Rowen Cairn Part 05

"Oh, don't worry, I have no problem wearing your clothes." she said simply, pulling on a shirt of her choosing before she turned to look at him.
"Ophelia?"
The image appeared on the dresser, as usual. "Yes, Captain?"
"Begin a full diagnostic on life support, engine power, sublight propulsion, anti space traversal, lighting, and weather control. Notify me when-" He paled.
The image looked confused. It shook its head. "'Notify you when'...what, Captain?"
"The transmission! Before we were attacked, you said we received a communiqué. Did you complete the decryption?"
"Yes. Of course, Captain. But, you told me not to bother you about it unless you-"
He cut her off. "Yes, yes I know what I said. The message is ready for viewing then, yes?"
The image nodded. "I can bring it up in the galley's projectors or in the cockpit, whichever you like."
She arched an eyebrow as Idris suddenly seem to fly into a panic. Not sure what this message meant, but curious to find out, she tucked the shirt in carefully, so it looked like it was fit for her. "Idris? Who's the message from? What's...wrong?"
Without answering her, he took off into the ring corridor. He almost jumped into the pilot's chair. "Go ahead, Ophelia."
The image was standing on the control console when he arrived in the cockpit. She disappeared as the image came up on the viewscreen. The man in the image looked older, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties. His brown hair was short and graying. He looked worried. "Idris. It would appear that you are, once again, out of contact. I am sending you this message to inform you that...the other faction...is searching for you. They know Atalanta. My informants on Adrondonas tell me you are transporting a pyre fiend. However, intelligence that I have just received informs me that Bothawei was paid off by...them, to help them intercept you. Do not go to Baramasta. Please, if you get this in time, contact me. Durron out." And with that, the message faded.
Idris sunk in his seat. He sighed, his voice was quiet and defeated as he looked up and spoke. "Ophelia...contact General Durron...and notify him of our situation. Should he request it, brief him..." He rose from his chair and sighed. He felt frustration trying to overcome him, but he ignored it. He ignored it all. He needed to get Atalanta repaired and then get Rowen off his ship.
"Yes, Captain. Should he desire to speak to you, shall I notify you?"
He nodded slowly. "Yes. Let him know that...I am at his disposal."
Rowen made it to the cockpit just as he slumped down in his chair. She wasn't going to be nosy, she knew better than that right now. "Will it always be this way? You run off without telling me what's going on?" She was calm, walking into the cockpit, looking around. She knew nothing about ships, so the buttons and levers were interesting for her, and she found herself wanting to push them - which of course she didn't. She was no longer a five year-old who was going through the "touch everything, and stick it in your mouth if you could" phase. "Are things alright? You don't look very happy."
He looked up at her and smiled. "I...yes...everything is fine." His composure lasted for a second before his frown returned. He shook his head. "No...no, I am afraid it isn't. I...I keep trying to hide everything from you, but it's much too late for that." He moved closer to her and took her hands in his own. He looked solemn as he stared into her eyes. He couldn't help himself, leaning in and kissing her, before pulling back and looking her over. "You have proven to me that you are no longer the young girl who stowed away on my ship. You deserve to make your own decisions. Your own...informed, decisions, I mean. I want to tell you...everything. No more secrets, at all. I am sorry I rushed away, but...it...I didn't have...the chance to explain to you. Here...just...just sit down and watch...it." He frowned at her, and motioned for her to sit in the pilot's chair, seating himself in the copilot's chair.
It was odd for her to hear Idris finally give in to the fact that she was no longer that juvenile, little creature, who chose to hide on his ship. That he trusted her with information. Slowly, she sat down in the chair, staring at him for a long moment, all of a sudden very uncertain about what she was getting herself into. She pushed for honesty with him, but what if honesty was going to scare the hell out of her? Still she swallowed hard, nodded to him, and gently bit down on her lower lip. Rowen didn't fully understand, a look of confusion settling over her face as she stared at the message, letting the words roll around in her head... "Then...we don't go to Baramasta. It's as simple as that, isn't it? But...I'm afraid I don't fully understand the situation. Who is Bothawei? Who has paid him off? Surely he was not talking about those harvesters, because it is much too late for a warning..." Her voice trailed off as she focused on Idris, desperate to understand.
He flinched visibly. "No...the...the other..." But he was cut off by the sound of Ophelia's image on the control console.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Captain, but General Durron said he wanted to talk to you, and not...'some stupid ship's computer.'" She seemed visibly annoyed by the words.
Idris looked over at her, and then to Rowen. "Just...stay here."
The image came up on the view screen. He looked surprised to see that Idris was not alone. "Oh, hello, Captain Chariton. You have guests. I'm sorry."
Idris thinned his eyes at him. "Shut up, Tiber. Tell me what the hell is going on. I got your message, by the way, but not until after Petraisha Teckhar and her merry band of henchmen took my ship, broke my engines, and stole my cargo...amongst other things. 'The Delethirian Empire,' she said. 'Join us,' she said. If the bitch hadn't tried to kill my friend Rowen here," he nodded his head in her direction, "then I may very well have given you all up! Unfortunately, she got away, and now Atalanta's adrift our here."
