=/\= Kinsi Station =/\= Keylor's hands were on Athena's waist as she looked up at him moving the hair out of her face. She took in a couple of large breaths as what she was saying died as she recognized whom she had run into. Clive ran by tagging her as he went, "your it!" Keylor let out a big puff of air as something, rather someone bumped in to him. In the back of his mind he heard the children playing about, but he had not been paying attention, he was focused on the few scant items on display at an impromptu stand in the station. When the impact hit him he instinctively grabbed the offending object. Expecting some young child he found Athena firmly planted in his chest. He wore a curious look. She raised an eyebrow at Keylor's curious _expression and said, "Sorry, Sir," as she moved a step away from him. Realizing that Athena hadn't responded to being tag Clive backtracked and said, "Come on." Athena smiled at the youth and said, "Just a minute." As he released Athena form his automatic response, he watched as the boy, fairly grown, call out to her. As she responded to the boys taunts, he responded to her apology, "No, that is all right Counselor. At least you appear to be enjoying your self. There is no harm in having a bit of fun," he said still wearing his curious look. Keylor looked back at the table of items and remarked, "You did a good job with the reception. My hat goes off to you and Mister Blackburn for the preparations." Athena looked away for a second She noticed a couple of the other children had gather around Clive as they began to whisper, "Is she still playing or is she in trouble?" Clive shrugged his shoulders and shushed the other kids so he could hear What the Colonel and Athena were talking about. "Maybe I should have checked over the medical files as well," she responded, "but .. thank you." Athena slowly looked up and just noticed that her superior officer was wearing civilian clothes. "And since were not on duty, please, call me Athena," she hesitated a moment before continuing, "sometimes people stop talking to you when they hear your a counselor or they feel an incredible urge to tell you every minute detail of their day." She smiled and then looked down at the table of items. Keylor looked back up at Athena. "Well how about we start with Miss Wellington, after all I would not want rampant rumors to begin flying about the ship about you and I."He chuckled, "Every now and then I hear a quip or two about the infamous love triangles that seem to be on the ship. The latest one I overheard was apparently about you, Miss Summers and Mister Guzman." Keylor watched as Athena smiled at the rumor. As a larger group of kids were starting to form Clive stepped over to Athena and asked impatiently, "Are you playing?" "I'll catch up," she replied softly. "But your IT," Clive stated firmly. Athena reached out and quickly touched the boy, "Now, you are," she replied, "And no tag backs," she quickly added before the youth could touch her. The children that had been gathering quickly dispersed to avoid being tagged by Clive. Athena Smiled as she watched the children scatter for a moment and then looked back a Keylor. "Rumors only ever have a thread of truth to them. What is added as they move from one to the next is what makes them interesting. I guess Miss Wellington will do as I wouldn't want you to become endangered by my ..... talked about antics," Athena said. Keylor smiled, "Well thread of truth or not, rumors seem to spread faster than wild fire. Since I am responsible for a well working crew, I don't want to foster any more than I can help." He Looked back to the table and picked up a bobble of some sort and inspected it. Athena picked up a finely craved statue of some kind of warrior and held it out toward the Colonel. "It reminds me of the dagger on your desk," she mused. Keylor looked at the statue in Athena's hands. "Hrm.. well a little. Thought the proportions are off. Mine would be considerable longer and have more etching in the blade." As Keylor took the figure from her Athena wiped her brow with the back of her hand and then wipe it on her shorts. She brushed the hair out of her face again. Keylor place his object back on the table and then took the figuring from Athena. He ran his fingers over the statue, "This is reminiscent of the Talarian culture, Humanoid with a knife. The dress is typical of older Taliarian art." He then weighed the statue in his hands, not noticing the vendors worried _expression," But the material is all wrong. Most likely a Galen reproduction of a Talarian statue." He handed it back to Athena. Athena smiled at the vendor making his nervous look disappear. She carefully laid down the warrior figurine. She watched as the colonel's eye caught something else of interest. Keylor then scanned the table and noticed an object half covered by material. He flipped the material over and picked up the object. It was a 6 inch high figurine of a andorian, dressed in period clothing, circa the 22nd century. The figurine held a crudely shaped disruptor style pistol and was crouched on one knee. After careful inspection he looked back to the vendor, "How much?" The vendor replied "One strip of latinum." Keylor looked at the figuring again and then nodded to the vendor, "Done." He reached in to his pocket and pulled out a single strip and handed it to the vendor. Athena watched as Colonel Bretam inspected the interesting figurine he now held. She listened as the two men bartered briefly. {Interesting, the vendor would have taken a little less and the Colonel would have paid a bit more.