RP: The Silent Horizon [UNI-The Silent Horizon] -Aside - This Did Not Happen

[Andrew]

RP Date

YE 46.8 Prior to Mission 00

RP Location

Undisclosed Location, Solitude?

Undisclosed Location
Prior to Departure from Solitude

The officer pulled the black bag from Ate's head after the somewhat rough landing in the chair, it had been over his head for four hours. He would find himself in a very small secured room, it barely had room for the table and the chairs that sat on either side of it. The wall in front of him was an obvious one-way window, while on the wall to his left had the Logo of the Yaducath Intelligence Agency. The officer stepped out into the hallway, and grabbed a pitcher of water and a glass. He then returned and set them on the table, along with a small purplish colored pill, "You know the drill, when I leave you will take the pill and wait for your interview," the officer said before he shut the door. Ate would hear the officer and a familiar voice from the other side of the door, the officer was speaking to Ate's mother. Obviously the rebellion had at least this section of the YIA on their side.

"Sorry, the trip here might of been a bit rough on him. He's going to take the Penitrixhydroxin ma'am, and he will be ready shortly, ma'am" the officer reported.

Penitrixhydroxin was a drug that the YIA used to ensure hyper attentiveness during briefing which also stimulated the advanced memory functions of the symbiote. Katara gave a slight sigh, that was not just some field operative in the room - It was her son, one of the only things still in her world that appeared to be tied down. When the U.N.N Seojun returned to Noria after the Battle of Becurn, the forces under Vaelaris had attempted to forcibly remove her from command. The last thing she wanted was her sons and daughter involved in the mess they were in, but she had already arranged for Ate and his sister to go with Adrin. Her father-in-law felt safer than the other options like keeping all her children on Solitude.

"He's my son, Carn, I am going in," Katara said as she opened the door, and sat at the table across from Ate and waited for him to take the pill so that he could be briefed on the mission at hand. This was not the first time Katara's entire life had been a mess, the entire situation reminded her of her pre-copy life on Yamatai and what had happened to her there. She was a lot tougher now, and had learned to be vicious when needed. She would not end up with nothing this time, unlike some she had been warning her stepson about Vaelaris before his untimely death. She placed her g-pad down in front of her and waited patiently.


@iaincarter

 

[iaincarter]

Undisclosed Location

With this not being the first time Atae had been black-bagged since joining the Yaducath Intelligence Agency, the analyst had known better than to try and mentally map the route he had been taken through. Oh, certainly he had tried to do so the first time it had happened but had found himself vastly incorrect. As he would later learn, one of the security techniques the Agency liked to employ was to take the bagged individual on circuitous and disorientating routes to further confuse the subject of interest in the unlikely event of an escape. Admittedly, Atae was making a large assumption that it was the Agency that had grabbed him but he was honest enough to admit that he was too low on the totem pole of the intelligence community to be worth kidnapping by anyone else. Given his family ties it was always plausible that someone would kidnap Atae for ransom or conversion, but there had been none of the behavioural patterns common to such bad actors. No, the cold professionalism of his abductors practically screamed YIA.

So, the next question had been potential cause for such treatment. As far as the analyst knew, his professional performance had been beyond reproach. Sure, there was that issue with his assessment of the Sirezchi Resistance, but how was Atae to have anticipated an Altond agent inserting himself into the situation violently enough to completely invalidate the financial analysis and predictions he had calculated and submitted. Given that his Section Chief had waved off the development, with a reminder that there was a reason the analysts never dealt with absolutes, Atae was reasonably certain that such couldn't be the instigator here. No, this was something else and lacking any further data, the young Norian had instead elected to mentally review his active cases.

This then might help explain why, when he was roughly seated and the hood removed, Atae appeared calm, albeit ruffled from the somewhat rough trip in. Unfortunately, after the complete darkness of the black bag was replaced with the lighting of the small interrogation room, the analyst did need to blink his eyes a few times while they adjusted. Fortunately that was taken care of by the time the officer returned with the pitcher of water and the glass. Which meant Atae's vision was perfectly able to focus in on the proffered purplish pill as the officer gave his instructions. Yeah, Atae knew the drill. Which means he also now knew that something big was going on. You didn't need to stimulate the sthibon symbiote with Penitrixhydroxin to discuss an inaccurate report or undertake a quarterly review. No, this was something important.

An impression only reinforced by recognition of the second voice speaking from beyond the door. If Katara Eitan was personally involved with this then the odds were good that excrement had been introduced at high velocity to an air circulation device somewhere. Or was about to. Regardless, the Director of the YIA being involved was definitely a concern, even if Atae was more used to calling her Tyraes - only outside of work though as there was no calling her 'mother' while on the clock, and this was definitely some level of official business. Quite clearly this wasn't his mother inviting Atae to come by for a spot of afternoon tea and cultured discourse.

After taking a few seconds to look Katara over for any observations he could make as to her state of mind, the analyst ceased delaying any further. There was, after all, only one way this meeting could go. Pouring out a couple of fingers of water into the glass, Atae picked up the pill and placed it on the end of his tongue. He lifted the glass and held it towards Katara for a moment, as if toasting her health, before bringing it to his lips. Tilting his head back, Atae swallowed the pill and chased it down with the water. The young Norian gently placed the glass back down and leaned forward, mentally priming himself for what was to come. It didn't long before Atae felt a slight shift in his perception, a sign that the Penitrixhydroxin had entered his system. He made eye contact with Katara and offered the barest hint of a smile.

"Ready to proceed, ma'am."

 

[Andrew]

Katara adjusted her posture in the chair on the other side of the table, the temperature of the room was just high enough to give a nervous norian even more than normal discomfort, a tiny vent blew stale air into the small space, accenting that astringent smell of clandestine holes in the middle of intergalactic no where. When the Yaducath Intelligence Agency was involved in anything, there was little to no transparency -- probably why Katara had managed to put a subordinate in Sylix's view that would become an obvious choice to head the agency while she took a page out of Nira's book and pulled the strings from someplace likely just like the one that housed this uncomfortable little space. She did after all try to warn Tetsuya of what was to come. She examined her son's face, like someone who could read the mind's book but that was only to ensure that the drug had taken effect, by then Atae would hear every word, every breath, every swallow that would become engraved in vesper-after images that would likely not be forgotten in his entire lifespan. Even that annoying whisper of the stale air that passed through that little vent.

"The ship you will be on is the Alyelume. As a member of its it's crew you will be seen as a traitor, a rebel in the eyes of our own government. The people now in power are now the traitors. Your grandfather, with some not-so-natural encouragement from a former colleague of mine, is set on rooting out the corruption from the new dynasty, and to unravel this mess we find ourselves in..." she said, her lips settled emotionlessly atop one another as she swallowed her own saliva. As usual, the time to respond would not happen until the end of his briefing so that the drug's effect would be weaker.

"Your apparent role in all of this is to serve as a competent member of the crew, to do all the duties associated with an on-ship assigned agent. We assume Adrin has regained his footing as a leader, you may have to adapt as that you are obviously no longer in the U.N.N. You however, will also have more specific objectives." She paused and reached down, and activated the g-pad's volumetric projection system. An image of Vaelaris Orinas formed above the table between them. "The first of those objectives is that if you are confronted with a situation where this pig is captured, that he is kept alive long enough for you to interrogate him, to find out the names of his associates or who is using him like a game piece to play this game," she paused again, and made direct eye contact, unblinking, she vespered a reaffirmation of the directive then, //"If Vaelaris is captured. Interrogate him and build us a picture of this web he has woven."//

Katara cleared her throat, not because she needed it, but in an attempt to toy with his heightened awareness's, "The ship you are going on will be leaving our universe into one that is our future home. You are to non-evasively make note of anything of value from the interactions you have there. Your second objective will be to ensure Adrin is able to convince the Yamataians that this civil conflict is an internal matter of the Imperium, but to quietly sympathize with separatist and rebel forces that support us. It is vital Sylix's government be unaware of your crew's actions as long as possible." She examined her son's eyes with each word, she felt bad yet managed to hide it - there was nothing pleasant about how briefings of this nature had to be conducted. //"Maintain the Alliance with Yamatai. Help Adrin with diplomacy."// she vespered again.

