Crossroad

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"And now jyou wjill be verrjy publjic jindeeed."

T'yeellaa frowned, her face turned away from Kes and still at the station.

"jYou ssajid jyou wanted to meet me, Majorr. jI wassn't fajirr to jyou beforre, and jI apologjize forr that."

Turning to face the human, she seemed to notice him for the first time. Not sizing up an adversary, but as a potential colleague. Someone with which she could have such a discussion.

"jI jimagjine jI sshould be qujite honorred to have been sselected forr thjiss assjignment."

[Kes Akiena]

"That... is up to you."

He bowed his head.

"I personally find a sort of honor in this new posting, but I am loathe to demand that you do as well."

A ghost of a smile showed as he turned her words back, hoping for something more committal and forthcoming.

"Do you find honor in this selection?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"How djid jyou feel when jyou werre no longerr on a sshjip?"

T'yeellaa turned away from the window. Again, she walked across the room, placing her hand along a nearby support bulkhead. Though the facade was accented in stately wood grain, she could feel the durasteel underneath. She could feel the power, an almost imperceptible hum that felt like the heartbeat of some great animal.

She wasn't sure how to address Kes's question of if she felt honored. The old dread that haunted her entire life was never far from her mind. No matter how well she did. No matter how much she insisted on success on her own terms, she never really could be completely sure about it, could she?

[Kes Akiena]

"When I first began serving on ships, it was out of necessity. I've been around for long enough, Captain. I've been on those first ships that the Rebellion had to snatch away from the Empire in order to begin leveling the field."

He paused then, not wanting to get too far into the history of his own service. She'd asked a simple question, and the Major was more than happy to oblige her.

"But it was never a true passion of mine. It was something that I fell into, I suppose. When they offered me posting on Dac, I was happy to take it. I enjoyed being on a ship, but humming deckplates were nothing I couldn't live without. I needed to do other things, and being on Dac allowed me to do just that."

Was that what she wanted to hear? Perhaps not, but it was the simple truth.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

At talk of the rebellion against the Empire, T'yeellaa made it a point to study Akiena's face. It certainly had enough mileage to lend credence to the stories.

"jI envjy jyou."

The Alliance of Free Planets was a barely-professional hodgepodge of sorts, but it had been born in fire. Born in a time when there wasn't bureaucracy to speak of. A true meritocracy. The people who rose to the top were the best, because they had to be. Survival had a way of burning away the less important trivium of life.

"jYou Alljiance tjypess. jYou fought a warr trruljy worrth fjightjing. Now, thosse dajyss are gone. Perrhapss jyou arre rreadjy forr that dajy. jI am not sso ssurre jI am."

[Kes Akiena]

At that, the redhead let a sly smile touch his lips, and he angled his head down to look at her from over the tops of his eyes.

"Who says that there are no more wars worth fighting? Or that this one is has even reached its' end?"

He pulled in a long breath, letting it out slowly.

"In my experience, times like these are precarious at best. It will only be a matter of time before something happens. Whether it is for good or bad, something will happen. We have to be ready for that time."

At that, one hand came out to offer it to her in acceptance.

"I've read your files; you're a dedicated officer, Captain. I'd be honored to serve with you."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Something will happen.

Maybe that was enough. The promise for a situation that demanded resolve. Even here, on a space station. T'yeellaa couldn't yet fathom what situations that might entail. But one thing was for sure, she had orders. It was either carry them out to her utmost, or resign her commission. And Captain Meorrrei detested quitting. Her eyes tracked to Akiena's outstretched hand. Remembering the human custom, the Captain met it with her own, her lithe fingers grasping around his in an embrace.

"Thank jyou, Majorr."

Whether it would be an honor or not, she could not yet say. But she wouldn't retreat from the challenge.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Fifteen Minutes Later

"And jyou'rre cerrtajin Ssenatorr Mjinetjii jintendss to amend thjiss bjill?"

Looking up from her datapad, Taataani blinked owlishly through her reading glasses up at the Bothan standing in her office.

"My source is quite clear on this, Madam Senator. He's already concerned that his coalition will fall apart if a poison pill is introduced to what stands in the committee. The chair seems to be on his side in this matter."

"Of courrsse he jiss. Bought and pajid forr. No matterr that. The Ssullusstanss can't sspend thejirr wajy out of thjiss trrouble. He'll have to offerr ssomethjing morre rreal."

Of course, her ruminations were mainly to herself, and Taataani didn't expect her SpyNet hireling to offer any substantial introspective into them. He'd delivered information, and now she would pay him for it.

"jI'll have jyourr account crredjited, Ut'hak. jYou majy go."

The Bothan curtly nodded, turning roundabout to exit Senator Meorrrei's office and head right, towards a more discrete exit from the premises. Not that she was worried about anyone discovering she employed spies. This was Bothawui, everyone did. Still, it was a manner of some manners to make sure your tradesmen and your spies used the back door, so as not to appear vulgar.

Just as she was set to return to her reading, her desk chime beeped, alerting of an incoming communication. That was deeply annoying, and Taataani insisted on having these matters filtered through three layers of secretaries and handlers, just to see if it was something worth her time or worth scheduling. But on closer inspection, the comm frequency was on her personal band. Tapping the origination, she could clearly see the source.

Well, no sense putting it off.

"T'yeellaa, darrljing!"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"How darre jyou, Motherr! How darre jyou?!"

T'yeellaa dug her nails in the moment her mother's image appeared on holo. Lifesized, and yet somehow looking down at her. No doubt she had T'yeellaa's own hologram shrunk to some pawnish miniature on her desk. A pawn. A little plaything like she always was.

