[ROUND 11] Lt. Cmdr Townson - Life on Romulus

[Alleran Tan]

((Bilire VI))

::Tracey ran. She ran as fast as she could. With each footfall to the muddy ground, Tracey counted the seconds. She knew she would not make it to the conference on time, and being late was never Tracey's way. But Tracey had a second chance, to right a wrong she did years earlier. Even if it meant a poor mark on her service record, Tracey was not about to do once again what she did years earlier.::

((Time-Warp - City of Solius - Romulus - Otherverse - Years Ago))

Tal'Aura: Beautiful evening, isn't it?

::Tracey had just finished work at the office and she was sitting at an outdoor terrasse at a Romulan version of a cafe. All day, Tracey had seen the sunlight beat in through her office window, and she knew that after her day of work, she wanted to relax. The Romulan Cafe was just on the ground level of the offices she worked at. Tracey was sitting, enjoying the setting sun of this alien planet as the Romulan soldiers patrolled the streets. This was a bustling, military city, where 90 percent of the soldiers were Romulan. The other 10 percent was made up of a mix of different alien species, with her being one of them. Humans who were assigned to Romulus were dispersed all over the planet. Since her arrival, Tracey only counted a handful of humans assigned to the city of Solius. And only about three times that amount who were members of starfleet.::

::Looking up from her PADD, Tracey squinted through the setting sun over the man's back. Placing her hand over her brow to protect her eyes, Tracey looked up and smiled.::

Townson: Why yes it is. ::gesturing towards a seat opposite from her:: Would you care to join me, Commander?

Tal'Aura: Why thank you Cadet. ::pulling out the chair and sitting down::

::Tal'Aura ordered a drink and when it arrived, he took a sip.::

Tal'Aura: Still working I see. ::gesturing towards Tracey's PADD::

Townson: Just studying, Commander.

::Tracey watched as the well-built Romulan sitting across from her took another sip. Tracey found him to be quite handsome, and if her situation would have been different, if Tracey was not with Jaxx, Tracey would have probably tried her luck. But She also knew it was completely inappropriate to think the way she did. But her loneliness of being away from her Betazoid boyfriend for so long, and the lack of any relationships in her environment, Tracey found herself to be flirting with her superior officer. To Tracey, it was as if there was an internal battle between her brain and her body. And up until today, her brain had won out. But all that was about to change.::

Tal'Aura: Very good, Cadet. I am very proud of your progress thus far.

Townson: Thank you, Commander.

Tal'Aura: Please, Cadet. In there, ::referring to the office building they both worked in:: my name is Commander Tal'Aura. Out here, my name is Hvaid. ::smiling::

Townson: ::placing her PADD on the table in front of her and looking at the Romulan with a mischievous smile:: Thats very unprofessional of you, Commander.

Tal'Aura: ::feigning a broken heart by holding his hands to his chest:: My, my. Are you going to report me, Cadet.

Townson: ::smiling:: Only to say that you are one of the best teachers I've ever had. And only if you stop calling me Cadet.

Tal'Aura: ::taking one last sip then putting his empty glass on the small round table.:: Then we have an agreement. We call each other by our first names.

::Tal'Aura looked around the landscape of the city before returning his gaze on Tracey.::

Tal'Aura: Have you had the chance to tour this city, yet, Tracey?

Townson: ::nodding:: I took the primary tour upon arrival and I have walked around the center core near my place. Why do you ask?

Tal'Aura: Well I know this city very well. My grandmother used to live here. I used to visit quite often as a child. I know places here the tour guides would never show you.

Townson: Is that so, Hvaid.

Tal'Aura: Would you like me to show you?

Townson: ::smiling:: Yes. Since I've come to Romulus I find it all to be quite enchanting. I would very much like to see the rest of the city.

::And with that, the two stood up and left the little table at the cafe and walked. The two walked for hours throughout the evening, as soldiers wound past them at every turn. They went into various shops and tried different local treats. Tracey practiced her Romulan with each shop they'd enter and look around in. The two laughed and spoke the whole evening through, despite the ever present backdrop of the familiar war-zone they both lived in. Several hours later, the two found themselves on top of a mountain on the edge of the city, looking down at the city lights, while sitting on a bench.::

Townson: Thats it! ::pointing to building in the distance::

Tal'Aura: No, no! Thats it! ::pointing to another building close to the one Tracey was pointing to:: I'll bet you dinner thats it.

Townson: No...Look at the markings on the roof. Thats our office building.

Tal'Aura: Oh...yeah. I guess you are right. ::smiling and looking at Tracey.:: It looks like I owe you dinner.

Townson: ::looking up at Tal'Aura and smiling:: Yes you do.

::On the bench next to theirs, a young Romulan couple were embrasing one another.::

Tal'Aura: Young love.

Townson: ::looking towards the shadowed couple then back to the city lights:: Yes.

Tal'Aura: How is Jaxx?

Townson: ::without averting her eyes from the lights below:: Far away.

Tal'Aura: You miss him.

::Tracey just nodded.::

Townson: I hate this war.

Tal'Aura: Don't we all. It makes us all very lonely, and we could all die tomorrow.

Townson: ::turning to look at Tal'Aura:: Is there someone special in your life, Hvaid?

Tal'Aura: ::shaking his head and looking down to the ground:: I have placed all my efforts into the military. I had no time for much else. I had to work hard to earn the rank of Commander at such a young age. Plus with the war...::trailing off::

Townson: I know.

