A Night Of Twists And Turns - Part I

Posted on Mon May 2nd, 2016 @ 10:08am by Captain Li Hawke & Maxym Balasz & Admiral Ricky Wegener & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Holodeck Four / Admiral Wegener's Office

* XO’s Quarters *

It was the first time that Li had been home, in her own quarters for more than a few minutes since the night Max had appeared out of nowhere. He had shifted her world upside down for the second time in as many days. Since then, she’d been everywhere but home, including a second vacation with Darwin aboard one of the royal sailboats and a few days at the palace down on Archadia. Solaana was a breath of fresh air and it had allowed Li to avoid her quarters for just a bit longer.

Now she was here, just out of the shower and sitting in the windowseat, her favorite spot, watching the ships outside come and go. She had just a few minutes before she had to get ready to go meet Max and it was Max who was on her mind now. She had promised to come home to him and now that she was back, a big question was looming. They would eventually marry, of that she was certain. It hadn’t been very long since the loss of Sakkath but this was Max, someone she had loved her whole life. She knew his passionate nature and that was exactly what she needed. But would she move to his quarters? She couldn’t rightly leave the XO’s quarters but could she have him living here where Sakkath was so present? As she pondered the question, an idea came to her. It was the perfect solution and it would be easy enough to do. That part decided, she hurried to her bedroom to to get ready.

* Holodeck Four *

Max stood in the holodeck, taking one slow turn. Everything looked perfect. The holodeck had been transformed into a clearing surrounded by trees, the center of which held a large flat boulder. The sound of a waterfall could be heard in the distance and the wide clearing was carpeted with wildflowers, the leaves matching the two Max wore around his neck. This site on Betazed is where it had almost happened years ago but had not. Here is where it would happen now as it should have. He’d told Li to dress casual. He wanted this to be a relaxing outing, reminiscent of the day on Betazed.

Behind him the holodeck doors opened and Li stepped in. He turned and, seeing her, was suddenly breathless. She was barefoot and wore a strapless dress in a filmy silk the color of a Betazoid rose. He couldn’t move for a moment, and then he regained his wits and hurried across to her, scooping her up in his arms. The scent of her familiar perfume drifted around them and he breathed deep. No words were necessary as he kissed her. It said everything he was feeling and she reciprocated, leaving no doubt in his mind that she felt the same. Finally, he lowered her to the ground and spoke.

“I wanted to bring us back to...here,” he said simply.

“It’s perfect.” She reached up, running her fingertip over the tiny leaves that hung from the red cord around his neck. “Perhaps this time, we’ll say what we wanted to say then.”

Max nodded. “I brought dinner but there’s something I want to say first.” He took her hand and led her over to the rock, where they sat down. “Li, that day, there was so much I wanted to tell you, would have told you if Rhys hadn’t interrupted.”

“I know.” She smiled warmly at Max. “There were things I desperately wanted to tell you too. You know now what that was.”

“I do,” He answered. “You know I wanted to beg you not to go through with it, not to marry him. I wanted….” He knew he was jumping into this but he wanted to know now, had to know so they could simply enjoy the rest of the evening. “I wanted to ask you to marry me instead. Now, I can. Will you? It’s all I ever wanted.”

Li’s eyes turned misty with unshed tears and she nodded. “Yes, I will. Did you have any doubt?”

“No, but it’s nice to hear the words.” He reached down into the basket by the rock and pulled out a small box. “A rather unusual woman found this for me and insisted it was the one. She was right.” He unwrapped the gauzy ribbon wrapped around the box, then opened it and took a ring from it. It was a wide band, covered in tiny stones that caught the light and flashed a rainbow of colors. In the center was a large faceted stone. As Max slipped it onto her finger, the stones changed from clear to a brilliant blue.

“Seeing stones,” Li breathed aloud, then threw her arms around Max. “Mamu was right, it is perfect.” She pulled back and kissed him deeply.

Max was lost in that kiss but finally had to breathe. “Mamu...how did you know?”

“I recognized the ribbon,” Li answered. “You know I was thinking of you while I was dressing. This...us...you’ll be moving soon? I hope?”

Max nodded. “Are you sure though?”

“Yes, and I realized how I can do it. Give me a couple of days and then we are good to go.” Her smile returned, wide and bright, and she kissed him again. Without a word, she slipped into his thoughts, revealing her own deepest desires. Suddenly she felt as if she had come home.

He shifted Li to his lap and she sat facing him, her hands on his shoulders. “So, when will you tell everyone?”

“Just as soon as I --” She stopped as the holodeck doors slid open.

