Seeing The Sun Rise - Part I

Posted on Sat Mar 19th, 2016 @ 12:14pm by Captain Li Hawke & Maxym Balasz

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: XO's Quarters / Archadia

* XO’s Quarters *

The memorial service was a good one. In addition to Admiral Wegener’s words, Li had chosen to have Norval speak and what he’d said was incredibly moving. She had managed to keep her composure, but she was sure Darwin’s hand was bruised from being squeezed too tight. Now, home alone, she felt free to let go and the tears flowed for some time as she said a final goodbye. Finally, she rose from the portal and turned towards the bedroom. It was time to pack for her days on Archadia, and change clothes. Before she could take a step, however, the chime rang.

When she answered it, Maxym smiled at her and cautiously hugged her. “I’m packed; Riley and Grax are helping Menna while we’re gone. Are you... are you okay?”

Li nodded and drew him inside. Once the doors closed, she hugged him tight once again. “Just letting out what I couldn’t at the service,” she answered. “I still need to change and throw together some things, since I’m staying on with Oz.”

“Okay. I packed light; I figured there would be a replicator on site. Plus, it’s one night,” he chuckled, displaying some of his nervousness.

“True, and a private beach.” She smiled, prodded him in the chest, then crossed to her bedroom. She continued the conversation as she began to put casual clothes in a bag. “Why are you nervous, Max?” she called out. “It’s not like you don’t know me.”

“That’s why I am nervous. If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t care and I wouldn’t be nervous. But that isn’t the case. It’s a big thing, Li - and your husband is barely... well... barely gone.” He rubbed the back of his head.

“Does Menna know where you are going?” Li could picture the old woman gleefully shooing Max out the door with her hopes of finally joining the two families. The image brought forth a giggle that turned into peals of laughter.

He had caught her thoughts on that and laughed as well. “She does know where we’re going, but she didn’t gleefully shoo me out the door. Mostly because I was at the service and then went for a cup of coffee rather than go back to her quarters. The guys took her back. I chatted for a few minutes with Kh’ali.”

“Good. I think you’ll enjoy working with her. She’s somewhat unusual in the diplomatic field but she has a way of getting what she wants. Have you met Ambassador Zee’Hrai from Divitia? He’s back for a bit and an important ally here.” She closed the bag, then unzipped her dress to change.

“I understand the Station might be in need of allies soon,” he said, turning to give her some privacy as she changed. He could have left the room, but... he didn’t.

“We are hoping it’s unneeded precautions but better prepared than surprised.” She pulled on a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt, then hefted her bag to her shoulder. She was suddenly anxious to get off the station as soon as possible. “Ready to go?”

“Yes,” he headed for the door, where he stopped and said, “Ugh.. I forgot something.”

“Oh? Is it something you can replicate once we are there?” She stopped at the terminal to send a note to Lucius, reminding him to keep an eye on her orchids. “Now I’m ready.”

“No, this can’t be replicated,” he said, catching her arm and pulling her close for a searingly sexy kiss. “At least I hope it can’t be replicated.”

“You have a point.” She smiled, her lips brushing his as she spoke. It was their first real, ‘more than a friend’ kiss and it had blazed a path through her that set her alight. “I think we just crossed that line, Max.”

“I believe we did. Let’s get to Archadia,” he said.

* Archadia *

Li had no idea what would happen now that they were here but she was more than glad to be off the station, and to have Max with her and without Menna listening in. She knew her father was curious too, and she really didn’t want the attention. It was the main reason she hadn’t called her mother, though she appreciated the fact that Menna hadn’t jumped ahead and called Marianna. She dropped her bag on the bed and stretched, reveling in the quiet broken only by the soft murmur of the waves breaking on the beach.

“I can see why Suresh likes it here so much. Privacy...no one looking at me with that awful expression that says they don’t know what to say, feeling terrible for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love it that they care but it’s good to be away.”

Max made a soft noise of agreement in his throat. He had left his bag in the foyer; he’d move it later. “Take a walk on the beach? Are you hungry?”

“Yes and no, in that order.” She pushed open the glass door in the bedroom that faced the beach, took Max’s hand and stepped out. “I feel like there’s no one here for miles. Isn’t it great?”

