[JP] Ens. Trovek and Amb. Zorkal: A Good Death - Like father, like daughter

[Arys Trova]

((Ihalainen Residence, Rovaniemi, Finland, Earth))

Arys perked up as she heard the front door opening and then falling shut again. She set down the cup of coffee she had just poured herself - freshly brewed, of course, none of this awful replicated stuff - and glanced at Lukin, then at the chronometer. 

Trovek: I suppose I should check in on my father. It’s… late. Well, early. ::she looked at Lukin:: Be nice.

Zorkal: I’m always nice.

Arys got up and left the living area to meet her father in the hallway. That last conversation with him had left her worried, and she hoped that things would clear up now that she was here. Then again, the fact that he hadn’t returned yesterday evening but rather this morning didn’t exactly fill her with confidence. 

No matter. He was her father, after all, and so she smiled brightly as she approached and embraced him if only so he couldn’t see her worried expression. Was he sick? He seemed so frail. 

Trovek: [finnish] Dad, I missed you. 

Tuomas sized up his welcoming committee with a blank, expressionless stare. He was too tired to emote any joy or distaste for the surprise that appeared before his lifeless eyes. His breaths are very reserved and drawn out. He was unsure whether to fly into a fit of rage or simply lie down and bawl as a newborn babe would.  

Tuomas: [finnish] Who else is here, Arys?

Arys looked at her father and frowned. Hadn’t she told him that she was bringing a friend? Oh, she definitely had, even if she had omitted the detail of who exactly it was she was bringing. 

Trovek: [finnish] Dad, I told you - I brought a friend. Lukin. And would like to introduce you. It won’t take long and… you look so tired. Have you worked all night?

Once more, one could almost hear the whirring of his brain - overclocked yet throttled at the same time. His expression shifted multiple times between confusion, disdain, and fright. Eventually, he seemed to return to his ever-winded self.

Tuomas: [finnish] Oh. Yes. Him. Who? Oh.

His daughter led him into the living room, where a surprise waited for Tuomas. Lukin, it turned out, was a Cardassian. He was tall, as handsome as his species could be, and the most striking feature was his grey eyes that seemed to watch him thoughtfully.

Arys: This is Lukin. Lukin, this is my father. 

As Arys entered with her father, Lukin rose to his feet.  He was not lacking in etiquette, and by doing so, he knew he was showing a measure of respect for the man.  Although the Cardassian couldn’t tell the specifics of the man’s emotional state, he had a sense that Arys’ father was not particularly happy at his presence.  

Lukin: Kunnia tutustua, Herra Ihalainen.

The Cardassian had purposefully chosen the more formal and respectable form of the greeting.  He was not well versed in Finnish by a long shot, but as an Ambassador, Lukin made a point of looking into those with whom he would have to deal with.  That included finding out about their culture and traditions, as well as proper and polite ways of greeting them.  

Tuomas's stature turned defensive as he laid eyes upon the foreign intruder of his home. He could not believe, of all races, she would bring a Cardassian into his four walls. Why? Was this a joke? Whatever it was, he was too tired to decide what to do with his new quarry.

For his daughter's sake, Tuomas merely lifted his hand in greeting, eyeing the hallway. He could see the stairs leading up to his bedroom from here. But he wasn’t allowed to go there. He was forced to be here and fraternize with the enemy. It seemed to Tuomas as if he could not catch a break. He continued dryly while facing Arys.

Tuomas: [finnish] Doctor Trovek. A word, if you would.

Arys froze but nodded. This wasn’t like him at all. He was a diplomat's son. He had traveled between Bajor and Cardassia to research genetic defects that affected both species. 

Trovek: [finnish] What is going on? 

Tuomas lurched his way to the kitchen area, where he came to a sudden halt, turning his heel to face Arys directly. He took a deep breath and attempted to formulate something.

Tuomas: [finnish] Arys, I… No. --- Arys. Listen. Arys, I Uhm, I am not upset. I am just very, very, very, ve-ry tired. Unlike you, I had a very long day at work, and I am not in the best mood to entertain any guests as of right now. I hope you do understand. I just do not have the mental capacity to deal with this right now. Are we clear?

