trans_9 | Cut 'em out, ride 'em in. [Open]

Even captains need their moments of rest and relaxation. Kirk had retreated to the Sensoriums to try and catch his breath and ease some of the tension from the past few months. This ship was draining, sometimes in the extreme. Not for the first time he missed Enterprise. She had been his ship, for better or for worse and now that she was gone, he found he missed her more then ever. That didn't even account for the crew. Sulu, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Chekov - he wished he had them here right now. Their advice and support would meant quite a lot. As it was, Spock had recently arrived, but he seemed different somehow. Something he hadn't been able to put his finger on yet.

Kirk sighed to himself and finished saddling his (virtual) horse. The whole affair with Roxie Schreiber had gotten too far out of control. He'd reacted instead of letting himself think. He'd overstepped his boundaries. In one smooth motion, he slip up onto the horse, settling himself in the saddle. An apology to the crew at large was probably in order. They had a trust in him that he'd violated to a certain degree. He just wished that some of them returned that trust.

Giving up was out of the question, though. There was no such thing as a no-win situation. With a click of his tongue, Kirk flicked the reins and set the horse out into a steady trot. Ahead of him were rolling hills and blue skies. A beautiful day for a ride.

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Kirk looked over, seeming a bit confused before he spotted the small woman. He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm doing better then I was. It's nice to get away for a while."

"Oh I understand completely." giggled Rein as she did a little loop and floated on her back, staring up into the sky. "But are you doing well after, well... everything?"

Rein's concern was at 100 Megawatts of puppy dog eyes. To deny her was akin to inquiring if you wanted to sack a puppy.

"Frustrated with the crew to a certain extent, but otherwise just fine." Kirk flashed a winning grin. "It's nothing I can't handle. Thank you for your concern though."

Rein nodded, a relieved smile flashing across her face. "That's good. I was hoping that everything would be alright, but people are still tense even after the attack."

She floated along, grinning at Kirk. "Is this where you grew up sir? This kind of looks like Iowa."

"Yes. It's to be expected, I suppose."

He glanced at her curiously, surprise on his features, "You know Iowa? I spend part of my early life there, yes. Born here, actually."

"Geography is one of my favorite things and before we left Earth, we visited various places." admitted Rein. "It's very beautiful here. Majestic."

"It certainly is. It's part of why I love this place. It's why it will always be... home." The last word is wistful. He doesn't know if Iowa even exists anymore.

"Yes. There's something about natural beauty that takes your breath away whenever you return home to a place of your choosing," said Rein with a empathic nod of agreement.

Turning to the captain, she smiled and added, "Midchilda is kind of like this place. It's got a lot of natural forested areas but there's a tremendous city that everyone lives in. It's a beautiful spot and I've considered it my second home. My first is Earth, where I was born years ago."

"I'm sure it's a beautiful place. Maybe I'll have a chance to see it some day," he replied, smiling.

"As it is, we've got a long road ahead of us."

"Yes we do," agreed Rein as she floated alongside the captain. She giggled and added, "After all, a wise man once said that the road ahead is only traveled with your own two sturdy legs. If you have them, then walk!"

She laughed and sped ahead. "Come on captain, I'll race you!"

"That sounds highly appropria-"

Kirk was cut off as Rein sped off. He stared after her for a moment and then kicked his horse up to a canter and then a gallop, chasing her across the open ground as green grass flickered past beneath his horse's hooves.

Rein giggled as she shot off like a rocket, keeping pace with the horse and rider.

She was more than just a device. Hayate looked towards her to improve morale, and due to her undeniable cuteness and upbeat personality, it was more than easy for the little woman to raise the spirits of those who would be otherwise down.

Giggling madly, she did a few loops and swam backwards. "Come on captain catch me!"

Kirk had to admit that for the first time in a while he was having fun. The thud of hoofbeats, the wind rushing past his face as he bent over the horse's neck; it was exhilarating. He grinned widely, following the zipping figure.

The giggling girl was having a lot of fun, zipping around, pushing her flight capabilities to the absolute limit. While not nearly as fast as say Fate, she was definitely just as fast as the horse.

Zipping around the hill, she did a backstroke in the air as she laughed, her voice like bells. "Having fun captain?" she called out over the whipping of the wind.

Kirk finally reined in with a laugh. He didn't want to push the horse too hard (although if he wanted it to, it could probably run all day, knowing the Sensoriums). "Yes, actually. It's been far too long since I gave myself a moment to relax."

Rein smiled as she slowed to a halt as well, floating up to Kirk and landing on the horse's head. "I'm glad. Sometimes just chasing someone is relaxing enough. It gets a lot of stress out."

Cut 'em out, ride 'em in. [Open]

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