Tiber Durron's face fell a little, and he nodded. "I am sorry, Idris, that we didn't keep you informed. I understand your outrage. I'll have Avenger come out and pick you up. You needn't worry about your ship." He paused for a long moment, and looked straight at him. "I am truly sorry, Idris. I had no idea that...that they'd sent her to look for you." He frowned. "As for your cargo, the transaction, the job...apparently, they were all a setup. The deadline was only meant to rush you out impetuously to Baramasta. Obviously, it worked. How are you otherwise? Are you hurt? Do you have life support?"
Idris eased a little, nodding. "Yes, we are otherwise alright..."
"What else did she say? Did she tell you anything...other than giving you the full knowledge about...herself?" He seemed a little disappointed about this still.
"No, other than her name and blowing the lid off everything about who this other faction is, no. But...she..." He sighed and shook his head. "As you know, when Aria was...killed, her gift was somehow transferred into me. Somehow...this woman...was able to take it away. She now has Aria's powers."
Tiber's eyes went wide. "Really? But, that's impossible. We've studied gift transfer and found that...it wasn't viable. This is very bad news." He exhaled through his nose and looked back at him. "Idris, if you are willing, when Avenger picks you up, we'll tend to your ship, rearm her with new specifications, and then send you out on mission. I know you were not willing, before, to return, but after you drop off your passenger at her location, perhaps, with your new knowledge, you would want to return to the fold, on the same terms as before."
Idris sighed, and looked down. He didn't say anything, just nodding.
"Splendid." He clapped his hands together. "I'll notify Captain Johansen right away. Durron out."
And with that, the image faded, and Idris was left with Rowen, and what he imagined were a hundred questions circling around in her head.
Rowen was being good, keeping her mouth shut as the two men talked between themselves, but she remained attentive. She may not have understood a lot of what was being said, but she knew very well that if she continuously piped up, she'd learn a lot less. There was one part that stuck out in her mind, which made several emotions flare up inside of her as she held her tongue quickly. Wait...wait...And then Durron was gone, and they were left in silence. Slowly, Rowen looked over at Idris, taking a deep breath, trying to be calm, to sort all the information out. "Return to your fold? Drop your...passenger off? I think the first thing I want to know is if I should pack my bags or not. That kind of dictates the rest of my questions."
He frowned at her, and his shoulders sunk. "That...that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Rowen. I...you kind of...got pulled into this, against your will, I might add. I had no right to do this to you, to put you in this situation." He sighed, reaching out and taking her hands. "I want to tell you...everything...anything. Once...once you have all of the...what you...the answers, you ask for, then I want you to decide. You can stay with me...and...everything. Or, I...can take you somewhere...somewhere safe...I want you to make an informed decision, though. It's not my right to tell you what to do, and if you want to stay...then..." He sighed, his frown turning up only slightly. It was clear he wanted her to stay, for the most selfish of reasons...but he also wanted her to go...so she could be safe.
"Not exactly against my will, Idris. I'm the one who grabbed you in the streets, the one who boarded your ship...twice. I'm the one who decided to stick around." Looking down at their joined hands, she gave his a little squeeze. "Alright go ahead. Tell me everything. What happens if I stay? I know very well what will happen if I go, we don't need to talk about that. What happens if I stay, Idris?" A look of seriousness crossed her face, a look that was not often seen on Rowen. She wanted to know what her choices were, even though she knew very well that she wanted to stay with him, to make sure he was safe, even if that meant putting her own life at risk. She owed him everything right now for all that he had done for her.
"Well, General Durron has offered to fix Atalanta, at his expense, and then upgrade her. This would save me a lot of time, and money. He would probably send me out in the field, again, which would also make me a lot of money." He sighed. "The downside is that if you come with me, you'll be put on the radar. I...don't really want that for you...but if you want it, then I can't stop you." He frowned a little. "As far as...anything else...I don't know. Ask me, and I'll tell you." He smiled, half-heartedly. He felt open to her, receptive to her inquiries, and he wanted her to feel secure and be able to trust him the same way he felt he currently trusted her. "If there is anything you want to know, now is the time."
"Put on the radar." She muttered, taking the information in as she stared at him. Ask him anything? She knew what she wanted to ask him, but wasn't sure if she should. Slowly, she took in a deep breath, studying his face closely. "Would you like me to stay? And I mean, do you WANT me to stay? Put your stupid logistics aside, all the practicality...just tell me if you want me here." Her head tilted to the side as she studied him closely.
His mouth opened to speak, and his expression fell. He looked disappointed. He sighed and took a long moment to answer. "I...I just...I want...I want you...to be safe, Rowen. I want to know that...whatever...you decide, that...that you'll be alright." He let out a long breath, looking at the floor. "That...being said." He looked up at her, his eyes watering. "I want you...to be happy." He smiled, weakly, just for a moment, and then shut his eyes, trying to blink the tears away.
