STF

Arrival at the Spaceport (tag Lucas Holloway)

Posted Aug. 2, 2022, 12:34 a.m. by Civilian Molly Holloway (CEO - Holloway Industries) (Joana Ribeiro)

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 Civilian Lucas Elliot Holloway (Business Owner) in Arrival at the Spaceport (tag Lucas Holloway)
Posted by… suppressed (13) 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.

“That doesn’t mean I have to live by showing it to everyone. A small house is just fine.” There was a slight annoyance in her tone. Just because both her uncle and Cal wanted to rub it in everyone’s faces how rich they were, it didn’t mean that she wanted the same. But no one bothered to ask her anyway…

“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.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to live by showing it to everyone. A small house is just fine.” There was a slight annoyance in her tone. Just because both her uncle and Cal wanted to rub it in everyone’s faces how rich they were, it didn’t mean that she wanted the same. But no one bothered to ask her anyway…

“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

Molly straightened herself up in her seat with a furrowed brow. Section 31? Why the hell was he involved with them?

“I thought you didn’t deal with Intel, and didn’t want them anywhere near company’s business. How did you even came to design something for Section 31?”

“I don’t…” Lucas said flatly. “… I’ve done my absolute damnedest to keep those bastard’s influence off this company.” His tone became defiant. “My great grandfather didn’t start this company to get tied up with the likes of those that throughout history have used force and coercion to steer the course of humanity’s path to suit their twisted, manipulative needs.”

Holloway’s shoulders slumped. “I didn’t ask to be involved Gracie…” He pointedly looked away from his beloved niece. “… I have spent my career, and my father before me, trying to do things the right way. So…” He sighed. “… when Admiral Francine Jackson, the Head of Starfleet Security, asked me to develop a couple late 20th, early 21st Century systems for her people to use for a specific mission in the Frontier… I said yes.” He paused, his fist clinched. “I’ve known Frannie for nearly damn thirty years… hell, she knew your mother! I trusted that she would keep the work under wraps. These were supposed to be under lock and key because of their inherently harder to track. I didn’t set out to make an untraceable system for Section 31 to frackin’ ‘borrow’ and use to twist people to their will.” He was now trembling in frustration. “Needless to say… Intel & S31 started breathing down my neck the minute they learned about them. In the wake of the investigation into Tomas and his people… apparently those lunatics wanted to use a combo of tech like the Slip Drive and my PrimTech… as assassination tools. What happened to me in New York is what happens when you stand up to these people Gracie. They kill you… and I’m so sorry I bought us into this.”

“I don’t understand it though… Tomas is dead. Intel cleared his makeshift base. The Jem’Hadar were gone before Starfleet even set foot there. Newton was done for as well, she’s no longer in active duty. Not as an FCIS agent at least… Starfleet Intelligence tied everything neatly together with a little bow. I read the report. How come you think it was them?”

Molly

Lucas’ eyes cut sharply at Molly, challenge flared as the man pushed himself from the chair arm… closing the distance between them. “Because the sons-a-bitches blew up my goddamn car… Captain!” The snap in Lucas’ tone and the use of her rank drove home his hurt. “Because they are the ONLY ones that could have ripped my designs from LCARS…” He looked on the verge of tears as he poked Molly once in the middle of her chest just below her mother’s necklace. “You and Calvin barely escaped those lunatics Gracie… you know what they are capable of. They didn’t even find enough of Tommy to have a proper service.... and…” Tears fell at last. “… had I not stopped to get flowers, I’d be dead too!” Lucas turned and walked back to the chair, settling on the arm once more. “New York was three months after your former service finished their damned report… and yet, Tommy still died… at my hand… by a device of my design. I hate to break this to you Sweetie… but Fleet Intel don’t know jacks*** when it comes to Section 31 and they sure as hell don’t have a clue about what their rogue factions are up to.

Lucas

Molly’s eyes followed Lucas back to his seat, but she remained silent, thinking about what he had just said. Her own beliefs about Starfleet Intelligence conflicting with her uncle’s. They were just that… beliefs. Lucas seemed to think that Intel was an incredibly incompetent department that couldn’t even keep track of their own operatives, while Molly knew for a fact that they wouldn’t kill for weapons. They would plant operatives in key positions. Operatives like her.

“Rogue factions wouldn’t be rogue if it was possible to keep track of them. You know that uncle Luc. They operate outside of the lines and cover their tracks to evade being found out. You have no proof they were the ones that blew up your car. Or did they leave a note on the windshield?”

The next moment came as a complete surprise. As if the man had teleported, Lucas was once more before Molly but for the first time in her life… Lucas Holloway struck her. The slap snapped like the crack of a whip and the man’s piercing eyes bore into her as the next words came as through she was not a woman of 32 but a smart mouthed, petulant child. “Molly… Grace… Holloway! How… dare… you!” He growled. “Your father might have been a drunk and disrespectful jackass… but what in God’s name do you think your mother would have thought about what you just said?!” He paused before adding… “Hell… what do you think Robert would say?! You were raised better than to speak ill of the dead in such a flippant, disrespectful manner.” Then the anger subsided and the man shook his head, tears filling his eyes. “My God Gracie… what did those monsters at Intel do to you? What happened to my little girl to make you think it would be ok to say something… something so… heartless.” He turned and walked back to the chair, looking as though he was fighting off wracking sobs.

