2394
[Kharazad, Betazed]
[Kharazad, Betazed]
"I think you forgot the kitchen sink."
"If you think it'll help, dad…"
"Well, you seem to have packed just about everything else, Okalan."
"Hm?"
"If you think it'll help, dad…"
"Well, you seem to have packed just about everything else, Okalan."
"Hm?"
The young Betazoid gave his father one of the looks that rank about a 7.5 on the scale of confusion and then experimentally lifted his bag. Wasn't that bad.
The gentle, warm morning sun filtered through the leaves outside the library's large windows and the cat on the windowsill moved lazily.
"You know how 'Kara can get when she's having too much fun."
"So that's all first aid equipment then?"
Reit Enaren carefully set down the large volume he had been reading, radiating amusement and just a little bit of curiosity.
"I got some food, too."
"Of course you do."
The gentle, warm morning sun filtered through the leaves outside the library's large windows and the cat on the windowsill moved lazily.
"You know how 'Kara can get when she's having too much fun."
"So that's all first aid equipment then?"
Reit Enaren carefully set down the large volume he had been reading, radiating amusement and just a little bit of curiosity.
"I got some food, too."
"Of course you do."
"Oh, my deeeeeaaars … has anyone seen my…"
The musical voice of the lady Yulana Enaren, Daughter of the Fourth House and ambassador extraordinaire to the Federation, came floating down the stairs, followed by the sensation of a powerful empath seeking out two very specific people and finally, the sound of a lush, multi-layered dress swooping into the library.
'THERE you are! Shame on you for making me shout all across the house.'
"Hello mother."
'Good morning, grandma.'
The musical voice of the lady Yulana Enaren, Daughter of the Fourth House and ambassador extraordinaire to the Federation, came floating down the stairs, followed by the sensation of a powerful empath seeking out two very specific people and finally, the sound of a lush, multi-layered dress swooping into the library.
'THERE you are! Shame on you for making me shout all across the house.'
"Hello mother."
'Good morning, grandma.'
Fists firmly planted against her hips, Yulana was about to issue another telepathic reprimand when the emotions present in the room suddenly made her break into a giggle. If it hadn't been for her snow-white hair, carefully arranged and held in place by bejeweled pins, and the wrinkles around her eyes which spoke of both much laughter and way too much sorrow, one could have mistaken her for a girl 80 years her junior.
'Eighty years? I will have you know…'
"Sorry mother. What were you looking for?"
But Yulana was not going to be distracted so easily. Standing in the middle of the warmly lit room with the old bookshelves lining the wall and colorful carpets complementing the dark red and browns of the large, heavy chairs, she looked from her grandson to his father and back.
"Actually, his other luggage is already in the aircar."
"Oh, grandma…" Okalan groaned.
"Nothing wrong with that, dear" Yulana trilled as her huge manservant came around the corner, placed a Versina brooch in her outstretched hand and then silently moved on to pick up the last of the travel trunks that had cluttered the house's spacious lobby. "First rule of diplomacy. One should always be prepared for any eventuality. "
'Eighty years? I will have you know…'
"Sorry mother. What were you looking for?"
But Yulana was not going to be distracted so easily. Standing in the middle of the warmly lit room with the old bookshelves lining the wall and colorful carpets complementing the dark red and browns of the large, heavy chairs, she looked from her grandson to his father and back.
"Actually, his other luggage is already in the aircar."
"Oh, grandma…" Okalan groaned.
"Nothing wrong with that, dear" Yulana trilled as her huge manservant came around the corner, placed a Versina brooch in her outstretched hand and then silently moved on to pick up the last of the travel trunks that had cluttered the house's spacious lobby. "First rule of diplomacy. One should always be prepared for any eventuality. "
"As in a sudden planetary disaster?" Reit picked his book up again but his silent chuckle did not go unheard by the two other Betazoids in the room.
"Dad, I'm not the one who brings seven weeks worth of clothes to a conference that will last seven days. And 'Kara is NOT a disaster."
"Of course the little dear is not, don't be ridiculous. As a matter of fact, she could teach you a thing or two about having a good time, you know."
"I'll get right on that 'good time having' grandma, soon as I'm sure neither her nor Olixinna are going to set fire to anything. Or anyone."
"Sakarra set fire to someone?" Reit nodded to the large, silent man who had appeared as if out of thin air and set down a glass of Jestral tea on a small table before disappearing again.
"Not quite literally, dear. But I think Okalan is referring to the camp fire incident last year that involved Olixinna and some tents.'
"Ah, that one." The middle aged Betazoid in the chair chuckled again and then stood up to wrap both his mother and son in a warm embrace "Have fun, you two. Well, I know you will, mother. They don't call it Pleasure Planet for nothing."
