Fives Squared

Posted on Mon Mar 2nd, 2020 @ 2:32am by Division Admiral Thomas Lasky & Commodore Siaxx "Bluemoon" Dvald-Vaxx MD

Mission: Mission 39: By Fire be Purged
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1830Hrs - August 1st, 2391

Senior Flight Captain Tom Lasky regarded the exhausted Bolian woman standing before him as she sighed. "We still don't know how many we lost Fives.. I'm sorry... as soon as we have a proper number. I'll get it to you... but I do know you are the senior guy left in the Air Wing."

"Yeah... I figured.. I lost sight of Phoenix during the Disaster. No sign of Wukari either."

"I have forty six names of confirmed deceased for you..." Siaxx looked up at him but considering that she was so small, she looked up at almost everyone, she also handed him a PADD.

"I'll handle the dearly departed letters." Fives responded as the door opened behind him as he hefted the PADD in his hands. "I'll go get started.. Let me know when you find out how many we lost all together and... give me their names.."

"I'll do that Fives-Tom... Sorry."

Lasky chuckled in amusement as Siaxx turned from him to Zara. "Can I help you?" she inquired of the Captain, a woman with a smaller frame like herself.

"I wanted to see how your people were holding up" Zara spoke solemnly as she looked around at all the wounded being processed and treated. The Trill felt she needed to do something, anything, not to feel useless.

Siaxx regarded Zara as she handed the taller woman a PADD. "This is our final casualty list.." she explained softly. "Could I get you to write those letters for me?" she asked. "I ... I don't think I could do it... I'm Sorry.."

Lasky gently took the second PADD out of Siaxx's hands. "Nothing to apologize for Siaxx.. You guys are to be commended for your work... We'll handle this... you guys look after them and keep us informed if .... anyone else dies okay.."

"Alright.." Siaxx responded before she turned and went back into the mess.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more," Zara consoled with watery eyes while she looked at all the suffering.

Siaxx turned. "You did your best skipper. Which is... all one can do." before she smiled at the other woman before she turned back and disappeared into the mess.

Lasky regarded the smaller woman before him. "Shall we?" he inquired.

"Yes. I think getting away from this place will do me some good," Zara spoke with a reluctant swallow. "My place or yours?"

"Mine." he responded quietly. "My place helps me to think... besides.. I can use a template I already have for this sort of thing." a sigh escaped his lips.

"You want to do the ones for the people you knew closest? Or do you want me to do those?" Zara spoke with concern, for she knew this had to be hurting him too.

Lasky paused as he ran a hand through his hair. "No... I'll write them, but we can skip Quick-Shot." he paused. "He only had a son.... no other relatives.. and I think Franklin Armstrong is taking care of Raymond.." he paused. "I'll need to ask."

"All right," Zara agreed as they walked into the turbo lift. "So you're leaving fighter corps for good?"

Lasky looked down at the female Trill next to him. "Yes." he responded. "Its time I moved onto other challenges.."

"If Phoenix throws a fit, when you tell her, I pity you," Zara spoke with sympathy.

Lasky merely raised an eyebrow. "I'm not worried about Phoenix... She's in an ICU isolation room and will probably be there for the next few months... No, my real issue is with Elizabeth Yamaguchi because of recent events."

"You two need to seriously sit down and talk," Zara prodded out of concern. "She's carrying your baby. She needs to feel you're not crazy."

Lasky nodded. "We do... but I need to give her some space for things to calm down, considering what happened over the last two weeks..."

"You wait too long and she'll never talk to you," Zara pointed out with sympathy.

"Elizabeth isn't going far... and she won't ignore me... I've agreed to every demand she's made regarding this child..." he explained. "Everything she has done has been out of a sense of duty... and last time I talked to her.. which was this morning, she still wanted me at her prenatal classes."

"Despite the past events, I think you'll be a good dad. Far better one than mine. Dithen's dad is a piece of work too, now that I think of it," Zara added in retrospect.

"You've never had a decent mother or father figure in your life.... have you?" Lasky commented.

"Closest I get, was Zeth Tane," Zara admitted with true remorse. "I had a few foster parents, after I got out of juvvy, but they only wanted the government benefits that came with."

"So... you had to work for everything you ever had.." Lasky responded as he regarded her while they walked down the hallway. "Shadow isn't home... Wukari is still looking after her." as they entered a turbolift. "Deck eight, section eleven."

"Captain Kwan picked me up off the streets as a teen. Before that point, I survived inside a gang as their key mid-level security hacker," Zara explained with a frown. "Not a life I'm too proud of, as I had to do a lot of things most people would never think about."

"Sounds like somebody really didn't want you around." Lasky responded evenly as he regarded her. "Well one does what one must to survive..." he then shrugged.

"My mom didn't think she was a fit mother, when I came a long so she gave me to my dad," Zara shrugged. "She didn't know he was an abusive drunk. Feels very remorseful about it too."

Lasky snorted in disgust. "No comment. At least my folks tried... before they got killed." he shook his head as they stepped off the turbolift. "I at least don't plan on getting killed... I plan on raising this child right..... with love and attention."

