A Red Sun Rises

Posted on Thu Sep 1st, 2022 @ 8:28am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Captain Ivan Petrov & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Lieutenant Commander Yana Petrova & Sergeant David Novak
Edited on on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 @ 9:15pm

Mission: In-Between (S1:E3-S1:E4)
Location: Captain's Quarters
Timeline: Mission Day 11 at 0700
4605 words - 9.2 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

"Madeline" had sent word to Yeoman King requesting that she let the captain know that she needed to speak with him urgently before the staff briefing in the morning. After getting the affirmative, she had washed up again mostly to get the extremely obvious scent of Andrei's body wash off of her and then gathered her things to head to Petrov's quarters. She was exhausted after spending most of the evening cleaning up the mess in Christoph's quarters and leaving his body presentable in his bed. Her body ached in both pleasant and unpleasant ways, but she wasn't paying attention to that... mostly.

She stepped off the turbolift and smoothed out the front of her uniform, still wearing the male preferred one as was her way. No use in changing too many things at once.

-------------

Andrei was tired too. The only difference was that, unlike Lyra, he could sleep during the day when he was done eating with his parents. He'd come fifteen minutes before after messaging his mother the night before and telling them he wanted breakfast with them. This was rare indeed and had received an immediate "yes". They talked, and ate, but it was far different than the other uncomfortable meals because he actually wasn't being an asshole. In fact, he was being downright pleasant to both of them. And they were pleased. Oh, they were very pleased. Both of the older Petrovs, the Patriarch and Matriarch of the fleet, were beaming and laughing.

"I must say, Mama, these waffles are fantastic." he said with a gesture toward the plate. The two of them were in uniform, but he was wearing a red button-up with a pair of blue jeans and a light jacket. Not stylish or flashy; just normal. "I've never seen it in the replicator bank, that's for sure."

"I got it from a friend a few years ago and programmed it in this morning when I heard you were coming." Yana said, raising her glass of orange-juice higher. Her shiny brown hair was straight and pulled back. His grey eyes and hair he got from her, though his hair was jet black. "It was a surprise, to say the least."

Her eyes were suspicious, underneath the sweetness that she always showed Ivan. She knew he was up to something, and she was happy nonetheless.

"Well, I've had alot of time to think the past days since I came back from the Lovarr..." he said, and then looked at Ivan with soft eyes. Even the emerald one seemed to soften. "Papa, I realize I've been a terrible son. Selfish, rebelious, and entitled. I've treated you terribly when all you've tried to do was help me. I'm...I'm sorry."

It was a masterful performance. Ivan frowned and leaned forward, placing a large hand on Andrei's shoulder. He didn't respond verbally for several beats.

"It means everything to hear that from you, son." he said, his voice low and emotional, though he kept it off of his face. "You're my only boy and..I'm sorry I wasn't there to watch you become a man. If I could have, I would have been."

"I know, Papa. I know." Andrei said.

The next few minutes proceeded from here, a deeper sense of calm and closeness falling over the three of them. If Mika had been there instead of in her own quarters, she would have been crying while trying to chew her eggs.

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Stopping outside the door, Maddie took a deep breath and hit the chime.

"Good morning, Lieutenant." David said as he stood guard. His stance was rigid, but his eyes were soft as he looked at her.

"Corporal." She greeted and gave him a polite, warm smile.

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"Ah, right. Lieutenant Cassiel wanted to have a word with me this morning." Ivan said, wiping food away from his mouth and beard with a napkin.

"Oh, Ivan. We're having such a nice time." Yana said, and then paused, thinking better of it. "But, duty calls, we understand."

"Good." Ivan said, raising his brows and clearing his teeth out with his tongue. "Come in."

When she was invited, she stepped inside and immediately gave an apologetic smile. "Good morning, sir. I am sorry to disturb you so early but I felt this probably shouldn't wait."

"There are some things that can't, Lieutenant." Ivan said, looking over at her. It hadn't even been a month since she'd been promoted to Assistant Chief of Security and already it had been extremely eventful for her. Of course, he didn't know the half of it. "Have a seat. Get some eggs. Tell us what's on your mind."

Her dark eyes moved quickly and politely around the room before settling on Andrei and Yana. "Good morning, Commander, Lieutenant." Again she smiled pleasantly, though it didn't reach her eyes. No there was something else there that Andrei could see, but possibly also his mother. When Ivan invited her to sit at the table, she shifted with an appropriate discomfort.