Rowen stared at him for an even longer moment, then sighed heavily, and shook her head. "You're still using your head too much. Still thinking too much. What do you FEEL, Idris? I know you Captains are all logical, and you want to do what's best for me...but I want to know what you feel, Idris. Do you WANT me to stay?" Her hold on his hands tightened, as she watched him.
He shut his eyes a moment, the frustration bubbling up from inside of him. He stood and looked down at her, pulling his hands away. "What do I feel? What do I FEEL?! I feel TERRIFIED, Rowen! I'm sacred! I'm scared that the Delethirians will come for me again, and this time, they'll take YOU! I'm terrified to see you turned into a monster or a slave...or...worse! I'm scared for you to get involved with SI! What if you like it more than I do...and you go...away somewhere, into a vicious battle, on the war front?! I feel like I could lose you either way, and in only one instance, I could see your life taken! I'm worried about you, and I want you to do what is best for you and...and get out of this before...something terrible DOES happen to you!" He exhaled, realizing that he was yelling at her. He shut his eyes a long moment and walked back to the rear of the cockpit, leaning against the wall. "But...I...I don't know what I am going to do...after you're gone." He shut his eyes, his face looking at the floor, and he didn't open his eyes or say another word to her as he stood there.
As his voice escalated into a yell, she visibly winced, dropping her head like a child in trouble. Patiently, she waited for him to finish yelling, her hands tightly clasping one another, wringing together gently. When finally all had gone silent, she took a moment to try to clear the shakiness from her voice and body. "Terrified is a good place to be...It means you care. But...you have to trust me about something, Idris...that I will never enjoy battles, or war. My whole life has been a war. I will never leave you for a battle, Idris...that just is not who I am." Pausing a moment, she stood up facing him. "As for the Delethirians...it's possible. They could take me, they could come back...but I've been captured many times. And I'm still here. I'm not being cocky...I'm terrified of being captured again. Absolutely terrified. I still dream about being locked in prisons as a young girl, being abused..." Her voices trailed off, but she quickly regained her voice and strength to keep speaking. "What's best for me...is...Hell I don't even know, Idris. But I do know this for sure: If I were to leave you, I'd feel terrified every moment, wondering where you were, if you were alright, and I...I don't know what I'd do. And I know that you are the first person to care about me in so long and...I can't let that slip away again. I want to stay...but only with your consent. I will not force myself on you, Idris. I never wanted that. Why do you think I ran all those years ago? Not to spite you...to protect you. Carrying someone like me...will always be dangerous. That is what I am. A danger to anyone who cares about me."
He sighed and looked at her. He smiled weakly and shook his head. "You are not dangerous. You can't help your gifts." He smiled and squeezed her hand. "And, if you want to stay, then stay, Rowen." He moved to her, slowly, taking her hands and holding them close to him, gazing into her eyes. "...then stay. I told you...you're welcome to stay here as long as you want. I will never send you away, unless I must." He leaned in and kissed her again. Returning his kiss tenderly, she nodded at him, smiling a little weakly herself. "And I promise, from now on, to continue to be honest with you. I don't believe that you are dangerous. I think you are wonderful. I just can't stand feeling this way...feeling so afraid." He frowned at her. "I feel so helpless..."
"You may not think I'm dangerous, but most people do. And the fact you're involved with me...that makes life even more difficult for you. You should just know what kind of woman you're bringing into your life, is all." She wrapped her arms around him in a gentle embrace, leaning her head on his chest. "I love you." Then her heart stopped, and she quickly bit her lip quick to try and tack on another word. "...and Ophelia. You both...just...care...so much." Gently she backed away from him and let out a little laugh. "You two are just...amazing. Sorry, the girl...gushing is...over. Why don't you um...fix your engines? Or do we not have to worry about that since someone is being sent...for us?"
When she tried to get away from him, he stopped her, grabbing her wrist. He pulled her close and kissed her, a long, deep, passionate kiss. He pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapping tightly around her. He didn't let her go for a long moment, and when he broke the kiss, he held her face gently in his hands, looking at her. Surprised to be pulled back, she was not disappointed by the kiss he delivered. Arms wrapped around him once again, and she pulled him closer to her, keeping the kiss going until he broke again. "It's ok, Rowen. I...I love you...too." He smiled weakly and blushed a little. Eyes lazily opened, and her lips spread out in a smile as he reassured her it was okay. He...loved her too. He shook his head, following her lead. "No...no, we...Avenger should be contacting us shortly. They'll obtain our coordinates and come and pick us up." He smiled at her again and moved to sit in the pilot's chair. He swung it around to look at her. "S-so...you...any...other questions?"
Her heart stopped all over again and she barely heard anything he said about Avenger. Staring down at him, now in the pilot's chair, she tried to formulate words. "W-Y-You...I...No. No questions. What about you? Want to ask me anything? I think I've asked enough for the day."
