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#51: New Times and Old Enemies
brian334
Member Posts: 2,214 Arc User
Major L'Arian gloated. The Talk Shiar had a tendency to do that. Arrogance and sadism were common traits among the secret organization's officers.
"Verinat is done, and soon all of the so-called [i]independent[/I] colonies will share it's fate. Romulus is not a planet, nor is it an empire. Romulus is [i]eternal![/i]
"Taris is a pretender to the throne. A throne that no longer exists. Give it up, L'Arian. The Empire died at Hobus, murdered by the Tal Shiar. Clinging to the past will only..."
I can't help but flinch as she fires her weapon.
And I wake up in a cold sweat.
The dream again. Post traumatic stress, the councillor says. The dream is always different, always the same. Tovan Khev never arrives in the dream, and I always get shot.
The Elachi were still a threat, but a beaten one. The Tal Shiar were likewise. Now we were after threats much larger than both.
"Captain," my bedside com terminal said. "My apologies for disturbing you, but a modified Mogai is approaching."
"On my way, D'allna."
It takes me only a moment to dress. The bridge is dark, the way D'allna likes it. She puts on her shaded spectacles, something she learned about from humans. Romulans didn't need eye protection from normal levels of illumination on most worlds, and so had never invented sunglasses. Remans typically avoided well-lit spaces.
"Standard illumination," she says. "Sir, shall I contact that vessel?"
"No. Prepare to receive a shuttle craft. When it arrives, escort the occupant to the wardroom and prepare quarters for one. The [i]guest[/i] is to be restricted to her quarters and to officers' amenities, and escorted by no less than two security crew."
Commander D'Allna reveals her confusion by the rigidity of her typically stoic expression.
"Aye Captain," is her reply.
As I leave the bridge I hear her giving orders.
I make my way to the wardroom and the orderly brings a carafe of sweet tea. Two tumblers of ice cubes, a sprig of live mint, and a sliced orange complete the table setting. I admit to a hint of sadism in my choice: few Romulans, and even fewer traditionalists, enjoy human teas. For that matter, few humans enjoy the variety preferred by the humans of the Southeastern quarter of North America.
I like it. My human friend Captain Royal Terhune swears by sweet tea. And I expect L'Arian to be revolted by it.
Just before the wardroom hatch opens the com chimes.
"The RRW Ikavi'i has gone to warp."
"Thank you, commander."
The hatch opens, and there she is.
The nightmare is smaller in real life. Older. Her face and neck bear a puckered scar that draws her eye and mouth to the right side. I signal the guards, who remain outside and the hatch closes. She wears the uniform of the Romulan Republic.
"Aren't you going to invite me to sit?"
I gesture to the chair then pour tea. I roll a few mint leaves between my thumb and forefingers to release their bittersweet aroma. I drop them in the tea, along with a slice of the orange. I swirl my drink and listen to the ice rattle.
She appears to have been studying me as she finally takes her seat.
"I admit I didn't remember you when I accepted this assignment. By the time I did it was too late to back out. I won't lie, Captain. I still hold you responsible for destroying my career. But I am willing to put my personal feelings aside..." She paused and gave me a strange look. "What?"
"The idea that you hold me responsible is... You almost fed me to a fungus!"
"You were a rebel! Death is the penalty for disloyalty!"
"You're wearing a Republic uniform."
Her anger faded. She leaned back in her chair and sighed.
"I was exiled. You made sure of that. I had nowhere else to turn. Even there, I was not trusted. My lifetime of loyalty to the Empire, rewarded by you and your disloyal accomplices. I managed to get assigned to an infantry company as a corporal, and it has taken all these years to work my way back up to major."
"Your sad story doesn't change anything, as far as I'm concerned. You collaborated in the murder of thousands."
"Rebels! They turned their backs on the Empire at the very time we needed them most! If not for them we could have saved so much! Instead, we beg for scraps from our enemies. A mighty race, a powerful empire. Now what are we?"
"People no longer chained by the past." I kept my voice low. "People who live without fear of saying the wrong thing. People with a future."
"We had..." She paused, then.
"Never mind. It is the past. Some of us value... Never mind."
As her anger faded she seemed to deflate. I almost felt sorry for her, but I recalled row after row of crystalline aluminum incubation chambers, each containing a Romulan and an Elachi spore.
"We aren't here to rehash the past," she said. "We have an assignment."
"I wasn't given any details. My orders are to transport and support. But I want you to know that I reserve the right to judge for myself when you cross the line. And when you do, I will pull you out."
"You assume I... I will follow my orders to the letter, Captain. And I will accept your command.
"I don't think we'll ever like each other, but I have a job to do, and I need you to get it done."
