Reunions and Farewells - Part 2
Posted on Sun Jun 15, 2025 @ 1:42am by Civilian Geral Lasuma & Civilian Dorian Torel & Civilian Sha'rae Astare & Lieutenant T'Lul
1,696 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Things Past
Location: DS5
Timeline: Some time before the attack
Previously...
She huddled against him, soaking in his presence. It took a while, but eventually her breathing evened out, exhaustion and desolation managed to take over and she fell asleep against him.
Geral had remained awake until she had drifted off. His thumb gently stroked her arm and eventually he too nodded off. With her next to him once again his dreams were of their trip to Trill together and relaxing trip back. Seeing her smile and laugh as they had before was all he wanted...
Now the conclusion
- 2 weeks later -
Lasuma's yacht touched down in his company's bay on the station. It was odd that he was actually beginning to think of the station as home. Stepping out of the lift he was met by both Sha'rae and Dorian and together the trio left the bay.
Dorian wore a smirk on his face he was glad that his boss was happy again.
Sha'rae kept glancing over to him as they walked through the station and when he started humming she shook her head. "Well, someone is in a good mood."
He chuckled, "That I am. Maritza had to stay back on Trill to finalize her father's affairs with the Symbiosis Commission as well as some remaining family matters. Once that's all done, I will be heading back to Trill to pick her up then we will be spending some time on Bajor at the estate."
"Another vacation? In a way. Dorian, I want you to take that chunk of Dilithium, the one I showed Maritza after closing the mining deal..."
"Yeah?"
"I want you to take it to the jeweler on the Promenade and have them cut a piece and have them make a ring."
Sha'rae's head darted to look at Dorian and vice versa.
"Sir...You should be aware that Captain Soran requested that all her personal possessions be sent to her on Trill." Sha'rae looked at Dorian, then back at Geral. "There are rumors that she won't be returning at all. And..." She hesitated. "She sent you a letter. It's in your office."
"Now you know better than putting stock in rumors. I know she has been working from time to time from Trill and with our sudden departure, it would stand to reason she would need a few things. I did ask her to send me some of the holoimages taken while on Trill. So that probably all that that message is. Anyway...it's been a long trip and even though all is right, I wanna go to my office, get a drink, relax, and scroll through the images she sent."
Leaving them at the entrance, he greeted the staff working at the time and headed up to his office. Once there he poured a drink, grabbed a tablet and dropped onto the couch.
Transferring the message to the tablet, just as he thought the images they had taken on their way to and during their time together on Trill. Even though they were on their way to a funeral they had been inseparable. Relaxing in the yacht's pool, star gazing in the main lounge, her sitting on the counter in the kitchen as he cooked for her, them dining together, her holding his face as they laid together in bed. Smiling warmly, he scrolled through image after image.
Outside, Sha'rae looked at Dorian. "You know I verified the information. She even left a forwarding address in case anything came in for her. Get Geral half a dozen bottles from the Box of Delights--just in case." She looked inside, then back at the bodyguard. "I'm going to my office in case I'm needed."
But before she could go inside, one of the station's yeomen waved to her. "Have you heard? Captain Soran isn't coming back. Commander Ryan is now the new station commander."
Sha'rae had years of keeping a calm expression on her face. She relied on that now to not show her reaction. She heard the position was temporary, not permanent. "I didn't think it had been announced yet."
"Yeah." The yeoman looked inside Lasuma's. "That's sad, since your boss and the captain were a thing. She told him first, right?" The young officer was clearly looking for gossip.
"Of course." At least, Sha'rae hoped that was in the letter to her boss. The only thing she didn't know was why Maritza let him believe they were back together before she dumped him.
Not getting any juicy answers, the yeoman said goodbye and continued on her way.
Back in his office, Lasuma took another sip from his drink, laying back on the couch as he continued. The final file was a text file that he opened eagerly.
My Dearest Lasuma,
It breaks my heart to do this this way but I'm leaving DS5. There have been so many bad memories there, and I can't come back to the place where my father was murdered. By the time you read this my resignation will have been submitted.