Arys swallowed hard and nodded. She was upset, yes, but that didn’t matter right now. She regained composure quickly, and her gaze softened. It wasn’t the first time her father was overworked and stressed, and she knew exactly how to handle him when he got like this.

Trovek: [finnish]  ::calmly:: I understand how tired you must be. But this is my home. I live here just as much as you do, and I wanted to bring a friend. ::pause:: Get some rest. I’ll cook your favorite dinner this evening, and if you’re at work, I will have it brought there. I promise me and Lukin won’t be a bother. We have no expectations you have to fulfill. Now please, get some rest.  

Tuomas's brows furrowed deeply. He raised his hand in opposition as if to make an official statement. However, whatever parts of his brain were still working managed to stifle it and adhere to the counselor's recommendations. Rest was the first word he had heard from her that made any inkling of sense to him in his current state. He relaxed his pose once more, letting his arm drop back to his waistline, and resigned to mumbling something about gravy potato mash, followed by a meek thank you. His movements were reminiscent of the Borg as he clunkily ascended the stairs, disappearing along with a soft droning humming.

His daughter sighed and returned to her coffee. Then she looked at Lukin. 

Trovek: If I ever become like that, please feel free to bash my head into the wall until I come to my senses. Thanks. 

Zorkal: My pleasure. 

Lukin clasped his hands behind him, glancing at the stairs, though the man had already disappeared up them, and he did not have the ability to see through walls.  

Zorkal: If there is anything I can do to reassure your father, I am happy to oblige. 

Trovek: ::she sighed, draining her cup of coffee before she answered:: Assert yourself as head of the household, he needs firm but gentle leadership - I didn’t mean that seriously. Not the first part. 

Zorkal: I have no problem doing either.

A smirk followed, a familiar expression upon his face, but then it faded as Lukin’s gaze settled upon her, studying her more thoroughly.  

Zorkal: I take that this is not a normal state for him.

Trovek: He has been… odd, recently. That was one of the things I was worried about - he is a brilliant geneticist, but he’s awful at taking care of himself. 

Zorkal: Like father, like daughter. 

There was a lot of truth to that. Like father, like daughter.  Or like son.  Children took a lot from their parents.  Some good.  Often times the bad as well.  Oh yes, definitely the bad.  What had he, himself, taken from his own parents?  Their attitudes had been far different from his.  

But that was not a question to be broached at that time.  

Arys looked up from her cup of life-giving elixir and frowned at him. 

Trovek: Excuse me? 

Zorkal: When one ignores one’s self, how can one assist those she is supposed to assist?

And when was the last time the woman rested?  Truly rested?  And how much of a hypocrite was he for thinking that she needed to take some more time to do so? Not that he needed that much rest - not compared to a human or a Bajoran. 

Still, perhaps it was that interaction that made him realize how tired she, herself, looked.  Her father had been weary, yes, but so was the daughter.

Like father, like daughter, Arys knew that there was a lot of truth to his words. She had been told similarly by both the Doctor and by Tito, and mostly she did her best to ignore it. Even so, she had already improved in that regard. She was even eating semi-regularly. 

It agitated her that he insinuated she was like her father. Why did he, of all people, think she was anything like that? Had she ever given him any indication? And why did he feel entitled to ask those questions? When he routinely ignored hers? 

Trovek: :: cooly:: You clearly never worked in a medical field. If someone needs me, then it doesn’t matter that I would instead get some rest. 

Zorkal:I’ve worked on the battlefield. 

There were ways the two could be similar.  At times.  And he’d had his share of dealing with injuries, his own as well as those of his comrades.  Doctors hadn’t always been available.  Sometimes, they’d had to take care of themselves.  And each other .

For a Cardassian, that was a difficult concept, but on the battlefield, if one could be patched up quickly and well enough to fight, then he would be given attention.  Others?  Their usefulness had ended.  For that time, in those places, they had been left to die. 

And those were some of the faces that Lukin still dreamed about.  

Arys voice was icy as she replied. 

Trovek: That’s not the same. I care for people. And since you never answered my questions, I think I will opt out of discussing this further. 

