Pandora's Box (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on 23 Dec 2023 @ 11:05am by Lieutenant JG Montgomery Vala & Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor

2,362 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 19 - Tomorrow's Galileo
Location: USS Galileo-A Deck 3 - Sera's Quarters
Timeline: MD03 - 0000hrs

Previously, on Pandora's Box (Part 2)...

"Honestly, Sera I am not sure what I know. Whatever is here though," he gestured to the sealed box, "well you can trust me not to mention it." He hoped she would believe him to be sincere. "As for secrets..." He breathed deeply. "I-I... I trust you." She would not likely understand how profound an admission that was for him. "As a result you will surely not be at a disadvantage for long."

Sera looked past him, thinking on what he said. His evasion was not unreasonable. She would not be willing to clearly state what had occurred here either at this point. Montgomery's statement agreeing to silence was a most unusual gesture, however. It was a kindness she was unused to, to be fair...and to come from a Rihannsu of all places.

"You honor me with your trust, Montgomery Vala. I will ensure such confidence is not misplaced."

In a way, they had just created their own Silence. It was the type of secrecy seen within the family...or between--No.

Find satisfaction in what is. That he did not, what, run away screaming? That was satisfaction enough...for now.

Vala smiled at her before taking a few moments to take stock. He had recovered now from what he could only ascribe to have been a panic attack, and in fact the subsequent interactions (despite involving no small amount of blood) had actually bouyed his mood.

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

Given that the Rihannsu chest and the implications therein was now closed he thought it might do them both good to find a distraction. "So Sera, putting that one to the side," he gestured at the S'Vekhara wood box, "can I help you with any of these other boxes? Maybe some decorating? A sword fight, perhaps?" He joked, weakly laughing.

"A sword fight would, no doubt, cause further bloodshed." Sera quipped in return, in perfect example of Vulcan 'humor,' if it could be called such a thing.

"However, I would not be against assistance..." She began to do inventory. In the box with the weapons should be a wall mount that used magnets to attach to the wall panels. The other crate held her personal affects from Juneau.

"It will also allow you to further inspect the weapons, if you feel so inclined."

"I am rather inclined," he said lightly, once again kneeling by the weapons crate.

He spent a while closely examining the implements within. As he had noted earlier they were very fine things. The craftsmanship was delicate and considered, the edges clearly designed to inflict exceptional damage.

He supposed it was 'logical' for each slice and jab to inflict the most devastating wounds. No room for causing unnecessary pain here. Perhaps that would be considered some kind of decadence.

"Have you ever had to use these to defend yourself?" He asked as he idly looked at his reflection in one of the weapons.

"No. I have only used such weapons in a training environment. I did have an opportunity, once..." Sera stopped talking. She was not about to discuss the Kal-if-ee with an outsider, no matter how engrossing he may be.

"I have a blade guard for that particular weapon you are observing. It is called a lirpa. It can be used to inflict slashing damage or blunt force trauma from the smoothed stone end." Sera maneuvered herself over to where he was peering inside of the box.

Reaching in she undid the fasteners which kept it secure and pulled out the heavy double-ended weapon and extended her arms in invitation to take the weapon.

"The... opportunity?" He mused aloud in response to her rather cryptic answer. Who would have the opportunity to defend one's self and not seize upon it? Curious indeed.

Vala took the blade and grasped it as naturally as he could. He had not been trained in polearms so he was sure his stance was inappropriate, but to examine the piece and feel its weight it was sufficient.

"You must be very skilled, Sera," he examined the range and reach of the implement by slowly extending it to his side, "It must be easy to hurt yourself with a careless action."

Sera remembered each and every cut she had endured training with the weapon in crystal clarity. "I am not one to proclaim my skill one way or the other. The lirpa is not a forgiving weapon."

While she was replying to him, Sera reached down and pulled out a long coil of leather with intricately forged alloyed weights on each end. Gauging the distance between them, Sera dropped one of the weights and using a precise movement of her arm, flung the weight still held in her hand, and at the precise moment grasped the slack in leather strap and pulled back so that the end of the weighted weapon wrapped loosely about his neck.

Sera's eyes widening was the only outward sign that she was internally aghast at her impulsivity...and her daring. She hadn't practiced with that weapon in in decades and without any logical consideration demonstrated it on Montgomery? Sweet Surak, why did she do that?!

Because all you had to do was tug and he would have been powerless to resist you. Her inner voice explained.

Vala stood completely still, his reflexes having completely failed him in the moments prior. "Y-ou may not wish to proclaim your skill, but that was rather... deft," he said casting his eyes along the strap that now connected them, "Were I your enemy... well you would no doubt hold my life in your hands," his eyes reached her and he smiled sheepishly.

"I would not find the thought of you being my enemy to be and agreeable one." She responded, stepping the few steps over to where Montgomery stood still holding the lirpa, and reached up to pull the weighted end of the ahn'woon from around his neck. Sera was careful to not touch him...very careful.

"I doubt you would find me much of a threat," he chuckled lightly. Her careful, purposeful movements in close proximity to him were oddly... distracting. He noticed the stunning blue of her eyes, the form of her cheekbones, the long curve of her... Why was she so compelling? He blinked a few times, clearing his mind as she released the weapon from him.

"But you will certainly not find an enemy in me. I would much rather have you on my side with this arsenal than against me," he smiled a little awkwardly, "Though perhaps you could give me some further demonstrations in the future. If it were convenient. Some time."

"That would be acceptable, Montgomery."

