Bon Voyage (or the Orion equivalent of)

Posted on 26 Sep 2018 @ 3:31pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Nesh Saalm

1,592 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Avondale Shipyards - USS Galileo-A Airlock
Timeline: MD 146, 1548 hrs

[ON]

Nesh bit her lip a bit as she stood there, on the deck of the USS Galielo-A in all its new glory. She let her teeth slip from her lip after a moment, moving a hand to play with a lock of her hair. She had it in waves today and she wore a simple jumpsuit, surprisingly conservative for her except the cut-out back that exposed the flawless length of her back. After all, she was a civilian seeing her sister off for a long, long journey ahead. And because Nesh was a stylish girl, she also had a dark brown bag slung over her shoulder with some of her art supplies. Not much. Just in case she fancied sitting down and doing something.

She was waiting though because it was a lot of the high and mighties that needed to shake Lirha's hand, so to speak, and a lot of people wanted to be seen here. Nesh had to admit that it was both nice (because she was proud of Lirha) and oh so annoying because....again...Lirha. Sisters forever and that.

She finally waved at Lirha the second she saw her disentangled from an Admiral who was waaay into Lirha's personal space. "Lirha!" she shouted, just because she could.

The older Orion had been sandwiched between several of her superiors while she briefed them on the mundane technical aspects of the latest (and final) round of computer core testing. It was a necessary task considering her new starship was scheduled for departure in a little less than four hours -- but it had also become painstakingly boring, and Lirha almost jumped for joy when she saw her younger sister approach. Finally, a reason to excuse herself. Which she did promptly and walked towards Nesh.

"I was beginning to think you didn't want to come see me off," she teased the younger Orion who looked very similar in appearance to Lirha and the rest of the women in the Saalm family.

"Well, I did consider just standing you up," Nesh said, mock serious as she held her eyes. "But I just pictured your sad, sad eyes and then knew I'd never ever be able to live it down." She rolled her eyes before she smiled and reached out to hug her sister. "I am so freaking proud of you! I know everyone is, but I am here to just tell you to your face, Lirha."

The sudden embrace felt...strange. But good. Lirha wrapped her arms around her taller sister and pressed her face into her neck with a smile. Nesh hadn't hugged her in what felt like a year, and all of Lirha's previous sisterly annoyances started to melt away. "...Thanks," she mumbled. "I think I'm going to miss you...a lot," she added, her eyes now moistening at the thought of leaving her younger sister for so long.

"Nah, you won't," Nesh pulled back slowly, holding her eyes before she smiled weakly. "Besides, I'll be all married and stuff when you come back so..." she gave an awkward shrug before she took Lirha's hand. "So things will be different. But you are going on an adventure."

Lirha suddenly tensed up and looked up to Nesh's green eyes to see if she was joking. "..What?" Married?! This was completely new news to her and her jaw slightly dropped. So many questions started to flood her head. "..Wha-.. How..? WHO..!" When, she also forgot to demand.

"Easy! Mother. Mother. Reon Visar, around a month's time now," Nesh said and there was a tenseness around her mouth now. "I've been on mental countdown...anyway, not surprised she didn't tell her, I don't think she told Livana either..." she shrugged at it, meeting Lirha's eyes. "So yeah. It'll be different when you're back." And a place deep inside Nesh felt almost sad at ratting out her mother to Lirha. It would make things tense. But then again, my mother shouldn't be selling me like some priced piece of shiny jewelry either, so there we are. "Just...wanted to let you know I suppose. Sorry for the awful timing, I've been trying to get out of it but you know how mother is."

Stepping back to look at Nesh and let the news sink in, Lirha didn't know what to think of what she'd just been told. She felt...surprised. And happy but also angry that Aila'd apparently set all this up for her sister. "Reon Visar?" she repeated the man's Orion-sounding name with no clue who he was.

"He's..." Nesh considered it before she sighed and shook her head. "He's fine. He's handsome. He's smart. But...yeah. I'll be fine, Lirha. Just...I suppose I assumed you knew," she admitted the last with a weak smile before she watched her. "But let's forget about it for now. I wanted to see you off. And see your new home for those years you will be away from me!"

Lirha hadn't known and now she was becoming angry. Not at her sister, but at their mother for her seemingly-endless and efficient manipulation of life's opportunities. So she had to ask Nesh.

"She arranged this for you," she started matter-of-factly, "and you're just...agreeing? ...This is what you gave Starfleet up for?" Her jaw clenched as she tried to suppress her frustration at both being ignorant of her family's affairs and also Nesh's possible complicity in the matter.

"Hey!" Nesh's eyes narrowed slight before she crossed her arms over her chest. "Have you ever tried getting Mother to change her mind? I'm going along with it, officially. I didn't give up Starfleet for that, I gave up on Starfleet for my art and I will keep doing my art no matter what. Because I am good at it and I want to do it. Besides, unofficially I'll find a way out of it, I always do. You know me, Lirha, I got exit plans and everything, right? I didn't come here to argue anyway! I came here to...to see you..." she uncrossed her arms before she gave a small smile, looking at Lirha.

Lirha's eyes drifted to Nesh's feet after the mild scolding and she knew her sister was right; there was no controlling their mother. Aila was the head of their household and not only possessed significant Orion capital, but also influence. Deep down inside, Lirha knew their mother had probably done this not only for Nesh's supposed security, but also for financial and political prowess. And yet, at the moonset, could she really fault her for doing so? It was Orion tradition, after all.

"I'm sorry," Lirha confessed. "I just worry about you. I know you are not me and you want to be free. I just..." she shook her head as her voice trailed off and looked Nesh in the eyes. "You are becoming a woman now and the universe out there," she gestured to the top of the bulkhead, "is dangerous. And sometimes unforgiving. I want you to be safe so I worry."

Nesh watched her for a long moment before she smiled, shaking her head. "I am starting to see that. But I can handle myself, Lirha. I know you have always wanted to keep me safe..." she looked down for a moment, her fingers brushing over the bag she had. "And you have succeeded. But now...I'm a woman. And I have to fight for myself now. I want to do it with my art."

A moment of silence passed between the two of them while other personnel on the deck walked by on either side of the two Orions in the corridor next to the airlock. Lirha finally conceded herself to Nesh's own personal authority and gave a simple yet affirmative smile of understanding. "Fine. But I want monthly comms from you. And I want to talk to this...Reon Visar, personally. And mother."

Nesh smiled at that before she nodded. "Of course, because I want to hear about the crazy stuff you didn't do and your crew did do..." she said lightly before she winked.

Lirha reached out and squeezed Nesh's forearm one last time in farewell. "Then this is goodbye, for now. I'm sure I will return with some interesting stories," she promised.

Nesh nodded, exhaling, holding her eyes. "Be your brilliant self, Lirha," she said softly. "And good luck." It felt strange to say it, knowing what she had to do. But she wanted Lirha to...to feel that, to have felt Nesh's faith and love for her sister even if they sometimes butted heads. Occasionally. More than once. Possibly even frequently.

"Saalm!" came the sudden call from one of the 7th Fleet admirals who'd been speaking to Lirha just moments before her sister arrived. The captain looked to man behind Nesh who was motioning for her to rejoin him, and so she smiled back at the young Orion one final time before turning away to return to her official duties.

Nesh watched her for a moment before taking a deep breath for courage. She walked away, glancing around to make sure no one were watching. And then she reached into the bag and put the smuggling device on her wrist, pressing the command on it...and for as much as the ship's sensors knew, she was no more.

[OFF]

--

Nesh Saalm
Civilian Artist
[PNPC Vansen]

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

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