Laying Down The Law

Posted on Sun Nov 25th, 2012 @ 8:37am by Captain Li Hawke & Suresh

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Alternate Dimension SB900

* * * SB900, Alternate Dimension * * *

The anger with Rick that has dissipated returned full force as Li approached Suresh. He'd chosen a bench in an out-of-the-way corner and sat, his arms resting on his knees. She purposely blocked him for now, not wanting to feel his own anger, or despair or hate for Rick or his obsessive need for her. What she wanted to do was knock some sense into him. What she did instead was stand before him and spoke his name.

"So, go ahead."

"With what, Suresh?"

"Whatever you need to say. I have it coming." He looked up at her, his expression that of a man expecting to get his head chopped off. "Whatever do you see in that man? He comes across like he's your father, but then he didn't hesitate to make use of you the night he bought you."

Her hand was in motion before she could stop it and the slap to his cheek echoed in the stillness of the area around them. Suresh looked utterly shocked as he reached up to touch his cheek. He was then on his feet in an instant, moving towards her.

"Lay one hand on me Suresh and you will regret it," Li's voice was ice cold.

Once again the thought occurred to him that in 'black' mode she was a little frightening. He sat back down and simply watched her.

"Now then, let's get one thing straight. Nothing happened with the admiral that night other than me explaining what I was doing there and why I looked as I did. I don't want to hear another word about it. Got that?" She crossed her arms as she spoke and glared back at him.

He could only nod. Though he didn't show it outwardly, that news thrilled him.

"Now then." She sat beside him on the bench. The silence was heavy before she began to speak once more. "We are in a bad situation here. If we do not work together, none of us will get home, Suresh. That means cooperation. Burying the hatchet, at least for now. I know you despise the Admiral and he would like nothing better than to gut you and turn your hide into a lampshade. I don't care. While we are here, you will stop pushing his buttons. That isn't a request."

Suresh nodded once more. He hated to admit it but she was right. The three of them were not exactly among friends, so all they really had was each other.

"I'll go apologize," he said.

Li blinked at him in surprise. "You will?"

He nodded once more. "For you." Gathering her hand into his, he squeezed gently. "He offered to let me stay here you know. At least it sounded that way. I can't. Without you here, once we are able to get back, I have no reason to be here. I have things, and people, at home that need my attention. You are holding up hope that we will get home and I have to believe that. We can worry about the 'what ifs' if things change."

Li nodded and finally, she smiled. "Thank you. Now I need your help. You existed here, your contacts should, hopefully, still be in the area. I'm trying to reach those I know, and hopefully the Li here knew, in the Fleet. We need to get a message out to HQ and get assistance here. Between the two of us, we should be able to reach someone to pass it along." She rose and waited for him.

"Let's see what we can do then." He turned and followed Li back towards the computers.

*************

Commander Li Hawke
Suresh
Bridging The Gap