Stress creeping through the cracks

Posted on Thu Oct 18, 2018 @ 12:03pm by Fleet Captain Rhea Kennit

2,831 words; about a 14 minute read

As had been the case over the last two days, it was late before Kennit took her leave and left the ship in the capable hands of the Duty Officer in order to seek a few hours of rest before morning. Victory was taking in supplies while at the station, making some repairs which access to the station’s support systems facilitated and of course, further investigations into MacKenzie’s actions.. if that was even the dead woman’s real name.

The Captain was also quietly searching station sensor data, noting when the mirror universe ships came and how long they stayed, disgusted by the lack of available information regarding who crewed the vessels in question. She had managed to obtain cargo manifests and shipping paperwork. They’d picked up medical equipment, food stores, raw materials, an odd mix of machinery parts, repair components... it was clear they’d been here for a while, though there was no information at all to indicate just where ‘here’ might be. No indications of how long their transits took, no pattern she could identify as yet. They hadn’t caused any trouble that much she was certain of. At least, not at this station!

Maybe they were simply refugees from their own brutal dimension, keeping their heads down and staying out of the way.

Rhea didn’t believe that notion for an instant! But, she simply didn’t have enough information to go on, yet. After drafting a report,she sent her findings to Admiral Bennett using a highly encrypted comm channel and then went to shower. Afterward, dressed for bed she settled down with a book to read and hopefully relax before sleep. The book was a fairly small one, roughly six inches in height and bound with a soft, supple leather cover. Well cared for and well read, the feel of the leather and pages inside was a source of pleasure as she leaned back in bed to read.

Well, thief. I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath. Come along! Help yourself again, there is plenty and to spare!”

But Bilbo was not quite so unlearned in dragon-lore as all that, and if Smaug hoped to get him to come nearer so easily he was disappointed. “No thank you, O Smaug the Tremendous!” he replied. “I did not come for presents. I only wished to have a look at you and see if you were truly as great as tales say. I did not believe them.”

Alec was in his quarters and was feeling miserable. He and Rhea hadn't talked, Oh they talked as Captain and First Officer but not as Rhea and Alec and that bothered him and he meant to make it right! He knew she was in her quarters, quarters he shared on ocassion but since his abduction and return he hadn't visited. Sighing he rose from the couch, He went to his bedroom and returned with a gift wrapped box. Inside it contained A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. He had looked high and low for the book and finally found a copy. He knew Rhea was fond of Swift and his style of writing. He had intended to give it as a Christmas present but it might work better as "I'm sorry, I scared you. I'm a jerk." present. He left his quarters and made the short trip to Rheas's cabin and rang the chime.

After a moment, the doors opened to admit him. Rhea was no where to be found, she’d verified via the computer who was paying a visit then ordered the computer to admit him. She was still where she’d settled, comfortable in bed with her book!

As the doors hissed open, Alec stepped inside as the doors hissed shut. He was disappointed not to see Rhea but not surprised. She was hurt and probably more than a little angry at him. "You messed up Alec." He quietly scolded himself and the worse part was he had no intention of scaring, hurting Rhea. Sighing softly at Rhea's absence, "So I'm suppose to play hide and seek? Okay, here I come." He muttered softly as he began to search for Rhea. He could see she wasn't in the living room, doubted she was in the kitchen so he headed for her bedroom and wasn't surprised to see her in bed, with a book. He stood looking at her for several seconds not saying a word until the silence became deafening. He walked to the head of the bed, "This is for you." He said handing her the gift wrapped box.

She wanted to be pissed off at him. She was pissed off with him. She wanted to lash out. Yell at him. Hit him. All manner of emotional outbursts spinning around in her head.. and what she did was reach out, pull him to sit on the bed next to her. Wrap her arms wound him, and pull him in close for tight, fierce hug.

Rhea's reaction surprised him to say the least. He expected to be yelled at, maybe even slapped. He knew he had hurt her unintendtional or not he had and that bothered him a great deal. it was something he never wanted. So when she pulled him to sit next to her and then wrapped her arm around her in a fierce hug, he was surprised but not for long. His arms came up and around her in an answering hug. His head was buried at her neck. "I'm, so, so sorry Rhea. I never meant to hurt. scare you. I...." He stopped, as words failed him and he just hugged her tighter.

