Family Matters

[boldygoing]

There's a starship captain in the Plaza, sitting at an outdoor cafe style table which bears a half-consumed cup of coffee and a glowing, transparent datapad. Jim Kirk is not in uniform, clad in well-worn civilian clothes, though given that his shirt says PROPERTY OF STARFLEET ACADEMY in faded text, he's probably not trying to be covert. He's fairly focused on the datapad, and one might assume that he's catching up on reports or requisition forms during his off-hours if not for the quietly contemplative look on his face.

And, of course, the fact that he's chosen to take a break here rather than anywhere near Starfleet property.

His thoughts don't remain a mystery for long, as this does tend to be the place to go for advice, no matter how small the matter. "How's your relationship with your family? Have you ever tried to reconnect after spending years apart?"

There's an empty chair on the other side of the table. Feel free to have a seat, if you'd like.



[OOC: Tags don't seem to work, but dupes are okay!]

Comments

[tielle_mortevus]

She lets out a pensive sigh, being all too familiar with his predicament. Having been in a similar situation herself, she can certainly relate.

"Perhaps giving her the chance to explain herself, getting an understanding of her sudden interest in the matter would help discern if letting her back into your life after all these years is the best choice to make. What's the alternative, completely cutting ties out of spite? There may be some harsh words, and it certainly won't be the most pleasant of reunions, but once the dust settles the path forward should be clear."

[boldygoing]

"I'm pretty sure I know her reasons," Jim says, shaking his head a little. "My dad died the same day I was born, and I grew up looking like him, so if that's not why she chose to be on deployment all the time I'd be shocked. I ended up leaving as a teen when I got sick of it. I enlisted four years ago and I almost died recently on a mission, so that might've been a wake-up call that she might lose me too, sooner or later."

[tielle_mortevus]

"It's unfortunate she avoided you simply because she couldn't cope with her own loss. Id hope that by now at least she's had the time to move on. At least it seems like she's interested in getting to know you now and hopefully make up for lost time, though the question at heart is if that's what you want."

She takes sip from her flask, letting her head lilt back, staring into the sky.

"Would rebuilding this relationship benefit you, give you something more to fight for? I take it you're some kind of soldier, or at least affiliated with some form of military? With that in mind, would having one more person worrying about you, knowing there is another person desperately clinging to the hope that you'll come home could your mind in any way when making split decisions, would that emotional attachment cause any kind of hesitation which could potentially get you killed when it comes down to it?"

[boldygoing]

That certainly is the question at hand, and Jim's been thinking about it for a while now with no answer.

Her subsequent questions are important ones too. "We're both in Starfleet. It's an interstellar exploratory organization - not really military, but about as risky." That seems the most important part to answer first, so she knows what footing he's on. "I don't know if it'd benefit me or not, but it wouldn't affect my command at all. My crew's lives are my priority, and some of them are my closest friends. Any decision I make affects them first."

[tielle_mortevus]

"They're lucky to have you as a leader, someone who'd risk everything for their sakes. I've met far too many who see those under their command more as strategic resources than they do people."

She thinks for a moment.

"If you and your mother are both in the same organization, it's a wonder you haven't crossed paths, or that she hadn't come to the realization she might lose you sooner.

[boldygoing]

Jim has recently had a first-hand test of his devotion to his people, and now it's no longer hypothetical if he would give his life for his crew. He would, without hesitation. So he just nods slightly.

"We haven't really had time to run into each other yet," he says, idly toying with the datapad. "I've only had one year on active duty, after getting out of the Academy. We serve on different ships." To her other point, he can only shrug. "Maybe. Denial's a hell of a thing. I haven't asked her about why."

[tielle_mortevus]

She nods, starting to understand a bit more how his deployment works.

"I see... it must be hard spending so much time adrift, the only contact being of that with your crew, away from the rest of civilization. I don't think I'd be able to take the isolation from the world."

[boldygoing]

He smiles slightly in response. "It's not so bad, but I'll admit it's not for everyone."

They've been conversing for a bit now, so it occurs to him that it's probably a good idea to introduce himself. "I'm Jim Kirk."

[tielle_mortevus]

She gives him a bit of a surprised stare, just coming to the same realization herself.

"Oh my, where are my manners. Please, call me Tielle."

She bows her head a bit before taking another sip from her flask.

"Being on an exploratory vessel, I'm sure you've had some unique experiences... I've always been fond of collecting the tales of others, gleaning what wisdom or insight I can from their experiences."

[boldygoing]

She's not the first person he's met in the Nexus who's interested in stories, so he's not very surprised by her comment. Of course, it's also tricky to know what tale might interest which person, so he looks across the table at her, a questioning look on his face. "Are you an astronomy buff?"

[tielle_mortevus]

"A little, though the astronomy of our worlds could be vastly different. I'm a bit more interested in other races or the various wildlife you may have encountered..."

