Another Emergency Meeting
Posted on Sat Sep 1st, 2012 @ 6:51pm by Captain Li Hawke & Commander Sakkath
Mission:
Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Palaxia's Playground /Operations
* * * Palaxia’s Playground * * *
This time it was Li who sent the emergency beacon - a blank message to Lazan. It had been the standard emergency method since this whole thing began and they only used it in true emergencies. Today definitely counted. Nenita’s report was still spinning in her thoughts and Li feared the repercussions would get seriously out of hand. Entering the familiar casino, she found Palaxia near the bar. She paused and held up four fingers. Palaxia nodded, then sent Mirax the bartender over with a drink.
“Thanks, I won’t be long,” Li told him.
“Take your time, Eyas,” he answered.
With drink in hand, Li wandered on through the casino, eventually making her way to the small holosuites. The door of number four sported an ‘Out Of Order’ sign. With a quick look, she opened the door and slipped inside.
"I seem to have developed a talent for beating you here," Lazan said with mild amusement from the far wall of the room. Leaning against the holosuite, his dark features half-hidden in shadow, the only other sound was the soft clink of a lone ice cube against the crystal glass he swirled in his left hand, half full of amber liquid.
A soft click echoed through the room as Li pressed the button to lock the door. “Thanks for getting here so quickly.” As she had the last time they had used this room, she moved across to lean against the wall beside him. “You’ve heard about the incident in the Nexus last night?”
“And to which incident might you be referring?” he wondered aloud, indicating he was already plenty well-informed of the goings on in the Nexus last night... and not simply because Suresh had been present, as had Lazan for a time. Thankfully, he had left before too much attention could have been drawn to himself by his employer’s little escapade.
“The one that matters to you and I,” she replied. “The other is a problem that security is investigating already.” She looked at the drink she held and offered it to Lazan. “You’ll forgive me if I am a little wary of drinks just now.”
Lazan accepted it, but set the glass on the floor near his feet. Drinking from both hands wouldn’t do, even if they weren’t exactly under scrutiny in here. In fact, that was sort of the point.
“Understandable, and yes, I am familiar with Suresh’s little outburst. Your Admiral is making our lives rather unnecessarily difficult.”
Li sighed aloud and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. “How bad was it? Nenita said he was taken to Piper and they wanted to keep him overnight for psych eval? I gather that didn’t happen.”
“That was just a brilliant idea put forth by some of your friends in Security,” Lazan recounted. “All that’s going to accomplish is his remembering their faces and holding a grudge. They can wait though. It’s Jayne Cobb that now has Suresh’s undivided attention and ire.”
“I was afraid of that. The Admiral’s detail has already been increased. What can you tell me about his shuttle malfunctioning?”
“Sabotage, but I’m sure you were already aware of that much. I’d give you a name, but it’s more than likely been changed since he departed our fair station.” Lazan gave a noncommittal shrug as he sipped his drink. “Suresh was involved, of course, but there’s no proof. And that was his pre-Isha attempt at the man’s life.”
Li sighed again. “You know, there are times you do what you think is best and it blows up in your face, Lazan. I need to see the Admiral. We at least have a day or so, since he and Nine are leaving for that run. Nenita’s down in the pit while he’s off the station to see what she can pick up. I think Security is aware they’ve been added to the list but I’m being extra careful. I”ll warn Sakkath as well.”
“Yes, my ‘vacation’ as I have taken to calling it. I may be spending more time up here... better suited to my personal tastes. That Nexus of yours was charming.” He finished his scotch and proceeded to collect the one he had relieved Li of earlier. “Your husband has not gathered any of Suresh’s attention, but feel free. Oh, or did you mean to be on guard for the Admiral’s safety?” he wondered, smirking. His line of thinking was usually so... self-serving.
