Quad (Roll Call)

Posted on Wed Jan 3rd, 2024 @ 1:45am by Lieutenant JG Nerinath zh'Rhilror [Lalor]

Mission: Season 6: Episode 4: Memory Lane
Location: Main Crew Lounge
Timeline: MD 5 21h00
1739 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Lieutenant Itan th'Relrol, had been watching. He had done the math. There were 4 adult Andorians on the Ship who had survived the Chaos. Two females and two males. None were bonded or betrothed to be. He had been careful about his surveillance and had read their files.

Kohl was easy enough, he was in security with him. There was no way around knowing him. He liked to paint when off duty, and he spent hours in the holodeck painting and learning from various different cultures and Master artists when he was not being sociable. He had come through the accident with minimal injury and had been very outgoing with his… relief by ‘dating’ as many people as he could of both genders.

Jharia, a medical officer. She had a clean record, was one of 5 children, and was a weaver who specialised in making rugs and hanging tapestries. She liked to party and be seen with different people. But she was not as promiscuous as Kohl was making himself seem to be,

The last, was the hardest to get a hold of to be honest. Flight Control Officer Nerinath. A young Andorian who lost their family in childhood by an opposing Keth. She was often seen alone around the ship, where the other two were more open and outgoing. And Nerinath avoided them and Itan. The reason for this, she had almost been entrapped into marriage as a child. It made her nervous around fellow Andorians. He knew she was a potter. He had seen some of her work around the ship, and was very impressed.

Itan himself was a sculptor. He liked using materials to make things. It was not the easiest thing to do on a starship. He invited them all to meet. He was pretty sure that 2 out of the three would at least sit and listen to the whole thing he had to say. The wild card was the Flight Controller. He just hoped that the others presence would force her to listen.

He took a seat and watched as Kohl and Jharia walked into the mess. They looked around, spotted him and moved over to him. Both were dressed in off duty casual, Kohl in black pants and a dark blue button down and black boots. His long white hair was pulled back into a low tail.

Jharia, was wearing a long blue skirt and white shirt and her hair was in a french braid. As they walked, they looked like they knew each other. They probably did, Itan noted. He had a few suspicions around their relationship and then he knew that he could not talk really as he was a former lover of Kohl’s as well.

"Itan" Kohl said with a nod and his antenna shifting slightly. "What is so important?"

Jharia tilted her own head to the side as she took a seat. "Indeed, we are curious."

As Kohl sat down, Itan said "We are waiting on one more person." and his gaze moved to the door of the mess as it opened revealing the last guest he had invited.

The Andorian female that entered, was dressed in a black mini skirt, and black ankle boots with a dark blue shirt. Her hair was down around her shoulders and held back by a black hair band. Nerinath moved over to the table, cautiously watching the three of them as she stepped up. "Lieutenant th'Relrol." She said softly. "You wished me to come here."

"Have a seat Lieutenant." Itan invited her.

Neri slowly pulled the chair out and sat down. The area he had chosen was well away from others in the mess hall.

Once she had settled into the chair, Itan looked at the three he had gathered. "I know this is going to be an interesting conversation for you all, but I have been considering our options as the only Andorians on board."

Nerinath seemed to draw back, but the other two seemed to settle closer.

Jharia tilted her head to the side. "Go on."

"This is going to sound self-serving and maybe a bit crazy but lets be honest, we do not know if we will ever get home, in our lifetimes. So I am proposing, a .." He paused and placed a small black cube on the table.

Kohl and Jharia stared in silence at the cube while Neri almost fell off her chair as she stood up. "no. Pass. Thanks." She said as she began to leave.

Itan stood and snagged her arm. "Sit down Lieutenant."

She pulled her arm free. "No." She gave him a glare. "That is a bond cube. I don't do Bonding."

"Why not?" Itan asked, though he knew her history.

Jharia stood and walked to Neri. "Neri, we know. Its no secret about what was being planned back then but this.. this is different." She said gently.

"How? You want to bond because we are the only four Andorians here. You want your lines to continue. Well that is not me!"

"Isn't it?" Jharia asked softly. "Nerinath, you cannot keep avoiding things. While some Andorians fall in love with people from other races, if you were one of those, you would have already done so."

