[IRW Aylhr] Penumbra - » SD242502.12 - Controlled Chaos - Riov Rhae'go tr'Neyl & erie'Arrain Nniol tr'Rehu

A Mission Post by erie'Arrain Nniol tr'Rehu & Riov Rhaego tr'Neyl
Mission: Penumbra
Location: Galae Command, Ra'telhfi
Timeline: 2 Weeks Previous

[Galae Command, Ra'telhfi]

Exhaustion clung to Rhae'go like a second skin. As the flitter settled onto the landing pad outside the Galae Command building, the weight of Eisn pressed against his eyelids, tempting them to close. He exhaled slowly and stepped out, his boots striking the onyx marble with a crisp finality. Before him, the grand structure shimmered in the soft gold of the morning light, its polished stone reflecting the dawn's first glow. The air carried a quiet hum of activity- officers and staff moving with purpose as the day's operations began to stir.

Rhae'go's gaze landed on the main transporter access, and his shoulders sank slightly. A line had already formed. He sighed and joined the queue, watching as officers ahead of him vanished in pulses of green light, their destinations unknown but undoubtedly more convenient than his own.

When his turn came, the Arrain at the control kiosk barely acknowledged him, their expression as lifeless as a statue's.

"Identification." The word came flat and automatic.

Rhae'go wordlessly extended his ISD, holding it steady as the officer scanned it. The younger man's eyes flicked over the screen, his brow knitting at the name.

"tr'Neyl? Aylhr?" The Arrain frowned. "I'm afraid the Aylhr's transporter system is down for maintenance."

Of course it was. Rhae'go inhaled through his nose, patience thinning but not yet frayed. The ship was still fresh from its first shakedown cruise, glitches were expected, even if they remained an irritation.

"Fine. Just beam me to one of the auxiliary pads," he said, already anticipating the next excuse.

"I'm afraid I can't," the Arrain repeated, tone unchanging. "All transporter pads are down for maintenance."

That gave him pause. All of them? Unlikely. Unless a catastrophic systems failure had occurred, there was no reason every single pad should be offline.

Rhae'go clenched his jaw, swallowing the sharp retort forming on his tongue. Instead, he forced a smile- thin, tight, and utterly insincere. "Then how, exactly, am I supposed to get aboard my ship?"

The Arrain didn't flinch. "I can inform you when the transporter system is back online, sir. In the meantime, you're welcome to wait in one of the officer's quarters within the complex."

Emotionless. Unmoved.

Rhae'go let out a slow exhale, his patience fraying thread by thread. He had a feeling this was going to be a very long morning.

Nniol stepped into the transporter facility, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the room with idle curiosity. Officers moved through in steady waves, disappearing in flashes of green light as they were sent off to their assignments. The air buzzed with quiet efficiency, but no one lingered longer than necessary. It was a place of transit, not conversation.

That suited him just fine.

As he moved forward, his gaze landed on a figure standing stiffly near the front of the line. Dark uniform, squared shoulders, an air of exhaustion barely concealed beneath rigid discipline. There was something about the way he stood, the way his jaw was set like he was grinding down frustration, that made it obvious- this was a man who had been dealing with bureaucratic nonsense for far too long this morning.

Nniol recognized him immediately.

He stepped closer, just enough to be noticed, and let his voice carry just a little over the low hum of activity.

"So, you must be Rhae'go tr'Neyl."

Rhae'go didn't react at first, as if deciding whether or not to acknowledge him. Then, after a slow exhale, he turned just enough to glance over his shoulder. His eyes flicked over Nniol, assessing, weighing whether this was an annoyance or something else entirely.

Nniol gave an easy smile, standing comfortably in contrast to Rhae'go's tension.

"Don't look so thrilled, Leih." He held out a hand, his expression full of mischief. "Nniol tr'Rehu. Gonaiih'Saehne. Looks like I'll be your problem now."

Wonderful.

Rhae'go forced a smile, though it carried all the warmth of deep space. Standing before him was not just any erie'Arrain, but the son of the Galae'EnRiov- his Daise'Gonaiih'Saehne as well. Just perfect. He already felt like a frayed wire on the verge of snapping from the morning's battles, first with his grandmother and now with this. The universe, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor.

"The elements certainly have their amusements," he muttered, casting a glance of barely concealed contempt at the transport technician before shifting his focus back to Nniol tr'Rehu.

"Greetings, erie'Arrain. A pleasure to finally meet you." His smile did not reach his eyes. "I have reviewed your records. Quite the history you have." He left out of causing trouble. No need to start off too strong.

His gaze flicked to the technician once more before returning to Nniol. "So, the transporters on Aylhr are down." He let the words hang for a moment before adding with deliberate weight, "All of them."

He almost sighed again but stopped as an idea took root. His expression shifted, the first hint of genuine interest sparking in his eyes.

"Ah, yes. Erie'Arrain, you are quite the pilot, aren't you?"

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and strode down the main corridor. A sign on the wall pointed ahead, the bold lettering clear: Main Hangar.

"Follow me," he called over his shoulder.

Nniol watched Rhae'go with open amusement, hands still resting loosely in his pockets. The forced civility, the thinly veiled exasperation- he knew that look well. He had seen it on the faces of nearly every superior officer he had ever served under, usually just before they decided they would rather not deal with him.

The difference here was that Rhae'go tr'Neyl had no such luxury.

"The elements certainly do," Nniol agreed with a smirk. "Though I like to think they take special interest in me."

When his new commanding officer mentioned his records, Nniol tilted his head slightly, already knowing exactly what that meant. There was a lot one could say about his history- most of it true, some of it exaggerated, and all of it entertaining. He chose not to respond, letting the silence stretch instead.

Then Rhae'go mentioned the transporters, his voice measured, his patience stretched thin.

All of them.

Nniol raised an eyebrow, waiting for the inevitable moment when his Leih's frustration turned into something more productive. And there it was. The shift in expression, the sharp glint of realization as an idea took root.

"Ah, yes. Erie'Arrain, you are quite the pilot, aren't you?"

That was not a question. That was an answer.

Before he could respond, Rhae'go turned and strode off, leaving no room for argument. Nniol let out a short chuckle before following.

"Well," he mused as he fell into step behind him, "this just got interesting."

The hangar pulsed with energy, a symphony of movement and sound as crews rushed between vessels and mechanics shouted over the roar of engines. Overhead, fighters screamed through the air, their deafening ascent rattling the cavernous space. The scent of fuel and heated metal clung to everything.

Rhae'go's sharp gaze swept across the controlled chaos until he found exactly what he was looking for. A lone fighter sat near the edge of the hangar- a two-seater, older but still serviceable, its engines humming faintly. No pilot in sight. Someone had started the warm-up sequence and then stepped away. A perfect opportunity.

With Nniol trailing behind, Rhae'go moved with purpose, gripping the edge of the wing and hauling himself up with practiced ease. He slipped into the secondary cockpit and shot a pointed glance down at the younger officer.

"Move before the pilot gets back." His tone left no room for argument.

He reached for the helmet, settling it on his head, and waited.

Nniol barely hesitated. If Rhae'go was going to offer him a challenge- well, he wasn't about to let it pass him by.

With an easy grin, he stepped forward and gripped the side of the fighter, pulling himself up with the fluidity of someone who had done it a thousand times before. He slid into the pilot's seat like he was born there, his hands instinctively moving over the controls.

"Stealing a fighter to board our own ship," he said, voice laced with amusement. "I like your style, Leih. Maybe this won't be so bad after all."

He powered up the thrusters, feeling the gentle rumble beneath him as the ship responded. A solid piece of engineering, despite its age. It wasn't a prototype Talon-class, but it would do.

As the flight systems flickered to life, Nniol shot a quick glance over his shoulder at Rhae'go. "I assume you're not just here to observe. You ever flown one of these before?"

A challenge, barely disguised. If Rhae'go was going to sit in that seat, he had better be ready to keep up.

"Flown?" Rhae'go echoed, a slow smile creeping onto his face- this time, it was almost genuine. "Perhaps once or twice."

His fingers brushed over the controls with an absent familiarity, as if testing the weight of an old memory. He glanced up, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"I am an engineer by training," he continued. "I prefer to take things apart and see what makes them tick. And if it suits me… maybe I put them back together again."

Nniol let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he adjusted the flight harness. "An engineer who likes to break things before fixing them. I can respect that." His fingers danced across the controls, bringing the thrusters to full standby. The hum of the ship deepened, a promise of speed waiting to be unleashed.

"Let's see if you remember how to keep one of these in the air." Without waiting for a response, he disengaged the docking clamps and eased the fighter forward, the engines kicking in with a low vibration as they lifted off the hangar deck. The moment they cleared the floor, Nniol tilted the nose up and accelerated sharply, weaving past a pair of dock workers who barely had time to curse at them.

The fighter shot out into open sky, leaving the controlled chaos of the hangar behind. The sprawling skyline of Ra'telhfi stretched beneath them, the marble rooftops gleaming gold under the morning sun as they climbed higher into the thin atmosphere.

Nniol grinned, feeling the familiar rush settle into his bones. "I assume you have no objections to a direct route?" he asked, his tone far too innocent.

Without waiting for permission, because of course he wouldn't, he pulled the fighter into a tight barrel roll before angling toward orbit. The Aylhr awaited.

[To be continued]

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