Posted by Lazol (Chief Science Officer) in The Pied Piper

OOC: Trickster folks. This takes place on Delotha but has nothing to do with the Trickster thread. No clues/events/etc that affect that will happen here. However you are welcome to join in if you wish.

IC:
(snip)

She rolled her eyes and grunted. “Ah get off it Ch’otok. You earned that retirement and you know it. You deserved your life with your family, and it’s not like you haven’t continued to honor the empire with your loyalty and your blade.” She looked out at the rubble. Ch’otok’s reaction only reiterated to her what she was afraid of. If this man, whom she’d shed blood with, fought beside in battle and for the reminantes of life that was left for them, nursed back to health, and worked beside to make amends, could not accept her with her hot headedness and bad humor, then no one really could. “I thought we moved past this type of thing. You know, or should know, I meant no offense to you,” she whispered, meaning it and angry at herself for having offended him, and she had. She didn’t need to be telepathic to know that, but her telepathy just hammered the fact home.

What Casela was focusing on as ‘offence’ was just a momentary flash, a reaction from his Klingon blood that faded almost faster than it had arrived. “Look at me Casela. I know that look, you’ve registered something in my brain that makes you think ill if yourself. Read my mind all you wish, but read it longer than a simple moment or two. We did move past this almost a decade ago, yet you seem to keep bringing it back up when we ever disagree. My point of saying that was not that you had insulted me, but that it was quite the opposite. The fact is that I’m not going to let you self destruct again. I will go to that captain of yours and demand that you stay with me for a month on Delotha to ensure that you can relax and help me on the farm. You know that tending the fields, despite your protest, was something you always secretly enjoyed.” Ch’otok turned his gaze to her, a solemn expression telling her that he was dead serious about it.

Self destruct again. That was the problem with coming here. Ch’otok knew it all. He’d been there for the worst of it and he never failed to put her in her place. Sometimes that was good, and sometimes, like now, it infuriated her to no end. Tell her captain, indeed. She’d explored that abyss with Cobb, looked over the edge into the darkness they had created, but he wasn’t there when she had created it. When her soul had turned black, and she’d taken on suicide mission after suicide mission. Her mind had been broken, her body damaged, and her soul shattered. She was good, she’d completed every mission, with only minor injuries. After awhile Ch’otok got sick of it and put a stop to it. She was looking for a way out, and never found it, but self destruction was self destruction. She didn’t way a word though because she knew Ch’otok meant every word of it. He might get Cobb to agree, but the man would probably come with her. Ryder would never go for it. He kept telling himself that Casela wasn’t his to protect, but yet the man kept doing it.

(snip)

Ch’otok clicked his tongue as that ever so annoying nickname came out of her lips. “I may not be young but I am old enough to know when to fight and when to run, don’t think I’m doing this to die Casela, I simply want you to be able to enjoy the life that I enjoyed once.”

She shook her head with a very small quirk to her mouth. “I know that bengwl’.” It was all she could say. He was going; he was going to give her the life he lost, and she would have to find a way to take it in both hands. She couldn’t dishonor him that way. Not when he was giving up so much to do this for her. “I can’t go. Look at the army they sent with me. I couldn’t even come to take care of this alone. They all think I’m fragile like a porcelain doll. It so absurd I’m not sure I should laugh or break something. But no, I came to think to remember, and hopefully to see you. Even for a few minutes. However, more importantly what do you know about these strange pranks going on with the children? This is what has brought me, and them,” she nods towards the village, no over run with her shipmates, “here, right now before my usual visit.”

Ch’otok nodded and said softly, “You have developed a good cover with them, otherwise they would not have thought you needed protection. And remember, I’m always up for a sparring match if you need to get some aggression out.” He chuckled, “I’m glad you came, even if it involves a crew who now know your connection.” He cleared his throat and said, “I do not know what the reason for these pranks Casela. I do know of the young Cardassian boy…Vedi I believe, who’s leg has not healed in quite a long time. Karra had asked me to scan him and while I could see there was a break my old Klingon tricorder wasn’t of much help. They might be rugged and dependable, but they’re not meant for fine work.” He shifted his weight a little before saying, “While I’ve heard talk I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve had Vetad talking my ear off one afternoon when he was helping me, telling me about all the strange things going on. He didn’t know anything other than the gossip either.

