Flight From Destruction

Posted on Mon May 18, 2015 @ 3:06pm by Civilian Tianys Dalav’ni

1,242 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Beholder
Location: The Lotus Lounge
Timeline: MD 3/Evacuation

Matriarch, we are nearly ready, Chani’s voice whispered through Tianys’ mind.

The Rowa’ni matriarch didn’t respond at first. “Chew on this,” she said, placing a ciku leaf under the tongue of one of the injured she was helping. She had long since run out of painkiller vials for the hypospray in her emergency medical kit and defaulted to her own knowledge of homeopathic medicine.

Straightening up, the voluptuous green alien tossed back her rose red hair that hung down past her firm bottom as her green looked around the slowly organizing chaos of the Promenade. Security had things well in hand now, and Medical had moved most of the wounded. She smoothed down the diaphanous, nearly sheer, gown that fell in graceful, molded curves over her body. Her people moved among the crowd of civilians, their pheromones keeping people distracted and calm in the midst of the chaos. Of course, their efforts would only be partially successful. Strong adrenaline rushes like fear would dilute the effect, but it was helping.

We will be their shortly, Tianys thought to her eldest daughter. Sweeping her gaze over the thinning crowd in the Promenade, Tianys was struck by the thought that she would miss this place.

The Rowa’ni matriarch pushed those thoughts aside. They were just mammals. They would take advantage and hurt her and her people if given the chance. How were they different from the Andorians, Klingons, Romulans, Breen, Tholians, or any other number of species that drove her nomadic people across the star ways?

The thought came unbidden that, for one, they had allowed her small House to settle here on this station, to make a home for them.

Still, Tianys Dalav’ni, like many of her people, longed for something greater, for the return of Rowa and the homecoming of her people. DS5 was just a temporary resting place. She had to remember that. Only Rowa was home.

With a silent order to her people, Tianys turned and strode through the crowd. The other Rowa’ni that had accompanied her fell in with her as they returned to The Lotus Lounge tucked into an out of the way corner of the Promenade.

Go to the Dalav’wi, Isil told those of her people who remained. I have to retrieve some things.

Tianys entered the Lounge’s darkened privacy doors. Due to the emergency, the club was empty, the lights up brightly, which was unusual. The scent of herbal intoxicants and Rowa’ni floated in the air, though the air handlers were quickly clearing it. Tianys walked to the back and up the curving staircase made of metal ciku vines. She went past her office door to the next door, the hydroponic garden where she grew the legal herbs she sold. The air was hot and humid, though there were glass terrariums with more controlled environments for plants that preferred a drier or cooler habitat.

Ciku vines grew along trellises on the walls and ceiling, carefully pruned to not block the bright lighting. Tianys sighed and her green skin darkened as the chlorophyll in her body responded to the bright light. Her pace picked up slightly and she moved to the far back wall. She reached into a shelving unit and found the hidden switch, swinging the unit open to reveal a door protected by a force field and a sensor mask.

Tiany’s pressed a hand to the scanner and said, “Rowa reborn” in Rowa’ni, a strangely mixed pidgin form of Vulcan and Andorian. The force field flickered and the mag locks released and she opened the door.

“Lights,” Tianys said, and they came up, illuminating her laboratory. Unlike the public one off of the garden, this room was her personal lab where she kept her store of restricted or illegal herbs. She went to the wall and opened a walk-in safe. She pulled out an isolinear chip that contained her off-book accounts and slipped it into her bosom. Then she grabbed a large stasis specimen container and started to fill it with the rare and expensive seeds and seedlings that would be difficult to replace should they be destroyed. After filling the container, she slipped a sensor mask into it before sealing it and slung it over her shoulder.

After locking and securing her safe and lab, Tianys strode confidently out to the docking harbor where the Dalav’wi waited. Her House ship was a medium Romulan freighter. Like most Rowa’ni ships, this one was an older model, but unlike most it was in fairly good repair. House Dalav’ni made a decent living to keep its small fleet in repair. They were lucky in that regard. But they were only a small House. The rest of their fleet consisted of a hodge-podge of smaller freighters and warp-capable shuttles of various Romulan and Federation design.

The Elders are on board safely? Tianys asked as she strode imperiously on board.

Yes, Matriarch, Chani remarked furtively. But there’s a complication.

Striding into the common area, Tianys pulled up to a stop, looking over the mélange of non-Rowa’ni filling her ship.

“What is this!” the House Matriarch said aloud with annoyance.

“Security refuses to release any docking clamps unless a ship is filled to capacity with civilian evacuees,” Chani explained. “It was all I could do to charm the Security officer into letting us load the Elders.” Her face darkened in a scowl. “Mammals,” she snarled.

Tianys felt the fury rising in her again and pushed it away. “But we got them all aboard?”

“Yes,” Chani nodded. “They are safe.” Though we have mammals crammed in with them.

Tianys sighed. It will have to do. We will find the first planet we can off-load the mammals and be rid of them.

Where will we go? Chani asked as they walked to the bridge.

To the stars, where we have always been since Rowa’s destruction, Tianys said with a sigh. The other ships?

Already launched, Chani reported.

Tianys nodded. Make our guests comfortable, she said and paused. How many females do we have in eruw?

Chani did a quick mental calculation. On this ship? One, she said. Nineteen others scattered around the rest of the fleet.

Tianys nodded. “This could get interesting,” she said aloud with a wry smile. Rowa’ni were incredibly enticing. In eruw a female was nearly irresistible and needed nearly constant male companionship. Normally Tianys would sequester them away to keep the bloodline pure, but even the purist Rowa’ni needed fresh genetic infusions from time to time.

“Seek out any good males among the mammals,” Tianys told her daughter. “Bunk them in a room with the females. We might as well get some good children out of this.”

“Yes, Matriarch,” Chani nodded as Tianys settled into the captain’s chair. “Signal Control that we are full and ready to evacuate.”

“Signal sent and received,” came the reply from the conn. “We are cleared.” There was the sound and vibration of the docking clamps releasing.

“Engage maneuvering thrusters,” Tianys said. “Let’s get out of here.”

FIN

Tianys Dalav’ni
Rowa’ni Matriarch

Chani Dalav’ni
First Daughter

 

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