Food Fight, 3

[m_k_tksa 0]

Food Fight, 3

Daise'Erei'Riov t'Ksa's Shoreleave Misadventures

 

“Lhhei, where do au think au are going?”

 

“Out.”

 

“Why? Au are not to leave au’s post.”

 

“Curiosity.”

 

“Leave her alone tr’Jomar. She knows what she’s doing.” Alura t’Prin voice knifed through the hostile exchange between the junior officer and her worthless kniftar of a commander. Kal t’Sahen ignored tr’Jomar and t’Prin’s heated exchange whistling in her ear piece as she strolled down the street. t’Prin knew to trust t’Sahen’s instincts, as t’Sahen knew to trust t’Prin. The dark ‘sisters’ had been working together since time began, or so seemed. How they were connected to one another, not a soul but the two women knew. And they kept it that way. All the unit knew was that when one of them deviated from the script, there was a reason.

 

Of course if tr’Jomar would learn to trust to them, as the others had, then the unit would not have fallen so far out of favor that even a sonic lift couldn’t elevate them. The brainless twit seemed to do the complete opposite of what the ‘sisters’ told him to do and as a result, they had lost one of their biggest catches fleeing Aegis Station some years ago. Why he was not disposed of was anyone’s guess. Must have bribed someone very well connected.

 

So t’Sahen, as usual, ignored him. The Elements had delivered the sister of the woman that had caused their fall from face – she was not about to lose this opportunity. Kal followed her prey unnoticed. A dark shadow. The woman, tall in stature, fit in physical form, pleasant in features, would have been considered pretty by some when she smiled. If she smiled. She was not known to smile…much. She wore civilian clothing, tunic, pants and shoes of creamy tans, soft ruddy rust and burnished golds. Her Galae t’Liss camouflaged well within the pattern of her top.

 

The two women walked slowly. Prey and her shadow. They stopped a short distance from the café where t’Sahen had spotted her. A park with large municipal fountains, water dancing in the summer air and intricate mosaic patterns glistening in the sun. The subject sat on the edge of one fountain, near the roadway and within view of the public time piece. Perhaps she was to meet someone here?

 

Still no smile. More of a grimace, actually. Kal observed her from a distance as she strolled to a near patch of grass. The woman shifted uncomfortably. Physical discomfort, maybe? Or nervousness? Had she sensed someone was stalking her?

 

Kal made herself comfortable on the grass. Head tilted back to the sun. worshiping its rays. Through shaded eyes she watched the woman shift again, holding her stomach. Barely visible to passerbys, her fingers brushed her t’Liss. A short conversation. t’Sahen could read her lips. Medical assistance. Interesting.

 

Clutching her stomach, bent forward, the woman closed her eyes. Perhaps in pain? No one seemed to take note of her. Except a man, strolling closer to them. Similar age, similar height, Galae uniform, darker hair, cleft in his chin, slight shuffle with his right foot. Smiling. Pleased to see the woman until her lack of mutual enthusiastic response at his arrival. Facial expression turning decidedly worried.

 

He bent forward to see her face, catching her as she slid from the fountain wall to her knees on the stone base surrounding the fountain. She became nauseous suddenly, trembled as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Horrified by what she saw. Blood.

 

The Galae officer calling for help from one of the bystanders, still bracing the woman carefully. Kal noticed sirens in the distance growing closer. She rolled her neck as if she stretching then brought her lips closer to the audio transmitter. “Secure the restaurant. It has begun.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Next up, we’ll talk to one of the victims of the failed assassination attempt on Deihu Giellun D’mora’s life. Imagine your leisurely breakfast at one your favorite Ra’tleihfi’s trendy café when you’re stricken with an incredible gut retching sickness. You wonder what could be so physically wrong with you to find yourself so sick only to find out that you’ve been mistakenly poisoned! Nine people were poisoned in the botched attempt, two died and the others critically ill. We’ll talk to ---“

 

Morgana flicked the holo-view off when a dated Galae photo of herself and her name flashed across the screen. It was not the first time she’d seen it in the past three days, and it looked as though it wouldn’t be the last. Plus the perk morning hostess of the news program was making her sick again. She sighed heavily and turned gingerly on her side, curling into the fetal position. This was a new defensive posture for the Daise’Maenak. Rather affective in warding off unwanted visitors when combined with fake sleeping sounds (a snore), and heavenly nurses who fibbed to invaders that the Daise’Maenak was heavily sedated and one should not expect her to awaken much less issue a comment to the media. Not that hadn’t stopped the news media from invading her personal space. Some had even gone so far as impersonating the medical staff, but had yet to catch Morgana ‘awake’. She was not taking any chances. Not even with family in the room.

