Keen on comparisons (Backpost)

Posted on Mon Apr 15th, 2013 @ 11:40pm by Lieutenant Commander Morai Keen & Chief Petty Officer Adriana Keen
Edited on on Tue Apr 16th, 2013 @ 2:03am

1,224 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Rumours, Promises, and Lies
Location: Keen Quarters
Timeline: Prior to Campells soup

ON


Keen had not the time to really do much; the crew were not doing well and things seemed to be escalating; the Captain was in for some trouble at this rate and the stress levels of the crew were through the roof. Not to mention this is all getting to Keen; he had stared at the replicator and debating if he should have another OPS fix it so he could...

Keen had to sit at the table and get a grip on things; why was he feling this way and why did he want something that he should not. An inner struggle that was heightened by the ship's events.

Adriana practically ran home after finishing her last assignment of the day, casting furtive glances around. Barker's last words to her echoed in her head. She could join them, in whatever they were planning, or... stay out of the way. Not that he'd actually said what they were planning. But she doubted it was a surprise party.

She dashed through the door and and hit the lock as soon as she was over the threshold, leaning back against it with a shakey sigh. Her hands trembled a bit as she unzipped her jacket to toss it onto the chair near the door.

A relieved smile crossed her face as she saw she wasn't alone. "Morai. Thank god you're home," she said and discarded the jacket.

Keen saw his wife and the fact she had locked the door; it was not like her to be so jittery; he got up from the table and crossed over to her; taking his family in his arms he tried to be there for whatever had her with the jitters.

"What is wrong, Kitten?" Keen asked as he looked into a not so bright sky.

The automatic answer of 'nothing' almost popped out of her mouth, but she just couldn't say it. A few long seconds passed in silence as she chewed her bottom lip. "Someone said something... weird to me today. The crew- everyone is just so on edge, and- There's talk, Keen Cat. And it's not good," she said.

"Nothing about this mission is as it seems." He held her close and hoped she felt safe? "There is something wrong with the tensions, what 'talk' are you hearing Kitten." He felt his hands wanting to flex towards anyone that would scare his Kitten?

"People are scared," she said as she relaxed a little in her husband's arms. "They don't like Halliwell's choices. I think- they didn't say for sure, I mean, but- there's some talk that she might be too reckless, might be putting us all in danger. And that maybe a- a change in leadership is warranted," she practically whispered, as if someone might hear.

"Change in leadership?" Keen asked with a raised eyebrow. "You mean that they see a desire for another Commanding Officer by chance?" Keen asked.

"That's... what it sounded like," Adriana admitted hesitantly. "He said we don't stand a chance with Halliwell in charge and we'll go out like the Dubai did." She shivered. "Keen Cat, if the ship destructs- You, me, and the baby-" she stopped suddenly as she choked up on the fear.

"It takes three officers to self -destruct." Keen held her tighter. "Who said something?" Keen asked. "No one is going to risk my family. I know the Executive Officer will not allow such things to happen; she and I both believe there us abnormal stress levels within the crew..." He looked in her eyes with a bit of an uneasy expression.

Adriana knew her husband as well as he knew her. Something wasn't right, and it was more than the rattle Barker had given her. "What is it?" she asked.

"There is something terribly wrong Kitten..." He looked at her . "I-I really need a drink and I should not be that stressed." He admitted. "This is nowhere near the levels that normally drive me to it... why?"

She shivered again and her gaze flicked for a microsecond to the replicator. The first day they'd moved in, Adriana had 'modified' the replicator, rewritting the programming so that it would no longer produce real alcohol of any kind. Back when they were first married, before they'd started trying to have a child, they had occasionally had a bottle of wine, but Morai didn't drink beer or liquer. He knew better; he knew that for him it wasn't going to stop at just one. So to create a safe place, to take the temptation away and make Home a place where he didn't have to fight it, she'd started fixing their replicators.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a tight embrace. She knew that it hurt him to have to admit that he craved a drink right now, but she also knew that she- and the baby- were his strength against those cravings.

"It's not just you," she said. "It's the whole ship. Everyone is on edge. Everyone is upset and stressed. It's this place. We've got to get out of here before it's too late."

"That is what I mean." Keen accepted any added support and affections from Kitten. "There should not be this level of tensions; we are trained... psycological evals and all... our crew should not be busting at the seams and then... Who made you so nervous?" Keen asked again.

Adriana hessitated, not out of any kind of mistrust to her husband but out of fear for her family. If Barker and whoever else was involved didn't like her talking about it, if word got out and they were stopped, what might they do to the Keen family.

But they swore. No secrets. Secrets could hurt more than an outright lie or a physical kick to the stomach.

She dropped her voice to a whisper again. "He wants me to come talk to him in the lounge tonight. His name is Barker and-"

Both of their commbadges sounded shrilly and Adriana nearly jumped out of her skin as the computer summoned them both to the shuttle bay to go the away mission down to the planet surface.

"We will take care of this after the mission." Keen was in his Officer Mode. "I will have a discussion with the man who made you scared Kitten." He kissed her lightly. "But we are safe."

Adriana gripped his shirt. "No, you can't. He told me to stay out of their way, and the way he said it... If they know I told you, they might try something..."

"After the mission I will deal with it." Keen said with resolve.

The only way she could think to respond was to kiss him and try to tell him in that kiss that if anything happened to him she'd never get over it. She held on for another brief moment then pulled out of his arms like it hurt to have step away.

She scooped up her jacket and smiled at him uneasily as they headed out to door. "I love you, Keen Cat," she said.

"I love you Kitten." Keen went to a small desk and drew his Phaser. "Time we see who is really behind the curtain?" Keen spoke as he went to his wife and they left the 'Haven' of their quarters.


OFF

 

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