She tapped the g-pad's controls and a picture of a platinum blonde haired woman with triple pointed ears took Vaelaris' picture's place. "This woman is believed to be in Tsenlan, if you encounter her you are to protect her at all costs. She attended the International Relations Conference, yet did not return with Nira. It is important she joins your crew. She has a soft spot for our Ysi and it is likely easily exploited, maybe even romantically. Do not underestimate her either, I assure you she is capable and very effective on her own." she paused again, but this time she didn't move, she just stopped a moment so that all that made noise was the whisper of that vent blowing stale air into the small space. //"Aynu, or rather Unya is important. Keep her alive."//

She finally spoke again after a few minutes, it likely would feel longer than it actually was. She changed the g-pad picture again. "Your secondary objectives are as follows," she paused just a second as the picture changed to a picture of a male norian in a U.N.N Uniform. "This is Admiral Odis Traeus, he and many now U.N.N admirals have sided with with Vaelaris. If you see him or any high ranking U.N.N sympathizer of Vaelaris...Kill them. We must weaken the Orinas hold on our Naval forces." She then moved on, since these were secondary objectives. The next image that popped up was that of the new Jol'Aester, Sylix Lunari. "If you by opportunity find yourself in proximity of Sylix, she is to be terminated as well." Katara then shut the g-pad off, by then it was likely the drug had become less potent, "Your final and tertiary goal is that if you encounter any Free Commonwealth of Vespen ships or personnel, you are to ensure they are seen by your crew as friendlies. We've had chatter that Aerum plans to move her people to the new universe as well, despite her declaration that she would not." She let out a long breath, she then folded her hands in front of herself and went quiet. Her part was done, it was now time for him to ask questions and comment.

On queue through vesper, the mindhive changed the air coming through the vent to a much cooler and fresh setting.

 

[iaincarter]

Under the influence of the penitrixhydroxin and the hyperacute awareness it instilled, the quickly changing airflow in the room was broadly equivalent to having one's body dunked in an ice bath. Naturally, this shock caused Atae's body to automatically release a blend of chemicals such as epinephrine, noepinephrine, cortisol and dopamine. This chemical cocktail was swiftly pumped by both his hearts throughout the norian's body, helping to flush the penitrixhydroxin from his system. The end result of which was an abrupt cessation of the hyperawareness the analyst had previously been entirely absorbed within, a momentarily flush to his skin the obvious external sign.

Atae blinked for a moment, gathering his thoughts and allowing his senses to readjust to the normal, limited levels of input. Hyperawareness was an... interesting experience and the analyst could understand why there was a certain kind of personality that would willingly seek such a state out as often as possible. If there was ever a more apt state of existence that permitted one to live only in the moment, Atae was not aware of it. So intense was every iota of every sensory input that the mind couldn't focus on 'what was' or 'what might be', there was just to much 'is right now' to allow the mind to look elsewhere. So much so that if you added a mild hallucinogenic compound and cut it a few times, you ended up with the street drug 'Irwiz', a favourite of artists and degenerates, taken from the nira'las 'sunsirw izurliauk' - or 'sensory overload' in Trade.

He could remember every moment, the feel of the warm, stale air passing through his nose, throat and lungs. The press of the hard seat against his backside and thighs, or the slight roughness of the table under his fingertips. Then there were the sounds: the slight whine and click from the air vent; the quiet humming of the light fixtures; the wet noise of saliva being produced and swallowed; the intake of breath before Katara spoke; the myriad vocal shifts of tone, pitch and timbre of her words. On top of that came the sights: every strand of Katara's hair shifting with each motion, even the simple act of breathing caused minute shifts across her entire body; the way the reflections of light flowed and ebbed across every shiny surface with each movement of Atae's body and head; the way Katara's face and mouth moved to articulate every syllable. The analysts brain had etched each and every sensory input into memory, the words of his orders brought along for the ride and recorded as if in indelible ink.