"Dad, I'm not the one who brings seven weeks worth of clothes to a conference that will last seven days. And 'Kara is NOT a disaster."
"Of course the little dear is not, don't be ridiculous. As a matter of fact, she could teach you a thing or two about having a good time, you know."
"I'll get right on that 'good time having' grandma, soon as I'm sure neither her nor Olixinna are going to set fire to anything. Or anyone."
"Sakarra set fire to someone?" Reit nodded to the large, silent man who had appeared as if out of thin air and set down a glass of Jestral tea on a small table before disappearing again.
"Not quite literally, dear. But I think Okalan is referring to the camp fire incident last year that involved Olixinna and some tents.'
"Ah, that one." The middle aged Betazoid in the chair chuckled again and then stood up to wrap both his mother and son in a warm embrace "Have fun, you two. Well, I know you will, mother. They don't call it Pleasure Planet for nothing."
[several days later, by the pool of The Grand Hotel on Wrigley's Pleasure Planet]
"We could go orbital skydiving?"
"Oh, soooo … from me saying no to crashing into three meter waves on a flimsy wooden board you extrapolate I'd say yes to plunge my gorgeous body out of a shuttle towards a planetary surface?"
Olixinna Tyrax stretched on the pool chair, eliciting some very interesting emotional flares from assorted males in the vicinity.
"It would be fun…"
The other source of intense interest around the large pool was moping a bit now, although the ratio kept steady at about 55 to 45 percent in favor of the auburn haired young woman in the bright red bikini.
"Or we could just take those very nice guys up on their offer." Olixinna reached for her multi-colored drink, her heavy-lidded black eyes almost flirtatious in the way they settled on her cousin. "Would be fun, too."
"Oh, soooo … from me saying no to crashing into three meter waves on a flimsy wooden board you extrapolate I'd say yes to plunge my gorgeous body out of a shuttle towards a planetary surface?"
Olixinna Tyrax stretched on the pool chair, eliciting some very interesting emotional flares from assorted males in the vicinity.
"It would be fun…"
The other source of intense interest around the large pool was moping a bit now, although the ratio kept steady at about 55 to 45 percent in favor of the auburn haired young woman in the bright red bikini.
"Or we could just take those very nice guys up on their offer." Olixinna reached for her multi-colored drink, her heavy-lidded black eyes almost flirtatious in the way they settled on her cousin. "Would be fun, too."
"Wouldn't be fair to 'Lan, though." Sakarra was not going to fall for the innocent 'I'm too adorable' routine and besides, paddling across a lagoon with some guys she didn't even know sounded like another misunderstanding waiting to happen.
"Why, I already negotiated for a friendly and really pretty young lady to chaperone our chaperone. And I'm sure you'll find some very interesting plants to occupy your interest. Just don't shove a poor guy overboard before making sure he actually meant to be rude."
"That was very thoughtful of you, Lexie." Okalan walked up to his friends and handed the young woman stretched out in the sun a glass of cold fruit juice before settling down next to Olixinna who had chosen the shade of a palm-like tree to protect her from the tropical heat.
"Think nothing of it." Lexie grinned, still watching her cousin intently. The young woman with the abundant black curls and pastel yellow bathing suit that really accentuated her copper-toned skin had taken a sip of her juice and returned to soaking up every ray of sun that happened to come her way.
"Besides, didn't take too much convincing. Apart from the fact that you happen to be the most handsome man around, it seems Betazoids have a bit of a reputation. And this particular young lady seems eager to put same to the test."
"Why, I already negotiated for a friendly and really pretty young lady to chaperone our chaperone. And I'm sure you'll find some very interesting plants to occupy your interest. Just don't shove a poor guy overboard before making sure he actually meant to be rude."
"That was very thoughtful of you, Lexie." Okalan walked up to his friends and handed the young woman stretched out in the sun a glass of cold fruit juice before settling down next to Olixinna who had chosen the shade of a palm-like tree to protect her from the tropical heat.
"Think nothing of it." Lexie grinned, still watching her cousin intently. The young woman with the abundant black curls and pastel yellow bathing suit that really accentuated her copper-toned skin had taken a sip of her juice and returned to soaking up every ray of sun that happened to come her way.
"Besides, didn't take too much convincing. Apart from the fact that you happen to be the most handsome man around, it seems Betazoids have a bit of a reputation. And this particular young lady seems eager to put same to the test."
"Reputation?" Okalan blinked with mild confusion, noting the wave of emotions directed towards him, amplified by Olixinna's more finely honed senses. Still holding steady at 55/45, with a mix of female interest in… oh Deities, all three of them, and stabs of jealousy here and there. The rest was trying to figure out the dynamics of their little group or simply appreciating the view.
