The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

Posted on Thu Nov 22nd, 2018 @ 4:41am by Commodore Jane Saulitis & Hak

Mission: Run Afoul
Location: The Himalayan Region, Earth
Timeline: 2377, Flashback
1498 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Hak dove onto the over-sized bed, laughing as he messed up the flow of the elegant silk-trimmed comforter and small hill of decorative pillows. They'd just checked in to the mountain-top ski resort nestled in the Himalayas. A real fire crackled in the corner fireplace and a hot tub bubbled and waited patiently out on the suite's veranda, overlooking the snow-frosted valley below.

Jane resisted the urge to roll her eyes, she let out a small smile as she set down her bag. "Do you always do that?" She sat down on the edge of the bed, took off her shoes and then flopped over next to him and cuddled right up to his form. "This place is so amazing, there are no words."

"I don't always give into the urge, but this weekend is whatever we want," Hak said blistfully as he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek and nuzzled his freshly shaven face up against her. "You know the best part is that we don't even need to leave the room all weekend. We could be entirely clothing-optional, have amazing sex, order in meals, more amazing sex," he breathed in her smell. It was a smell that couldn't be replicated. "Did I mention the sex?"

"You might have, maybe." Jane responded, kissing him teasingly. "But I want to see the mountains! Maybe put you on a pair of skis for entertainment purposes. Sit on the deck, take in the view. Except for the part where you're on skis, we can still cuddle for those events."

"Skiing? You're trying to plot my demise already?" he asked as he kissed down the side of her neck. Then he stopped and sat up. "You know what? We're celebrating. No more classes. Last weekend before you get shipped away. I'm calling down and ordering a bottle of something expensive and bubbly."

Jane chuckled. "I thought a hotel in the Himalayas was celebration enough." Hak always seemed to have boundless energy. It sometimes made her tired just watching him, and also a little sad. This was their last weekend together for a while and he was putting on a brave face.

He'd already rolled over, grabbed the hotel-branded PADD from the bedside stand and starting putting in the order for a bottle Ao Yun's Vintage from the champagne selection when his eyes darted back over to the woman. "Don't start thinking like that. We're going to see each other all the time. So much so that you're going to get sick of me."

"I kind of doubt I'd ever be sick of you, unless you keep telling me what I'm feeling all the time." She sat up as well and moved next to him, placing her chin on his shoulder. She focused on pure contentment and how amazing things felt when they were together. Jane had never met anyone like Hak. He was mysterious but also so willing to love her and that had never come easily to her before. She'd considered herself hard to love as she found it hard to open up to people.

Hak tossed the PADD back aside after he'd finished the order and turned his attention fully back on the beautiful woman leaning against him. "I'm serious though. Shore leaves and video calls. I'm doing everything I can to get stationed in Megellan's home sector. I might have to sleep with someone in the Bureau of Personnel to make it happen, but it's going to happen."

Jane giggled. "I know, and it's not like we can't call like you said. Even if you aren't anywhere close by. You know me, being my usual cheerful self. Don't know why you put up with me."

"You still have no idea how special you are, do you?" Hak made her sound infallable, but he felt it was true. He felt he knew her better than anyone. She was the first person he'd met at the Academy and the last person he wanted to see every night when he closed his eyes. He made little secret of how truly enamored he was for her. "I was going to save this for later," he added, swallowing hard as he pushed her gently off his shoulder and sat upright before getting up from the bed.

Jane, lost in thought hadn't registered what he'd said. Instead she laughed again before looking up at him. "What if the person working in the Bureau of Personnel is a man?" But something in his expression made her stop, the smile faded from her face. What was he doing?

He dug around in the side pocket of his Starfleet duffel bag. "Oh, well, you know me. I'd take one for the team." Then he found what he was looking for and pulled out a small black box. His heart pounded in his ears all of a sudden, drowning out so many other thoughts as he carried it back over to where Jane was.

Hak got down on one knee and looked up at her as he opened the ring box and presented it to her. "Jane Alta Saulitis," he said with sudden reverent seriousness, "We might not be able to live together for a few years, but you would make me the happiest man in the universe if you agreed that we belong together. Will you marry me?"

Simultaneous emotions surged through her, pleasure, shock, anxiety, happiness. She was surprised she didn't knock Hak over with them. She so wanted to say yes, but they were about to be apart, perhaps for a long time. What if they got married and then the separation pushed them apart? Jane realized that silence was probably killing him. She smiled. "Yes, I'll marry you . . . . but can we wait a bit?"

Hak nodded slowly. She needed to be sure. He understood where she was coming from, of course. "I'd wait for you as long as you need me to." He waited the length of a breath and then pushed the ring forward a bit more. "Try it on?"

Jane grinned and gently pulled the ring from the box. She slipped it on her left hand, it fit as if Hak had gone and measured her finger in her sleep, something she wouldn't put past him to do. It was simple but so elegant, rose gold in color but with a small vine pattern intertwining a sapphire, because blue was her favorite color. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

"It pales in comparison to the wearer," Hak admired with a broad smile as he took her hand in his. "Now, how about that hot tub?"

She couldn't deny the surge of pleasure the words gave her. "Sounds wonderful . . . but what about that champagne you promised me? I'll get ready for the hot tub, you get the champagne. Deal?"

He stood up from the kneeing position and smirked, "I hope when you say 'get ready for the hot tub' that you really mean get naked."

Jane gave an innocent smile, batted her eyes at him and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

He laughed as he headed to the door. "Alright, I'll be back soon."

---

A few minutes later, Hak approached the black granite counter of the concierge desk in the resort's main lobby, "Hey," he smiled at the desk worker. "Room 1201. I ordered a bottle of champagne and it never arrived. Can I just pick it up---" he was stopped mid-sentence as a horrific sound exploded high above him somewhere, shattering all semblance of tranquility. The entire building shook violently around him as plaster and debris starting raining down everywhere. Crystal chandeliers swayed and chinked overhead and the lights blinked out into darkness.

He braced himself against the counter. Somewhere behind him people were screaming and emergency lights turned on, illuminating dust that hung in the air like fog. He could think of no one but Jane and where she was at, a dozen floors above him. He sprinted off in the direction of the stairs.

Navigating the stairs was like trying to swim upstream. A cattle herd of people from the lower floors stampeded down the caseway as they evacuated. As he fought his way up, he kept searching for her face in the crowd, calling her name, but he never saw her. He never heard her. He made it as high as the ninth floor before the debris in the stairwell became impassable and he was forced to turn back.

Eventually, he was forced out of the building by rescue workers who strapped an oxygen mask to his face and literally dragged him out. As he was being pushed away from the smoldering building, he looked up towards the twelfth floor. Through the smoke and haze of the still burning structure, his heart dropped out when he saw nothing was still standing beyond the tenth floor.

OFF:

Commander Jane Saulitis
Commanding Officer
USS Majestic

Hak pnpc Murphy
Mysterious Guest Star
USS Majestic