For All The Right Reasons Pt. I "Family"

[Veloras Itana 0]

For All The Right Reasons

Pt. I

"Family"

 

 

"Itana, hurry up! We're going to be late!" Veloras Ranik shouted through the open tent flap, casting a frustrated eye on the camp chronometer. "It took me months to wrangle this travel pass and I really doubt the Cardassians will accept 'My daughter couldn't find her shoes' as an excuse for why we aren't where we're supposed to be.Now, Move it!"

 

Hearing her father's rapidly growing impatience, Itana quickly finished rummaging through her belongings trying to find her shoes. She'd never seen the Kendra Valley before. She was so excited to be allowed to make this trip with her father that she'd gotten next to no sleep the night before and had misplaced everything she'd pulled from her bag to wear, including her only pair of shoes. She was so excited in fact, that her father's unusually pensive and stoic behavior had gone completely unnoticed.

 

"Veloras Itana! If you're not out here immediately, you're staying here." He called one final time as Itana hopped out of the tent pulling her shoes on, taking only a second to cross her eyes and stick her tongue out at her twin sister, Itara.

 

"Sorry Daddy. I'm ready." Itana skidded up next to her father breathlessly and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist. "I'll miss you." She smiled brightly as her mother bent, kissing her on the forehead. Itana hopped up and gave her baby brother a peck on the cheek. Aomar giggled and grabbed at her hair from his perch on his mother's hip.

 

A sullen and forlorn voice came from behind and she turned to see her sister, Itara, pouting from the tent's entryway. "I still don't understant why Tana gets to go and I gotta stay here." Itara frowned up at her father.

"It's 'have to stay here' 'gotta' is not a word and, you know why. The draw was done fairly little sprite. I'm sorry, but I could only get a pass for two or the whole family would be going. Besides, I need you to stay here and look after your mother and brother while we're away." Ranik turned to his wife of fourteen years and feigned a weak smile. "It's only for two days. We'll be back before you know it." He leaned and kissed her tenderly, trying hard to hide the sadness in his eyes. "I love you." He clasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. A single tear emerged from her mothers eye and as it ran a thin course down her cheek, Itana saw the tension between them for the first time.

"Do what you must, Ranik." Her mother murmured softly. "But, please, be careful." She turned away for a moment, trying desparately to collect herself. "I love you."

Itana and Itara exchanged concerned glances but said nothing as their parents finished their goodbyes. They were mirror images of each other. The same features and mannerisms, the same hair and eyes. If it weren't for the immeasurable differences in their personalities and interests it would be impossible for anyone who didn't know them well to tell them apart. Something that had come in quite handy on the numerous occassions they'd gotten into mischief together. They accented each others talents and abilities well and, had an eerie form of communication common only to identical twins.

 

The twins interlocked the fingers on both hands and leaned close to each other till their foreheads touched. This was the first time in their lives they'd been separated for anything more than an hour or two and, though neither wished to admit it, the prospect made them both extremely uneasy. "Stay out of trouble Rastipod brain." Itana giggled and bumped her nose against her sister's. "Eat poluku and throw up, catterpod head." Itara shot back with a resounding laugh.

 

Itana looked back over her shoulder as she and her father headed for the launch platform. She felt nauseous and anxious as they approached Rakantha proper and she saw the myriad of armed Cardassians rustling the Bajoran travellers around like cattle, shouting at them and occassionally shoving the ones who moved too slow. She didn't know it then but, that would be the last time she saw her mother or her sister and brother again. Something she would regret for the rest of her life.

 

...To Be Continued.