The Thin Red Line

Posted on Sun Dec 4th, 2011 @ 12:47pm by Commander Patrick Leroy & Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Kh'ali's quarters

Aleksandra hurried down the corridor. She hadn't had the opportunity to speak with her friend after finding her reclused in that escape pod.
She hoped Kh'ali was recovering well from her ordeal and it was time to pay a visit.

Turning the bend in the corridor Aleksa reached Kh'ali's quarters. In front of her doors she hesitated a moment, she had not warned her of her visit desiring to make her a surprise. Biting a nail she considered tapping her badge to call her but then she cast aside the idea. She was there now, what could she possibly interrupting?

Without waiting anymore Aleksa sounded the chimes.

The doors slid open to reveal Kh'ali in casual clothes, She smiled, however, seeing Aleksa and drew her in.

"I'm glad to see you. I wanted to find you to say thank you but things got really crazy and I had to break out of Sickbay to get to the Speaker. You read the reports, I'm sure."

"So How are you doing dear?" Aleksa asked regarding her friend with expert eye, evaluating her mood and physical condition "It seems to me that you're fine despite that criminal." She said finally sitting on the sofa. "Oh this is soft. Not very klingon-like..." Aleksa chuckled pressing a finger on the sofa. "C'mon it's a great deal of time since we've had a leisure chat. How's your work going with the Divitian diplomat?"

Kh'ali sat in the chair next to the sofa, turning to face Aleksa. She was still a bit thin and tired, and her bottom lip was still swollen, but she was in a much happier mood. "We stopped the assassination, as you know. All in all, my time with him was a success, and surprising. He's a far more gentle, introspective man than I would have guessed. We got along very well, and I enjoyed his company." She smiled, but it hurt still and she reached up to press her bottom lip to ease the throb.

"Right the opposite of that captain of his guards... I have heard some comments by Commander Zeferino," she chuckled. "Imperious, petty and demanding... I think these have been her gentler words. But... You're hurt..." Aleksa ended rising from the sofa to get a closer look at her lip. "Is that a residual from that bastard?"

Kh'ali sat still as Aleksa examined her lip. Her mind scattered in ten different directions, trying to close onto some explanation that didn't send this conversation right down the tubes. Aleksa was half right, it was leftovers from someone she did consider a bastard.

"It's...nothing."

Perking an eyebrow Aleksa checked once more the slightly swollen lip "You could have this fixed up in no time at medical. Why didn't you search for Doc Connor? Ah... I know. Klingons feel no pain, no fear, ever. And being treated by a medic is a weakness and so on..." She ended smiling at her friend.

"Yes, you've got me there. This was hardly soemthing to bother Connor about. Just a little reminder of an event that will linger in my memory for a long time to come." Relief swept through Kh'ali but it was short lived at Aleksa's next words.

Turning to sit once again, Aleksa spotted something coming out from under the sofa: "Ooh what's this?" she said, holding a sock between thumb and finger. "This is not one of yours for sure." She giggled.

Oh shit, was Kh'ali's first thought. Time to duck and cover.

"Umm, no, it's not." Why hadn't she seen that when she returned home to find Patrick gone? Rising, she took it from Aleksa, doing her best to hide her embarrassment. Normally it wouldn't phase Kh'ali but given the past with Patrick and Aleksa, this was shaky ground. "I'll just throw this in to be cleaned."

"Aw... C'mon. You don't have to be shy with me. I'm happy for you and if you've found company so much the better." Aleksa responded looking around to find some more possible clues, an impertinent smile lining her lips "It's the first thing I noted upon entering. You're glowing... So shamelessly."

Kh'ali slipped out to drop the sock in her bedroom. She took a hasty glance around, saw nothing out of the ordinary, then returned to the living room. Another quick scan of the living room revealed nothing of Patrick's either, and she was relieved. Now it was time for some fancy footwork, verbally speaking.

"Thanks. We'll see how it goes, but so far so good. He's quite the romantic." There, that should throw Aleksa off the scent, considering the fact that she thought Patrick was made of stone.

