Dancing in Shadows
Posted on 03/20/2024 @ 8:27am by Captain Cara Letsul & Rear Admiral Thomas Rice
Edited on on 03/31/2024 @ 2:21pm
2,233 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Pages...
Location: Sector Command, RAdm Rice's Office
Timeline: MD 06 1630
Cara's heart skipped a beat when she heard Tom's voice calling for her over the combadge. She had watched as a Klingon ship, one she knew was Vishti's, left the station. All she could ascertain was that Jack and his team were heading off to go find Neil. Tapping on her combadge Cara answered.
"I am on my way." it didn't take long for her to arrive, and the doors opened, letting her in. "I am here, Admiral." she stated, though she wanted to say’ I am here Tom’. Now wasn't the time for her to drop the rank though. Around six hours ago more or less, she, Patton and Tom were discussing what needed to be done with the disappearance of Neil. There was a sense of something permeating the air, The tang of a heavier burden seeming to have dropped upon Tom’s shoulders. She could feel it, almost taste it in the atmosphere. “I spoke with Adira earlier today. I let her know about Neil. It was a rather difficult discussion to have.” Cara walked up to where Tom was at. “What is going on? Something is weighing heavily in the air.”deciding to reach out and touch his shoulder.
“Long story short, Star Fleet isn't impressed with this latest development. They believe this to be another one of Harrington's stunts,” Tom stepped backwards. " They've impressed on me the need to figure this out, and fast. Or,” he trailed off.
“Or, they will find someone who can,” the Admiral added.
Cara pulled her hand back. "And just who would they be sending in?" her voice quieted. "This isn't one of his so-called stunts, Admiral."
She walked a couple of feet away from Tom. "As usual, they want to crack the whip and shake their sabers in order to accomplish something. The team is out there, and we're already on it. " her voice going a bit cold. "However, we can't let the right hand know what the left hand is doing though." she gave out a slight laugh that was devoid of humor. “I know that game all too well, Tom”
Tom nodded. “This is going to be a delicate balance of politics and diplomacy. Our relationship with the Romulan is tense at best, until we know more we can't afford to tip our hand.”
“I've asked the Federation Ambassador to come in and talk to me as well, discretion Is important but we need to know more and I don't want to loop in more Officers,” he added.
As if on cue, a slender redhead walked into the room clearly she didn't have any problems not announcing herself. “You know Thomas, that Yeoman of yours,” she reached down to pour herself a drink but the sudden realization that they were not alone hit her.
She looked up, her cheeks red with embarrassment. " Here I thought this was a social visit,” she said, approaching the Captain. " My apologies.”
Cara's memory flashed back to Aer's wedding. Tom had asked the redhead to dance. She picked up a sense of something, Cara though, wasn't going to dig into that right now.
"Yes, this isn't a social visit. And you are...? With all that has happened as of late, Cara hadn't looked into who else had come onto the station, including the woman who Tom had danced with, Cara was slacking. A congenial smile was there, as she waited for an answer.
Tom interrupted, “My apologies Liv, I wasn't expecting you so soon. Captain Letsul, this is Doctor Olivia Quinn, Federation Ambassador and resident expert on Romulans.”
Liv smiled, totally missing some of the subtle cues. “Its a pleasure,” she stooped. “I thought the Commanding Officer was someone named Cornelius?” She looked confused, “I hadn't gotten the chance to meet him yet.”
Cara drew in a slight breath, then let it out slowly, pulling in her emotions, then stated. "As of now, I am in command of the station. This is due to Neil, that is, Captain Harrington, having been taken off the station, by unknown means. It is suspected that our Romulan Ambassador may have had a hand in this happening. There are suspicions linked to that due to when the combadge had been discovered, and the station went into lockdown, Loval's ship left rather quickly just before full lockdown and the station turned upside down in search of him. There is no trace of Captain Harrington on the station."
“The Romulans,” Liv let the rest fade into the background for now. “That's a hard one, they are so fractured after Hobus. You truly have 3 factions desperately attempting to gain control. You have the old Romulans that we know and love. They hate us, we hate them. Then you have the fraction that thinks peace with the Federation might be the goal. I wouldn't call us friends, but these people see the need for change: especially now.”
“The last group is really all the forgotten ones, small pockets of Romulans displaced and unsure of where they belong. A lot of them still blame the Federation for not doing more, and pulling out of the rescue attempts after the Mars attack.”
Cara closed her eyes for a moment recalling what happened, then opened them once more. "That is something I do realize. And it takes such delicate steps to overcome the general feelings of others. I do not have any trouble with Romulans, and I do understand their frustrations." Cara herself had suffered through some frustrations when it came to Betazed being overtaken by the Founders,. The Federation couldn't help out much there and there were the echoed frustrations of why can't or why won't the Federation help.
"There can be that sort of sentiment when it comes to the Federation and those we deal with. Those sentiments had been expressed when the Founders had overtaken Betazed. And it seemed to receive no help from the Federation. " Cara decided to voice her observation. "However, that isn't the reason why we're here. It is what to do in this situation."
Tom rubbed his temples, this was an uncomfortable meeting and issues should have been addressed long before he forced a meeting between the two. “I,” he sighed, “Starfleet wants answers. Officially, Harrington is missing, case closed. But we need to find out what happened, discreetly and then why?”
“We are a long ways from Romulan space and surely there was Federation members with more connections to Romulans. So why Harrington?” Tom didn't even realize he had referred to Harrington in the past tense. He was lost on why the Romulans picked Harrington, Poseidon was a fair distance from Romulan space.
