Coming to Terms

Posted on Sun Jun 14th, 2015 @ 11:07pm by Cadet Senior Grade Chance Conradi & Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Enara Prime

The Home Of Eli’s Parents - Enara Prime

Irina stood in the door of Eli’s old bedroom upstairs, unmoving. The room looked much the same as it had when Eli disappeared over a year ago from their lives and all the troubles had begun with the government and their questions. It had remained untouched as she was certain he would take up residence there again one day. Now she was not as sure as she had been, though the news of his pardon made that once again a possibility - but one that was fraught with problems. The main problem came in the form of a young man with dark hair and green eyes that seemed to have an unhealthy hold, in her opinion, over her son. Maran had spoken to Eli about the travel arrangements but he’d yet to mention if Eli was coming alone. She heard his footsteps on the stairs but she didn’t turn. She could sense that he was coming to bring her news.

"Irina?" Maran came up the stairs and put a hand on his wife's hip. He pulled her into his side and kissed her hair. "Eli is on his way. He has some companions with him, including his friend Chance Conradi."

He could feel the tension that suddenly gripped her, making her stiffen beneath his hand. “I see. Is that really necessary?”

"I don't blame him for wanting company on the trip. It is a three or four day journey," he kept his voice carefully neutral.

“That is understandable, yes but you realize what it means, don’t you?” Irina’s voice was hushed. “I suppose I had hoped that this was a….a phase, something temporary that he would leave by the wayside. But it's been months since we were there and discovered his..situation.”

"Phases can last months, Mother. This doesn't mean that he won't grow out of this adolescent dabbling. Or, who knows, perhaps the human will be the first to give it up." He shrugged, though he was certain Eli would, eventually, move on and find a female to love. "You recall his school time girlfriend? What was her name? Whatever, we should invite her over for dinner while he's here."

Irina leaned her head against Maran’s chest and despite her dismay over the situation, she laughed softly. “What would that do besides make ...what was her name? Melisse? uncomfortable and embarrass Eli? Our relationship with him now is extremely precarious. Do we really want to push him further?”

"Of course not. That was a bad idea," he knew that, had known it when he made the suggestion, but a touch of reverse psychology never hurt. "All right, we won't do anything to push Eli away or that might embarrass him." He looked at Eli's room, he teared up; he missed his youngest son. He patted her hip and announced, "Good, so that's settled. We won't mention his relationship with the human."

“I don’t know if I can go that far. How many companions is he bringing? We have the spare room but will he want this Chance to stay with him?” She looked up at Maran, concerned. “I know we don’t want to alienate him but I don’t know if I can...not here. Perhaps Loran will move in with Eli so we can use his room? It’s only for a few days.”

"We could see about using the Community's Room down the block. Eli can stay here with us and his companions can stay there. Apparently he is bringing Chance, an officer named Eric Edwards, and another friend, Ig... um... Oh, Ignatious Riley. So four, altogether." He mispronounced Iggy's name.

“Who are Eric and Ignatius?”

"Eric is a Security Officer. I spoke with him briefly; he looks like he's a human. Blonde hair, pale skin. But Ignatious," he shook his head, "I didn't see that one. Eli said 'she' is a friend, so at least he is bringing a female along and has female friends. She must have been piloting their ship. Chance was also on the comm with Eli and Eric."

“Interesting. But why bring a security officer? What has Eli to fear here? He’s practically a celebrity in some circles.” Distaste colored her voice. It certainly wasn’t the right circles as far as she was concerned.

"Perhaps it's an overabundance of caution. He has been hunted by our government for so long. I think, in his shoes, it makes sense. At least he isn't bringing an entire contingent with him."

Irina moved on into Eli’s room, pausing here and there to run her fingers over odds and ends on his desk. She picked up a small model of the Enaran system he’d made when he was very young and looked back at Maran. “Can you believe he just turned twenty-one? Do you think anyone there celebrated it? He...he should be home, preparing to marry and settle down.”

"We can arrange something here, my dear." He, too, entered the room and picked up a well-read book. "He was so small when we brought him home. And now look at him: off making a life for himself on that Federation Station."

She replaced the model carefully back on the desk and shook her head. “I suppose, my husband, that I do not understand any of his choices. If he had not caused such an uprising here to begin with, he’d still be home, still be…..normal. He never would have run away and ended up there and developed dreams of this Starfleet or met that young man...none of it. It’s a dangerous life. Look at Arno’s son….his time in the Fleet landed him in a prison and when he was brought home, he was nearly dead and insane. Is that what we want for Eli?”

"Of course not, Irina," he caught her hands before she picked up something else and drew her with him to sit on the bed. "Eli is making his own path. And... I can't say that I disagree with his cause. I wish someone else's son was making the stand and taking the risks. Arno's son is different, too. He was tormented by Cardassians. Eli is, was, a criminal under Enara's laws. And that's over now. He can come home."

“What of his studies there? His plans to be an officer? I don’t think he will drop them.” She leaned in close to Maran, resting her head on his shoulder. “And you are wrong,” she said, referencing his earlier words. "It’s not dabbling and you know that as well as I do. You read him when we were there. Chance is not some passing fancy. He felt, to me, much as you did when we were joined. It runs deep and strong.”

"Floods are deep and strong, but eventually they, too, recede. And an education is still an education. He can learn so much more with Starfleet's Academy than he can here on Enara."

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “Why is it so hard to let him grow up and be what he wants to be?”

"Because he is ours. Our child, our son, our little boy. We want the best of everything for him. And right now his choices are not getting him there. It's frustrating, I know, but we can't force him to make the right choices." He rubbed his face with one hand then squeezed her closer to him.

“The universe is changing, Maran. When Korenna found B’elana Torres, everything changed. We are now feeling the fallout I suppose. All I can hope is that some good comes of Eli’s stand.” Irina reached up to wipe her eyes. “Do you think I owe Chance the opportunity to change my mind?”

"Perhaps. If he makes Eli happy, what's the harm? If Eli isn't happy, we'll see that and we can tell Eli to find someone else," Maran would lay money on the idea that Eli was happy.

“Very well.” She sighed softly and wrapped her arms around Maran. “I can’t promise anything but I will spend some time with Chance and keep an open mind. Eli’s had a difficult time of it, if what he wants makes him happy, well….we’ll see.”

"That's my Irina," he hugged her tightly and kissed her hair again.

***************
Irina Ziyad
Maran Ziyad
Trying To Come To Terms With The New Universe