“Both. I’ve been staying out of the public eye the past few days, but since he’s away for at least 24 hours, I can get some things done. Enjoy Lao’s.” She smiled a moment. “My concern is that this mania will continue to spread to the command staff in general. What better way to strike at the Admiral then by hitting those around him till he buckles? And as the second in command, I don’t want to become a target for that reason. It would be disastrous.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, if he were to discover that he ordered you killed he’d probably walk out an airlock on his own.” Lazan sipped his drink, his dark eyes flickering with amusement at that particular thought... not that he wanted Li dead, of course, just Suresh walking into space was rather amusing. In fact, the Admiral and Commander Hawke were the two people he most needed to keep alive, if he wanted this little espionage of his to be profitable in the long run.
“Or I might disappear, along with him. He’s very good at making people do that.” She looked up at him and nodded. “I’ll give Sakkath the emergency procedure, in case something does happen, so he can get to you.”
“As you wish,” Lazan said. “If that is all, I think I’ll stick to leaving last. I have a second drink to finish.”
“See you soon.” Li slipped out and now it was time to find her husband.
Main Ops
It was the first time since Isha ‘died’ that Li had actually walked through the station. She entered the lift and gave the deck order, then stood, running over the conversation with Lazan as she moved up. Upon her arrival, she entered what was usually a hotbed of activity. As usual it was, with her mate standing stalwart and calm amid the near-chaos. Li knew better, however. They were busy but it was a well-oiled machine to the practiced eye.
“Put Thornton and Magnusson on our pest problem,” Sakkath ordered, hands draped behind his back as he surveyed the consoles in his department. “They will want to coordinate with Science so that we do not endanger any of the botanical reasearch, but those lavaflies must be contained. I would advise hazard suits.”
A series of affirmations followed and, Sakkath, already aware of his mate’s presence through the bond they shared, continued his tour, taking himself towards her in the process. He inclined his head in greeting. “To what do I owe the pleasure of our Executive Officer’s company?”
“I hate to interrupt, but this is important.” Li was all business as she looked at Sakkath, then glanced over his shoulder at his staff. Her meaning was clear - not for their ears.
Understanding, Sakkath gestured towards his office in the center of the seeming maelstrom, allowing her to lead the way inside. Once there, he secured the doors and took a seat at his desk.
Li sat down across from him and cleared her throat. Then, to save time, she reached out through their bond and related the Nexus incident, then replayed her conversation with Lazan. Not only was it faster, it was about as secure as they could get on this station.
Sakkath arched a brow as he processed the information. “Fascinating,” he stated, finally. “You would trust my contacting this agent of the underworld concerning your safety?”
“If somehow he makes the connection, or simply stumbles on me as the XO, it is likely I might disappear. If something does happen, Lazan is the one person likely to be able to find me. Him or Lt. Smith. That method will get him to you in that safe room as fast as possible.
“I see. Provided you are conscious, I have my own means of locating you... but I will defer to your expertise in matters of espionage.” That much, Sakkath knew, was logical. Of course, his logic was less than perfect where Li and her safety was concerned.
She smiled finally. “Assuming I am conscious.” She almost added ‘don’t worry’ but the words would have been useless. She rose now and circled the desk. “He’s off the station for the next twenty-four hours, so I’ll be a little more visible. The Nexus tonight?”
“I would judge that to be most agreeable, provided there are no additional incidents like the ones you recounted.” He extended his fingers to her, his traditional expression of what they shared. “The XO should be seen, after all. It would be good for the crew.”
“I’ve just been careful till things died down. However, he didn’t recognize me at Lao’s the night I was there with Oz, which is a good sign.” She touched her fingers to his. “Till tonight.”
“I shall await it with expectation,” the Vulcan replied. “And in the event you receive complaints from Botany, I assure you we are doing everything in our power to remove the insects without affecting their experiments.”
“So noted.” She smiled again. “I’ll check in with Patrick later. He may find lavaflies less taxing than his father.”
************
Commander Li Hawke
Concerned
Lazan
Vacationing
Commander Sakkath
Exterminator
