LtCmdr Sky Blake, "Goodbye, Jhalib Ekal."

[Deliera Jay]

((OOC: This is set before First Impressions.))

((Star Station Esperance))

Blake: So this is it? This is goodbye?

Ekal: Assuming all goes well, yes.

Blake: Can you at least tell me where you're going?

::Jhalib Ekal hesitated, playing with the clasps of the CRI brace. She'd finally started to notice his age, rather than just assuming he was this young lad with a debilitating medical condition. The wrinkles around his eyes, greying hair, were telltale signs of a life long lived.::

Ekal: I had everything on my bucket list ticked off, save one thing.

Blake: Which was?

::He shrugged.::

Ekal: I thought I might meet my father.

::She wasn't entirely surprised about this, but he picked up on her minor confusion.::

Ekal: There's no hole in my life, if that's what you're thinking. I know everything there is to know about my father. ::He reassured her.:: But I never *met* him.

Blake: He never met you. Not like this, at least.

::The reality was that Sabor died when Ayden was only a few months old. It was comforting to know that, in Jhalib's life, she'd been straight-forward, resulting in her children's full understanding of where exactly they came from. But at the same time, there was a hole of which would never be filled, regardless of Jhalib's statement.::

Blake: You should do it.

::Part of her ached a little, perhaps for the opportunity to go with him, but she knew quite well what the answer to that would have been.::

Blake: Sabor missed out on a lot of things. He was a good man. If you have the opportunity to meet him, you should take it.

::He nodded.::

Ekal: Then I'm heading there.

::That still didn't narrow it down. He could end up in a variety of different places. On Brekka, on shore leave somewhere while Sabor was posted to a Starfleet vessel, maybe even in his early life. But she couldn't recall anyone who looked like Ekal during that time.

::That said, Jhalib was good at what he did - minus the obvious timeline-breaking behaviour that resulted in his being stranded in this century.::

::He closed his bag, standing and looking towards the transport.::

Blake: Before you go . . .

::Familiar brown eyes looked back at her.::

Blake: I know you don't want to talk about the future. But . . . I need to know something.

Ekal:::shaking his head:: I can't-

Blake: I know. ::She sighed.:: I'm meeting with the Eleventh House of Betazed soon. They're planning on helping Faith leave the Delos system.

::He stood a little straighter, face giving a more focused expression.::

Blake: I just need to know if all these hoops . . . if it's worth continuing. It's been years. Part of me wonders why I don't just smuggle her off-world and be done with it.

::Jhalib cracked a small smile, leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed. He looked down at his feet with that smile.::

Ekal: The Eleventh House of Betazed.

Blake: Yeah. My so-called cousin I never knew about got in contact with me.

Ekal: Cousin Rivi, I imagine?

::She blinked, a little shocked at the response. His eyes had returned to look at her.::

Blake: You know her?

Ekal: Yes. But I knew her son significantly better than I did her. Istrol. He was a respected son of house, much to his grandmother's surprise, if I recall correctly. We got into a few binds during the war about resources - he was the best negotiator. There's a few more decades before he's old enough for that, though.

::She sighed, the implication of Jhalib knowing Istrol "better than Rivi" suggested only one thing.::

Blake: You grew up with him.

::Jhalib pushed away from the pillar standing closer to her.::

Ekal: My life is already marginally different from *your* Aydens' life. Everything I know is obsolete at this point - my information is way out of date. My past will not be his future.

::Sky looked back up at Jhalib.::

Blake: I know. ::She gave a weary smile.:: But you can't stop me from feeling guilty, on behalf of the other me.

::Jhalib held his tongue at that comment. So she pushed back to the original topic.::

Blake: So Rivi. She's helpful? With Faith?

::An amused grin spread across his face.::

Ekal: Let's just say that, with the Eleventh House now involved, the cavalry is on its way.

Blake: What does that mean?

Ekal: The Vataix family don't take kindly to their own being threatened - by anyone, or anything. They're the house of hearth. They're the fireplace that warms the group, and the owners of the fire poker that burns would-be wrongdoers.

::That was a strange analogy, but a comforting one nonetheless.::

Blake: Wait. Why are you telling me all this? I thought you were against telling me about the future? Even if it's not "the future" anymore?

Ekal: I came back because misguided time-travelers intended to end my family by killing me as a kid. ::He shrugged.:: Even if she's a seven year old, Ilakai is family. She supersedes the time rule.

::She huffed a laugh.::

Blake: Don't tell your father that you're picking when your own rules apply and when they don't.

Ekal: That's if I manage to find a free space to run into him. ::He smiled.:: But seriously. Istrol was good at what he did, strong-arming people with a smile. If I recall correctly, he said it was a talent "handed down the Vataix line for generations". Have faith.

::Sky nodded.::

Blake: I will.

::There was a pause between them, Jhalib taking a small step to the side as he glanced up at her again.::

Ekal: It's been nice. Seeing you in action. I'm glad I got to.

Blake: I'm glad you did, too.

::And in a moment of weakness, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso. With a shocked huff, he returned the gesture.::

Blake: You look after yourself. If you ever need anything, I still have resources on Brekka.

Ekal: I know. And I appreciate that.

::He pulled away to see tears in her eyes.::

Blake: Be safe, Ayden.

::And with that, Jhalib Ekal walked away from his mother one last time, with the intent of leaving the Veritas behind him.::

Tbc . . .

LtCmdr Sky Blake

Chief of Security

USS Veritas

C238803SB0