SD241810.08 | JL | FAdm Red, Adm Hark, Com Ivanova | "Lion Fish"

Posted on Sun Feb 19th, 2023 @ 12:01am by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Admiral Alexander Hark

2,369 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Lacuna
Timeline: BACKLOG

The new office was luxurious, there was no doubting it. It certainly wasn't standard issue for any Klingon and Xander found himself enjoying it more than some of the people he worked with would care for,. What he craved though was the comfort of the woman he loved and so most of his time had been spent in the upper decks in Blyx's quarters. Time had bought him closer to her out of necessity as she progressed later and later into the term of her pregnancy. He'd made his encampment for the day at the small desk in the corner of her living quarters, a stack of reports from the Empire to one side and some from the Federation and the Stenellian Ascendancy on the other.

Due any day, Blyx was convinced that she couldn't get any larger around, and if she did they'd need to roll her places rather than try and have her walk. Granted, it had been a couple decades since she'd last been in this predicament, but she couldn't remember ever being quite that cumbersome. Maybe it was the fact she was older now, and it was a harder strain on her body. Or maybe it was just genetics. Rochelle had been a long and spindly, but pleasantly plump, baby and those coltishly long legs had never gone away regardless of her short stature.

Xander had those same long legs. They made him tall and ruggedly refined, an oxymoron if there ever was one, but apt as anything. It made the Admiral wonder indeed about the child taking up residence within her, especially as she coolly observed him and took the chance to approach while there seemed to be a lull in his work. "Rochelle sent word that she wanted to have lunch with us," she smiled, skimming her hands along the tops of his shoulders, "Her tone tells me she's got more than a few things on her mind and that she's made up her mind about them. I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was something to do with Dahe'el, really." She pondered aloud, "Then again there's been rumors about them for several years."

"For a Cardie he's a decent enough officer," Xander replied as he looked up from the work and flashed Blyx a quick smile as she moved over to him slowly and brushed his shoulders, "I hope you accepted the invitation for both of us," the greying man added as he reached up and took one of her hands, he turned his head to kiss at her palm softly, "I'll have to inform my guard, of course."

"I did, and I handled your guard as well." She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Klingons have issues, have I ever told you that? But I'm pretty sure he got the hint that your daughter is coming up to see us." It had become a force of habit to tug on the hem of her shirt, always conscious of the strain even well fitting fabrics were under. She pulled and toyed with it as she drifted back away from him, "She'll be here any minute."

Less than a minute.

Depressing the chime, Rochelle wasn't exactly the perfect picture of the perfect Captain. She was almost pensive, hooking her thumbs into belt loops and ignoring the way her hair draped over her jacketed shoulders. In fact, she tried to ignore the choice of jacket completely. Leather and black, she'd mistaken it for one of her own until she'd realized the too-large fit and array of clasps and zipper. It was distinctly Landon's, somehow having managed to sneakily remain in her assortment of things even after she'd combed through their belongings to send his to Trill. By the time it had dawned on her, it was either go or be late and going in a simple strappy tank top to cross through a busy station just wasn't appropriate - nor did it sit well with her as she struggled to cope with a newfound overdeveloped sense of self preservation as it was.

How fucked up was that... Going to tell your family that the divorce you thought was finalized was suddenly being contested all while wearing the not-so-ex-husband's jacket.

Scratching her eyebrow, the very thought made her want to vomit.

"Rochelle!" Blyx greeted brightly and ushered her niece through the door. She could see trouble brewing in the younger woman's eyes and written across her face. To say the very least, it was concerning. The hope this would be a happy social visit was quickly being torn apart and scattered as smithereens across the galactic landscape they inhabited. A quick look to Xander expressed that concern better than words ever could. "Come sit. I hope you don't mind, I had lunch brought in from that place you and your father seem to like so much."

As the door opened and revealed the look on the face of his daughter, Xander rose and stepped out from behind the desk, moving towards the two women of his life with a wary eye over them both, the look from Blyx sealed in his mind the worry and he stepped over to the couch to take up residence on one end.

"Why would I mind that?" Rochelle's brows furrowed in question, "That's the last thing I'd be upset about." And it would be, too. The idea of decent Italian food being served somewhere quiet and out of the public eye was absolutely scintillating and down right did wonders for currying up an appetite she thought she'd lost. Shrugging out of Landon's jacket, she reached to hang it on an empty hook - recognizing the antique hall stand as one that had been tugged away from her aunt's estate back on Earth. She'd have recognized the deep rust colored wood and crane carvings anywhere. Next stop was the couch and her father sporting a look she'd seen a time or two before. He knew something was up, but he wasn't the type to press - never had been. Xander Hark was the kind that gave everyone every chance to self incriminate before he passed judgment on the cause or reason.

"Anyway," she began, brushing a wayward lock of hair back behind her ear and away from her face, "I wanted you two to be the first to know something before the gossip train went bat shit and derailed with the news." Taking her seat, she found herself crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knees, expression terse to say the least.

"We all know how fast that particular train can leave the station," Xander replied with a slight raised eyebrow towards Blyx as his focus turned to Rochelle, he turned in his seat so he was facing her and lay his hands across his knees.

