JL | Com. Ivanova & Cmdr Dahe'el - "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watchin' Me"

Posted on Wed Feb 25th, 2015 @ 2:47am by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova

2,072 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: A Spot To Kill
Location: Outside the Royal City

Having flown down to the Royal City, Almar had been regarded with suspicion since they had arrived. The Atlanteans spoke respectfully enough but they were always watching the Cardassian, watching and viewing his interactions with their queen, the same queen who strode alongside him in the fields that surrounded the royal city of Gibraltar.

It was a warm and sunny day, beautiful and care-free as days came. It was hard to believe that insipid pitfalls could be lurking around each and every turn. In the traditional clothing of the Atlantean people, Rochelle truly shone. The rich colors of the silks only served to highlight her eyes and the brilliant copper of her hair -- or at least what wasn't covered by the gossamer head covering that blocked the sun from burning the bare nape of her neck and line of her exposed shoulders -- still felt so foreign and wrong to the usually modest woman who chose comfort over flash time and time again. "I could get used to these views." She said, tilting her head up to glance her ever loyal companion and gestured towards the mountains that spanned to the north and the shimmering glint of the sea to the east.

"They are quite impressive, there is no denying it," the Cardassian replied with a light chuckle as his step fell into the same pattern as hers, the rustle of the Atlantean clothing becoming an ever present sound as his large frame moved.

"Not at all." Rochelle mused aloud and allowed herself to smile for the briefest of evanescent moments. For a second all she could hear was the sound of her own heart beating, the wind as it whistled over the tall grasses of the field they strolled through, and the jangling of the copper and jade earrings she'd been given to wear. There was a darkness there, even though the sun shone so wildly bright, one she couldn't fend off or deny -- and it sent a cold shiver up along the length of her delicate spine. "I worry for you here, Almar." She finally said, casting her gaze down at the well worn path they followed.

"I felt it as soon as I set foot on the planet and the first of them looked me over," the Cardassian replied with a slight frown as he looked over at the redhead and tilted his head to the side indicating the path they had walked, "I might have dulled hearing, but my sense of smell cannot miss her," he added, the bushes further down the path rustling to exaggerate his point, "They do not like Cardassians, something must have happened."

The Commodore's icy eyes followed his nod and to where the scrub trees swayed against the wind's direction. "They don't play hide and seek very well. That much is a bonus... For us." She replied with a soft sigh. Her shoulders slumped for a fraction of a second as continued at their leisurely pace. "Not very many people do like Cardassians, but this is something you already know." The fullness of her lips tipped in a scowl as she spoke, disapproving the nature of the conversation or the topic of racism. "People need to learn to see past the cover of a book. Find out what the guts are made of before they pass judgment or discount something simply because it's different. You know I'm not over fond of Cardassians as a whole, I've spent most of my life being told not to trust them and studying the pain Cardassia has inflicted, but I find you gentle, warm, comforting... Honest." The scowl tipped away into the smallest of smiles and she dared to look back up at his alabaster face, "You've taught me to take people in stride and learn them as individuals rather than as groups."

"There's something deeper at work here though," Almar replied with a light chuckle as he fell back into step alongside her, the long braid of his raven hair swinging behind him, "I have no doubt that they have something against my race because of something my race has been involved in."

"You think Cardassia has made its way here or do you think Taggart or Archer spoiled the well?" Rochelle asked, allowing her shoulder to brush along her bicep in a display of understanding and soothing.

"I think it's Cardassia," Almar replied with a slight sigh as the bushes once more rustled behind them, "They seem to be wary of all of us, everyone of your crew," he began before looking over his shoulder, "But I get the feeling that they are watching me even closer than the rest, especially since you named me one of your closest advisers by insisting on keeping me close."

The little redhead sighed heavily, "You're a threat to their perfect picture and a reason why I wouldn't want to stay." She murmured as another chill bolstering its way up her back bone to send regards from being watched. It didn't sit well with her, made her antsy and anxious, and kept her from being able to enjoy the luxury of a walk in the sun. "Cardassian or not, they're bound to hate everyone I've aligned myself with."

"This is also true," Almar replied as they continued along the path that was laid out before them, "How many times have you been asked to stay so far?"

Rochelle chuckled and rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh, "Every chance they get, and they're not asking. They're just talking like I'm never going anywhere. It's 'When you take a husband' and 'It's expected that you do this, that, or the other thing in this amount of time'."

"We'll just have to make sure you appoint someone to rule in your stead and get you the hell out of here," Almar replied with a chuckle, his hands finding a couple of pockets in the outfit he'd been given to wear.

