The Request - Part I

Posted on Saturday, 21 August 2021 - 2:50pm by Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie & Captain Barret Stillwater

Mission: Operation: Lazarus
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: 2394 MD 06 (Backpost)

ON:

Mac paced outside the CO's office a good thirty minutes. He was glad the entrance was more private then the bridge. Finally when he'd worked up enough courage he rang the chime.

Commander Stillwater triggered the doors to open and took a seat behind his desk. "Mac," Stillwater said seeing the man. "Come on in. What brings you here?"

Mac paced the small room. "I...I know you're leaving but before you go I have a favour…" He cleared his throat. "A favour to ask."

Stillwater nodded. "Yes, I'm leaving once our current mission is done, but I should be here for a bit longer afterwards. I have a lot of stuff to pack up." It was true. Talarn in particular had a lot of things. He was more Cardassian in that way than Borg. "What favor do you have to ask, Mac?"

Mac rubbed the back of his neck. "I..." He paced a bit then sat down and stood back up. "I think Haru is upset. It's to do with the Biacami."

"With Adrianna?" Stillwater asked, unsure exactly what the problem was. "What has happened? She's expecting...her temper may flare up if it is something she said," Stillwater explained. Frankly, it was not entirely true. Her temper would flare up pregnancy or not.

"No the wedding thing!" He sounded downright panicked a moment. For someone who was cooler than a Vulcan a lot of the time, it was... out of character.

"Weddings are like the plague," Stillwater replied. "Couples who aren't married attend one, and then next thing you know you find yourself up at odd hours of the night planning your own. Did Haru get bit by the wedding bug? Pressuring you into getting married?"

Mac ran his hands through his hair. "Thing is we did a ceremony on Earth at a Vulcan monastery, I swear they have a ceremony for everything..." His hands sliced through the air. "Anyway Soral knows more a Th'y'la bond, or something like a soulmate link, more sacred and deeper than a marriage bond, etcetera etcetera, now he's pissed that I don't want to talk about the wedding we went through and when he hints at it if I don't get it he gets all....huffy!"

"If you are both happy with what you currently have, work it out," replied Stillwater. "If it is a matter of having something different or something more as far as a ceremony or wedding goes, then the two of you need to sit down and negotiate it. Talk it through and figure out what you both want."

Mac stopped and stared at the man, "What has that worked for you when Talarn got something in his mind?"

"With Talarn? I adapt, lieutenant. Resistance is futile when dealing with an Ex-Borg, especially one that's also Cardassian. They remember absolutely everything and have no qualms about bringing up a mistake you made several years ago" replied Stillwater. "Communication and compromise is key to any successful marriage or any sort of relationship really."

"Yes well with Haru resistance is futile and he's not Borg!" He sighed. "He's Japanese in part! They suffer in silence. Real reserved and quiet and," He through his hands up. "He wants a real ceremony I can tell through our link and the more I resist the more hurt he gets. Tradition, ceremony that's his thing and on Capella those things mean little but." He sat down, the air seeming to rush out of him. "I have no choice. A ceremony means nothing to me, I have chosen him as my life partner and as much as we lived different lives apart when we made the move to be together like this I adapted to the knowledge and accepted that we were one. He wants a ceremony I will give him one I guess. That's where you come in."

Stillwater nodded. "Alright, how may I be of assistance to the two of you?"

"You and Talarn are like I and Haru...a same sex union so....I kind of figure it would have meaning to him if we conducted a small ceremony on the holodeck with you leading it."

"I would be honored to officiate a ceremony before I leave. I was supposed to do the Baciami one, but for obvious reasons, my place was better served as Acting father of the bride," Stillwater explained. "We can do something in the holodeck. Haru has Japanese ancestry. Would the two of you want something Japanese? Perhaps even place the setting of it in Japan...well, holographic approximation."

"That would be great with some Vulcan elements I can rope Soral into that one and something small, you Talarn if he wishes to attend, Soral and Alex, and Hamura and Oriana...not sure if we should invite anyone else....that would defeat the word small."

Captain Stillwater chuckled. "Tiny," he replied. "A tiny cozy ceremony on a small starship." the Captain added. "Any more than that and we may exceed maximum occupancy" teased Stillwater. "I'll get to work on putting everything together as soon as possible."

He sighed. "Thanks...can we keep this a secret. Haru likes to be surprised, even though he won't admit it."

"My lips are sealed," Stillwater replied. "Captain's promise."

He sighed, "Okay." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Do you ever think that life would be easier single and then just want to kick yourself for it?"

"No." Stillwater did not need to think about that. "Life without Talarn would be boring, mundane, and I would become complacent. You need excitement, challenge, and growth. Sharing your life with someone else be it romantic or not brings those things."

"Yeah that's how I see it. When I want to be single I keep thinking how horrible it would be without him."

The Captain smirked. "Great reminder. So, I'll get things underway and planned. I'll coordinate with you discretely."

Mac gave a nod. "Okay...now maybe I can get some sleep." He stood. "Thanks."

"Pleasant dreams, Lieutenant. Dismissed and sleep tight."

OFF: