On The Road Again: Part Two

Posted on Mon Nov 11th, 2013 @ 12:16pm by James Holbridge

STARBASE 174
EN ROUTE TO SOLARIA WORMHOLE

The Missouri touched down gently inside the cavernous landing bay of Starbase 174. In the cockpit, Jim went about the shutdown sequence with a practiced efficiency. As he stood to leave, he noticed the message light blinking. During the flight, Jim had deactivated the ship’s subspace message relay systems, not wanting to be bombarded with constant intelligence dispatches and updates. Jim tabbed the control and was shocked to see a message from his ex-wife. “Computer, play message,” Jim ordered.

Hello, James, said the voice of Tricia Holbridge. It has been awhile since we spoke, and we didn’t part on the best of terms. For that, I am sorry but at the time I truly believed I was doing the right thing in allowing you to pursue whatever it was you were looking for in the Gamma Quadrant. That being said, I will be waiting for you at Starbase 174. There are some things we need to talk about.

Jim shook his head and sighed, wondering why in the hell he didn’t let himself get shot that day.

MINERVA’S RESTAURANT
PROMENADE, STARBASE 174

Holbridge walked into the restaurant wearing casual clothing, his ponytail hanging below his shoulders. He was a bit scruffy after a few days with no shave, but he had trimmed the scruff into an acceptable goatee. His holey jeans and polo shirt completed his wardrobe choice along with a pair of boots.
“Your party is expecting you, Mr. Holbridge,” The hostess said, gesturing towards a table. Jim looked past the table and saw the smiling face of his ex-wife, dressed to the nines in a simple outfit of jeans and a blue top. Patricia Jean Holbridge waved to him, and his heart momentarily fluttered. At least she is smiling, a definite improvement from the last time we saw each other.
Holbridge walked over to where Tricia stood and stopped down to hug her and was pleasantly surprised when she hugged him tightly and didn’t let go for several moments. Jim held onto her, feeling some of the tension he had held onto for so long leave him.
“It’s good to see you, Bouncer,” Tricia whispered to him.
“It’s good to be seen,” Jim smiled, sitting down across the table from her. “Have any trouble finding the place?”
“Wiseass!” Tricia laughed. “I took the liberty of ordering some wine, some O’Bannon’s 2278.” O’Bannon’s Reserve was what Marine aviators drank, but it had been nearly a year since Holbridge had drank anything.
“You know I quit drinking, right?” Jim said as she filled his glass.
“Commander Gilroy kept me up to date on the important events of your life these past ten years,” Tricia said, sipping her wine, “including what he told you about Wyatt.”
Jim sat in silence, thinking about how his former CO had bawled him out and sent him packing for making inquiries about the fate of his brother. “As I recall, you didn’t see things like that when I went to search for him.”
“I knew in my heart he was gone and you were only going to get yourself killed, but you wouldn’t listen to anyone and had to find him. I left you because I thought it would be easier…easier on me and the children…” Tricia’s voice broke and tears ran down her face.
Jim crossed over to the other side of the table to sit next to Tricia, taking her hand in his. “You did what you thought was right. Let’s not forget you found Michael and were happy with him. I thought you would have married him by now. Academics make damn good husbands, ya know.”
“So do Marine fighter pilots!” Tricia smiled at him, wiping her face, “Especially the ones who form their own private strike team and search for their brothers against all odds!”
Jim smiled at that. He had intended to resign from the Corps after he was told he was being court-martialed. His CO, Colonel Quince Morgan, had convinced him to take a leave of absence and handle what he needed to handle in his life. Not long after forming his strike team, Tricia up and left him suddenly, telling Jim she no longer loved him and had found a new man.
“I don’t know anyone like that!” Jim grinned at her.

Dinner progressed quickly, and Jim found himself enjoying Tricia’s company more and more as the evening progressed. It had been awhile since he had been this relaxed, and Jim wondered what Tricia was going to do next. “How are the kids?” Jim asked between bites of delicious prime rib.
“The girls are doing fine, both of them are learning how to be artists, and your son took a job with your dad’s company as an ore sled pilot.” Tricia grinned at him, enjoying the look of shock on her ex-husband’s face.
“That’s my boy!” Jim smiled. “I’m glad the girls take after you.”
“They are on the station with me, Jimmy,” Tricia’s smile grew wider. “Would you like to see them?”