“Vetad is growing into a fine young man. I’m glad you are here to guide him. He needs that. There is a doctor with us, and I hope he can fix the leg for him. I trust them to find out what’s wrong. However I don’t trust them if we should decide to spar. They’d come running and I’d never hear the end of it, win or lose. And I’d end up having to protect you from them, and I have no desire to get hit by a phaser and an old fashioned gun powder and bullet gun. Though,” she grins wickedly, “I haven’t had a good sparing session in a long time.” And she was NOT going to get into sparing with Ryder. Ch’otok had enough information about that already.

(snip)

Her brow rose, imitating T’Jal, and then rising higher, a flush or horror to her face. She chucked a palm sized rock at his mid-section, totally expecting him to catch it with flair, he always did. “Do not speak such horrors, Ch’otok! Me? Rounded out with a child, puttering around gorging on food? You hate me don’t you?”
Casela

A hearty laugh erupted from the Klingon’s belly, a sound Casela hadn’t heard in quite some time as he deftly caught the rock, redirecting it towards the valley where the mansion once stood. “I can picture it now bangwl’! You sitting down to catch your breath as you pick out the best color suited for a nursery, and then which daggers would look best over the crib!” He roared as he knew he was pushing all her buttons, that big brotherly role now in full swing as he poked fun and laughed.

Ch’otok

She didn’t smile, but her eyes lit up hearing him laugh. It came so little. He lived with ghosts and long ago memories of happiness. Though the idea truly made her cringe she’d accept the teasing from him, to hear this proud warrior laugh. “Colors for a nursery? You DO remember what happened when Karra asked me to help her with that for the orphanage right? And I think Ryder would agree with Karra that knives are not appropriate for babies, though I’m not sure what they have against it.” She huffed and glared at him, “I should chuck a knife at you. Sitting down to catch my breath? Absolutely not! I’d go stark raving mad if I had to move that slow and be that cautious to carry....” she shuddered. She could see it now and maybe, when she was younger, the thought of a child would have been a pleasant one, she wasn’t so foolish now. “Stop laughing Ch’otok. I mean it, stop. It’s not that funny.” But he continued to laugh and she was getting irritated now.
Casela

His laughing did die down sooner than later as he wiped a tear from his eye. “Oh Casela I distinctly remember that conversation with Karra. You two were very heated when it came to practicalities of raising children. She thought that you could use the distraction and had asked me if you would be interested helping. I told her that you’d love to!” Now this piece of information would be new to Casela, all this time she wouldn’t have known that Ch’otok had instigated the whole thing 12 years ago, “And so she goes to you and asks for help at the orphanage and when she goes to hand you the paint swatches you grabbed them and pondered which looked best like blood. Then you wondered aloud about getting training weapons for the children, and I swear Casela I’ve never seen a Ferengi so angry, or you so frightened!”

Ch’otok

Casela glared at him, daggers, sharp, pointy, deadly daggers at him. “You do hate me don’t you? Karra was going to kill me! I mean, okay, so the color of blood wasn’t my best idea. That’s how we ended up with yellow. Depending on species blood comes in red, green, blue....Karra only got madder every time I pointed that out.” She begins to laugh. “The training weapons…well at the point Karra was so made I couldn’t help but keep pushing her buttons. It’s not like at the time this was a safe place to live. I tried to explain it to her. The earlier they learn the sooner they can protect themselves. I have never been so afraid of pointy Ferengi teeth!” She’s laughing in earnest now, tears coming down her face. And this is why she always, despite his heavy handed big brother routine, came to see Ch’otok. He never let her forget the good parts of her past.
Casela