Darwin stepped in, one hand in front of his face, far enough away that he could see where he was stepping, but couldn’t see the occupants of the holosuite just yet. “Ah... Captain Hawke?”, he called and had to stifle a giggle as a wave of delightful happiness hit him. “Are you decent?”

“We are, lieutenant,” she answered, noticing the formal address. “What is it?”

Max was silent a moment, then added. “Uncover your face and come on in Darwin.”

Darwin dropped his hand, flashed a smile at Li, who, he could tell, was quite happy, then looked at Max, who, he could also tell, was not very happy to see him. “Ah... it appears I’m interrupting something important.”

A smile tugged at Max’s lips, despite his irritation. It had to be Darwin. “The essential questions have been answered,” he replied. “What brings you by?”


“Li, I’m sorry to bring you this news, but, you know that we have a policy of telling family members bad news in person. In this case, it’s my duty to tell you that the Kohana is missing. We have no other information at this time.” He steeled himself for whatever reaction Li would have.

“Missing? How can it be missing?” She slipped off Max’s lap and got to her feet. “Details, I want details, Dar.” The idea of Seren missing was more than she could deal with, coming so close on the heels of Sakkath’s death. “Tell me!”

Max rose and slipped his arms around Li. He didn’t speak aloud, choosing to try and ease her mentally. The tension in Li’s body did lessen somewhat as she waited for Darwin’s answer.

“What happened, Darwin?” The irritation had dissipated and now worry emanated from Max.

“We’ve been monitoring the ship with long range sensors. We stopped picking up the ship several hours ago and haven’t been able to raise them on a secure channel. That’s the sum total of what we know. It might be that there’s an equipment glitch or something interfering with the sensors. They might reappear on the sensor sweep in another hour... or three. There’s no telling.” The emotions from the two were making him anxious.

“An equipment glitch is all but impossible on that ship. It would simply fix itself,” Li stated. “They would be out near Krenim and Borg space by now.” Li moved away from Max and began to pace. “That opens up several possibilities.”

“Li, don’t you think it’s a little soon to start worrying?” Max asked. He looked back at Darwin for a little help.

“It is too soon to worry,” Darwin agreed. “Really, you need to stop worrying, Li.” He was trying not to pace right alongside of her.

“I can’t. We all know the dangers out there,” she replied. “We need to see the Admiral, now.” She returned to Max and hugged him close, noticing how the simulated sunlight caught the ring once more. “I am so sorry to run out but I need to get to Admiral Wegener. Let’s do dinner at home in a bit?”

He held her tight for a moment and nodded. “It’s fine, really. Go. I’ll be at your place when you get there.”

She kissed him once more, then turned to Darwin. “I’ll call him on the way and see where he wants to meet us.”

“Us?” He was surprised. “Oh, okay.” He glanced at Max then hurried after Li.

* Wegener’s Office *

Since it was after hours, Li had let them into Rick’s office so they could wait for him to arrive. She didn’t sit however, but paced, her bare feet silent on the carpet. She paused as she passed Darwin and studied him. “It’s okay Darwin, you had to come. Besides, you didn’t interrupt the important stuff.”

“Thank goodness for that. My ego might have been crushed,” he joked, smiling at her. “Could you sit? Relax just a little bit? Should I call Doc Harding and get a sedative for you? You’re making me nuts here.”

“Sorry.” She rested her hand on his shoulder, then sat down. That lasted all of a few seconds before she stood again. “I want to go look for them.”

“Yeah, I knew you’d say that,” he said. “But, maybe you shouldn’t. Maybe you should stay here, let someone else go do the dangerous stuff.”

“Why? It’s my brother, it’s Max’s cousin on that ship, along with the rest of the crew...my crew. And both Reva and Six are there because of me! I was the one who suggested them for this. Hell, Six is in Intel because of me. I can’t just sit by and twiddle my thumbs.” Li’s torrent of words wound down and she sighed aloud. “I had promised Sakkath I would stop going on missions but that’s a moot point now. I’m still off duty, I’m the perfect one to go.” She paused a moment to look at Darwin intently. “So are you.”

“I return to duty in the morning, Li.” He got up and walked to the replicator, agitated by Li’s emotions.

She studied him closely and shook her head. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to. Besides, doesn’t it fall within your area of duty? Intel’s stretched thin. Dae’s not back yet, Leto needs to be here while he’s gone, Vic and Six are on that ship and I am not sending Jackson anywhere since he just got Oz back.”