She grinned brilliantly and nodded. The motion combined with a stiffer gust of wind was enough to slip the scarf from her head and left it hanging useless along her upper back. She couldn't have cared less about it, though knew whoever was watching would likely be aghast by how she so easily shirked tradition. Her hair had been carefully braided into a halo, keeping it off her neck and saving it from 'damage' as she'd been told by Kyym when she'd insisted on tending to her that morning. It had driven the Commodore crazy. "I'm working on getting that done as quickly as possible, Almar. I promise. I'm ready for everything to go back to normal."

"Normal?" Came the reply with a laugh that emanated from his stomach, "You really think anything that happens on the Vindicator counts as normal? You have a pet that introduced itself to us by collecting wires and disrupting multiple systems, Your first officer has seemingly taken a shine to a recently transferred non comissioned officer and you have a Cardassian as your Chief Engineer," he added with a bright smile, "We're anything but normal."

"Normal is what you make it and for the Vindicator, that is the normal status quo." Rochelle scoffed and bolstered herself up to be as tall as she possibly could in mock defense of her definition of normal and that which circulated around her ship and crew. "Besides... The Cardassian Engineer is quite talented. I think I'll keep him."

"I'm quite sure he's keen to stay on too, there's more to the Vindicator than just the ship that he loves," the Cardassian responded with his tongue stuck out a little bit, "Besides, the place wouldn't last five minutes without him patching her together."

"Is that so?" The Commodore feigned offense, plucking at his shoulder with her thumb and middle finger, "That's a fine looking high horse." She drawled, her lips curling into a slow, sly sort of smile as she looked upon him through playfully narrowed eyes. The dark liner around them only seemed to make their normally icy depths come to a burning smolder, darkening the cobalt that ran a ring about her irises and somehow managed to come together without over powering the rest of her facial features. "Tell me more about this Engineer's passing fancy." The smile embellished on itself as the path curled through the shade of large multi-trunked trees. They looked almost like the great ficus and banyans of Earth, but she knew better than to assume such.

"Hardly a passing fancy," Almar replied, the chuckle continuing to rumble through his chest, the wind catching his braid and throwing it up over his shoulder to rest on his chest, "I'm not going to bother mincing words, you know how I feel about you and you know I'd never leave you or the Vindicator,"

Rochelle's eyes closed. She wasn't sure if it were to protect them from the dust and pollen kicked up on that powerful gust of wind, or if it were to hide from that hungry, anxious mix of pleasure and fear that welled in her belly and ran, like electricity along her veins until it reached her heart and the tips of her fingers. They tap danced ever so adroitly on the cusp of the sweet innocence created, ironically, by such a gentle sin.

She'd sent Landon away, Tristan and his son along with him, and said no when he'd grabbed her by the hand and asked her to run with him. Did it free her from the secret she kept from Almar? The betrayal that wasn't truly a betrayal? She knew the mark behind her ear spoke of a story far different, one of giving into temptation, being burnt, and lancing a heart. She knew the fake mark on her wrist was nothing more than a lie designed to preserve integrity, to keep the rouse up for just a little longer. She didn't want to hurt Almar... She loved him. Where Landon was that explosive flame, Almar was the slow burn. Ever loyal. Ever faithful. The guardian and the protector. Life had become the ultimate game of truth or consequences and the niggling doubt that Almar could ever love anything aside from the ship he'd built -- the doubt that she was more than just another piece of the vessel that needed to be kept happy in order for things to continue running smoothly. "I do." She said, the words nothing more than the barest tease of a whisper as she reopened those kohl lined eyes and brought them into focus on his.

The wind rushed around them as it began picking up, causing the leaves to dance as they fell from the trees and the breeze caused their outfits to rustle in time with the leaves, "It's starting to get a little chilly out here."

Rochelle nodded in quiet agreement and found herself studying the ground and the skittering loose bits of foliage that circulated across their path. "Kyym said something about it being the beginning of autumn here." She said, noting the colors on some of the branches above. "I intend to be out of here long before it freezes. I've had enough of snow to last me a life time. Still have the remnants of a bruise on my ass to prove it."

"Winter would be a bad time to be stuck here," Almar replied with a slight frown as he turned to look over the Atlantean who was still attempting to hide from them, out of sight to a certain extent but still visible, "I could really do with something to eat."

"It would." She agreed, shifting uneasily as she walked. "I think I'm about done with walking, what do you say we call it good and head in for lunch?"

"That sounds like a good plan," Almar replied as he began moving back down the path, "I hope they have something half decent set up for lunch."

"Fingers crossed. If their cuisine is anything like Greek food, I could be a very happy person." She chuckled and reached to brush his fingers with hers before hooking her index finger with his.

Her touch sent a shiver up the spine of the Engineer and bought forth a smile from the depths of his soul.

---

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Commander Almar Dahe'el
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Vindicator, NCC 78213-E

 

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