"I will competently serve as the on-ship agent of the Alyelume and record any useful intelligence gained in it's travels. If Vaelaris is captured, undertake a thorough interrogation of his connections, plans and resources. I will aid with diplomatic efforts and ensure that Adrin is able to both make the Yamataian aware of the internal nature of this civil war and encourage a favourable response to those opposing Sylix's government. Where possible, I will obfuscate any revidence of the Alyelume's activities. If I encounter the woman known as Aynu/Unya, I am to keep her alive and ensure she joins the crew - utilising romance if necessary." Atae paused just long enough to pour some water into the glass and take a sip. "Terminations are authorised for Jol'Aester Sylix Lunari, Admiral Odis Traeus and any other high-ranking U.N.N. sympathisers of Vaelaris. I will break the Orina's hold on our naval forces where possible. Finally, I am to ensure any Free Commonwealth of Vespen assets are identified as friendly forces."

Atae nodded and offered a wry smile to his mother. "Orders received and assimilated ma'am." He tilted his head, realising that he needed to ask a couple of questions. "Firstly, as far as the possible romance of the woman Aynu, is there a preference as to whom to primarily attach her to?" After all, while the orders as given implied Atae was to form a romantic bond with the woman to weld her to their cause, it could perhaps be preferrable to his mother's plans that she instead be attached to the older and more experienced Adrin or someone else. After all, Atae didn't know who else would be assigned to the Alyelume where as Katara likely did.

"Secondly, who aboard - if anyone - will know of these orders in part or in full?" It would be useful to know who he could co-opt to aid Atae in carrying out his tasks without having to also read them in to his orders. There was a reason for the 'secret' in secret agent, after all and there was always the oft-cited maxim that a secret between two people could only stay secret if one of them was dead.

 

[Andrew]

Katara relaxed as the air shifted, feeling the signs of the drug that had held her son finally wearing off. Whatever potency remained would easily guide him to connect the answers to his questions. No one simply forgot an encounter with penitrixhydroxin—she still vividly remembered her first briefing and debriefing with Nira. In the beginning, Katara had been an outsider, a mere pawn in the games, but now, here she was, leading her son down the same path. She couldn’t help but feel a small swell of pride. She listened as Atae asked his questions, responding with a faint smile, "I would prefer if you romanced her yourself, you are, after all..." She stopped, hesitating for the first time in years, before softly adding, "...you look just like your father." She knew she had to press on, though. There was no time to grieve, not with the risk of Vaelaris looming close.

"No one aboard will know your true objectives. If something goes wrong and you’re held responsible for anything, there’s a contingency in place that will activate as needed," she answered his final question. "If you encounter Naika, so long as you have privacy, you can read her in. Parental leave or not, one doesn’t exactly leave this line of work. She’s the best deputy director I’ve had, and she might be able to assist if you find yourself in a bind. I know you’ll handle all of this well."

Katara rose from her seat. "You’re ready, then. How about dinner before you head out again? You don’t have to wear the bag out, but..." she trailed off as she opened the door. Standing there, Carn had clearly been eavesdropping. He jumped slightly when the door swung open, but Katara didn’t wait for him to stammer an excuse. Her hand dropped to her QPP, and with a sharp draw from the holster, she fired a shot straight from waist level. The pulse rippled around Carn’s form, blasting him backward, leaving him no time to react or scream. In seconds, he vaporized, his molecules ripped apart under the QPP’s highest setting. "Good thing the IDE recorded this morning," she remarked nonchalantly, then holstered her weapon. "So, how about it? Dinner with your mother?" From one role to another, Katara maneuvered with ease.

 

[iaincarter]

Atae restrained the wince he felt when Katara compared his appearance to that of his father, knowing how much she had to be hurting inside. There just had not been anything like sufficient time to grieve over their shared loss and with their enemies now moving against them, there would be no time for the Ysi to come together and take comfort together. The analyst knew that to follow the orders he had just received, he'd need to keep a close eye on his family members aboard the Alyelume and make sure they all found some sort of healthy outlet for the grief, anger and sorrow that surely plagued them all. Atae knew that if it wasn't for his training in mental compartmentalising, he would be little better than a complete emotional wreck of a man right now.

