11-21-2025, 02:45 AM
Ameen's smile turned wry at the mention of feisty relatives.
"I think Mediator Kestir would have met his match in my mother," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "She considered 'no' to be a negotiating starting point, not an answer. I learned early on that surrender was usually the only viable tactical option."
At her whispered confession, the humor in his eyes softened into something far more tender. He glanced around discreetly to ensure they were relatively unobserved in the bustling crowd, then leaned in closer. His shoulder brushed against hers—a contact that was technically permissible in a crowded room, but carried the weight of everything he couldn't say out loud.
"I miss you, too Amila," he murmured, his voice pitched low, for her ears alone. "The center chair has been... quiet without you nearby to keep me grounded. Too much duty, not enough... us."
He let the promise hang there for a moment before straightening slightly as the music tempo increased and laughter erupted from the dance floor where Lieutenant Krandall and Petty Officer Molina were enthusiastically leading the charge.
"We will fix that," he added softly. Then, shifting back to a slightly more public tone, he gestured toward the dance floor with a playful glint in his eye.
"It appears the crew is taking my dismissal to heart. Do you care to join them and show Tom how it's done? Or," he offered, tilting his head slightly toward the large viewports on the far side of the lounge, "would you prefer to observe the chaos from a safer distance?"
== Tag Ra'an ==
"I think Mediator Kestir would have met his match in my mother," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "She considered 'no' to be a negotiating starting point, not an answer. I learned early on that surrender was usually the only viable tactical option."
At her whispered confession, the humor in his eyes softened into something far more tender. He glanced around discreetly to ensure they were relatively unobserved in the bustling crowd, then leaned in closer. His shoulder brushed against hers—a contact that was technically permissible in a crowded room, but carried the weight of everything he couldn't say out loud.
"I miss you, too Amila," he murmured, his voice pitched low, for her ears alone. "The center chair has been... quiet without you nearby to keep me grounded. Too much duty, not enough... us."
He let the promise hang there for a moment before straightening slightly as the music tempo increased and laughter erupted from the dance floor where Lieutenant Krandall and Petty Officer Molina were enthusiastically leading the charge.
"We will fix that," he added softly. Then, shifting back to a slightly more public tone, he gestured toward the dance floor with a playful glint in his eye.
"It appears the crew is taking my dismissal to heart. Do you care to join them and show Tom how it's done? Or," he offered, tilting his head slightly toward the large viewports on the far side of the lounge, "would you prefer to observe the chaos from a safer distance?"
== Tag Ra'an ==