He shook his head at her, smiling. "I cannot honestly think of anything to ask you, but you must have something you're curious about." He beckoned her toward him, hoping she'd read his mind like she seemed able to do on some occasions, and sit in his lap. Moving towards him, she gently slid onto his lap, hooking one around over his shoulders, and smiled at him. "I don't want you to have to wonder about anything anymore." He smiled at her, pleased with himself, and her reaction.
"...When...?" Rowen asked suddenly, arching an eyebrow at him. "...the uh...the...love...thing. When?" She reached up to run her fingers playfully through his hair, mussing it up even more. Chuckling softly, she felt her cheeks redden as she waited for an answer.
He started to answer what he originally thought her question was. "I am not sure, usually Cap-" He stopped midsentence and blinked at her. He seemed utterly baffled by her inquiry. "I...w-what...what to do you mean...when?" He honestly didn't know. When she had said it, he'd simply made the realization. Though, the feeling itself might have been there for a long time and he just hadn't recognized it.
"It's a silly question. But uh...I knew that I had...uh...fallen...in love, when you threw a mug at my head, and I still cared about you." Shrugging a little bit, she smiled sheepishly at him. "Not the best memory but it's true. And it was solidified when you gave up your gifts for me...to keep me safe. You don't have to answer me...I was just...caught off guard. I never expected to say it, and I didn't think you would say it me. And...hell, I'm really hungry. We haven't eaten."
"Wellll...I...I guess we should eat...then." As he moved to stand up and walk away from the pilot's chair, he made a fleeting glance at the console and wondered if it might be faster to just hail Avenger himself. He felt an eerie chill run up his spine, hesitating in the door. He looked at her, then the console, narrowing his eyes. "Actually, I'm a little worried. I think I am just going to call Avenger on my own. We're completely helpless out here. If anyone shows up...well..."
"Oh...alright." She gave him an odd look, it didn't seem to mean that much to her. Leaning against the door frame, she looked into the cockpit, arms crossed. Rowen could be patient and wait for him to hail Avenger, before they grabbed food. He was probably right. Calling the other ship would allow them to find them faster.
"Ophelia?"
"I'm already attempting to hail Avenger, Captain."
The screen filled with the communications array. Then suddenly, a voice came over the speakers. "Idris. And what do YOU want?"
Idris rolled his eyes. "Hello, Lieutenant Wymond. It's always so wonderful to see you."
The image came up on the screen, a blond-haired woman, about Rowen's age, with blue eyes and pale skin. She thinned her eyes and glared. "You didn't answer my question, Captain." The way she said "captain" left no doubts about her contempt for him.
"Well I was just wondering if Captain Johansen was going to give me the honor of contacting me."
Her expression filled with confusion. "Contact you? Why whatever for?"
Idris made a face. He had hoped that it wouldn't be like this. "I was told you were being dispatched to assist me."
"General Durron does not command Avenger, now does he, Captain?"
"No, he does not. However, last I checked, he does outrank its captain. Why don't you notify Captain Johansen about my call and see if she has a moment to speak to me."
The woman's cold smile disappeared from the screen and Idris was left to fume silently as he sat back in his chair.
Rowen immediately noted the mysterious hostility between the two of them. Whistling softly she walked over to the copilot's chair and plopped, smiling over at Idris. Watching him fume for a couple of seconds, she finally decided to pipe up. "Girls like you, huh? You...stud...you ladies man..." Laughing easily she leaned back in the chair, getting comfortable. "By the way, I like the chair. I think I'll sit here with you all the time, and do running commentary on amusing communications."
Idris slowly turned to look at her. "Yeah...there's...a little history...there, I'm afraid." His shoulder sunk and he looked at the floor a moment, and then back up at her. "A...a few cycles ago-"
But he was cut off when the screen filled with a different woman. "Hello, Idris. I heard you had a little run-in with the Harvesters."
Idris nodded at her. "Yes. I suppose you could say that."
"I'm sorry to hear that. And oh look, you have a passenger. I hope you got a better deal than last-"
"Captain Johansen, if it is going to be too much trouble to accommodate Atalanta for just long enough for me to do a few repairs, please, by all means, let me know. I'd hate to burden you. I'm sure you have a militia to exterminate somewhere, anyway."
"No. We're already en route to your location. It's so funny that you called. I was just about to contact you. Anyway, Johansen out."
And the screen went blank. Idris fought the urge to pick something up and throw it at the screen. He shut his eyes for a long moment and then turned to look at Rowen. "Let's go get you something to eat...shall we?" Whatever amount of hunger Idris had felt before, seemed to have dissipated.
"Eat. Alright. If you explain the woman. And if I'm going to have to have my guard up when they come aboard." Shrugging her shoulders, she wiggled her fingers. "I can do fire tricks." Seemingly in a good mood, at least when compared to Idris' current mood, she bounced up from the chair and held her hands out to him. "Come on, Love..." Leaning down, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead, then moved down to his cheek, then finally placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "...You should eat something too. You've only recently recovered and I'm not taking chances with you. Fair enough?"
