Part III - Family Affair

Posted on Thu Nov 21st, 2024 @ 3:16pm by Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,249 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Over Communications
Timeline: Just Before Entering Dead Zone

ON:

"No," she replied softly, "just so you know, I marked a grave next to her when I thought you'd died. I thought that is where you may have wanted--" Adrianna cleared her throat, "I know she was killed because of Starfleet. I know that you live in seconds because of it. I know that you loved her dearly. You never shared much. Because of it though, I had leverage with Starfleet. They were going to pull me out, but when you told me about your sister-- when we did a diamond heist together-- I used It to keep me by your side." She sighed, before returning to topic, "tell me about my sister in law to be. My tattoo can wait."

He smiled. "I think it's time I told you the whole story."

Vance sighed. "So to tell you that I have to tell you about our parents and all that happened. He looked at her. "Up for a long story?"

"I have all night, and both you and I are off tomorrow," she smiled, "do we need grappa, whiskey, wine or beer?"

He shook his head. "I guess I better start at the beginning." He took a deep breath. "We were living in that little cottage. I was about I think eleven and Ari was six when they left. We woke up and they were gone." He leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. "We waited a few days but they didn't come back and I knew that it was up to me. We were both in school so that ate the days. We were lucky in the sense that there was an old couple who lived close by and they figured out pretty quickly what happened. They didn't exactly welcome us in but they provided food and I learned with the old guy how to fix the house and work the land a bit. So In addition to school, taking care of Ari and the home I was pretty busy." He shrugged. "I was too young to realize it was a lot to take on but I knew I had to keep going."

Adrianna listened, drawing her knees up to her chest and balanced her mug of tea on her knees. "Why on earth would you leave your children?" She asked rhetorically, disappointed for him. She would have been lost without her family.

He shrugged. "Years later I had my opportunity to ask and they said they weren't ready. I mean...it is what it is. I was too young to be angry, I mean I was sad but I had Ari to take care of." He sighed. "Anyway it was when I was about sixteen that people learned about me and Ari and I was so scared that they would separate us that I made a deal to go into pre academy prep. Ari came with me they allowed us to stay together and I would go to school, make sure she got to school, fed us both and studied. Eventually I got into the Academy but ... I learned pretty quickly that creativity was not encouraged and I'd learned another life when our parents left, liberating things that didn't belong to me to survive, creative ways of surviving." He shrugged. "Following rules and regulations was hard. I was also a vengeful brat."

She frowned a little, her heart breaking for him. It was no wonder he was so protective of his crew and why he paid them well. He always maintained the ship by himself too, designing weapons and whatnot himself with some assistance from the ship's mechanic, but he was a lone wolf. "You still are a vengeful brat," she commented with a bit of a grin, but allowed him to continue.

He laughed. "Yeah but what got me kicked out was turning an admiral purple for a week as well... a lesson for him trying to teach me a lesson. I was pretty much booted out and fearing Ari would be taken I grabbed her and ran. That's when I got the ship and my first job with a Romulan named Stofen. He was a very important senator and he's actually the one that I called on to help with Zai and his people when Zai needed it. The man was a father, guide, friend, all rolled into one. He took care of me and his wife took care of Ari like she was her own. We had stability for a few years. I was what barely eighteen then. Stofen helped me build a crew and fix my ship. It was a family, you know."

"I understand that," she smiled, "it was part of my job to get to know you, but because you were a minor, without guardians, a lot wasn't available. I knew about you having a sister and why you got kicked out. The report says orange. I feel purple is much more you."

He laughed. "It's Ari's favorite color so.... everything was purple back then, hell the ship was covered in purple." He sighed. "Yeah so the rest is all as they say history. About three years before I met you was when I lost Ari."

"I tried to get more information about that, when you told me that it was an intel op's fault. Everything was sealed, but it meant I could stay as they didn't want anyone looking into it further," Adrianna sipped her tea.

"Because they had sent an agent to join my crew. I didn't know he was an agent. He was young. Ari fell in love with him. I was trying to discourage it but also trying to support her. I didn't know his mission was to take me and Stofen out. We were on a job and things were going belly up. Thomas made his move. Ari saw the blade and she stepped in front. I turned too late and when I did it was like time just slowed down. I could count every heart beat, every second. The blade Thomas plunged into her heart, the rage, pain, sadness on her face. She turned to me told me she loved me and that she'd miss me and then she threw herself and him off the cliff...the drop was..." He broke down sobbing.

Adrianna reached over, putting her mug on the coffee table. She unfolded herself and wrapped her arms around him, drawing him in. She remained silent, allowing him to process. She kissed the top of his head and took a breath. Seeing such a strong man break was heartbreaking. But she managed to hold it together.

"I tried, I couldn't find her...I couldn't find the body. The water was so deep. There was blood but..." He sobbed. "Just a few seconds. If he'd been faster it would have been me. I keep asking why wasn't it me." He held on to Adrianna.

"I'm biased," she replied, "I'm glad that you survived." She kissed the top of his head again. Because of what happened, a new law was made though. Operatives no longer were allowed to use 'love' as a way in-- especially in assassination attempts, unless approved by an admiral. It's why I was about to be extracted."

He held onto her. "I've never let myself grieve for her. Not until now." He sighed. "Part of me...never could. Part of me hoped that she'd somehow survived." He shrugged. "Stupid huh?"


To Be Continued...

 

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