Posted by Lieutenant Commander Zoi Haven (Chief of Security) in Vega Colony- Reunions and Unions

Posted by Captain Dira Myqian (Commanding Officer) in Vega Colony- Reunions and Unions

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Zoi Haven (Chief of Security) in Vega Colony- Reunions and Unions
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

A few days later, Dira dropped them out of warp as the entered the Vegan system. A thread of nervousness twisted its way through her and all she could do was acknowledge its presence. “Almost there,” she said, focusing on the readouts and making sure everything was clear for their approach to the colony.

Minutes later she opened the comm. =/\=Shuttlecraft Nuvan to Vega Orbital Control. Seeking clearance for landing on the surface as per pre-filed plan.=/\=

||Shuttlecraft Nuvan you are cleared for landing at the Hadran City hub, Pad 16.||

“Thank you, Nuvan out.” Dira shifted her gaze briefly to Zoi. “Keep an eye on sensors as we descend but weather looks good. Anything we should quickly chat about before it’s too late?” she said with a smirk. She knew one or both of her parents would likely be there to greet them, but she had no idea who exactly.

Captain Myqian, CO

Zoi picked up on the nerves and her own joined her partners. They were finally here. The trip had been amazing. Having several days of uninterrupted time together to talk, to make love, to just be together. Even on the ship when they both had time off, there was always the focus on the ship and their all important jobs never too far from the forefront of their minds. Here they could just be themselves.

Now the focus was once again on something else and she missed that precious time already. She had dressed in low backed jumpsuit of deep red with a black belt intricately embroidered with gold suns and matching pointed heels. She was tall already but she liked being tall. Her hair was braided to one side, long and with soft blonde curls framing her face. A thin chain of gold wrapped around her neck and fell behind to drape over her spine and ending in a single sun pendant. Zoi turned to Dira and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She shook her head gently.

“No. I think I am as prepared as I can be. Is it juvenile to simultaneously want to run away and hope they will like me?”

Haven, CoS

Dira flashed Zoi her more confident smile. “They will love you, if nothing else because you are so important to me that I brought you with me. But beyond that, you are an amazing woman Zoi, what’s not to like?”

Zoi smiled and not for the first time, thanked the gods that she and Dira had hit it off so well at their first sinner together as a Captain and her Chief of Security. Had neither of them been strong willed and had Zoi not been bold, perhaps they would not have ever made it to this point. But here they were, traveling to see Diras family, love finally a part of her life for the long term.

She expertly guided the shuttle down and it came to rest gently on their designated landing pad. Dira smirked and flashed a deeper grin at Zoi. “Would you believe I did last minute practice in the simulator just to make sure I could still do that well?” she said with a laugh. Having the knowledge and previous experience didn’t always mean your skills were sharp. Besides, she didn’t want to embarrass herself.

Gathering their baggage, Dira opened the hatch and gave her love a confident nod before stepping out of the shuttle. They had to walk to the transportation hub building but there waiting at the arrivals entrance was not just one familiar face, but two. Dira broke into a big smile, radiating pure joy. “Well, he goes nothing, they’re both here.”

Inside, a pair was waiting. The woman had brown skin slightly paler than Dira’s and stood just slightly taller than Dira. Her eyes were black and her mass of kinky hair peeked out of a white and purple striped silk scarf tied around her head. A fitted vibrant purple dress that clung to her upper body and flowed into a soft skirt to her shins. The man was clearly Napean, with a much stronger leaf-shaped forehead ridge than Dira’s and similar brown skin. His coarse black hair was thinning but any white hair seemed to be mostly contained to his moustache. His deep hazel eyes were bright with happiness that spread to the wide smile on his face, crinking the corners of his eyes.

“M’adi! Ada!” Dira said, dropping her bags and letting them sweep her into their collective arms. Here she was, a grown woman, and she was suddenly overwhelmed by so many emotions she couldn’t even sort them out right now. Instead, she just let their love be the warm blanket it always was.

This was pure and beautiful. Zoi nearly teared up, reminded of the joy and warmth her mother gave her during her lucid moments. She blinked rapidly, trying to put herself back together. Dira was happy and it lifted her spirits to see it.

Pulling back, she seemed to gather herself and reached out a hand to Zoi. “And this Zoi Haven. Zoi, I’d like to introduce you to my mother, Sesara, and my father, Kesren.”

It was Kesren who reached his hands out to Zoi first, radiating warmth and excitement. “We’re so glad you decided to come with Dira. It’s about time she introduced you to us,” he said reproachfully, even as his eyes glinted with humour.

Dira just snorted.

Captain Myqian, CO

“Sir,” she responded with a wide and warm smile, taking his hand in her own with a solid grip. “Well you know us Star Fleet types. We get a little side tracked and forget we can take leave. Dedication to the job and all that.”

“Thank you so much for extending the invitation to me. I am excited to see more of Diras life and culture. And of course, to meet the two people who did such a fantastic job raising her.”

Zoi Haven, CoS

Sesara snorted and pointed to Kesren. “Blame him.”

Kesren gave a lopsided grin. “Not true. Dira might have lived with me the most, but she had plenty of time to fall in love with the sciences.”

Dira laughed. “You’re both to blame for everything. Happy?” But she was truly delighted by their playful banter and looked at Zoi. “You’d hardly believed they’ve been divorced since I was six.”

She loved that Dira’s parents were so playful and sweet to one another despite being divorced. She had seen bitter former spouses. Her mother had never been married and had not ever been romantically involved with anyone before or after Zoi’s birth. She was sad that she would not be able to her mother with this kind of camaraderie. Certainly this was not the first time Zoi considered these thoughts and so they were easily laid aside so that she could be present in the now.

“It helps that we were always dear friends. Just terrible spouses,” Kesren added. He stopped and grabbed one of Dira’s bags but she intervened and grabbed the other. “I’ve got it.”

Kesren just shook his head. “I can’t wait to get you back to the house. Maybe we can get you to relax,” he teased and then shifted his amused smile to Haven. “Does she even know how to do so on that ship of hers?”

~Dira & Family

Zoi answered Dira’s father’s smile with one of her own. “Of course she does.... to a degree. I am certainly helpful in that arena. I don’t let her get too lost as Captain.”

Haven, CoS

“Good,” Sesara said with a warm smile, though there was something deeper in her gaze as she took in Zoi. There was nothing negative in that look though, and if anything it seemed to lean towards thoughtfulness.

One might think that Zoi would feel uncomfortable at the more penetrating gaze Sesara gave her, but she had experienced a great deal of odd looks in her life time… a substantial lifetime… and thus it did not seem to phase her in the slightest. Though she had not truly dropped her mask. Perhaps in time it would come down entirely among this kind and genial family.

“Now, I have enough people at my place that you’ll be more comfortable at Kesren’s. But we all have plans to have dinner tonight at mine,” Sesara said.
“Will Redar be there?” Dira asked, speaking of her mother’s intended.
“Absolutely. Plus some of his family. Fortunately, not all of them.”
“What, worried about being overshadowed?” Dira asked, unable to mask her teasing smirk. “Denobulans can match Betazoids in their ability to throw a party.”
Sesara waved off her daughter’s comments. “Pffft! Not even possible in this case. It might not be a traditional Betazoid wedding but it will a party, that is for certain.”

There was a relaxing way that they bantered with one another that put Zoi more at ease by the minute in their company. She couldn’t help but watch them with their back and forth and find it utterly charming and disarming even to a veteran security officer. She found herself smiling softly just enjoying.

“As soon as she had confirmation that you could get the time off, she went into full planning mode. I’m surprised you didn’t get specific instructions sent to the Ogawa,” Kesren said, also happily teasing his ex.

Dira just chuckled. “Well, we are glad we can be here and I’m glad I could get this much tome off. Though, they kind of owed me, so is there that.”

Kesren slipped his arm through Zoi’s. “Come my dear, let us show you my humble home.”

Zoi looked toward her beloved’s father as he slipped his arm in hers and guided her away. Her smile widened and she continued to warm to them all. For a moment, she allowed herself to glance at Dira with the smile remaining on her face. She couldn’t have asked for a more normal, informal, and lovely greeting than Dira’s family had given her.

Dira met Zoi’s gaze with a slight grin and a wash of happiness floated between them. She didn’t expect anything less than her parents welcoming Zoi ith open arms, but still, it was lovely to witness.

They set off into the transportation centre where there were step-through transporters. Sesara went into a different one, bidding them farewell till the evening, and Kesren led Dira and Zoi to one she was familiar with. When they were ready, they stepped through.

They appeared in the middle of a small neighbourhood not too far from the ocean. Dira breathed in deeply and closed her eyes for the moment, the salt in the air tingling her nose. It was home.

Dira slipped her hand into Zoi’s and brushed her partner’s mind as she offered a smile. “After they split up, my mother moved to her own place a bit closer to the university and I stayed here with him. But I would spent alternate weekends with my mother depending on her schedule and she would take me on holidays too.”

They soon approached a modest tall one-story cottage nestled amongst a stand of trees. It had a smooth, contemporary exterior, but all the trim was ornately carved. The home has soft curves and there seemed to not be a sharp angle anywhere. The landscaping around it was a intentional wild assortment of plants and shrubs. It faced the grasslands before the cliffs and dunes of the beach in the near distance.

~Dira & Family

“I think it is lovely that your family works so well together to make sure they do their jobs as your parents. I can tell they love you and even each other very much even if they are not together.” She gave Dira’s hand a squeeze and then raised it to her lips for a soft kiss. Even though the mask was not down, she was far more relaxed than she usually was. “I am so happy you were this loved.”

Haven, CoS

Something deep shone from behind Dira’s dark eyes. “Me too. I know I am very fortunate and I’ve never taken it for granted. I know things are complicated with your mother, but I hope you can let people here care for you too. They have very open hearts.”

Dira started to walk backwards, pulling Zoi gently along with her. “Come on, let’s go inside. But I warn you, I’ve never known Ada’s place to be anything less than creatively chaotic.”

And indeed, when they stepped inside into the something of an entry way, the entire vibe of the home was cozy and bright. Dira took off her shoes and followed her father in towards the open living space. There were pieces of art on all the walls, and the pieces of furniture didn’t quite seem to be organized. But they looked comfy all equipped with fluffy cushions and soft blankets. It was a lo like how Dira kept her own space. Everything had a purpose and then it was made as cozy as possible, even if it became a bit cluttered.

It seemed Kesren also used large portions of the space as his art studio. There were canvases leaning against walls and a large easel was tucked in a corner with perfect natural light beaming in from a window. On closer inspection, it was more than just paint on the canvas and it looked like all sort of other materials were mebedded in the large vibrant swathes of colour. It was almost 3-D in style.

“So… when you tease me about being messy…” Dira gestured around her with a grin.

Captain Myqian, CO