“I thought... I might loose you too..” she told him softly.

Alec was silent, Rhea's admitance hurt him even more. "I know I disappointed you, let you down along with hurting you. I hope you can come to trust me again, I don't mean as your XO but as Alec your um significant other. If you want to yell at me, slap me go ahead I deserve it."

“Yelling doesn’t change anything..” she answered, pulling away from him.

Alec was confused, he thought he and Rhea were in the process of making up or at the very least talking things out. However now he wasn't so sure what they were doing. he had apologized profusely several times and it seemed it had registered with Rhea. "Rhea, I'm sorry for what happened it wasn't intentional. You heard Dr.Jones, all I wanted to do was get back to you! Doesn't that count for anything?" He questioned.

“It does.” She agreed. “Which is why I said yelling does t change anything. It doesn’t change that they used you to get to me, To try and get me to murder an Admiral who admittedly is a bit of a twit in order to get him out of the way and take me down as well. It doesn’t answer the question of why..why so much work into such an elaborate ruse and why you didn’t tap that comm badge there on your chest and hail the Victory. You don’t need to have the ship on visual to be able to send a transmission. We get them all the time..even those ridiculous holodramas some of the crew are so addicted to.. even that new one with the vampires that sparkle in sunlight rather than bursting into flame... I bet THAT is a request from Doctor Anderson... she probably gets quite into those vampire romances...”. Rhea said, her train of thought derailed completely off topic.

Alec sighed, "Are you serious? First, I didn't know where you were. I didn't know where I was until Captain Edwards and her crew rescued me. Second, not knowing where I was I would have to send a hail to you. Even if it was in code it would have alerted Blackhawk, I was free and that could have put you and the Victory in greater danger. Which is why they were tracking or trying to track yoju." He shook his head, "I was wrong, I admit and I'll continie to admit it. It obviously doesn't help to repeat it was unintentional." He looked at the gift wrapped box. "Open your gift." He said softly.

She looked at him for a moment without speaking, then picked up the box and delicately unwrapped it without tearing the paper. Opening the box, she lifted the book inside from its nest of tissue paper and read the title aloud, “A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift. Wow.. this must have been hard to get to here..”. Looking at him again, her expression softer she said “Thank you..”. A best, and a glimmer of mischievous humor lit here gaze. “It isn’t some vampire romance thank god.. so I am now reasonable hopeful you aren’t the one who ordered those god awful holo-dreadfuls shipped out here.. has to be Anderson..or maybe Naroot...”

Alec didn't answer right away as a small smile made its way to his face. " You have no idea how hard and you are most welcome. I know I have a lot of making up to do but I'll do whatever needs to be done to put things right between us." He said solemnly. "As for those vampire holo dreadfuls as you refer to them. I'll never tell." He bantered back and added a wink.

“Uh huh...” she muttered.

"Why Captain." He continued in a jesting tone, "Are we going to have problems with you trusting me? I thought we had settled that misunderstanding."

Eyeballing him for an instant, she shifted to reach to the nightstand and rummaged a moment in the drawer to withdraw an emergency light. Flicking the control to UV, Rhea hit him with the beam of UV light and snorted. “You aren’t sparkling yet. There’s still hope.”

Alec smiled back at her, "Never been of the sparkling nature type." He admitted as he looked at her. Were they back to being fine again? he wasn't sure and Rhea wasn't saying. "I'm more of a knight in shining armor."

“Shining armor or covered in glitter..” Rhea retorted.

"Now, now. Don't be a doubting Rhea." Alec's smile grew wider. "I've been known to bring a smile or more to ladies."

At that, she fixed him with a look. “Oh really..” Kennit drawled. “Is that so..”

Alec nodded, "Yes it is so. See? Your doubting nature is rearing it's head again."

Her eyes dark, she began to slowly move toward him...giving him the sudden sense that he was being stalked by a very dangerous laerfe cat ... “And just....who might these other ‘ladies’ be?” Rhea asked, her voice slightly husky.

Alec took a step back. he wasn't actually afraid of Rhea but then again he had scared her, So she just might want to pay him back. "Now Rhea, they were all in the past. Way in the past. You know I love only you." He looked around, "Um maybe I should go? I just wanted to give you your present, apologize again and check on you. I was worried about you."