"Yeah... Well..." The redhead smirked, slowly shaking her head at the irony of it all, "They're gonna love this one." She swallowed the growing knot in her throat and lacing her fingers together. They'd grown cold with anxiety the longer she'd waited to just say it, as if talking about it gave the situation more power than it deserved - and it had plenty to start with, "Landon had the divorce overturned." Mic drop. Cat was out of the proverbial bag, and she felt as if she'd been sucker punched. "So now I'm still married while carrying on a relationship with someone else and that... Fucking hell..." Her head shook again as she glanced down and away, "That means I'm guilty of adultery and if he wants to catch me on that one, he can. Bye bye career."

"Hah, nothing of the sort," Xander replied with a raised eyebrow at the comments about her career and the implications of her ongoing relationship status, "Starfleet can not and will not punish your career for having a relationship outside of your marriage, I find it disgusting that the divorce has been 'overturned'," the greying man spat at the thought, "The Federation has never been about forcing someone to remain part of something they no longer want, forcing you to remain in your marriage is against the freedoms guaranteed to every sentient being." he added before sitting forward, "and if they want to bark on about relationships and shit, Malone stuck himself into anything that moved and he made it to CinC, I'm sure you're allowed to find love and comfort when you need it the most."

Clearing her throat, Blyx managed to find her voice and held up a hand to try and quiet the situation. She could feel Xander buzzing, his irritation and anger mounting as he waffled between memories of Starfleet and compassion for his daughter's cause. In some ways, it was endearing. "In other words, he won't get anywhere with that. Landon is very troubled, but he doesn't want to hurt you, I'm sure." She nodded, all too well aware of how the former Captain's mind tended to work and the circles it often drove. It wasn't his shot at misplaced 'revenge', it was his way of clinging to something precious and dear to him. Where Rochelle may have moved on (though a glance at the leather jacket her niece wore suggested otherwise), Landon had most definitely not. Setting a plates of food down in front of the two seated parties, she did her best to hide the amusement daring to pique within her.

"Do you know why he was chosen as the skipper of the Vindicator, Rochelle?" She asked, briefly catching the young woman's eye before leaving in search of her own plate for lunch, "We chose him because he had a jaded past but rose above it. He was, and is, extraordinarily driven, pragmatic, and pugnacious nearly to a fault. It made him gutsy enough to handle an experimental class of ship and strong enough to keep its crew together." The Admiral chuckled with a soft shake of her head, "You were chosen because you had passion and zest enough to counter balance him. He was relatively collected, you were more fiery. Neither one of you was the so-called perfect officer, but you were both rising stars that couldn't be ignored." She continued, remembering to grab a napkin as she finished plating her food and set off on the return trip to her chosen seat, "What we hadn't counted on was the two of you falling in love and, for lack of a better term, igniting one another completely. Nor did we count on Tr'Bak sticking his fucking nose in. Either way..." She shrugged, taking her seat, "The very last thing that man is going to do is go out of his way to bring pain and strife to your life. He's fighting because he loves you and he's unwilling to accept that he's lost everything that held any meaning in his life."

Looking up from poking at her food, Rochelle's eyebrow furrowed, "Please tell me you're not on his side..."

Meeting her gaze, Blyx shook her head and finished a bite, "I'm not on anyone's side. What I will do is give you space to think. Take the Vindicator and head to Apsha on a follow up act of diplomacy." the Admiral paused, pointing her fork towards her niece's plate, "After you finish your lunch. I've heard entirely too many stories about you forgetting to eat."

"I'm hoping that between Dahe'el and your Yeoman you've been eating more than you used to, at least." Xander replied with a slight chuckle and a nod, "The more people ensuring you keep on top of yourself, the better."

Making a point to stuff a bite of food into her mouth, Rochelle bought herself time before having to respond to what was certainly a bit of fishing being done. Her father was a great man, wiser than most, but subtle he was not. "Both of them do what they can to keep me on the straight and narrow." She coolly replied, spearing another bit of chicken with her fork, "I'm sure they'll be even more vigilant with us headed to Apsha. Here's hoping there's not a repeat of last time." She didn't need to thank Blyx, doing so would have made the mission a favor and show of favoritism - but she would... When they were far away from Cold Station Theta and Landon couldn't hope to follow.

"Almar will be very keen to ensure no harm comes to you, I'm sure," Xander replied as he cast a glance over her wrists and referred to her First Officer by his first name, he took another bite of his meal and gestured idly to her with a smile, "He's done good for the Vindicator, I'd glad he was chosen to oversee the construction project on the E and F"

An eyebrow worked its way towards the ceiling, and Rochelle paused her hunt for a sauce covered noodle, "He's persistent in that regard. I don't have reason to complain him at all." Of course she didn't, aside from maybe the part where he tended to find ways to make things just difficult enough to keep her on her toes. Not unlike her father, who's persistence was difficult to avoid without coming across as overly aloof and cold, "I'm actually a bit surprised you didn't remand him to the shipyards. He's being wasted as my XO."

"He requested the transfer to ship-bound duty when the Discovery Class launched. He's proven himself to be more than capable in the field and is an asset we can't waste, at least that's why I never had him recalled to Planetia." Xander replied between bites.

"I see." The redhead hummed with feigned disinterest and, instead, chose to strike up conversation centered around the meal itself. It was a move that gently shifted the spotlight away from her personal life and back to where it belonged; on the mundane, silly, frivolous things in life that made them all smile in the scant hours before she'd - once more - head for deep space.

---

Fleet Admiral Blyx O. Red
Commanding Officer
BETA FLEET / COLD STATION THETA

Admiral Alexander Hark
Klingon Ambassador

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NX-78213-F

 

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