Whirlwind

[Rhean t'Valae 0]

Whirlwind

05.25.06

 

Dazed, Rhean stared at the deckplates where tr’Vatrix had stood moments before, not really seeing them. She felt as though she had been plunged into a black hole, looking out at events zipping along in normal space while she herself struggled to crawl against the time-binding gravity. Events of the last few days had swept her along unwilling; she longed for the security of the lab, the rigid control of procedure, the predictability of data. But even the lab was no haven now; witness the two batches of ruined chemicals currently working their way through the recyclers, libations on the altar of distraction.

 

Slowly she raised her eyes, searching the faces of the others on the oira for some sign that their worlds were spinning as fast as her own. She suddenly felt very young.

 

No, that wasn’t true. She had felt young since she had seen the bitter, vindictive pleasure on the faces of Deihu N’Dak and tr’Vran. Yes, she had seen their enmity for t’Rexan at the tribunal, N’Dak’s in particular, but still she had believed that the tribunal had made its decision for the good of the Galae, if not for the Rihan people or for justice. In the cargobay, though, there was no way to deny that the men were acting from petty personal motivations of revenge and jealousy; it had shown in every twisted line of the faces. And she rather thought, as her stomach clenched at the memory, that seeing the glee in their eyes was more obscene that t’Rexan’s punishment itself, though only an act of will had kept her watching that obscenity.

 

A short time ago she had been doubting her service on the Talon. Now Rhean found herself questioning her service in the Galae itself, if the reward a loyal and successful commander could expect to claim was a biobed in medical and possibly a knife in a bloody back.

 

Her eye fell on N’Dak, sitting stiffly in the command chair as if he thought it might bite. Would he/wouldn’t he? She hadn’t been so completely stunned by her own double promotion that she’d missed the glare tr’Vatrix leveled at N’Dak. It was clear he did not trust the young Daise Erei'Riov.

 

Why put him in command, then? She saw only two possibilities: either Deihu N’Dak had demanded it, or t’Rexan had left orders to that effect. The latter was ridiculously improbable, of course, but would account for his being elevated above others in the chain of command. Either way, she thought, N’Dak had a sense of honor. A strange one, granted, but present nonetheless. The Khre’Riov was probably safe – from N’Dak at least – until she was well enough to leave medical. After that…

 

From the shadows at the edge of the oira Rhean studied the elder N’Dak brother. Issaha was easy to read; not so Destorie’s closed face. Would he give up this newfound power when t’Rexan was well enough to reclaim it, or would there be yet another power struggle on the Talon?

 

Was one brewing even now? She could no more read t’Aehjae than N’Dak, except to say that the Daise’Dheno did not look happy. Neither would t’Temarr, she supposed, who had already demonstrated a taste for command. That was two. As for t’Ksa, if she’d wanted command, she’d had people vulnerable in her medbay often enough. And the Science department… Rhean turned to study her Daise, wondering for the first time what secrets and ambitions might lurk behind that friendly smile.

 

And if it came down to drawn lines, what then? Rhean was uncomfortable aware that she could no longer hide behind the wide-eyed guise of new erein. But she still felt like one, stumbling blindfolded through machinations established long before she blundered onto the scene. In the last day – or was it two? – her opinions of her crewmates had shifted dizzyingly, from suspicion to sympathy to wariness. Her reason said to keep her head down, but instinct warned her that might not be possible. It was enough to make a woman paranoid.

[KhreRiovtRex 0]

Another WOW!!

 

Have I told you all, you are amazing writers! I love the character building.

 

I can't wait to see how you all react to his orders! Or if he will be found face down yy'a hrrau the morning, taking a dirt nap? I know some of you have dirt on him...how you use it, is what intrigues me.

 

Keep up the great logging, au are a natural Rihannsu.

 

BTW...and keep track so I don't forget...

 

Merit awards to N'Dak, t'Valae and t'Temmar this week.

 

Merit awards from May 4th, t'Aejhae, t'Jiihn, trPexil and tTemmar