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Arrival at the Spaceport (tag Lucas Holloway)

Posted Sept. 17, 2021, 1:06 a.m. by Civilian Lucas Elliot Holloway (Business Owner) (Jerome Davis)

Posted by Civilian Molly Holloway (CEO - Holloway Industries) in Arrival at the Spaceport (tag Lucas Holloway)

Posted by Civilian Lucas Elliot Holloway (Business Owner) in Arrival at the Spaceport (tag Lucas Holloway)

Posted by Civilian Molly Holloway (CEO - Holloway Industries) in Arrival at the Spaceport (tag Lucas Holloway)
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Molly had been fast asleep when the Starfleet vessel touched the assigned landing pad at OED’s Spaceport. In fact, she had been so deep in her slumber that one of the crew members had to wake her up, much to her own embarrassment.

From the landing pad, the walk to customs was a short one, and the time to get through the line was not terribly long either. Her uncle had insisted on arranging a place for her and Cal to live in, and for most of their belongings to be transported there before hand. Molly had insisted that she could do it herself, but after a few heated arguments she had given up on the fight. She felt thankful for it now, but she would never admit it out loud to anyone, especially Lucas himself.

As she made it through to the main arrivals area, Holloway looked around searching for the familiar figure of her uncle in the waiting crowd. After so long without seeing each other, Molly knew he would be there.

Molly Holloway, CEO Holloway Heavy Industries

It didn’t take long to spot him nor the attractive young woman he was speaking to. HHI’s Chief Operations Officer, Dominique Alexis Bruner, was like another part of her Uncle and until this morning… was the one responsible for actually running the company. To say the woman was beautiful was an understatement but she was also incredibly on point with her management style, helping Holloway Heavy growth overall nearly 200% since officially taking the helm a decade ago at 27. Lucas always spoke fondly of the woman and thought more than once the two likely had a past… though her uncle had never openly hinted as such.

The pair suddenly looked up and the caramel-skinned Alexis waved warmly. “Hey! Over here!” Without another word, the pair swam through the crowd and made it quickly to Molly, Lucas wrapping his niece in a warm embrace. “So glad you decided to join us here on OED Gracie! It’s so good to see you. How was your flight? You remember Alex, right?” Bruner offered her hand with a warm smile of her own. “Nice to see you again Captain.”

Lucas & Alexis

It didn’t take long for Molly to spot the pair, and the wave of acknowledgment from Dominique made her push more forcefully through the crowd.

“Uncle Luc!” Was everything Molly had time to say before her uncle’s arms wrapped around her. She squeezed him back tightly, with an urgency that hadn’t been there in their previous encounters. Molly had been one of the last to know about the incident Lucas had been involved in in New York City, and she had only known about it through the news channels as she returned back from Julian Echo Station after their last mission.

I could have lost you! The words of outrage to her uncle when she finally had been able to call him still echoed in her mind, bringing back her main concern. But she hadn’t. He was there. Right in front of her. Molly held her uncle a little tighter.

“Ah, yes. Ms… Bruner, right?” Molly said taking the offered hand and shaking it. But the glance she gave Lucas would tell him that their previous discussion on the holophone about the accident was far from over. She quickly smiled back at the woman. Not a warm smile, a business smile. “Nice to see you again as well.”

Alexis smiled warmly back at the woman who had, in that moment, become her actual boss. Bruner was the consummate professional, smartly dressed and well composed. That said, it was very clear she and Lucas had been very close for many years. Molly’s colder response appeared to both disappoint and hurt the older woman whose eyes shown what her expression had not.

Molly took a deep breath and nodded to her uncle with a tired smile. “Lead the way.”

Molly

Lucas gave a huge grin as he motioned to the street and the waiting jet-black EGT waiting on the curb. “This way then… we can drop Alex off at her place before we head to yours for you to get all settled in!” As the trio approached the EGT, Molly would immediately notice that it was less an old Terra limo and more an incredibly shiny tank. The windows looked nearly as heavy the transparent aluminum used in starship exterior windows. As the massive door first hissed and then slid open on re-enforced rails, Molly would know that Lucas was taking no unnecessary risks after the New York incident.

Molly looked at the vehicle with a pang of sadness. The extreme security measures were a stark reminder of how close she had come to losing her uncle. No one deserved to feel the need to take such lengths to protect themselves, and especially not Lucas. Despite everything, though, Molly took comfort in the fact that at least he seemed to be taking matters seriously.

About ten minutes after getting into the EGT, the vehicle pulled up to a gleaming high-rise and Alexis moved toward the door. “Well you two, this is my stop. I’ll see you both in the morning. Have a great afternoon! Welcome to the Dome Captain” With that, the woman was gone and the moment the door sealed, the EGT began to move once again. As they drove, Lucas pointed out various points of interest in the City Center… movie theaters, favorite coffee shops and places to eat. Soon, the towers of the city center gave way to sweeping suburbs and large, fancy acreages. As the EGT pulled through a gate surrounding a walled community, Lucas motioned out the window to a beautiful colonial style home at the end of a long driveway.

Molly remained in silence for most of the journey. It was her first time in OED, and while she had seen plenty of pictures of the place, it was not the same as seeing the domed city with her own eyes.