"How it happened is a bit of a puzzle but an answer is there. I feel that Harrington was a target, a man who had been in the midst of a trial where people lost their rank due to a so-called cover-up. Of which you know quite well, Admiral. '' Cara looked pointedly at Tom. "If something were to happen to Harrington, well, it could be swept under the rug, as far as the Federation is concerned. As you said, Harrington's missing; case is closed. An end to an embarrassment that they felt needed to be contained. So he's gone; who knows if he is dead or alive. It's the damned political game they love to play. However... he is a prime prize, for a possible small group of Romulans figuring that they could utilize him. Federation, he's gone who cares. These are just my own thoughts." Cara stated.
"Plus, The Federation sent a VIP Author, who was left in Harrington's charge. Now, there is an investigation into the Author's death, and the next day, Harrington is gone. Something is afoot, and I am not liking it." Cara blended in what was going on station-wise. "There are some underlying issues going on here."
"Do not forget that we dealt with a group of Breen who had a nest so to speak, far away from where they normally are. They decided to attack and they were fended off. There was a cost in all levels that had been paid. It is almost as if we are a testing ground for something." Cara added.
Tom took a moment to consider Cara’s comment. “This isn’t just another routine disappearance. It’s layered with political threats we simply can’t afford at this time. The timing isn’t lost on me either,” Tom sighed. “Harrington’s trial, the press, his demotion, and now this sudden vanishing.”
He folded his hands, “it all feels very orchestrated, deliberate.”
“Romulan interests aside, we are navigating a delicate balance here, trying to maintain a fragile peace while attempting to uncover the truth. And we should all be very wary of the Federation’s approach. Their tendency to put optics over reality could blindside us all… if we are not careful.”
“Whatever we decide to do, we must proceed cautiously.” He looked at Cara, “Captain, we will find Harrington, trust me. However, we have to play this carefully.”
Liv walked over to Tom, “Thomas, this is a delicate manner and one that can’t be fixed in one evening,” she smiled, at the Captain. “I am sure that Captain Letsul is going to do all she can do.” She grinned, “besides, I made reservations at Big Easy Bistro for dinner. Let’s approach this in the morning when everyone has had time to consider options.”
Cara's eyes widened when she heard Olivia's comment, and gave an almost imperceptible wince when she heard about where they were having dinner. Her mind briefly flashed up a memory of her, Tom, having dinner at his place then dessert at the Big Easy Bistro. It even ran along the lines of them doing shopping afterwards, and the spicy kiss she gave Tom. The colors of sheets and bedding... The kiss he had given her before he went out to battle. Her cheeks turned a tint of pink at those memories.
The heat cooled down though, as she looked at Liv. The memory of him being with Liv on the dance floor at Aer's wedding. The woman was beautiful, and Cara couldn't fault Tom. A feeling of something went through her, Cara not being able to put a name or process it. She just flicked it to one side. Right now, there was the matter of Harrington and what to do where things were concerned with the station. She felt a twinge of sadness though. Why? She wasn't certain.
Tom twitched a little at the mention of the name; however, despite his history with Cara that establishment wasn’t exclusive. It was Cara after all who mentioned she wasn’t going to move forward in her personal life. Or, something like that. “I suppose you are correct, it’s late and we are not going to iron out any details tonight,” he looked at Cara. He paused for a moment, “Captain, get with your people and see what we’ve been able to establish. We shall continue this tomorrow.”
Cara gave a nod, "Yes Admiral Rice. I will most certainly do that." adding that to her rising list of things to do. "Enjoy your meal as that place has delicious food." giving a small smile towards Olivia. She had to really watch herself, after all, she had to concentrate on the things at hand and not get distracted. So many distractions, one of them being Tom and then there was Cara stepping onto the path of rediscovery, like what Faux had advised her to do. She sucked in some breath between her teeth, so many things to do.
“Goodnight, Ca,” he paused.” Thank you.” He extended a hand to Liv. “Are you ready?”
She took his hand and said, “I was born ready, Thomas.” Looking back at the Captain, she said, “It was a pleasure meeting you. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
As the two walked off, Tom stole one last look at Cara, and she headed off to Ops. Wasn't she the one who said she didn't want a relationship? He sighed as Liv tugged at his hand.
“Sorry,” he smiled warmly, “just a lot going on at the moment.”
“One hour, Thomas Rice,” she scolded him, “one hour.” She laughed, tapping his combadge with her free hand, “and that thing better remain silent.”
Thomas? Thomas Rice? That was certainly a more... intimate way of speaking to him. Cara felt another pang as she saw Olivia take Tom's hand; she mentally scolded herself. She shouldn't feel badly, she should be happy that Tom has opened his heart to another, he had been closed off for so long. She can take comfort in that, can't she? Still, there was a little amount of a bitter taste upon her tongue as if she had bitten into something awful. Cara stood and watched Thomas and Olivia make their way out. As Faux had said, her own worries would or could prove to be self-fulfilling. Cara remembered that she had thought she would shoot herself in the foot where Tom was concerned. This was proof of it, Faux was right, he most certainly was. A self-fulfilling prophecy.
Rear Admiral Thomas Rice
Sector Commander
Aquil Sector
Dr. Olivia Quinn, PhD
Federation Ambassador
Poseidon Station
Captain Cara Letsul
Acting Commanding Officer
Poseidon Station
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