Messages From Home

Posted on Sat Feb 23rd, 2013 @ 1:47pm by Captain Li Hawke & Lieutenant Norval Tigan

Mission: The Struggle Within
Location: USS Hammond - Alternate Universe

USS Hammond - Alternate Universe * * *

Following Suresh’s removal to the Hammond, and a a brief and awkward departure from Sakkath’s presence (at least until the meeting in two hours), Li arrived on the Hammond. The relief that swelled within her was overwhelming for a few moments as the possibility that she would get home rose. If they got here, surely the method would get them home once more. She sent a greeting on to commander Davis, then went in search of the one person she really wanted to see, at least until she got home - Norval.

Searching or not, she found him swiftly as he nearly bumped into her turning a corner in the corridor.

His initial reaction was to excuse himself, even as the PADDs he was carrying tumbled from his grasp, but when he recognized her the change was instantaneous. He should have stood at attention; Instead he wrapped her in a bear hug and lifted her off the deck, grinning wildly.

“It’s really you!” she gasped as he hugged her tight. “”The real you I mean.” Her own arms tightened around him as she held on. “This had been...there’s too much to tell you right this minute. I’m just so happy to see you.” The feel of Norval’s embrace brought tears to Li’s eyes and she realized now just how much she had been running on necessity and determination to get through the hours.

"Well, whatever 'me' is here is bound to be a poor copy," Norval said with his usual flippant arrogance before setting her down and taking a half a step back to look, really look, at Li. He was still smiling broadly. "I'm so happy to see you, too," he said. "We knew this was a longshot, but we all volunteered just the same. We'll have you back in no time."

He said it... He wasn't sure he believed it, but he had said it. He wasn't about to let power concerns ruin his reunion.

She smiled up at him, looking altogether exhausted. “I didn’t see the other you here. Norval....the majority of the officers here were killed. We fell into a war zone, and a zone that took the worst of it. Mine and the Admiral’s counterparts here were among the dead.” She paused a moment and reached for his hand. “Can we get out of this corridor? I’d love to sit down and we have two hours before we meet with --” She stopped and shook her head. “That’s part of it too. I’ll tell you.”

"This Sakkath," Norval finished, having been on the bridge when the communique had gone through. Nodding, he gripped her hand and picked up the PADDs he had dropped, offering one to her. "My quarters are this way. I'm afraid they didn't really design these ships for comfort... There's no X-SISTENTIAL or Nexus. And this," he referenced the PADD, "is for you."

“Oh?” She took the padd with her free hand as they moved along the corridor. “I’ll check it once we get settled. And yes, this Sakkath.” Her tone was a bit hard when she said the name.

"No rush," he said, as the doors parted on his small-ish room, at least compared to the Starbase. He offered her the chair, choosing to sit on the side of his bed. "It's station logs. You didn't really think our Vulcan was about to let you shirk duty?" he asked with an amused smirk. "From the time you vanished to the point we left. Though he told me your PADD also contained his personal logs," he added, his voice somewhat more somber.

“I see.” At the moment, Li could care less about the station logs. What she wanted to dive into was the included personal logs. She knew she’d missed Sakkath, but the inclusion of those logs hit hard, though she refused to let it show. “I will check them soon. Before we get home.” She took a few moments to gather her thoughts as she looked at Norval. “I am so happy to see you,” she said again. “Aside from the Sakkath here, almost every one of the officers is dead. Suresh is even dead here, murdered some weeks ago before we arrived. There is someone here alive, or was, that has been dead a long time at home.”

"He hasn't slept since you vanished, Li," Norval added, looking concerned. "It wasn't until we planned this departure that he even really left C&C." As he listened to her, though, concern was replaced by curiosity. "Really?" he asked aloud, leaning back in his chair. "And who might that be?" In his mind he had already considered the possibility of a not-so-insane but still-as-sexy Rhys Balasz... and almost immediately felt guilty, not just for what had happened to Li and Sakkath at the man's hands, but for Eric's feelings as well.

“And you’ve been worried about him.” She smiled briefly. “It was difficult here. This Sakkath....he lost his Li in this battle and at the hands of someone he cared for. And so, he could barely stand to look at me. We almost came to blows when we first met. That meeting was too eerily similar to the night on the Takei when he almost forced Sakkath to finish me. So much rage in the one here, Norval. And the one responsible for it all was Nahi.”

"Your brother?" Norval balked, "but he's..." Dead, he realized, in their universe. That held no meaning here, and Li's earlier words sunk in. "Oh, no," he breathed.

“Oh yes. He was the one who betrayed the Fleet and allowed the Archadians to lay waste to this station and almost everyone in it. He’s now dead here too. This Sakkath broke Nahi’s neck.” Her voice hitched as she spoke the last words.

Norval tried to view that turn of events from every possible angle, but even seven lifetimes of experience left him ill prepared for so many possible emotional responses. Leaning forward off the bed he wrapped Li again in a hug. "Nothing that happened here was meant to happen at home," he tried to offer as consolation. "This Nahi is not yours."

She took a deep breath and nodded against his shoulder. “That’s hard to hold onto when you see a man who looks like your husband kill the man who looks like your brother. It gets better. The woman who murdered this universe’s Suresh tried to kill me and our Suresh saved my life. She got in some good cuts, though. I should have Kona check it out, he’s here with you I understand?”

"Yeah, he's in Sickbay," Norval offered. "I can walk you down there, if you like."

“I’ll go in a bit before the meeting.” She exhaled slowly and rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t slept much at all either and she really needed some. “Suresh wanted me to stay here with him you know.”

There were no words for Norval to respond to that with... instead he simply looked horrified, and radiated similar emotions, despite his features being hidden by their embrace.

“He’s in the brig now. I know all of you will be glad to hear that. He’ll be in it for a long time once we are home. Between this escapade and the evidence I’ve turned over, he won’t be bothering up for the foreseeable future and we can get on with our lives.” Her eyes burned with unshed tears but she was determined not to cry in front of Norval. and she certainly had no intentions of making known how different Suresh had been here. Pulling back, she rubbed her eyes once more.

"I'll tell you what," the Trill said, separating them as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "you seem like you could do with some rest. You've got two hours... That gives me time to give this other PADD to Admiral Wegener and start some calculations. I'll wake you before the staff meeting," he promised.

A soft laugh escaped Li. “Once again I take over your quarters to sleep. You’re an angel, Norval, and I love you dearly. Tell Eric he is a lucky man.” It was a good idea and this would give her a chance to read the logs Sakkath had sent for her.

“Oh, I remind him of that every day,” the Trill smiled, giving the Commander a nod and a wink before slipping back out into the corridor.

Only when the doors had closed behind Norval did Li shed her boots, replicate a fresh t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, then settle into the bunk with the padd in hand. Her breath caught as she pressed the surface of the padd. For several seconds, she closed her eyes, forcing the image of the Sakkath here from her mind and replacing it with the real one. So close....., she thought. So close to being lost forever, so close to despair, so close to temptation when she’d almost given up hope, and now so close to the man who carried her soul in his heart and hands.

Sakkath....

She opened her eyes and began to read.

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

Commander Li Hawke
So Close And Yet So Far

Lieutenant Norval Tigan
Angel