Chance Encounter

Posted on Wed Jul 1st, 2015 @ 11:50pm by Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad & Lieutenant Eric Edwards & Cadet Senior Grade Chance Conradi & Ignatius Reilly
Edited on on Thu Jul 2nd, 2015 @ 11:47am

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Enara Prime

The group arrived at Eli’s home and already the smell of dinner cooking drifted out to meet them. Loran held the door so that all three could get in, then followed. Irina was the first out and she hugged Eli close.

“Welcome home, son.” She spoke aloud for the others’ benefit.

His father was next, holding him tight but finally let go. He offered his hand to Chance. “It’s nice to see you once again Chance.” Then he looked to Eric. “I am Maran Ziyad, Eli and Loran’s father.”

“Lieutenant Edwards,” Eric introduced himself, offering his hand. “But please, call me Eric. And as I said to your son at the station, thank you for having us.”

“Of course,” Irina answered. “You boys can go up and get settled. Eli, put Eric in the guest room and Chance is taking Loran’s room.”

Eli shot a smug glance to Chance then nodded. “Come on gang, up we go.” He led the way through the house and to the stairs.

Before taking off after Eli, Chance looked to Maran and Irina and said, "It's good to see you both again. And dinner smells delicious." With a smile, he hurried after Eli and Eric.

Irina watched Chance go and sighed aloud before returning to the kitchen.

* * *

Loran emerged from from the living room, watching as the three young men and Iggy moved upstairs to get settled in. Once they were out of sight, he strolled into the kitchen where Irina and Maran were putting the finishing touches on dinner. He reached for a bit off a platter on the counter and she smacked his hand.

“You can wait. No spoiling your dinner.” She stirred something on the cook stove as she watched him.

He smiled and sat down, watching them both before he addressed his father. I did as you asked me to with Chance.

Good. And what can you tell us? Maran kept at his task, that of slicing a roast.

Irina, too looked up from what she was doing, waiting for her oldest son.

A slight smile appeared on Loran’s face. Chance is….interesting. I’m not sure how else to put it. There’s something odd in his mind, an echo maybe? Likely it’s left over from the incident Eli told you about when Chance was killed and brought back and didn’t he say Chance was actually in the killer for a while? That’s crazy if you ask me.

Irina frowned at his words. Likely so but don’t you dare bring that up. It was a traumatic time and your brother still has some mental scars from it. What else?

Well Chance and Eli are very….. Loran stopped and looked to Maran. He wasn’t sure if his mother should hear about their more personal activities.

Very? Maran caught the gist of Loran's uncertainty and nodded, Ah, well then. We can bypass that.

Irina began to stir what was in the pot a little more vigorously. Yes, please. What do you think about him? I know he’s come a long way and that has to mean something but….is it maybe just a temporary thing? I want to know what this young man thinks. I know what Eli thinks.

To all young men, every love is their one great love. Eli will grow out of this. As for his friend..., he shrugged, when he grows out of this, too, we can simply hope Eli will turn to us for succour.

Loran rolled his eyes as he looked from one to the other. Seriously? I don’t think so, no matter what you two have convinced yourselves of. Chance is part Vulcan isn’t he? You know what they are supposed to be like so you might not want to dismiss him so quickly.

Vulcans... Those are the deep thinkers, aren't they? Long-lived? That would mean Chance is even younger than he seems, Maran added.

Irina actually laughed aloud. They are also the ones who embraced that logic to control savage passions. I don’t think logic is Chance’s forte, Maran.

I would agree with that. Loran nodded. His brain’s pretty chaotic and now that you mention it? There is a little bit in there that’s definitely unrestrained. He decided not to mention one particular memory he’d picked out of Eli’s head that was cause for concern, in his opinion.

Let's not talk of these things near Eli. And at dinner, we will need to speak for their benefit. Are we about ready, my dear? Maran wiped his hands on a kitchen towel he'd hung from his apron.

The sound of feet descending the stairs reached them and Loran laughed. “I think the troops have arrived.”

Eli was the first to enter the kitchen. “Smells awesome,” he said in a very un-Enaran fashion. “Umm Mom, Dad….you need to meet Iggy.”

“Oh, your girl friend. Of course dear.” Irina began adding food to the plates spread on the counter.

"Oh, yes!" Maran said, setting a piece of roast on each plate. "I forgot you have a fourth in your party. Where was she when you came--" He interrupted himself by looking up at Chance and screaming shrilly.

