Seeing is Believing

Posted on Mon Feb 9th, 2015 @ 11:39am by Chief Petty Officer Adriana Keen & Lieutenant Commander Morai Keen

966 words; about a 5 minute read

ON:

Adriana was carrying a tray with her as she walked to the counselling office. She’d decided to surprise her husband today with lunch- he often forgot to eat and she’d checked the computer, he was still in his office and had been all day. He would need a break. So, because they reenacted their first meeting whenever the mood struck them, she had replicated a cheesesteak sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup.

As she exited the turbolift and started down the hall, she smiled at a crewman walking past. The tensions on the ship were rising day by day and her ever-present optimism was being put to the test. But a smile and a few kind words sometimes made the difference between a bad day and a good one. The crewman’s return smile, weak as it was, raised her spirits even more and she decided to make it a point to smile at more people today.

As she crossed an intersection she looked down it to see if there was anyone coming and she suddenly froze in her tracks as at the other end of the corridor she looked right into-

Into eyes that were the same shade of blue as her own, but cold as ice and practically crackling with hate. A strong Bajoran nose had been broken once and not quite healed straight.

“Brex,” Adriana barely gasped and then turned to run, dropping the tray with a clatter.

Brex Hadar broke into a run. “Don’t bother running, you filthy Human tramp. You were bad enough, defiling Bajor with your impurity, and now this? Now you taint the entire Bajoran race with your Human blood, daring to actually mix your rotting blood with ours,” he shouted at her retreating form.

They were close to the counseling office and Adriana had a head start, otherwise she never could have outrun anyone in her condition. She burst into the outer office area and whirled to lock the doors behind her. “Morai!” she practically screamed. “Morai, call security!”

"What happen Kitten?" Keen grabbed a Phaser from his drawer of the desk as he crossed to a very frantic wife.

"Brex. Brex Hadar. He's after me, he- he's going to hurt L-Little One," Adriana babbled and fell away from the door, trying to almost hide behind her husband and covering her pregnant belly protectively.

"Brex?" Keen asked for soft clairifacation. "Brex never leaves Bajor system, he... Are you sure you are okay, Kitten?" He turned to look into the sky on a stormy day, the brightness of the sun lost. "Brex cannot be here, Love." He took out the handy Tricorder. "No Bajoran life signs anywhere in range; he is not fast enough to get out that fast?"

"I saw him. I saw him, he chased me down the hall and I dropped your lunch, and he was yelling at me- he said I was tainting the whole Bajoran race by having your baby," she whispered. Tears rose in her eyes as she thought of what a man like Brex Hadar might do to a mixed-race child. He had whipped Adriana several years ago and ripped her ear ring out, tearing the flesh as he pulled it free. And that was just for her daring to want to marry a Bajoran. She started to shake, much like she had after the whipping. "He wants to hurt Little One- Morai, I saw him!"

Keen took her in his arms and tried to comfort her; she had seen something, it was not the first report of a hallucination. "Kitten, are you sure it was him, I mean the ship's sensors would have registered..."

"I will NEVER forget those eyes. The same color as mine, but-" She shuddered. "So hateful. Like he enjoyed hurting me. And like he would actually take pleasure in hurting our baby. I don't know how he could be here- he can't- But I. Saw. Him." She insisted, emphasizing each word of her declaration.

Okay ..." Keen relented. "I will have Security do a sweep for an intruder." He held her tight. "If he is here we will get him and I will make sure he is so buried in a dungeon so deep he will never get out of it." He promised.

Adriana buried her face in his shoulder, feeling for a moment like she was reliving the first horrible, frightening hours after she'd been whipped by Brex and his racist brotherhood. "Morai... I'm scared. I- I don't feel safe. How can I not feel safe on our own ship?" she whispered, almost whimpered.

"Lt. Commander Morai to Security, I want a full sensor sweep for any Bajoran life signs outside those of the crew." He instructed while holding her close. "Best I can do Love; there is no danger and I will get to the bottom of this."

She nodded and covered her stomach with both arms while pressing close to her husband for protection. With every moment she thought of more terrible crimes that had been done to children- and thinking that Brex Hadar might do them to Little One made her sick with fear. "I- I want to go to Security- make sure they are watching for him. Take me there, Keen Cat? I don't want to walk alone."

With a Phaser in his pocket, placing it there so Kitten could see, he nodded and kept her tucked her tucked very close.

"Come on, Kitten, we will watch the sweep." He assured her.

Her voice was very different than usual; she didn't usually sound scared and hurt and small. "Thank you, My Husband," she whispered.

OFF:

Lieutenant Commander Keen Morai
Chief Counselor

Petty Officer 1st Class Adriana Keen
Operations Department

Brex Hadar
Bajoran Extremist or Figment of the Imagination?

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