As for what was essentially an order to seduce this Aynu-slash-Unya woman into joining the crew, and possibly the Ysi, Atae decided he would worry about how to handle that later. All too much involving that would remain as question marks until and unless the Alyelume came across her. There was no point in planning for that many possibilities. No, Atae would focus himself on more immediately useful planning. Like reviewing Yamataian social customs and etiquette so that when it came time for Adrin to make contact with the YSE, he could better advise his Captain on how to best achieve their goals.

So nobody aboard the Alyelume would know of his orders - well okay, Atae could deal with that. That was pretty much standard fare amongst the intelligence community and was probably a good part of the reason a lot of people tended not to trust spooks. At least there was the possibility of reading in Naika, although that would likely be the recourse of last resort if for no other reason than professional pride. Not that Atae would allow his pride to interfere with completing his orders - there was just too much at stake to risk losing it all over misplaced ego. It did feel good to hear of his mother's confidence in him, now all he had to do was live up to that expectation.

Atae followed his mother from the room, barely having time to respond to her offer before she had confronted and dealt with the eavesdropper. He had to admire the way she just switched from boss to mother to remorseless killer with such grace and ease. The young norian could understand why the term 'scaroused' got used by those that spent any significant time around Katara. Which neatly brought his thoughts back to her offer of dinner. "Certainly mother, I'd enjoy that." Especially as there was no telling how much time would pass until, or even if, they would be able to sit down to a meal together again.

 

[Andrew]

Katara walked alongside her son, guiding him through the subterranean labyrinth of the Yaducath Intelligence branch in Solitude. Even more mysterious than the hidden system it resided in, this base was a testament to secrecy, accessible only to a chosen few. The walls were an odd mix of ship-like structures and natural rock formations, left exposed in entire sections, lending the place an eerie but formidable air. “The dining hall here is pretty good… well, some of it anyway,” she said. There was an easy familiarity in her tone that contrasted with the strict structure of the agency. “They serve a decent Claboras, and the fresh Boggotu rolls are incredible with honey ~ better than dessert.” Her mood lightened as they continued through the complex, a subtle warmth that softened her otherwise steely demeanor.

They passed a sprawling cargo bay, where workers meticulously unloaded paintings and rare relics recovered from Noria and other Imperium worlds. Each item had been replaced with an expertly crafted fake, evidence of the YIA’s chosen allegiance even under the sway of the new Jol'Aester and her Chancellor. Near the center stood the grand falcon statue from Vaalor Palace ~ a silent testament that the agency had anticipated this turmoil long before it struck. Katara, unlike others, had always accepted Tetsuya’s priorities without resentment, recognizing that some partnerships had a deeper, unspoken understanding. She knew she’d never walk away from this life, even if it now led to an isolated bunker in a remote system. The place was a fortress, with armed guards at every junction, forcefields, and advanced security measures. Drones buzzed through the corridors, scanning and observing.

The door to the cargo area closed with a whoosh, and they moved on until they reached the dining hall. Unlike the rest of the facility, it was brightly lit and warmly decorated—an oasis of comfort amid the stark surroundings. “You know what I’m getting,” she said, gesturing to the food stations. Breads and pastries from the bakery, soups, and fresh fruits and vegetables were displayed, giving Atae options.

Suddenly, Katara paused, gently tugging Atae’s arm to get his attention. Meeting his gaze, she said, “You’re going to hear uneasy things about your father from others. I don’t want you to give it a second thought. He was neither mad nor anything they claim. Very few ever saw the side of him we did.” Without directly mentioning her sister-wives, she made it clear how personal her faith in Tetsuya was. She had never subscribed to the conspiracies surrounding his mental state, nor did she seek sympathy. “Just… try to ignore it.” She felt the weight of needing to bring it up but knew it was essential; she couldn’t bear the thought of her children questioning their father’s sanity or the legacy of his service and rule.

