( nsfw open )

[skittys]

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Comments

[whistles_loudly]

[He's off to shower and change into his gray Starfleet Uniform. When he comes out from the bathroom, his Jacket goes on one of the kitchen chairs that he assumes will be unused, leaving him in just his undershirt and pants.]

Just decide what you'd like to have.

[unas]

Pancakes?

( there's a raised eyebrow, a question rather than just asking for them, not wanting to make him have them if he didn't want them )

I miss the yellow.

( grey drained the colour from him )

[whistles_loudly]

I can make those. Strawberries or no?

[He hopes she still likes them.]

My duty uniform is still yellow. Academy Instructors get this. I like the jacket.

[unas]

( she nods again, a sweet smile at the thought of strawberries that isn't very sweet at all -- if he gets them out whilst he's making the pancakes she'll eat them already. especially in this situation )

What are the ship uniforms like?

( curious to see if they were the same in both universes )

[whistles_loudly]

[He gets to work on breakfast, and yes the strawberries are put right on the counter. He already cut their green tops off.]

Division colors are yellow for command, red for operations, and blue for sciences and medical. There's a shirt and pants option, and a two different dresses, short and long sleeved. Ranks on the sleeves except for the short sleeved dresses. All of the uniforms have knee high boots, and black undershirts.

Starfleet's insignia is printed in the fabric for all the divisions. Mine's in my closet, if you want to take a look.

[unas]

( she's got a mouth full of strawberry when he offers, nodding and disappearing to look, though taking another strawberry with her first, back after not too long )

They're similar but not entirely the same. We have one dress, though it's more a tunic than a dress, long sleeved only, black and department colour. I wear that most often.

( her jumper otherwise. sometimes she misses the other uniform, it fit nicely )

What do you think they'll do? Let me stay free, give me her life... lock me away?

[whistles_loudly]

[The strawberries are a hit. How many other little things are the same?]

The easiest route is to tell everyone they found an escape pod stranded on a planet. Then you'd just be her, which isn't too far off.

[He goes about mixing batter, and making some perfectly done pancakes. There are eggs in another pan.]

I know it's going to be difficult to convince them you aren't her.

[unas]

( una nods, biting the inside of her lip and its the worry that has her paused in eating her strawberries )

I don't know if I want to be her. Staying with you is a big draw, and if I can't get back I don't want to be anything else, but I don't know her life, not the parts that are different.

( and it was this recent history that was very different. but this is again that fear of hers )

I'm not a Captain for a reason, not because they haven't tried to promote me.

[whistles_loudly]

If that's the route they choose, we can talk about it. She didn't have any family left. I have a lot of her personal things in Mojave. I was with her for a lot of it. I can help too, if it's needed.

[Maybe making it hypothetical would be easier.]

You keep refusing? They think you can do the job. I think so too.

[The implied question is, why does she keep refusing?]

[unas]

( he asks a good question but she's stuck on one thing-- )

I didn't read about her family. ( that hurts a little. her father had died a few years ago but her mother and brothers? ) I'm guessing she never went back home either?

( starfleet always had her homeworld on file even if not the entire truth about it )

[whistles_loudly]

She never talked about them much. When she died, they couldn't find any family. She listed me for all those types of questions. I cleaned out her apartment, I just assumed?

[That her parents died. She was the only child. It made sense to him. He never asked, he should have asked.]

[unas]

( a pause )

She never told you.

( though chris only knew because of one mission, not because she'd told him.

there's a deep breath, a shakier one and whilst she's going to keep up the lie with starfleet she wants to be honest with him )

The colony I'm from had humans on it and there were smaller human settlements on the planet, it made it easier not to be questioned. But I'm not human-- I'm Illyrian.

( which is why any una didn't talk much about her family )

[whistles_loudly]

[He's quiet for a minute while he puts their breakfast on plates. Illyrian? But Starfleet won't let anyone who's genetically modified join. But Una's explanation makes sense, and how she was able to get into the fleet.]

No, she never told me. She said she wanted to tell me something when she got back from that mission, since I wasn't her CO anymore. I wonder if that was it.

[He carries their food over to the table, then gets the berries and the hot sauce.]

You've hidden that this long? That has to be difficult.

[unas]

It is.

( she grabs her fork when he brings the pancakes over, abandoning her strawberries for the moment )

Leaving home was hard, knowing I'd likely never be able to return. I probably could but Starfleet finding out was too much of a worry to let me. So I called them when I could, but it wasn't often enough.

( maybe she'd do that here, maybe she'd wait until knowing she was stuck before doing it. maybe she'd go home and see what was there )

I didn't want to lie to you, not now. And not when you know in my universe.

[whistles_loudly]

It makes sense, if she told me beforehand I should report it. I wouldn't, but I should. Human or Illyrian, you're still you. I don't want to lose that.

[The syurp and all follows after, then he sits and adds some hot sauce to his eggs.]

Maybe Starfleet'll change its mind about your people. I'm sure you weren't the only one who wants to enlist.

[He's not trying to make her the ambassador for all of Illyria, that's too much weight for one person. One false move and you can ruin the chances of everyone that could come after you.]

We can't let them find out. I don't know how it can be hidden from medical but I assume you've done it before?

[unas]

I doubt they would change their mind.

( she's not planning on trying to change their mind either, not with the risk of the rest of her life )

I falsified my initial medical data, I assume the same is true here. My scans should read the same, she was never discovered... I shouldn't be.

[whistles_loudly]

Believe me, I'm not suggesting we try that at all.

[He goes about pouring coffee for the both of them then eating.]

I think I can still get to her medical records, I'll check before we leave. I don't mind abusing my security clearance.

[unas]

As long as it doesn't flag anything up. I want to get through this quickly especially with Starfleet Intelligence coming.

( quickly and smoothly. not that they yet knew how untrue that would be )

[whistles_loudly]

It won't. I have access to it all through my actual security clearance. It won't be the first time in the last 2 years that I've looked at her records.

[Some part of him wants to make sure Starfleet remembers who she was too, since she is the most remarkable person in his life.]

Hopefully Intelligence doesn't make it too difficult.

[unas]

( una nods )

We can look at it. Though when Intelligence comes you can't be there.

( she knows he'd want to be but in the light of last night and not knowing enough about this place or their relationship-- )

I need to explain it to them myself. You weren't involved and they're easily suspicious without any additional reasons to be.

[whistles_loudly]

You can handle them.

[He is firmly of the opinion that Una can handle anything thrown at her.]

I'll be in my office. It's on the sixth floor of the Academy, 6209. I need to cancel my classes for the rest of the week. When they figure out what they want to do, they can tell us in Mojave.

[Then maybe he can convince her to tell him a little about where she's from, and they can get to know each other just a little.]

[unas]

( she reaches across the table to hold his hand, glad of his reassurance, glad that even thrown into this world she has him )

That's going to be strange, getting used to you being at the Academy.

( that staying with him at either ranch isn't just a shore leave )

Though don't cancel too much. The more we do the more they'll question. Rank might not matter, a relationship between you two wouldn't have mattered, but I just want them gone quickly.

( and the less intelligence found interesting enough to examine the better. especially if they wanted to talk to him about what he knew, if they decided anything was a bit conspiracy )

Day by day.

[whistles_loudly]

[He squeezes her hand when he takes it, trying to provide some physical reassurance.]

I think I'm still getting used to it. I've been a captain in space for almost twenty years, but after Talos IV I didn't trust myself to sit in that chair. Rumor has it I'll be back out there in a few years. They're building a new flagship.

[It was a difficult decision to make, but it was one that had to be made.]

It's only Thursday, Tuesday/Thursday schedule this semester. The cadets'll be happy. I'll be back to torture them with lectures next week.

[unas]

Chris, teach your classes.

( even though she was telling him to really she was asking him to )

I can use the days to get my head around this place. And it's only three days, you'll be here the others.

( not that she's assuming that they wouldn't be leaving his bed but-- it's maybe a thought that's crossed her mind. she doesn't want to jump too impulsively with him but they both discussed it and whether it was taking it day by day or having one frantic day in his bed and then taking it steadier didn't matter to her. she'd be with him always.

but having those afternoons to herself, to read, to digest without him around would be nice. she could still do that with him here but some parts might be easier without another presence around )

I'll be alright, you don't have to worry. After all, you said I can handle Intelligence, I can handle three days without you.

[whistles_loudly]

If you're sure. Friday we're going out to the ranch and I'm leaving my communicator here.

[He was planning to just let her relax and let them both figure out how to handle whatever Starfleet decides to do.]