Please do not come back to Trill. You are needed there. I know that you would say that you can leave at any time, that we can go anywhere and do anything, but there are people there that need you. Before you came to the station, I was a workaholic and a little tyrant. You helped me come out and you were my anchor, but I have to see if I can be what you helped me become on my own. I had to wait until you had left because I couldn't do this to your face. Call me a coward but I wanted the last thing you remember seeing me was me happy, not crying, not angry, but happy. I even have to write this out because even now I'm a mess.
I know you will be hurting and angry and I'm so sorry, but I have to be able to rely on myself. I will always be grateful to you for everything, but you deserve someone you don't have to keep putting back together.
Good-bye
Maritza
Lasuma stood, the tablet still in his hand his chest heaving. His grip on the tablet tightened and he eventually sent it flying with a roar, shattering it against the wall. The sounds of the destruction could be heard even through the offices sound proofing and in a few short moments he had literally destroyed his office.
Customers in the shop below looked up at the sounds only to see the clerks looking down sadly, and knowingly, as they politely completed their transaction.
It did not take long for the unusual activity to reach the ears of T'Lul. The Vulcan immediately and abruptly cancelled the remainder of her schedule, clearing the way to look into this new concern. Already, she had calculated that Geral likely heard that Maritza was not returning. Unfortunately, she was unable to reach Geral prior to his return to the station. This was going to be a hard conversation and she calculated that she might be a target of his anger, as well.
She walked into Geral's shop and stated, "Please direct me to Geral. I suspect that he is in need of my assistance."
-- Upper Level --
Dorian, always being nearby, arrived and stood at the door to his boss' office listening but ignoring to his venting and the destruction of the objects that became the target of his pain. Silence follow and he heard a few heavy breaths before hearing him retreat into his private room.
Taking a look into the office for himself he cocked his head and returned to his playing guard he was one of the mercantile staff escorting T'Lul up the spiral stair as Sha'rae stepped out of the lift and Lasuma emerged from his office with a fresh shirt as he finished drying his face with a towel before handing it to Dorian. "Lieutenant T'Lul. To what do we owe the pleasure? I believe we got in a fresh shipment of Vulcan spice tea."
"I could sit and sample some of it while we talk," T'Lul answered neutrally, yet making it clear that she was not going away. "Despite this being a large space station, news travels quickly, Geral."
Mustering every bit of his negotiating experience and business acumen, "Oh you must be referring to Maritza's resignation. Do you really think she wouldn't have discussed that with me while we were away...I mean seriously."
T'Lul was surprised at how much Geral was already giving away. He was particularly off his game and the Vulcan knew it. "Do you really want my answer to that or are you simply trying to deceive me with bravado?"
The corner of his mouth curled slightly. "Well... as you were not on Trill with Soran and myself you couldn't answer that question if you wanted to now could you, Hmm?
"No, you can't."
Turning to Sha'rae, "Please see the Lieutenant back down to the cafe and see she gets some of that tea. If you'll excuse me, I've been away and have matters to see to. Dorian."
With that Lasuma and Dorial took the spiral stairs to the lower level leaving Sha'rae and T'Lul by themselves. Sha'rae looked to the Vulcan counselor that had helped get them back together before they had left for the funeral for Maritza's father. "How about that tea...or maybe something stronger?"
"Tea," T'Lul replied with an audible musing sound. "Geral is not interested in logic at the moment, it seems."
Sha'rae only shrugged as she motioned the Lieutenant into the lift. She may have a point but her boss was right she wouldn't have known what was said between them nor what was in the letter Maritza had sent...unless she had violated his privacy. No matter which of them was right she would get the officer her tea and them see what kind of mess needed to be cleaned up back in his office.
Geral Lasuma
Owner Lasuma Enterprises
Sha'rae Astare
Admin Asst. to Lasuma
Dorian Torel
Bodyguard to Lasuma
Captain Maritza Soran
Played with permission by Lasuma
Lieutenant T'Lul
Chief Counselor
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