A View from Quarters

[Wes Roberts 0]

Captain’s At Sea Cabin

Revenge, currently orbiting Romulus

11 February 2387

 

“You’re anxious,” Mai said simply, from her position curled up next to her husband. “I’ve never

seen you this anxious before. Is there a reason?”

 

“Mai, you know me. I’m a man of action. Politicking and diplomatic niceties aren’t my cup of

tea. It also doesn’t help that we’re in orbit over Romulus, headquarters of the Tal Shiar, the

Imperial Navy and homeworld of the Empire. I don’t care if the Praetor himself repealed the

death mark, some Romulans will hold a grudge for generations. It doesn’t take a genius to

figure out that all it would require is one member of the Tal Shiar or the Imperial Navy to ‘ask’

me to come down to the planet, and BANG, I’m either dead or arrested, and some lucky

soldier’s set for life.”

 

Mai uncurled herself and sat herself squarely in her husband’s lap, straddling his legs. “I know

you’re a man of action, herven¹. Nor do I find it unmanly for you to be paranoid, given where we

are, and your relations with the Star Empire. Khaiell is equally nervous, with his being without a

House. As are all the crew who were with you when you were the ‘Scourge of the Spacelanes.’

 

“But you are now in a position that requires diplomacy and politicking, as executive officer of an

Allied starbase. I will be by your side through for better and for worse, Parthannûn².” She

leaned in and tenderly kissed her husband. “You married an Orion who believes her her vows,

herven, and believes that the wisest of us work behind the scenes. Our family is filled with

stories about that. Great Grandam Mareena worked behind the scenes of the Black Kris for

Great Grandpa Romo. It was a shame Auntie Litasha never saw that, and wound up on the

block. Mareena was furious with her for running the Kris into the ground. It took the rest of

Mareena’s life to rebuild not only the Clan’s standing amongst the Cartels, but to also rebuild

our honor.”

 

Mai chuckled mirthlessly, her voice had a bitter edge to it. “The day Litasha was sold to the

Grand Nagus was both a dark day, and the first step towards our clan’s rebuilding of honor,

since Mareena struck her proper name from the clan rolls and replaced with simply with

‘ssindossa’³.”

 

Wes pulled his wife into his arms, and stroked her back, trying calming her. “And all these years

we’ve been together, you’ve never told me this, herves⁴. Why?” He could feel his shirt

dampening as her tears fell.

 

“You never asked, beloved. And all your years as the Dread Pirate, I never felt I should intrude

and bring my family up to you. Even when you took me off Praetorian, and released the other

slaves, and I refused to leave you, I did not want to tell you. When we were married, I still

couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I was still afraid to tell you, herven, when we were reunited,

and I still am.”

 

Wes continued to hold his wife, stroking her back, as she cried. “You have nothing to fear from

me, my wife. You gained my trust on Ord Pardron, when you took out that bounty hunter. You

gained my love by just being you. And you allowed me to show my face as myself, and not one

of a hundred aliases I have by convincing Starfleet to pardon my...piratical activities. You’ve

never anything to fear from me. If anything, because of you I’m trying to be a better husband

and father.”

 

He gently grasped her head, and lifted it up off his shoulder. Wiping the tears away from her

face, he smiled at her. “I’m not one for secrets, Mai. Never have been. But its your family and

clan, and I know you’ll have secrets that you don’t want revealed. I won’t press you for them. I

never will. I’ll let you bring them up as you want them too. Okay?”

 

Mai smiled at her husband. “Of course, my Lord. If you hadn’t attacked and captured the

Praetorian, I’d be a very unhappy concubine or comfort girl somewhere.

 

“I was,” she teased, “going to suggest of a way to help take your mind off of the fact that we’re

orbiting Romulus...”

 

“Eilistraee’s still awake...” Wes interrupted.

 

Mai laughed, her melancholy forgotten. “That wasn’t it, darling. Although that would be a good

way to do so...perhaps when Eil’s asleep later.

 

“No, I was thinking some Mozart, say his third violin concerto. But, I fear I won’t be as good a

player as I’d normally be.”

 

“No, you wouldn’t be. When you’re feeling better, my dear, we’ll play.”

________________

 

1 Herven: Elvish for Husband. All phrases in High Kolari (Orion) are borrowed from Elvish (Arwen-Undomiel). All phrases in Low Kolari (Orion) are borrowed from Drow/Dark Elvish (The Chose of Eilistraee). Until someone decides to come up with an Orion translator.

2 Parthannûn: Wesley

3 Ssindossa: A not nice Drow word. Y’all can go look it up if you want.

4 Herves: Wife.