She let out a sigh. "Now you worry ..." she muttered as she turned toward the replicator to get a drink.

Alec shook his head in exsasperation and frustration. "That isn't fair Rhea! it isn't now I worry. I worried about you constantly when I was on Captain Edwards ship!”

Watching as her drink materialized on the replicators delivery pad, she shook her head. Picking up the mug, Rhea said “Everything I say, you respond with a defensive manner. I’m not in the mood to give you the argument you want.” Pacing the steps to the exit from her quarters, she continued. “Good night Commander. You’re dismissed.”

Alec shook his head, " Oh Commander is it? Not Alec. I see. No, not this time. I don't want an argument,I don't want absolution. I want you to understand. You seem to think or feel I didn't care about you and your feelings and nothing could be farther from the truth. I tell you I love you and it gets no reaction. He sighed, "I'm at a loss, I don't want to argue but it seems we are." He didn't think that Rhea realized he was hurting as well from this little debacle or if she did she didn't show it. He sighed and moved toward the door. "Enjoy your book. I just wanted to make this right between us Rhea. Not argue or me being defensive as you say I am. Because honestly, I didn't realize I was. I thought I was explaining."

“Explaining what?” she echoed. “Absolutely nothing about any of this makes sense, there is more going on here and that Edwards woman is deliberately keeping secrets, while I’m dealing with an attack on my crew, and an obvious attempt to to pull me out and into. Killing someone..by person or persons unknown and yeah..I don’t like it one bit!”

Alec didn't answer the first question just yet instead he answered her last statement with one of his own. "I don't blame you for being angry and not liking this. I don't like it either." He paused and plunged forward, "As for explaining or attempting to in my ownrambling way. I was trying to explain me feeling like a pawn in this, a pawn that could have gotten you seriously hurt or killed. I don't like being used." He said firmly as he walked back until he was closer to her. "I'm sorry I didn't try harder to contact you." He took a deep breath, "I was worried about you Rhea." he said softly.

“You worry about me.” She said softly. “I have to worry about this ship and every member of its crew. Even in situations where all I want to do is hunt down those responsible for the abduction of the man I love and kill every last mother fucking one of them.” The last was spoken still in that soft tone, but with such brutal cold menance there was no doubt that she meant it, and she would do it without hesitation.

"That is why you are an exceptinal Captain and woman Rhea. You care, truly care. However for what it is worth, I also worry about the ship and crew." Alec answered sympathecially as he took another step closer to her. "I share your feelings and you know you can count on me to help you in anything you have to do. I mean anything." He stressed.

“Someone was willing to put my crew, and you .. at risk to try and force me to kill a target of their choosing. That person is still out there and Thanks to that twit Edwards there’s almost nothing at all to follow..”

Alec smiled, "I don't think Captain Edwards meant any offense to you Rhea. I think she was operating with a minimum of information as well.Trying to piece together what was going on." He said diplomatically. As he moved another step closer to her.

“My ship infiltrated by rogue operatives. Members of my crew attacked, some killed. You taken hostage...all to apparently convince me to retire an innocent man who would have lost his life it wasn’t my firm practice to always validate the information before taking action. Someone was sloppy...and I am never sloppy... but it doesn’t change that because of me, members of my crew died. I can’t stand it and I can’t change it I can’t react to it ...”. She was angry, her voice though still calm was thick with frustration and stress.

Alec extended his arms to her, "That's what makes you so special Rhea. You double and triple check the information you have and if it doesn't add up, your like a dog with a bone. You're going to find out why it doesn't add up." He nodded his head, "I agree you aren't sloppy. Your right you can't change what happened, the crew that died but you can get venegence for them. We all can." He looked at her, "I was in Section 31. Not an assassin by trade but I've killed but counter intelligence, hell you know that and I'm good. Not bragging just fact. I have the ability to be believeable in any role."

Allowing him to draw her close, she just leaned her head shoulder and rested against his taller frame without speaking.

He wrapped his arm around her, holding her softly in his embrace, one hand lightly rubbing her back hoping to give her some solace, some comfort for the anger she felt and the fervent wish that he could be with her when they found the person responsible and he could make them pay for the hell they had put Rhea through.

~*~

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