Coming To An Understanding

Posted on Sun May 3rd, 2015 @ 12:13am by Captain Li Hawke & Suresh & Commander Oralia Zeferino & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: The cha'Do' - The Neutral Zone

* * * The cha’Do’ - The Neutral Zone * * *

“Oz?” Li called back from her seat at the helm. “We’ll be entering the Neutral Zone in five. Is Suresh awake? If he is, get him up here.”

Suresh wasn't awake, but Oralia made sure he got up. "Com'n," she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him out of his bunk. "Time for you to play pilot."

He rose to consciousness somewhere between the bunk and his feet and rubbed his eyes. “ Good morning to you too Oz. How about a second to go to the Little Romulans’ room? Then i’ll be out.” He shook his head and mumbled. “If this is what Jackson and Sakkath have to put up with them, I suddenly sympathize.”

"Just wanted to make sure you were awake," she smoothed his shirt and turned on her heel to stride back out to the main room. "Li, he'll be up there in a few minutes."

“Good enough. Darwin crashed out a few hours ago but he will likely want to be up for this. How’d you sleep?” Li checked the panel before her, then turned back to Oz. “I didn’t see much of anything except a few riders that didn’t give us a second look.”

To wake Darwin, Oz buzzed his comm. "I didn't sleep very well. Maybe because Jackson isn't here. Or... something. You?"

Li nodded. “I don’t sleep well with Sakkath gone either. And now they’re returning home and we’re out here. It gets a little empty in my head. I also dreamed of...the past. Finding you in that room down below. “ Li shook her head.

Suresh had appeared behind them, but remained silent as they spoke. He rested a hand on Li’s shoulder for a moment and she moved over, leaving the pilot’s seat for him.

Oz didn't miss the intimate touch. Or Li's reference to the time when Suresh had shorn her hair and nearly gotten her off of 900. She shuddered as she repressed the urge to knock this Suresh's head off.

Li caught Oz’s reaction and spoke softly. “Soon, Oz. It will be over.”

Now it was Suresh who spoke up, though his gaze was on the panel before them. “You might want to speak to Darwin, Oz. He seems a little concerned about your plans for that other Suresh.”

"Is he?" Oz sounded unconcerned, though she did leave the cockpit. "Li? Want something to eat?"

“I do.” She stood and stretched, then followed Oz through and to the stairs down. Up front, they could now hear Suresh speaking into the comm in Romulan. “What do you have in mind? And did you know there’s a small targ pit on this thing?”

"Yeah. Originally, that's where I wanted to stow Suresh. Darwin kept me from doing it." She flashed a smile at Li. "What do I have in mind? For breakfast? Eggs and salsa, some hashed potatoes. Coffee. You?"

“Better fix a big batch of that. The men folk will be drooling.” Li laughed aloud as they descended the stairs. “I swear, Jackson rubs off on you if you talk to him for five minutes.” She jumped over the last three steps. “So how does it feel to be where no Fleetie is supposed to go?”

At first, Oz wasn't sure what Li meant. "Oh, the Neutral Zone? Feels just like any other bit of space." They'd reached the kitchen galley and Oz started pulling ingredients out. "Do you really think we'll be able to find Suresh and haul him back to Elba?"

“I think we will. Honestly Oz? I think he will expect us to come looking and while he enjoys some cat and mouse maneuvering, I think in the end he will ‘let’ us find him. You know as well as I do that we are a magnet Suresh can’t resist.” Li frowned for a moment. “The original one that is.”

"Yeah. This one creeps me out with his politeness. Did you hear him when I hauled him out of bed? The real Suresh would have cursed a blue streak." She chuckled.

“It is strange, isn’t it?”

"Mmhmm," Oz put a pan on the stove and started cooking.

After a moment, Darwin, dressed in just boxer shorts and a T-shirt, wandered into the galley, yawning. "Wow. That smells great."

“The master is at the stove, Darwin.” Li smiled up at him. “So how was your beauty sleep? Ready for a day of adventure as we enter Romulan space and you prepare to swear you are a Maquis?”

"Yes! This is awesome! The adventure! Sleeping on a bunk that's actually long enough for me. Bliss!" He grinned and took a seat, missing Oz's somewhat scandalized look at his attire.

"Breakfast'll be ready in a few minutes. Coffee?"

"Yes, ma'am," he accepted a mug from Oz. "We're in the Zone, yeah?"

“We are as of a few minutes ago. Suresh has already handled the first inquiry.” Li poured coffee for Oz and handed it over, then filled two more mugs. “We should hit Nelvana III in a couple of hours tops, barring any problems.”

Bacon sizzled and Oz sipped her coffee. "We'll go over our stories again before we get there."

"Right," Darwin watched her, hoping for a moment to talk with just her. He looked at Li, knowing she'd get the message.

Li nodded and took her mug and the other. “Be right back, Suresh might want this while it’s still hot.” She began to ascend the stairs, leaving Oz and Darwin in the kitchen.