The moment the palm of Lucas hand came into contact with Molly’s face he would have seen it in her eyes. The hurt, the betrayal, and most of all, the fear. All mixed into a glance.

She didn’t say anything. In fact, Molly didn’t even rub her cheek, but rather she carried on as if nothing had happened.

Lucas’s outburst had hurt Molly, but it was only when she heard the words leaving her mouth that she knew she had crossed a line. She didn’t mean it, but she also refused to believe that the same department that had given her everything she currently had, had allowed one of their own divisions to attack her uncle. Partly because she didn’t want to believe it, and partly because the prospect that Tomas’s rogue faction was not completely dealt with was a terrifying one. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, Molly was scared.

“That isn’t to say that there might not be other groups capable of doing the same.” She tried to revert what she had said. “But why would they attack you with the very weapon they wanted the specs for? Doesn’t that mean they already have it? It makes no sense…!”

Molly

“Because…” He sniffed. “… they wanna shut me up. They know I will fight to get my designs back and that I have no issue going all the way to the President if necessary. Those weapons are locked with some of the highest level security Starfleet has to offer and the only goddamn reason I agreed in the first place was because Franie assured me they would go no where outside her department.” Lucas looked at the floor and sighed. “But… the primary reason is because they demanded access my tech… our tech… and I told them to go to hell. They’ve been after me ever since. It was like me telling the Mob to kiss my ass… these people don’t take no for an answer..”

Holloway

Molly felt numb. Her uncle’s reply barely registering in her brain. A brain that was still trying to process what had just happened… until it wasn’t.

With a sudden spring of movement, Molly stood up from her seat and walked across the room, as far away from Lucas as the limited space would allow her. For a moment, he would think that she was leaving him alone, but she stopped near the large fireplace on the center of the opposite wall to where he was sitting.

Still with her back to her uncle, she finally rubbed her reddening face, before turning back and holding his gaze.

“I didn’t speak ill of the dead. In fact I said nothing about the dead at all. I merely doubted your assumption that Tomas’s bunch was behind the New York attack. I’m sorry if it wasn’t in the most polite fashion, but don’t you dare telling me what mom would or would not have liked me to say! What do you think she would say about your actions?” She took a few breaths before continuing before disappointment and fear seeped into her tone. “You know… I really thought you were different. I thought you didn’t agree with what your brother used to do… but I wonder now if you just repress it better.”

Lucas’ shoulders slumped, it was clear by the look on his face he was hurt by not only her words but also disappointed in his own actions. He looked visibly heart broken and seemed to shrink, ever so slightly, at Molly’s gaze.

Molly let the words hung for a moment, but it was clear that she wasn’t finished. Rather, she was pondering what to say next.

“As for dad,” She meant Robert. “he knows what I’m like. You think being heartless is something Intel did? Unless Intel made my classmates give me nicknames my whole life, I very much doubt it. I’ve heard it all, uncle.” Lucas would notice that she didn’t add his name. “Dad has the school cards and the counselor reports… the official lingo? Heartless, cold blooded, unemotional, devoid of empathy… the list goes on. I suggest you reach out to some of the Dresden’s personnel. Ask about the ‘Ice Queen’, they’ll know who you’re talking about. Hell… ask Calvin.”

“I know exactly what those reports said Molly…” He sighed, his voice wavering. “… but that doesn’t mean that was all that defined who YOU are. A loving daughter… a doting big sister… a woman I am immensely proud of. A committed, passionately devoted partner to one of the finest men I have ever met…” Lucas’ voice cracked. “You overcame some of the greatest challenges one could face… I just wish you could see the woman I see when I look at you. The woman Calvin and Erin and Robert sees.”

Molly sighed. It was surprising that she had been able to keep her voice from shaking through all of it. “Intel didn’t make me heartless. Intel wanted me because I was heartless to begin with. But you wouldn’t know. I’m sorry for failing to meet your expectations, and for being such a disappointment. There’s nothing I can really do about it. I am not changing who I am to fit what you think I should be.”

“Now, if you don’t mind, I had a long day. I think we’re done here.” And with that, Molly turned around to leave the room.

Molly

As Molly turned and walked away, Lucas reached into his pocket and thumbed open a small recorder. A moment later, a voice Molly thought she’d never hear again filled the space as if caught mid-sentence.

=A=… and we don’t give a damn who you know, Mr. Holloway…=A=

Hissed the voice of Ashley Newton, formerly of the FCIS and one of the co-conspirators of the attempted theft of the USS Dresden.

Molly stopped in her tracks, slowly turning to face her uncle as the voice continued.

