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Kes Akiena
Oct 9th, 2016, 06:32:07 PM
He'd let Preita'rrou Taussaarra and Mr. Rabeak have a ten minute head start. Ten minutes to trundle their way to the lift, the to wherever they were going. It didn't much matter to him in the immediate moment, and Kes found himself not exactly caring. What he did concern himself was nowhere to be found in his office. No, it was down in engineering.

He allowed a few more minutes to pass, busying himself with authorizations and requisition permissions before finally standing back up from his desk. All things told, there wasn't an infinite amount of time allowed in this matter, and while he tried to pad his own exit, he knew that quickness was paramount.

He left his office with a quick step, hands moving to idly dust away any unseen specks from the front of his uniform tunic. It'd been a habit picked up from Jacob, and carried on without thought except for the times that it'd been pointed out. Usually it was Tish that did so, other times it was his own subconscious. It didn't really matter, he supposed. It was a habit that stuck, and he didn't mind it all that much. His stride was clipped, his pace quick as he closed the distance to the lift.

"Um, Sir? I have a- "

"Not now, Lieutenant."

Kes spoke without even looking, intent on making it to the lift.

"But sir, we're picking up- "

Stepping through the opening doors, the redhead pivoted on his heel, one arm going out to keep the doors from closing.

"Ms. Haiaatharrii," for the first time in a long while, a scowl graced his features.

"Not. Now."

His arm pulled away, and the doors slid shut.




The trip to engineering was made in silence, his mind trying to come up with the best way to even begin the conversation that he knew had to happen. And perhaps it was a warning?

Commander Akiena was through the main entry doors before they'd even finished opening completely, his eyes tracking from left to right in the hopes of spotting Chief Rabeak.

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 9th, 2016, 07:31:29 PM
For once, Jovan Station hadn't decided to shit itself in the middle of the night, and so Chief Engineer Anauri Rabeak's morning started with relative ease, and a steaming cup of fresh stimcaff to accompany his koiboberry-filled donut. Reports had been reviewed and submitted, duty rosters updated, inventory logs checked and parts orders had been placed all in the first hour of his day, leaving him with little to actually do, which was nearly a first. The time had come at last to tackle a problem so insignificant that he hadn't dared to assign anyone to it, yet to him it was vitally important.

It was time to find out why in the hell the water pipe leading to Engineering's drinking fountain made a strange ticking noise once or twice an hour.

Armed with a pipe wrench, the brown-furred Nehantite strode from his office with purpose, massive pipe-wrench in paw, his jaw set in solid determination. Well, at least it was solid until the doors to Main Engineering opened, and Commander Akiena appeared.

Anauri halted midway to the troublesome drinking fountain, then glanced at his wrist chronometer before back to his commander. "Morning, sir," he nodded, straightening his posture. "I... didn't miss a meeting, did I?" One of his fuzzy eyebrows went up beneath the brim of his mechanic's cap.

Kes Akiena
Oct 9th, 2016, 07:45:52 PM
"No meeting, Chief."

The words were curt, dismissive of the question. Not necessarily angry, but time was of the essence. A beckoning hand lifted, a single finger gesturing to the doorway of the Nehantite's office even as his own stride angled for his target.

"But we do need to talk. Privately."

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 9th, 2016, 07:58:50 PM
The pipe wrench was held slack in Anauri's paw, and as Kes crossed the main floor with speed and purpose, Anauri was left wondering what could be going on that was so important. Had Anauri unwittingly hired someone wanted by the Alliance for something? No, impossible, he was quite thorough with his background checks. Unable to guess the reason for so sudden a visit, he sighed, sparing a warning look at the drinking fountain before following Kes into his office, shutting the door behind them.

"What's up, Commander?" he asked. The pipe wrench was laid down on his desk with a thud, next to his empty coffee mug and his half-eaten donut. "You're certainly not here for a social call."

Kes Akiena
Oct 9th, 2016, 08:19:01 PM
For a few moments Kes stared down at the wrench that'd been put on the desk. The caf mug and half-eaten donut were taken in with a quick glance before his eyes swept up to lock eyes with the Chief.

"Anauri," he finally started, his voice quiet.

"There's a new pilot that's been assigned to this station," before any reply, he went on. "... and if I'd known I would've requested a different assignment for him."

A deep inhale, and his arms crossed over his chest, a cautionary expression now showing on his face.

"Jofar has been posted to Jovan."

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 9th, 2016, 08:32:05 PM
Anauri had carefully crossed around to the back side of his desk. Something never felt right about being on the authority side of a desk while your commanding officer was addressing you, but it seemed less awkward than simply standing in the front of his office. Still, he listened, as it had to be important, though the simple posting of a new pilot seemed scarcely relevant to any business between the pair.

And then the shoe dropped.