She started to turn, attempted to walk away, but Lukin wasn’t going to let her. Instead, he reached out, his hand grabbing her arm.  It was a firm grip, yet somehow gentle at the same time. He was not attempting to capture her or harm her, but he didn’t want her to just walk away.

Why?  Why did it matter?  He didn’t know.  Just that it did, and for some reason, letting her stomp off didn’t feel right.  Again, why?  Again, he had no answer, so he just followed his instincts.

Zorkal: You put on this facade, but I see right past it, Arys.  

That wasn’t like him and inwardly, he growled at himself.  Why was he bothering?  Why was he confronting her like that?  It made no sense.  And he hated not having answers.

Arys stared at him, then at his hand. She did not like being grabbed, and she couldn’t decide whether to yell at him or to try and pull away. 

As she spoke again she was less harsh, her words spoken more softly and with a sigh. 

Trovek: But that doesn’t really matter, does it, Lukin. It’s who I am. Why does it bother you?

Zorkal: That’s not what bothers me.

Trovek: Then what is?

Lukin frowned, his grip loosening, then finally he released her, hand dropping to his side. 

Zorkal: Never mind.  It doesn’t matter.

Trovek: ::she sighed:: You are starting to behave like Lauer. That’s not a good thing. 

She sat down at the sofa, motioning - no, offering - for him to join her there. 

Lauer.  He knew that name.  He knew far more about her than even she realised.  Likely she would hate him if she realised exactly to what extent he’d gone to look into her.  Or did she already suspect?  He was a Cardassian.  It was ingrained in him. 

He watched her as she sat, watched as she motioned for him to sit beside her.  Part of him wanted to walk away, to simply leave her to sulk.  And yet, his feet didn’t move - not in that direction.  They moved toward her.  They moved to the couch. They moved so he could take the seat she offered.  

He lowered himself down, but he didn’t look at her.  His jaw tightened.  What she had said had impacted him - and not in a good way.  He didn't like it.  Not one bit. 

Zorkal: Tell me about Lauer.

He knew of the man.  Knew some things.  But sometimes, there were some things one could only learn by hearing of other’s experiences. 

Ugh. She regretted having mentioned him, clearly being here didn’t do her any good. She didn’t look at him. It felt… wrong to tell him about how she had thrown things away, when his own potential partner had passed away. But she wanted to be honest. She didn’t want him to find it out some other way, even if part of her wondered if he already knew. 

Trovek: We were engaged. 

He nodded.  Lukin had found out that much, but still did not divulge the information that he’d accrued.  She’d let him tell him and then insert the rest in the cracks.  

Trovek: He was… sickeningly sweet. Like a puppy wanting attention, but it wasn’t all that. He wanted to take care of me. He wanted me to be Less so he could be More. So I broke it off. :: pause:: Broke it off on the evening before we were supposed to get married. It wasn’t pretty. 

Zorkal: I can imagine.

Lukin stared ahead of him, which happened to be through the window that afforded a view matching the one he’d experienced in the holodeck.  His jaw tightened and he swung his face around to glare down at her. 

Zorkal: I am not Lauer. 

Trovek: ::surprised:: I know. But you are… alike. In that regard. 

Zorkal: I do not and never will wish you to be less. 

There were few people he felt could stand to the same level as that of his own people.  Cardassians were a proud race, and there was good reason for it.  Their superiority had been established centuries ago.  Yet, in their egotism, they had forgotten that there was more to that than simply occupying.  There were other ways to assert one’s dominance and superiority rather than complete and absolute control.  There were other ways to engage with other species, even if they didn’t necessarily meet one’s standards. 

Yet, on occasion, he came across someone whom he held a certain level of respect for.  Somehow, that woman had managed to wheedle her way up into that category, and now...now he actually cared what happened to her. 

Dammit.

Zorkal: Do not ever compare me to him again.

Trovek: I won’t. Please don’t grab me again.

The only answer he offered was a single eye-ridge arching upward . 

Trovek: I don't even let people hug me when I can avoid it, grabbing is definitely on the list of things I prefer not to happen. But I am sorry. And you’re not wrong. I am… really really tired. I don’t seem to be able to get my to slow down. 