"Ah, sir, this may be better discussed in private?" She asked slowly, unsure, frowning. Nothing in her eyes.

Responding to her apparent discomfort, Ivan smiled awkwardly to his son and wife before standing and gesturing to the guest room behind her. It was generally vacant unless Mika was having one of her quite frequent bouts of home-sickness. Today, it wasn't being used.

"Come with me then." Ivan said, and walked passed her into the guest room.

Andrei watched as his father moved and then his eyes lingered on Lyra. His expression communicated nothing, of course. His mother's communicated confusion.

Lyra didn't look at Andrei or Yana outside of giving them a hasty, apologetic nod and moving after Ivan. She stepped inside and moved out of direct line of site of the door, though let Ivan decide if he wanted to close it or not. She turned to face him and took a slow, deep breath that anyone who would feel some trepidation about what was to come might have.

"Lieutenant Ivers is dead." She said simply and extended her hand flat and palm up to Ivan with Christoph's imperial commbadge sitting in it. "I killed him as was my right of retribution."

Ivan had closed the door lest they be overheard with whatever she had to tell him. He looked with calm curiosity at her. When she had got her sentence out, his eyes went wide with surprise and confusion. What did she mean Christoph was dead? And that she killed him? He reached out and took the badge from him and looked down at it in his massive palm.

“What the hell do you mean right of retribution?” He asked.

This kind of behavior wasn’t incredibly unusual in the fleet, but they were in a different situation.

“Did I not make it clear that personnel of Terran blood are limited and that these kinds of killings should be limited to the rarest occasions?” He asked. He was clearly upset, but not yet enraged.

"You did, sir." She confirmed calmly, her eyes on Ivan and remaining steady. "Christoph killed my father." She shifted slightly then. "Madeline Cassiel is a name that I was given to survive. My name is Lyra Caterina Orsini Hale, daughter of Lord Renato Inácio Hale of Brazil." While Andrei had remembered the name, she was certain that Ivan would have a much better memory of what happened and the confusion and fear that came with Angelus seemingly easily dismissing a branch of the Imperial line. It had caused quite an uproar and brought quite a few lords who were wavering in loyalty back in line. It had been quite an event.

She lifted her other hand then and opened the nondescript black box she had been holding to reveal what appeared to be an authentic imperial seal and a data rod next to it. "My seal and a data rod from Imperial Intelligence confirming who I am and undoubtedly the story behind it." The seal glinted at Ivan in an almost ominous way in the light. If he were to touch it, it would agonize him - if it was real.

Ivan had seen years since he had last been agonized. More than a decade. The Alliance didn't use it, even on their slaves, and it was very rare for Flag and Command officers. Nevertheless, he reached for the seal. When it was in his hands he got a shock that jolted down his arm. He grunted in pain, his hand tensed around the seal involuntarily. After several seconds of increasing intensity, he finally managed to let it go. He stumbled against the wall, the wind knocked out of him as it fell to the carpet.

Outside the suite, David got a beep on an unseen indicator on his arm. Immediately, he raised his marine rifle and charged into the Captain's Quarters, walking into the guest room immediately and leveling his weapon at Cassiel's head.

"It's set to kill." he said, his typically kind eyes looking down the sights at her. Determined. "And I'm an excellent marksman."

“Of that I have no doubt, Corporal.” Lyra responded quite calmly, lifting her hands away from her weapons slowly and in a non threatening way. She stood there, making no move as Ivan recovered from the brief but painful experience. Touching with his fingers would have sufficed, so that had been the man’s own fault. When it looked like he had recovered enough, she spoke quietly but evenly. “If I may, Captain?” She indicated to the seal on the ground.

As soon as the pain was finished, he shook his head slightly. Looking to David and seeing him leveling his weapon at Madeline - or- Lyra, he raised his hand.

"We're find, Corporal. I did this to myself." he said, and then gestured for the woman to pick up the seal.

"Sir, I must insi-" David cut in, but was quickly cut off loudly by the Captain.

"I said go! We're fine, Corporal!" He said, stepping forward and placing one hand on the young man and the other on the top of his rifle, lowering it for him. "It's fine, son. Go on. I'm still capable of defending myself."