He nodded; he and Li were already starting to share thoughts without thinking about it. He took a deep breath of the Archadian air and, smiling, looked around them. As they took the stairs to the beach, he paused and looked back, mildly troubled by something, though he couldn’t put a finger on it. “Does Suresh let out his villa often? To just anyone?”

Li shook her head. “I think only him and Six use it. He’s a little protective of his privacy down here. Why?”

“Just curious,” he shook his head. “After all, I’d hate to run into” Darwin “certain people here.”

“Picking up someone lurking in the bushes?” she joked, then her expression turned serious. “Are you worried about Darwin?”

“Unless we have a watcher who is Ferengi, either one of us could sense someone in the bushes,” he laughed. Then he, too, turned serious. “Darwin does concern me. And not just because he’s a teensy bit muscular and tall and intimidating and could likely mop the floor with me. Easily. Those security types do run to a type, don’t they? Not all, of course... I met his CO, Oralia, at the service. She’s certainly not intimidating.” He realized how that sounded and mentally explained it away with a fast thought. “But Darwin was there for you when you needed someone; he stepped in without considering any danger.”

“He did, yes, and it was almost too much for him, mentally at least. But Darwin and I have a close bond, along with Oz and Suresh. It comes from a long time serving together, and a very dangerous mission that took us into Romulan space and almost got Oz killed by a madman with an obsession for me - one that his counterpart here doesn’t seem to share. But Darwin is just a friend and certainly not the settling down type, at least not that he would admit.” Darwin certainly didn’t need a Betazoid, that was certain.

“Maybe he does need a Betazoid - someone who can read his emotions and intents,” Max said then admitted, “I read him a bit more than might have been polite at the service.”

“Do I want to know?” she asked. “Should I know?”


“Eh, no, he’s protective of you. Goes with his position in Security. He likes an Orion right now, but won’t admit how much. He’s afraid to,” Max shrugged. “See? A Betazoid could read right past that and know what he’s hiding.”

“I do know, remember?” She reached up, resting her palm to his cheek. “There is something you should know before we move forward.” She took his hand and they began to walk along the beach, down near the water’s edge. It was nearing sunset and the wet sand beneath their feet felt cool and fresh, so far from Starfleet-issue carpet.

“That sounds distressing, Li. What should I know?”

“It concerns Darwin,” she began. “And a proposal of sorts that doesn’t go beyond friendship. He wants to take me back to the canyon down here same time next year.” She passed to him the reasoning behind it, since it was faster than talking. “What do you think?”


“Will the Orion he’s seeing stand for that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really have a handle on how things are with those two. As you saw, he often says one thing and feels another. He and I have made it through a difficult time and it was good. But be honest, please?”

“Honest? I’d feel jealous and ...I don’t know what else, Li. We don’t know where we’ll be in a year. We can leave the discussion till then, my dear.” He bent and picked up a flat shell then skipped it across the water’s surface. “A year from now, you might not want to re-enact your time with Darwin; or he might not. Either way, it’s not my place to say you can’t do what you want.”

“That’s fair,” she agreed. And it was. A year was a long time away and as Sokar had impressed upon her, the future may never come. A sudden upswelling of emotion hit her and she stepped in front of him, pulling him down for a kiss. “Does that help?”

Putting his forehead on hers, he nodded, “Though I’m not sure what it’s supposed to help. I’m kinda clear on how you feel about me.”

“Are you?” Her smile returned. “That’s part of why we are here, alone, without all the onlookers. So you and I can figure things out without an audience, or parents making plans. That would be Menna and my mother. Dad is hopeful but not pushing, thank goodness.”

“You talked to your mother, then? I’m sure Menna has contacted mine,” he laughed. “I thought we were here to fool around without our voyeuristic neighbor listening in.”

“That too. All part of figuring things out isn’t it?” Li laughed as they began to walk again. “No, I haven’t called Mom, that was me predicting what will happen. You know as well as I do that she will be overjoyed. She always liked you better anyway.”

“Funny how we all just went along, knowing it wasn’t the right thing, but not saying a damned thing because tradition was tradition,” he had a note of bitterness in his voice.

