Sunset Wisdom

Posted on Sat May 23rd, 2015 @ 2:44pm by Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali & Commander Patrick Leroy

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: Holodeck 5

With Iggy gone with Mr. Conradi, Patrick had tidied up their quarters a little while at the same moment he had tried to tidy up also his thoughts. Too much things had happened in too little time and this weighed heavily on him.
It hurt him to see Kh’ali in that condition and mentally cursed against her relatives and the entire klingon empire to have brought such suffering in their life.

After an amount of time he deemed proper he resolved himself to find Kh’ali wherever she might have gone and sort out everything.

“Computer” he said tapping the badge. “Locate Commander Kh’ali”

The computer chirped and gave back the desired response =^= Commander Kh’ali is currently into holodeck five. =^=

Just outside of his quarters he encountered the Security officers he’d asked for. Explaining to them briefly the situation, he had them posted to protection of the baby and, without losing anymore time, walked down the corridor quickly making his way to the nearest turbolift.

* * * Holodeck 5 * * *

Kh’ali sat on a hilltop overlooking the Ketha Lowlands that spread out below. It was the birthplace of Martok and still the stronghold of her family. As children Kh’ali and her brother Kalim had roamed far and wide, playing warrior games that became more serious as they grew older. Now, the panorama was a troubling one for her. Q’Vahn had brought with her too many questions that needed answering, troubles that pulled Kh’ali in too many directions and threatened the solid life she had worked so hard for, the family that was her life here and the family that was her heritage back ‘home’. Too many decisions loomed with far-reaching effects for her and Patrick, but especially for D’Veidh and his descendants.

She wasn’t normally one to flee a scene, but remaining might mean the loss of the rest of the household furnishings and she really needed some time just to cool down so she could think. Now she sat, the quiet of the landscape surrounding her, but she was no closer to being settled than she had been as her thoughts went round and round. So lost in her thoughts was she that she didn’t hear the opening of the holodeck door nor the footsteps that were silent on the soft ground behind her.

Patrick sat down to her side saying nothing and a while passed as the both of them watched the landscape before them until Patrick quietly slid an arm around her waist pulling her closer. He felt her stiffness but he wouldn’t have given up on that and pulled slightly stronger until she eased herself leaning on him.

“This seem to be a disgrace in this moment but it is not so,” he whispered. “We’ll get through this and have back our life. Of this I can assure you.”

Kh’ali hastily wiped at her eyes as unaccustomed tears filled them. “I just don’t see why….” A soft sigh escaped her. “Yes I do. I think it’s more than just position she is after. Perhaps anger or jealousy over what I have that she does not. And now….a male heir, which is most desirable, added to that mix. It’s a dangerous situation.” She turned to press her lips to Patrick’s throat tenderly. “I also worry for you in all this.”

“You don’t have to. I can manage,” he replied to her smiling. “It takes more than a Klingon to take me down.” he joked, hoping that his words sounded reassuring for her more than they seemed to him.

“I was thinking… If this formality is so important for your family… Why don’t we oblige them? If that’s all it takes... Let’s go to Qo’nos and get it over with.” As he spoke he was well aware that he didn’t like to be forced to do that. But of one thing he was sure, he would have gone any length to avoid having Kh’ali tread a darker path.

Kh’ali pursed her lips and when she looked up at Patrick, there was a wariness in her eyes. She wasn’t exactly sure how to phrase this without it coming out wrong, which was unusual for her. Finally, she took his free hand in hers. “I know you very well, my love, well enough to know that forcing you to do something never works. We never married in your culture either and….and I don’t want you to feel that you have no choice in this. I want you to….” She stopped, unsure how to go on. No matter how she phrased it in her head, it was bound to come out all twisted up.

“I’ve learned that things are going to change in life, most of the times in a ‘like it or not’ fashion and part of being adults is accepting and adapting. This seem to be one of those times.” He stood silent then for a while. “If this thing can remove the cloud that has suddenly thickened on us I will gladly do that, envisioning better days ahead of us. Days where we will be free to choose our destiny without interference.”

“There are some issues with that,” she answered. “You were gone for some time in your recent adventure and being gone again so soon may not be advisable.” Her hand tightened around his as she continued. “Why did we never marry here? I don’t want you to do this because someone else is pushing you into it.” Apparently, her brain had decided the direct route was the best one. “Especially her.”

Patrick sighed. “What would you do then? Do you really have in mind confronting your cousin, taking her life in some grisly Klingon way and then returning home as if nothing happened?” He turned to meet her eyes then “Maybe this thing works for klingons… But not for me. And yes, I’m unable to understand klingon need for honor.”

“Such a challenge could be disastrous for my position in the Fleet.” She looked away from him, back out over the landscape. He hadn’t answered her real question and she had to know. “Patrick? Why didn’t we?”

“On Earth wolves choose a mate and it’s for life, the same happens with hawks… And they have no need for formality. From the start of our relationship we’ve been often busy or had to be away for periods of time. I have to admit that I never spent a serious thought on the matter as I was satisfied as things were…” He looked at her sideways then “I take it now this has been for me only?”

She frowned a moment as she considered the question. It had never really bothered her, at least until now, when tradition reared its ugly head. Finally she shook her head. “I was never worried about you...or us as we are. But this whole episode has stirred up things I thought never really mattered. If it just concerned me, perhaps I’d just let it all go, but since you and D’veidh are part of it I can’t. If I don’t solve this, he will never be accepted and you will be seen as….less than nothing. I cannot abide either one.”

“Now it’s up to you to answer to the question… What do you want to do about this matter?”

Finally she smiled. “I think you will do very well on Qo’nos and it will shut her up for good. They will see what I see in you and why I found you worthy.” Her eyes widened at her own words. “I’m sorry, the Klingon in me’s a little riled up still.”

A soft chuckle escaped Patrick’s mouth as he drew closer, embracing her with both arms. And they stood there as before them, in the distance, the Ketha lowlands tinged with colour as the Qo’nos sun, albeit a virtual one, set on the horizon.


*************************
Kh’ali
Finally Decided (Entirely)

Patrick Leroy
Finally Relieved (Mostly)