“Edana,” he said simply. “She’s Intel; she can go.” He winced then, realizing that he’d just suggested his girlfriend go on the ship with his lover, and that he’d more than likely be right there with them. “Let’s talk to the Admiral about this. Maybe he can talk some sense into you.”

“She has her own projects to see to, aside from the stuff in the Pit,” Li answered. “Besides, if it will make Ed feel better, you can tell her I’m off limits because of Max. So even if you wanted to you wouldn’t. Which you don’t. I’m thinking purely on a strategic basis here, Dar. We can take the cha’Do and go in without attracting attention.”

Darwin quietly paced, thinking on the idea. If he stayed, he’d be the one tapped to go tell Suresh and Riley. And the thought of that - and the men’s likely emotions - made the idea of running away rather attractive. “Who else are we taking, then? You know Riley would want to go - but he can’t, we need him here figuring out the sphere, particularly since Ian Bren is now missing.”

“We don’t need any others do we? If there’s only the two of us, we can go unnoticed if we have to land out there somewhere,” Li reasoned. “Tactical advantage.”

“Us? Alone? And you’re saying that you’re off limits?” He frowned. He wondered how long they’d stick to that. “Sure, that’ll work.”

“With you there, that’s one more than I used to take on missions,” she reminded him.

“Starting to rely on other people in your old age?” He grinned.

That finally got a laugh from Li. “Hush up,” she said. “You know we’d be sending someone, might as well be two of the station’s best.”

“Let’s see what the Admiral says, k?”

Li laughed once more. “He might agree just to get me out of his hair. I don’t do well with sitting around...as you know.”

The doors opened and Rick walked in. It was hard to tell if he was still half asleep or really didn’t care what he was wearing because he had his uniform tunic on, but no undershirt, pajama pants with horses on them and his uniform boots. Walking past Li and straight to the liquor cabinet he said, “You’re not going.”

Darwin visibly relaxed, happy to have the Admiral taking his side on this.

“I am. I have to. This is Seren we’re talking about, as well as the rest. I cannot sit by, sit on my hands and just...wait.” Li’s voice had softened as she spoke. “I lost Sakkath while I was here waiting. I can’t go through that again.”

“You are still on light duty, Eyas,” he reminded her as he downed a bracing shot of whisky to help wake up. “I cannot officially send you on any mission, even a rescue mission for family. You and I both know that it violates several Starfleet and Federation policies.”

Li began to object but Rick slammed the glass down getting everyone’s attention.

“However,” he said, the room now quiet, “despite this turn of events, I think that you should take some time away from the station, say...a week? No, I’m ordering you to take more time away. Find a shuttle and get out of here.” Rick turned to Darwin who, admittedly, looked quite shocked at seeing the Admiral’s bare chest under this uniform tunic. “You. Go with her.”

The tall man was less shocked by the sight of old man chest hair than he was by the Admiral’s statement. “Go?”, he uttered the word and stared, open-mouthed, at the Admiral for a moment. Emotion washed over him. Sorting through them took him a moment; by the time he finished, he realised it was a really good idea to just shut up and nod. “Of course, Admiral.” He didn’t look happy.

Li shot a glance to Darwin, her expression unreadable, then turned back to Rick. “Thank you.”

Walking to her, Rick gave her a quick hug. “Be careful and find them.” Still holding her hand he stepped back and looked at her attire. “And what’s this about?”

Belatedly she recalled she was standing in the Admiral’s office barefoot. “Umm...I sort of got interrupted on the holodeck. Max and I were going to have dinner and discuss a few things but Darwin came before we got to the food. The discussion part happened, though.” She held out her left hand to show the ring. The stones slowly shifted to bright purple.

“That is an amazing ring,” he said, but looked back to Li. “Kind of odd attire for a discussion, isn’t it?” he said, using air quotes. Despite not being his own daughter, he still felt that fatherly urge to instantly not like anyone making advances toward her.

Li laughed and shook her head. “He’s waited a long time.”

Rick sighed. “We’ll talk about it when you return from your...vacation. Go on, get out of here.”

Li nodded. “We’ll be out of here in two hours and will keep you informed.”

“Sir, will you notify Commander Zeferino or Gilroy for me?” Darwin looked at the Admiral. When the man cut a sharp look at Darwin, Darwin nodded. “Ah, nevermind, I’ll have time to talk to them.”

Rick rolled his eyes and twirled his finger in a circular “get a move on!” motion as the two finally left his office.

When the doors closed he tapped his communicator. “El, darling, are you still awake? There’s something we need to do.”

************
Captain Li Hawke
Maxym Balasz
Lt. Commander Michael Darwin
Admiral Rick Wegener