"And you are keeping tabs? For shame, Lexie."
"Yes, and yes. Reputation as in.." she seductively ran a hand through her long, silky hair, briefly upsetting the balance in her favor and causing a poor waiter to add some Samarian Sunset to the water in the pool "this."
She grinned and then frowned at her empty glass, sending two waiters and a complete stranger scrambling to be the first who would provide her with a refill. "And tabs because, well, if people keep throwing their emotions at me I might as well amuse myself with it."
"And you are keeping tabs? For shame, Lexie."
"Yes, and yes. Reputation as in.." she seductively ran a hand through her long, silky hair, briefly upsetting the balance in her favor and causing a poor waiter to add some Samarian Sunset to the water in the pool "this."
She grinned and then frowned at her empty glass, sending two waiters and a complete stranger scrambling to be the first who would provide her with a refill. "And tabs because, well, if people keep throwing their emotions at me I might as well amuse myself with it."
"Imminently logical." Sakarra commented dryly "And the answer is still no. Unless there's going to be cake."
"Ask and ye shall receive. No, scratch that. If you ask for it, the boat's going to tip over on account of being loaded with pastries. I'll ask the hotel staff for a picnic basket."
"Four Deities help us, we're going to need a cargo ship."
This time it was Sakarra who blinked at Okalan's statement before breaking into a melodious laugh that tipped the odds for yellow bathing suit rather rapidly.
"So, we got a date?"
"It's a date, Lexie."
"Fantastic, I'll let them know. And by the way, they mentioned that there's a new bar down by….'
"Don't push it."
"S'called the Green Parrot. Lots of interesting characters bound to be there. Meaning, types who like orbital skydiving, surfing and cruising around the galaxy in all kinds of ships. Got your attention yet? Or would you rather go to that soiree with mom and Lan's grandma?"
"What if I say yes? To the latter."
"Then you would contradict yourself. Quite a bit. Oh, thank you, dears."
The last statement was directed at the two males and one female, all holding out cheerfully colored cocktails in Olixinna's direction while the other two Betazoids shared a brief grin and wink.
'My money's on the Trill.'
'Wouldn't discount the Efrosian just yet. She's got that smile.'
"Ask and ye shall receive. No, scratch that. If you ask for it, the boat's going to tip over on account of being loaded with pastries. I'll ask the hotel staff for a picnic basket."
"Four Deities help us, we're going to need a cargo ship."
This time it was Sakarra who blinked at Okalan's statement before breaking into a melodious laugh that tipped the odds for yellow bathing suit rather rapidly.
"So, we got a date?"
"It's a date, Lexie."
"Fantastic, I'll let them know. And by the way, they mentioned that there's a new bar down by….'
"Don't push it."
"S'called the Green Parrot. Lots of interesting characters bound to be there. Meaning, types who like orbital skydiving, surfing and cruising around the galaxy in all kinds of ships. Got your attention yet? Or would you rather go to that soiree with mom and Lan's grandma?"
"What if I say yes? To the latter."
"Then you would contradict yourself. Quite a bit. Oh, thank you, dears."
The last statement was directed at the two males and one female, all holding out cheerfully colored cocktails in Olixinna's direction while the other two Betazoids shared a brief grin and wink.
'My money's on the Trill.'
'Wouldn't discount the Efrosian just yet. She's got that smile.'
Olixinna pointedly waved her admirers to set down the drinks at the same time and then dismissed them in a manner so charming the poor Trill almost went the way the Samarian Sunset had earlier.
"You know, Lexie, you could charm the fins off a Pacifican."
"Yes or yes?"
"If your mom's the same way this conference is an exercise in futility. At least where any other delegate is concerned."
"You bet. Yes?"
"If they find out we're going to a place where disreputable characters hang out, we might get in trouble."
"Stop being a worrier, Lan. Say yes."
"Maybe."
"Spoilsport. 'Kara?"
"Okay, fine. I mean, what's the worst that could happen…."
"You know, Lexie, you could charm the fins off a Pacifican."
"Yes or yes?"
"If your mom's the same way this conference is an exercise in futility. At least where any other delegate is concerned."
"You bet. Yes?"
"If they find out we're going to a place where disreputable characters hang out, we might get in trouble."
"Stop being a worrier, Lan. Say yes."
"Maybe."
"Spoilsport. 'Kara?"
"Okay, fine. I mean, what's the worst that could happen…."
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[To be continued...]
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Lieutenant Sakarra Tyrax
Chief Helmsman
USS Charon
Chief Helmsman
USS Charon
