Family Dinner

Posted on Tue Mar 15th, 2022 @ 11:11pm by Captain Ivan Petrov & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Ensign Mika Petrova & Lieutenant Commander Yana Petrova & Lieutenant JG Kassandra Selin

Mission: S1 Episode 2: Caretaker, Part II
Location: Cabin 300
Timeline: Mission Day 2 at 1800
2259 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Oh this was not her idea of fun. But she had agreed to it. Reluctantly. Not wanting to be called chicken by Andrei of all people. She had chosen to come alone, having not told anyone yet about the situation between her and the Captain. Mainly because she did not know how to tell people. Kassandra dressed conservatively for her, in black slacks and a dark purple top and low healed sandals, which she told herself would be good for running out if needed.

She had been raised to always bring something when visiting another person's cabin or house, so she carried a bottle of wine with her as she approached the Captains cabin.

She froze outside the door, unable to lift her hand to the chime.

"Hey, Kass." Mika said as she herself approached. Coming from her own Cabin on Deck 5, she was dressed in an apricot dress that showed off her shoulders and thighs. Giving a warm smile, she opened her arms, hoping her once-acquaintance, now sister was open to a hug. "You look beautiful as always; I love your hair."

Kass gave her a smile. "Hi, Mika" She gave the hug the younger girl wanted "Thank you for your words, you look great in that dress."

Mika demurred, turning her eyes down for a brief moment. Eyes that were similar to Kass's. She was very shapely and had gotten a tremendous amount of attention from boys as a teenager as well as at the Imperial Academy. She used to wear baggy clothes to hide the truth, but now she was starting to experiment a bit more.

"Oh, you don't have to lie. It's too much, I know." Mika said, releasing Kass.

Kass took her hand and spun her in a circle. "No, that colour is perfect for you darling Sister." She reached out and fluffed Mika's hair. "You are lucky its a family dinner" she added with a grin.

Mika giggled at the sudden spin and blushed at the comment, smiling brightly at the attention. Before she could speak, however, the door to the cabin opened and their father, dressed in black slacks and a someone elaborate grey button-up coat, looked at them with a newly-warmed smile. He looked every bit an Imperial Lord.

"Girls, so glad you could make it." he said with a smile. "Chef is putting the finishing touches on the fresh-cooked meal and it should be ready shortly."

He turned and looked at the both of them and gave a nod of approval.

"You two look lovely. To be honest, I'm really looking forward to this, despite our current predicament."

Kass gently pushed Mika forward. She had no issue with sending Mika in first, facing Mika's mother was NOT what she wanted to do.

"Captain" She said even as she pushed Mika forward.

Mika stumbled forward awkwardly, but acquiesced to her older sister's demand and walked passed Ivan into the cabin. Ivan, pursed his lips as they moved forward, wishing she would call him something else besides his rank. He understood, however, that this was all still very new. He would have to give her time.

In the room, the Chef and an assistant plated dishes which had been prepared in the kitchen. They worked diligently while Yana curated the meal. As the girls entered, her gaze turned to them. It was cold and hard. Even as Mika and she shared kisses of greeting on either cheek, her eyes locked on Kassandra. She lifted a glass of wine to her lips, saying nothing. Apparently, she had started early.

"Andrei is technically on duty, but he's arranged coverage in the security department so that he can be here. He is, as always, fashionably late." Ivan said, pulling up a chair at the table for Kassandra and gesturing for her to sit. "Sit, my dear, please."

"Ma'am" Kassandra said stiffly to Yana and took the offered chair. She sat poker straight in it, and for once in her life prayed Andrei would show up as another buffer to his mother.

Ivan pulled the chair out next to her for Mika, a wider smile on his face. She sat in it happily, but not before planning a cheek on his furry cheek.

"Thank you, Papa." she said, scooting her chair in and looking over at Kass. This is different, I know. But I'm glad we're doing it."

Next, Ivan helped Yana into her seat next to him at the round table so that he was next to Kassandra and Yana was on his other side. Sitting himself down next, he focused his attention on the chef finishing their meal.

"Yes, it is quite the unexpected thing." Yana said, her fingers still on the wine glass. "All of us together, against all odds."

Kass handed the wine to the assistant and he whisked the bottle away, even as another poured her a glass of wine. Kassandra kept her hands in her lap, twisting her fingers together. She glanced at Yana. "Not everyone survived." She said softly.

"That's true." Yana said, turning her head to the side. "It's too bad I bumped my head. Otherwise I might have been of more help."

Kass bit back a snarky reply about how much help Yana would have been, instead she turned her gaze to Mika and said "How is the Chief Medical Officer feeling?" she asked Mika.

The door opened and Andrei walked in, still buttoning up a tight silver button-up shirt that accentuated his fit form.

"Hello, all." he said quickly and then breezed past them and into the bathroom. Despite him, Mika continued.

"She's feeling much better now and is back on her feet." she said, but then offered a less than innocent smile. "Though you might want to ask Andrei. Rumor has it he brought her flowers this morning and sat with her at her bedside."

"Really?" Kass drawled out. "Well good to know Callie didn't break his heart."

"No no...Andrei Ivanovich is extremely resilient." Ivan said with a grin as the Chef delivered their plates, placing them in front of them. Ribeye steaks with asparagus and diced potatoes, cooked to perfection. The aroma flowed into Ivan's nose. "My compliments to the chef."

"I'm surprised it took him this long to get next to her." Mika said, rolling her eyes as she sipped her water.

"Mika, shoosh." Yana said, making a quiet hissing sound at her daughter.

"It's true, Mama. Sad to say it, but Andrei is a serial skirt chaser." Mika said gently, being honest but firm; an ability she was starting to hone aboard Vengeance. She paused then and looked at Kassandra, seeming to remember something. "Wait...you two never..."

