Board Thread:Archive/@comment-24866242-20140529023539

Subject: Another Damn Mouth To Feed... Date: Sat, Mar 28, 1998 2:19 PM From: Ryax

It had been three days since Ryax got back, and in the first two days he, Kat, and Ilrea hadn't stepped foot outside their quarters. Today though, they had to step out of their little piece of heaven. Work wasn't the reason they decided to rejoin the rest of the universe. Ryax had something he needed to show, and explain to, Kat.

Since his little adventure in the demon realm there had been certain, events, in his life that where foretold. Things Ry knew would happen. One of them, one Kat wasn't particularly comfortable with, was about Ryax having a child. A boy. With Kala, the ships chief tactical officer, and Ryax's partner when he took on "jobs" for certain higher ups who will remain nameless.

Now all these foretold events are lies, but they are all lies based on truth. Some of the events have already happened but none of them happened the way Ry remembered. The fact that Kat knew they weren't going to break up and Ry had no plans to ever sleep with Kala, didn't ease her nerves any.

Ryax walked into sickbay with Kat and led her over to a little two month old baby. From the moment she saw its lightly fured body and glowing eyes she knew the child was his. And, after taking a closer look and noticing its lightly ridged forehead she knew who the mother was. Ry moved and took a seat on one of the empty beds. That was the show. Next on the list... explanation.

Subject: Re: Another Damn Mouth To Feed... Date: Mon, Mar 30, 1998 12:07 PM From: KatrylleM

She stood there silently, her fingers lightly resting on the baby's chest. Her face was completely void of all emotion as she watched the infant sleep. Ilrea had immediately began coo'ing over the child and, as most five year olds don't know where babies come from, excitedly asked if daddy had bought her a new baby brother. Normally, this type of remark would have illicit some form of laughter....some form of *reaction* from Kat....but this time, there was nothing. Apart from the light movements of her fingers and the occasional reflexive blinking of her eye or heaving of her chest as she breathed, Kat made no other moves or sounds. She remained standing over the baby as she waited for some form of explanation.

Subject: Re: Another Damn Mouth To Feed... Date: Mon, Mar 30, 1998 9:02 PM From: Ryax

Red, sickbays head nurse, thought it best to step in quickly and lure Ilrea away for a while. Ryax began speaking though he didn't think Kat was listening until she finally turned to look at him. He paused for a second, then continued.

"...Anyway, these Nogetsy, as I mentioned, evolved intellectually. They weren't a very... physically fit type people. Though their technology made 'em a tough species t'deal with they felt that they needed t'add a little strength into their gene pool. Needless t'say Kala, bein' Klingon, an' me... bein' me, they decided t'make some sort o' super soldier type thin' from us. They stole our DNA, took her strongest attributes and mine, an' mixed 'em t'gether." He took a deep breath and let it out, motioning toward the baby. "The rest, I guess ye can figure out."

Ry slid off the bed and walked toward Kat and the child. "We weren't th'only ones. They had picked two other people from another star system and did th'same thin' t'them. This child, an' a girl they were *growin'*, from th'DNA they stole from th'other two people, were t'mate. Th'Nogesty were goin' t'add th'new genetic codes t'their own. In anycase, Kala an' I found out. So we *pushed* our way into their so called secret lab and rearranged its floor plan." He frowned as a distant look coming into his eyes. "She wanted t'destroy him, but... it... it wasn't his fault that he was brought into this universe by some, perversion of...." He struggled, searching for the words for a moment before finally just giving up, looking down at the child, and falling silent.

Subject: Re: Another Damn Mouth To Feed... Date: Thu, Apr 2, 1998 2:14 PM From: KatrylleM

Her expressionless gaze returned to the child and, without saying a word, she lifted him from the bassonet. Carrying the infant to a corner of the room, she leaned her back against the wall and slid down it, crossing her legs indian style as her butt touched the floor. She layed the baby across her legs and began humming so softly that anyone other than Ry and his exceptional hearing would have thought she had remained silent.

Since they had been married, she had never closed herself off so completely from Ry, but now, apart from the humming, she had shown nothing of the thoughts or emotions she was currently experiencing.

After a while, Red returned with a baby bottle and, when she quietly asked Kat if she wanted to feed the baby, Kat just shook her head and handed the baby up to the nurse. As Red moved to a rocking chair, Kat stood and, still without saying anything, left the room. Ry didn't follow. He knew she needed time to sort things out.

Ry found her the next morning in Holodeck One. It was obvious she and the beast beneath her had been battling all night, but neither had gained much ground. Dispite the blood, it was easy to see the battle was mostly of wills.

