A Message from Mother
Posted on Fri Jul 12th, 2024 @ 5:47pm by Captain Maxwell Culver
1,653 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Short Treks
Location: USS Intrepid: Captain’s Quarters
Timeline: MD1: 1800 hours
It had been three days since Max and Rylen had been ushered off of Krios at the behest of Rylen’s mother. In the days since, Max had been updated on the progress made on Krios. The majority of A’ransari had been made whole by a Q, of all beings. The hospital ships had discharged all of their patients and departed. The Scott class remained to assist with temporary living arrangements, feeding the population and rebuilding the Capitol city. Only it and the Intrepid and the LaForge remained in orbit there.
Max was sitting on the couch in his expansive quarters. Where once he cohabited with the blue koala and a sentient tree - some kind of phase, he decided - the best the quartermaster could find was Diplomatic quarters for the captain of the ship. Rylen lay on the couch, his head in Max’s lap as they comfortably relaxed from such momentous planetary catastrophes. For Max, it meant progress - from Kaitos to New El-Auria, and an application for Federation membership - for Rylen, it was exile and the further rise of their planet’s King.
In fact, Krios had all but seceded from the Federation, tightened its borders and all but challenged the Klingons to attempt a new invasion. Max could feel Rylen all but screaming at the insult. Max ran his fingers through Rylen’s hair, much like Vi had done when he was restless.
“Go ahead and shout,” Max told him, using words as he projected comfort on Rylen. “Scream about the indignity, the utter gall, the unfairness,” Max offered, ready for Rylen to stand and scream until he felt better.
“No,” Rylen responded calmly. “It wouldn’t be dignified. I’m head of the House of Lyo, I will comport myself appropriately.” Rylen looked up at Max and offered a sad smile.
Rylen pulled out the Cardassian data rod from his pants pocket. It had been secreted by him since the Kriosian pilot, a sixteen year old named Haren, gave it to Rylen and explained it was an extended message from his mother. Rylen gazed at it for a minute before he started twirling it between his fingers, like it was a small fidget toy.
Max reached out to pretend to snatch it from Rylen. “Give that to me or we’re never going to know what happened to your mother and why she had us so unceremoniously removed from Krios Prime.”
The small rod flew from Rylen’s tentative grasp and into Max’s hand where he grasped it firmly. With a look of horror and surprise, Max’s eyes met Rylen’s. “I didn’t mean to do that!” Max quickly excused the bad behavior. “I usually have to try to make things like that happen. I didn’t even try,” he added quickly.
“Here!” he added, handing the data rod back to Rylen quickly. “I’m sorry, my Lord.”
Rylen sat up and watched as Max reacted with fear. He truly hadn’t tried to make the data rod fly into his hand. For a moment, he felt angry and violated, but he could see Max’s reaction was real, even more, as an empath bonded to him, Rylen could feel the fear and guilt that Max felt. With his empty hand, Rylen calmed his thoughts as he said them aloud, “Your telekinetic power is increasing. You didn’t try to take the data rod and I believe you, Raalo. It was an accident, but it’s also something you have to be careful about. A stray thought could be very dangerous now.”
Max hadn’t really considered that before. “I’ll need more training, but from whom?” Max wondered. “Is there any species in the Federation with empathy, telepathy and telekinesis?”
Rylen moved closer and forced Max to look at him. Rylen’s eyes were softened by his love and compassion. “I’m sure that we can check with the computer. Maybe it doesn’t even have to be a Federation member species,” he suggested. Rylen laid his head on Max’s shoulder. “You said it yourself, the El-Aurians were in a Cold War with the Q, so it’s likely you will become that powerful. Maybe you’ll have to find a Q to mentor you as your powers develop.”
Max chuckled. “You make it sound simple. We’ll just go find a Q. They’re not exactly the type to be hanging around a Federation starship.”
Rylen picked his head up and kissed Max on the cheek. “Mother was right about many things, but she always harped on one. “Rylen, my son, you sure know how to pick them”. And you’re right also,” Rylen stood up and picked up the square device from the kitchen countertop. “We need to find out what is on this data rod.”
Rylen plugged the data rod into the small device after placing it on the coffee table. “Computer, play message on the data rod.”
=/\= Unable to comply. Message playback requires pass phrase. =/\=
He sighed. There was always one phrase his mother wanted him to say to her. Of course she would make it the pass phrase. “Mother is always correct,” Rylen said aloud, sarcastically.
A miniature version of Lady Darra appeared as a small hologram. She seemed to be interactive as she looked from Rylen to Max. “Mother is always right, Rylen. Captain Culver has completed your finiis’ral with you. Sometimes, we are simply waiting for the right person and, aside from being unable to carry a child in the line of Lyo, he is a fine choice for your “Rallo”. He is also a fine addition to our family.
“My sons, this is a dark time for our family. Our Lord Zellis and our heir apparent, Selton, have been murdered. Our investigation has led us to the highest levels of the Kriosian Sovereign Dynasty's Advisory Council. Perhaps to the King himself.” The hologram paused as it seemed to give them time to process this information.
“I have left the information gathered by your Starfleet investigation with your officers so that you may continue the investigation in your own time. I am certain you will be able to reach the same conclusions as my personal investigators.
“For some time, I have been aware of micro aggressions directed at House Lyo. For the most part, I have allowed them to occur, spreading misinformation to these challenges. In the meantime, I have been moving our assets to Valt through multiple shell corporations. The House of Lyo is very powerful on Valt now. We can still pose significant risk to our enemies within the Advisory Council and we remain as popular, perhaps even more popular now, among the Valtese and the Kriosians.
“I am safe here on Valt, but more importantly, the House of Lyo is safe now on Valt. You, my beautiful boys, are not safe. I know your blood boils at this insult, Lord Rylen, but you have just completed the finiis’ral. A delayed finiis’ral has caused you great weakness, both physically and mentally. And though your Rallo is strong in both of those arenas, it is you which must stand before the Council and the King. Until then, the House of Lyo must stand strong, here, on Valt.
“I know that one day soon, you shall restore our House to its proper place on Krios. Until then, you are a Starfleet officer, bonded to a strong and handsome Captain, but always you will be High Lord Rylen Lyo. Stand proudly in your position, even if it is not on Krios yet.”
The hologram returned to the data rod and the device fizzled as the whole contraption seemed to self-destruct. “No evidence that message exists now. Just memories in our heads.”
Rylen gave a slight smirk. “That is how she planned it. Leave no traceable evidence of a coup d’etat. Can you imagine the implications on Krios that their King had his top Advisor and the heir to his House murdered?”
“It would cause nothing short of a Civil War,” Max said, a powerful vision of Krios burning came to his head. Ships loomed large overhead, Vatese ships crashing down in flames while Klingon ships decloaked or slipped out of the clouds above. “Krios and Valt would be too busy reigniting their war while the Klingons moved back in to take control of both.”
Rylen leaned into Max for comfort at the thought. Except, he knew it wasn’t just a thought. It was Krios’ future. “We must be very careful. We have to choose the right time for the House of Lyo to return or a second Klingon occupation will be in our future.”
Max wrapped his arms around Rylen and held him tightly. At the moment, he didn’t see another way around the re-occupation of Krios, and it was a terrible vision in his mind that he was careful not to share with Rylen.
“We will see a way through this without allowing Krios and Valt to fall to the Klingons. It will take some time though,” Max warned. “We will have to be patient.”
Max held Rylen and was relieved when Rylen laid his head on Max’s shoulder. They would support each other emotionally for the rest of their lives. A general sense of calm and wellbeing was shared empathically. Max was happy in this aura of wellbeing.
Rylen allowed Max to support him. Despite the years he’d felt opposed to completing the finiis’ral, Rylen felt complete. He laid his head on Max’s shoulder and felt “in the moment”. Not worrying about tomorrow, but here and comfortable with his ‘Rallo’. It felt calm and peaceful. He felt calm and peaceful.
Rylen could stay in this peace and love forever.
RSS Feed