Dinner Pt 1

Posted on Tue Nov 2nd, 2021 @ 12:02am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Remal Kajun

Mission: Gamma Quadrant
Location: Captain's Quarters

Captain Kaylen Rhenora sat quietly in the quarters she shared with her husband, sitting cross legged in front of the small shrine that graced one of the walls. Several candles were lit, including one that was only ignited when someone passed. Eyes closed she whispered a prayer for Jurel, a blessing that the fallen’s Pagh would be joined in the Celestial Temple with the Prophets and with the souls of all those who had passed before. It was a ritual she had performed too many times over the years, for too many close friends and family.

Unusually quiet, even for Remal, he moved through the ship with his head held lower upon his massive shoulders. He had just gotten done helping another load of Bajoran refugees, lost by the ravages of an old war, to find their way home. And now, he was heading home himself, at least to where he lay his head at night. More importantly it was where she was.

He entered through the doors and immediately took in the smell of a lit candle, a slight whiff of smoke filling his nostril. She was in their living space, meditating.

The sound of the doors whispering was enough to draw her slightly out of her meditation, she could feel the air move as someone entered and the ever so subtle scent of her husband. She took a few moments to recenter herself before opening her eyes.

“Welcome home” The words were tired, drained even.

“I didn’t want to bother you. If you want to return to wherever you were just now, I will understand. I’ll just be over here making a asiatic pasta penne meal I’ve heard about.” He winked to show he cared for both her mind and her body. “But if I may ask, who is the lit candle for?”

“ I’m done, I was saying a prayer for Jurel, I was just made aware of his passing this morning. There aren’t many of us left” She stretched for a moment before climbing to her feet, stretching her spine as she stood. “ The service is tomorrow, I feel I should be there. How did you do with the refugees?”

He shrugged, “Everything went well I suppose. Seeing so many of us returning home should make me feel better inside, but it doesn’t. There has been so much to happen to push so many of us away from our ancestral home that it just feels wrong to have us all return to Bajor now. There are so many faces I’ve seen recently that I never thought I would ever see again.” He tossed a towel upon his shoulder and leaned on the counter. “Did you want me to come with you to the service?”

“If you’d like to come, I understand if you have other matters that you need to attend to. It should only go for a few hours in the morning” Rhenora headed into the kitchen and sought the solace of Remal’s presence. She stood beside him for a few moments, comforted by his body, soothed by the quietness of his mind and rhythmic motions of food preparation.

“Our friends from those days are becoming few and far between, a sad aftermath from a lifetime of struggle and hardship. Even now in the good times the past takes its toll” She said sadly, reaching behind him and pulling some of the ingredients he had set aside for preparation. A sharp knife and her hands were busy chopping the vegetables, her mind still reeling over the reality of their situation.

Were they going to go before their time? An echo of the hard life they’d been forced to lead earlier? Their friends had died from everything and anything, chronic medical conditions, mental illness and everything in between. Still, the number of people from her resistance cell still alive were dwindling.

He continued prepping the chicken, adding a few bits of basil and some Kylo-root for spice. “I would be honored to come with you. My place is at your side after all. And you’re right, I believe, other than myself, there are only three others from my cell left alive. A young pup who joined six months before the war ended, a woman, um Zio Larr, who went on to have three children despite having only one leg. And Bradre Durr, whom you’ve been introduced to rather rudely.”

"Now there's a name I have no fond memories of" The smile had twisted into a grimace as to how close Remal had come to walking with the prophets on the day of their joining. There had been a grudge, a poison and a betrayal of trust. When did things get so complicated? There was something to be said for the simpler life.

“ I feel there’s something more going on, it just seems too… I don’t know…. Something’s not right” She mused as they finalised the dinner, Rhenora moving over to the chiller and removing a small bottle of wine. “5 have died in the last year, different causes yes but something in my gut tells me there’s more going on”

He taste tested the pasta, "My gut is telling me this needs more gumta root." As he added the seasoning he queried further, "you're suggesting these deaths are not natural? Like someone is committing a premeditated attack on our former cell mates?"

She paused for a moment, putting down her knife and picking up a nearby padd that she had been working on.

“ Jina died only 4 months ago, the cause of death was simply listed as ‘natural causes’, Kyan only a few months before that, he apparently suicided however the investigation was ultimately shelved due to lack of resources. What if someone or something is picking off our friends from the old days? Or am I reading too much into this?” The padd was set down again, a testament to the confusion and inner battle being waged. Part of her accepted the information provided, the other part didn’t.

"If that's true, what purpose would it serve?" He asked while storing the bubbling pasta absentmindedly. "I mean, they would be sending a clear message, trying to get our attention. To anyone paying attention as well, so you going down there, this would have to be an elaborate trap. They are baiting us." He had stopped stirring and was watching her eyes closely for a sign. She was thinking the same thing, but unlike him she was willing to spring that trap and he knew it.

TBC