Neri stared at her in silence. Then she said "Quads are so...archaic."

Jharia smiled at that. "Really? Your parents were quad'ed"

"And they died!" came Neri's response. "Killed because they had produced fertile female children. My sister Etethi was also a target and an unforeseen casualty. Itan would not have approached us if we were considered infertile females. "Neri turned to Itan who with Kohl had stood when Jharia had. "Right? You read our files right? Jharia and I are fertile females, and you and Kohl are fertile males. Its rare for those such as us to be allowed out of the Andorian Military and to still be single at your ages... Says you all feel the same as me, that Quad's are not ideal and you do not want to be forced into it. And that Bond Cube.."

Itan looked at the cube and then to her. "Do you know how it works?" he asked curious if she had to full story about the cubes.

"The four touch it. It glows. Depending on the colour, tells you if their Bonding will be successful or a dismal failure." Nerinath replied as if she had, had it drilled into her.

"And the colours?" Kohl asked.

"Bronze means that if they bond, the likely hood of children is below 10% and the four are not compatible physically or emotionally. Green means they have a chance of 25% to 35% of children yet compatibility is still low. Would work but there was a chance of dissolving the bond after a few years. Silver means that the bond if 50% to 75% compatible and have a 60% chance of children. And gold, means that the compatibility increases to 85% to 100%, with chance of children increasing to 85% to 95%" Nerinath said calmly. "My foster family believed that if they could find two more people to make silver with their son it would override the Bronze he and I created at age 9."

Jharia nodded. "If we were to have a chance of silver or gold Neri? Wouldn't that be a kick in their teeth?"

Itan nodded. "Based on my research and information I think the four of us bonding will be a high chance of Silver but Gold is definitely a possibility."

"I don't know any of you well, and do you know each other well?" Neri countered.

Kohl spoke then "Itan and I are the same department. And I have met Jharia once or twice." And he paused and looked at Neri "And we met when I first came on board."

"Met, as in hello bye." came Neri's response. “And from what I hear, you have done more than met them once or twice.” She knew about him. She knew about all of them if she was honest.

"True." He conceded. He knew his own preferences were known around the ship.

Itan moved so he stood beside Neri. "So, we take time to get to know each other. Do the cube and then see if we wish to do more."

Jhaira and Kohl nodded "That makes sense."

Neri considered it more carefully. "ok. but if it is Green or Bronze you drop this."

Itan nodded. He didn’t believe it would be those colours. “And if it is Silver or Gold you give it a chance. Shall we do it in private?” he scooped up the Cube.

Neri gave a shrug. “Very well. There are some lounges down the hall.”

Jharia casually linked her arm through Neri’s and led the way out. Kohl and Itan followed the two females.

It didn’t take them long to find a small lounge isolated from the others.

Kohl locked the door behind them. This was a private matter and it was best not to be disturbed.

Jharia and Neri stood silent as Itan put the cube down on the small coffee table and said “Activate, prepare.”

The box shimmered and rose slightly above the coffee table.

Kohl and Jharia moved to stand with Itan. Sighing, Neri followed them and they each took a side of the table and the box.

And the box glowed.

Three heads rose and looked at the fourth who was staring at the glow, with a mix of horror and amazement.

"zztann!" Neri muttered. She made the promise and now she had to follow through. The golden glow assured her of that.

“So, dinner tomorrow night?” Jharia said with a smile. “My cabin?”

Nerinath nodded slowly as the two males voiced their agreements.

---

INFO For Other Readers:

Andorians have a unique family structure that most were not aware of, in that they marry in groups of four called bond groups however the relationships involved can vary from bond group to bond group. Some bond groups are bisexual and freely have intercourse with each other while other bond groups choose to be a husband or wife to one other person within the bond group and the other couple stand as guardians, protecting the couple that is mating. This practice dates back to the time when Andorians made war on each other.

Lieutenant Itan th'Relrol - Secuirty -29
Lieutenant JG Nerinath zh'Rhilror - Flight Control - 23
Lieutenant Kohl th'Thaaless - Security - 25
Lieutenant JG Jharia zh'Zolnel - Medical -24