Dark Reminders

Posted on Tue Jun 23rd, 2015 @ 9:02am by Master Warrant Officer Gaius Aquila & Lieutenant Commander Holly Gillo

2,313 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 88 - Memories Lost, Trouble Found
Location: Aquila's Quarters
Timeline: MD4-1200 hrs

Prologue

Gaius and Holly were having a quick lunch together. They have done this many times by now, and Gaius cherished every minute of every time. He really liked looking at Holly. "So how do you like the boys so far?"

The lunch was something that they did often enough by now that Holly enjoyed every moment she got to spend with him. Even though they were sharing a meal they still were able to speak to one another. Holly being comfortable enough with Gaius now was able to answer his question with ease. " The boys are quite charming. Much like their Father skeptical of my intentions but generally open to the experience. I am grateful that they trust me enough to consider the prospect of me and you together as one." She smiled at the end in an attempt to hid her nerves about how the boys were receiving her in return.

Gaius might not be a Betazoid, but he has been with Holly long enough to tell that she was nervous. "Well, they were both excited to meet you, and have not been disappointed. Titus is the more easy going out of the two of them. Octavian, well, he likes you, and he is working on getting over some cultural differences."

Holly smiled, "I felt that but thank you for affirming I wasn't reading them backwards like I do sometimes." She then fell silent.

"Anyway, since we are not off together all of the time, the boys want you to pay them a visit when I am working. Do you think that you can handle that?"

"I think so as long as they both keep open minds about things. Any type of hostility tends to make it hard for me to block myself from projecting." She then added, "Meaning I am a high telepath even for a Betazoid so I have to hide so to speak to keep people safe. Even people I care about deeply."

Gaius could really tell that Holly was nervous about possible alone time with the boys. "Okay, Octavian is not angry, or hostile towards you in any way my Love. You have to keep in mind that in my great grandfather's time, the concept of life beyond our world was only religious in nature. Merrikus and Kirk changed all of that, as if a flash flood came bearing down on an unsuspecting hiker. Some referred to all off worlders as "Barbarians", not the adjective, but just a general term we used to name the tribes that lived outside Rome's influence in ancient times. The term naturally got applied to everyone not from Magna Roma. It has only been three generations since that time, so some, um...suspicion still clings in the thoughts of some of us. He will get used to it. Octavian will come around."

Holly listened to his explanation and was a bit less nervous about being alone with the boys. Still she was going to worry as she didn't want to hurt the boys on accident like she had done before with people's kids. She smiled a bit all the same to attempt to re-assure him that she was going to try and keep things positive.

"And don't worry about Marcellus. He is in his own guest quarters, enjoying the sights of the starbase. I had to order him not to clean my quarters."

That was when her smile became a laugh and she spoke to him, "Sounds like an honorable man to want to serve even when so far away from his home. But then again I expect nothing less from those who are around you, Gaius."

Present Time

The day arrived when Gaius was actually off station, and Holly was not. As predicted, Marcellus was out playing with the dabo girls. The boys knew that she was coming, so they were presentable. Titus was "exploring" Gaius' closets, while Octavian read a text on Earth's version of Rome.

Gaius was at work and asked Holly to check in on the boys and spend the day with them. She was nervous but would do what he asked as his boys were his world and she could see it in his eyes. Making herself as lady like as she could she went to Gaius's living space and chimed at the doors at the agreed time hoping that the boys would answer.

Octavian placed the PADD down, and rushed to the door to answer it. Titus, oblivious to the door chime, continued to rummage through Gaius' belongings in a closet.

When Octavian answered the door Holly smiled and greeted him, "Hello. Your Father has asked me to keep you both company while he is at work. I hope you don't mind?" Holly was sure by now if one of them was exploring through the closets and what not that they would have found that some of her items were there. Not by choice but rather by necessary as there had been times that both Giaus and Holly lost track of time and needed to change in one anther's quarters.

Octavian smiled, "Please come in Holly, and welcome."

"Thank you Octavian." She smiled as she entered before speaking a question. "Where is your brother, Titus?"

Titus did indeed find "items" belonging to Holly. But being from a society which has hedonistic elements, those discoveries did not even phase him. Holly's things were neatly stacked together as he kept rummaging through the closet, until he found a wooden chest in the very back. He tried pulling it, but it had some weight to it. He finally poked his face out of the closet, "Octavian, can you give me a hand?" Only then did he notice Holly standing in the door way. Like a child who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he rushed out of the closet.

About that time Titus poked his head out and asked Octavian to help him with something. Her eyebrow went up and she spoke to Titus, "Exploring I see. Hopefully you found everything in order." She then smiled before turning to address both boys, " Hopefully we can spend the day together and get to know one another better. I know that you are both very important to Giaus or he wouldn't have asked me to check in on you both today while he was working. To make sure that you're doing alright and to help you learn the station a bit better." She then added, "Did either one of you have anything on your mind that you would like to do today?"

Octavian said, "I am game whatever adventure you have in mind Holly." Despite his cultural reservations, Octavian was happy that someone finally had his father's heart. He could observe that she was kind hearted and intelligent.

