Carpathia IV: Episode 83 - Pointed Collar
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer
Amenaru emerged from his shower room, wearing nothing but his little pink undies, and tossed his towel aside on his bed. Kit was still there, clutching a fresh, folded new uniform for himself, but making no effort to put it on. Mrs. Tiggywinkle still kept vigil at Kit's feet. As he reached for his uniform pants, Amenaru took a surreptitious glance at the floor. The collar Kit let slip out of his hands still lay where it fell.
Amenaru: That's better. I haven't had a shower since before the mission.
Amenaru slipped on his pants and sat on the bed, reaching for his socks next.
Amenaru: You're sure you don't want me to go with you to sick bay?
Kit: I'll be fine. I'd rather go by myself. We might have to talk about private things.
His socks firmly affixed to his feet, Amenaru now started pulling his undershirt over his head. He understood Kit's reasoning perhaps a bit too keenly.
Amenaru: I understand. I suppose Tamati will be here any minute. Too late to ask if you'd like to take a shower first, I suppose.
Kit: They have one in sick bay anyway. I should get healed first.
Amenaru slipped on his boots next, which tightened to his shins automatically as soon as his foot hit the heel. As he finished with his boots, Amenaru's door chime sounded. He stood, slipping his arms into his tunic as he did.
Amenaru: Enter!
The door slid open revealing a gleefully grinning Tamati, holding a brand new stuff bear, just as equally floofy as the one he gave to Faelon.
Tamati: Good to see you again, Kit! Mr. Fuzzy the Second is always here to help!
Amenaru smiled and Kit actually giggled for the first time since he returned. Before Kit joined Tamati, he took one more look back at Amenaru.
Kit: Thanks, Amenaru. I'll see you soon.
A sudden swelling in Amenaru's throat made him momentarily unable to speak and all he could do was watch Kit leave with Tamati. Now he had a little mini-mission of his own as he stared at the collar, watching Mrs. Tiggywinkle have a curious sniff at it. After attaching his chest plate, Amenaru kneeled on the floor where Kit dropped his collar. It wasn't fragile, but he nevertheless picked it up carefully and cradled it in his open hand. The collar itself appeared leather, but Amenaru knew that tokki did not make things with animal products. The design was an intricate affair, possibly some sort of fancy Tokkastran script, made of gold and had several pointy spurs sticking out the top.
Riddled with conflicting desires of wanting to know more about this collar and not wanting to badger Kit with questions he might not want to answer, Amenaru decided that the best compromise would be asking Nalma. After a quick check in the mirror to make sure he was presentable for an appearance on the bridge, he headed out.
Bridge
Amenaru didn't go straight to the bridge. He decided to wander the ship first, going over in his head how he might approach a conversation with Nalma. He also spent much of his time wondering if he should be doing this at all, for it felt like an invasion of Kit's privacy. The collar was important, of that there could be no question, so he figured he could at least learn more about collar rules and etiquette if nothing else.
If Nalma wasn't on the bridge, Amenaru thought, then hopefully someone would know where to find him. Fortunately, he was, along with Joust, who was having a hushed conversation with Aire. As soon as Amenaru stepped off the lift, Aire abandoned his conversation with Joust and stood to address him.
Aire: Amenaru, how is Kit?
Amenaru: It'll take some time, but I think he'll be okay. He's with Dr. Teagan now.
Aire: That's good to hear.
Amenaru: I was wondering if I could have a private chat with Lieutenant Silaron.
Nalma's ears twisted back and forth on his head and he stood, anticipating the Captain's response.
Aire: Go right ahead. The conference room is empty.
Nalma nodded and both entered the conference room together, each taking a seat at the table. Amenaru started by placing Kit's collar on the table in front of Nalma and told him how Kit held it tightly in his hand at first, but eventually let it slip out of his fingers and paid it no more mind.
Nalma stared carefully at the collar while he rubbed his finger on his cheek.
