Unignored
Posted on Thu Oct 31st, 2019 @ 8:19am by Captain Luka Mahone
1,188 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Canary
Location: Captain Mahone's Office, Command Center
Timeline: MD 05 : 2130 Hrs
It had been a month since his last encounter with the newly minted Intelligence officer. Well, by this point, Asahi was far from ‘newly’ minted. He had been in his position for a few months. It was plenty of time for Luka to feel like he could at least gather something in regards to the shuttle that was currently sitting in the science labs.
The only issue was, he hadn’t spoken with Asahi Kita in a month. He had ignored Seshi’s attempts to get the two to speak to one another, going so far as to almost forget she asked him to come by and help her with what he assumed was another technical issue. He sent Kikua down instead, but the younger Mahone never reported back on whether it turned into a trap or not.
As the screen flared to life, Luka found himself at a loss for words for a prolonged moment. The face on the other side of the screen belonged to Asahi, but not the one he knew. No, there was no expression on the other man’s face. None at all.
This was going to be a difficult conversation. He could tell.
Might as well get to the heart of the matter. “Please tell me you know what the hell is going on with my colony.” The sentence came out of his mouth more severely than he intended. He almost wanted to take it back.
“Oh,” Despite lack of expression in his features, his voice was dripping with bitterness. “It's your colony now? I thought it was a civilian colony.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Sorry, the last time we talked-” Asahi paused, and it was obvious from where Luka sat that the man was having a hard time being civil. Asahi closed his eyes, breathed, and decided to continue on. “I thought we were taking a little break from the conversation.”
That stung. Luka’s lips pressed together and he frowned. “Hey, come on.”
The Intelligence Officer didn’t seem impressed, turning to another console as they spoke. “At least my mother nags me on the regular now.”
“You're deviating.” If it was not for the fact that he needed Asahi’s help, Luka might have pressed forward. What happened during the Vesta’s shore leave was something he couldn’t take back. And he sorely wanted to take it back. But there was something off about Asahi, and the young Captain couldn’t place it without his friend being more forthcoming.
“Yeah, I am.” Asahi’s eyes flickered back to Luka’s. He shook his head. “I'm looking it up. Why is this so important?”
At least Luka would get an answer. Hopefully. “I got an Order Theta on my desk.”
“A wha?” Asahi tilted his head to one side, surprise in his eyes. “Nah.” He looked back to the second console, frowning. “Not on Haumea. Intelligence doesn't have enough files on the place yet to Theta anything.”
“So you don't actually know?” Luka didn’t know what he was expecting. Asahi was new to the Intelligence Department. Regret filled the pit in his stomach, especially when he saw Asahi’s gaze snap back to the screen, annoyed.
“Seriously? Chill out,” Asahi snapped. If it were anyone else, Luka might have reminded them about rank or something equally pompous. But this was Asahi. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. Asahi went on. “SFI's way bigger than a couple of spooks. They aren't gonna tell me anything anyways,” he added, dismissively waving and returning to the second console and his search, “I'm still half a science experiment to them.”
“They don't trust you.”
He heard a snort come from Asahi, while he watched the other continue on his search. “No one trusts me. Not Intel, not my own mother. Certainly not you.” Another sting, this one Luka couldn’t help but flinch at. “Selina might be the only one who does trust me, and she has all right not to trust me, mind you.”
Luka’s tone softened. It was one sentence. One sentence. But he knew that with it, he was wrong, even after all they had been through. “Asahi-”
“Captain.” And it would be that one word Asahi uttered shut Luka’s attempts down. He felt more than guilt in that moment, but it would be short lived. Asahi’s eyes widened at the second console. Luka could have sworn he saw Asahi mutter a swear word, but they were inaudible.
The Captain straightened up, frowning. “What? What is it? Did you find something?”
Asahi looked away from the console, tapping a few buttons and shaking his head. “No. I didn't find anything.” His expressionless gaze returned, though Luka swore he saw a hint of alarm in his friend’s eyes. “Haumea's fit as a fiddle.” And the more Asahi spoke, the more awkward it felt. “Perfectly pristine, no issues. Well, except maybe an SoC watch or something minor. The Commodore's keeping an eye out too, yanno.”
“That's,” Luka deflated. “That’s not... helpful…”
Asahi shrugged, any tell disappearing as he returned to the conversation. “Yeah, well, maybe it's SoC.”
That was a stab in the dark. Luka could feel something was up, but it might not have been what Asahi wanted to hear. It was not the time nor the place to harass an Intelligence Officer over a channel that could have been looked in on. He hated secrets. “The Sons of Charon are behind a hundred year old shuttle?”
“I dunno.” Another shrug, and Asahi’s attention seemed to turn elsewhere. Anywhere but Luka. “Maybe... Maybe it's an old god or something.”
“What?” Luka nearly laughed at the suggestion.
“You know, old gods. Or alternate dimensions? Maybe you've got some invisible space mantas.” Asahi snapped his fingers, suddenly remembering at thought. “Oh say, have you talked to Alika recently?”
Another shift in topic. Something was bound to be up, and while Luka was dying to find out what, he had to resist. There were times and places. Just not here. Not now. “No.” He decided to play along. This was a typical Asahi exit strategy, but it felt placed. “I don't know what she has to do with anything.”
“I would give her a call. She’s your sister, after all. I know you’re bad at keeping up with people, but come on.” Asahi’s accompanying chuckle was forced. Luka could tell. “She's been fishing for you. Or Kikua.”
And Luka knew exactly how to get them both out of this awkward encounter. He learned all he could, and whatever Asahi now knew was clearly something Luka wanted to know. “You're deviating again.”
There it was. Asahi’s shoulders rose and the annoyance returned. His eyes flickered to the young Captain, and he frowned. “I don't have anything for you, Luka. You're on your own. Sorry, man.”
And with that, Asahi cut off the communication with the press of a button, leaving Luka to sit in his own silence.
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