Titus accepted her before they even met. But his mind was on that chest in the closet at the moment. "I am game as well, but first...", then he reentered the closet, and started to yank the chest out of the closet.

Now Octavian was curious about the chest. This type of chest was used on Magna Roma for important keepsakes. He then went to a drawer, and pulled out some tools. "Looks like a puzzle to solve. I love puzzles."

Holly took in a deep breath and then let it out before speaking to the two boys feeling as though she was accepted for the moment. " That is something that I've not seen before, and I have a feeling that it is for good reason. Giaus doesn't lock things unless there is a very good reason for it. Mostly for protection as he would not live well with himself if any harm came to either one of you."

Octavian heard Holly just when he popped the lid of the chest, with Titus looking on. Octavian pulled out an old style battle dress tunic with Sergeant stripes, the kind that had the useless padding on it, circa 2370's. "Wow, Marines wore these things?"

"Yes they did back before regulations changed." Holly recognized the uniform having seen it only a couple of times before. Mostly with upper brass though which struck her as odd that Giaus would have one.

Titus reached into the chest, and pulled out what Holly would recognize as a Jem'Hadar dagger. "Ah, neat!"

"I would be careful with that Titus that is a weapon and a very dangerous one at that." Her instincts were on high alert now as she was wanting to protect the boys from things like this but it seamed that their need to explore overruled that a bit.

Octavian then pulled out an old photo album. The first photo he opened it to had a very young looking Giaus standing on some barren world, and next to a young Lieutenant who looked alot like General Jackson.

Holly raised an eye brow recognizing the two men in the photo and it clicked with her what was going on. She made mental note of it.

Titus turned the page, and both boys gasped with excitement at the next photo. It had Giaus, and other Marines in what appeared to be a battle torn Cardassian city street, standing over a row of Jem'Hadar bodies. The Marines had grim smiles on their faces. Some of them were holding bottles of Klingon blood wine. Titus spoke, "No wonder the Arena did not bother Father!"

Holly spoke softly the dots connecting in her head as memories of the war came back to her. She was just as much apart of it as Giaus was. The only difference was that she was stationed in a different area than him. "Yes...nothing holds a candle to the front lines..."

As Holly spoke, Octavian pulled out what appeared to be a large necklace, but instead of jewels or charms, it had these transparent but soiled tubes on it. Holly would recognize them as the Ketracel White tubes that were normally imbedded on the necks of Jem'Hadar soldiers. Octavian looked at Holly. "Holly, what are these?"

"Those are Ketracel White tubes from Jem'Hadar soliders. Its how many your Father had to kill in order to come back home to you both." She looked at the two boys before attempting to get them to but the things back. " All of this is from war and if your father sees it out he might not react favorably to them. It was hard on all of us who had to fight and something that we much rather not talk about considering...how many people didn't make it..." She sighed hoping that the two boys would understand her.

Both boys looked at her for a moment, then looked at each other. Without saying a word, Octavian place the trinket back into the chest. Then with the help of Titus, they both placed everything back into the chest in the exact same way they were found. None of them said a word the whole time. Octavian then spoke, "Holly, do you know that up until the War, our world has not seen any war in over 600 years? Our father participated in the first war the family has seen after that time. But also from our history, when wars were fought on our world long ago, they were conducted in a very savage manner. " For 13 year olds, their manner of speech was very refined. The mark of aristocracy.

"No had no idea about that. Then again there is not much in the Federation databanks about your people or your world because of how privet everyone is that is off world from your planet." Holly then fell silent knowing that there was more that the boys were going to stay about things.

Titus then spoke, "What Patre did in the past, before we were born, will stay in the past. We are proud of him, no matter what he did. If the Dominion was evil enough to push us to fight beside the Romulans, then what was done needed to be done." When Titus said the word "Romulans", his voice had a tone of total contempt. Then he stood up, and raised his right arm, "For those of you who fought this war, we salute you."

Holly smiled and then spoke, "Yes the Dominion was beyond evil and if not for men like Giaus they would have taken allot more than what they did during the war." Her eyes were so dark at this point that they were black. It wasn't till she closed her eyes for a few moments then opened them again that her eyes turned back to normal again. She had to keep it together with the boys in the area.

The boys pushed the chest back into the closet, and silently placed everything back into the closet in the same order. Titus, who regained his composure, held up an item belonging to Holly, and gave her a wink before placing it into the closet.

Holly couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit at Titus's playful nature about some of her items having made their way into Giaus's closet. She was relived a bit that Titus and Octavian were both accepting her at this point. The last thing that she wanted was for the boys not to be comfortable around her.

Octavian saw Holly in a different light, which was for the better. "Well Holly, we are ready for your tour. Besides, I am starving.", he said with a smile.

She nodded, "Alright if you are both ready to face the public then we'll leave and go find something to eat. I remember people telling me something about how teenage boys behave when they are hungry. Rather not have it get that way." She then smiled before waiting to make sure that they were both ready and then went towards the door.

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