamed fine at me. She’ll start making some subspace calls to some friends back on earth. Ill be the bad guy for a bit but by morning she will have it out her system. Might even think to apologise to Lance.

“Come in Keiben,” she said gently.

"I meant to ask you about Charlie... What do we tell her" he was suddenly feeling a little awkward, like a teenager trying to tell his parents about his first relationship, he could feel his cheeks flushing a little and he was thankful that the lighting in the room was a little darker. "About us?"

Mel felt a surge of nervousness in her gut.

“Nothing yet,” she suggested. “I think we need to get used to this. Then we tell her. Or I tell her.” She wasn’t sure how Charlie would take it after losing her dad and so close to losing Greg and all her friends.

She placed the snacks and hair chalk back into the replicator and let them dematerialise. And ordered 2 empty glasses. Then she found out a real bottle of wine on a shelf she had been saving. “Are you allowed?” She asked.

"I'm off duty so why not!"
He could sense Mel's apprehension after he had asked what they tell Charlie but again he couldn't get a complete read on her. Was it because she was simply nervous about being with him, was it thoughts of Ian and what he would have thought... a number of other things also sprang to mind but he quashed them, it wouldn't do to second guess himself now, not until he had a true feel for what she was thinking.

He dropped down into a chair and unbuttoned his collar to allow his neck to breath. "The days just seem to keep getting longer... I'm looking forward to launching and finding some form of normality again!"

Mel smiled “Normality. That sounds good.” she opened the bottle and poured 2 glasses. Placing one on the coffee table and handing one to him.
She said with a quick smile. “Here you go. You are doing amazingly well you know. It’s a huge transition to suddenly being Captain. You should be proud of yourself.” She was very impressed with how he was dealing with things. “The launch is going to go off without a hitch. We will all see to that.”

He took the wine eagerly and took his first taste, it was refreshing and rich in body, something he could appreciate even if he wasn't a conacre of the fine wines.

She pulled one of the books he had lent her off a shelf and opened it in front of him, handing him a PADD too. “I’m just going to try get this stuff out my hair but I was …. Well Hal was able to translate a tiny amount of this for you. Something about there being 2 cults or factions. Zero and One. In the last era of the Empire.

Mel had spent a good amount of time pouring over that picture of the language this afternoon after Tam had been to see her. Some of what was in his booked was so familiar, but Hal kept blocking the memories. Hal put up a hell of a fight and he was not happy about this TKon stuff at all. He had finally after some negotiation agreed to share what translations he knew though even though she was still very much in the dark about the rest.

“Anyway, see what you think. I’ll be right back.”

He was pouring over the book entries and the notes she had tucked in the pages and it was much clearer than the previous translations, and it made much more sense.

He was picking up on factions, a war possibly a civil war, advanced technology, shedding an outer skin and several sets of what looked like coordinates... He needed to get this data down to stellar sciences as soon as possible to take into account millions of years of stellar drift.

Mel had Leiko laughing at her for not suggesting he come in the shower with her which as nice an idea that seemed, Keiben had already said he had had a long day so she ignored her. She did take her suggestion on what to wear. Returning back her hair thickening into curls as it dried off, something he probably hadn't seen before and in a pink slip and silk gown she sat down next to him.

"I know that look," she said with some amusement reaching for sip of her own wine. He had his excited archaeology face on.

"Not the excited face your aiming for!" Leiko chimed again. "Loosen that robe a bit. Get his proper attention."

"Something helpful then? Who were Zero and One?" she asked scrunching up closer to him ignoring all the hosts flashing up lovely memories of this morning. She looking down at the page he was engrossed in.

If she and Keiben were going to be together it needed to be just them. She had to quieten these hosts down. Not just so he could see her properly which he clearly needed but for her own sanity at the moment. Everyone's opinions seemed to have got so much louder than she could remember. She would check into what she could do in the morning. The happy memories turned to groans in her head. They didn't like that idea then.

"I'm not sure... It could be that the terms Zero and One are just the closest approximation of a translation with the modern syntax and phonetic structures of the alpha species of this age... These look like coordinates and it could be seven different star systems if I'm reading this right... How did you fin........" his words trailed off and he finally looked up from the text and saw Mel sitting besides him. "You look beautiful!"

“Thank you,” Mel said with a warm smile. She nudged him in a cute manner. She could tell he was really into whatever he was uncovering now. It was nice to see.

“And you look like your on to something. How did I find what? Oh you mean some translation? It was all Hal. My first host. He was working in linguistics. Nearly 900 years ago … no jokes about my age …” she pointed at him faking a stern face.

"I would never... besides you don't look a day over six hundred!" he offered with a wolfish grin.

“He visited off world somewhere – he won’t spill that information at the moment but maybe you can get it from …. Coordinates you said. Is it 7 possible places or 7 different places?” She asked wondering if they were going to end up going on a epic Tkon treasure hunt or something.

She closed her eyes for a moment Hals face looking back at her angrily. They had spent a good part of this afternoon in the same pose. Mel pushed this time. She thought she was getting tougher at this but he shook his head before disappearing, but then …. she did catch a flash of something …….”

“Two suns and the planets jungle like …. Oooo with some ugly bugs ….. “ Her eyes fluttered open again and she pulled a face, “That’s all I can get. And they are really ugly bugs.”

"I want to say it was seven different locations but there will be a couple million years of stellar drift to account for... could take Ensign Jun some time to extrapolate the information we need... This is amazing work... perhaps I should give you a promotion Lieutenant".

He leaned in to kiss her, her emotions taking over for the moment, forgetting about Charlie in the other room and attempting to maintain some semblance of order within his and hers lives.

OFF:

 

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