 

[iaincarter]

Atae enjoyed the walk with his mother, trying to mentally map the facility as they went. A part of him wondered if it was a futile endeavour, half-expecting that the structural design allowed for volumetric projections, thereby disguising corridors, doors, walls and even rooms. It would certainly be an effective deterrent against intrusion, although the analyst in him suspected that such an approach might be a little too paranoid for the YIA. Outside of the blackest of black sites, at least. He made a mental note for later to develop a methodology to beat such a system. Given his profession and the current political climate, you never knew when that sort of practice might prove useful.

"That sounds delightful" He offered with a soft smile in response to the mention of claboras, boggotu rolls and honey. Atae could appreciate a good bowl of the fruit stew, although he wasn't terribly fond of the way some chefs overused phomila berries in their recipes. The analyst also found that he tended to favour othlenath with his stews, having a preference for the slight nutty taste and toughness of the darker, heavier bread. Atae often found that it provided a better balance to the richness of the claboras, although he would admit that the lighter boggutu rolls did work better with the honey. Not that he felt there were many norian dishes you could eat that weren't improved with a drizzle of sweetness. Then again, maybe Atae just had a sweet tooth.

Atae paid little attention to the cultural preservation efforts being undertaken in the sprawling cargo bay, even if he was pretty sure he spotted a Syllomari hyper-fold sculpture from their early post-modernism phase that he was certain had been mentioned, in what felt like a lifetime ago, in a civics class. Not that he was an artsy sort of guy, but any child of Tetsuya Eitan had to know a little about a variety of culture - at least enough to be able to hold a conversation on the relevant subject. Ignorance, it turned out, was not a desirable trait to be found in the family of the nation's leader. Who knew? His musings continued until they reached the dining hall.

He paused his assessment of the food options for a moment to listen to his mother's concerns. It wouldn't surpriseAtae if their enemies launched a smear campaign against Tetsuya - history was written by the victor, after all and everyone loved to hate a villain. That was especially effective when no-one who knew better was able to counter the lie and thus preserve public opinion before it could turn. "There's a reason they say understanding is a triple-edged sword, mother. Here is my truth - regardless of what is said by others, the father I knew will remain fondly in my memories - always." Just to help reinforce his assurance, the analyst vespered a wave of fond affection to her, along with treasured images from his memory of time spent together with Tetsuya as a family. //"I'll do my best to protect Ilae from it too."//

Atae gently patted his mothers hand before turning away to give Katara a moment to collect herself. "Now, I'm thinking of claboras with a hearty dash of spice mix and I'll join you with the boggotu and honey. You know how I am for dar'achosash, but if I can't find one, I'll settle for a nice ripe zschazhin." He tutted to himself before asking. "Where are you at on the drink front, mother? Water or tea? Or maybe you'd prefer something harder?"

 

[Andrew]

Katara smiled as Atae assured her that he would protect his sister as well. The chefs and staff knew her regular order so her Claboras, and the fresh Boggotu came out first. "Chacelle, it is not often I get the pleasure of a meal with you. There might not be anything to celebrate right now, but just the chance to spend some time with you is enough for me. Order what you like, and I will meet you at the table." She picked up her tray and walked over to one of the tables that was away from the others, her usual place to sit when she ate in the dining hall.

When she sat down she waited for Atae and watched him from the table. Her children knew about her origins, who and what she had been before she became norian and had married their father. Despite the fact they had knowledge about it, she rarely spoke of her previous home. The life she had before she became apart of it all had essentially ended, she felt that part of her had perished when she was forced to step down from her throne in shame thanks to the two offspring she had created there. When she first arrived she was bitter, almost hateful toward that past. In time though it became something for her to draw wisdom from. Even though she had come to terms with it all, several months before she had met her other self, and it was not an entirely comforting experience.

Katara inwardly wanted to warn Atae of that world, not that they were enemies, but just some situations he may encounter when he was in their territory. There was a possibility he too could end up face to face with a member of her old family, knowledge shared or not emotions were complicated. She watched his every move from the table, not that she was suspicious of him, she had just missed him since he had come of age and left home. She knew she was doing the right thing sending him with Adrin, but she didn't want it to be a goodbye, even if the odds were against all of them including her.

She continued to wait for Atae to bring his food and their chacelle, quietly lost in her complicated and emotional thoughts.

