Friendly Waters
Posted on Mon Feb 25th, 2019 @ 10:02pm by Commodore Jane Saulitis & Hak
Mission:
Sojourn
Location: Marga III
Timeline: MD 1, 2200 Hours
1673 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure
USS Camelot had arrived at arrived at Marga III several hours ahead of Majestic. Marga was a popular shore leave destination in the sector and Camelot had been pre-scheduled at this port for several months, taking a long needed break from their border patrol route.
Hak had managed to gain passage on the ship all the way from Starbase 17. It'd been several days and he'd gotten to know many of the crew, including the captain, who was now seeing him off personally in Transporter Room One.
"Mister Hak, it has been a pleasure," Captain Deena Robales smiled and extended a hand to the Betazoid. She'd enjoyed the diplomatic attache's short stay where he'd regaled her and her first officer with some fairly interesting stories about negotiating with the Gorn government over an informal dinner one evening. Other than that, she was sorry to say, she knew very little about her passenger. He had a very thin file.
Hak carried only a small unmarked duffel bag that was slung crosswise across his body. He shook Deena's hand and nodded politely, "Your hospitality has been amazing. Thank you," he said, pausing for a moment. "Could I ask one more favor?"
"Sure," Deena replied, expression quirking curiously as she waited to hear what it might be. Somewhere inside she'd hoped he might invite her down to stay with him in his hotel room for a few days, but it seemed a long shot.
"Majestic will be here in a few hours. Can you relay a message for me when they arrive?" He produced an isochip from a small pocket in his vest and handed it over. "Her captain will understand what it means."
Jane could hardly contain her emotions. She wanted to cry because she got to see Hak again after so long. She wanted to jump around screaming for the same reason, she wanted to just be wrapped in his arms and be still. And then there were all the other emotions stemming from their first mission which they had just completed, those were threatening to spill out as well. She sucked everything in as much as she could, poor Hak wouldn't be able to get within a kilometer of her with all of that pouring out.
She was sitting at a small table in a fairly secluded area. There was a small bar nearby for patrons who wanted to enjoy the shores of the warm lake. Most people preferred the oceans. Jane had never been like most people. She tapped her fingernails on the table and looked out over the water, watching a creatures occasionally float to the surface to look at her though she had no idea what they were.
"Is this seat taken?" Hak asked as he walked up from behind. He had the biggest grin when she jumped from her seat and they enveloped each other in their arms. "It's so good to be here with you, finally," he whispered as he held onto her for a moment.
"I can't believe you're really here." Jane breathed in his scent and pressed herself as close to him as she possibly could. "How long can you stay? How did you get time off? i want to know everything that's happened to you since we last met, the stuff you can tell me anyway."
"Every juicy detail, Imzadi," Hak promised, knowing that sentiment would go both ways, as he held her for a moment longer and then gave her a slight squeeze before letting go. "I can stay as long as I need to. There was a.. uh, incident. We lost a team member. So I'm on administrative leave while they investigate. It's quite a mess," he said, shaking his head, "but it'll blow over." He glanced down at the table and then back up at Jas and smiled with sympathetic eyes. "No worse than your mission just went, at least. How are you holding up? How is the crew?" He pulled out her seat for her.
"We're okay," she nodded. "We might be less okay after everyone has to get back on the ship but for right now they can take their minds off of it. But it's not like you don't know everything that happened on my ship. You probably know what I ate for breakfast lunch and dinner every day." She gave him a grin.
Hak gave a light chuckle. "Contrary to what you think, I don't know everything that happens. Good informants are so hard to come by." He reached over and took her hand in his. "How long are you planning to stay on Marga?"
"A couple of weeks maybe. Let the crew decompress before we need to move onto our next assignment." She looked into his eyes as if trying to read him , which of course was impossible since she was entirely human. "Tell me what happened. How did you lose someone?"
He let out a sigh and scratched his eyebrow. "We got separated on an op behind the lines. Best I can tell, he deviated from the plan, missed the rendezvous and the transport out. We went back when we could, but there's no sign of him. So, I don't know." Hak seemed rather somber and his tone carried an undercurrent of grief. "It happens. It won't be the last time," he said, trying to sound more uplifting, but failing, as he brought his gaze up to the moonlight that shattered across the rippled surface of the great lake.
"I'm sorry." Jane said reaching for his hand and rubbing her thumb across the back of his palm. "Can I do anything?" She couldn't help but think of the six people they'd lost on the Majestic at this point. She'd read their names over and over in her mind and had to contact their families personally. "Have you booked accommodations here?"
Hak shook his head at her first question and was about to tell her how sorry he was that he wasn't there when she needed him, but then at her second question, he lit up with a smile. He was glad for the change of subject. "Yes! I didn't think you were ever going to ask. So, there's an underground hotel a few kilometers west of here and I thought that sounded interesting, but then I figured you might want something on the water. So we're on the water."
"On the water?" Jane was suddenly looking skeptical. "On the water how?" She was smiling though, she trusted that he'd checked out any place before booking them a room. Not that it really mattered to her, as long as nothing sank and she didn't drown.
"A house boat. Well, I mean, they have a different word for it, but that's it, essentially," Hak said with a grin. "Not impressed? You can swim."
"Yes, I can, I'm wondering if I'm going to need to." Jane joked. "Seriously, I don't care where we stay. As long as I get you all to myself for the entire time we're on this planet." It actually felt a little strange, she'd loved him so long and yet she'd pulled away from being romantic with him for quite some time. They were just rediscovering this aspect of their relationship and she knew Hak had never stopped loving her. It made her feel guilty.
He held out his hand and just continued smiling. "Come on, it's docked a short ways down."
The 'house boat' was a floating steel and glass mansion with a large deck and a sub-surface observation room made entirely of transparent aluminum, affording a 360-degree view of the lake's wildlife. It had it's own engine systems that were entirely operated by voice control. The interior featured high end polished woods and brushed metals and contained threel bedrooms, a full kitchen and dining area connected with the main lounge area. It seems almost too big for just a couple.
Hak stepped off the pier and onto the deck first and then held out his hand for Jane. "Welcome aboard, cap'n! What do you think?"
Jane shook her head, she couldn't speak. At a loss for words was putting it midly she was actually fighting back tears. "How in the universe did you manage to set this up?" She finally got out, deliberately looking at the houseboat and not him.
"I know a guy who knows a guy," Hak smirked. "I figure it's perfect. We go out, drop anchor somewhere where no one can find us and we have enough rooms we don't even have to talk to each other, if you don't want to," he laughed.
"You know how to drive this thing? And you know the Majestic could beam us up in an instant. But we'll at least be away from any attention from the land. No crew members wandering on to see what I'm up to. And why." She turned around slipping her arms around him. "Would I not want to talk to you?"
"I don't know," Hak admitted with a playful shrug. "Sometimes you like your distance. I think it's so you can be alone in your own head for awhile, that's my theory." He smiled warmly at her, clearly not meaning it in a cold or critical way. He closed the space between them and lifted her chin up so that her lips were close to his. "Have I told you how much I've missed you?"
"Probably has something to do with being a classic introvert and needing to recharge. But, it's just you and I haven't seen you in a millennium. I'm pretty sure I can think of a few ways both of us can recharge while we're here." She brought her lips the rest of the way to his.
Commander Jane Saulitis
Commanding Officer
USS Majestic
Hak
Just a guy
