Echoes of the past - Part 1
Posted on Sun Feb 17th, 2019 @ 6:54pm by Commander Hades,MD & Lieutenant JG Ilan Rol & Commodore Leon `Lee` Pike & Captain Jack Solomon & Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne
1,326 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Episode 97 - Cultural Exchange
Location: USS Sutherland, followed by Various SB400
Timeline: Various Timeline (Current and Memory)
ON:
Hades stood walking to the window in his office. This was a fine ship. Rarely had sickbay been in a position where he had a window. He reflected on his life and on the happenings prior to leaving the station. James was in custody and speaking so Hades would have to wait to get back to the station to hear the truth of all that.
He sighed and he thought of the last little bit and how things had unfolded on the station. Ariana had been fearless, Pike and Solomon, were a God send. He was glad that they were there to help when things go rough.
Grabbing a coffee from the replicator he sat down and began to reflect on the happenings before they had left:
Hades sat with Rol waiting for Ariana to join them in the big room. He looked out at the stars. He wasn't happy about this, about prying into his cousin's head but it was necessary. This morning when he'd seen Braxton he was convinced that Braxton was falling apart. Now they waited for Ariana who'd undergone a transformation to look just like Nicole. They hoped that this would scare the XO in question into telling the truth of that day.
What brought it home more was the fact that Rol had been able to get a hold of the records and they were incomplete.
Ariana stood looking at herself in the mirror it was strange how just a few changes made her look so different. Now all she had to do was find out whether Nicole displayed emotion or whether she was an a-typical Vulcan in her mannerisms. She had to get this right for their plan to work though hopefully just a visual of her would be enough to work. She took a relaxing breath straightening the clothes she’d been left now she was wearing them before walking out to where Hades and Rol were waiting. “Have you been waiting for me all this time? I hope the transformation is worth it?”
Hades turned and physically jumped. Seeing Ariana dressed as Nicole, with blond hair and pregnant was like a ghost from the past. He stood there staring his breathing stopped for a moment. It was a punch to the gut and it was heart rending. He turned away from a moment to compose himself and only then figured out he was holding his breath. "You look..." He was stopped by the crack in his voice and then took a steading breath. "You look so much like her. "
Rol gave Hades' shoulder a squeeze. "You know .... you could always come in for counseling and examine this too."
Hades bucked off Rol's hand and turned to Monroe, being more of his old self, "Really do you teach counselors to browbeat for clients?"
"No I do not!" Ariana looked at Rol annoyed. "That's enough of that Lieutenant Rol, we'll talk about it later!" She looked back at Hades. She'd felt his emotions when he'd looked at her and rapidly turned away again and she would talk to Hades about it later. "So tell me more about the woman I now am. Was Nicole a typical Vulcan? Did she control her emotions like all Vulcans or was she different? If I'm to play the part I need to know as much about her as I can to play it correctly." She placed her hand on her bump. "I know about her pregnancy but that's about all."
Hades smiled, "Well she was Vulcan in her work but she had a temper. She was a firecracker that one. She always spoke the truth and the particular person we are trying to catch is the one that she didn't quite like. I understand from Braxton that she used to called the commander an Eldorian eel. So I think a forceful approach is necessary. Rol and I will be close by in case you need us." He smiled, "Ready for the plan?"
"Of course I am you Eldorian eel, now get on with it!!" Ariana smiled and raised an eyebrow in a near perfect Vulcan way.
Hades smiled and looked over at Rol. "You are the man with the plan."
Rol sighed, "As always. Alright so I found out from a friend of a friend that Nicole and James, as she called him, had a fight the day she died. Apparently she dressed him down in the lounge about taking advantage of Brax. He was always covering for the coward...her words."
Hades looked at Ariana, "I say we pick it up from there. He should be heading home from the seminar maybe we can meet him in the corridor...or rather you can and we'll be around the corner in case you need us."
"Okay let's do this" Ariana gently rubbed her stomach like pregnant women did. She found it soothing and right now it was helping with her nerves.
"Are you alright Lieutenant?" Hades asked.
"Sorry?" She looked at Hades. "Oh...there's nothing wrong" She smiled. "I find it soothing to do this, it's helping with my nerves. Last thing I need is shaking hands, it would give away things in an instant." She smiled warmly. "It's hard enough knowing I have to avoid showing too much emotion."
He smiled, "You will not be in any danger that is for sure. We will be there. As for emotion I loved Nicole and she could be the sweet but to those she didn't like she was quite the cold fish. This James was probably not too happy about how she treated him."
Rol stepped forward. "Well let's get going. Small window of time." What Rol didn't say was that he arranged for a little surprise of his own.
Ariana nodded and headed in the direction Rol was leading them.
=/\= Promenade =/\=
Braxton sat at the restaurant waiting for Solomon and Pike. He'd been surprised at how they had hit it off and was glad to have a distraction of a drink with new friends to get him out of his mind a little. He sat at the table waiting for his new friends to join him.
Lee had gotten the request for the dinner, so he let his wife know that he wouldn't be home that night for dinner but wouldn't be too late, he left their quarters after changing out of his uniform, he entered the restaurant looking around.
Jack had finished up his duties for the day and after spending quite a bit of time on board the USS Cairo and clearing off several jobs that were quite challenging, he was glad of the chance to relax with an afterwork drink. He arrived at the restaurant and saw the table that Braxton was seated at.
He walked over and took a seat at the table. "Mikhail, thanks for the invite, how are you?" He asked.
Braxton sighed, it had been a question he hadn't answered in a while. It had been one he'd avoided. "Glad to be up and about. It has been a long few days, that is for sure. How are you doing?" He saw Lee and waved him over.
"I'm not too bad," Jack answered. "Plenty of work to keep me busy, you know how it is but I've always got time for a friend and a drink with a friend," he said.
Lee spotted them then walked over to where they were sitting "Hello" He then took an empty chair and sat down.
Braxton smiled, "I must admit I had a bit of an ulterior motive for all this."
Jack smiled as he put his drink down from taking a sip. "Ok, so what are you up to or what have you been up to?" he asked.
Lee looked at the other two "So what would your motive be then?"
To be continued....
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