Hard Truths

Posted on Wed Oct 9th, 2024 @ 7:41pm by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,465 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Various | USS Arcadia
Timeline: Current

ON:

Adrianna Baciami's Quarters


Lee Ren waited until the call was put through. The coms person said that Adri was not on duty. She hated to interrupt the girls rest time but Fang was not responding. Oh he was alright, his father had called and Fang had taken the call but her own son was ignoring her. She had to find out what was what. The best bet was her new adopted daughter!

Adrianna's mother had listened to Ren and suggested that she reach out to Adrianna about all this. She hoped that she could speak with her.

Adrianna was unwinding from her second date when the call came. She was in pajamas already, and just had to undo her hair and face. "Ren, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"Adri! I hear that your mother and I did a great job! Date 2!!! So excited for you dear. We'll pick out china patterns for the wedding next month. Got to give these things time. Now then, I'm calling you about my son who refuses to answer my calls. He'll respond to his father, to his sister, to everyone under the sun but me."

"Can you not," Adrianna chuckled, shaking her head in amused annoyance, "his mother is the same apparently and you two have been talking to his mother, and gawd-- all of you-- quit." She took a breath, "tell me, why won't he answer your calls? And don't tell me that you don't know. You must have done something."

She laughed. "Oh you know us mothers! We don't like to meddle but we try to help." She paused. "Now about my son...well I did nothing." She looked a bit guilty as she said that. She spoke again, "I did nothing. I tried to set the boy up with that nice engineering lady Rogers but just because she doesn't get along with Zai he transfers her! Honestly that boy Zai is trouble. Every girl it's Zai doesn't like her. She doesn't like Zai what has he got to do with it. They will marry Fang not Zai."

Adrianna nodded. She couldn't break Fang's trust, not was it her place to say anything. "There is a lot going on at the moment. A little bit of chaos around the ship. Might I advise that you wait for a couple of weeks or months before trying to set him up again? He really doesn't have the time-- I barely have time. Fixate on my brother's, for now. I'll nudge Fang to-- Tranquillizzarsi. That is-- to calm down and try and find time."

She grinned. "Oh I knew I could count on you! Oh by the way we've already found someone for one of your brothers. Your mother will call you! Thanks again dear. Gotta run I have a dress fitting with your mother."

"Madonna Santa," Adrianna muttered, realising what a terrible mistake she had made in setting up the mother's as friends, "can you tell mamma that Frankly is a mamma's boy but he's also a furbetto. She'll understand. It may help my case of keeping you two out of it."

She wrote the phrases down. "Got it. Mama's boy, furbetto! Don't you worry mamma's boys are always good husbands. Now then. Gotta run!" She terminated the call.

Adrianna let the call end before grumbling: "depends on the mother."



Engineer's Office - Next day

Now that all the dust had settled and the Rogers was packing, Zai was physically okay, Fang was neither here nor there he decided that it was high time that he had a conversation with his mother. And frankly, what he needed to say, was better said with his father present.

He'd waited until Earth time was evening and then he gave them a call. He made sure that he had plenty of coffee as his day was just starting.

Coms had managed to put it through to him and he placed the receiving tape into the slot waiting for the screen to shift. Within seconds both parents faces popped up. "Hello mother, hello father."

Chen and Ren smiled. "Fang! it's so good to finally see you."

Fang held up his hand. "I have just started my shift and I don't have a lot of time. I have something to say and mother, you will listen for once, father I'm going to count on you to explain things to her after.

Ren placed a hand over her chest as if preparing for bad news.

"Now I've had enough," Fang started. "I will grant you, your meddling with Adrianna had good effects. I honestly got to know a remarkable woman whom is fast turning out to be like a sister. I'm glad it netted friends for both of you and that turned out fine."

He paused noting that his father was smiling and nodding. The man perhaps knew that this was a long time coming.

"So, that all aside your meddling with Rogers, a member of my department, has caused so much trouble. Not only did you lead her on, you awakened some crazy aspect in her where she deliberately disobeyed my orders with respect to a staff disciplinary action, she repeatedly bulled Zai, by her words you told her to feel free to shove him aside. Now she caused a big argument with my longest standing friendship that will take time to iron out. You have created Chaos in my life and while I truly do love you enough is enough. I will get married when I want to whom I want. I may choose to stay single all my life and that's okay too."

He sighed.

"But I was..."

It was Chen who stopped her there. "Honey just listen."

Fang gave the man a nod. "Please I am begging you to just back off and give me some room. I need to fix things with Zai, I have other things that I am worried about and frankly even you, father lied to me."

Chen looked up. "I don't understand."

"I've heard of the incident on Capella. Zai told me that his people say that Starfleet personnel attacked the Prince of the eleventh tribe and they are saying that it was on my order that I betrayed the most important person in my life at the time. The person who was meant to leave the planet with me."

Chen paled. "Well..."

"Is it true or not?"

There was silence. Chen finally sighed. "The Starfleet officer in question was a Klingon posing as Starfleet. They wanted to cause a bigger problem and we have evidence now. Fin and Ito are taking it to all the tribes to explain what really happened and to show Capella that the Klingons are no good."

Fang silently gave a nod willing the burning behind his eyes to stop. "So my friend, the person I have been looking for all these years believes I betrayed him and if Zai is right he died believing this."

Chen shook his head. "Xingtian is not dead. We have tracked him to the battle at Karawil Village shortly after you left and while he was injured he did make it. We're trying to trace him from there but reports are that he is alive and working to get his people off planet. We know that his sister, the only surviving member of the family other then him, is safe, we just don't know where. Anyway we'll find him, I promise, and I will personally explain things to him."

Fang was silent. "That all maybe true but you still kept this from me, all these years and the Gods know if the damage is not already done on a permanent level. My Gods, he must hate me!"

Chen swallowed. "But...I was just trying..."

"To protect me and help Starfleet and do your job, I get that but honestly this is all a lot." He took a sip of coffee to ground himself. "Keep looking into things, I need some time to digest everything and to get my relationship with Zai back on track from the chaos Rogers caused. I won't be in touch for a while. Know that I deeply care for you both but...this is a lot and I need time to myself."

Chen gave a nod and he could see that Ren was crying but he himself was in a bad place and he had no words of comfort for her. Things just worked out that way sometimes.

He said his goodbyes and then hung up. While his head was spinning he had no time for this. He needed to focus on work, to get lost in the belly of the ship and just let his mind calm.

OFF:

 

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