Zorkal: I’m sure my presence doesn’t help matters.

He offered another smirk, a bit of humour, or perhaps of irony.

Trovek: On the contrary. That’s why I asked you to come. Your presence is… I don’t know. ::she offered a non-committal gesture:: Nice?

The smirk disappeared and that time both eye ridges danced upward.  Nice?  That was a first.  

Zorkal: I find your presence ‘nice’ too.

Might as well use her words.  It was appropriate. 

Trovek: ::smirking:: Well of course you do. I am very nice. 

He only allowed a grunt, a rather noncommittal sound.  It wasn’t a disagreement to that statement, but neither was it an agreement.  

Zorkal: I’ve a feeling, however, it is not so pleasant for your father.  No matter, the choice is not up to him.  I will remain if you wish me to.

Which spoke as to how much regard he held for the woman.  That was not an offer Lukin would make for most people.  He, of course, could only remain so long as his government allowed.  The various factions fighting for power had different ideas of where he should go and what he should do, but they had agreed that it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to visit Earth, commiserate with the local Ambassador, make an appearance at Starfleet Headquarters.  They all had value.  What he did on his own time was his own time as long as it did not conflict with the interests of Cardassia.  

Trovek: It… is odd. I am not yet sure what is going on, but no, this is my home and I invited you here as my person. He will have to deal with that.

Her person. What an odd thing to say.  And yet...he couldn’t help but like it.

He was getting soft.

That was dangerous.

Zorkal: Very well then.  I do believe you mentioned food.  

Trovek: I will cook later this evening - you can, of course, join if you want. I know you are busy but you are welcome here. 

Zorkal: I am welcomed by you.

In other words, not everyone in the house agreed with her statement.  

Trovek: ::thoughtful:: In regards to my father.. something is wrong. He always had moments of Mania and Depression, but it’s not usually like this. I‘m worried. That’s what I mean - I don’t get to relax, I get to find out what the issue is and then fix it. If I don’t do it, no one will. 

Zorkal: And how do you plan to go about finding out what the issue is?  

Trovek: … Truthfully? 

Zorkal: Truthfully.  

Trovek: I will try to talk to him. And he will decline to do so. 

Tuomas was a lot like Arys in that. He wouldn’t talk about what troubled him, and he wouldn’t ask for help. 

Lukin had suspected as much.  The best way to do so, at least to a Counselor, was to talk to the person.  For a Cardassian...well, that depended on the person.  A close friend?  Possibly.  Perhaps after researching if any events had occurred that might have coloured said friend’s perspective and influenced his or her reaction.  A really close friend?  More likely…

Beyond that….

Lukin didn’t entertain the idea. 

Zorkal: Like father, like daughter.

Perhaps she didn’t need to have that reiterated, but there were too many traits that they shared.  He moved on. 

Zorkal: And your next step?

Arys had inherited her mothers desire for staying in control of a situation. She sighed, not sure how Lukin would react to her answer - then again he was a Cardassian. 

Trovek: That means that I will have a look at the correspondence between this household and whoever he is calling, check how the hospital is doing, get information out of his secretary. 

Zorkal: Indeed.  I shall get that information for you.

Trovek: … Excuse me?

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

Zorkal: It’s easily obtained.  I have  my ways.  This is not a Starfleet base or vessel which would be a little more difficult. 

In truth, it would be a lot more difficult.  Not impossible, but difficult.  

Trovek: Lukin, that’s awful. Bad. Very bad. :: she shook her head at him, then smiled innocently:: I have all incoming and outgoing calls recorded. I’ve been doing that since years. ::she shrugged:: I like to stay informed. No crime in that. 

The truth was that Sileah, Arys mother, had previously tried to contact Tuomas. And Arys knew that Tuomas, even after so many years would do whatever she wanted. 

Lukin stared at her for a moment, then tilted his head back and laughed. 

Zorkal: My dear, you really should have been born a Cardassian.

___________

Ensign Trovek Arys 

Counselor 

USS Juneau 

J239809TA4

And 

Dalin Lukin Zorkal

Cardassian Visitor

Starbase 118 Ops 

M239008AD0