 

More than anything though, she wanted peace and quiet. The news media camped outside of Galae Medical in hopes of ambushing one of the four victims brought to medical care center after the incident. This made it next to impossible for any of her family to approach her room without being put in a defensive and hostile mood. Just want the Daise’Maenak wanted to deal with on top of this. So she had restored to faking sleeping to avoid dealing with them as well – which eventually resulted in real sleeping in the process.

 

She heard the door creak open and then quietly close again. Too early to for the nursing staff to draw more blood or run tests. Too late for the mid-day meal. It was either a reporter or a well wisher. Squeezing her eyes shut to just tiny slits, she watched a male figure cross the room towards the windows. He peered out the gauzy drapery, and shook his head “Vultures”, the voice familiar, then crossed the room beyond her field of vision. She felt the bed cushion dip behind her, a body spooned around her and an arm rest across hers, holding her. “I know when you’re faking it, Khera.”

 

Morgana didn’t respond for a few beats. What came out of her mouth surprised her almost as much as the tear that squeezed out of the corner of her eye. “Please, Rulon, get me out of here.”

 

“I can’t. You’re ill.”

 

“I know, but…” she took a ragged breath, trying not to erupt into full blown tears. “Get me out of *here*. Take me to a hospital in Mhiessan, or I’Ramnau or Rhehiv’je, or anywhere but *here*. I don’t care. Just…not here.”

 

“Khera, I--’

 

“Please. Just….please!”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“You’re up!” An hour later, Lannisal t’Ksa sailed through her sister’s room, smiling. Morgana was curled into a hover chair, Maec pacing around behind her, looking for something. Then she noticed the guilty looks on Maec and Morgana’s face when they saw her, and her tone took a downward turn. “You’re up. And you’re up to something. What now?”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kalicia t’Ksa folded her arms, staring at the floor of the lift as it slowly rose to the fifth floor of Galae Medical. Her eldest rinam had been admitted three days ago after being accidently poisoned. Her parents, now nervous wrecks due to the media coverage that had invaded their own hometown, had sent the two sisters to keep an eye on Morgana while they ran interference at home. Kalicia found their task an easy one, considering all Morgana did was sleep. Lannisal, the chipper one, would sit by Morgana’s bedside, ready to nurse her back to health. Kalicia was tasked to the annoying task of running interference with the media and Deihu D’mora’s aide who insisted that the Deihu should have the opportunity to speak to the Daise’Erei’Riov personally (when she awakened) and express his regret over this misfortunate event. Kalicia equated that to glad-handing and a push for support from Mheissan voters who were sympathetic to Ksa’s plight.

 

She glanced up as the lift doors open, only to meet the eyes of Kal t’Sahen standing directly down the hall, arms folded just as she was. It took a lot of self restraint not to show any emotion when she spotted the Tal Shiar officer lurking on her sister’s hospital floor. Kal t’Sahen and Kalicia t’Ksa had a shared history. It was Kal and Alura t’Prin, the dark ‘sisters’, that had been tasked to bring Kalicia and her bondmate Delon home from Aegis years ago – which would have resulted in many painful integrations had they been successful. Only at the last minute, one of Morgana’s friends Teelis t’Neya, had arrived in a Galae starship to spirit them away just seconds before the Tal Shiar ship could dock. Morgana had na been aware of the incident until after t'Neya delievered Kalicia to ch'Rihan. Kalicia may have only suffered a demotion due to her failure at the space station, it was rumored that Kal and her partner had suffered far more for their failure to bring the Galae officer in. Kal held a grudge ever since that event and would periodically make unexpected and unwelcomed appearances in Kalicia’s life to make it clear that their score had yet to be settled. Or rattle Kalicia’s cage, so to speak. So this there was no way this was a coincidence.