When they stopped to let Dominique out, Molly let out a small sigh of relief as the door slid shut behind the woman and they started moving again. She had no personal qualms with her, but for the moment, and especially after everything that had happened in New York City, she wanted to be alone with her uncle.

Still in silence, Molly couldn’t help but smile as she listened to the excitement in Lucas’s voice as he pointed out different places of interest.

Until they stopped again.

“Well Gracie… this is your… er… I mean your’s and Calvin’s place. Two story with a basement family room, pool and hot tub in the back as well as a rather sizable garden.” He smiled a laughing smile. “You’re free to care for as much of it as you like… HHI Residential Services will take care of the rest.”

Molly had been perfectly aware that whatever house her uncle would get for her, would be as ridiculous as if Calvin had chosen. For a moment, she wondered if Lucas was the reason she had been attracted to the Marine in the first place, but she quickly dismissed her thoughts.

The EGT stopped on the white pebble drive in front of the main doors, stunning 9-foot-high cherry flanked by the four-column porch. As the door opened, Lucas motioned to Molly. “After you dear.”

Molly was speechless. As she left the car and walked to the doors, she couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed at the grandiosity of the front porch and entrance. It took her a second to realize her mouth had been open and it took some effort to pull her chin back up and close it.

The doors opened into a breathtaking foyer, marble floors with paneled walls and a large wooden staircase. To their right was a formal living area with a real wood-burning fireplace and mantle. To their left, a 10-seat formal dining room. Motioning to the stairs, Lucas smiled. “Four bedrooms, formal study, home office and a Master Suite upstairs, the kitchen…” He motioned toward the dining room. “… connects to the dining room.” They walked behind the stairs into a large, relaxed looking living area. “I figured you would prefer a more normal day-to-day space. Here is a standard four-person dining table…” He said, pointing to the table by the kitchen before turning to the living area. “… and a comfortable space to hang out with family and let your hair down.”

He paused and then smiled. “Any questions?”

Lucas

The startled look on his niece’s face would tell Lucas that indeed she had questions. Many questions. Too many, in fact.

The first one in the front of her mind was ‘why?‘ but she managed to stop it on the way out of her lips before it was too late.

Walking into the living room still in silence, Molly dropped her duffel bag by the couch, and promptly sat on it. Removing her shoes and placing them down by her bag, she pulled her legs up and sat crosslegged on the couch, motioning to her uncle to sit beside her.

“You know I’m going to complain, right?” Molly said with a smile. “This is far too big and far to rich… me and Calvin don’t need so much space.” She gave Lucas a scolding glance, but it vanished shortly after. Her expression softened, and her gaze filled with worry before she spoke again in a serious tone. “How are you doing, Uncle Luc? Honestly please. I could have lost you, maybe I still can, and I want to know what the hell is going on.” In her face, it would be clear that this was the conversation she had been waiting for an opportunity to have, and she would not drop it until she was content with his answers.

Molly

Lucas chuckled and shook his head. “I knew you would complain Gracie… and I know Calvin won’t, whether he needs the damn space or not!” Walking over to one of the large leather chairs, Lucas leaned against an arm and continued. “And, Ms. Holloway, whether you like it or not… you are, in fact, quite rich. Hell, as of the moment you signed the papers accepting the position of CEO and your /rightful/ inheritance, you surpassed my wealth damn near two-fold!” The elder Holloway didn’t blind at the last statement and something told Molly deep inside that he wasn’t lying.

“How am I doing…?” Lucas scratched his chin and settled in the chair. “That, Gracie…” He began flatly. “… is a complicated question. As for losing me, unless the bastards that tried to off me wanna take out a couple million people in the process… which I doubt… I’m perfectly safe here on OED. I have no intention of going anywhere for a while and my elegantly adorned prison is quite comfortable… thank you very much.” He nodded his head for emphasis on the last word.

“Now…” He was even more sober now. “… that doesn’t mean I intend to hide forever under this Dome. I will find the sons-a-bitches that tired and failed at ending me, but not before I find out why!” He paused for a moment and then met Molly’s eyes. “Gracie, honey, you have to promise me what I am about to say doesn’t leave this room.”

(answer)

“OK…” He sighed and took deep breath. “… there’s a reason I was able to be there so quickly during your… legal troubles.” He air quoted the last two words. “Tomas Dubois was not the only person trying to steal my… well, technically ‘your’… ships.” He let the Commander’s name, the man that had nearly killed both she and Clavin to hang in the air for a moment before pressing on. “There has been a rouge element, if you will, that has been after HHI tech since the Quantum Slipdrive was first presented for review to Starfleet Engineering. They… well… Dubois, thought they could get it by getting to you. Calvin was… collateral damage. I still haven’t sorted out just what the frack went on down there…” His tone was harsh, Molly hearing him speak in a way he never had before. “… but whatever happened, when I intervened… I apparently put a damn target on my back.” He quickly held up a hand to stop Molly before she could say a word. “I don’t wanna hear it. They were going to have you executed for treason Gracie! Even if you were locked away for life, you would have been an easy target in there.”

“Anyway…” Lucas continued. “… the missile that took out my car was one of ours, specifically one I personally designed for Section 31 to be used on Observational Missions in the Verge. Had it been Quantum… me and everyone around me for two city blocks would have died that day. I have to find out how they got hold of our tech Gracie… and why Section 31 and Intel haven’t already buttoned this up.”

Lucas


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