David nodded with a confidence he didn't feel. The Captain had a tendency to underestimate threats to his life in his estimation. He turned to leave and was faced by Yana and Andrei who were standing rather close, trying to figure out what everything was about. Ivan stuck his head out of the door and waved them all off dismissively, and then he closed the door, leaving him and the young woman alone. He saw that she was holding the seal.

"I suppose that checks out." he said, looking at the case again. "Now, what's the file?"

She replaced the seal and pulled out the rod, offering it to him. “Confirmation of my identity, the explanation surrounding the deception I was made to be a part of, and information on the planned retaking of my father’s title as well as bringing the Imperial shipyards under the direct control of the Orsini family.” She explained. “Signed off on by the head of Imperial Intelligence with approval of the Emperor - both Angelus and Antonius. Technically I believe that last part is supposed to be for your eyes only however.” She waved a hand. “We are quite far from home and I simply have to hope that my family has been or will be successful in their part as I have been in mine. The Ivers family will be no more.”

"I remember your father." he said, examining the document. "Not in any detail, but we attended court together as boys. I considered you as a potential spouse for my son before everything changed. I always wondered what happened to your family."

He walked over to a nearby computer terminal and inserted the rod.

"Now's a good time to look away, Lieutenant. On your honor."

Lyra did as he asked and looked away, but spoke to him as she did so. "When I was eight years old, I remember attending a garden party at your estate. Bringing an end to the brutal Russian winter and welcoming the spring. It was a large party and many of the lords at the time brought their children. My father was no exception. I'd ended up sneaking away from my governess and went looking for my father because I wanted to be with him. On the way there, I saw you dancing with Mika. She was standing on your shoes and wearing a pretty pink dress. You both looked so happy that I wanted to do that too."

"When I found my father, I pointed it out. He told me no, and I threw a fit." Lyra smiled despite herself at the memory. "Of course he had been in the middle of a discussion with some of the other Lords and he tried to placate me, but he ended up having to relent and dance with me for a little while. When my governess found out though... well that didn't go so well." She chuckled at that and reached up to rub her ears absently.

“I remember that.” He said with a grin, still faced away from her. “In fact, I remember you screaming, now that you mention it.”

"Like there was a bloody murder." Lyra confirmed with a soft, charming laugh and shake of her head. She had never asked her father to dance again. She went quiet then and allowed Ivan to focus on the message once he had provided his access code and instead busied herself looking at one of the paintings on the wall.

As she had said, the information on the data rod did indeed corroborate her story.

To Whom It May Concern:

I, Nolan Nazar, Director of the Imperial Intelligence Service, confirm in this letter what you’ve no-doubt already been told concerning the Hale and Ivers Families. Be advised that this letter and its contents are classified and should not be revealed to anyone with less than Top Secret clearance until the mission is complete.

In 2353, in the 12th year of the reign of Angelus, Lord of the Terrans, Aurelia Maddalena Paola Orsini along with her two children Lyra Caterina Orsini Hale and Raoul Lucius Orsini Hale were spirited away by Imperial Intelligence after the murder of Lord Renato Inácio Hale of Brazil. This murder was carried out by Christoph Ivers under the direction of his father Matthias Ivers, now Lord of Brazil.

At the time of the writing of this letter, Matthias is a very powerful man in the function of the Utopia-Planitia Fleetyards and holds sway over the operations there. Considering the military ambitions of Emperor Angelus and his son, then Crown Prince Antonio Orsini, the former was of a mind to move against Ivers. However, I, along with Aurelia, dismayed the Emperor from rash action. We encouraged him, instead, to make use of this unfortunate and tragic happening to increase the power of the Crown and the Orsini bloodline. After we presented our plan, the Emperor considered it several days and then gave his authorization.

Aurelia and her family were given new identities and relocated to Luna under the care of Alexander Cassiel with Aurelia marrying the man. Cassiel was a noted power-player in our shipbuilding infrastructure and was an essential part of the plan. He was wealthy and connected enough, with Aurelia at his side, to consolidate power in the industry and, most importantly perhaps, he was obscure enough that few would notice his new family. Cecelia, Madeline, and Edward Cassiel were there names after their genetic modification.

The projected date to “completion” of this project is in 2373. Lyra has been trained by Imperial Intelligence and prepared to eliminate both Christoph and Matthias Ivers, though contingencies are in place should she fail in her mission. Assistance will be available on the day of the Ivers Family executions. Based on an agreement signed by Angelus and Antonio, the lordship of Brazil will be awarded either to Aurelia or her son Raoul and their major holdings in the shipyard will remain with them at the pleasure of the reigning emperor.

