Ebb & Flow

Posted on Wed May 20th, 2015 @ 5:12pm by Admiral Lucius Hawke

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: SB900

* * * USS Andrews * * *

Marianna sat before a viewing portal as 900 came into view. It was an impressive sight, massive as it was, brightly lit, ships flying all around it like some giant beehive. She saw none of it, however. Her thoughts were already inside the station, circling around several people she would soon see. There was Lucius of course. His face as it had been so recently when they'd talked on Nahi's birthday rose in her thoughts. She had to admit that he only got more handsome with age. She wondered, yet again, just how it was possible that thirteen years had passed since their divorce. It seemed like just...months?

Now he had a second family complete with a little one. She supposed it wasn't so much a second family as it was just an extension of the first. Lucius, despite their differences, had never turned his back on her, nor she him. The time since the split had been relatively amicable, the two of them forever bound by their living children and the tragedy that had taken their son. And if Marianna was honest she liked Aia, found her a good match for Lucius even if she was quite a bit younger, and she adored the baby. Well, the baby was now a year old. Tempus fugit as they say.

And Li. Lucius had said she was off station but he expected her back any day now. Marianna hadn't seen Li in person since she was promoted to Captain. The news had been a proud moment for Marianna, despite her misgivings regarding Li following in Lucius' footsteps. At least this took Li out of the field, at least Marianna assumed so, and that was a huge relief. After that Rhys business, a position that seemed more 'safe' was a good thing in her opinion. Now if she could just get her older son Seren out of Intel, life would be good.

Then there was one Admiral Ricky Wegener. Marianna's tender expression gave way to a frown. He and Lucius were thick as thieves and thus any visit meant at least some interaction with Rick. Besides that it was his station, so avoiding him wasn't going to be all that easy. A shame he was such a pain in her ass - he'd been like a second father to Li and for that Marianna couldn't fault him. It was about the only thing she couldn't fault him for, though. He was crass and uncultured in her somewhat biased opinion, and had a mouth like a sailor. She just hoped Li wasn't picking up his bad habits while serving as his XO.

And then there was the real reason she was coming to 900. She had news for Lucius that she felt it better to deliver in person. She had no idea why she was so hesitant - it had been thirteen years since she'd sat Lucius down and they had come to the agreement that they had simply grown apart. As arranged marriages went, theirs had been a good one. There had been no other lovers; a Betazoid simply couldn't hide such a thing from another Betazoid. His career had become his lover and there was no competing with that. When Li and Nahi had entered the Academy, there were no longer kids at home so it seemed a good time to settle things and move on.

As for moving on, Lucius finally had, just two years ago. She had about given up hope that he ever would until Aia happened to cross his path once again. Now it was time Marianna did the same, which was the reason she was here. It had started with an unexpected conversation at an official function on Betazed where she'd encountered an old friend of Lucius' and a current colleague. Marianna had no idea how Lucius would take the news, especially considering his current situation but it was time.

She realized a crewman was standing there and had been for some time, afraid to interrupt her mental wandering.

"Yes, Mr. Gallo?"

He seemed surprised that she knew his name, but then it hit him. Duh...Betazoid... "We're docking, Ms. Hawke. You'll be on solid ground in five minutes."

"Thank you." Well, it was time to get this show on the road. Marianna rose to depart.

* * * SB900 * * *

Following the bombshell Robin had dropped when he visited, Lucius had tossed Rick out to get home to his new fiancee, for real this time, and now stood in the docking area. The docking chief had informed him that Marianna's transport was just docking, so he had a few minutes. The crew snapped to attention with his presence, greeting him as they passed to and fro. Beings that were arriving and departing flowed around him in a continuing tide, flowing in all directions.

And then suddenly, there she was. The crowd had parted and Marianna stepped from the umbilicus, pausing to scan the crowd. She looked wonderful but what had Lucius' breath caught in his throat was just how much alike she and Li looked now. Seeing Marianna in person gave him context and he now realized that Li looked almost exactly as Marianna had when they married. Time seemed to fold back on itself as she spotted him and smiled, then began to move forward. It seemed like yesterday .....

"Hello handsome." Marianna kissed Lucius' cheeks as he leaned down for her customary greeting.

"Marianna." He returned her smile as he looked her over. "I trust the trip was uneventful?"

"It was, though I confess to getting a little restless towards the end."

"It is a long way," Lucius agreed. "Come, I've arranged quarters for you and they will send your bags along." He offered his arm and led her out of the fray, away into a quieter corridor and to a turbolift.

"Is Li back yet?"

"No," Lucius answered, "but we did receive word that they had begun the trip home. It will take a few days for her to arrive, however."

"A few days? Are they on Romulus?" she joked as they entered the lift. Immediately she caught Lucius' thought and turned to face him. "Lucius? Tell me she's not...."

"I can honestly tell you she is not and has not been on Romulus in a few years. Don't worry."

"I thought she was done with such things now that she's Rick's XO." Marianna's tone was reproachful.

"It's rather a long story." Lucius gave her a reassuring smile. "But she and Oz are fine and coming home."

"Oz? You let Oz go to Romulan space?" Marianna was even more aghast now. "Honestly, Lucius, what were you thinking? Her mother would skin you alive."

Lucius had to laugh. "I never said they were in Romulan space." He looked at the panel, hoping they had reached deck 12. No luck.

"You didn't have to 'say' it." But Marianna gave him a good-natured nudge. "Remind me to speak to Aia about keeping a closer eye on you."

"Will do." He began the subtle process of closing off his thoughts, which earned him 'the look' from Marianna.

"Okay I get the point." Now it was her turn to smile. "Habit I suppose, even now." She fell silent, looking up at him and wondering once more where the time had gone. She missed the 'them' that they used to be, she realized, but that time was long gone, never to return. Things could be worse, she supposed. They'd managed to remain on good terms, relatively. She realized he was speaking and she turned her focus back to the here and now. "What's that?"

"An old friend of ours is here by some chance," Lucius repeated. "Tomas. He's actually the one conducting this investigation.

"You don't say." Now it was Marianna subtly closing off her own thoughts, though she knew he wasn't reading her. "Surely Tomas knows that this is all a sham? You and Rick may be a lot of things, but traitors and murders are not among those things."

"He does, but he still has to follow procedure." Lucius kept quiet regarding the details, or what Counselor Swift had discovered. "I suspect things will wrap up in another day or so. He will be pleased to find you are here."

"I'm sure." Marianna gave him an enigmatic smile as the lift doors open. Lucius waited for her to step out, then followed her. "Your quarters await. And Aia said to tell you that dinner will be at 1900, our quarters."

"Will Sakkath be there?" They stopped before the doors to her quarters and Lucius opened the door.

"He will, and is looking forward to meeting you in person finally. But now, I need to get back to business. Call if you need anything."

"Of course. See you tonight." She stood in the open doors, watching as he departed. Those words had been his standard good-bye since he'd graduated from the Academy. Some things never changed, it seemed. She stepped inside her quarters, closing the door behind her.

********************
Admiral Lucius Hawke
Marianna Hawke
Apart And Together