"I'm not really hungry, but the short of it is they are still mad at me about what happened to Second Lieutenant Ariadne Usid. Apparently they're a little bent out of shape, still, that I let her die." He walked past her, a little mad. His pace was a little quick as he made his way to the galley and started to make food, occasionally hitting the machine with his closed fist. It was likely the entire room would be on fire if he had the power to.
Her mood went right down the drain and she watched him walk right past her. Sighing heavily, she followed after him, sitting down at the table watching him. "Id...Idr...IDRIS, stop!" She pointed at the plate in his hand and shot a small ball of fire at it, probably forcing him to drop it. Getting up from the table, she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back into the wall. "Time...out..." She held up a finger pointing at his face, warning him not to speak a word until she was done. "...I know...I know how horrible you feel about losing her. I know you cared about her and how it...killed you to lose her. But...stop...I know you, and I know you probably did all you could and...slamming machinery around is NOT going to help matters. Especially with those nasty women coming aboard. And I know you're going to snap at me after I'm done talking, so just...be nice about it." Finished she let go of him and took a step back, hands on her hips.
He was a little caught off guard when she shoved him back to the wall. He seemed a little distracted by the finger in his face, but he heard her. When she let go of him, he frowned. He shook his head. "I'm...sorry, Rowen. I...I had no right to be so...abrupt with you."
"No, you didn't have any right but..." Rowen shrugged a little bit as she began to take over making food, for the both of them, determined to get him to eat something.
He frowned again and moved to sit down at the table looking over at her. "And, you don't need to worry about them coming on board. I doubt they'll give me the pleasure of even getting to see them face to face. It's likely that they'll help me repair the ship, bring my weapons up to spec, and then push me back out into space." He sighed, shaking his head. "They...they say...they can still feel her here...when they come on board...so they avoid it."
"Well then if they don't come on board, the better for both of us." She paused a moment, her hands stopping what they were doing as she looked up at him. "I'm sure they can still feel her everywhere...just like I'm sure sometimes you feel her. It happens I think...when we lose people we care about. They...are such a part of us..." Her voice trailed off as she cleared her throat and quickly began to go back to work. "Not that I'm an expert...no one ever cared enough about me for me to lose them and be affected." A lie, an outright lie, but whether he could tell or not she didn't know.
He shook his head. "No...I don't feel her on this ship. I...that's..." He exhaled. "I don't mean in the mythical sense, like they haven't moved on or whatever. Kayla and Captain Johansen just...they were very close to her, and their link with her was...Just, it's really complicated, ok? But, not what you think. I think they can actually feel her here." He sighed. "I'm sorry. Can...can we talk about something else, I...I don't want to dwell...on it." He frowned, resting the side of his head on the table.
"Fine...we won't dwell." Childishly she wanted to add "you brought it up first," but bit her tongue. No sense in starting an argument right that second. She finished up with the food, sliding him a plate, as she sat down across from him with a plate of her own. Reaching up to push her hair back, she gasped as her fingers touched her delicate cut. "Remind me to wash this again..." She commented quietly, pushing her food around her plate gently, her own appetite waning a little. "Where are we going after the ship is repaired?"
He looked up and winced as he watched her touch her head. He moved and got up from his spot at the table and went to her. Gently, he helped her stand up. "Rowen, I think you should get your wound cleaned again."
"Id...But...hey!" She stared at him, surprised he was ushering her away so quickly. "I made food." Shaking her head a little, but she sighed softly as she let him lead her into what she figured would be the medical bay. "You're just going to clean it right? Nothing else?" She didn't like doctors, meaning she didn't like the tools they used. Needles for example, or stitches, or anything like that. It made her sick just thinking about it.
He helped her to the medical bay, the station folding out in the same theatrical way it had for her. He helped her onto the bed and then considered her, perplexed by her inquiry. "What do you mean? Do you want me to suck on it or kiss it better?" He tore the bandaging away, as quickly as he could, hoping to spare her the prolonged pain. The wound had formed into a bruise with a healing cut at the top. He frowned and began rifling through doors. He took out a small, clear, transparent packet filled with a red-orange liquid inside. It was thick and syrupy, as he gently applied it to her bruise. It stung a little, but only for a moment. Then she felt nothing when he touched her head there.
"No, that's not what I meant. I meant I don't - OW!" She gasped at him staring at him in a mild shock. "You could warn a girl." She grumbled reaching up to touch her head.
He reached up and grabbed a metal rod that had a long cord on the end of it, pointing it at the wound. A laser emitting from the end, and he quickly guided it down over the wound. She couldn't feel anything with that laser, but she was not happy about it, nevertheless. Then he grabbed same bandaging and slowly formed it to the size and shape of her wound, pressing it to her head and holding it there for a long moment.
