JP: Lt Zenno & Ens Saava - The Scandalous & The Mandatory, Part 3 of 10
Cobalt Penumbra
((Weeks later, SpacePort, City of Kir, Planet Vulcan))
Zenno walked quickly, almost too quickly through the space port. Vulcans were a deliberate people and were never in a hurry but this was a spaceport with all kinds, so he felt the latitude to give in to his impatience.
For some reason his heart was beating far too quickly as searched the lounge and finally saw her light colored hair in the crowd. He made his way over with an uncontrollably large smile on his face. He wanted to hug her, but he knew better.
Zenno: There you are!
Saava's heart made a little jump as she caught a glimpse of him. Though she had given in to her mother’s demand in anticipation of a couple of stressful days, having Zenno with her made things… easier. He would have to endure a lot over the days to come, but she was sure he would stand by her. After all, he was family.
Saava: Your presence is agreeable. Did you encounter any obstacles during your travels?
Zenno: My travels were uneventful. But I’m so excited to be here on Vulcan! Can we eat something? Is the spaceport food good? I want to try some Pok Tar. Do they have that here? Or do we need to go? Or is someone waiting?
Saava: Vulcan cuisine is complicated. I understand your requirements and preferences. I will make suitable culinary choices. But for now they are expecting us at the house. There will be food later.
Of course she would make all the decisions. He’d been away too long.
They made their way out to the shuttle parking. Zenno had expected to take public transit, so this was a welcome surprise. Perhaps Saava was splurging a bit to impress him? That thought warmed his heart. It would be a kind gesture.
Saava led the way. She made her way past all the docks and eventually turned towards a very large shuttle with no markings. It could have held 20 people at least with room to spare. He had expected things to be a bit more… understated on Vulcan. It was odd.
((Saava’s home, City of Kir, Planet Vulcan))
The flight was efficient and silent. The lots they had overflown had become bigger and bigger as they moved farther away from the spaceport.
The shuttle was private property of the company. The pilot was well-dressed, but did not wear a uniform or any sign or logo that referred to her parents’ business. The seating area of the luxurious vehicle was made from the highest quality fabrics that could be found in the Alpha quadrant. An assortment of refreshments were ready in front of Saava and Zenno. The thought of what might usually happen in these kinds of shuttles made her stomach turn.
She tried to focus on something different to get her attention away from the shuttle and from what was to come.
Saava: We will be there in about 7.35 minutes. My parents might expect you to change your attire. The occasion calls for something a little more… formal.
Zenno: Saava, this is one of my finest suits!
It was the same ensemble he had worn at an awards ceremony on the Arrow several months ago. It was a high-collared frock coat. It had a seam down the front but no visible fasteners or buttons in a plummy burgundy with a metallic sheen. The collar went all the way around his neck and ended in a champagne-colored piping. Loose cream-colored pants were visible from knees down, all the way to the highly ornate burgundy sandals which were considered very fancy on the home world. Topping it all off was a thin charcoal gray stole, in the pattern of his clan, emblazoned with his family name in silvery and ornate Bolian script. His sister had helped him design it. He had chosen to wear it to show respect to Saava and her family.
Saava: ::looking at Zenno:: Have your robes been made by one of the top four tailors on Vulcan?
Zenno: Ahh… no?
He had meant to be respectful of this occasion, but apparently he had erred. He should have known to wear Vulcan attire. Was she mad? Had he given offense?
Saava: ::looking out of the front window again:: Then they are not sufficient. The goal of our visit is to keep you as a guest of this party. You will have to conform to their ways as do I.
Zenno: I… I will conform. I don’t wish to cause any problems.
He looked down at his outfit and said nothing. He should have asked ahead of time. Why didn’t he think to do that? Sometimes, like now, he felt clueless in the social arena. It especially annoyed him since he had been talking to his colleague T’Lyra the other day and he was sure she could have provided him with some advanced intelligence for a trip to a Vulcan social event. But he didn’t think to ask. So foolish of him.
A moment of silence occurred between the two and Saava was not sure if she hurt Zenno’s feelings. Usually, despite her best efforts, that was something she did not achieve. But this situation was different. She did not feel the same easiness she usually felt around him and she was sure that it was her mother’s shadow already reaching out to her mind.
Saava: You will be staying in the east wing, most likely on the second level. You will have a personal steward caring for your needs. I shall brief him on your dietary needs. There will be no unauthorized snacks.
Zenno: oO I did not hear that correctly. Oo A personal… steward?
He always knew she had been reluctant to discuss a few things about her family and life at home. But now he was realizing how much had been withheld.
Saava: What my parents own in currency they lack in ::pausing for a word:: … Well, you will see.
In their many years of friendship, he had never seen her like this. She was… hesitant, uncertain. He was used to seeing her being bold and decisive. His guts shifted about, wondering if he was the cause, or if it was something else. More than anything in the entire universe, he just wanted to take her hand in his. He could tell her not to worry and give her a warm smile. But he knew that was a line he should not cross. What if she thought he overstepped? That would be a cataclysmic scenario.
Zenno: *Ahem* I’m happy just to be here with you.
The shuttle decreased its velocity and height and aimed for a preposterously large compound of several houses guarded by a huge fence. A lush garden extended in its limits. On the east side of the fence there were several shuttle landing bays. Their shuttle headed for bay number 01.
The Bolian looked at the… well, the estate. There was no other word for it. The boundaries of it couldn’t be readily determined. It went at least as far as that river to the south. The other directions showed cultivated fields and desert gardens trailing off into the horizon.
As the shuttle touched ground and the doors opened, Saava noticed once again how quietly the mechanisms worked. Starfleet shuttles were different. They were not uncomfortable, but they were built for reliability and functionality. The shuttles her parents used were built for maximum comfort while trying to look as ordinary as possible from the outside. Discretion and professionalism was everything in their line of business.
As Saava and Zenno got out, another Vulcan was already unloading their baggage. As she looked into the direction of the house, she saw the man she was least eager to see today: Sovin was making his way towards the shuttle. He was her mothers’ chief of staff. He was an elderly Vulcan, always dressed in long and noble robes. Nothing that would come close to her parents’ attire, but something that clearly indicated his status among the staff.
Saava had not expected her parents to greet her themselves, but this posed a new threat. She needed to get Zenno through Sovin so her parents would see him. She walked over to her Bolian friend, getting closer to him than she usually was.
Zenno knew he was uncharacteristically optimistic and friendly for a Security Officer, at least in his personal affairs. So this approaching Vulcan was an opportunity to meet someone new and that’s what he was most looking forward to on this trip. But something was off. Saava was standing exceptionally close, so close that he could detect… was that a perfume? That was new. But why was she so close? He could see the tensing in her neck and her hands rigid. Were they expecting a fight?
Saava: ::whispering:: His name’s Sovin. You’re with me, no matter what he says.
She never abbreviated. She was more tense than she would be facing a Borg invasion in her sickbay. The amount of influence her parents had on her was frightening and for a second, she wished she had not returned her Mother’s call.
Zenno: If you believe I will permit separation, you don’t know me as well as you may think.
Ensign Saava
Nurse, Medical Division
USS White Pine
As simmed by
Lt. Connor Dewitt
Chief Engineer
USS Khitomer
A239901CD3
And
Lt Zenno
Security Chief
USS Khitomer
A240006Z13