 

[iaincarter]

One of the things Atae had never truly appreciated growing up was the smell of good cooking. It hadn't been until much later in his relatively short life that he had truly learned the olfactory appeal of high quality, fresh ingredients being prepared in a clean space by talented hands. There was just something about the heavy tang of spices on the air wafting between the delicate layers of varied fruits that intermingled in turn with the earthiness of breads and sweetness of honey. All of them and more combined together into a potent fragrance that would always remind Atae of home.

The dining hall shared many such scents from his memory and the young norian took a moment to savour the momentarily ephemeral sensation of being home. Oh, certainly, he knew he wasn't but equally he realised that it may be the last time he would truly experience anything approaching his childhood home. Atae closed his eyes and focused, taking a moment to secure this scent memory and its associated comfort deep within his mind so that whenever he might need a metaphorical moment of comfort in the future, it would be awaiting him there. Not to mention that he could always send it through vesper to others of his family in need of a tangible reminder of the comfort that home could be.

The moment passed and Atae's thoughts turned once more to food. It didn't take long to affirm his earlier decision and the analyst quickly assembled a platter. A bowl of hearty claboras, fortified with a generous sprinkling of his preferred herbs and spices was supplemented by freshly baked boggotu and enough honey to thoroughly slather across it when cut open. Unfortunately there were no dar'achosash so Atae had indeed settled with a ripened zschazhin to replace his favoured fruit. A quick conversation saw someone heading for storage to retrieve a good bottle of chacelle that would be brought to their table. After adding the necessary cutlery and assorted dining paraphernalia to his tray, Atae turned and crossed towards the table his mother had chosen.

"The chacelle will be along momentarily, Tyraes." Atae commented as he settled himself, determined to enjoy this time with his mother while he could. All too soon he would be effectively entering into exile with no idea if he would ever be able to return home or even have dinner with his mother again. "They said something about an eight year old from the ph'ggno grown on the southern slopes of the Kishrur. Not sure where that is, but if the chacelle is as good as promised then I guess I'll have to learn."

 

[Andrew]

Katara sat for only a moment before rising again, her restlessness betraying the storm of thoughts she tried to keep in check. When Atae followed suit and sat back down, she mirrored him, though her movements were slower, weighted by something deeper. She managed a faint smile when he mentioned the chacelle. "They do manage to get the good vintages sometimes," she said, her voice tinged with a wistful tone. "I remember when chacelle was reserved for the elite ~ the wealthy and powerful. Back then, it was a symbol of everything most of us would never touch." Her gaze turned distant, as though reaching for memories just out of sight.

She took a few measured bites of food, her appetite subdued by thoughts far heavier than the simple meal before her. After a pause, she continued, her voice softer now. "If you meet the one I came from while you're out there, in that other universe..." She hesitated, searching for the right words. "Just remember, she and I had very different kinds of support when everything fell apart. It shaped us in ways even I struggle to understand sometimes."

As if on cue, the niranium cask arrived, its polished surface gleaming under the ambient light. Katara watched silently as it was placed before them, its presence an unspoken reminder of time and tradition. When she finally spoke again, her tone carried the weight of a truth she wished she didn’t have to share. "It’s complicated. A few months ago, during patrols with the Seojun to confirm the core worlds, I met her. Saved her life, even. But standing there, looking at her... it was like staring at a reflection I couldn’t quite recognize." She poured chacelle into their cups, the rich liquid swirling like molten amber. "We’d both been through so much, but neither of us knew how to bridge the silence. All those shared losses, and yet, no words."

She placed the bottle down and looked at Atae, her eyes soft but steady, filled with the quiet kind of worry only a mother could have. "I’m not telling you this to weigh you down or to earn your sympathy, son. I just want you to be careful. Out there, things move fast, and people can get lost in it. Don’t forget where home is." Her voice wavered slightly, betraying a vulnerability she rarely showed. For all her effort to explain, Katara doubted anyone who hadn’t lived through the devastation could truly understand. But she needed Atae to try. He was heading toward the very place where her nightmares had begun, and despite the years that separated them, the fear of losing him to that same darkness gnawed at her.