Breaking Point

Posted on Thu Sep 2nd, 2021 @ 8:17am by Commander Alexis Agrax (*) & Commander Maxun Spello

Mission: Cosmos
Location: Starbase 47
Timeline: 2396
2067 words - 4.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Alexis looked around the room as everyone had wandered off into pairs or little groups. She had spoken to everyone else in the room apart from the man who seemed to be keeping himself out of the way and away from everyone else. Alexis could not have then when she wanted so many answers to her questions. She poured more wine into her glass and looked around to make sure the conversation for the most part would be private. “So how come they sent you here?” She wondered quietly as she slipped up beside him staring out the window to look at the Cosmos. Alexis could make out Big Bang Bar and the Ship’s Communication’s Center knowing the ship so well. “I thought you would have disappeared into the shadows of the universe after the pocket universe.”

Maxun started ever so slightly when he heard that soft voice from his past. Though it was minor, she would have noticed it, knowing him as she did. "I, uh," he began quietly, nervously, as he turned his head to gaze into those twin pools of beauty and super-intelligence. "I was starting to lose myself too much into the assignments. I've been doing undercover work for far too long now. I told HQ that I needed to come back in from the wild and find a way to refocus my life. I guess someone liked me, because, two days after I requested a transfer, I had orders to bring me here, as the new Chief Intel."

After he finished, he paused a few beats and then added, quieter so only Alexis could hear him. "I'm sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you, Ally. I hope you can believe that."

Ally? No one called her that anymore. It was the name from her uncover operation from before she met Liam before she became the hot mess that had haunted her for the last three years. “Hurt me?” Alexis laughed. “How could you hurt me?”

Shrugging sadly, the El-Aurian replied. "We had become a great team, or at least...I thought we had. I can only imagine how my sudden departure must've made you feel. I, uh, I've discovered that my profession has hurt others when I've been suddenly ordered away, in the middle of the night without any explanation."

"It was professional and we got done what Intelligence needed," Alexis said with a small smile. "You were a great pretend husband if you are concerned. Our pretend divorce was fine with me." It was certainly a lot less painful than her real divorce and the substance hole in her life since. Liam was a big presence to fill despite losing him the first time and the adjustment she had made to her life for that. "I was the one who asked for your presence on Cassiopea but you have never hurt me Maxun. I am not some Petty Officer whose heart you broke." She hinted glancing at him and then glancing at Levi who was talking to the Commodore.

Maxun caught the glance and saw who she was looking at. "Yeah," he said, quietly deflating some. Then he shook his head and cast his eyes to the deck. "I was no good for her. She deserved and still deserves far better than I can ever offer." He looked at his glass and downed the liquor inside. "I need a real drink." He glanced at Alexis. "Don't suppose you'd want to join me?" He made a face and answered his own question. "What am I saying? Of course, you wouldn't. I'm sure you have someone wonderful waiting for you at home. It's what you deserve, Ally."

He turned to see how familiar everyone at the party was with everyone else...everyone but him. "Think I'm just gonna go. Who really wants to hang out with an old spook?"

“You were not good for her.” Alexis agreed sadly. She knew Halla, they had wandered around in the same circles for the last two years. The woman was the most settled she had been in life in all that time. “The Commodore is not going to let you off so quickly why all of us are here.” Alexis laughed softly. “I can’t tonight and not because I have someone waiting for me but because I am waiting for someone who I need to have a talk with,” Alexis explained narrowing her eyes to look at the Executive Officer.

Maxun gave Alexis a pained look. "Ouch! Try not to agree too readily with me. I'd like to think that I have at least a couple redeeming qualities left." Glancing back at Levi, he asked quietly, "Does she seem happy, you know, with him?" He hoped that Halla was happy. She had been the best thing that had ever happened to him in his long life so far. He doubted he would ever get that lucky a second time. He then chuckled softly. "Yeah, the curse of the senior staff, right? Well, with you in the group, I'd like to think that I have at least one friend." He then saw whom she was staring at. "The XO? Why? Do you want backup? You know I'll always be there for you, Ally."

"You always liked my honesty." She reminded him with a shake of her head. "You have redeeming qualities but you have not done much to be redeemed over yet. Barely onboard a week." She reminded. "I do not know. I try not to pry. She avoids any of the old Cassi crew but you know what she is like she is tough. She faced from Cat people, bacteria that turned people into zombies and the telepathic flu... she would not accept anything less than happiness." She glanced back again at Christopher and laughed. "No, I am good. I and Christopher are cool, we just need to talk about some stuff. He is a good man.... maybe you should learn that from him." She teased ever so slightly.

Nodding, he looked back into her eyes. "It's one of the things I've always found most attractive about you, Ally." He reached out and softly touched the back of her left elbow, gently rubbing his thumb against her. It was something he had done when they had been undercover, a signal to let her know that he heard her and cared about her. "Well, I guess I'll need to find a way to make myself useful then, eh?" He gave her a small, lopsided grin as he spoke.

When she mentioned Halla, the grin fell away and he nodded slowly, taking in what he heard. Frowning slightly, he mused, "I wonder why would she avoid the old crew?" He then gave Alexis a funny look. "Hey," he replied quietly, with some humor in his voice. "I'm a good man. Remember that domestic disturbance on Hatius II?" He was quietly referring to the episode that occurred during their undercover assignment, where he had nearly blown their cover when they stumbled upon a frightened and severely battered woman and child in the streets of Grodon, a small smuggling town on Hatius II. The woman had been severely beaten by her mate as she protected their child from his rage. Maxun had seen the wounds and, in a rage, left Alexis with the woman and child and sped off to deal with the other man. By the time Alexis had caught up to her partner, she found him, standing over the unconcious Klingon, his fists bloody and raw. Alexis then pulled Mazun away and the pair escaped the area before the authorities arrived.

"The goodness does not always show through." Alexis reminded him as she pulled away to look at him carefully. "I know it's there and I know from myself that it is a continuous project that needs to be worked on," Alexis said softly as she looked into his eyes for a moment before shaking her head. "Please tell me you did not come here in some romantic gesture to get Halla back?"

Maxun frowned honestly and shook his head. "No, I didn't even know she was here until I saw her on the station, standing there in a beautiful white dress too." He let out an annoyed chuckle. "Made a damn idiot of myself." He shook his head slowly. "I know there's no chance of anything happening there, so, you don't need to worry there."

“Good because it’s unfair. No one gives third chances.” Alexis said putting a hand on his shoulder. “Last night? Was the big base party. Black or white theme.” It had been a fun night.

Reaching up, Maxun softly held Alexis's hand that was on his shoulder. For a moment, he remembered how smooth and warm her skin was. During their earlier undercover assignment, they had had to be very convincing as loving husband and wife. As their connection held, he had a flash of one particularly involved night, but, he quickly shook the pleasant memory away. Did he grow to have feelings for her during their time together? Absolutely. Did he think the feelings were reciprocal? He wasn't sure. Not that it mattered anyway. She had moved on and never said anything to him about it. At the end, of the day, he was still all alone, even in a room full of senior officers.

In the blink that all that took place in his mind, he finally gave her a soft smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand. "I know. I'm not looking for any third chances. Hell, I doubt there's a woman within this entire quadrant who give me even one chance now." Releasing her hand, he turned his gaze back out into the void. "I don't know. Maybe, like myself, I'm just meant to be alone. Fate's way of balancing the scales of what I did while undercover."

“Oh completely. Self pitying fool.” Alexis said with a roll of her eyes as Vriaral Dariars joined them. The Chief Engineer looked a look more settled than he had at the beginning of the evening.

“Are we talking about fools?” the Trill demanded.

Maxun chuckled suddenly. He then looked at Alexis. "Ya know, that's one the things I have always loved about you, you call me out on my ridiculous crap and force me to see it." He leaned closer and gave Alexis a soft kiss on her left cheek. "Thank you, Imzadi." He said the last part in a whisper just loud enough for her to hear.

Maxun then stepped back and looked at the engineer and gave a friendly grin, "Just one fool, I'm afraid. Me."

He might call her that but Alexis certainly did not. That had been her husband until it had all gone a bit wrong. "Well, that is okay. I was concerned it was me. Nice to meet you again in a proper role." Vriaral said making Alexis raise her eyebrow as the Engineer held out his hand. "Was certainly an interesting experience on USS Camelot huh?"

It took Maxun a brief moment to place the face and the ship. Then it dawned on him. "You were the Chief Engineer! I'm sorry...it's been a while since that assignment. As you recall, I was reassigned before the ship even left spacedock." He then took the offered hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. "Not one of my more popular assignments, mind you." The El Aurian chuckled softly.

"None of us made it much further," Vriaral said with a shrug. The whole crew had been disbanded pretty much after that. Vriaral was pretty sure that it had all been part of a plan to get rid of Hurin anyway. He should have expected it after the base and then Hurin getting a demotion. He had only stayed cause of someone but even that had fizzled and died before they had even moved to the Camelot. "Cannot say that anything since then has been quiet."

Maxun nodded, thinking quietly about all the undercover assignments he had had since the Camelot. "You're right. The universe has been having one massive war after another. Things keep going this way, something's gonna break."

“Maybe it already has and we are living in the break.” The man said darkly. He just stared out the window and Alexis could not help but agree with Vriaral.