Kingfisher I

Posted on 03 May 2013 @ 7:29am by Crewman Neo
Edited on on 04 May 2013 @ 4:44am

998 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo: LTjg Liyar's Office
Timeline: MD7 2000

ON:

Liyar's office wasn't messy. It was careless, disordered. PADDs were stacked in jumbled piles, tendrils of equipment flowed out of overturned boxes. It was the physical disarray of a damaged mind. In the past, Liyar wouldn't have been capable of living in a space like this. Driven by the layers of disease in his head, he would have fix-fix-fixed until everything was just right. That Liyar could work and exist in such an unkempt office was just proof of his downward decline, in Neo's opinion.

The plant was interesting. Neo touched one of its leaves, rubbed it between his fingers curiously, and let it drop. He picked up a few PADDs and read them. Economic journal. A rejected VSA request. Economic journal. Something marked priority with the Federation seal on it. V'Shar packet. V'Shar packet. Kaitan status report. Miran quarterly report. More economic journals. Neo tossed them back and walked behind Liyar's desk, thumbing open the terminal. On the screen was the still picture of a saved program which depicted 2D bird's-eye view graphics of a settlement with different markers across it. Neo had no idea what it meant. He sat down in Liyar's chair and studied it thoughtfully, resting his head on his fingertips.

He would wait.

He didn't have to wait long. The sound of the door beeping to its owner alerted Neo to Liyar's presence before he stepped through, and Neo had enough time to lean back and study him as he entered. Liyar did a funny little double-take, blinking and staring. Neo gestured widely with his hands. "Sua. (Afternoon.) "

Liyar wasted little time and strode over to his desk, an unconscious scowl on his face as he processed Neo snooping through his computer and sitting in his chair like he owned it. "Vijakil~. (What are you doing here? Dir. Trans. Here-why-(unpleasant)?)"

Neo stood and held up his hand palm-up, flicking an eyebrow. "Ziyreh kea'vré kajzir tasunci~. (You aren't pleased to see me? Dir. Trans. Not you-me (sarcasm-pleased)-to-see?)"

Warily, Liyar regarded the extended edizyl'illani tek. It threw him off. Did Neo want that? To unsettle him, disrupt his balance? Accept their reaching with careful hands. The adage was a double-edged sword, Liyar thought. Careful not to cut, or careful not to be sliced open? "Tir'tarya. (Seeing you this way is unexpected. Dir. Trans. This-way-[unsure].)"

Neo rose his hand so it directly faced Liyar. "Treikara. Vijakara. Ziriuara. (It's weird, but I'm here. We might as well be civil. Dir. Trans. Weird-yes. Here-yes. Civil-yes.)"

After a long minute of scrutiny, Liyar met Neo's hand in the edizyl'illani tek. It was a simple matter, palm-to-palm. He felt Neo's mind like a breeze through the room, cool and composed, orderly, distanced, detached. Some things never changed. It was easy to think they'd met yesterday, and not over twenty years before. A mind as unmoving as rock, weathered for years through wind and firestorms. Steady. Stable. Liyar met his eyes. Tension.

Neo dropped his hand, resting it in front of him, with one fist cradled under his palm, bending back his knuckles, posture easy. "Liyar, riulivan. (You're chaotic, Liyar. Dir. Trans. Liyar, (ripping-chaos-destroy)-you.)" He tapped his temple with two fingers and leaned against the wall behind him.

"Zi kea'csya telarez. (That isn't your business. Dir. Trans. Not-of-you concern.)"

"Ziyreh~. Tiraikosh'rescsya telarez~. (No? Is it the girl's concern? Dir. Trans. No? That-girl of-her concern?)"

Liyar's jaw clenched as he felt the whisper of Maenad in Neo's thoughts. Cereal and shoes off under the table. "Grizedalci (Elaborate. Dir. Trans. Clarify)," he demanded thinly.

"Aike'Maenad-Panne. Kea terwan* žtar. Kea amenariyor. (Maenad Panne. She had a lot to say about you. Seems she's fond of you. Dir. Trans. Her-Maenad-Panne. (About)-you many-things said. (Perhaps-seems)-you-affection.)"

Affection. Maenad surely hadn't said any such thing. Even if she had, Liyar zeroed in on Neo knowingly. His brother had a bad habit of butting in, prying, where he didn't belong. "Trayor kea'gazci. Ritiyan Maenad-Panne. (You would do well to mind your place. Maenad Panne is off limits. Dir. Trans. (Well-being)-position-yours-mind. (Shut-down)-Maenad-Panne.)"

Neo blinked slowly. Right. This was why he and Liyar hadn't spoken in so long. "Trayor vijak. Dan'veyal vré'kea trisal~. (My place is here. Do you need my permission slip? Dir. Trans. Position-here. Permission-form I-you need?)"

"Ketera (Enough. Dir. Trans. Cease-this-immediately)," Liyar said lowly. "Tam. Dalinžtar ruzen. (Get out. This discussion is terminated. Dir. Trans. Out. Discussion-terminated.)"

"Oiri'rys dalinžtar tielci (This discussion is just beginning. Dir. Trans. Now discussion begin)," Neo contradicted evenly, unfazed. "Naskisem. Rdhaseara~. Nirakara~. (Naskisem. You know her, yeah? You think she's stupid? Dir. Trans. Naskisem. Know-yes? Stupid-yes?)"

"Kea. (You. You sent her. Dir. Trans. You.)" Liyar's eyes narrowed in an ugly way.

"Vré'a. Dalinžtar tielci. Cila. (Me. Like I said. Discussion's just beginning. Let's go. Dir. Trans. Me. (Said-repeat-yes-just)-discussion-begin. Come.)" Neo gestured to Liyar's office door. "Riuciara~. Terhaneda eyenci'kea~. (You still know how to fight? Or have the Terrans really gotten you into trouble? Dir. Trans. Fight-yes? Terran-you-trouble-[really-now]?)"

"Raizin kea'ara tavara~. (I can still floor you, if that is what you are asking. Dir. Trans. Still-you-(slam-floor)-yes asking-yes?)" Liyar crossed his arms.

Neo lifted his chin lazily. "Liyar, hiramci. Kea'a Ziate-Kri tasun. (Careful, Liyar. Your modesty's showing. Dir. Trans. Liyar, careful. Of-you Ziate-Kri-(sarcastic) showing.)" He pushed off of the wall and headed for the door.

OFF:

Lieutenant (JG) Liyar
Diplomatic Officer, VDF/SDD
USS Galileo

Crewman Neo
Support Craft Pilot, FCON
USS Galileo

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