#52 Plans for Leave

Posted on Fri Dec 9th, 2022 @ 12:18pm by Captain Rogue Green {Meji} & Lieutenant JG Jamie T. Kirk/AKA: "Jim" & Captain Sean Silk & Chief Warrant Officer Niraasha "Nira" Whisperwind

Mission: BUGS OH NO!!
Location: Main lounge
Timeline: current

ON:

Rogue, needing some down time to relax, and still in her uniform, entered the main lounge. It was "Ten Forward", but since that was the name Guinan had given her business on Enterprise-D, it could not be used by other starships. There were several crew lounges available to relieve stress but the main lounge forward, was where most liked to congregate. So, with that in mind Green walked in, stopping just inside the establishment as her eyes scanned for familiar faces. At the bar sat Kirk and Resch, along with Nira and Silk. So, seeing those she was closest too, so far, Green made her way over. All of them, like herself, still wore their uniforms. Even Nira. However, Green was sure that the Puazi female still wore her own 'clothing' beneath it.

"Howdy, y'all," said Green as she took a stool next to Kirk, the only seat open and at the end of the bar closest to the door. When the bartender came over she ordered a shot of Jameson's and a pint of Guinness.

Jim had seen Green come in, but as she was listening to Nira and a story she had to tell, she was polite enough to not interrupt the lavender woman. "Welcome, Ro. Took you long enough."

Green gave a giggle. "You try being XO, Ensign. Any department without a DH is mine to command. By regulations. So, to say I've been busy is an understatement." She sipped her Guinness once it was placed before her, no froth at the top. Nicely done, she thought.

"Yeah, yeah," said Kirk, grinning. "Excuses are like...never mind."

"Assholes!" Announced Nira without hesitation.

"Oh my," said Silk, doing a face palm. "My mate is still acclimating to Earth expressions. Loudly, it would seem." Everyone at the bar laughed, and Nira did a sarcastic curtsy.

Green finished laughing, hugging everyone in turn after leaving her seat to do so. Lastly, she hugged Nira. "Never change, sister." Once that was done she sat back down.

"You're not helping, Ro," said Silk, with a smile on his face.

Nira gave him a playful back hand to his upper arm. "You are my mate, not hers."

Silk, as was his due, gave her a facetious look. "That could change, dear."

"You better hope not," Nira retorted. "My bed can be as cold as Andoria when I want it to."

Silk, not to be intimidated by anyone, looked to Green. "You see what I deal with? Please, tell me you have a warm corner and some furs for the homeless."

Everyone in the group laughed.

Kirk spoke up after the laughter. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going home to Rigo IV, on leave."

"Rigo IV?!" Green's surprise and sudden outburst caused them all to look her way.

Jim, seeing she had struck a chord, proceeded cautiously. "Yeah, my home world aside from Earth. I grew up there in my formative years. The Kirks have a ranch out by the Skyridge Mountains. About an hour's drive from Greenville?"

"Greenville? Skyridge Mountains? Rigo IV has no such places." Green was both shocked at what she was hearing, but that initial feeling was giving over to a building anger.

"Yeah, it does," stated Kirk, not backing down when it came to speaking about her home. "Why does it bother you?"

"I'm from Rigo IV!" Explained Green, her voice taking on a hard edge.

"Whoa, relax Ro." Silk was trying to intervene to get things to settle down. He could see that Rigo IV was a tough discussion for Green.

Green took a moment to get herself under control, and this time it took some Core use to do so. "I am from Rigo IV. I was there when the raiders attacked. They obliterated our colony, and killed many. Those not killed in the initial fighting were taken as slaves, I'm sure. I had ran into the woods and hid, and while hiding I fell asleep. I was awoken by the ground rumbling and when I went to a hillside and looked down at the colony site it was a pit in the earth. The raiders had set the underground power core to overload and then left. I was 10 years old, and if not for the training from my father the engineer, and my mother the doctor, I never would have survived. Every day was a struggle to stay alive, fighting both beasts and the elements. Six long years I spent alone, surviving on what bounty I could collect or kill. Thankfully, I was found by a Starfleet surveyor team and they brought me to Earth. From there, well, here I am."

Everyone had sat perfectly still as she told her story. When she finished they all sat for a few moments gathering themselves, not sure how to reopen the discussion after that short tale of doom and gloom.