Sighing as he pressed the bandage to her wound, she waited until he was finished to pipe up, not looking very happy. Perhaps like a cat would look after being soaked with a hose. "Good thing you're not a doctor."
He smiled at her, and went through her list of complaints. "Ok, A, if I had warned you, you would have flinched...which makes it worse. B, the gel is an anesthetic that will help numb the pain while I work on it. The laser helps bind your skin together, harmlessly, to help it heal that much faster, and C, on some planets, I am a doctor." He grinned at her, curtly, and then let the bandage stay against her head on its own. He looked her over, and felt satisfied. "And now you won't have to worry about your wound until the next time you end up in the refresher." He winked at her suggestively and helped her down.
"You are a doctor on some planet?" She gave him a look and shrugged her shoulders. "Good thing I fell in love with you BEFORE I found that out." Running her fingers through her hair, she looked around the medical bay, making a face.
"Yes, on some planets, I do qualify as a doctor." He winked at her, watching as she ran her fingers through her hair, smiling at her expression.
She didn't even like being in this room much. Realizing he had made a comment about the refresher, she glanced at him, arching an eyebrow. "Why do I get this feeling that most of my showers will not be spent alone from now on? Not...that...I'm complaining." Poking him gently in the chest. "But you're fine, right? I mean. I don't have to patch you up or anything?" Personally, she'd rather not sit around and play with all the medical gadgets.
He winked at her, and then winced when she poked him. He watched as she moved away from the area and back towards the galley door. He shook his head at her. "Yeah, I told you, I'm fine. I didn't ever really get hurt." He smiled weakly at her and followed her away from the medical station, which, as he walked away, closed its doors and folded up into the wall that it was hidden. He looked back at it and frowned. He realized now that...he should have left her there. He knew that they never would have looked for her. He sighed and then turned away, following her to the galley to see if he could eat the breakfast that she'd prepared, the small loss about the potential hiding place settling over him despondently.
As they made their way back to the galley, she couldn't help but reach up, touching where he had put the bandage. As much as she disliked doctors, if she had to choose one, she was glad she could choose him.
He sat down, looking over his food. He wasn't sure what she had prepared, but it smelled good. He started eating, hesitantly, and tried to avoid eye contact, feeling a little self conscious. He hadn't had to consider someone's perceptions in a long time.
Rowen sat down with him, eating happily, until she realized how slow and cautiously, he was eating. Smirking, she paused, setting her fork down as she watched him. "You know, if you hate it - I won't actually get upset. So you can stop eating so slowly. Unless that's...how you eat. Then I'm sorry for pointing it out." Laughing a bit she took another couple of bites of the food she had made.
His gaze wandered away from her face. "Actually...I...I don't usually...use utensils. I find them...inhibiting..." He continued to use the fork, his pace faster, but he still seemed very aware of himself. "You're...it tastes...great." He smiled at her and then continued eating.
Arching an eyebrow, she looked down at his plate, then back up at him. "You can put the fork down I won't...laugh. We all learn to eat differently." She shook her head, laughing a bit before she ate a little more. "And thank you. I'm not the best cook, but I get by. I've mostly worked as a server in restaurant, and I have knack for making jewelry. I used to sell it, when I could afford supplies."
He smiled at her. "I was taught the proper way to eat. I just find it...slower..." his gaze drifted. Despite himself, he continued to shovel food into his mouth.
"You're a puzzle to me sometimes, Idris, you know that? I'm going to enjoy figuring you out since I'm staying here." She paused a moment, deciding to continue on, keeping her mood light, thinking that perhaps it would lift his own spirits a bit and keep his mind off the two women who had previously put him in such a foul mood. "This means you realize that if we get into any more fights, you'll be sleeping in that cockpit again. As far as I'm aware, the woman gets bedroom domain during a quarrel." She finished up her food and stood up to dispose of the plate and utensils. While she was up, she quickly fixed herself a hot cup of tea, needing something to soothe her entire body. She sat down at the table with her now steaming mug of tea and set it down in front of her, leaning forward to blow on the hot surface.
He smiled at her. "I'm glad I'm such a mystery to you. You seem as though you'd be able to see right through me. It makes me feel a little safer knowing that you still have to guess." He winked at her and got up to get rid of his plate. He dumped it into the discard bin and programmed up a cup of hot chocolate. He felt annoyed by the culmination of circumstances that seemed to be working against him. "And don't worry..." He moved away from the dispenser, sipping his cup. He came up behind her, his head leaning down by her shoulder. He reached around her and set down his cup near her place, then nibbled on her lobe. "...If we have any more fights, I am sure I can find a way to help expedite some kind of make-up affection of some sort that will convince you that you're better off spooning with me than sleeping alone." He winked at her, grinning wickedly, and sat at the opposite end of the table, holding his cup with two hands as he drank it in small sips.
