Lieutenant JG Yogan Yalu — Separately together
jkpbem
(( Yalu & Etan’s quarters, Deck 4, USS Resolution ))
The living space that Yogan and Iljor shared could hardly be called party central as of late. After the group of officers had left Trill, Yogan was so preoccupied with his own introspection that he hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary in Iljor until they were sharing quarters again.
The first few days back were full of activity; a significant number of ships’ systems had been overhauled or altogether replaced, and they required testing before Resolution could be declared spaceworthy again. After a brief period of keeping mostly to himself, Yogan started volunteering for extra shifts to stay busy and get reconnected. He had even asked Genkos about pulling a night shift in Sickbay, just to keep his medical training fresh.
Repairs to Resolution neared completion and departure was imminent, which meant the shipboard population was growing by the day. Working kept his mind in balance, and helped him avoid dwelling too much on his recent zhian’tara and the evolving situation in his family. He had left Trill feeling like a completely different person than when he arrived, and his relationships all felt different as a consequence. Even his interactions with his crewmates–Addison, Genkos, Iljor, and Meidra in particular–had a new familiarity to them, and he occasionally still ‘heard’ his hosts’ memories in the voices of those whom they embodied.
He hadn’t crossed paths with his roommate more than once or twice in the last couple of days, but that wasn’t surprising. Most of the ship’s science labs had been taken offline as a security precaution during the previous mission, and Yogan presumed that Iljor was involved in getting them back up and running again. But there were a few times, late at night or very early in the morning, when Yogan thought heard Iljor pacing in his sleeping compartment, or tapping away at the desktop viewer on the small desk in their common living area. Yogan hoped they’d catch each other soon, just so he could check on his roommate and friend and make sure everything was all right.
For now, however, Yogan had his quarters to himself, and had just finished the first chapter of a new Betazoid psychodrama, My Kingdom of Thirst, when the comm system activated.
Computer: Lieutenant Yalu, you have an incoming communication.
Yalu: From whom?
Computer: Nedal Verso.
Yalu: Neddo?
Computer: Please restate inquiry.
Yalu: ::chuckles:: On viewer.
The image of his brother appeared on the small desktop screen. Yogan was surprised to see Nedal dressed in rather fashionable attire, instead of his buff-coloured Guardian’s robes.
N. Verso: Yogan, it’s good to see you.
Yalu: You too, Neddo. Is everything all right?
N. Verso: ::grins:: Of course, why do you ask?
Yalu: I just wasn’t expecting to hear from you.
N. Verso: Do I need a reason to call my big brother?
Yogan chuckled nervously. Old habits.
Yalu: Of course not. What’s going on?
N. Verso: I wanted to let you know that I’m taking a little… sabbatical. I’m leaving Trill for a while.
Yalu: ::eyes widening:: Neddo, I feel like I should ask you again: Is everything all right?
N. Verso: Everything’s fine. I just need a little time to clear my head. Get some perspective.
Yalu: Where will you go?
N. Verso: I’m going to spend some time on Earth. Get reacquainted, retrace some of my old steps.
Yalu: ::chuckles:: You were only seven when we left, Neddo. How many steps could you possibly have there to retrace?
N. Verso: All right, you got me. Among other things, there’s a writing school in New Zealand I’m interested in attending.
Yogan had so many questions: “You’re a talented enough poet already, what more could you have to learn?” “Isn’t this a little sudden?” “What about your Guardianing-ing?” He bit his lip and kept his inquiries to himself. Things between and among the members of the Verso family were better than they’d been in a decade, and he wasn’t about to throw all that away by sowing seeds of doubt or concern.
Yalu: Sounds great. Let me know where you’re staying. Earth isn’t exactly around the corner, but you never know when we might be in the neighbourhood.
N. Verso: You got it.
Yogan and Neddo continued chatting for several more minutes, touching on Yogan’s visit with his mother and Pavlo, the Human lounge singer of whom their father had so recently become enamored. It felt good to talk with like brothers, like friends. There was none of the worry and anxiety he used to feel, and when the conversation ended, his mind was clear and ready to dive right back into My Kingdom of Thirst.
PNPC Nedal Verso
Trill (ex-?)Guardian and Yogan Yalu’s brother
with, and simmed by
Lieutenant JG Yogan Yalu
Helm Officer
USS Resolution NCC-78145
Justin
D238804DS0
As you liberate yourself in metaphor, think of others, those who have lost the right to speak.
— Mahmoud Darwish