"NO!" Kass said shaking her head violently. "Hades No. He dated my... step sister Athanasia."

The door to the bathroom opened and Andrei exited looking very-much put together, a smile on his face and a sweet-smelling cologne forming a pleasant cloud around him. Without fanfare, he sat down in his seat between Yana and Mika and paused, his smile fading a bit.

"Now why do I get the feeling I was just being talked about?"

"Ears burning?" Kass asked curiously from her seat.

"I would think something else would be burning first..." Mika said under her breath to Kass, a smile on her face.

Kass snickered softly.

"What was that?" Andrei asked, his smile now completely gone.

"I said I wish you had gotten here first, big brother. I don't get to see you as much as I used to." Mika responded, applying her knife to the steak with skillful elegance.

"Hmmm..." Andrei said, eyeing her suspiciously. His gaze shifted from the two sisters as if he had acquired some understanding which he didn't give voice to. "Well I've been busy. Not only are we 70,000 lightyears from home, but I'm now performing two jobs on the ship."

"Two?" Kass queried carefully as she picked up her own cutlery.

"Andrei has been performing the duties of Warrant Officer Gruber after his...unfortunate end." Ivan said, popping a carving of the steak into his mouth. "Obviously he's also continuing his duties as Assistant Chief of Security."

"Obviously I have help. I just keep the slaves on schedule and issue any long-term discipline that might be on file from their department heads." Andrei said with a smile. "Not terribly difficult. I'm not sure why Gruber made such a mess of it."

"Gruber got greedy." Came Kass's calm reply. She had not touched her wine and was barely eating. "He should have known better."

"Perhaps he's learned the lesson in Hades." Andrei said. "It's where the fool belongs."

"Please, this conversation is terribly depressing." Yana said, wiping some of the grease from her lips. "Things are gong badly. We should talk about something more...lively. Like...Kassandra's new promotion. I understand you got a rank and billet bump following the untimely demise of your boss, is that right?"

"Yes" came Kass's reply, her voice was toneless. "Lieutenant Morrison's demise was unfortunate."

"But it wasn't unfortunate for you, dear. Was it?" Yana asked with an almost imperceptible smile, her eyes locked on her prey. "Scuttlebutt says he was quite cruel to you."

Kassandra refused to speak ill of the dead. "He was a stern Department chief who expected perfection." She replied, and considered different options on escape from the dinner and the conversation.

"Yet still, that doesn-"

"Yana. Stop it." Ivan said, looking at his wife, squarely, placing a hand on her arm. His voice was calm, and stern, and loving. He clearly didn't want to upset her. "What's done it done. Kassandra will do an excellent job in the department head role."

Kass looked down at her meal and considered leaving but she took another small bite.

Ivan the launched into a story about his life some years ago on Rakal IV. Yana and Andrei were engrossed immediately, but Mika's eye was on her sister. She could tell Kass was uncomfortable.

"Please excuse us. We need to go to the bathroom." Mika said, earning a perfunctory glace from the other three before Ivan returned to his story. She grabbed Kass by the wrist and walked calmly toward the bathroom. When the door was closed behind them, she turned to her. "Okay, tell me what's wrong? Is it awkward for you here?"

Kass took a breath. "Yes.." she said softly. "Mika this is not a good idea. Your mother has always had issues with me, going back to my birth and the information we found, it makes it worse and understandable. When Captain Petrov asked me to dinner, I did it, I had been pushing it back since this came out." she gave Mika a smile. "You know I am only about 6 months older than you."

Mika seemed to think about the numbers for an instant.

"That would mean our mothers were pregnant with us at the same time." Mika said with a frown. "How old were you when your mother died?"

"Three" Kass replied softly. "I was three, you know my ... well the man I thought was my father, had three wives."

"Look....I know my mother." Mika started, her eyes meeting Kass'. "She's not a bad person. She might be hurt because of what our father did but...she doesn't really hate you."

"She has that right Mika. I am not mad at her. I understand what she is feeling. Marriage is sacred and if you are going to commit yourself to one person then that is what it should be." Kass shrugged. "My upbringing is different, but my mother broke her vows, and I was the result. Your Mother's feelings are to be respected."

Mika cast her eyes to the ground. All those years her father was gone; she had idolized him like he was a god. Now that she knew this, however, she found it difficult not to be angry with him herself. She turned away from Kass and toward the mirror. Looking at herself and her older sister in the reflection, she spoke again.

"Papa really wants to make things right with you. You're all he's been talking about since we found out." she said, and then turned to face Kass again. "He's not going to let my mother ruin this. Please, just trust him and...don't give up. You're a Petrov, Kassandra. You belong with us."

Kass gave her little sister a smile and then she placed her arms around Mika. "I always wanted a little sister. Already had the older brother, could do without Andrei of course" she joked. "I will speak with Yana."

Mika leaned into the hug and closed her eyes, holding Kassandra for a while before pulling back and smiling.

"You don't know the half of it. When Andrei was a boy, he was really scary. Now? He treats me like a princess. Maybe you'll get the same."

"Not likely," Kass laughed. "Come on lets get back to dinner"

Mika grinned and then led the way back to the table. She sat down next to Kassandra.

"What do girls do in the bathroom together?" Andrei asked, looking at the two of them. "It's the oddest thing to go together; I'll never understand it."

"And no woman will ever confess what happens" Kassandra replied archly to him. "Not even bamboo shoots under our well manicured fingernails will help you."

Mika shared a giggle at the exchange between the two of them while Ivan looked on, amused.

"Eat up, everyone." Ivan said with a grin. "But save room for dessert."