Nalma: I can't say this is a surprise. At age 14, most tokki have what we call a sodality ceremony, at which time they officially declare themselves to be part of an enclave. At that time, you receive your collar, which you wear any time you go out. It is possible to leave an enclave and join another, but that's rare. Most consider that to be an insult and the Saveas are nothing if not easily insulted. This is the Savea collar and it is particularly nasty.
Nalma picked up the collar and stood, rounding the table to position himself behind Amenaru.
Nalma: Hold your head up. I'm going to put this on you.
Amenaru immediately wondered if this would be okay. Obviously, this collar was culturally significant. However, since it was clearly okay with Nalma, Amenaru did as he was told and held up his head. Nalma reached around his neck and fastened the collar. Finding it surprisingly tight, Amenaru instinctively ran his fingers along the rim in a vain attempt to ease his breathing.
Nalma: Pretty tight, isn't it? I think Kit's neck is actually a touch thicker than yours, so you can imagine what it was like for him. The collars of my people are much more forgiving. We're not done yet, though. Move your head around.
Amenaru did so, finding that the collar chafed uncomfortably. Nalma's point came across quite a bit more clearly when he lowered his head and one of the pointy parts of the gold decoration dug into his neck.
Amenaru: Ow!
Amenaru moved his head more, but even moderate movements caused the collar to dig painfully into some part of his neck. Finally, he had enough and kept still.
Amenaru: Okay, I get it. You can take this abomination off me now.
Nalma complied and unfastened the collar. After returning to his seat, Nalma placed it on the table between them.
Nalma: With the Saveas, you have to look a certain way, act a certain way, and keep your head up proudly at all times. They actually design their collars as part of that. You have to hold your head up at all times or it will cut you.
Amenaru had never experienced such a fiery hatred for an object before, but there he was, staring at that collar, his mind racing with all the horrible things he could do to it.
Nalma: You've seen and heard about how brutal the Saveas can be and they do not miss the details. It's hard to imagine that Kit spent the first seventeen years of his life living like this, thinking that it's all somehow normal. That makes it so extraordinary that he made the decision to leave on his own. Kit is strong-willed, a hallmark of the Saveas, but he is also kind and fair-minded. Above all, he is very brave, much more so than I am.
Amenaru: More than me too.
Unexpectedly, Amenaru's mind turned toward the document on Kit's display in his quarters. Very official, like something one would expect from the government or something. He wondered if that and the collar were related.
Amenaru: I saw a document on Kit's monitor when I was in his quarters. I couldn't read it, but he was a little upset that he couldn't send it right away.
Nalma: Can you describe it?
Amenaru only caught a glimpse for about 10 seconds at most, but he did his best to describe what he saw.
Nalma: That could be an notice to formally disassociate with the Savea Enclave. I think he didn't do it sooner because he worried that it might raise the ire of his father. I think, as you say, that ship has sailed.
Amenaru let out a heavy sigh. So much he didn't know, but he hoped that the worst was now in the past.
Nalma: Anything else?
Amenaru: Nothing critical. I feel like I've intruded on Kit's privacy too much as it is. I just felt that someone besides me should know about this. Someone who understands all this.
Nalma: When Kit is ready, he'll tell us more, I think. Thanks for coming to me. I think we can all watch out for him together.
Nalma stood and took the collar.
Nalma: I'll take this. I presume that he and I will have a conversation about it soon enough.
Nalma lead while Amenaru followed. When the door to the conference room opened, they found a rather constipated-looking Phobos standing in their path.
Phobos: Ah, if you two are done, could I have a word with you, Amenaru?
Amenaru's eyebrows raised, as did his ears.
Nalma: I'll leave you two, then.
Nalma left and Phobos stepped in. Once again, it was back to the conference chair.
Phobos: I was in charge of monitoring everyone's vitals while you were on the mission.
Amenaru: I remember, yes.
Phobos paused, twiddling his fingers.
Phobos: I suppose I should just say it. I thought you might want to know... You might have a heart problem. You might want to see the Doctor about that.
Amenaru: I know. The Doctor, the Captain, and Commander Joust know too. So do you, now, it seems.
Phobos let out a heavy breath and seemed much more relaxed.
Phobos: Oh, good! I mean, not that you have a heart condition, but that I'm not bringing bad news.