She gathered up the ahn'woon and re-wrapped it. It was best if the item was returned to the box or at least removed from her general vicinity, yes. That would be prudent...might even be necessary, even.

So, with great reluctance, did Sera step away, returning to the crate that held her weapons and placed the ahn'woon back. As Montgomery still held the lirpa, perhaps it would be prudent to obtain the wall mounts so the weapon could be displayed.

It didn't take much to find the items, and she took them out and walked over an appropriate spot along an empty wall and engaged the mount's magnets, and it became quite securely attached to the bulkhead.

It had a number of notches to hold what weapons she had with her...there were a number of empty spaces too. She had hoped to collect such things on her travels. It was a strange sort of irony that the only places she had been were ships...and back home. No opportunities for such appropriations.

"You may put the weapons on the wall mount at your discretion." It wasn't like Sera was in a rush, really...Montgomery could stay here all day if he chose.

"Oh... well I shall try to do so in an aesthetic way," Vala looked at the wall and then to the weapons. What would the most 'logical' way be to arrange them? That is what she'd want surely... 'logical'.

But then... if she wanted 'logic' then she would not have asked him. Why did she ask him? It was quite a significant thing to decorate ones quarters was it not? Maybe not for Vulcans though...

His mind went in circles for a while, taking several moments to come to necessary conclusions. 1) He should not overthink this task. 2) Why would he even think about overthinking it. 3) It did not matter. 4) But it really did matter...

It took a further few moments for his rational mind to take over and shut the other thoughts up, compelling Vala to act before an unusual amount of time had past.

There were more notches than weapons. That meant he could not put all of them on one side because it would offend symmetry, even though he would typically be inclined to group weapons of a similar form together...

He finally settled on evenly distributing the weapons across the display in a way he felt looked pleasant when accounting for different size and shape.

He nodded. Why had he worried so much about such an inconsequential task? Answers from deep within in his limbic system were quickly suppressed by the rational brain.

"So, Sera," finally breaking the silence, "You appear to be missing a few weapons," he indicated the empty notches.

"I had...anticipated that I would have seen more alien cultures by now. The empty spaces would have been been filled with tokens of my travels." She made a subtle gesture that could mean just about anything. "It was based on a presumption that I would automatically be granted such opportunities in service to Starfleet."

She walked the few steps over to where he stood after arranging her weaponry. Sera wanted to study the particular composition he had used to place each piece. It would not have been how she would have done it...but what he had done was most acceptable.

"I approve."

An unexpected (but much desired) sense of relief washed over him. He closed his eyes and breathed as the various, previously warring, parts of his mind settled down thanks to the validation.

He looked over to her as she observed the display, "I had similar ideas, but I don't think I have visited a single planet where I could have appropriately picked up a 'souvenir'." He thought back to his previous postings, "I have landed on a planet afflicted by a terrible plague, a dead radioactive ruin, another dead radioactive ruin but with a rogue AI, several dead asteroids... Nothing exactly capturing the adventure one might have seen in the holovids."

"Indeed not." Sera readily agreed. "I believe we were lied to."

He laughted lightly, "Life aboard a starship has never been too bad I suppose," he glanced out of the window where the Pleiades were as spectacular as ever, "Well apart from the time spent in mortal danger of course." His eyes returned to S'Ers-a, "and, as promised, I've met... interesting people."

"Viruk...desired to be a preeminent scientist. He was quite adept at quantum mechanics...he had been denied entry to the VSA. He had been rather..." pissy "Despondent. It weighed on me...so I found another logical, if perhaps less ideal option, and that was to apply to Starfleet."

Sera wasn't sure why she was telling him any of this. "In order to remain with him, as was considered customary by my culture, I applied too. It did allow for a trip off Vulcan, and I have met numerous different aliens...whom I seem to inevitably elicit less than ideal responses from."

He had been intending to imply that Sera was one of the interesting people he had mentioned, but she had gone on a personal tangent. It was a curious diversion. "And... who is Viruk?" He enquired gently.

Sera blinked. Oh. Of course. He did not know. "He was my mate. He died...I know nothing further than that. The whereabouts and purpose of his assignment were classified."

"Oh..." It had not occurred to him that she would have had a mate. Not that he knew much of Vulcan custom. "That is terrible... To not know. For it to happen at all." He put his fist over his heart and bowed his head. Her situation was not dissimilar to his own.

"Kaiidth." Sera replied, unsure of what else to say. Life's choices and happenings had brought her here, to this very moment. What is, is...and in the moment...well, it would be enough. For the moment.

"Your assistance here was unexpected, but most appreciated."

Kaiidth... One of the few Vulcan turns of phrase he was familiar with. He knew the scope of it was beyond his conception, but it meant something akin to acceptance. As far as he knew at least.

"It has been... a pleasure," he smiled as he turned to face Sera once more, "Thank you for inviting me into your quarters and allowing me to assist."

He cleared his throat a little, "If you wish to discuss..." He gestured to the Rihannsu box, "... please let me know." He glanced to the door, "I shall leave you to finish unpacking in peace."

Sera wanted him to stay but had no logical reason to offer to keep him there. Surrendering to the inevitable, she tilted her head to him deferentially in a non-verbal gesture of thanks. "I shall consider your offer regarding the box." Glancing to the thing that had caused quite an uproar...may leaving the thing closed was the best decision she could make. What else it might contain made her...uneasy.

Vala bowed his head respectfully to her and, with a final small smile, swept around and walked out of the door.

[OFF]

--

LTJG Montgomery Vala
Deputy Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

&

Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Deputy Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A

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