Li nodded in agreement. “Counselor Swift has heard much about my anger and resentment over that, not all of it directed at my parents or yours. Most of it was me berating myself for blindly following along, even when I began to see signs that not all was right in Rhys’ world. That was before I met Sakkath. It went back that far.”

“I imagine so,” he said. He held her hand tightly as they walked. “Still, if we had said something, we wouldn’t have the lives we have now. My son; your love with Sakkath; your career; my career.”

“Sokar made it clear that I can’t live in the past, so neither can you. We take the parts we need and move on. For us, it’s the feelings we’ve always had that we couldn’t make known. Now...we can.” Li was quiet for a moment. “I don’t know how fast this will go or anything yet….but we’ll figure it out.”

They walked in comfortable silence for a while before turning and heading back to the villa. Once back at the villa, still without feeling the need to talk - they were telepathic after all, they set about making dinner, moving about the kitchen in a quiet dance. Each knew what the other was doing, where they were about to be and what they needed. Every few moments, one would kiss the other or they’d laugh about a shared thought.

“This is the best I’ve felt in days,” she admitted. Better even than with Darwin. That should put you at ease.

Nice of you to say, Li, Max smiled and put the finishing touches on the plates. “Let’s eat. We can be like humans and talk during dinner, if you wish. I suppose you’re used to that aren’t you?”

“Well, in general, though often at home we….never mind.” They were not ‘home’ and this wasn’t her past. “But Dad and I are so often around non-telepaths that talking becomes habit. And I wasn't just being nice, it’s the truth.”

He laughed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have used that phrase. I meant ‘nice of you to say’... well... I already knew you were happier here than with Darwin.” This was a downfall of being around a telepath.

“Good, though now you see why we often stick to mental communication. Sometimes, though, hearing it out loud has special value.” Gently she stroked his thoughts, hoping to ease his nerves.

They ate in silence, occasionally vocalizing appreciation of the food and wine, but were otherwise comfortable with each other. As they finished their meal, Maxym asked Li, “Have you been alone, Li?”

“Depends on how you mean,” she answered. “Up until I took the spot on the Berkeley, then soon moved to 900, I always was. Being in the field, that’s a fact of life. I’ve actually been alone more than ‘with’ if that’s what you mean. Why?”

He thought about his own question. “I was thinking you’d been with Rhys before the Berkeley...not that he was a stellar example of a love interest. And then in love with Sakkath so quickly and now... me.” He shrugged, carrying the plates to the kitchen. “It was a bad question.”

“You bring up an interesting point though. When Robin was trying to get to the bottom of the Rhys incident, I discovered that in all our time together after the Academy? That I had been away from Rhys more than with him. Rhys actually mentioned that once. Sakkath was unexpected, unplanned...very unconventional for a Betazoid. But there were times….” she let it go at that. There was too much to explain in that area right now. “Are you worried that you may simply be a lifeline? If circumstances were not as they were before, you would be right to worry.”

“I’m not worried I’m a lifeline - you had that in Darwin. I’m more concerned that you’ve been through a huge trauma and are coming out the other side, but you might not know who you are yet. Or who you’ll end up being...,” he sighed, knowing he was mangling the wording.

“Which is why no one is rushing anything, yes? Despite Menna’s hopes.” She smiled gently. “I get it, I do. Robin will say the same thing, no doubt. But I….for three years I’ve….” She stopped and frowned. “Doesn’t matter now.”

“For three years, you grew progressively more logical and reserved, like the man you love.” He knew it would always be present-tense ‘love’; he was fine with that - it was just a fact of life and love. “Now that influence has been removed and... as last night shows, you’re rebounding.”

“Last night was overload indeed.” She rose and moved to the open doors, looking out at the beach as she considered his questions. “If you are afraid it’s not because of you, yourself but that I just need...someone. You’re wrong.”

“Li, I can read you just fine - I can read that you’ve loved me since we were kids. I worry that you need time to find your center and be yourself without influence.”

“And I intend to take it.” She returned to the table and sat down next to him, meeting his gaze squarely. “What do you want to do?”

“Wait for you,” he kissed her lightly.

“You’d better.” She smiled and pulled him back in, this time letting the kiss linger.

To Be Continued...

***********
Captain Li Hawke
Ambassador Maxym Balasz