The first memory was perhaps the most .. unsettling one. Still, she did not hide either her anger or shock, nor the fact she had allowed the other Vulcan to continue with his … deception which in the end, was not entirely a deception on his part. Nor did she hide her pain that it had been Vulcans who had done such things and the relentless fury born from it.
Every weakness, every fault line of her soul laid bare at that very moment, the temper and the stubborn pride that had made her decide to let the V'Shar and Science Council be damned. Let them condemn her as a traitor, she'd suffer it gladly if it meant their games would be revealed and Charon got a fair warning, if nothing else.
The rest was .. logical. Don't get anyone else in trouble. T'Pelar would not have hesitated to bring up charges against everyone involved, not to mention bring her considerable influence to bear, but if she was given a target she already had contempt for … it just might suffice.
For a moment, the conversation with Savant flashed through the meld, the brief instant when she had hesitated. The hurt, the doubt. And the decision.
'It is our way.'
Protect when you can, as long as you can.
With an instant of humor she conceded just how badly she had misjudged both him and Savant, and allowed him to see the sorrow, too.
All of it, she had accepted and been ready to bear in silence.
The information obtained and turned over, there had been nothing else left – until he had shown up and smiled at her. This time, she held the emotions wanting to surge in check, just barely. But the joy, the tenderness, and most of all, the profound relief, surfaced willingly under his gentle insistence.
'So now you know this weakness, too.'
But there was no resentment, only wistful humor.
The flood of emotions and feelings overtook him and almost threatened to overwhelm him. His breath came in heaves almost like he was exhausted as he let out a breath casting a glance at Sakarra. He still held onto her hand and nodded as she told him that he knew that weakness as well. 'That was... Intense,' he replied apparently trying for the position of the master of understatements. 'I see. I can understand and respect your ways. Although the one who was with you in the hydroponics bay...' Brent had the mental image of slamming his head through a table in Eris Deck before walking off as if nothing ever happened. He didn't say it but the offer was there that if she ever wanted help in teaching him that his advances were not appreciated then she need only ask.
'I wouldn't call it a weakness. I would call it a trait that makes you even more endearing,.'
It was a deeply human sentiment, and still the way he held on to her hands, accepting, gentle, and just a little bit overwhelmed, made her heart soar. Throwing the last bit of dignity bred into the daughter of a High House to the winds, and cheerfully so, Sakarra tried to nudge him onto his back, succeeding only in getting her legs tangled in the heavy folds of her robe.
Huffing with amused irritation and quite a bit off balance, she settled for letting Brent pull her onto his lap and lifted her face to meet the deep blue eyes.
'A table? Interesting.'
Curse or blessing of her blood, she could not help but find the brief burst of violent jealousy … enticing. Not that she wouldn't have found it rather satisfying to administer a small measure of violence herself, as well he knew, but there was something to be said for the way his grip on her tightened when he contemplated the one who would be a rival.
'Unfortunately, one could misunderstand such an action as the woman in question having declared the kali'fee. And in such a case, sharpened steel would be required shortly thereafter.'
Not to mention the other implications.
All thoughts of treachery and hurt .. not forgotten, only dropped away, sunk as if to the bottom of a deep ocean, she buried her hands in unruly brown hair and pulled him down for a lingering, tender kiss.
Brent was just about to ask what the kali'fee was when his line of questioning was further derailed when she reached up and kissed him. He returned the gesture as his arms moved around her to hold her close. This was the best outcome that he really could have hoped for, and he was very happy for it. However where they went from here... Brent broke the kiss reluctantly as he looked into her eyes with a smirk on his face, one hand moving around again to take her hand.
'Thank you for sharing all of that with me and understanding where I am coming from. I don't think that could have worked out much better than it did.' He shifted about underneath her for a moment before he spoke up again. 'However I did say that I would bring you back to your cell after an hour and we only have around forty-five minutes left. That isn't a lot of time, now you should probably eat as they won't feed you when I take you back there, or we could do something else to take up your time as a free woman... The alternative is that since the brig is so full we can confine you to your quarters which I might add is more appropriate for this instance here.'
She had not been hungry, in fact had not planned on food at all. Now she suddenly realized she was ravenous. Unfortunately, in more than one way. But he was right, there was precious little time.
'Pizza. And chocolate icecream.'
Well, noone said she could not rest her head against the rough uniform for just a few more minutes, burying her face against his neck. 'And I won't let you break your word, Brent. You have to take me back. But if you want to have a word with Commander Marcus about moving me… I won't object.'
Especially if he could secure the permission to visit her.
For a moment, she pondered how he had managed to spark her fighting spirit again, the terrible, stubborn determination to not go down without fighting tooth and nail. And then she smiled, silently. It did not matter. He was who he was, and it was good.
But she very pointedly stole one last kiss from him before getting to her feet in near regal manner and strode to the replicator "I am not certain about the throttling procedure. However, is there something I might order for you?"
He returned the kiss as she slowly relinquished herself from him and he brought his hands down without a fight. If they had more time he might not have even mentioned the food... But time it seemed was a cruel mistress in this case. Brent chuckled as she remembered his joke from the last time that she was here and ordered food for him. "Yeah. Actually pizza sounds really good. Pepperoni and a soft drink. I think I programmed some Pepsi in there from old Earth recipes," he said.
He remembered her words about taking her back to the brig and nodded. "Yeah I know. Although next time I'd encourage you to perhaps talk to the Captain first and find out what she wants to do first. Then confine yourself into the clink. Instead of the other way around. I'm going to miss you if you have to spend more time in there you know," he said.
"As I will miss you." Sakarra stated matter of factly, although there was a clearly audible, soft timbre to her voice. She ordered the pizza, giving the replicator a long stare when it apparently seemed unable to tell the difference between swiss and mozzarella cheese, and decided to go about the throttling process the Vulcan way – recycle the undesirable food and then access the damn thing's core programming.
"Hm."
Astonishing, how uncooperative unanimated objects could be.
It took precisely two point four seven minutes, but at last the scent of edible cheese, pepperoni and basil wafted through the room and the young Vulcan returned to the table, balancing two plates and two glasses, one filled with a quite interesting liquid.
"I had considered speaking to the Captain, yes." She said levelly while sitting back down "However, without proof of my claims, I would have been forced to reveal my source, which I cannot do without endangering the ship, not to mention an old friend. I fear I already have placed you in a perilous position by telling you as much as I did. And if she had believed me even without proof…" the prospect was not pretty.
"The Captain's temper is well known. However, even she would not have been able to make T'Pelar speak and the consequences would have been … dire." And that was an understatement.
He took the pizza and the drink with a kind thank you before he listened to the rest of her little story. He wondered just what kind of trouble he might be in. Hunger however won out over his sense of curiosity and he began to eat the pizza and have a bit of his drink. A few minutes later at the table as he managed to find a substitute chair insisting that she take the unbroken one. Despite the fact that it was mostly her fault that he was down a chair... Eventually he had eaten enough that he decided that he should find out what kind of trouble he might be in.
"You said that I might be in trouble now yes? Now I don't mind trouble. I've been in it most of my life, but I'd like to know just what kind of trouble I might get into here," he asked before taking another drink. "Is she going to try and assassinate me politically and ruin any chance I might have for a higher up career or are we talking old fashioned poisoned dagger in the back at some point in time." That gave rise to the next question in his mind. "And just what does this mean for you, and your family back on Vulcan. Are you going to get into a lot of hot water back home because of this?"
=/\= To be continued ... =/\=
Brevet 1st Lieutenant Brent Warren
Marine Commander
Lt Cmdr Sakarra Tyrax
Chief Helm
USS Charon