The announcement came just as Anauri's paw found the back of his chair, and there he froze. His heart did not skip a beat so much as it forgot to beat for a moment, either that or time froze. Joey? On Jovan? No, he couldn't have heard that right. The shocked expression on his face turned to one of scrutiny until he could read the truth of it written upon Kes's face. All the color drained out of Anauri's flesh, scarcely detectable through his fur, and his widened eyes lost their focus, staring into nothingness as he eased down mechanically into his seat, perfectly still. There he sat for several seconds, attempting to process it all.

"I..." he faltered, words finding themselves difficult to form. "I'll have to resign, sir." Anauri managed at last.

Kes Akiena
Oct 9th, 2016, 08:55:09 PM
"Out of the question," came the instinctive response.

For his part, Kes lowered to sit himself. He could see the faraway look in Anauri's eyes, the conflict and worry.

"Your son is an Alliance pilot, and you're an Alliance engineer. Right here, now, that's the only thing you're beholden to."

There was a moment before he went on.

"I'd never accept such a resignation as it is. You're the best engineer I've seen come along in a long while, and I'd be stupid to let you walk away."

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 9th, 2016, 09:12:09 PM
Anauri's paws came up to hold his muzzle, as he leaned on his elbows, needing to steady himself from the sock his system had just taken. It was as if the very decking of the station had been pulled out from under him, and the gravity nets deactivated to leave him floating helplessly in space. The chief actually trembled slightly, and his throat went dry. His paw absently reached for his mug, only to realize it was empty, and so a hard swallow forced its way down his throat instead.

"Joey's a pilot? He's in the Alliance?" Words finally came out of Anauri's mouth, and he blinked before his eyes focused and turned to Kes. "It's really him?"

Kes Akiena
Oct 9th, 2016, 10:11:09 PM
"Yes, to all three questions."

Kes kept a steady eye on the Nehantite.

"He's a little older than the picture you showed me, but it's him. And even if I wasn't sure all I have to do is look at his duty file."

A thought.

"Which I can transfer to your terminal if you'd like. Nothing classified in there, and it's all public knowledge. You can see his marks and records if you wish."

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 9th, 2016, 10:25:53 PM
"No," Anauri held up a paw. "No, I only want to know what he chooses to tell me."

The weight of it all came down upon the Nehantite in a crushing blow, and he leaned back into his chair, still reeling from the impact of it all. "I suppose that if we both serve the Alliance, we can't help where we get posted, right?" The question was rhetorical as Anauri's mind attempted to find legal loopholes from the situation which had kept father and son apart. "I'll have to contact my lawyer, just to be sure, but I think that's a valid defense."

Looking back to Kes, he asked, "Does he know I'm here?"

Kes Akiena
Oct 9th, 2016, 10:32:26 PM
Kes shook his head. There were still many things that were sacred to him; comics, a good nap, and situations such as this.

"No, he doesn't. That's not for me to tell."

Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees while maintaining eye contact.

"But, it is my duty to inform you so that you do the right thing."

A wry, half-smile punctuated his last words.

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 10th, 2016, 10:02:03 PM
"He's really here," Anauri said, more to himself than to Kes. Despite the shock and worry, a smile crept up the Nehantite's face, pride beaming from eyes which sparkled with a touch more water than usual. The smile only grew as he lifted his cap to smooth out his headfur, the tugged the cap on again, needing some way to vent the nervous energy which ran through his body with a tingle like being too near an ungrounded connection.

"My son's a pilot," he announced to himself, then grinned at his commander. "My son's a pilot for the Alliance, and he's here, and I can see him. And you're sure you didn't arrange this, somehow?" There was no accusation, merely an old engineer's disbelief in coincidence, combined with the joy of a father who was about to see his son for the first time in eight years.

Kes Akiena
Oct 10th, 2016, 11:42:25 PM
"Even if I tried," came the light chuckle, "I've not got near enough pull in the upper echelons to make something like this happen."

It was unmistakable, the excitement growing in Anauri's eyes. For a few moments Kes simply smiled, a wide smile of happiness for his gruff Chief Engineer in light of this most recent news. And while there's certainly been a dire air of seriousness leading into this conversation, the outcome had been exactly what the redhead had hoped. He reached forward then, to give a reassuring pat to Anauri's upper arm while using the forward momentum to rise to his feet.

A slip of folded paper was pulled from his front pocket with his off-hand; a small bit of forethought that he hoped would be appreciated. Standing, Kes held the bit of paper out.

"His bunk number. He's out with Preita'rrou Taussaarra right now, getting food no doubt, so I'd wait a little bit before visiting. He might not be around if you go out now."

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 11th, 2016, 11:44:21 AM
Anauri took the paper as he stood as well, flicking it open just to check it quickly before it found a safe home in his own pocket.

"Understood, sir," he replied, coming out from behind his desk. The meeting was essentially over, and despite news which had suddenly turned his world upside down, Anauri still had work to do. But that wasn't enough for him to resist an urge which overwhelmed his better judgement.

"Commander, I..." he said, then without warning his thick arms were flung around Kes, grabbing him up in a nearly crushing bear hug. "Thank you!" The words were spoken before letting Kes go, and immediately Anauri eased back, knowing he'd overstepped the boundaries of personal space. Clearing his throat in an attempt to re-set himself back into proper work mode, he drew up straight.

"Permission to take an hour or so out of my day to greet our new pilot, sir?" He attempted the best straight face he could manage, but a smile continued to break through. "Once he's settled, that is. Naturally."

Kes Akiena
Oct 11th, 2016, 12:32:27 PM
He'd been taken up in the massive embrace, suddenly feeling dwarfed by the Nehantite's much larger bulk. He wasn't insecure in his small stature, but in this moment in time, Kes wasn't exactly sure it was doing him any favors, either. But, he reciprocated the best that he could. Which consisted mostly of attempts to return the hug. There was even a moment that he could swear his feet left the deck.

When Anauri released him, the redhead instinctively reached to straighten his uniform tunic.

"Permission granted," he answered without thought, and letting out a long breath a single hand went up, fingers moving to scratch at an idle itch beneath his jaw.

"If you need tomorrow off, just let me know by this evening so that I can make sure Gradoona knows she's solo tomorrow."

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 11th, 2016, 01:00:03 PM
"Will do, sir, though that'll rather depend on Joey's schedule," Anauri replied. "New pilots don't typically get a day off the day after they arrive, after all. He might be my son, but he's still got a job to do, and I wouldn't be a very good father if I let my son go slack."

A well-meaning chuckle crept into his voice near the end, and he reached back to take up the wrench he'd been carrying when Kes walked in. "Don't get me wrong, sir. I want to see him, but I can't be selfish about it. In the Alliance your time isn't always your own. But we'll get something sorted, and I'll give you the heads-up ahead of time."

Kes Akiena
Oct 12th, 2016, 11:08:40 AM
"Schedules depend on the squadron commander," he chuckled goodnaturedly, "so who knows. He's been slotted into Titan Squadron, since they're still trying to find replacements for the pilots they lost over Ossus."

Rolling his shoulders, Kes' features grew serious at the mention of that unfortunate day. He could still see Dauntless tearing through the planet's atmosphere, like a mortally wounded krayt dragon sending up a plume of smoke and fire as it fell.

"They're a good group, and resilient. I've a feeling your boy is going to fit in well with them."

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 13th, 2016, 06:36:11 AM
"Titan Squadron?" Anauri repeated. Some of the joy faded from his face, and he bit his lower lip in worry. "Aren't they the ones that typically get called up first? The real gung-ho squadron?"

Deep inside, the engineer's stomach twisted itself into uncomfortable knots with worry - the first true worry he'd felt for Joey in several years.

Stop that. He's trained for this. He's his own man, he can handle himself. His ratuional thinking kicked back in, and the Nehantite cleared his nerves with a deep breath.

"He always was rather impulsive as a boy. It makes sense for him," he admitted. "But I shouldn't keep you, sir. I know you've got all manner of docking requests, vendor complaints, and cargo bay squabbles to keep you busy. Thank you, though, for coming down here in person. You could have just sent me a text, or a call, but you didn't, and I appreciate that."

Kes Akiena
Oct 14th, 2016, 12:39:10 AM
"Something like this... "

It didn't need to be said the seriousness of the matter or the fact that a comm would be woefully inadequate for a matter so personal. Angling to make his exit, the redhead paused in the doorway to look back to Anauri. There was a serious glint in his eyes, though a ghostly smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. A strange combination to make up one expression.

"Just make sure that when you give him a hug, you give him a chance to come up for air."

Anauri Rabeak
Oct 14th, 2016, 11:58:17 AM
The words brought a broad smile and a laugh to the older engineer, and he followed Kes out of his office, walking him to the doors of Main Engineering. "Heh, sorry about that, sir," he replied. "Got a bit carried away, but can you blame me? I'll keep it to handshakes from here on out."

He nodded his head farewell as Kes departed back to the central command hub, leaving Anauri with new world of possibilities to consider. His son was on Jovan, and thanks to a technicality of employment, he couldn't be punished for seeing him. Part of him wanted to rush to go find Joey, to wrap him up in his arms and never let him go again, while part of him knew that Joey needed time to get settled in before such a surprise was dropped on him like a bombshell. Anauri needed time to decide, something to distract himself from making a rash decision.

The water fountain ticked.

"Oh, that's it, you little son of a..." he grumbled, turning to face his adversary. "This ends now."

There would be time to visit Joey, once work was done.