Chance, who was once again Iggy's method of mobility, cringed. "It's okay! She's--"

Chance was interrupted by the sound of a thud as Irina hit the floor. Eli looked from Chance to Eric. “What the hell?” Then there was a mad dash around the counter.

Eric, for all the good it did anyone, groaned audibly. Protecting Eli was one thing. Having to be the third… fourth? wheel in all of this… he was quite sure there was a reason he hadn’t been asked to major in diplomacy back at the Academy.

Well, that is quite the welcome, Iggy spoke up, her coolly alien voice sounding in each person's head. All these histrionics, for me?

Chance had learned that Iggy was working on the use of sarcasm. "Shut up!", he hissed at her. He then stepped back as Maran took a swing with an apron at where Iggy was holding onto his shoulder. " Whoa! Stop! Please, she's harmless!"

"You brought a monster with you? And it talks?" Maran was flabbergasted.

“No!” Eli bent down to where Irina lay in a dead faint. “She’s a new life form we discovered. She’s quite civilized, actually.” He took hold of Irina’s arm and began to rub her wrists. He reached up to take a small bottle of herbs that Loran passed him and opening it, waved it under her nose. Moments later, she coughed and her eyes fluttered open.

“What happened? Did I spill the sauce?”

"Oh, my dear," Maran knelt by her and took her hand; his concern for her overrode his concern about the monster. "Chance brought a...," he glanced at Eli, "surprise with him. Can you stand?"

“Of course I can.” She took his hand and got to her feet. Facing all the men looking back at her she managed a crooked smile. “So, Chance, care to...introduce us?” This is a joke, right?

I know a joke! What did the mushroom say to the fungus? You're a fungi! Iggy bobbed on Chance's shoulder.

Edwards, as much as he didn’t want to, actually laughed at that, though the uncomfortable air in the room quieted him rather quickly. He coughed, as if to clear his throat before becoming unusually interested in some knick-knack of another. “Awkwaaaaaaard,” he muttered under his breath.

Chance groaned. "Ah, Irina, this is Ignatius, one of our friends. She's been very eager to meet you."

Loran began to laugh uproariously. “That’s a good one...Ignatius is it?” He found the idea of a giant sentient spider hilarious. He offered a finger to Iggy. “Welcome.”

She touched his finger with a pedipalp then brought the pedipalp back to her fangs so she could taste him. Thank you. You are Loran, correct?

Maran was staring at Iggy. Finally he reached out and poked at her. He dashed to the far end of the kitchen as Ignatius shifted to Chance's other shoulder, crossing in front of him. I will not hurt you. You are Eli's parents and brother. I am pleased to meet you.

Irina glanced to Maran then back to Iggy. “Welcome. You’ll be staying for dinner then?”

Loran snorted laughter again. “She could cast a web and just dangle above the table.”

Chance shook his head, "Please don't give her ideas, Loran. She's a bit like a toddler and takes things literally. As for dinner, Irina, Iggy eats..."

The meat you have prepared smells very good. May I please have a small piece for dinner, Irina? Iggy was showing off her best manners, though she had just interrupted Chance, who was looking bemused.

“Oh, of course. Maran? Another plate? You can squeeze in next to Loran on the end there.” She took the plate from Maran and added a small piece of roast and a bit of the fat. “Here Loran, put this on the table. The rest of you, get your plates and have a seat.”

“We appreciate your hospitality,” Eric said as he sat, worried he might be starting to sound a bit like a broken record. But then, it wasn’t every day you got invited to the house of the expatriot cadet. With his boyfriend. And a talking spider. Who needed a guard. And a whole lot of approval he clearly wasn’t getting just yet.

He wondered, for the briefest of moments, what passed for a good strong drink on Enara Prime.

Still unnerved by the giant black and blue creature Chance was now setting on the table (She's bigger than the plate!), Maran warily took a plate of his own and sat at the other end. He watched as it waved two legs at him. He'd be having nightmares.

Once everyone was seated, Irina spoke again. “Enjoy, all of you. Once you’re done, Eli can show you around town if you’d like.”

“Sure,” Eli answered. “Yes, you too Iggy.” He looked at the group around the table, smiled and began to eat with gusto. Next to him, Chance watched Iggy and was just glad beer hadn't been on the evening's menu.

******************
Lt. Eric Edwards
Cadet Junior Grace Chance Conradi
Cadet Junior Grade Eli Ziyad
Ignatius J. Reilly
Irina Ziyad
Maran Ziyad
Loran Ziyad