Are you crazy!?

Posted on Sunday, 21 June 2020 - 12:18pm by Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant Raith Kolani

Mission: Operation: Iktomi
Location: T’Lanna’s Office
Timeline: MD4

{ON}

Having volunteered herself to be bait for the pirates, T’Lanna needed to make sure that she and Raith discussed her decision. She’d rather he find out from her than hear about it on the ship grapevine. Returning to her office she tapped her badge. =/\= Vali to Kolani, can I see you in my office please. =/\=

Completing his work on the Plasma Flow conduit on Deck seven, Raith looked up as he heard his combadge beep for attention. Closing off the panel he had been working on, Raith tapped his combadge.

=/\= This is Kolani, I'll be right there. =/\= he said. With the recent change on moving to become the Assistant Chief of Operations now that Lieutenant JG T'Amar had assumed the role of Chief of Operations, Raith found himself somewhat busier of late, but he was happier with that as the work was needed to be done.

He also found himself missing T'Lanna more and that helped too. He was glad she had called to speak to him and he made his way to her office.

Hearing the door chime T’Lanna smiled and called Raith to enter. “Hey, I’m sorry if I disturbed you.” She motioned to a chair. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.” She moved to sit on the front edge of her desk. “I err ... I’ll be going aboard a ship set up as a trap for the pirates we’re going after. I volunteered to be bait, from what Soral told me ex-b’s are quite valuable.”

Raith was sat down for only a moment as he listened to T'Lanna explain about the mission that she was going on. He stood up straight away as soon as she finished talking , trying to hold his emotions in check.

"WHAT!?! Are you crazy!?" he responded as he tried to take on board what she had signed up for on the bait mission ahead. "Do you know how dangerous this could be? My god, if they capture you, Tee, they'll tear you apart... I mean literally!!!!"

He walked over to where she was sat and sat on her desk before her. "I mean, they tear apart ex-b's for their parts alone because there is such a black market out there for what those parts can be used for or how they can be reverse engineered to other purposes....this is insane. On top of this, you are pregnant...your not only risking your life but the life of our child..."

Raith paused as he realized what he'd said and didn't try to correct his statement. He knew that the child she was carrying wasn't his but he had pledged his life to her and as far as he was concerned, he was going to be a father to their child.

T’Lanna took a deep breath. “I have no intention of being captured Raith, I wouldn’t put our child at risk that I swear!” She offered a smile at the reference to her child being theirs and not just hers. “We need something to draw out these pirates and I’m the icing on the cake so-to-speak. Commander Stillwater wouldn’t allow it if he thought I’d be at risk of losing my life.”

Raith sat there, trying desperately to think of a way that would work for the bait mission that didn't involve her and he was struggling to come up with answers. "I know the Captain won't take that chance unless he is confident it will work and you're safe but... I..." he stumbled for a moment.

Catching a deep breath, he carried on. "Tee, I love you and I don't want to lose you. I want to bond with you. I'm willing to put my life on the line and go through this with you... but please. Promise me you'll come back to me... Promise me..." he made sure that he was clear about what he was saying and also made sure that she understood he meant every word he was saying.

"We're Starfleet Officers and I know that there are times that the job comes first, but that doesn't mean that I can't worry about you and the possible outcomes of this mission if this goes bad...and I pray it won't go bad." he left the end of the sentence there, as he heard his own words and realised how much it showed that he cared.

T’Lanna gently reached out her hand taking hold of his, looking into Raith’s eyes. “I swear to you that I will not put myself at risk and that I will come back to you.” She smiled as she looked at him. “I wish you could be aboard the ship with me but I don’t want you put at risk either.”

"I wish I could as well...however it seems that Captain Stillwater has other ideas for me, so I'll do what I can from here, but you better make sure that you come back to me. We have important business to get sorted when you do," he explained.

“What you said about being bonded ... I want that too, more than anything!” She smiled warmly. “When this is over I want to mind-meld with you Raith, I want to show you how I feel for you.”

Raith held her hands tightly as he looked into her eyes. "Its also what I want as well, Tee, I want it with all my heart and love I have for you. I want to know what you know and feel what you feel," he admitted before placing a kiss gently on her cheek.

He sat back for a moment before looking at her. "Now, go get yourself ready, you've got an important mission to complete and another one to work on when you get back," Raith said to her.

T’Lanna nodded and smiled. “You’re right, I have to be ready to play my part.” She leant forward and gave him a loving kiss before she stood, and headed on her way.

{OFF}