::The couple at the opposite bench stood up and walked away hand in hand as Tracey and Tal'Aura watched them leave. Tal'Aura turned to look at Tracey and their eyes locked for a minute. Tal'Aura gently took Tracey's hands in hers and Tracey didn't pull back. She knew what would happen next, and for the first time in years, Tracey allowed her body to overrun what was going on in her head. Tracey took a deep breath, and the two embraced.::

((Later))

::A light misty rain was coming down over the city of Solius, as Tracey an Tal'Aura were walking down a laneway, hand in hand, leading to Tracey's temporary home. When they arrived, the two stopped.::

Townson: Thank you...for a wonderful evening Hvaid.

Tal'Aura: And thank you too, Tracey. ::pause:: Back to work tomorrow.

Townson: Yes. Back to work tomorrow.

::The two kissed one last time, and then Tal'Aura started walking away. Tracey watched as the man became a shadow under the lights and then a message came through her PADD that drew her attention. Tracey quickly scanned the message which said she was being recalled from Romulus in the morning. Tracey looked up at the retreating Tal'Aura in the distance and opened her mouth to shout something. But before she did, she closed it and watched the man disappear into the night of this alien city. Tracey never saw Commander Tal'Aura again.::

((Bilire VI - Present))

::Tal'Aura had been reading and the more he read, the more he was fascinated by this Starfleet Officer. The tales of battles and near death experiences were quite extraordinary. This one was not afraid of confrontation. Tal'Aura would look up from his reading once in awhile, hearing the moans of agony coming from the hospital, and he cringed each time and look towards the drawer wher the cure to the disease lay. And he would fight himself to not just take the hyposyringe and walk over to the hospital himself and cure all those suffering. But he knew Arrhae would kill him. Literally. He was under the watchful eye of the Tal'Shiar continuously. He was the chosen one to infiltrate Starfleet and introduce the "wrath". But so far, it was the Romulans who were dying. And Tal'Aura was torn man.::

::Tal'Aura was interrupted by a knock on the door. He quickly hid his reading material and went to the door fully expecting Arrhae to be on the other side. But to his surprise, it was not.::

::Huffing and puffing, Tracey found the dor to her former superior officer's abode. She quietly chided herself for being so out of shape, despite the fact that running through mud was quite physically demanding. Tracey quickly caught her breath and knocked on the door.::

::The door opened and Tal'Aura stood and looked down to the petite human standing in front of him. She was dirty and muddy and appeared to be catching her breath.::

Townson: Hvaid. I've been ordered back to the ship.

::Tal'Aura just nodded.::

Townson: I didn't want to just leave again without telling you.

Tal'Aura: Well thank you.

::Tal'Aura was curious as to why the human used his first name.::

Townson: I never told anyone. I...I tried to forget. It would have been impossible.

Tal'Aura: ::with no clue what the human female was talking about, but nodding nevertheless:: I know.

Townson: Then you are not angry?

Tal'Aura: If I was, I would have told you last night.

Townson: ::smiling:: Thank you, Commander.

Tal'Aura: Return to your duties, Commander. Dismissed.

Townson: Aye Commander.

::Just as Tracey was about to leave the doorway, she became very weak and her world began to fade. Tracey then passed out as blood trickled out of her mouth. But she was once again caught by the Romulan and kept from falling. Tal'Aura then brought her inside and lay her down on his small couch, and placed a small saucer under her mouth to collect the blood. He then stood and looked over her unconscious body and recalled all the adversity this human had gone through in her short life. Despite her tiny frame, there was an obvious strength to the human that he admired. Besides, from the short conversation at the doorway, there appeared to be more going on than what was written in the Medical logs. Tal'Aura was just a minor Centurion in this universe and he was finally given the chance to be someone by helping in this mission. He grabbed it at the time, just to get out of the doldrums of life. But from the readings of the human lying in front of him, Tal'Aura knew he could be more, without having to kill. Without having to watch people suffer. Without thinking, Tal'Aura went to the drawer where the hypospray with the antidote rested, opened it, removed it and headed to the couch where Tracey lay. He pushed asside her long, black hair and pressed the hypospray to her neck. The audible hiss sound emerged and Tal'Aura returned the device to the drawer and then washed the blood from the human's mouth and waited till she came back to consciousness.::

::Tracey sat up and looked up at Tal'Aura.::

Townson: I...what happened, Hvaid?

Tal'Aura: ::smiling:: I believe you may be overworked, Tracey. You should get some rest as soon as you get the chance.

Townson: That's never happened to me before.::sitting up:: How long was I out for?

Tal'Aura: There's always a first time. You were only out for about five minutes. I gave you some smelling salts to revive you. So are you going to follow my order or not?

Townson: Hvaid?

Tal'Aura: Your dismissed. ::smiling::

::Tracey stood, came to attention in front of the Romulan for a moment, then turned and headed to the door. But just before leaving, Tracey turned back to face the Romulan.::

Townson: Thank you once again, Commander. I will be back.

Tal'Aura: I am looking forward to it, Commander.

Townson: This colony is lucky to have someone like you here. They could learn alot from you. You have always been the best teacher.::smiling::

Tal'Aura: oO As have you, Lieutenant Commander Tracey Townson, and that is why I could not let you die. Oo You are wearing out your stay, Commander. ::smiling::

Townson: ::tappinhg her com-badge with her prosthetic hand:: Townson to Independence. One to beam up.

::Tracey took one last look at Tal'Aura then took a deep breath, closed her eyes and waited for the transporter beam to envelop her.::

::Tal'Aura stood in the doorway looking at the spot where Tracey was standing seconds earlier, with a smile, then a look of shock overcame his face as he felt the blade enter his back. Then nothingness.::