Seeking out some answers

Posted on Sat Dec 12th, 2020 @ 5:41pm by

1,441 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: Starbase in a secure location
Timeline: The day after talking with Mel

They had a little bit of time before the Copernicus would be on her way to their first mission under the command of Keiben. Tamaska had something that she had to do before they were underway. It was to find out if her first love had indeed contacted her. All she had was the text form of a message and not an image. Tam shook her head, growling at herself, she could have done some investigating. Showed that she was still in love with him. Making her way to a secure location, she sent a return reply.

"Is this Kaiholo? "

"Yes it is."

"How do I know it is you? You've not contacted me since you left so many years ago."

"Naupaka, it is I, we need to talk, I need to see you."

Tam's breath hitched, it was him, it had to be. He was the only one who called her that. Naupaka, a prized flower from Hawaii with a unique shape and fragrance. He had showed her the flower which seemed to be missing its other half. These flowers, one was male which was found on the beach, the other, female was found on the mountain. When both half flowers were placed together they formed a full flower.

"Kaiholo, where are you? And how can we meet? I am on a station right now. I don't know if we can manage to meet before my ship goes back out."

"I know where you are at."

"Wait, what?" Tam typing it in.

"Naupaka, please. Just come to these coordinates."

Tam was quiet, reading over the coordinates that were sent. Hesitating for a moment.

"Naupaka.... Wolf...? Are you there?"

Tam took a deep breath then let it out slowly.

"Yes I am here, I will come." Then ended the message, punching in her code numbers.

Tamaska didn't know what she was going to find, or even if it was Kaiholo that she was going to meet. She checked her boot, making certain she had the knife in there. She did. She followed the coordinates, which led her to a small observation deck which didn't look like it had been used for quite sometime. It looked out towards the stars. with a single dim light near the floor. Tamaska scrutinized the area, before entering. There was the entrance where she had paused and not too far off was an archway leading to wherever it led.

A silhouette appeared in that archway, a height that she was familiar with, she hesitated though.Could it be him? Or was it someone else. The person stepped more into the area, the faint light from the fixture revealing the features of her first love. She could feel the old feelings she had buried deep inside coming to the surface. With tears in her eyes, Tamaska stepped forward towards, Kaiholo.

"Naupaka? Is it truly you?" Kaiholo moving closer, his eyes widened, he pulled her close in an embrace she remembered. Her arms snaked around his waist, pulling him tightly, as she sobbed.

"It is you, it really is you." Tamaska said her voice cracking just a bit, with her emotions.

She felt his finger slide under her chin lifting it up then Kaiholo lowered his lips to hers. Tam didn't stop him, for she wanted to feel his kiss, and she returned it. She could taste the saltiness of his tears, intermingling with her own. It was a long kiss, as if to make up for lost time, and cutting through the pangs of long separation. The kiss ended, Kaiholo still held her close, as if he didn't want to let her go. With a sigh though, he released her but took her hand leading her to a bench where they could sit look out on the stars.

"I can't believe I was able to finally contact you."Kaiholo said quietly. "You must have been rather shocked to get my message."

Tam snorted slightly, " Not as much as my finding out the next morning, you are engaged to an admiral's daughter."

Kaiholo frowned at this. "You received an announcement of my engagement? Do you have your PADD? I've got mine shut off. I didn't want anyone to trace me. "

Tam nodded and gave him her PADD. He turned it on and scanned the news feed. Tamaska watched his body language, his shoulders drooping and his head hanging down low. After a few minutes, Kaiholo sighed, turning off her PADD and handing it to Tamaska.

"Things have escalated it seems. I've been off grid for a month or so, trying to catch up with you. I finally found you, after I heard of... what happened. The thought of my almost losing you once more without speaking to you, without saying I was sorry for not writing to you. Without kissing you." Kaiholo pulled her in for another kiss, Tamaska not resisting.

Many more minutes passed, their kisses becoming more passionate. Tamaska pulled away from their latest kiss, to catch her breath.

"I think we should slow down." Tamaska quietly said, her voice husky with passion.

"Spend the night with me, Naupaka." Kaiholo nibbling behind her ear, sending goosebumps all over.

Tamaska was sorely tempted, but that image she had seen previously of his engagement to that admiral's daughter popped into her head. She moved from the bench, to where she stood looking out into the stars.

"I can't, Kaiholo." Tamaska said regretfully. "You are engaged and it would feel so wrong to do so."

"That engagement announcement is fake, its a signal that I need to return. I used my leave to come find you. To maybe convince you to come with me. To work with the Admiral and his daughter."

"What is going on that you needed to find me?" Tamaska's flames of passion dying down.

"I can't tell you that, the only way I can do so, is to have you come with me. Please Naupaka, come away with me, we can be married right now, and finally be together like we should have been so long ago."

The thought sounded wonderful to Tamaska, but she wasn't the young woman she was 10 years ago, she had changed. The near death experience with the USS Copernicus, changed her. Much like those who had survived. The love for that ship, and those that lived through that disaster, seemed to outweigh her feelings for her first love.

Kaiholo had put his arms around her waist, gazing out towards the stars. She turned to face him, a troubled expression in her eyes.

"Kaiholo, as much as that sounds so wonderful, and maybe a few months back I would have married you. I would have gone with you to where you are wanting me to come. I just can't, it doesn't feel right to do so at all."

Kaiholo nodded, tenderly stroking her cheek and running his fingers through her hair. "I do understand, I just wanted to see if I could, if we could be with each other." he kissed Tamaska tenderly. "I guess this is the heartbreaking goodbye we said we didn't want." his voice hoarse, filled with remorse."

"No, this isn't the heartbreaking goodbye at all." Tamaska uttered quietly. "That girl, the admiral's daughter, she looked like she had a good head on her shoulders. Why don't you make that fake engagement real sometime. And this isn't goodbye, its just a new path we are going to take. No regrets, you found me. This time keep in touch, let me know how you are doing."

Kaiholo nodded, "I will, this time I will. And my father... the reason why I couldn't contact you."

Tamaska nodded in understanding. "With certain positions and the path one takes when joining Star Fleet, there has to be the essence of secrecy. With my chosen path, I do understand. Sometime when it is possible, let them know I said hello."

Kaiholo nodded, "Be well Tamaska, my Naupaka, my little wolf. I will always have a place in my heart for you."

"And I will always have the same for you." Tamaska giving Kaiholo one more kiss, "If you need me, send me word, and I will do what I can to come."

One last long lingering kiss, then Kaiholo left, with Tamaska watching him until he left her sight. She then turned back towards the observation window, and gazed out into the stars.

 

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