The beast was huge...larger than most of its kind. With one exception, it had been modled after the stallion she had bought for Ry just after their wedding. The exception was Ry's horse was broken, this one wasn't......yet.

It's coat was as black as her mood, an unrelenting shade of ebony that can only be acurately represented by the effects of a black hole. As its saddleless back bucked and twised under her, flecks of foam, the only white on him, sprayed from his mouth. They had both been fighting hard and, from the dust covering her clothes and mingling with the blood and sweat on her face, it was aparent Kat had fallen more than once.

The sound and sight of the holodeck door suddenly appearing in the middle of the corral drew Kat's attention for the split second the stallion needed to change tactics. Suddenly, she was thrown off balance. Unfortuantely, more for Kat than the horse, the split finger wrap she had on the rope did not make it a simple task of just "letting go".

Wrapped once around her wrist, then tucked between her two middle fingers, the grip was considered a suicide grip. Still, it was useful for what she needed....that was until she was unseated. While her body tried to comply with any and all laws of gravity, the lock on her calf skin covered hand made it impossible. For several heart stopping moments, the stallion reacted to the sudden and painful pulling on the bit in its mouth, increasing its bucking to rid itself of it's opponent. For the moment, she could only go along for the drag.

Eventually, the horse either got use to the pull on the bit or had realized that his main troubles were no longer on his back. His frantic movements slowed enough for Kat to reach up with her free hand and loosen the rope. As her hand came loose, Kat let her body crumple to the ground, using the momentum of the still moving horse to throw her into a roll away from him.

She came to a stop on her back, breathing hard, seemingly oblivious to the snorting monster not too far away. Too tired to move anything other than her arm, she draped it over her face. Totally aware, body and soul, that Ry was still in the room, she silently assessed the most current damage. She'd have bruises on her legs where they collided with the horses hooves and, although the calf-skin glove protected her hand from any rope burn, there would be bruising there too. Apart from a few cuts and scrapes, she assumed she'd live. She sighed heavily, then, in a hoarse whisper, added; "Computer, end program."

She didn't have to move her arm to know that everything...the stallion, the corral....even the dust on her clothes...had disappeared into whatever void they belonged. The computer had rendered the room completely silent. She shook her head slightly then sighed again. "Computer....play Garth Brooks, volume 3". The groan from across the room made her smile softly even as the opening strains of "Much Too Young to Feel This Damn Old" began. She hadn't chosen the music to annoy Ry. Her memory had lapsed for the time it had taken to call the music up. Chuckling softly, she changed her mind at the realization that the music was pure torture to Ry's ears (and lack of taste). Still, there was enough tension in the room not to have to argue over music styles. "Computer, end Brooks, play Pentagrass."

As the soft tones filled the room, she rolled to her side, groaning softly as she lifted her head to rest in her upraised hand. She watched Ry silently, not because she was waiting for him to speak, but rather because she didn't know what to say herself.

Suddenly, she lifted her hand to him, a very soft smile reaching her lips, though not her eye. Her voice, as soft as the smile, echo'd off the walls of the room. "I was r'memberin a while ago.....th' day we first......"met" Ilrea.....how y'rescued us both from Sabrae....." Softly, they finally began to go over their ordeal in the Drow city....a situation that had happened almost a year before....a situation they had never discussed but had given them both a daughter.

Subject: Re: Another Damn Mouth To Feed... Date: Fri, Apr 3, 1998 2:08 AM From: Ryax

Ilrea walked back into the room, sucking on a lollipop, just as Kat left. She skipped over to Red and began watching her feed the child while swaying lightly on the rocking chair. Ryax stepped up behind Ilrea while she watched and smiled down at her as she looked up to him. Ilrea could speak the common tongue but she felt more comfortable in her native drow and always spoke it when she was communicating with just her father.

<" What's his name daddy?"> She moved to lean on the arm of the rocking chair to get a closer look at her brother.

<"His name's Tilvos hon."> Ry held a hand out to her. <"C'mon hon, le's go 'ome.> Ilrea nodded and took Ry's hand. As they began to walk out she stopped and frowned, looking back to Red and the child.

<"We're not taking him with us? Why can't Tilvos come daddy?">

<"He 'as t'stay 'ere hon. Tilvos is sick and he 'as t'stay 'ere till he gets better. He'll be 'ome with us soon. Don't worry."> Ry lifted her into his arms, she nodded her frown deepening, as they left sickbay and headed towards their quarters.

<"Is Dante taking care of him?">

<"Yeah, he is.">

<"Does he have the same thing I had when I came here?">

<"No hon, he got hurt when we all came through th'wormhole. Tilvos got hurt th'most 'cause he's jus' a little baby. But he'll be okay in no time."> Ilrea nodded again, then fell silent for a moment before looking at Ry with a serious expression on her face.