The anger Captain Meorrrei had largely spared Major Akiena from was now unleashed fully on her mother. Behind the closed doors of family, you could stop with the nauseating politeness. It was euphoric relief, and terrifying all at once. She never seemed to get a word in on Taataani, but today, ohhh Saanjara, she would.

"jYou made me gjive up mjy own sshjip!"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

This was new.

For a moment, Taataani let her guard slip, a rare display of earnest surprise on her face as T'yeellaa immediately lashed out. Normally, her stoic eldest daughter spent most of their conversations grinding her teeth and looking like she wanted to sulk away and be anywhere but near her mother. But outright anger? Out of Rai'faani, certainly. That girl had fire. But T'yeellaa was, in her estimation, just built differently. Maybe she was wrong?

"Oh Saaila..." she began, pandering to endearing nicknames, "jI djidn't expect jyou to be jinforrmed sso ssoon."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Not enough tjime to twjisst the knjife jin farrtherr? How could jyou?! jYou know how jimporrtant thjiss jiss to me, and wjith a ssnap of jyourr fjingerrss, jI'm jusst...moved acrrosss jyourr ljittle dejarrjik boarrd to ssome pet prroject outposst of jyourrss?"

T'yeellaa stormed away from her mother's hologram, turning around just as sharply to storm back to it again, jabbing an accusing finger towards the ethereal blue face before her.

"And neverr once jin the courrsse of anjy of thjiss djid jyou botherr asskjing me what jI felt about jit? About all of mjy jyearrss of harrd work bejing thrrown assjide overrnjight? About takjing awajy the thjing that jI earrned?!"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The gravity of Taataani's error was becoming apparent, and the Senator removed her glasses, setting them aside.

"Saaila..."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jYou wjill not Saaila me, motherr!"

T'yeellaa jabbed a finger at the badge on her jacket's left breast, just above a series of bars and honorifics.

"jI'm Captajin Meorrrei, motherr! Ssomethjing jI worrked harrd to be called, and not ssome favorr or hand-out becausse of the famjiljy jI wass borrn jinto! jYou majy own everrjythjing elsse jyou want, but jyou don't own that!"

This was futile. She knew it. The arrangements had already been made and her mother damned-sure wasn't going to publicly withdraw her daughter from the forefront. She'd accepted and mourned the loss of Haifa'Iro'Iro and moved on. All she wanted was the respect she was long overdue.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani's ears lowered almost imperceptibly, and for once, she didn't have a quick word back. She almost seemed to lean forward, studying this new creature that looked just like her oldest daughter, yet acted in such a different way. Gone were the Senator's warm put-on airs. No. This T'yeellaa Meorrrei demanded more than that.

"Verrjy well, Captajin."

The tone of Taataani's voice reached the aloof lilt she so often used to speak to outsiders. Her back straightened.

"jYourr sserrvjice hass been commendable. And jyou'rre corrrect, jyou owe no one forr that but jyourrsself."

She needn't delve into ancient history. T'yeellaa had gone into the military over her mother's head, and no amount of cajoling or threatening on her part could get her eldest to change her mind. It infuriated Taataani deeply when it happened, and she didn't pay a single du'arri towards her daughter's expenses when she set off to the Academy. She would be back, after all. Taataani could wait her little rebellion out, and all would be right in the end. T'yeellaa would come to see the error of her ways and return to be groomed to run the family business.

Except she didn't come back.

It was that rare breed of failure. Failure that cut so deep that Taataani pretended that it didn't exist, and didn't confront it. In place of a long-overdue confrontation she had spoken of T'yeellaa's achievements as an afterthought.

But.

Taataani's jawline set, and she leaned forward once more.

"But jyou arre sstjill a Meorrrei, Captajin. Stjill mjy daughterr, and no matterr what elsse, ssjimpljy plajyjing a parrt jissn't good enough. One dajy, jI expect to be calljing jyou Admjirral. jIf jyou have an ounce of ambjitjion jin jyour vejinss, jyou sshould expect that too.

jI'm not gjiving orr takjing anjythjing that jyou sshouldn't be wjilljing to do jyourrsself. jI don't carre jif jyou'rre out to prrove ssomethjing to me orr to prrove ssomethjing to jyourrsself, and no one elsse wjill carre ejitherr. jYourr carreerr wjill ljive orr djie on Jovan, Captajin."

The Senator again sat straight, leveling a finger at T'yeellaa.

"Rrememberr that, and rrememberr what jyou owe to both jyourr unjiforrm and jyourr name. Ejitherr jyou come back a leaderr, orr jyou don't come back."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

There was no lace. No finery. No sweet platitudes. Instead, her mother had cut all pleasantries and hit her directly for once. T'yeellaa grit her teeth, her ears ticking back as she tried to rally a retort to unseat the Rrou'fai. The more she tried, the more she could only concede to Taataani's words. Losing Haifa'Iro'Iro hurt, true. But did she want to stay on the ship her whole career? It didn't take much soul-searching to know the answer, and the worst of it was that Taataani already knew. Meorrrei ambition was hereditary after all. Taataani had given her a shove that T'yeellaa was reluctant to make herself. That the shove had landed her as second in command to a male human was unfortunate, but these were changing times. Major Akiena wouldn't hold her back. She'd make sure of that.

"jI know who jI am."

And by saying that, she almost seemed to stand taller. The volatile fury had become resolve, and she saw her mother in a new light. Not as a meddling hand or a source of unwanted privilege, but as the guarantor of her birthright. T'yeellaa nodded.

"jYou'll ssee. jI prromjisse that."

Thank you seemed hollow, so the Captain didn't dare utter it. She had heavy obligations on her shoulders. Even more challenge lay in store for her to overcome. But she was built to defeat anything that came her way. It was in her training and in her blood.