"My past hosts knew a lot about kids, overall... I sadly, do not," Zara sighed with envy.

Lasky regarded Zara. "Now I happen to know otherwise." he responded. "Considering Saki loves you." he commented. "Rachael mentioned it to me. So did Elizabeth... several times, hell even Jake and Torilla have both mentioned it.."

"I don't get why... All I do is let the kid hang around me cause no one else makes time for her," Zara shrugged with confusion.

"Well hopefully when Rachael comes back... that will change.." Lasky responded. "Saki tends to be rather demanding." he regarded the smaller woman. "You ever thought of having kids for yourself..?" he inquired. "Before you say no... consider the idea for later."

"Thought about it? Yes," Zara answered honestly. "...But I think about what my parents are like, and I fear being that person to my kids."

Lasky nodded his head. "Fair enough... I just hope the man you end up with is worthy of you."

"You're the only one so far that I feel is good for me," Zara admitted bashfully. "Jacen Saint, while a lot of fun, did not make me a better person."

Lasky regarded the smaller woman beside him. "Jacen Saint was broken.." he responded. "I've never been the type to really settle down... I've lost too much... to easily let it go... to be honest.."

"Let's hope new life gives you hope in that area then," Zara smiled and walked out of the lift and kept pace with Lasky on the way to his quarters. "Maybe some day, I will settle down too."

"Maybe... for now however.. I do need to let things calm down before I talk with Elizabeth again... Considering what I did to her mother.... I know she felt it.." Lasky regarded her. "What I did was wrong in so many ways... I destroyed a friendship that was years old, in fact... no I destroyed several..." he let out a sigh. "Her husband could have me castrated and airlocked without anyone batting an eyelid at his demands, his daughter would mentally violate my mind, his son could smash my body with such force that I would be turned into red splatter on the bulkhead.... and his other daughter could flay me alive..." he then simply shrugged. "So... I sometimes find myself asking.... why hasn't one of them come to finish the job yet?"

"Maybe because I wont let them," Zara admitted sheepishly. "I care a lot about you."

Lasky regarded the smaller woman, a soft smile appearing on his face.
"Zara.... don't get involved in a fight, not your own..." he responded quietly.

"They're allowed to go crazy when their loved ones are in trouble, but not you?" Zara asked with incredulity. "I'm sorry, but you were defending me. A rare thing I see. I cannot let them be one-sided in thinking they're the only ones allowed to protect their own."

"Well... considering I did very nearly snap your Exec's neck... they have good cause to be angry with me for that..." Lasky responded. "However.. I won't need to worry about it too much."

"Well is there anything you want me to do, to help with this new transition for you?' Zara asked eagerly. She wanted him to be a father. He deserved it.

"Would you mind helping me get set up for it?" he inquired. "Elizabeth's due date is the second of January so... I wanna get my quarters set up well in advance." he explained. "Shadow also needs time to get adjusted... cats and babies generally take a little while to get used to one another."

"I'd love to help," Zara offered eagerly, though a bit nervous. "...Granted, I know little about babies, but I'll certainly try."

Lasky regarded her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Alright... I'd welcome your assistance... As long as you're not medicated."

"I'm trying to stay clean,," Zara assured him. "It's not easy... But I don't want to be that way anymore."

Lasky slowly nodded his head. "Very well..." he responded quietly. "I can assist with that...." he regarded her, a soft twinkle in his eyes. "You ever considered training in the martial arts?" he inquired. "I think an outlet that burns energy and calories as well as focuses and sharpens your mind will be a great help to you." Lasky explained. "I find a good workout helps me greatly. It could help you too... though I don't want to throw you into my training system, at least not for a while"

"I need to rebuild my endurance running first, I think," Zara agreed. "But yes, I'd love to learn."

"Excellent... Then I will teach you." Lasky responded. "Starting tomorrow.."

"The Academy thought I was a lousy student," Zara tried to warn. "Mainly why I took up kickboxing."

Lasky raised an eyebrow. "The Academy is the good old boys club, you learn more if you enlist.." he explained. "I almost went the enlisted route and many of the best pilots I ever served with were enlisted who later got commissions without going to the academy."

"I wanted to be an engine designer and because I had a juvvy record on Trill, I knew I would not get into a university there. So I went to Earth," Zara explained. "Academy gave me the education I wanted... That, and a few summer courses at MIT."

"Many years later here you are... in command of Roanoke..." Lasky responded. "Zara, you're saying that you prefer to be in a lab somewhere... why didn't you get what you wanted?"

"Because I did not have the best personality... I was not much of a team player, in those days. But Zeth Tane wanted me, regardless of what everyone else thought," Zara answered mournfully.

Lasky regarded her. "Alright... It always comes back to Zeth Tane... don't it?"

"He was like a father to me - the father I wish I had," Zara admitted with brown, watery eyes.

Lasky nodded. "Fair enough.." he responded. "Come on.. Lets get these letters done."