=A= … we can find you and trust that when we do, nothing… not even that interfering bitch Captain Holloway… is going to be able to protect you. You have crossed the Syndicate for the last time and no matter where you run, you will be found and dealt with. You should have just played nice… like a good little billionaire Mr. Holloway. Now… you have left us no choice. Goodbye. =A=

Lucas was looking dead at Molly as she turned. “I just got you back…” His voice cracked. “… I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you to those monsters. I’m… I’m sorry Gracie.” Tears rolled from his eyes as he shook his head. “I’m should have never let that tech go… now… it’s too late.”

Lucas

Molly was not shook by her uncle’s break down. Instead her mind was fighting to believe the implications of the recording he had just shared with her.

“When was this?” She asked. Her brow furrowed, and worry seeping into her tone. “And why did you hide it from me?” Molly was trying hard to keep her fear from showing on the surface. The Syndicate… she had come across the name one other time before, and it had been a tip from Ryan. However, nowhere had she found that Newton herself was not only free and kicking, as she was related to the group.

Lucas sighed, looking even more defeated than before. “New York… after I survived those bastard’s first attempt on my life. I received it while I was still in the hospital.” He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. “The only other person that knows is Dominique.... she was the one that brought me the message.” Holloway then turned, walking toward the large bay windows, his shoulders still slumped in a way Molly had never seen her uncle… ashamed, and defeated. “Like I said Gracie…” The Magnate continued, still unable to bring himself to look at his beloved niece. “… I had just got you back. I’m no fool, I know the weapon they turned you into. I had absolutely no intention of you ever… ever finding out about all this because the last goddamn thing I needed was for you to put yourself between me and the Syndicate… over some stupid nonsense my poor decisions brought on myself!” Molly could see the man’s form shake in anger as his fists clinched at his side.

It wasn’t the torture that Molly was afraid of. She had withstood far worse than what Tomas had put her through. No. It was the implied threat of what they might do to her uncle. After all, Molly had been trained to withstand even the worst forms of adversity. Lucas hadn’t.

After a few moments, Lucas had silently walked back to the large leather couch, lowering himself onto it in quiet resignation that his valiant attempt to keep Molly out of all this had failed… spectacularly.

Walking back to her uncle, Molly sat on the corner of the coffee table, right in front of Lucas. “I need you to tell me everything you know. And I mean everything. What they had access to, what they want, and every single time you had any kind of contact — direct or otherwise — with them. I want to know exactly what we are up against.”

It was the first time Lucas had seen his niece springing to action. A glimpse of the Starfleet officer Molly was, or as far as he was aware, that she had been.

“I had only received two other messages from them…” Lucas began, tears beginning to flowing once more. “… once after Franie got raked over the coals because the tech that I designed and released to them for very specific use had built-in, anti-tampering self destruct systems to prevent them from disassembling them & reverse engineering our tech!” He drove the point of his right index finger into the couch arm as to emphasize his point. “And the other was immediately after I returned home after getting that Newton girl brought up on charges of her own for her part in trying to steal the Dresden.” His hands shook in front of him. “That’s it besides the one you just heard… at least overt communications. Ever since I built the Cavalier, people have been acting mighty suspiciously around me and HHI. People asking very pointed questions about tech that had never been released outside VERY closed circles.”

Seeing the tears rolling down her uncle’s cheeks, Molly sighed and paused, allowing him a moment to regain composure. It was easy to forget that civilians could not just spring into action like she could. Her fingers reached out to his, and she squeezed his hand in a comforting manner, steadily holding Lucas’s gaze. “We’re going to fix this, Uncle Luc. I promise you. And we’re going to get through it together.”

Molly

“I’m sorry Gracie…” He said softly, his hand very gently touching the angry red mark on Molly’s cheek. “… I’m so so sorry. I caused this mess and then had the gall to get mad at you for wanting to know about it.” His eyes looked sadder than Molly had ever seen. “Can you ever forgive me…?” Tears fell once more, his voice breaking. “Mary would never forgive me for hitting her little girl. This… this has gone on long enough. This is your company… your birthright. And I am so sorry for getting our family involved.”

Lucas

“Yes she would, dad.” The words were genuine and the slip didn’t register in Molly’s brain. “I may not have a lot of memories of her, but if there’s anything I do remember about mom is how kind and understanding she was.” Molly smiled softly, for a moment lost in memories of the past.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” Molly finally said, answering Lucas’s question. “There’s no world in which you should have to face this alone. You helped me out on the Dresden… now let me help you out. We’ve beat them once, and we will beat them again. Your only mistake was not telling me what was going on sooner.”

After yet another moment of silence, Molly finally put an end to the conversation. “It’s getting late, Uncle Luc… and tomorrow we’re having a busy day. I should go to sleep. You’re welcome to stay if you want to.” Molly smiled looking around. “It’s going to take a while for me to get used to the house.”

Molly


Posts on Oed V

In topic

Posted since


© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service

Version 1.15.9