As his arms went around her, she was already beginning to melt, and she sighed happily leaning back into him, until he walked away. He had almost begun to get her body temperature sky rocketing again. Shaking her head a little bit, she lifted a hand to her cheek which was already beginning to become flushed. "That's not a very fair way of fighting, but something tells me I can do just the same to you." Nodding confidently, she looked down at her tea, lifted it to her lips and took a careful sip. "Do you see right through me?" She asked suddenly, eyes lifting slowly to focus on Idris. Rowen knew that she had shared so little with him about who she was. "Perhaps not..." She quickly began to add, clearing her throat softly. "How do you...fall for someone who doesn't let you in? Well...on their past...I mean. I...I'm stuttering, sorry. My mind began to just go off on its own. Sorry." Sheepishly she looked down. In fact her mind had gone off on its own tangent. Her own thoughts spoken aloud before she even had time to catch up herself.
He watched her from his cup, sipping and not saying anything, hiding his smile in his mug as he watch her verbally hemorrhage and speak thoughtlessly. She was amusing when she lost control of her mouth that way. He waited a long moment, allowing a very awkward silence to set in. Then he set his cup on the table and looked up at her, letting her mind go insane a moment. "It may not be very fair, but you'll find that I find it quite effective. For you, however, I would be anxious to see you try and win a battle in that sort of 'cheating' manner." He grinned a little bigger and winked at her, taking a long sip. "But no, to be honest, I do not see right through you. Much of you is still a mystery. However, to answer your question, I have long discovered that a 'more mystery, less history' approach to a relationship or interaction is often the safest." He didn't say anything else, just watching her in a manner he hoped would make her feel increasingly vulnerable.
Rowen shifted her weight in her chair a moment, definitely feeling that uncomfortable vulnerability. "Oh..." She did such a poor job of hiding it. "I suppose so...but surely you don't want an entire relationship to be a mystery. Not forever...eventually history should be learned. One should know what they are getting themselves into. But perhaps maybe I'm too careful...too distrusting of people. Bad judge of character. Not...that I think I judged your character wrong I..." She sighed, heavily leaning her head into her hand, propped up on the table. "You do this to me on purpose don't you? Make me nervous, make me just babble." Making a face, she took a sip of her tea indignantly. "You've certainly figured out how to do that."
As he finished his cup, he walked silently over to the discard bin. He dropped the cup into the bin and walked back over to her. "It is certainly a welcome change. More often I feel as though I am the one who mindlessly babbles." He winked at her and kissed her. He proceeding to tousle her hair and left her. He didn't say anything else as he made his way back towards the cockpit.
She laughed as he messed up her hair, smiling as he simply walked away. A mystery, she decided. He may think she saw through him but truth was she often times didn't know what he was thinking. Perhaps she just guessed well. Shaking her head, she finished up her tea, and followed him into the cockpit. "Have the repairs been started yet?" She asked curiously, plopping down in the copilot's chair which she had seemed to stake her claim on. She liked the feel of it.
He didn't look at her. "No. Avenger hasn't even thought to-" And as if on cue, a passage opened before them.
A ship, massive enough to dwarf Atalanta twenty times over, dropped out of antispace not a hundred meters from them. He exhaled through his nose and looked up at the ship. She was beautiful in all her glory. A massive vessel, Avenger's length seemed to extend for almost a thousand meters. The ship wasn't very wide, but it didn't need to be. It was still wider than Idris' ship was long, almost three times in fact. It had a flat feel to it, no outcropping of any kind visible on her hull. The silver color of the ship was vexed by scattered veridian lines that covered the ship. A huge insignia of a golden falcon, wings spread and talons extended, was planted on either side of the ship, a black circle printed around it. It was based on the signal of the first UDI, but Secondary Initiative's insignia had a black circle around her falcon as opposed to the white one that UDI vessels often possessed. The ship seemed to slowly drift overhead. Without warning, Atalanta lurched and began moving towards the vessel. As the tractor beam guided them into one of her larger holds, Idris rolled his eyes, a little annoyed that they hadn't even had the courtesy of hailing him before dragging him aboard. He surveyed the landing deck, noticing the seemingly endless rows of fighter squadrons attack crafts.
Rowen stared at the other ship, awe struck by its size, and beauty. Even she, who didn't know much about ships, could recognize a beautiful ship when she saw one.
Idris frowned a little, looking over the deck as Atalanta set down on inside the launch bay. He looked over at her, his tone and words a little sharper and abrupt than he'd intended. "Wait here."
A look of sheer indignation appeared on her face and she sat back in the chair, arms crossed and she promptly began to sulk.
He walked down the corridor to the landing ramp and went to meet the dock master.
"Captain Chariton. It's nice to have you aboard." The man was friendly, his jumpsuit a navy green with orange patches. He was obviously the ranking officer on the deck. He was about Idris' height, but thinner and more muscular. He had a pale complexion, brown hair, and brown eyes.
"It's nice to see Captain Johansen and her first lieutenant decided not to meet me."
The man smiled and shrugged. "I doubt you'll be missing her, or she you. So, tell me what's going on with Atalanta?"
