By His Side

Posted on Wed May 7th, 2025 @ 12:59am by Caeda & Endia

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: IRW R’Vandrix
Timeline: Date 2371-11-03 at 0130
1626 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

The Romulan Fleet was unsettled, and it had been for weeks. Rumors had begotten more rumors, and those additional speculation. Aeler Nairok, however, was not a man for rumor. He’d climbed from Cadet to Commander of the Republic Flagship through acting decisively, regardless of the fog of war. He wasn’t a fool, of course, but he had less trust in the softer skills than the next man.

The Senate was an institution as old as Romulus itself, but the leaders there no longer inspired confidence in the soldiery. Men of action and men of cunning so rarely got along. Their alliance with the Terrans against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance was their last great chance to remove the boot poised at their heel, but so many didn’t see it that way. So many, in fact, that the rumors surrounding the attack against the Terran Marines was seriously expected to be the doing of some very stupid politicians. Of course, none of that was his business.

He sat up in bed, his hands finding his face. He’d tried to get to sleep for nearly an hour and had gotten nowhere. The commander's quarters were spacious and well-decorated, music played, the air was full of a soothing scent, and still nothing. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was at the precipice of some all-important moment; one that would define his life forever. He feared he was somehow unready. His door chimed them and he stood, sporting only his underwear. And the scars the Klingons had left him.

“Come in, whoever it is.” He said, scratching his full head of hair.”

The door opened, and into his quarters stepped Saeihr D’mora. Her blue eyes scanned the room, and not seeing him immediately she instead headed toward his room. She had been a loyal officer under his command, and with time they’d grown close - very close. Unbeknownst to the vast majority of his crew, she also served as her Commander’s paramour.

She stepped into the doorway, wearing a very simple dress that looked nice, but wasn’t anything super eye-catching. She didn’t want the attention. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“What else is new?” He asked, looking at her from his place on the bed. Even her silhouette was beautiful to him. “You too?”

“Maybe sympathy for you.” She reached up and pushed the straps of her dress down her shoulders and let it fall away from her thin, feminine figure leaving her completely naked. She slid into his bed, crawling up to him and keeping her body low, indicating her submissiveness to him.

He watched the movement of her slender body as she dropped the dress on his floor, and as she moved to him in the bed, he rejoined her under the silken covers.

“You always seem to have a lot of that.” He said, his hand moving to her hip and holding it. “But I suppose I’m feeling some other man’s worry in the first place. I worry about Romulus.”

“What troubles you?” She asked, sliding up close to him and placing one of her dainty hands on his chest. “Can I help?”

“You’ve heard the rumors.. the death of the Terran Marines; the strange attack at the Embassy on Terra..our government remains silent instead of condemning either one.” He said, looking at her. “We’re on the Klingon border, but High Command never lets us fight..never more than a skirmish with no real casualties. These suited bastards are waiting for something..and so am I.”

“Mm… yes…” She frowned thoughtfully, relaxing with him in his spacious bed. “But what, is the question.”

For a moment, she continued to ponder, and then brought her blue eyes up to look into his dark gaze. “You know… we aren’t that far from where the attack on those marines happened.”

“That’s true.” He remarked. “Just about five hours at maximum speed. But what is there to prove in going really? t’Nairrekh has been holding us back for almost a year. That’s what got me captured before; what got my crew killed. Whatever they’re up to, it has nothing to do with our movements.”

“Are you so sure?” She challenged, but gently. Her hand came up to touch the side of his face.

He frowned, her hands on his freshly shaved face bringing the vulnerable core of this magnanimous and larger-than-life man to its core.

“They call me a hero of the Republic, but the last time I stuck my neck out past my orders, my entire crew was slaughtered at the hands of the Klingons. My brothers didn’t lift a finger to help us because they were following orders.” He said, and hesitated. “What if I mettle and get more good people killed?”

Saeihr’s eyes softened, on her beautiful face there was a sympathetic frown. Leaning to him, she kissed his forehead followed by another very gentle one against his lips. “There is a risk, but… the Terrans are our allies in this fight, and right now it looks like we abandoned them to die. They wouldn’t be happy about that… we might lose them.”

“I’m concerned that’s the plan. That the First Consul has a plan to switch sides or make a deal. It’s the only thing that makes sense.” He said. “Getting involved could put us at odds with the entire High Command.”

She frowned deeply, frustrated concern on her beautiful face. “But why would they do that? What could we possibly hope to gain? Do… do you really think they would have allied us with Klingons? I can’t even stand the thought.”

“I think that t’Nairrehk is looking for the best deal for her. Maybe Worf made a better offer than Antonius.” He said, speculating with the fruit of all those rumors. “I never underestimate a person’s ability to act selfishly.”

The woman offered no words immediately, and instead rested with him quietly. Her head was on his chest and her body was pressed close to his as if she were seeking his comfort and safety. Finally she spoke, though it was softly as she understood the weight of her words. “Selfishness can’t rule an Empire. The Klingons can’t be trusted. The Terrans are dangerous, but we can’t deny to this point they have been faithful allies to us.”

She lifted her head, looking into his eyes and frowning with deep, patriotic concern. “How many thousands, millions might die if we throw our lot in with the Klingons?”

“The Terrans are devious, but their ruling House has never shown the duplicity and the insane megalomania of the previous ones. The Orsini have some honor, and they need us more than the Alliance does.” He said, looking at her and putting a hand through her hair. “The Klingons and Cardassians have every incentive to double-cross us. I just don’t know what I can do.”

Leaning into his touch, Saeihr closed her astonishing blue eyes slowly and sighed. This was a difficult place to be in. “The Terrans are searching for answers, perhaps it might behoove us to assist them in that search… quietly.”

“That sounds like treason.” He said, his tone contemplative rather than accusatory. “And it’s not the sort of thing we could keep a secret for long. There could be serious consequences if we get caught.”

“There would be… but what if we are right?” She questioned softly, allowing her expression to show both the pain and sadness of someone who understood well the consequences of what they were saying, but still saying it anyway because they believed in it.

He moved his hands over his face, hiding his expression in an obvious sign of stress. He lived on the knife’s edge quite often, and he found himself wondering why destiny had fallen on him.

“I suppose some good could possibly come of it.”

Gently, she pulled his hands from his face and replaced them with soft kisses. Gently, she touched her forehead to his. “You know I will stand right by your side whatever you decide to do, Aeler. We want what is best for our people, but I want what’s best for you, too.”

“The good of the Romulan People is my good.” He said, looking at her again, a bit of resolution returning to his handsome face. He was normally so confident, but he had shown her the self doubt he had hidden with everyone else. “Romulus’ destiny is my destiny.”

“Then we can’t let the selfishness of politicians endanger our people.” She kissed the corners of his mouth gently and then touched his cheek. “I’ll be by your side. We will face this together.”

He smiled as she kissed him, his hands moving to her naked back. He returned the kiss then, feeling the earth of her lips on his own, her familiar, comforting touch. He kissed her again, deeper, and then coaxed her onto her back in a slow, smooth motion.

“Where did you come from, Saeirh?” He said to her, his green-tinted body moving over hers. “My counsel; my light.”

She laughed softly and kissed him on his lips with more earnestness than gentleness. Her hands moved down to push his boxers from his hips, but she didn’t do more than that and simply wrapped her arms around him. “Let me take care of you, my heart.”

It wasn’t long before they were wrapped in each other, making love passionately with obvious love. His moves were smooth and gentle, never pushing her with physical exertion. All was comfort and tenderness.

END