On Our Way
by Jariel Camen
80104.23
Following And To All A Goodnight
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--=Docking Bay, USS Atlas=--
by Jariel Camen
80104.23
Following And To All A Goodnight
-----------------------
--=Docking Bay, USS Atlas=--
Jariel Camen gathered up his new Bonsai tree as TC opened the hatch on the runabout, and stepped down onto the deck of the shuttle bay aboard the Atlas.
He waited for the soft give of the ground he had gotten used to once again while walking on Bajor. He actually found himself caught by surprise by the flat and solid metal panels beneath his feet.
The Atlas reminded him that he was once again committed to the cold vast emptiness of space, with nothing but the hard tritanium hull between him and the void. For a brief moment he missed the soft pleasant features of Bajor, till he looked at Zanh Liis, and realized when he left the homeworld, he got to take the best of those soft pleasant features with him.
A crewman escorted the trio to their guest quarters. Each were assigned their own room. Camen expressed a thank you to the man then followed Zanh Liis into her quarters, leaving his empty.
"Do you mind if I clean up first?" She asked. Camen just nodded. She kissed him on the cheek and disappeared.
Jariel set his gift from TC down on the dining table in the room. He lifted it out of its box, and took out the care book as well. Reaching for his chest unconsciously, Camen removed his Comm badge, and flipped it onto the table next to the tree.
He flipped through the first few pages of the book, mostly looking at the pictures. After returning to the first page, he began to read more thoroughly. He flipped over to the fourth page, and suddenly heard a most unusual sound, that of Liis singing from the other room. It was just something she did not do. He did not recognize the lyrics.
As quickly as it started the music faded to humming, then disappeared altogether.
Jariel shifted in his seat, and the light reflecting off his comm badge caught his eye just right. Camen set the book down and picked up the badge, holding it a short distance from his face with his index finger pressed against the top point and his thumb against the left bottom point.
For several minutes he just sat there, moving it slightly back and forth to reflect the light, and staring through it to the Bonsai tree in the background.
"What ya thinking?"
Camen jumped, startled at the sound of her voice. He had been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't even heard her enter the room.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
Camen waved her off. He set the badge in his palm and began to trace its outline with his finger. Liis sat across from him at the table, and started to worry something was amiss.
"Are you all right?"
He look up into her eyes and suddenly realized by her expression how concerned she was becoming. Camen set the badge down, propping it up against the pot for his plant. [[Yes, I'm fine, sorry, I was just thinking.]] He smiled at her.
"About?"
[[You were quite impressive down there, obtaining that replicator.]]
"You were impressive. He probably would have said no if you weren't there."
[[No Liis, I don't mean your negotiating skills, I mean...]] He patted his chest over his heart. [[You showed a lot of compassion for the children, even though it meant facing some things I know you were in no hurry to deal with. I saw a lot of myself in you down there. The way you cut through the red tape, how selfless you were. Not that I ever thought of you as selfish.]] He added.
"I understand, Camen. It reminded you more of a Vedek."
[[Than a Starfleet Captain.]] Camen concluded. He picked up the badge again. [[I never thought I would be wearing one of these, me of all people. This was always your world, and down on Bajor was mine. Now I serve on a ship, I wear this emblem, I perform duties like any other officer.]]
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Liis offered.
[[What truly makes me happy is how much of you I see in myself now as well. The longer we are together the more our lives merge and influence each other's. For so long we were ships passing in the night, now,]] he motioned to the room around him [[We serve together.]]
Camen pinned the badge back onto his chest.
She reached out and took his hand in hers. "Whatever lies ahead on Earth..."
[Together.]] He promised. The shared a gaze for a moment. [[I need to get cleaned up now too. Do me a favor, Captain Zanh Liis, and tend my garden?]]
Liis curled her arm protectively around the pot of the small tree. "I'll guard it with my life."
He waited for the soft give of the ground he had gotten used to once again while walking on Bajor. He actually found himself caught by surprise by the flat and solid metal panels beneath his feet.
The Atlas reminded him that he was once again committed to the cold vast emptiness of space, with nothing but the hard tritanium hull between him and the void. For a brief moment he missed the soft pleasant features of Bajor, till he looked at Zanh Liis, and realized when he left the homeworld, he got to take the best of those soft pleasant features with him.
A crewman escorted the trio to their guest quarters. Each were assigned their own room. Camen expressed a thank you to the man then followed Zanh Liis into her quarters, leaving his empty.
"Do you mind if I clean up first?" She asked. Camen just nodded. She kissed him on the cheek and disappeared.
Jariel set his gift from TC down on the dining table in the room. He lifted it out of its box, and took out the care book as well. Reaching for his chest unconsciously, Camen removed his Comm badge, and flipped it onto the table next to the tree.
He flipped through the first few pages of the book, mostly looking at the pictures. After returning to the first page, he began to read more thoroughly. He flipped over to the fourth page, and suddenly heard a most unusual sound, that of Liis singing from the other room. It was just something she did not do. He did not recognize the lyrics.
As quickly as it started the music faded to humming, then disappeared altogether.
Jariel shifted in his seat, and the light reflecting off his comm badge caught his eye just right. Camen set the book down and picked up the badge, holding it a short distance from his face with his index finger pressed against the top point and his thumb against the left bottom point.
For several minutes he just sat there, moving it slightly back and forth to reflect the light, and staring through it to the Bonsai tree in the background.
"What ya thinking?"
Camen jumped, startled at the sound of her voice. He had been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't even heard her enter the room.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
Camen waved her off. He set the badge in his palm and began to trace its outline with his finger. Liis sat across from him at the table, and started to worry something was amiss.
"Are you all right?"
He look up into her eyes and suddenly realized by her expression how concerned she was becoming. Camen set the badge down, propping it up against the pot for his plant. [[Yes, I'm fine, sorry, I was just thinking.]] He smiled at her.
"About?"
[[You were quite impressive down there, obtaining that replicator.]]
"You were impressive. He probably would have said no if you weren't there."
[[No Liis, I don't mean your negotiating skills, I mean...]] He patted his chest over his heart. [[You showed a lot of compassion for the children, even though it meant facing some things I know you were in no hurry to deal with. I saw a lot of myself in you down there. The way you cut through the red tape, how selfless you were. Not that I ever thought of you as selfish.]] He added.
"I understand, Camen. It reminded you more of a Vedek."
[[Than a Starfleet Captain.]] Camen concluded. He picked up the badge again. [[I never thought I would be wearing one of these, me of all people. This was always your world, and down on Bajor was mine. Now I serve on a ship, I wear this emblem, I perform duties like any other officer.]]
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Liis offered.
[[What truly makes me happy is how much of you I see in myself now as well. The longer we are together the more our lives merge and influence each other's. For so long we were ships passing in the night, now,]] he motioned to the room around him [[We serve together.]]
Camen pinned the badge back onto his chest.
She reached out and took his hand in hers. "Whatever lies ahead on Earth..."
[Together.]] He promised. The shared a gaze for a moment. [[I need to get cleaned up now too. Do me a favor, Captain Zanh Liis, and tend my garden?]]
Liis curled her arm protectively around the pot of the small tree. "I'll guard it with my life."
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Vedek Jariel Camen
Ship's Chaplain
Vedek Jariel Camen
Ship's Chaplain