Darwin cleared his throat, readying to ask Oz, but she spoke first, "You've been talking to Suresh about what I intend to do with Suresh when we find him?"

"Ah, I have. Oz, you killed the guy who killed Chase and now you're planning to do the same to Suresh."

She could have lied, said she had just defended herself, but Darwin knew better. Granted, she hadn't planned that death. The opportunity had simply been there. "You think I'm going down a slippery slope."

He nodded.

She plated eggs, bacon and potatoes on four plates. "Will it make you feel better if I say the plan is to put him back in Elba's facility?" When he nodded, so did she. "Then that's what we'll plan on doing." She handed him a plate.

* * *

Li crossed back through the main deck and held out a coffee mug to Suresh. “Ready to face the day?”

He smiled back at Li as she sat in the co-pilot’s seat. “Thanks. A little of this and I will be.” He paused to look at her a moment. “Have you slept?”

“I intend to after we eat. Now that you all are awake, and we have a little time before we get to Nelvana III, I promise I’ll crash for a bit.”

“Good. We are going to need you well-rested when we finally track him down.” He didn’t use the other Suresh’s name - it felt so odd - but they both knew who he meant. “You know how he is, you have to be a step ahead of him, Li.”

She nodded and sipped her coffee. “I will be. I know how he thinks and where his weak spots are. I also know what will trigger him and those things are going to be Oz and Darwin. He will want revenge. He won’t harm me unless things get desperate. As for you? He’ll want you dead without question. He sees you as competition in that addled brain of his. It’s twisted I know.”

“Maybe,” was Suresh’s only comment as he turned his attention to the conn. “We’ll be arriving at Nelvana III in a little over two hours. Why don’t you eat and hit the bunk? I’ll wake you if anything comes up.”

“I will.” Li stood and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

* * *

Footsteps on the stairs heralded Li’s return. “Is it ready? I could smell the deliciousness all the way up front.”

"Grab a plate," Oz said. "This time, I'll take Suresh his food." She headed out of the galley carrying two plates.

Up above, Suresh was still at the helm and all seemed quiet. “That smells great Oz,” he said without turning around.

"Yeah, benefit of being married to a southern boy: I've learned to cook some basics. Anything happening out there?"

“We’ve cleared the first hurdle. A patrol challenged us but since I speak the language, he lost interest. We should be clear till we hit Nelvana III.” He took a bite of the food and once it was down, he smiled. “This is amazing. Jackson is a lucky fellow.”

"And I'm a lucky girl," she answered. "We need to make sure we keep you straight from the other Suresh. How do you think we should do that?" She had her own ideas, but knew he wouldn't appreciate most of them since they involved cutting pieces of this one off.

“Li will be able to tell,” he said between bites. “But that doesn’t help you and Darwin. A code word perhaps? Something the other one wouldn’t know?”

"You've met Iggy, haven't you?"

“Only briefly before she left the station. Why?” Suresh finished his breakfast in short order and resisted licking the plate clean.

"Left the station," Oz laughed ruefully. "She stowed away because my brother was on that ship. She's a hazard to her own longevity. Did you have kids in the other reality?"

“No. And no one to come home to like you have Jackson, either. Sometimes you feel connections to people and it doesn’t work out. They are lost for various reasons.” Suresh shrugged. “And sometimes you get a second chance when you least expect it. So that’s me….in no man’s land. Or no woman’s land maybe?” He smiled finally. “You never know what will turn up though do you?”

"No, you don't. Seyla and Suresh were close. Perhaps following up with her might bring you out of no man's land."

“You’re joking, right? She and I hardly see eye to eye. I think she’s still hung up on the other one. Or maybe the one Seyla truly loves is herself.” He shook his head. “We will see I suppose. And what about this code word idea?”

"Isn't that what we're working on now?" She glanced at him. "Iggy likes to call Admiral Wegener the Big Kahuna."

Suresh nodded. “That should work just fine. He’s not likely to know this, is he? I gather from Li and our time on the other 900 that he had issues with the Admiral.” He paused a moment as he regarded Oz. “Did she ever tell you much about her time there?”

"Ha, Suresh and Wegener are not each other's fans, no. I doubt Suresh would know what Iggy calls the admiral." She stared into her coffee mug a moment. "Li told me a little about what happened over there."

Suresh considered her words, then he spoke softly. “Let’s just say that she has reasons to want him gone, as do you. I know what he did to you too. Sometimes, these little mind connections of hers work both ways, you know? All I’m saying is that I understand where you two are coming from. I know Darwin has reservations, but I...I won’t stop you.”

"No, you won't. Just don't be in the way, either." Oz stood, gathering his plate and hers. "I'll try to ask about Iggy first, of course." She smiled and headed back to the galley.

*******************
Captain Li Hawke
Coming Off The Night Shift

Commander Oralia Zeferino
Coming Around

Lt. M. Darwin
Coming In Casual

Suresh
Coming Closer