All Work And No Play?

Posted on Mon Jul 18th, 2011 @ 8:43pm by Captain Li Hawke & Lieutenant Norval Tigan

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: SB900 Promenade
Timeline: Following 'A Welcome Visit'

Li left her quarters after Sara departed and made her way to Ops. The lower-ranked crewmen snapped to attention as Li entered but she smiled and gave them a wave to relax as she moved over to Norval.

"Long time no see. You know they say about all work and no play, Norval."

"Why, Lieutenant Commander, have I become a dull boy? Professor Drake might disagree." Norval smiled in that innocently impish way of his as he turned to face Li. "As for work, well, you can thank your husband's absence for that."

"I heard about you two dancing, a pity I missed it. I'm sure Sakkath will be sorry as well." She smiled back at Norval. "When is your shift over? I"ve been visitng with the CIO from the Iapetus and haven't had dinner yet."

"Well, we'll call it a working meal, then," the Trill replied, locking down his terminal and scooping up a PADD with a flourish.

"Thornton, Zor'yea, wrap up the tactical diagnostic while I'm gone," he said as he stood, pointing out two of the gold-collared non-coms in Ops as he did. Norval then offered the crook of his arm to Li.

"Shall we?" he invited.

Slipping her hand onto his arm, she smiled once more. "We shall." They departed Ops, and Li held any further conversation till the doors closed behind them. "So where are we working on dinner?"

Norval offered her the PADD he held in his free hand. "These are the intelligence dumps from the Melbourne, the Iapetus and the Arizona. Encrypted, even on the main computer, so I couldn't tell you what they're about, but I'm sure you'll want to see them. So, to answer your question, we will be working in this turbolift. And now we can eat wherever you like," he added with a grin.

"Thanks." Li slid the padd into her pocket as she turbolift doors closed. "I 'll look this over. The Iapetus is departing already but I got Commander Archer up to speed at least on what we have now - from a personal perspective. It always helps shine some light on computerized reports." She paused only a moment before asking her next question. "So were you really dancing with Claudia?"

"When the dragon begs her due, you do not refuse her." Norval had not been the first cadet to take Drake for dragon, though most were wise enough not to call the Professor such to her face. He half-laughed. "She dragged me away from the Doc and Oz, said I was interrupting something. Scared off EE, too, heh. You should have been there," he commented. "Almost the whole gang back together, save those who shipped off."

"I really wanted some time to talk to Sara before they shipped out. Next time I promise and you can dance with me." She gave him a curious look. "EE?"

"The one I was supposed to be dancing with. You know Edwards, from Security?" he asked as they strolled the promenade. They passed a Vulcan restaurant, but Norval didn't even give it a second look. Too somber an atmosphere, he reasoned.

"Oh yes. Nice fellow." She turned serious for an instant. "And far better for you than....you know."

Norval looked at her in confusion for a moment before he took her meaning. "Oh, right... well, no need to dwell on that, is there? I think we're both better off." He gave her hand a friendly squeeze.

Much better off...

The thought rose in her mind and unconsciously she pushed it to Norval. It was easy with him, given the Trill's limited telepathic abilities. Her fingers tightened on his arm as they continued their stroll. A few people here and there glanced at them in passing, some smiling in greeting, others more curious at Li holding his arm.

"Are you happier here? Being back on the station?" She looked up at him, curious herself now.

The Trill considered that for a moment, smiling at passers-by. "More comfortable, perhaps," he said at length. "Honestly, it barely felt like I had left," he admitted with a casual laugh. "We never even made it out of the system, did we?"

"No. All hell broke loose, too much danger and death and almost-death. Two weddings and a funeral, ironic, no?"

"The weddings are more fun," Norval countered. "And at least here, we have all manner of things to avail ourselves of. Almost too many... I've no idea what I want to eat." Whether a result of his own indecision, the myriad of options or the seven conflicting personal tastes that constituted Tigan, he wasn't sure.

"I know a great Chinese place." Li pointed across the promenade to a red door. "We can talk and catch up without having to shout over the noise. And I can always get a table, guaranteed."

The pair began to move that way, Norval cracking his usual jokes. "Always get a table, eh? What do you have on the owner, Spymaster?" he wondered aloud.

"What? You don't think it's my winning personality?" She grinned up at him. "Am I really that scary?"

As they reached the restaurant, the doors flew open and a tall being, a Delta Quadrant local from the looks of him, barreled through, knocking the small CIO off her feet. The male stopped as if just now realizing what he'd done, examining Li with careful scrutiny.

Norval went to his knee, offering a hand to help Li up. He'd been around people a long time, despite his 27 years of life, thanks to his symbiont. He was aware of the pause, the lack of motion behind him, and the sense of scrutiny.

"It's an apology you're looking for, I'm sure," the Trill prompted without looking at their accidental assailant. "Are you all right," he asked, directing that much at Li.

"Been through worse, no harm done." She reached for Norval's hand to get up but the unknown male bumped him aside and hauled Li to her feet. With little more than a grunt, he hurried off, leaving Li and Norval looking after him.

"Huh, I guess I am that scary," she commented. "Sorry you got manhandled though."

"I usually enjoy that," Norval chuckled, brushing himself off as he found his feet, but that entire encounter had left a bad taste in his mouth. Knocking over a Lieutenant Commander on a Federation starbase should have warranted more concern... but maybe they weren't as welcome here as the Trill may have believed. Unbidden, he hoped that things were going well with the away mission, drawing his thoughts away from the here and now on the promenade.

"I hope so too, Norval," she answered, reading his thoughts. "Something about this all has me on edge and I'll be glad when it's over. Like that guy. He wanted to see me specifically, but I don't know why. I've never seen him before and I didn't pick up anything else." She shrugged, filing away the image of his face for now. "Shall we go in?"

Norval did his best to smile, to file away his concerns. Even bad thoughts made for bad company in the presence of a Betazoid. "Sure... this better be a great table," he quipped.

"I promise, though I'll likely be explaining why I'm having dinner with another man. Still..." she gave Norval an appraising look. "I'll put in a good word for you. You and Lao have a lot in common."

Hard not to, Norval thought, when you've lived so many lives. "That sounds like the start of a very long evening," though, was what he said, managing a genuine grin as they went inside.


**********
Lt. Commander Li Hawke
Chief Intelligence Officer
Swept Off Her Feet

Lt. (j.g.) Norval Tigan
Asst. Chief of Operations
Manhandled