She told me about her mission. I didn't like what I was hearing. But it was something that needed doing. The dream of the Republic was at stake.
How could she set aside the past for a better future?
Could I?
"Verinat is done, and soon all of the so-called [i]independent[/I] colonies will share it's fate. Romulus is not a planet, nor is it an empire. Romulus is [i]eternal![/i]
"Taris is a pretender to the throne. A throne that no longer exists. Give it up, L'Arian. The Empire died at Hobus, murdered by the Tal Shiar. Clinging to the past will only..."
I can't help but flinch as she fires her weapon.
And I wake up in a cold sweat.
The dream again. Post traumatic stress, the councillor says. The dream is always different, always the same. Tovan Khev never arrives in the dream, and I always get shot.
The Elachi were still a threat, but a beaten one. The Tal Shiar were likewise. Now we were after threats much larger than both.
"Captain," my bedside com terminal said. "My apologies for disturbing you, but a modified Mogai is approaching."
"On my way, D'allna."
It takes me only a moment to dress. The bridge is dark, the way D'allna likes it. She puts on her shaded spectacles, something she learned about from humans. Romulans didn't need eye protection from normal levels of illumination on most worlds, and so had never invented sunglasses. Remans typically avoided well-lit spaces.
"Standard illumination," she says. "Sir, shall I contact that vessel?"
"No. Prepare to receive a shuttle craft. When it arrives, escort the occupant to the wardroom and prepare quarters for one. The [i]guest[/i] is to be restricted to her quarters and to officers' amenities, and escorted by no less than two security crew."
Commander D'Allna reveals her confusion by the rigidity of her typically stoic expression.
"Aye Captain," is her reply.
As I leave the bridge I hear her giving orders.
I make my way to the wardroom and the orderly brings a carafe of sweet tea. Two tumblers of ice cubes, a sprig of live mint, and a sliced orange complete the table setting. I admit to a hint of sadism in my choice: few Romulans, and even fewer traditionalists, enjoy human teas. For that matter, few humans enjoy the variety preferred by the humans of the Southeastern quarter of North America.
I like it. My human friend Captain Royal Terhune swears by sweet tea. And I expect L'Arian to be revolted by it.
Just before the wardroom hatch opens the com chimes.
"The RRW Ikavi'i has gone to warp."
"Thank you, commander."
The hatch opens, and there she is.
The nightmare is smaller in real life. Older. Her face and neck bear a puckered scar that draws her eye and mouth to the right side. I signal the guards, who remain outside and the hatch closes. She wears the uniform of the Romulan Republic.
"Aren't you going to invite me to sit?"
I gesture to the chair then pour tea. I roll a few mint leaves between my thumb and forefingers to release their bittersweet aroma. I drop them in the tea, along with a slice of the orange. I swirl my drink and listen to the ice rattle.
She appears to have been studying me as she finally takes her seat.
"I admit I didn't remember you when I accepted this assignment. By the time I did it was too late to back out. I won't lie, Captain. I still hold you responsible for destroying my career. But I am willing to put my personal feelings aside..." She paused and gave me a strange look. "What?"
"The idea that you hold me responsible is... You almost fed me to a fungus!"
"You were a rebel! Death is the penalty for disloyalty!"
"You're wearing a Republic uniform."
Her anger faded. She leaned back in her chair and sighed.
"I was exiled. You made sure of that. I had nowhere else to turn. Even there, I was not trusted. My lifetime of loyalty to the Empire, rewarded by you and your disloyal accomplices. I managed to get assigned to an infantry company as a corporal, and it has taken all these years to work my way back up to major."
"Your sad story doesn't change anything, as far as I'm concerned. You collaborated in the murder of thousands."
"Rebels! They turned their backs on the Empire at the very time we needed them most! If not for them we could have saved so much! Instead, we beg for scraps from our enemies. A mighty race, a powerful empire. Now what are we?"
"People no longer chained by the past." I kept my voice low. "People who live without fear of saying the wrong thing. People with a future."
"We had..." She paused, then.
"Never mind. It is the past. Some of us value... Never mind."
As her anger faded she seemed to deflate. I almost felt sorry for her, but I recalled row after row of crystalline aluminum incubation chambers, each containing a Romulan and an Elachi spore.
"We aren't here to rehash the past," she said. "We have an assignment."
"I wasn't given any details. My orders are to transport and support. But I want you to know that I reserve the right to judge for myself when you cross the line. And when you do, I will pull you out."
"You assume I... I will follow my orders to the letter, Captain. And I will accept your command.
"I don't think we'll ever like each other, but I have a job to do, and I need you to get it done."
She told me about her mission. I didn't like what I was hearing. But it was something that needed doing. The dream of the Republic was at stake.
How could she set aside the past for a better future?
Could I?
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