<"I should tell him not to be afraid of Dante like I was. Do you think he's even more scared because he's littler? Can I go back tomorrow and help Red take care of him so he's not scared?"> Ry chuckled and nodded, telling her she could stay for just a little while. They finally reached their quarters and Ry paused for a second outside the doors. He thought Kat would be there but when he walked in she wasn't. He sighed lightly, moved to the sunken couch, and dropped back. Ilrea giggled and folded her arms on his chest then rested her chin on them. She just looked at him for a while.

<"How come mommy didn't look happy to see Tilvos?"> The question had come. Ry expected it sooner or later and he knew it would, in some way, lead to where babies came from.

<"Well hon, mom was jus' surprised to see 'im.">

<"How come? Didn't she know he was coming?">

<"No hon, she didn't know."> Ilrea frowned now, confused.

<"I thought guys and girls had to be together to get a baby. Weren't you with mommy? How come? Don't you love her anymore?"> Her little voice almost became frantic as she sat up on his chest.

<"Oh hon, yes. Yes I do love her. I always will, but yer right... I wasn't with her. Listen, let me explain it t'ye okay?> She nodded, then settled back onto his chest. <"Remember I told ye 'bout Zesstra?> She frowned and nodded. Zesstra was, as Ry called it, her biological mother. Ilrea didn't know exactly what it meant. She knew it had something to with Ry and Zesstra and not Kat. She didn't like thinking about it. She wished Kat was her only mother. She hated when people called Kat her step-mother or said she was a step-child. She wanted to hit them with her Klingon bat'telh but couldn't because then she'd get in trouble.

<"I remember daddy.">

<"Okay, now some people can use magic or science to change th'way babies are made. Now each baby 'as a piece o' its mother an' a piece o' its father to make it grow. When I was away a bad scientist took a piece o' me when I wasn't lookin'. I didn't even know he took it. Then, he took a piece o' Kala... ye remember Kala right??"> Ilrea nodded and frowned once again. She didn't like Kala. She didn't like any of the Klingons. They were big, loud, and scary, and Kala was the scariest one of all.

<"I remember her.">

<"Well, th'scientist took th' piece o' me an' th' piece o' Kala an' put it t'gether. Then he put it inside a giant jar with some weird looking pink water inside so th' pieces could grow t'gether. So ya see, *I* didn't even know. That's why mommy was surprised. It'll jus' take her some time t'get used t'him."> Ilrea suddenly felt very tired. It was a little much for a girl her age to handle. She just learned her brother was one of those scary Klingons, and the whole idea of how babies were made confused the hell out of her. She had a million questions but before she could ask the first one her head hit Ry's chest and she was fast asleep. Ry put an arm around her little waist and slipped a couch pillow under his head. It took him a little longer than Ilrea to fall asleep.

In the morning, he took Ilrea to sickbay to spend time with Tilvos like he had promised. Red didn't mind looking after Ilrea for a while so Ry decided to go find Kat. It didn't take long at all. He just asked the computer to locate her and headed for holodeck one when it told him. He entered the holodeck and was a little surprised to see her choice of battle. He stood back and watched as it drug her around until she finally got loose. When ol' Garth began playing he was sure she was mad. He was about to leave when she changed the tune. He smiled lightly, then turned back and walked up to her. Ry stood there, not saying a word mostly because he didn't know what to say, until she lifted her hand to him.

"I was r'memberin a while ago.....th' day we first......"met" Ilrea.....how y'rescued us both from Sabrae....." He chuckled softly, a smile spreading across his face. That was a time in his life he'd never forget.

Subject: Re: Another Damn Mouth To Feed... Date: Wed, May 27, 1998 1:48 PM From: KatrylleM

A Dark History Remembered.

In the darkness of her lone cell, through the blood red haze of pain and despair, it had taken Kat a very long time to push herself past the probability that the Ryax she had seen hours earlier was the same man who had filled all of her sleeping hours for the past several months....hell, for the past several years. Once she *had* entertained the thought, no matter how slight it was, that her husband was close, it took everything she had to try to reach him mentally.

The connection was there. Faint....so very faint...but there. She couldn't gain specifics, only vague images of incredible pain and it filled her not only with an overpowering sense of relief, but terror as well. She barely remembered the form hanging on the wall, speaking to the Drow in their own language, but she knew it had not gone well for him. Some how, some way, she had to find a reserve of energy deep inside herself to reach him....both physically and mentally.

Breathing deeply, she ignored the sharp pain each breath induced in several ribs as she crossed her legs. Very slowly, she let her mind and body begin to relax as Mogneio had taught her and, within moments, she found herself looking down at her own battered body. 