} She had sensed the anxiousness in each man cueing her into what each man would have done. Keylor then turned to Athena, "This on the other hand is authentic. Circa 22nd terran century. It is an authentic clay figurine , commemorating a big battle where the andorians were victorious over the vulcans in a boarder skirmish that lasted a decade." He then winked at Athena. "Actually rather rare for such good condition. Not many have lasted this long, especially those made out of clay. These were only produced on the planets that endured the 10 years war and given to the andorian children to help promote their militaristic prowess." He pointed to the figurine, "you can still see a little of the blue pigment used to paint the figurine." Athena listened intently as they started to move away from the small table of goods and toward one of the few establishments that offered refreshments. She nodded her understanding about the paint. "Colonel," she began, "I didn't know you were into art history. Did you want to be an archeologist at one time?" Keylor chuckled, "No, not archeology, but I did, and still do have an interest in art, and art history." He held on tightly to his find and looked up to watch where he was going. "Many years ago, when I was a lad, I studied art at the local university in Tempassa. I was told I was a natural. But as the years passed, my father insisted that I accompany him on his salvage trips." He smiled and looked out in a gaze. "Do you mind if we sit and get something to drink," Athena asked. She smiled ruefully, "I was actually running out of steam when I ran into you." Keylor nodded to Athena, "Sure, Just point the way and I will follow," he smiled. The two took a few more steps and stopped at one of the two restaurants on the station. Choosing a table on the promenade, Athena sat down followed by Keylor. Magically a waiter appeared and asked for their orders. She smiled brightly at the waiter, "Ice water, Please." Keylor looked at the waiter, "Do you have any kava juice?" The waiter nodded yes and walked off. Athena gave a small sigh as the waiter walked away. {Where do kids get all that energy?} "You were saying?" "Oh yes!" he exclaimed remembering his last train of thought. "Well, if he; my father, had not interested me so much in space, I would probably still be on bajor, married and making art today." He then looked back at Athena. "And you? if you had not become what you are today, what might have you been? Back on Betazed I assume?" "In trouble and alone," she replied honestly although it probably seemed like her usual cryptic answer. "My parents seem to travel in and out of my life like....." She became thoughtful before settling on the word, "...ghosts." She let her mind wander off. Keylor nodded as he watched the waiter approach with their beverages. He smiled thankfully at the waiter and then waited for him to leave. "Ghosts? I am not quite sure what you mean. Are you saying the interfere with your life, or is it they are not really there?" He hoped Athena would give an answer he would understand better. At Keylor's prompting Athena's gaze became refocused on him. "The latter," She replied and took a swallow of her drink. She could sense his anticipation as he remained quiet. It was as though he was silently willing her to tell him more. "My mother stayed with me through my younger years, but soon she felt the need to travel with and be near my father. He was rarely around due to his job. "I would imagine if my mother had not been around then, I would now be in a laboratory performing whatever was required of me." She looked away and watched the children playing. Athena had looked away in the hopes that the colonel would not see how she was really feeling or guess at how similar his requests about her telekinetics were to the situation she just described. As she continued to watch the children she thought {its a shame we all have to grow up as quickly as we do.} She hadn't realized that the colonel had been talking to her. "I'm sorry what were you saying?" "I was asking you what your father does, or did do. I can understand the part about your father being away. My father had a salvage business and was gone often when I was young. As for my mother, well she died when I was born so my sister raised me for many of those years," he said. ===End Part One === Col Bretam Keylor Captain & Lt Athena Wellington Counselor