A Short History of Isha - Part 2

Posted on 13 Jun 2009 @ 1:42am by

2,192 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: M2: Aggressive Negotiations
Location: Isha's Quarters
Timeline: After leaving DS5

Isha traced her fingers down her jaw until they met at the tip of her chin, “I did what was required of me. I was rather bitter for a while and I was more of a burden to my new husband than he deserved - Nveid was very tolerant, but then I was not his first wife - he'd had to alter his habits to accommodate a woman before. At that point in my life I never thought that I would see Rh’vaurek again.â€

"I take it that you did?"

Elek sat back in his chair and put the phial in his lap. He tucked one leg under him, but kept his appearance very neutral, very open.

“I did. He did not move on – later I learned why. He was hurt and obsessed and encouraged to be so by his mentor Aehkhifv Latasalaem who was also a friend of my new husband. Latasalaem also became my confidente, the result of being the one person who had the courage to tell me to my face to shake out of my malaise and face up to the fact that my main woe was having more money than I could spend, a husband who adored me more each day and power that others would kill for. During that interview Latasalaem also gained the distinction of being the first person to warn me about my husband’s brother – he had his own motives, but the warning was well meant.â€

Elek smiled. "Were you and Nniol on friendly terms, before then?"

“We were, and we remained so afterwards. In the early years we were close and he was very supportive in helping me adapt to the House traditions, in everything really; both he and Latasalaem saw me as their conduit to Nveid who increasingly left the management of House business in my hands whilst he dealt with our fleet. Latasalaem brokered the marriage because he wanted someone who he could control who could, in turn, control Nveid. I turned out not to be as malleable as he had expected.â€

"Ah, I think I understand. And he resented that strength you possessed?"

Isha paused to draw the shawl over her shoulders, “I think they both resented it,†she said very softly.

"May I ask, Madam ... what became of Rh’vaurek, after his banishment?"

“It was short lived. His appointment with Pardek was a cover. Rh’vaurek was, as he had claimed to a slightly naïve and star-struck girl actually a very promising Tal’Shiar agent. It saved him from a life of mediocrity if we’re honest – undercover work as a bodyguard might place one close to a source but it does not help one’s career. Latasalaem sent Rh’vaurek to the Cardassian embassy for a period long enough to assuage my mother’s annoyance and when he had cause to return to ch’Rihan he liked to ensure that he was wherever I was so that he could hiss threats of revenge in my ear as we passed.

“Our son Hexce was born about five years into our marriage; Nveid was thrilled but his brother … that is when I first began to worry about Nniol. He began to distance himself, as if I had somehow come between he and his brother by bearing a son.â€

"He saw Hexce as a ... threat, perhaps? It must have been a struggle - your delighted husband, and his aggrieved brother?"

Isha shifted reaching for her glass again. Most of the ice was melted but it meant the the drink burned her throat less, "Would you like something else? A coffee perhaps to keep you awake while I indulge myself by reciting recollections of my none-too-difficult life, Counselor Elek?" she asked.

"Your recollections are interesting enough without the need for caffine, Madam Ambassador, but I would welcome a drink."

Elek never declined a drink when offered, especially during a meeting such as this. People often did it as a distracting technique, to give themselves time to consider a particular answer or problem. He was happy to give Isha the time she needed.

He stared out the window, watching the stars streak by as the Freedom warped ever closer to Romulus. He found it strange to go back, after so many decades. He could only imagine how much it would have changed, ever since -

He shook his head - he had promised not to think about his wife during this meeting. He could not compare Isha to her at all, but knew that his feelings surrouding his wife could otherwise cloud his judgement if he let them.

Looking up, Isha had returned with his coffee, and he accepted gratefully. "Thank you," he said.

He deliberately took his time taking a sip of the coffee, watching the ambassador over the top of the cup. She seemed to welcome the chance to talk about her memories - as if a small weight was being lifted off her shoulders. She was still tense and worried - understandably so, given what awaited her on Romulus - but slightly less so.

He remained silent, and allowed her to set the path for the conversation. She would recollect at her own pace, and Elek wouldn't interfere in that.

“Well,†Isha said pulling her feet up again, “I think I reached the beginnings of discord. After the birth of Hexce things continued as things tend to do, oddly it was Latasalaem who was becoming troublesome – he wished me to use my influence over our voting bloc in a way that I disagreed with … I eventually … well, I told him to go and … stick it, is a neutral version of what I told him to do. He didn’t like that, Latasalaem was becoming very influential in a number of circles and he wanted my co-operation, not my dissent. So, he activated his insurance policy; Rh’vaurek.â€

Elek placed the coffee cup down, careful not to dislodge the phial, and sat back. He was fascinated by the story, feeling it was giving him an insight into Isha's personality.

Isha pulled the cushion from behind her and placed it in her lap before wrapping her arms around it, “Rather than let it go Latasalaem had nurtured Rh’vaurek’s obsession with me, he encouraged his belief that I had used him and that I was to blame for his earlier demotion – I don’t know the details of what was said, I never asked Rh’vaurek to tell me, but ten years on that man was still hurt and still wanted his revenge. Latasalaem presented him with an opportunity.â€

Elek had his suspicions where this was headed, but he simply said, "What happened?"

“He wanted me frightened and dependent, not killed. Latasalaem arranged it so that I had to go off world and go alone, en-route Rh’vaurek killed my pilot and abducted me. I don’t know how long he held me. I still loved him. Elek, I couldn’t understand how he could be so cruel to me, wanted to break me down mentally before he hurt me,†she said rolling her lower lip between her teeth. “Before it reached that far Latasalaem summoned him home and at the same time sent a message to my husband saying that he had word that my ship had been attacked by pirates or some such.

“Several days later they reached the asteroid. They found me naked and weeping in a pit. Apart from a disruptor burn on my chest a few minor scrapes and my rather precarious state of mind I was unharmed – dehydration and hypothermia aside. Having lost one wife Nveid was just happy to have me back unharmed. Ironically it is that which aroused Nniol’s suspicions. It was he and my husband who came to my rescue, you see. Nniol questioned the validity of my story – you might see his point – my situation was unlikely - I had been neither beaten nor raped yet was allegedly abducted by a number of men who issued no ransom demand and to whom I could put no face or name. I didn’t blame Rh’vaurek, you see, I did actually blame myself for what happened to him and I fully understand the desire for revenge … I would not name him as my abductor, nor could I reveal that I was in any way beholden to Latasalaem. Nveid was satisfied with my story but Nniol wanted me properly questioned. Nveid refused to countenance the idea, he thought I had suffered quite enough.â€

Elek said nothing. Isha was clearly on a roll, and he didn't want to interrupt her train of thought.

“The incident prompted Nniol to look more closely at my history and somehow he stumbled upon Rh’vaurek who he knew to be Latasalaem’s man – did I mention that the two of them, Nniol and Latasalaem were old rivals? Well, they were. Nniol took those facts and drew an incorrect conclusion; that I was play acting and that the whole thing was an elaborate means of disguising a tryst. He tried again to get his brother to investigate the incident properly which led to them arguing quite savagely. Nniol retired to his own estate for some years before they spoke again.â€

“Still if I was closely guarded before that, my security was inpenetrable after the abduction, my husband had his reasons. But it made what followed all the more complicated.â€

"Nniol's argument with his brother must have been intense, for them not to speak for so long," Elek said. Romulan family structure was so important, that for brothers not to speak ... Nveid must have truly had deep feelings for Isha, to stand strong against Nniol for her.

"So, after Nveid increased your security arrangements," Elek said, "what happened?"

The ice cubes in Isha’s empty glass rattled as she placed it on the side table, “First I should finish telling you about Rh’vaurek. Latasalaem misjudged him, Senator Khrein Aehkhifv Latasalaem is a cold and soulless man as befits his station, he thought Rh’vaurek was made in a similar mould. When Latasalaem called Rh’vaurek back to his base and he left me on that asteroid he fully intended to return and finish what he had started – Latasalaem ordered him off and revealed that I had had nothing to do with his demotion or any of his troubles after our break-up as if it were some great joke. Had he been as callous as Latasalaem had assumed him to be Rh’vaurek would have appreciated the joke, as it was Rh’vaurek had thought that he was acting from a genuine motive for revenge – he hadn’t taken any pleasure in my fear and my screams, he found out that for ten years he had been persecuting an innocent woman who loved him as much as he loved her and who had left him to marry because it was her duty to do so, not because she was a frivolous and heartless bitch who treated everyone as her own property.

“Rh’vaurek was not a fool. He could have killed Latasalaem there and then but he wanted retribution to come from where it should, from me, and for me to know that he knew he had been wrong. So Rh’vaurek laughed along and remained Latasalaem’s right hand man, he still is, and to this day Latasalaem still thinks that Rh’vaurek hates me – we keep him thinking that way but when the time is right we will act – even people with our resources cannot bring down a General of the Tal’Shiar without very careful planning no matter how justified that fall might be.†She paused, “I shouldn’t have told you that,†Isha said as the glint in her eye faded, “it is only tangentially relevant.â€

Elek inclined his head. "It goes no further than me, Madam."

Isha sighed, “This is why one should never talk about matters that are anything other than inconsequential. Most of that happened over thirty years ago, I will not say that I am comfortable with recalling it, but it is necessary for you to be able to understand my story, I wish that I could tell you only the part that you want to know, but then it would not make sense and you would have to ask me anyway for further details. You are a good listener Counselor Elek, I think it suits you better than the role of questioner, and of course you can allow your subjects to trip and make their own mistakes and say things that they normally would never reveal,†she smiled the smallest briefest twitch at the edge of her lips as she looked at the objects she had left on the coffee table.

Elek smiled. "I am half-El-Aurian, ma'am. We are well-renowed as Listeners the galaxy over." He paused, deep in thought. "Ambassador, I understand the intention behind why you're telling me this. It helps me understand the detail surrounding the issues we're currently up against. But, I must ask ... what happened to Nveid?"

To be continued ...

 

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