"Ooh... I knew that!!" Aleksa giggled again her blue eyes glittering. "Is he caring, strong, gentle, ever-present??... Not like some bastard I've been so unlucky to know." She ended with a grimace.

"Yes, though not so gentle when it counts." Kh'ali snapped her lips closed, not believing that had come out of her mouth. Great. It was true though. "Aleksa, did you ever think that sometimes people are not what they seem at first glance? Maybe situations change, or maybe they do?"

"Impossible." She answered promptly. "People do not change, they're like rubber band straining themselves until they reach their objective, especially men, then they return at their original form."

An instant of silence passed between them.

"Oh! I didn't mean that this is your situation. If the rubber band is set in the right form from the beginning then there is no problem..."

Aww... Such a blunder. Aleksa thought looking at Kh'ali out of the corner of her eye.


"What I meant was, what if that rubber band was formed to fit a certain sort, but not others. Take Norman, for example. His form fits you, whereas Patrick did not. And it wasn't the fault of either of you, just that you didn't...fit." She smiled at the mention of Patrick's name, despite her best effort not to do so.

Aleksandra stiffened visibly by hearing the name of her former boyfriend "Being together requires some dedication. Norman cares, whereas that bastard did not. He preferred to chase lousy dreams of discovery somewhere far in space rather than taking some serious commitment with the person he'd said to love. Ooh, he was very able, tender and soothing, for a couple of hours a week and then, for the rest of the time he put me in second order preferring to watch stars and comets."

Kh'ali had seen what amounted to some stars and comets of their own. The thought amused ber but outwardly, she just nodded. "I'm glad you're happy. It's a wonderful thing when the man looking back at you wants a commitment." Kh'ali shifted in her chair. So far so good.

"Yes I'm happy." Aleksa responded lining some crease in the sofa pillow with the finger, then she smiled and looked at Kh'ali "Listen, I've got a wonderful idea. Why don't we get a dinner at the Nexus one of these evenings? I'll come with Norman and you can present yourself with your prince. Ooh say yes. I'm so curious."

And there is was. The line had been drawn, and Kh'ali was uncertain what to do now. The way gossip spread on this station, it would likely be sooner rather than later that Aleksa heard. Would it be better to hear it from Kh'ali herself?

"Aleksa, I'm not so sure that's a good idea." She paused to prepare herself for a moment, then moved on to face the music. "Mainly because...that sock. Belonged to....Patrick." She fell silent, waiting for the explosion.

"What?" she gasped, almost reeling with the news, glad she was seated on a sofa. "You're joking..." Aleksa said watching Kh'ali stern expression.

"No, you're not," she almost whispered. The temperature fell several degrees by the second as she looked around the walls, the floor, anywhere but Kh'ali's eyes.

"Well then," She added standing from the sofa "it seems I've taken enough of your time... You're... You're well and that's important. Now I have to return to my shift."

"Aleksa." Kh'ali's tone was firm. "You and he parted ways over a year ago. It wasn't right for you, and you're better off now. I know you don't like him, but you moved on. Don't worry about what he's doing now. He's right for me. Let it go." Kh'ali stopped to watch Aleksa. Deep down, Kh'ali had wondered over Aleksa's continued venom and decided that the only reason Aleksa carried such animosity was because she truly had not gotten over Patrick. Things were going to be shaky for a while.

Yes, whatever..." Aleksa managed to say on her way to the doors then stopped half-way and turned to look again at Kh'ali. "See you," she said as a forced smile lined her lips and quickly exited to the corridor.

The doors closed behind her leaving Kh'ali alone with her thoughts. She was certain she knew what lay at the heart of Aleksa's reaction. She had told Kh'ali that she wanted safe and secure, but Kh'ali had wondered at the time if that was true or a reaction to the break-up. Aleksa had made her choice, as had Kh'ali, for whom safe and secure was not on the list. She wanted fire and passion and strength, and she had them even if she had taken a risk to get them. She crossed back to her terminal and placed a call to Patrick. It was only fair to warn him.

*********

Lt. Commander Kh'ali
Sometimes A Diplomat, Today A Klingon

Ensign Aleksandra Levkova
Security, But Today Not So Secure