Business Before Pleasure

Posted on Tue Nov 3rd, 2015 @ 12:57pm by Miral Annhwi & Khiy Tal'ehrihn

1,060 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Ghosts of Mirror's Past

ON

It took Miral longer than expected to report the promotions to her superiors and even more time to make sure they only knew what she wanted them to know. Typhon was not high on their radar, with the exception of the Borg incident. They cared little about thieving merchants who stole from the starbase as it had nothing to do with them or their priorities. One of the priorities they did care about what Khiy Tal'ehrihn. He had become a powerful man, one they wanted as an asset. But they were careful not to be too obvious as it would drive him away. To that end, they gave Miral a great deal of leeway. Leeway she used to her advantage, and Khiy's. If the Romulan Empire ever learned of the depths she went to in order to help Khiy both prosper and keep out of their clutches, they would have her killed in a very painful manner.

But she had curried many favors over the years as an ambassador and for now, she was secure in her knowledge that unless she did something incredibly foolish, both she and Khiy would be left alone.

She had a report from Ahnara Palora, Romulon Ambassador on Inti Colony to pass on to Khiy, and she had questions about this new employee of his. It was those thoughts that weighed heavily on her mind as she rang the door chime.

Khiy sat alone in his quarters whirling a glass of Romulan Ale in his palm as he stared at a painting on the wall. This painting, one of his favorites, was a centered by a thick splash of crimson paint and accented with splotches of green and burgundy. The simplicity of it was what allured him. This particular picture was what he stared at when he was trying to work something out in his head and tonight was no exception.

The door chime broke his spell and he glanced over to the chronometer. His eyebrow lifted as he was suddenly aware of just how long he sat in quiet contemplation. "Come in." He said, suddenly glad for the distraction.

Miral entered and smiled warmly at Khiy. "You look contemplative this evening."

Khiy smiled and motioned for her to join him on the couch. "What gave it away?"

"The look in your eyes," she said, taking a seat beside him. "And the ice in your drink melted."

Khiy looked to the glass and nodded. "I'm pretty sure there is more liquid in the glass than when I started."

"Would you like me to pour you a fresh drink?"

Khiy smiled. "No, thank you. No use ruining two drinks. Can I get you something?" He asked as he started towards the liquor cabinet.

"I'll have what you're drinking," she replied. "Although it may not fare any better than yours has."

Khiy opened the liquor cabinet and retrieved a glass bottle. "No?" He asked as he poured the contents into a tumbler similar to what he was using. "What's on your mind."

"The Empire has officially disavowed any knowledge of the missing ships, which means they cannot come after you and ask you to return them, nor can they make any sort of complaint. However, Ahnara Palora, Romulan Ambassador on Inti Colony informs me that there is some sort of spatial rift that caused the crew of the ships to disappear. There are several Federation ships that have lost crew as well. My concern is that if the rift is verified and the crew returned, the Empire may wish to reopen the matter."

"Makes sense. It wouldn't take long for the Empire to start tracking rumors of a D'deridex operating in Federation space and come looking for it." Khiy sighed. That last point had been weighing on his mind for some time now. "I can't turn back now, though. Nor would I want to, I think." He tilted his head as he regarded Miral. "What are your thoughts on the matter? As much as I speak like this only affects me and the crew of the ship, it affects you as well."

In many ways it affected her more because she was the Romulan Ambassador and it was her responsibility to uphold the interests of the Empire. But if they wanted their ship back, both she and Khiy would have enough on their hands. "I should have a form by the end of the week stating that the ship does not belong to the Empire. If you can have your friend Raven change the IFF and other codes that should help as well. The father away from the Empire you can take the ship, the better you will be if they decide at a later date that they made a mistake."

Khiy snuffed at the air. "We both know that if the Empire decides to turn their attention my way a piece f paper won't deter them." He handed the drink he was carrying to her. "But like I said, I'm committed. To borrow a human expression, I'm putting all my eggs in a basket. This ship is pushing the limits of TGT's holdings and the refit is just starting." He shook his head as he sat. "To be honest, this is a fools gamble and I'm gambling TGT's future and other peoples lives with it." He stared at his watered down drink. "Some of those lives I'm not too keen on wasting." He turned to look at Miral. "I appreciate all you are doing to help me on this...but I think I would rather have you as far away from this as possible."

Miral took a long sip of her drink as if she were considering his words, then shook her head. "I appreciate your concern, but I am already too involved. If the Empire takes a more active interest in you and your ships, their path leads through me. It is a decision I did not make lightly." A slight twinkle appeared in her eyes. "Besides, I have a personal interest in your ... affairs." She raised her glass to him. "I made that commitment and I will stand by you." She raised her glass to him. "Now, since we have now determined that we are both stubborn, we should talk about more pleasant things."

____
OFF

Khiy Tal'ehrihn
Owner, TGT

Miral Annhwi
Romulan Ambassador

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