Idris shook his head. "When the harvesters ripped us out of antispace, it burned my sublight engines. They're completely shot."
The man nodded, solemnly. "I heard about that. Let me be the first to congratulate you in managing to survive. I'm sorry that we weren't in time to intervene. Unfortunately, General Durron wasn't able to provide us with precise coordinates."
Idris frowned again. He shook his head. "I'll be fine. I am more worried about her than I am myself."
He patted Idris on his back. "Don't worry, Captain. As soon as I have my mechanics finish up their current repairs, you'll be next on the list. General Durron also sent us along with one of the new energy weapon turrets. I thought we'd install her on the underside before you disembarked. Shouldn't take more than five or six rotational cycles."
Idris smiled warmly and thanked him. "If you need us-me...if I need to get out of your way to allow you to do your work, just notify me."
He nodded at him, saluting and walked away.
Idris returned his salute and walked back up the ramp, letting it retract as he made his way to the ring corridor. He felt infinitely better as he proceeded back to the galley.
In his absence, she stewed in that broody mood, staring at the control panel wondering for a few moments what would happen if she just began to press buttons at random. She stretched her palm out and little flames began to swirl around and dance in her hand. Sighing heavily, she didn't even bother to look up when Idris returned. "I waited. Now can I move?" She asked without looking up, her eyes focused on the flames in her hand. "Or will I be sent to bed without supper, Captain?" She snuffed out the flame in her hand and looked up at him, glaring.
Idris' forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Rowen?"
She cut him off, standing up from the chair. She pointed out the viewport and put her face in his face, more aggressive and confrontational than she had been since arriving. "I don't want it to be like this anymore, Idris! I want to be an equal. I don't want to have to run and hide everytime someone come breaking down your door or intrudes on your ship." She stepped away and turned her back to him a moment, holding her head before she turned back to him. "I WANT to be able to stand next to you as an EQUAL. I know you're worried about me, but have you ever considered that I am just as worried about YOU?" She stabbed him in the chest with her finger. "I'm sick of running and I'm sick of hiding. I thought things were going to be different with you, with this ship, here."
Idris was speechless. He looked at her, completely caught offguard by the intensity of her emotions. He held up his hands in surrender. "Whoa, hey, I'm sorry, Rowen." He tried to pull her into an embrace but she shoved him away. He frowned, a little hurt by her rejection.
"I just...I don't want to feel like this anymore..."
Idris shook his head. "Feel like what, Rowen? C'mon, look at me. Where is all this coming from. When I walked away, I thought everything was fine. I thought we were on a good streak. Then I go to talk to the mechanics and I come back and you explode at me?" He shook his head. "What's really wrong?"
She looked up and glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
He shook his head. "It's not supposed to mean anything...I just...look, I just want to figure out what is going on. If I don't know something is bugging you, I can't fix it, ok?"
"Whatever." She stormed out of the cockpit and headed for the medical bay.
He frowned and watched her storm out of the cockpit. He tried to follow after her. "Rowen...wait." He moved in the way of her as she walked. He knelt in front of her, taking her hands as he groveled in front of her. "Rowen, please, I'm sorry that I upset you. Really. I didn't mean to. I...I don't even really know what happened." He frowned at her.
She gave him a long, hard look. It was hard for Rowen not to just wrap her arms around him and forgive him as soon as he knelt down in front of her, but she held fast. Head tilted to the side slightly as she watched him, studying his face quietly. "Why did I have to stay in the cockpit? Are you ever going to trust me with things that are...outside the refresher and galley? Oh...pardon me. I know the medical bay now." Huffing, she walked tot he medical bay and slumped on the bed. He followed after her, kneeling by her. "Idris, leave me alone. Trust me, I know how to...stay. As you pointed out." Rowen realized what was really getting under her skin was she didn't like taking orders. She had never done it before in her life, not from anyone, and the fact he could be so bossy drove her insane. Two stubborn people, going head to head on a small ship. That was just asking for arguments. Frowning even more, she stole a glance at him, meeting his eyes for a second, and for one brief moment sympathy crossed her face. Immediately she buried it looking away from him.
Seeing her hurt broke his heart, and he looked genuinely sorry. "I'm sorry, Rowen. I...I don't know...how safe it is going to be out on the launch bay. I'd never live with myself if you'd followed me out and..." He paled a little, feeling that terror he'd felt rushing up from that place where he'd tried to hide it away. For a long moment, he paused, his eyes going somewhere else as he remembered how terrified and panicked he'd been when the harvesters had found her out. He shook his head. "Listen, I'm sorry, ok? I'm not trying to keep you boarded up or even order you around. I am just trying to..." He faltered with the words, wanting to make sure he said the right ones. "I just want you to be safe, alright?" He sighed, looking at the floor and shutting his eyes. He loved her, but he realized how much like an overprotective father he was behaving as opposed to...well, whatever he was supposed to be for her. Wasn't it his responsibility, as her captain, to do everything in his power to ensure her safety?