It was a day for divulging secrets and after comforting Kit, he felt much less anxious about talking about his own. Once he got started, however, he found it difficult to stop and it all spewed out like a bad case of stomach flu.
Amenaru: When I was 16, my dad pressured me to go on tour, putting a full band together and everything. It was a disaster. We were awful, none of us got along, and our shows lost money. About halfway through, I got into some pretty hard drugs that my bandmates brought. Didn't make us better, probably worse, but at least I didn't care that we were terrible. After my third overdose and their fourth or fifth, the tour was cancelled. Unfortunately, that left me with an enlarged heart and a dead spot near my left ventricle. After that, I decided I didn't want music as a profession. I'm only allowed to be here as long as I get an injection from the doctor every month. This mission shouldn't have been a problem, but when I first heard that Rhalma was in the cell with Kit, I felt like I was going to die. My chest just squeezed and squeezed until I could hardly breathe anymore.
Phobos didn't respond right away, probably, Amenaru thought, because he couldn't be sure if the story was over or not.
Phobos: Wow, now that's a story to tell the grandkids someday.
Amenaru slank in his chair and rubbed his ear.
Amenaru: Heh heh. Sorry about that. I suppose you caught me at the exact right time that I'd want to spill everything.
Phobos smiled and patted Amenaru's shoulders.
Phobos: Aw, it's alright. I'm glad you can manage it.
Phobos's communicator beeped. After a quick look, he stood, ready to head to the door.
Phobos: I have to go. Your secret is safe with me.
Amenaru: Thanks.
Amenaru didn't get up right away to follow Phobos out of the conference room. A few seconds of silence, alone, felt like something he needed after all the insanity of the last several hours. Nevertheless, life pulled him back and he wanted to know how Kit was doing. After rising from his chair, he stretched a bit, pulling his arms above his head and arching his back. As he strode to the door, shaking his hands, he wasn't prepared for what he saw when it opened.
Kit was on the bridge, standing before the Captain, free of cuts and scrapes, which delighted him. Also present were some he did not expect. Sorchae and Tamati from Medical and Minnie and Ramei from Engineering. Ryuu sat off to the side, wagging his tail and Tayet was next to him, wiggling his new wings. Captain Valro stood as soon as the door opened and called out.
Aire: Ensign Amenaru James Pendergast!
Amenaru's ears flitted about in every direction until finally flattening and his tail drooped, running down the back of his leg. He didn't know what was going on, but being addressed so formally meant that he had to straighten his posture immediately.
Amenaru: Yes, Captain!
Keeping his eye on Captain Valro and trying not to think of all the other eyes upon him, Amenaru marched forward. If he were being drummed out of the Exploration Force, this was an unusual way to do it, with everyone present. Surely it must be something else. Despite his certainty that he was not in trouble, his brain decided to play a greatest hits compilation of every time he screwed up.
As he reached his spot in front of Captain Valro, he awaited his fate.
Aire: Ensign Pendergast, you have served this ship with honor and distinction!
Now, Amenaru had pretty good idea what was happening. Though his body remained stiff and straight, his breathing relaxed.
Amenaru: Yes, Captain!
Aire: You have conducted your affairs with your fellow shipmates with respect and kindness!
Amenaru: Yes, Captain!
Aire: You have comported yourself with dignity and grace!
Before Amenaru could answer this time, Joust raised his finger and interjected.
Joust: Well, except for that one time.
Aire nodded curtly and continued.
Aire: Except for that one time!
Everyone giggled and Amenaru's shoulders sank, if only a little. He knew what the "one time" was. Everyone knew.
Amenaru: Yes, Captain.
Joust approached and removed the ensign badge from Amenaru's uniform.
Aire: It is my honor to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade with all the rights and responsibilities that come with it.
Until now, Amenaru didn't notice that Captain Valro had a new rank pin in his hand. With a warm smile, he attached it to Amenaru's uniform.
Aire: Congratulations Lieutenant Pendergast!
Everyone applauded, Kit most enthusiastically, while Amenaru smiled and waved.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
