Commander Nestira Aristren liked to think of herself as dignity personified. But dignity had a melting point, and clearly she had found it. Her carefully curated facade was abandoning ship in the form of sweaty streaks that raced down her temples, and a general disdain for every local who stared at her for a split second too long.

Despite the airy nature of the clothing she had chosen for her exploration of Roscessa’s capital city, the fabric clung to her with stubborn affection. And she smelled. Like someone who, well, very much wished she didn’t.

That said, the trip was certainly educational. The biggest takeaway was that Nestira would flat-out refuse another away mission with Rahelle, whose slanted smirk and apparent heat resistance did not make her feel any better in the slightest.

“I, for one, find it pleasant,” the Romulan told her Starfleet counterpart with deceptive sweetness, and demonstratively basked in the sunlight while Nestira tried to catch her breath.

Black spots blurred her vision, the water she had taken along was long gone, and even the shade felt useless and thin.

​“It makes one of us,” Nestira replied bitterly, and wiped the sweat from her brow.

​Rhaelle’s smirk warped into an expression so smug that Nestira was briefly considering throwing the empty water container at her. “Perhaps you should consider beaming back up to the ship. I can continue our exploration on my own. And much more efficiently.”

Rather than throwing anything, ​Nestira settled on shooting her an entirely unprofessional glare.

​“I will not. You will have to wait for me.”

​Rhalle snarled. “Fine. But you’re drawing unnecessary attention to us.”

​Nestira gave her a long, incredulous look. Then she gestured broadly at their surroundings.

Yes, they were drawing attention to themselves. Quite a bit, in fact. But her avoiding the sun wasn’t exactly the reason for that.

When locals had reflective skin and no hair whatsoever, two off-worlders – no matter their heat tolerance – were bound to stick out.

​“We are exotic,” Nestira said plainly.

​“Well, try being less exotic,” Rhalle replied, already turning down the street without waiting for Nestira to follow.

She did anyway. ​

​They had walked for another few minutes when Rhaelle slowed, waited for Nestira to join her, and lowered her voice. ​“We are being watched”

​Nestira blinked. “I am aware.”

​Rhalle rolled her eyes. “Not what I meant.” She leaned in and lowered her voice further. “Someone is following us.”

Nestira glanced over her shoulder. Oh. Yes. That.  

​“The local? He’s been following us for a while.”

​“And you’ve not said anything?” Rhaelle hissed.

​“I sense curiosity from him, nothing else,” Nestira said –  perhaps not with the level of apology Rhaelle would have appreciated. “And I wanted to see if he would approach us.”

​Rhalle muttered something under her breath, turned, and stormed towards the man, quickly closing the distance between them.

​“You,” she growled. “Why are you following us?”

​The local – a young man with handsome features and a frame that looked like it avoided conflict on principle – stumbled back and nearly tripped over his own feet.

“I…  w-… was just… c-…curious,” he stuttered.

​“Curious.” Rhalle echoed flatly. “I see.”

​Nestira tilted her head. Now that focus had shifted onto the man in front of her, she felt something else. There was curiosity, yes, but… There was… something. Something she couldn’t quite place.

She approached carefully.  ​“What is your name?”

​“V.. Vianh!” he squeaked, his voice leaping half an octave.

​“Well then, Vianh. We were looking for a guide anyway.” Nestira said, ignoring Rhaelle’s silent look of betrayal.

​Vianh brightened. “I…y…yeah! I can help!”

​“Perfect. What do you recommend?”

​“We have a destination,” Rhaelle grumbled. Nestira pretended not to hear.

​“Roscaa is beautiful,” Vianh replied eagerly. “The crystal mines are just outside the city. I could take you there. Or… “ He paused. Deliberately. “If you want to see what life here is like, we could go to one of the Gloaming Settlements. Though that’s probably boring for you.”

​“Gloaming Settlements?” Nestira asked.

​“T..they are near the border. To the dark.” He said, the statement accompanied by a slight shiver.

​“Oh… “ Nestira looked at Rhaelle. As much as she disliked the woman’s company, this wasn’t a decision she could make on her own.

Rhaelle considered. “Yes, I think we’d be interested in seeing those.”

​Vianh offered a smile. But then, as if just remembering a script, added, “I should warn you. It’s … it can be dangerous.”

​“Dangerous?” Nestira took the bait.

​“Yes. The Ry’kol are getting bolder. Raids have become more frequent.”

​Rehearsed, Nestira thought. That’s what it sounded like.

​“ I’m still sure we can defend ourselves. I think it might be useful for us to see the situation firsthand. “ Nestira said.  “Lead the way”

​Vianh gave an enthusiastic nod. As he moved ahead, Nestira and Rhaelle exchanged glances.

​“Is it really that bad?” Nestrira asked Vianh casually, once they had caught up.

​“I… yes. When I was young, those raids happened, but it was rare. But over the past years, they have become more frequent. Sometimes, even several times a growth cycle.”

​“A what?” Rhalle asked

​“The time it takes for the new uh, Nivis, to grow,” Vianh replied confidently.

​“Ah, I understand.” Nestira said politely, though she did not, and would have to consult the ship’s computer to get any understanding of whether this was more a matter of “days” or “months”.

​“Did you ever see them?” Rhaelle asked.

​Vianh’s neck markings flared ever so slightly. “The Ry’kol?”

​“Yes.”

​“I.. I did,” he whispered.. “When I was small. We l-… lived in one of the gloaming settlements, and we… we thought it was safe, but then…  I…“ his voice faltered.

​“I’m sorry,” Nestira said quickly. “ We shouldn’t have asked.”

​“I-.. It’s just… no one asked me before. But it was… a long time ago. Just a frightening memory.”

​“Those Rykol… what are they?” Nestira followed up. Gently.

​“They… children call them Nightlings. They live on the other side of the planet.”

​“That’s.. harsh temperatures,” Rhaelle noted. “I wouldn’t have thought anything humanoid could survive there. Let alone evolve.”

​Nestira nodded. It seemed odd. “What else do you know about them?”

​“They are savages. They don’t live as we do.” Vianh said. Scripted again. He continued. “They want our resources, which we would gladly share, but any kind of trade agreement has failed. There is no reasoning with them.”

​“I see,” Rhaelle said. “I can understand why your government is so eager for help to put an end to this.”

​Nestira nodded quietly. She couldn’t be sure, but she had the distinct impression that all three of them knew there was more to the story.