Under the authority delegated to my office by the statues put in place on intelligence and military cooperation in Angelus’s decree “Ordines in Rebus Clandestinis”, I hereby order any Imperial officer or law enforcement officials to not interfere in the carrying out of Lyra’s mission on pain of death, and that she should not be penalized in any way save being returned to Terra when the deed is done. She is of royal blood and, in this, she must be treated with the respect due her status.

Written on this day, the 13th of October, 2353.

Nolan Nazar
Director of the Imperial Intelligence Service

“Gloria Imperio”


When Ivan was done reading, he closed the file and turned again to face the lieutenant. His expression was strange, like he was chewing on something he didn’t want to say. Then he seemed to change the subject in his mind.

“I guess this means you’re my new Chief of Security. You can’t exactly go home to your family out here.” He said, stepping to her again.

"No, not hardly." Lyra replied in turn though her brows lifted as she saw the strange expression lingering on his face. "If there are questions you'd like to ask, sir, I am happy to try and answer if I can." She offered.

“It’s nothing, Lieutenant.” He said, dismissing it. Some things were better left unasked. “How do you want to share this with the crew? And..what do you want us to call you?”

Well she didn't buy that at all.

She held his gaze quietly for a moment and then spoke. "For sake of ease and not wanting to change too many things at once, it will be perfectly fine to still call me Cassiel, though I would change the rest of my name to what it is supposed to be. It shouldn't affect people too much, not many called me by my first name anyways." Pausing, she added, "I'd also like to reverse the genetic modifications that were given to me. I have a file that has documented what they are and precisely how to reverse them. It isn't a dangerous procedure."

He nodded, his eyes studying her as she spoke. "I think that all sounds reasonable."

He seemed to get lost in thought again, but this time, he exhaled sharply. "You seem to have handled yourself very efficiently on the Lovarr. Not too many people could cause that much suffering so directly."

He may be the Butcher of Rakal V and the the Scourge of the Ocampa, as some on the crew had taken to calling him, but the hundreds of millions of people even he killed hadn't been direct; they hadn't been face to face. He gave an order and someone else pressed a button, and the rest was done.

Lyra kept both her eyes and expression passive, though she held Ivan's gaze without demurring. "No, they couldn't." She agreed, her expression not betraying her delight in making the Kazon suffer. "After what they did to Andrei, though, they needed to be reminded of their place - on their knees in service to the might of the Empire."

"That's true." he stated, watching her, his eyes, though a different color, sharing qualities of Andrei's in proportion. Though Ivan's were warm and a bit watery in most occasions. His expression was evaluative, but understated, making him a bit difficult to read in this moment. "And did you...enjoy that kind of work, Lieutenant?"

Her head tilted just slightly and there appeared a glint in her eye, extremely hard to read. Unpredictable. A familiar trait of the Orsini of which Ivan would be quite aware. Slightly unnerving. "I do what is necessary to maintain the honor and glory of the Empire and Terrans as a whole. If instilling terror into the hearts of slaves to break them into submission, then so be it."

"Lovely dodge, Lieutenant." he said, unswerved, looking into her eyes and finding her rather difficult to place. "I know you're a patriot, of course. But did you enjoy your work?"

"In this particular case? Yes." Lyra replied evenly, still holding his gaze. "I was the one who led the team to rescue your son. The one who cut him down from the ceiling he was bound to. I held him against my body, felt him so weak and powerless; barely alive. He tried to look at me, but he could see nothing his eyes were so damaged. I pulled him out of his filth and watched your daughter cry over her dying brother's beaten, abused body."

"So yes, Captain, I enjoyed repaying that ten fold to those filthy, disgusting animals."

Ivan was never sure what to make of such brutality. But he knew what she meant, he thought. he'd done terrible things too. And he had enjoyed it; almost. He placed a hand on her shoulder, covering the entire thing because of his size.

"The purge was my idea. Yana added some flair in her methods of torture, and you added even more. The results were awful. That is what happens when inferior races cross us." he said to her. "And I always stick up for my own."

