Master of Style and Stealth
Posted on Sun Oct 6th, 2024 @ 7:48pm by Lieutenant Narin Valen & Lieutenant JG Liora Valen
Edited on on Mon Oct 7th, 2024 @ 6:20pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Empok Nor, Replimat
Timeline: MD001 1300 hrs
“Guess who?” Liora asked, sneaking up behind Narin and covering his eyes with her hands.
Narin grinned. “The invisible ninja?” he teased, carefully balancing two hot cups of coffee in his hands. He hoped they wouldn’t spill as they played their familiar, childish game. Though he called it childish, deep down, he cherished it. Not much from their childhood had been joyful, but this little tradition had always stayed with them.
“Guess again! Ninjas don’t have this much style,” Liora said playfully.
“Aha, it’s the legendary ‘Master of Style and Stealth’!” Narin guessed.
“Ding, ding, ding. You’ve got it!” Liora laughed, uncovering his eyes.
Narin placed the coffee on the table and turned to pull her into a warm hug.
Liora hugged him back tightly, a soft smile spreading across her face. “You always know how to make me feel like the ‘Master of Style and Stealth,’ don’t you?” she teased.
Narin nodded, smiling. "That’s what big brothers are for," he said.
As their embrace ended, he gestured for her to take a seat, while he settled into the chair across from her. He set one of the cups of coffee in front of her, then took a sip from his own.
“Thank you,” Liora said as she reached for the cup. “So, how have you been? How’s life on the Pioneer? What’s new? Tell me everything!” she asked eagerly.
“Things are good. I’m okay.” Narin replied with weariness in his voice.
Liora leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she studied him from across the table. “That’s it? ‘Things are good’ and ‘you’re okay’?” she said, giving him a skeptical look.
Narin sighed, knowing full well that Liora wasn’t going to let him off the hook with such a vague answer. He’d have to give her something, or she’d keep pressing until she got a response that satisfied her. Just as he opened his mouth to say more, she hit him with another question.
“Who is she?” Liora asked, tilting her head to the side with a raised eyebrow.
“Who is who?” Narin said, slowly realizing what she was hinting at.
“The girl keeping you up at night. When do I get to meet her?” Liora teased.
Narin shook his head. “There’s no one. I had a dream
“Another one? Liora questioned her expression changing to one of concern.
Narin let out a sigh. “This one wasn’t like the others,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “Have you ever had a dream so vivid that you wake up screaming, but you can’t remember why?” he asked, his eyes fixed on Liora.
Liora shook her head slowly. “I can’t say that I have,” she replied.
“Well, I hadn’t either—until last night,” Narin said, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. He’d tried over and over to recall any detail from the dream, no matter how small, but there was nothing. All he could remember was waking up in terror, screaming, with no idea why. The lack of answers left him unsettled, unsure of what had triggered such an intense reaction.
“And you don’t remember any of it?” she asked, her tone filled with concern.
Narin shook his head. “Not a single detail,” he replied.
“Has this ever happened before?” she asked.
“No, it was the first time,” he answered.
“Well, let’s hope it’s the last,” she said with a reassuring smile.
Narin nodded.
They sat in silence for a moment, the quiet gradually turning awkward. Liora could tell just how much the dream was weighing on him. Sensing his unease, she offered a warm smile and said, “It’s really good to see you. How long are you here for?”
“It’s really good to see you too, sis,” he said, giving her a smile. “Maybe just a few days,” he answered.
Liora was about to speak when her communicator badge chirped, summoning her to Ops. She gave Narin an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, duty calls,” she said with a sigh. “Are you free later? How about dinner with the Master of Style and Stealth?
Narin nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I should be,” he replied.
“Good,” Liora said, rising from her seat. With a playful grin, she added, “Maybe we can find someone to keep you up at night.” She winked at him. “I’ll send you the details. See you later,” she said before heading off.
Narin shook his head, realizing that the thought of having something else to distract him from the events of the previous night actually sounded appealing.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Narin Valen
Assistant Chief Science Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant JG Liora Valen
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Carthage
RSS Feed