[Elsewhere on the Ship]
Katara sets Sprink down in the corridor, then asks the computer for Rylan's
location. As the computer supplied the answer, Sprink suddenly squeeks, "Is
D`Tarik going to be okay?"
Surprised that the Tribble seemed to have very little trouble saying this,
Katara starts walking as she answers him, "Ie. He'll be okay." she tried to
smile, to reasure him, but looked away knowing that the smile hadn't felt all
that confident.
Hoping along beside her, Sprink squeeks again, "Okay...." not believing her
in the least.
"Let's just...go find Rylan." she nods, still walking to where the computer
had said he could be located. As the pair walk into the Cargo bay, she sees
Rylan working hard, and pauses, wondering if she should bother him or not.
She wasn't sure how D`Tarik had handled the whole thing anyway, what could
she tell Rylan about it?
[Cargo Bay]
Rylan, after putting his thumb-scan on the isd given him, hands if back to
erie`Arrain t`Bahyk standing beside him, then motions to the two erien-a to
move the last of the cargo boxes to the other side of the bay with the others
like it. Turning to t`Bahyk at his side, he nods, "There. Au can have the
rest of it beamed aboard now. Should be room now that this other stuff is
stacked properly. Then have the team unpack them and get the supplies off to
the correct departments. Would like to have this done today, if that's
possible."
"Ie rekkhai..." she bows her head slightly, tossing him a smile before
heading off to do as bid.
Believing he's done all he can here, Rylan decides to head off to the computer
core to see how the repairs were getting along. They had discovered that it
had been a newly uploaded program that had caused all the chaos, and had
isolated it until the Leih could decied what to do with the program in
question. But they still needed to repair the system they had blown at
Rylan's earlier order. As he heads towards the cargo bay doors, he spies
Katara and Sprink looking expectantly at him, as if they had been waiting for
him to be finished so as not to interrupt him. He raises a brow slightly,
wondering how long Katara would be stuck with Tribble-sitting, but smiles
none-the-less as he approached closer. "Did au come to escort me to the
computer core?" he smirks jokingly, "Make sure I get there, and get the
system fixed?"
"Ah...well, na exactly...." she tried to explain, but Rylan cut her off
before she could continue.
"Well, walk with me anyway." he grinned. Slipping his arm around her, he
steered her out of the cargo bay doors and into the corridor beyond, heading
for the turbolift at the end of the hall. "This shouldn't take too much
longer; then maybe au and I could go to the Station for a bit? If au'rh na
to busy with the bar?" he asked, casting her a hopeful glance that she'd be
free later.
"Um...well..I closed the bar today." she smiled a little hesitantly, "People
are bound to want to explore the Station anyhow. As a matter of fact, Emni
and I did a little earlier, and..."
"Oh." he looked a little disappointed at that. "Well..I would have taken au
earlier, but I had work to do." he shrugged, "I was hoping..."
"Na. That's fine. I understand." she nodded again, passing off a
'jump-in-and-help-anytime' look to Sprink, "It's just that we saw..."
"Good then!" he interrupted again. Then cast his own look to the Tribble
hopping along beside them. "Um...I hope DT can make other arrangements for
Sprinkles." he frowned slightly, "Would like a chance to have au just to
myself." then added silently, *For once...*
"Ie." she nodded, growing slightly frustraited, "I'm sure Sprinkles will be
back with them soon. And speaking of D`Tarik...." she tried once more.
"Great!" he beamed at that, entering the lift. Then held the doors open for
her, "Then as soon as I see how things are going with the computer core, we
can go if au like. Shall I meet au somewhere, or would au like to tag along?
I won't be at the lab long; promise." he smiled.
Stepping in to stand behind him she waited until the lift was on it's way
before trying again. "Rylan?" she held up a hand before he had the chance to
say 'what?' and continued. "Don't say anything... just hear me out. Okay?"
Rylan paused a moment, his brow arching very slightly. Frowning, he nodded
for her to continue, but didn't say a word. "Okay...." she smiled, "See,
earlier, Emni and I went to the Station and met some io there,
that....uh....may be of some importance to D`Tarik." she shrugged, "Or na.
I'm really kind of uncertain about that. But maybe au should go find him and
see if he's alright."
Looking confused by this, he asks, "Why? In what way 'important'?"
"Um...well...the man we met said he was D`Tarik's father, and ...."
"Na." Rylan shook his head. "DT's parents died. He told me that shortly
after he arrived at the Academy." he paused, then added, "His sister died
na too long ago as well. He's the only io left of s'Rekkohan."
"Well...ie." Katara nodded, then paused as the doors opened to the lift.
Following Rylan to the computer core, she tried to explain. "Emni mentioned
that too. But this man...well, he really looked like D`Tarik. And he seemed
to know him. Hearing his name seemed to be almost like a slap in the face.
Brought him right back to soberity."
"So, the guy was a drunk, and au believed him?" Ry asks with a lift of his
brow. "Katara...the guy probably heard io of au mention DT, and was just
playing with ninte heads." he shrugged, stopping outside the computer core.
"And, just between au and I...even if that *was* -- by some miracle of the
Elements -- DT's dead father; believe me, DT's better off without him."
Looking at him with a shocked expression, wondering how he could be so calus
about the whole thing, she asked with an uncomprehending shake of her head,
"How can au say that? That man might very well be his father! How can au
say he'd be better off without him? Especially after he was told his family
was dead!"
"Au don't know, Katara." Ry shook his head. "If his father's a drunk...trust
me...DT's better off thinking that he's still dead." turning away from her,
he looked at the computer core doors for a moment before adding quietly, "I
wish I never knew my own."
That gave her a moment's pause. Seeing his manner turn distant again,
slipping into one of his quiet moods, Katara moved closer to him and wrapped
her arms around his waist. Speaking softly, gently, she brought his
attention back to the here and now; bringing him back from whatever dark
corner his mind was trying to retreat to. "We're na talking about ninte own
father, Rylan." she smiled warmly up at him as his eyes turned her way,
"Though later, I would like to talk about that with au...." Seeing his eyes
slowly focus on something just past her as he mentally put distance between
them, she avoided that issue altogether and continued, "But right now, the
issue is D`Tarik. Emni's already told him of what happened. I'm na sure how
he took the news. I left the room to come find au. But either way....his
father or na.....D`Tarik's going to need some io to talk to."
Killing the angry thought of *Then let him go talk to the Khensia then!*
before he inadvertantly said it, Rylan nodded. "All right. Let me first
make sure everything's going well with the repairs in here," he glanced
towards the computer core doors again, "then I'll go look for DT and we'll
try and sort the whole thing out. Alright?"
"Ie." she smiled back, kissing him lightly, "Then later au and I can go to
the Station, right?"
"Ie...ie...." he nodded again, this time a hint of a smile playing at the
corners of his mouth, "But *without* the Tribble!" he cast a smirk at Sprink
who had been quietly -- albeit a little confused by the conversation --
listening in the whole time. "Na offense to au, Sprink."
|