He reached over and opened the guest room door. Stepping out, he joined his family at the table. it was time, at this point, to make his way up to the briefing room for the daily senior staff briefing. Since there was no XO, he had to run the blasted thing anyway. He looked over at the door were Lyra grabbed her things inside the guest room.

"I'll see you at the meeting, Lieutenant." he said loud enough to be heard and then made for the door, allowing David to fall in step behind him.

"Sir." Lyra acknowledged as she slid the data rod back into place with her seal and looked around the room one more time. Walking back out into the main room, she immediately offered an apologetic smile to Yana and Andrei. "I'm very sorry for interrupting your breakfast Commander, Lieutenant."

"You've done an excellent job for us on Lovarr." Yana responded before Andrei could get a word in. She stepped toward the younger woman with a slight smile. "I'm impressed. And I am quite difficult to impress. Keep it up."

She turned around and looked at her son.

"You're on cleanup duty, Dre. Just make sure to eat some more. Keep up your energy." Yana said, and then made for the exit herself, leaving the two of them alone.

Lyra had given Yana a gracious bow of her head at the compliment and watched the woman go. Once the door closed, a smirk finally tugged onto her lips. "Dre, hm?" She asked and meandered her way over to the table.

"You could just forget you ever heard it." he said, sitting back at the table and moving food around on his plate. "And with fifteen minutes before the start of that meeting, I'm sure I can run down the clock with distractions to keep you off the topic."

"I could forget but that wouldn't be as much fun." She moved to take a seat at the table and began to pick at the leftover food, putting some on the empty plate in front of her to eat. It was all probably cold by now, but she was absolutely starving and it would probably be the only chance for any sort of food for a while. "Tempting offer, but all the things I would like to do with you would take far longer than we have, darling." She sat and ate with manners befitting her actual upbringing.

"Judging by the faces I saw, I take it things went well?"

"Don't let an obsession with achievement stop you from making a start, love." he responded confidently, sipping his orange juice. "If body temperatures are anything, my father looked cool as a cucumber when he came out of the room. He's not upset, so you must have done a good job convincing him."

"Not me. You." She clarified, letting his other comment go though by the mildly elevated heat in her body, he had certainly tempted her. "Did Papa appreciate your sorry?"

"He really did." Andrei said, looking at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "He got all choked up." he continued, they he raised his brows. "Speaking of all choked up..."

“Absolutely not.” She waved her butter knife in his direction and then used it put some on the quarter waffle she had pilfered. “Unfortunately, darling, I foresee a double shift in my immediate future and you offer very limited nutritional value.”

"That's a vile slander. You must simply learn to swallow." he said, and then stood up. He started pulling some of the plates off the table, leaving the food there. He walked over and transferred them to the replicator before coming back for more. "I can take one of those shifts for you if you'd like. It's been so long since I've sat at a tactical station at this point I'm starting to miss it. Otherwise I'll just be completing an Orion martial-arts session with Ensign Nazar, but I can reschedule that for a different date."

"I swallowed plenty, thank you very much, and I'm still quite hungry. That's like saying you shouldn't be thirsty anymore." Lyra watched him wander back and forth to the replicator while she finished off the surprisingly good waffle. Finally finishing, she used a napkin to wipe her mouth politely and then stood, helping him clear off a few more of the dishes on the table. "If you want to take one of the shifts, I wouldn't say no, but you'll have to clear it with your father. I can't authorize it myself."

"If you don't though, you may need to check in after zero hundred and make sure I haven't just tipped over and fallen asleep in a corner somewhere."

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to get me into your cabin this evening." he said with a grin, going to her and kissing her sweetly. He released her and smacked her butt hard, then he turned and moved the last pile of dishes to the replicator. "I'm looking at the time, Lyra, and I'm concerned about you being late for your first meeting as Chief of Security. So choose. Go and do your job, or fall to your knees right now and worship me again, and the chips will fall where they may."

On his way by, she returned the favor in kind by backhanding his rear with purpose and then scampered toward the door. "Don't worry, Andrei. I'm sure we''ll have another opportunity to mess up Mama and Papa's bed together before long. I won't settle for his desk." Not something he had told her, but he would know exactly where she had heard it from. She gave him a wink and was gone.

He would have preferred her to be ignorant of that particular decision in his life. It wasn’t something he was ashamed of at all, but he tried not to kiss and tell much, especially to those he was kissing. He shrugged, however, and finished doing his cleaning.

OFF