Talking. Sort of.

Posted on Monday, 4 January 2021 - 1:14pm by Commander Soral & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley
Edited on on Monday, 4 January 2021 - 1:23pm

Mission: Operation: Ouroboros
Location: USS Standing Bear | XO Quarters
Timeline: 2393

ON:

Soral pulled the bag out of the replicator and handed it to the Petty Officer. "This should help."

Solek took the bag placing its coolness over his right eye. "There is a soothing feeling associated with its coldness." There was also a pain of it. With his one good eye he studied Soral. His own bruises were forming and he had several cuts over his eye and a busted lip. Both men looked as if they'd been in a brawl with elephants. "I should leave before your wife returns...she is...somewhat frightening. Fire in a small package."

"Indeed. I'd rather you stay. She cannot murder me if you are here."

Even as he was uttering the words, the doors to their quarters opened with a shadow blocking out some of the light spilling in from the corridor beyond. "Are you sure about that?" Alex quipped as her blue eyes moved from one man to the other, noting every cut, the shadows of bruises beginning to form and the ice pack Solek was currently holding against his eye. Her expression darkened as she connected the dots. Before any of them could speak she held up a hand, "nope. I don't care who started it. You are grown men! And you are the XO!"

Rolling her eyes in exasperation she crossed to the workstation, rummaging through the small pile of PaDDs until she found what she was looking for. That done she turned to face them both, "why do you both look like you have been in a bar fight and lost? Soral, you are still healing and I thought you were going to talk?"

He straightened his torn uniform jacket. "We did talk."

Solek piped up. "Yeah...sort of."

"It was a logical discussion between...family."

Alex folded her arms across her chest, trying to fight the small smile on her lips. So Solek had told him... "a logical discussion. Strange, I've not known many logical discussions to end up in a black eye. Maybe I am doing them wrong. And is this 'logical discussion' finished or should I move the furniture to give you more space?"

Soral had the good sense to look slightly embarrassed. "I believe we covered it all."

Solek snorted. "Yes...pretty much ever bone... I mean topic was covered."

"Uh huh," Alex said slowly as she looked between them. "And what did you conclude after all this discussion?"

"That Solek will leave the Standing Bear."

"I agreed to no such...."

"You will go to Vulcan and you will guard Soval and Severine and also provide them with an education on Romulus. I will handle...what may come of my grandfather and his... friends."

Solek looked to Alex. "Tell him he is being pigheaded."

"He already knows," Alex assured him. She looked at Soral, "sending him to Vulcan, however, may be a mistake. His presence there would lead to the children and - unless I missed something - keeping them a secret was the idea, no? Although, now I think about it, if they are watching us, my mother moving to Vulcan might have done that already... logically, you'd assume they would have questioned why..."

She sighed, "I don't know what is the right or wrong choice."

"They are safe on Vulcan, your mother and our children. But having a Romulan on ship that is not technically a Starfleet Officer is a little iffy. And if need be we need Solek there. The more the better and Solek, being a Romulan knows how to deal with Romulans. Vulcans rely on Logic and Romulans are used to thinking outside the box."

"Alright," she nodded, "Solek, you should go."

Solek studied the two. He knew enough that he would not win this. He sighed. "Alright. I shall go." He stood up slowly with some pain. "I...should pack."

Soral gave a nod. "The Vulcan doctors are leaving tomorrow. I will ensure that you are on it."

Solek gave and left. Leaving Soral to face the wrath of Alex.

"You had a fight?!" she cried as soon as the doors were closed. "Do I need to send you back to Vulcan too so that maybe, just maybe, you will take time out to heal? What were you thinking?!

"Since when have these..." she stepped forward and lifted his hands, the knuckles grazed, "solved a problem?"

He was caught off guard by her outburst. But she was right. "I...do not know. I have not felt myself as of late. We started talking and then he...said something and we just...fought."

“What did he say?” She prompted gently.

"It is not important," he said.

"Soral, you have been through a lot," she reminded him. "We may not have our bond right now but I know you are hurting. But you have to take time to heal. Otherwise all of these things happening around us, they will overwhelm even you. This is terrible timing but I need to wrap up some things in the lab and then I need to join Baciami on Earth. It's a long story. But will you please, please promise me that you will avoid any more fights and not push yourself too hard? Unless you really miss that nurse..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Alexandra. Really." He stood. "I shall ensure we are ready to go when you return. I should .. shower."

"Okay," she wasn't going to push him. Not right now. She stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, "I'll be back before you know it."


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