[USS Charon, Deck Six]
Quietly Brent moved over to the archway and unlocked the door, ending the program a few minutes later. He and Sakarra walked down the halls to the turbolift with their pack of youngsters in tow. Not literally their own. Although a few of the passers by gave them a curious look. Brent did not seem to pay them any mind as the stepped into the turbolift with Sakarra and the others right behind him.
"They must be thinking that our little herd is growing every time we see them," he said in a quiet voice to as not to disturb Ael who was sound asleep by now.
"Well, one could indeed get that impression, no?" Although Sakarra's face was as placid as that of a Vulcan Matriarch accompanied by a train of her kin, her subdued voice echoed with suppressed laughter. Nohtho's ears perked up and the young woman just so managed to avoid a large snout from nuzzling her and drenching the blue robe in slobber, but it was quite obvious from the animal's happy rumbling that it approved of her tone.
"Perhaps we should take a holopicture and send it to your family." A brief spark of mischief lit up her dark eyes when they reached the Captain's quarters and the doors opened to admit them "I believe you mentioned you were expected to procure an extraordinary number of offspring, yes? This could easily be construed as proof that you have made an effort."
"Oh gods," Brent said rubbing his forehead at the idea. "Yeah actually that would be a very amusing trick. My parents would be furious that I was not coming back home to help 'continue on in our solemn duty to help continue the colony,'" Brent said the last few lines like he was trying to be someone else, his father in reality. "Until my mother came out here demanding to see the grandbabies that I have been hiding from her. Then she'd probably get weepy about how I was denying her the ability to have a big holiday gathering back home on the homestead."
Brent sighed at the idea. "Eventually they'd come around I'm sure. They aren't narrow minded, just... Stubborn and set in their ways really." he said with a smile thinking about his family. "I just recently sent them a letter about my promotion. I'm sure that I'll hear from them soon enough."
Sakarra could not help but blink – an interesting family for certain. But slightly confusing as well.
"Why would they assume that if you had a mate and children you would not bring them to your home planet for important celebrations?"
Setting down her bag, she helped Nveid lift a fast asleep Nnoil from the Fvai's back and allowed the older child to gently place the little one on his bed. Nohtho gave a deep, rumbling sigh and quite literally fell over, prompting another amusedly quirked brow from the young Vulcan.
"Still, the 'set in their ways' need not always be a bad thing. Vulcans would most certainly approve of keeping to traditions. There are certain ways on my home as well which have not changed since the Time of the Beginning."
She shut off the lights after the twins and their beloved pet were quite obviously content and safe, and quietly moved out into the living area. Nveid was following with the now much lighter basket in his hand, slightly crestfallen that the afternoon had passed so quickly.
Walking past the doors to the bath, Sakarra stopped in her tracks and nearly caused Brent to bump into her as a result. His close proximity combined with the memory that had flashed at the back of her mind briefly caused another smile to appear on the young Vulcan's face before she shook off the effects – she truly needed to get better control of these random emotions, especially in public. Or semi-public as it were.
"It's dangerous for anyone to come down to the planet's surface unless they wear a belt like this. You asked me earlier if it was more gravity than Vulcan's surface, and yes it is. A great deal more. You could probably move around a bit under great strain. But it would be extremely taxing for yourself. Prolonged exposure might damage your internal organs. Most of the original colonists didn't live more than thirty years after landfall. Quite a change to go from a life expectancy of 100 years at the time to 50." Brent motioned down at his own belt. "The provincial government likes to deny tourist and sight seers to the colony for just this reason. It's also why I set my belt and room to about an additional gravity more this way I don't suffer ill effect when I go back home."
He laid Ael down before moving out of the room. When he caught the brief bit of the memory that she had experienced he looked over at her and caught the smile on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen," he said. "Although the memory was at least a pleasant one yes?"
"Yes." She murmured quietly. Very much so, in fact.
"And please do not be sorry." Turning around, Sakarra looked up, resisting the impulse to reach for the face hovering so close she could see the minute smile playing across Brent's features.
So fast. It should not be happening so fast, their minds reaching for the other even without conscious effort. It was at once wondrous and quite unsettling.
On his part, it might very well be simply his nature, to accept and dive headlong into the new experience, unafraid and with a good measure of enthusiasm. It was one of his characteristics that had drawn her to him, and still did. But she should be able to keep her shields in check much better than this. What was wrong with her?
"If anyone needs to apologize, it is me." She said in the same low voice, not daring to touch him for a more silent conversation. Not right now, with her mental shields apparently operating according to the uncertainty principle. "Throwing random thoughts at you as it were is hardly polite, especially considering you have neither given me permission to do so nor did you expect such a thing."
"You have nothing to apologize for Sakarra. You told me when we first started dating that there was to be joys and potentially consequences for what we would share and do. Besides just what about our first kiss is supposed to be unpleasant hm," he said teasing her ever so slightly. "I have to admit that I have been trying to guard my thoughts a little bit more less I get into trouble or get us into trouble," he said. "But really? I think it's a cause well worth trying to strive for."
If these were not the Captain's quarters, she might have given in to the impulse to kiss him not only for those words, but for the tender and affectionate way he said them.
"That particular thought was far from unpleasant." Sakarra replied with gentle humor shining in her eyes, but then her melodious voice took on a slightly more serious undertone, and she exhaled softly. "Another time, it might be different. Yes, I warned you, and I am acting quite illogically by being disturbed about something that is perfectly natural and normal to my kind. But it seems my logic is less than ideal where you are concerned." The last words were accompanied by a small wink and the young Vulcan tilted her head slightly towards Nveid, who had been watching the exchange with an expression of mild bewilderment "But I believe we should … continue this discussion over dinner, yes?"
Brent cast a glance at Nveid and nodded his agreement. "You are right," he said quietly. He turned to avoid the impulse to try and kiss Sakarra that was growing inside of him and instead looked at the little boy. "Did you like the forest today," he asked the boy. Brent wondered how the little child would even react to him. He had not seen the child without his armor and weapons before, and doubted that the little boy would remember him. However he would need to learn how to socialize... Brent figured that now was as good a time as any.
[To be continued ... ]
Brevet 1st Lieutenant Brent Warren
Marine Commander
Lt Cmdr Sakarra Tyrax
Chief Helm
also starring:
Ael&Nnoil
Nveid
& Nohtho the Fvai
USS Charon