Her voice trails off as she pulls out a small leather book and a pen.

[boldygoing]

"Most of my ship's missions so far have been surveys and mapping, but there are quite a few species in the Federation, if you wanna know about aliens." Sure, he could tell her about Nibiru and the primitive civilization there, but he'd rather not open the can of worms that was that clusterfuck of a mission. And if she's preparing to take notes, he hardly wants to tell her anything that might reflect badly on himself or Starfleet.

[tielle_mortevus]

She gave him a smile, nodding expectantly.

"Please do go on. Whatever you might find most interesting is fine by me."

She readies her pen, eyes wide as she waits excitedly for Kirk to begin his tale.

[boldygoing]

Most interesting, she said. Well, most people find the least humanoid kind of aliens to be fascinating, so he can immediately think of one species that fits the bill. "About fifteen years ago, a Federation mining colony on Janus Six started running across tunnels through solid rock that were too smooth to be naturally formed, and apparently made with corrosive acid. The deeper underground they went, the more tunnels there were, until they stumbled across living rock creatures about this big," he says, using a hand to indicate the height of a small pony, or perhaps a very large dog.

"The miners thought they were some kind of monster, or just really weird animals, but no one had ever encountered silicon-based life, so it got the attention of the scientific community. A small Vulcan science ship came to study them, which was tough since the creatures kept tunneling away whenever anyone got close. One of the scientists used synthesized gemstones to lure one in and mind-melded with it - that's a touch-telepathy thing - and found out they were sentient, and called themselves the Horta. They'd been just as wary of us carbon-based lifeforms since they'd never seen anything like us before, so they were just as surprised to find out we were intelligent."

[tielle_mortevus]

Thoroughly intrigued, she jotted down some notes.

"I've seen constructs made from stone animated with arcane magic, but I've never heard of such a thing occurring naturally. Considering their ability to spit acid, I'm thankful they were docile... things could have been quite different had they decided to defend their home rather than flee further into the caves."

[boldygoing]

Jim nods in agreement. "Oh yeah, they could've done a lot of damage. It's a good thing Solkis contacted them when he did; the miners stumbled across a chamber full of Horta eggs not long after, and if they hadn't known what they were, they might've destroyed them. I don't think the Horta would've stayed pacifists if their kids were in danger."

[tielle_mortevus]

"Indeed, that instinct to protect ones young can be quite a force to be reckoned with. Having been that force before, I should know."

She jots down a few more notes before looking back up at Kirk.

"While we're on the topic of interesting encounters, being an explorer I'm sure you probably have a few questions of your own..."

[boldygoing]

He shrugs a little. "Sure. Curiosity's what got humanity to explore the stars in the first place. When it comes to people though, it's not always a good idea to pry too much unless they volunteer first. Lots of folks have stuff they don't want to talk about." Himself included, naturally.

[tielle_mortevus]

"Then consider this an invitation. You gave me some insight into your travels, so it's only fair I do the same."

She stretches her back, looking up into the clear skies above.

"There's not much I wouldn't be willing to talk about. Given the off chance you happen to ask something a bit too prying, I'll let you know and we can simply move on."

[boldygoing]

There's not much that's specifically caught his attention thus far, but there is one thing that stood out from what she's said so far. "You said you had to disappear for the sake of your daughter?" It should be fairly understandable why a parent's absence would stand out to him at the moment.

[tielle_mortevus]

"I had a multitude of enemies back in my own world, one of which who was particularly dangerous, and has a long lasting grudge against my family. Had she found out I had a daughter, I'm not sure I'd have been able to keep her safe. Her father died when she was still just a baby due to..."

She pauses for a moment, contemplating as to whether she wanted to divulge the heart wrenching circumstances under which she lost her only love. The tale was depressing enough as is, so she decided to simply gloss over it for now.

"... tragic circumstances. I was all she had, but the closer I was to her, the more danger she would be in. I decided to have my most trusted advisor stage a coup, I faked my own death and left my daughter in her care. This did all eventually come to light, but at least she is old enough to fend for herself, and I did come back to her a little over a decade later. I do hope she's alright, though she's in capable hands, I shouldn't have much to worry about."

[boldygoing]

Jim frowns a little, picking up on what also wasn't said. "But you still stay away from her, for the most part?"

[tielle_mortevus]

"If not for having been thrust into this place, I'd be with her now if I could. Now that my enemies know of her, making myself scarce isn't going to help matters. I'm sure she'll be fine until I make it back, but I can't help but worry at times."

[boldygoing]

Ah. Well. If it's an involuntary separation now, that's more understandable. "Makes sense. I haven't been stopped from going home, but I know others who have."

[tielle_mortevus]

She gives him a somber nod before giving him a smile.
"I've been trying to keep myself busy, keep my mind off things but I'm still trying to find my place here..."