Kirk was the first to break the ice, getting up from her stool and coming over to Ro. "I assure you, Ro, all I said is true. How long has it been since you've been back? Years? A decade, or more? A lot has changed in that time." She held her hands out for Green to grasp, a gesture of friendship and trust, which Ro responded to. Kirk gently squeezed her hands as she continued. "Ernest Green set the self destruct himself, your father. It took out over 70% of the raiders and they fled as fast as their ships could carry them. All the others had already been removed, and were later tracked down and rescued from their captors. This is all the things we learned in high school on Rigo. It's a part of the history curriculum. Greenville is so named to honor your father, who fought back the only way he could."

Ro's eyes teared up and they began to run down her face. "I...I never knew. Once I had been rescued I pushed any memories of Rigo from my mind and locked them away deep in the subconscious. I never checked on the system again, not caring to. It was a horrible part of my life I had buried, like my mother and brother. I had to bury them myself. I always wondered why I didn't see my father with them."

Jim gave her a smile and released her hands. "Ernie Green ended a threat, and for that end, the pirates have never returned. They know that Rigo IV is a world that will do anything to win, even destroy ourselves to kill an enemy. Makes cowardly criminals think twice."

"Fuckin' A!" Said Silk, raising his glass in a salute to that. He got a slap to the arm again from Nira, who lip-synced to him one word 'language'. "Oh shit. Sorry." The group laughed again, the tension and sorrow melting away as butts rearranged so that Kirk could sit next to Green and tell her all about the fully developed world of Rigo IV. How it was now a world that produced Vidium power cells for use by the Federation and other planetary governments, and that Rigo was not a member, but was a protectorate and an ally. Even allowing a Starfleet outpost to be built planetside.

"Wow," said Green after an hour of listening to Kirk and her description of what Rigo IV was now, as a community and its place in the galaxy. "I should have checked years ago. It just never interested me after what happened."

"I would probably be the same way," admitted Kirk. "You went through hell, there is no denying that. If you want to come along I'd be glad to have you. Kirkland is beautiful this time of year."

"Kirkland?" Green giggled. "Vain much?"

Jim laughed at that. "Like I said, a family ranch. Not just mine, but several aunts, uncles, the lot. Last I checked we had about 20,000 acres, and were in the midst of buying more. What we don't use for the animals, we leave to nature. No building on the land we own so that the ecosystems can develop as they will."

"Jim, I would be honored to visit your home. That, and I'll need a tour guide for Greenville, I'm sure." Green grinned.

Kirk winked. "You will, at that. Greenville houses roughly 200,000 souls, and it grows a few thousand more every couple of years."

"Can we come along," asked Nira. "I would love to run in a forest again, get my feet damp in the grass and taste the local delicacies."

"I don't see why not," answered Kirk. "We have plenty of eateries for you to check out..." Her voice trailed off as both Green and Silk were trying to maintain straight faces, holding back what appeared to be attempts at smiling. "What?"

Sean spoke first. "By delicacies, my beautiful mate is talking about the local creepy crawlies. Bugs, worms, you name it. She eats them raw and plucked straight from the source."

That caught Kirk off guard a moment. "Okay, so there is that. I say yuck because bugs on Rigo are pretty big in some cases. But, if that is your thing, Nira, eat up."

"Yay," said Nira like a happy child, even clapping her hands together excitedly a couple of times. "Fresh grubs, yummmm!"

Kirk gave a chuckle at Nira's excitement. "Greenville is the biggest city, but not the only one. Several small towns, as well. Those started out as research outposts and grew into something more as the scientists moved on or left altogether. People live in every climate the planet offers, like Earth."

"Well, I'm sold," said Silk. "We taking Delta Five, then?"

"That's my plan, yes." Kirk answered. "Transports come and go there, but I don't want to ride along with colonists or animals, or both. And, the transports tend to make several stops along the route and I would prefer to get there straight away."

It had been settled. The four of them would travel together on good ol' 5. Jim Kirk knew of a short cut to reduce the travel time, and get them there in less than 24 hours. When they broke as a group they paired off. Nira and Silk, Kirk and Green, with the latter pair continuing to discuss Rigo IV. Rogue wanted to know everything, all the things she had missed due to her own pride and ignorance.

OFF: