[IRW Aylhr] Penumbra - SD242509.04 - Controlled Chaos Pt 2 - 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: Aylhr
Timeline:

[Aylhr, Flight Deck]

The Aylhr hung in the darkness of space, a silent predator silhouetted against the emerald glow of Ch'Rihan below. From this altitude, the planet's vast oceans gleamed under the sun's distant light, while the great cities of the homeworld shimmered like constellations against the surface.

A lone fighter streaked toward it, cutting a sharp path through the upper atmosphere, glowing faintly as it breached the exosphere. The comms crackled to life.

"IRW Aylhr, this is Erie'Arrain Nniol tr'Rehu, requesting clearance to land."

Silence.

Then static, followed by a voice laced with frustration.

"What the Areinnye… tr'Rehu?! Where did you… why are you flying that?!"

Seated behind him, Rhae'go closed his eyes briefly, inhaling as though drawing on some last reserve of patience.

Nniol, of course, smirked. "Just making sure it handles properly before I park it, Rekkhai."

A strangled sound of frustration came through the comms. "Do not land that here! The deck is still undergoing final calibrations!"

Too late.

Nniol cut the channel and guided the fighter in, ignoring the designated approach vector in favor of something more… expressive. With effortless control, he rolled the ship, holding it inverted just long enough to make the flight deck officers panic before flipping it upright and easing into a landing with precise, insultingly smooth perfection.

Rhae'go exhaled slowly. The Elements were testing him.

The moment the cockpit released with a sharp hiss, the deck was in chaos. Engineers, officers, and technicians swarmed like angry wasps, their expressions ranging from disbelief to outright fury. The senior flight officer, a severe-looking woman whose patience had clearly been burned away by years of dealing with pilots, looked a breath away from throwing herself into the vacuum of space.

Rhae'go disembarked at a measured pace, straightening his uniform as Nniol hopped down with the casual ease of someone who had done absolutely nothing wrong.

"Rekkhai," Nniol said, snapping off a lazy salute. "Reporting for duty."

Silence.

Then, a voice, sharp and cutting through the tension like a disruptor blast.

"What in Areinnye is going on here?"

The assembled officers stiffened.

Rhae'go turned, stepping through the parted crowd, his expression unreadable. He locked eyes with Nniol, and though he said nothing, there was something in his gaze- a mix of exasperation and calculation.

Nniol simply grinned, entirely unrepentant.

The Aylhr hadn't even broken orbit, and already the headaches had begun. Rhae'go resisted the urge to sigh. Perhaps he had been wrong not to challenge Nniol tr'Rehu's appointment after all. The young officer's irreverence wasn't just a trait, it was a pattern. And reigning him in would be no small task.

Across the deck, a large-framed Enarrain muscled his way through the gathered personnel, his expression a mixture of fury and disbelief.

"Who landed this fighter without authorization?" he barked, teeth clenched. His eyes flicked between Rhae'go and Nniol, already casting judgment.

Nniol raised a hand as if volunteering for a performance. "That would be me," he said with a smirk. "Unfortunately, we couldn't park it in orbit and just beam aboard."

The sarcasm hung in the air like ion smoke. The Enarrain's expression twisted further.

"Who are you? When the Riov hears about this, you'll regret it."

"The Riov," Rhae'go said flatly, "is standing in front of you." The words struck like a disruptor blast. "And he's wondering why every transporter aboard this warbird is down. Curious, isn't it?" Rhae'go continued, his voice low and composed. "I imagine the Galae'EnRiov will find it equally curious when she attempts to board for her inspection later today."

That was a lie, of course. Shiarrael wasn't coming. But it served.

The shift in the Enarrain's face was immediate, rage slipping into hesitation, then into barely concealed dread.

"I'm certain she'll have questions," Rhae'go added, stepping forward. His voice remained calm, but the weight behind it was unmistakable. "And you'd best have answers ready, Enarrain. Otherwise…"

He let the sentence drift, pausing just long enough for the silence to sharpen it.

"…I suggest you start learning how to breathe in space."

[To be continued]

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