Reconnecting

Posted on Sat Sep 28th, 2019 @ 3:51am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson

Mission: Mission 2: Heaven On Earth
Location: Montana, Earth
1350 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Their transport slowed to stop, settling gently down onto the fine gravel road below. The engines fell to a dull hum even as the whirring sound of the hatch opening replaced it. The first thing that hit Ken Waters as the door lifted was the air. "Prophets," he breathed. "What an unusual smell. What exactly is this smell?"

Phoenix stepping up beside him in jeans and teeshirt smiled. "Cows, Horses, Hay, a Farm Ken"

Ken took in another whiff. He shook his head, despite his growing smile at Phoenix's glowing aura now that they were here. "And you're sure this is what you want to do with your leave? Because I heard there was this exclusive spa in the south of Romania..."

Phoenix smiled, linked her arm through his. "Come on, it will be fine. Harmony had the guest house set up for us and she is taking Miran for the next few days, so it is just us." She waved a hand to the two story guest house that was miles from the main house. "You can ride a horse right?"

"Yes. Absolutely," he said with a confident nod. But that nod quickly turned into an embarrassed shake. "Well, no. Not at all. We didn't keep a lot of livestock during he colonial occupations. Wait. You can ride a horse?"

"Yes. And Wield a sword and." She broke off with a grin "Herd cattle."

He narrowed his eyes at her, their corners alight with the warmth he felt for her. "You're messing with me."

"No I spent a Semester break here when I was at the academy. Harmony taught me how to ride astride and we went on a cattle run." She grabbed her bag. "Come on." She walked down the ramp.

"Yee-hah," he said flatly as he followed. He saw what he assumed was there destination far off in the distance, long down the road. Shielding himself from the sun with a hand, he mused, "I talk it the long walk is part of the experience?"

"Its barely half a kilometer." Phoenix smirked at him. "I thought freedom fighters were tougher than this?"

"Feyth did all the fighting. I was more of a...role model. An extremely handsome, dashing, highly-intelligent and charismatic role model. For all the others to look up to, you see." He hefted his bag and began the long walk down the road. "I think I might be into this horse riding idea of yours after all."

Phoenix rolled her eyes as he spoke. "Because its faster than on foot right?"

He cracked a grin. "That's just a fringe benefit. Seriously, Penn, we don't get a lot of alone time together. Not like this. I want to learn more about this off-duty side of you while I have the chance. And while we're at it, I might even be able to teach you a thing or two about me."

"That sounds like a plan." Phoenix said as they moved through the garden gate, the garden that surrounded the guest house was simple and low maintenance.

Ken's eyes lingered on the vegetables that grew there. "Do you think they'd let me use some of these?"

"Yes," Phoenix replied as she moved up to the front porch and the door. "That will be fine." She smiled at him as she keyed in the code.

He nodded to himself, a satisfied smile on this face. "I think this is going to be a good trip after all," he said. He casually tapped his pocket. "If nothing else, it will certainly be one to remember."

==

Later that afternoon, Phoenix stepped out onto the back porch and stared at the land around them. She looked behind her. "I think we should eat out here tonight." she said to Ken. "Harmony said we can use the grill if we want."

"I thought you'd never ask," Ken said, and immediately he set to work. It didn't take long to find a nearby set of matches (matches! how long had it been since he had seen those!) and after a few false starts he had a small fire going. While he waited for the heat to build, he turned the matchbook over again and again in his hand. For some reason, despite all the advancements of humanity, Ken consistently found that the true outdoorsmen took pleasure in some of these long forgotten traditions. "It's weird how much we rely on technology. You know, I first learned how to light a match on a holodeck camping program."

Phoenix smiled. "My people still use them on Special Occassions, to light candles and such." She turned back to the kitchen. "I'll get the salad made"

"Hey I was wondering something," he called out to her as he began searching for the dishes and utensils he would need. "Do the Erisian people put much stock into maintaining social traditions? You know, religious ceremonies, marriage, sporting events?"

"Sure." She said as she opened the windows between the deck and kitchen area and began looking for salad. "the religion of my planet is pretty involved in a lot of things. Why?"

"What about you?" he asked cautiously. "Do you...care about that sort of stuff?"

She shrugged as she washed the tomatoes. "I am considered a heretic on my world. I am one of the few that deviate from the normal religion of my world. I understand that people need ceremonies though."

"There's a Bajoran tradition I quite liked. Even though we were one of the more distant colonies that fell within the redrawn Cardassian territory, the people of Caradall were very careful to practice the ways of Bajor proper. The men of my colony, when they knew that they had found the woman that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, they would fashion these ornate betrothal bracelets and present them to their partner. If the woman accepted, they would soon marry. And if she refused -- well, imagine the embarrassment." Ken had started their supper cooking while he spoke, meats he had forgotten the names of from a friendly face visiting from a neighboring farm a few miles down the road. Just make sure it isn't red, she had instructed him. With metal tongs he flicked the meat and the flames leapt. "So the men would spend days and days making these bracelets. Because they knew that the work they put into the bracelet was a promise of how much work they would always put into making the woman they loved happy."

"Your home sounds lovely. Do you miss it?" She asked as she finished gathering the items she was looking for.

"I do," he said. He heard his own voice in his ears, and how his nerves were causing his words to catch. He cleared his throat. "I miss the people, and the sense of unified purpose that comes with defending your home. We didn't have to question who we were or what we were meant to do. Everything just felt right." He took this moment to pull the betrothal bracelet from within his pocket. He looked down at it, feeling too nervous to look up into her eyes. "Now, Penelope Lalor. You are the only thing in this galaxy that makes me feel that way again."

Phoenix brought out the salad and looked at him as he spoke. "Oh?"

Worried that his hands would tremble otherwise, he reached out to take her hand in one of his own and steadied himself. His other hand held up his bracelet. "I've been working on this for the better part of a year. Ever since we visited that alternate versions of ourselves that crash landed." He looked at her now, his eyes smiling at the sight of her and at her apparent confusion. "When I saw what my world could be like without you, I knew that I had to do everything in my power to hold on to you for as long as you will have me." He offered her the bracelet, holding it out to her. "Penelope Lalor, will you marry me?"

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