TRICIA’S GUEST QUARTERS

“Daddy!” the twin Holbridge girls squealed in unison and ran towards their father, enveloping him in their arms. A short time later, a new pair of arms found their way around Jim’s trunk. Holbridge looked down to see his son holding him tightly.
“Missed you, Old Man!” the boy whispered, fighting back tears.
“Missed you too, Little Man!” Jim said quietly, fighting his own emotions.
Tricia stood off to the side, watching her kids reconnect with their father. It was a long time coming and needed to happen. She knew what she had planned was right, for all of the people in the room. She quietly slipped her wedding band that Jim had bought her on and went to join her family, now on the sofa.
“What do you do now, Daddy?” Kimberly Holbridge asked, her voice bubbling with excitement.
“I sit in an office, read reports, and write reports in response. Pretty boring.” Jim replied, holding his daughters on his lap.
“I remember all the stories you told us about racing empty sleds. Grandpa’s bosses get mad when I do it!” JD groused.
“Those sleds are expensive to maintain, son!”
“That’s what Grandpa said, too!” JD replied, disgust in his voice.
“Okay, you little Indians; off to bed! Daddy and I need to talk some more.” Tricia said firmly.
After some cajoling and a firm command from their father, the children retired to their temporary rooms. Jim and Tricia sat in the living room, enjoying each other’s company. “Last time we were alone like this was back when I was in the 214th. Seems like a long time ago.”
“It was,” Tricia agreed. “a lot has happened to us since then. After you left, I found Mike and I thought we were going to make things work, but things didn’t work that way…”
Jim held up his hand. “I haven’t been celibate the last ten years…but none of it meant as much as you did to me. When I was fighting the Jem’Hadar, infiltrating god-knows-who, or even all the boring, bullshit training exercises I did; none of it meant a damned thing because I didn’t have you and the kids with me.”
“Jim,” Tricia said softly, “I want you to come home…”
Holbridge looked at his ex-wife, seeing the emotion in her eyes, swimming in those dark, luminous brown eyes. “I want to come home and be with you and our children…but there is a slight wrinkle. I am heading to the Solarian Wormhole and eventually Starbase 900, and that is in the Delta Quadrant.”
Tricia’s smile grew wider. “What a coincidence! Your father is expanding his operations in the Delta Quadrant and received several new contracts from the Archadian government to mine for several elements, including dilithium, and other more exotic minerals. Guess who he asked to be the liaison to the Archadian government? Given that Archadia Prime’s government is matriarchal, who better than a woman to oversee the operation?”
“That all sounds good, honey, but how much do you actually know about xenogeology or even the Archadians themselves?” Jim asked earnestly.
“Your mother and father have been very helpful in teaching me what I need to know.” Tricia grinned impudently at him. “I have been living with your parents for the past six years while you were in deep cover missions. It was your father’s idea.”
Holbridge had to smile. His father had often told him how glad he was that Tricia had wandered into his life. “So do you have housing arrangements made?”
“The Archadians are providing me with a large house directly adjacent to the mining grounds,” Tricia answered. “Your father even hired my own private security force!”
“I guess that would be my cue!” said a new, gravelly voice. Jim looked over his ex-wife’s shoulder and saw a very familiar face in black utilities grinning widely at him. “Did you miss me, flyboy?”
“I’ll be damned! David!” Jim went over to shake his friend’s hand only to be deflected into a bear hug. “How the hell did you con my old man into hiring you?”
Lorenz released Holbridge, holding him at arm’s length. “My mom retired from gubernatorial life and Arjem didn’t want his little brother hanging around the Dormeili Palace, so I struck out on my own. Your father hired our entire force to serve as security for the Archadian facility. The Archadians volunteered some of their own people to supplement my force, too.”
“Leave it to you to recruit Amazons into a para-strike team!” Jim laughed. “You obviously didn’t learn very much from your encounter with Te’Ciala, did you?” Lorenz had been involved with a Klingon female, Te’Ciala after rescuing her from a slave trading ring during their eighteen month campaign to rescue Holbridge’s father. Te’Ciala eventually joined Nova Team and became a fierce hand-to-hand combat specialist, often serving as instructor for the group. Her loss shortly after Holbridge’s departure was a blow to the entire team, Lorenz in particular as he and her and become lovers.
“She taught us all a lot, buddy,” David said quietly. “She died well, saving our asses in Breen space.”
Tricia spoke up. “I think that I will do fine as Holbridge Mining’s representative to Starfleet and CEO of delta quadrant operations as long as I have my private security team led by my husband’s best friend….”
“Hold it, I’m still your ex-husband.” Jim interrupted.
“Not quite, monkey boy!” Tricia smiled. “You sent me divorce papers that I never signed. The decree never went through, although I am sure Gilroy told you they did.”
“That sonofabitch!” Jim cursed.
“It’s over and done with, and the important thing is I am back where I belong.” Tricia pulled an isolinear chip from a pocket and handed it to Jim. “Updated Starfleet orders, honey.”
Jim’s head was still whirling from the news that he and his wife were still married. “Did you read them?”
“Encrypted, baby. Sorry.”
Holbridge took the iso-chip and plugged it into a terminal. “Play message; authorization: Holbridge Alpha-India-India-eight-eight-one-four-tango.”
Master Chief Warrant Officer Holbridge, your previous transit orders are rescinded as of this stardate. You are hereby ordered to utilize the USS Missouri as an escort vessel for the SS Golden Goose along the Solarian Wormhole transit corridor to Starbase 900. All other orders are in full effect. Message ends. Gilroy. The computer’s female voice said.
“Authenticate,” Holbridge said quickly.
Empire, Silent Lucidity
“Promised Land, Damaged.” Holbridge replied instantly. Voiceprint authentication ciphers were based solely on the operator’s preferences of music or other media, in this case on Holbridge’s preference for an early 21st Century band Queensryche.
Authentication sequence complete, the computer replied.
Jim pulled the chip, its memory purged of any and all Intelligence-related data. “Looks like Gilroy set this little soiree up pretty well,” Jim said bitterly, glaring at Dave and Tricia. “Is this for real or just another Gilroy-spun line of shit?”
“Honey, what I feel is real,” Tricia said, putting her hand on his arm. “Gilroy had nothing to do with what I have said.”
“Then who in the blue hell came up with this scheme?”
“Actually it was Intelligence Command who came up with t his, and put your transfer into motion,” Dave answered. “They contacted us through Gilroy three weeks ago to see where things stood with Tricia and me in regard to you. If there had been tension, another tack would have been used. This way, you get your family back, your best pal near you to keep you safe, and a plum assignment in the Delta Quadrant.”
“Gilroy was a jerk, but he always had your best interests in mind, baby,” Tricia said soothingly. “He was who I talked to to learn anything about you these past ten years.”
Jim looked into his ex-wife’s eyes, seeing the truth and hearing it in her voice. “Okay, I’ll trust you, he said softly, pressing his lips to hers.
Lorenz stifled a chuckle as he left the suite.
END PART TWO

MWO JAMES D. HOLBRIDGE
Getting His Life Back