Parting Concerns

Posted on Mon Jan 6th, 2014 @ 5:16am by Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali & Commander Patrick Leroy

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: USS Hammond

Hunger.

The faint twitch in her womb responded to her thought or, most likely, was the one stirring it. Her hand went down to her belly as she issued the proper commands to the starship replicator in her temporary quarters.

A full complement of BIreQtagh followed by TlhIghaq covered in Grapok sauce was quickly issued.

“And Raktajino of course. And also… A cup of chocolate.” Kh’ali ended with a satisfied look in her eyes..

The computer chirped while carrying out out the order. The aroma of the food stirred her appetite still more and the baby gave a good kick, obviously agreeing. She reached for the dishes and as she turned to cross to the table, her terminal beeped. She detoured to the desk, set down the food and took a seat. Once she was comfortable, not all that easy to accomplish these days, she opened the channel.

The familiar face of Ensign Aure’l came on the screen. “Good morning Commander. I hope your voyage is going well. I have nothing of urgent to report but I wanted you to know that Ambassador Chordata has contacted SB900 and asked of you, albeit he specified it was no important matter when I told him you where abroad.”

“That’s it? No reason given for asking?” Kh’ali took a bit of food and swallowed it down. “He knows we are on our way to Charu, yes?”

“He knows that one of our ships is on its way to Charu. Probably he doesn’t take into account that our Chief Diplomat could be on board.” Aure’l responded as impassive as only a vulcan can be.

“Do you want to contact him or have me deliver a message?”

“You do it, Aure’l. I don’t think sharing my breakfast with Ambassador Chordata is the best choice. He may contact me here if he needs me for anything.” Kh’ali eyed her breakfast, wanting to get back to it uninterrupted.

“Understood. I will see to it as you ask. Aure’l out.”

Kh’ali was about to return to her breakfast when the terminal blinked again. A message from Patrick had been delivered.

I’ll be back. Regard yourselves.

Kh’ali smiled with the statement. Patrick had took on the fancy to use plural when talking to her as of lately. It was a kind of joke they shared as he exercised himself to the idea of the new household member coming.

He seemed so worried at times about this thing to the point to become exceedingly attentive to her. The Ialnalyn Conference had come as a blessing to Kh’ali’s point of view. A chuckle escaped her lips as she remembered their parting a few days before…

***** SB900 some days ago *****

“Are you sure you have to go on this mission?” Patrick asked, perhaps the twentieth time in a few days.

She paused in packing her bag to give him a stern look in her best Klingon manner.

"We have been over this how many times now?"

“Yeah, Yeah I know…” He replied coming closer and rubbing her shoulders. “But I can’t help it. Although you’re going out with some of the best of this starbase I still… Well, perhaps I should cancel my attendance to the conference and ask Commander Sakkath to be included in the Hammond’s crew... “

Kh’ali’s expression softened and she relaxed beneath his hands. “You’ve been looking forward to this for ages, Patrick. we won’t be gone long, and Dr. Mi will be on board in case anything happens. Will says that everything looks fine and you know him. He wouldn’t sugar coat it if anything was amiss.”

“You’re right,” Patrick responded, leaving her shoulders. “Those people are absolutely competent. By the way I’ve instructed Mr. Sukotav to keep an eye on you anytime he’s not busy otherwise…” He added as he left the bedroom.

Kh’ali heaved a small sigh as she resumed packing her things in the bag. Perhaps she would have some respite now and Sukotav was a fine guy, surely he wouldn’t intrude no matter what Patrick had told him.

The last bit of a lady’s necessaires flew into the bag when the all too familiar sound of a tricorder came to ears.

“Oh don’t pay attention to me,” Patrick said apparently oblivious of her glare. “Just checking the chroniton levels in your body. We don’t want to have Thumb show up at anytime to hurt you again. Do we?...”

“Chroniton levels? Really Patrick?” She snapped the hag closed and turned to face him. “He’s dead, remember? And I’m sure Riley has better things to do than babysit a pregnant Klingon. That’s a job no one wants.”

“Okay, okay…” Patrick said stepping back to a safer distance as he closed the tricorder.

“Well… I know all about Klingon strength, endurance, forefathers stuff and all that but… I mean… Oh damn.” Frustration evident in his look he put down the tricorder on the chest drawer. “The fact is… That for an interval we’ll be incredibly far apart. There have been periods of my life where I would have not cared about distance. I was striving to get far and far indeed to unknown frontiers...”

He looked up then, searching for her eyes “I don’t feel like that anymore.”

“I know.” Kh’ali smiled and relented, drawing him into her arms. She gave him a fierce hug, then stepped back. “It will be fine. Go enjoy your eggheads.”

“There will be little to enjoy aside from the experiment proper. The agenda of the symposium is heavily scheduled with meetings and other boring stuff like that. Four days on a lonely space station around a forlorn star. I’ve been assigned the Odissey Runabout… How will I survive?”

“You’ll manage. You can be stern with the pilot to occupy you and I am only a comm call away.” Kh’ali smiled, then reached for her bag. “You’ll likely be home before me anyhow.”

He kissed her softly on the forehead “Enough of jokes, it’s time for you to leave. I’ll be good I promise. I’ll stay safe and be back in no time.”

He would have never imagined how wrong he was.

On both accounts.


**************************

Lt. Commander Patrick Leroy
More Than A Bit Much Concerned

Lt. Commander Kh’ali
At Ease