 

Kal didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow to acknowledge the Galae officer’s presence. Not surprising. Kal was showed less emotion than the Dead Ios. Kalicia frowned slightly as she crossed the hallway and approached the Tal Shiar officer. “Is Alura with au? Or are you flying solo tonight?” Other than her eyes darting over to Kalicia then narrowing at her eyes at Ksa, Kal said nothing. “How silly of me. Of course Alura is here.” Kalicia turned, leaned against the door, trying to keep a poker face. “So why are au here? Au and t’Prin are na know for social calls.”

 

“It is not au concern.” Kal stared straight down the hall, not even acknowledging Ksa’s presence.

 

“You know, I could alert the staff and –“

 

“Au will na.”

 

Kalicia sighed heavily. Now what? Having t’Sahen sniffing about her sister’s room made Kalicia extremely nervous. But there was na point in threatening the Tal Shiar agent to get her to leave Morgana alone. Kal had questionable morals and would not hesitate to retaliate, even for the smallest infraction. Until Kalicia could discern t’Sahen’s motives, it was best to leave sleeping dogs lie. “Well, then. Nice conversing with au. We should do this again. Have au people, Alura I suppose, call my people and we’ll do lunch.” She pushed off the wall and sauntered down the hall, trying to seem as unconcerned as possible.

 

She walked into the room just in time to hear Lannisal’s annoyed voice exclaim, “You’re up. And you’re up to something. What now?”

 

Kalicia inched her way into the room, passed her older sister’s prowl of a belly, to see Maec’s standing above Morgana with his hand protectively on her shoulder as she sat in a chair. He glanced in her direction, then guiltily looked away. To see that her friend had finally found some happiness, but now seem so terrified it would be ripped away broke Kalicia’s heart. Yet she felt somewhat satisfied that he still felt guilty for hiding this relationship for three years. Morgana, on the other hand, looked so….small in that chair. Fragile. And miserable. And…. “Oh Elements, you’re going to break out of the medical center. Aren’t you?”

 

Lannisal’s eyes looked as if they’d pop out of her head. Maec winced. And Morgana…well Morgana sat up straighter, defiant. Lannisal broke in before anyone else had time to formulate a train of thought. “Au *can’t*! Au are ill! The Maenak said you couldn’t be released for at least two more days. You will kill yourself if you leave now. Not to mention what you will do to Mother and Father if you disappear. By Fire! I can’t believe you would be stupid to even attempt it. You’re a Maenak for Elements sake! You even attempt to this and I will --”

 

Kalicia watched Maec throughout Lannisal’s tongue lashing. His jaw clenched and he looked ready to pounce on Lannisal, pregnant or not. Kalicia knew there’s no way that Maec would be so foolish as to jeopardize another person’s health. He had a plan. They both did. Perhaps this might not be a bad idea afterall, considering the Tal Shiar was lurking outside the door. Kalicia interrupted “Actually, that’s na a bad idea.” Lannisal swung around and looked as if she was going to beat Kalicia senseless. Maec raised a brow, intrigued to Kalicia’s intent. And Morgana….

 

….well, she seemed relieved.

 

"Let me explain...."

[STSF_BluRox 0]

Food Fight, 3

Daise'Erei'Riov t'Ksa's Shoreleave Misadventures

 

She glanced up as the lift doors open, only to meet the eyes of Kal t’Sahen standing directly down the hall, arms folded just as she was. It took a lot of self restraint not to show any emotion when she spotted the Tal Shiar officer lurking on her sister’s hospital floor. Kal t’Sahen and Kalicia t’Ksa had a shared history. It was Kal and Alura t’Prin, the dark ‘sisters’, that had been tasked to bring Kalicia and her bondmate Delon home from Aegis years ago – which would have resulted in many painful integrations had they been successful. Only at the last minute, one of Morgana’s friends Teelis t’Neya, had arrived in a Galae starship to spirit them away just seconds before the Tal Shiar ship could dock. Morgana had na been aware of the incident until after t'Neya delievered Kalicia to ch'Rihan. Kalicia may have only suffered a demotion due to her failure at the space station, it was rumored that Kal and her partner had suffered far more for their failure to bring the Galae officer in. Kal held a grudge ever since that event and would periodically make unexpected and unwelcomed appearances in Kalicia’s life to make it clear that their score had yet to be settled. Or rattle Kalicia’s cage, so to speak. So this there was no way this was a coincidence.

 

 

It's been a long time since I've seen t'Neya in a log, it was a very nice tie in. I think she'd have enjoyed reading this as much as I did.

 

Thanks Morgana