just_hex | Before the Crash

Bond had quite enjoyed his time on the station. He’d gotten to know the commander. The workings. The rhythm of life. He’d learned the comings and goings. What the protocols for a delegation of hostile ambassadors was versus what actually happened. What he couldn’t witness himself, he’d used his presence in Q branch to gain access to all the systems he could need.

He watched vids on repeat, watching. Waiting.

And in the mean time, he enjoyed Q. He romanced the droid, tested his limits, and enjoyed his body at every possible opportunity. It was a shame, what was to come. Q was doing so well here, and the station was so crowded. So many souls.

A shame, but never once had that stopped the Double-O.

The order came through in the night, waking him from a dreamless sleep. The tone was different from others and triggered something in Bond’s mind, demanding complusion and obedience. He sat up and stretched, then read the message.

Initiate Protocol 9

A simple statement that had Bond rise, dress, and arm himself. He slipped from his quarters and entered a Jeffries tube. The saboteur crawled through the guts of the station, setting charges at critical points. When the station failed, there would be time for evacuation.

By the time the station failed, they would be so deep into the quadrant that rescue could take time. Too much time. By the time the station failed, the only option may be the Omicron system. There may be a planet or moon close enough by then. By the time the station failed, Bond would have secured passage away, with Q, in a well appointed ship.

He wasn’t going down with the station. That wasn’t part of the protocol. He was going down on Q until the moment they needed to run.

* * *
Hex was oblivious when the agent emerged from the tube access near the med bay. People used them for all sorts of things. And since the agent was in a red shirt, Hex took no note. He was much more concerned with getting back to the nest he shared with Nyx. He’d secured a parcel from Risa, delicacies both sweet and tangy. He hoped Nyx was home, though he never really counted on it. The prince moved about as he pleased and Hex was honored every single time he was chosen.

The doors whooshed open and he held the box as he scanned the room for the prince.

“Nyx?” he called int the dim room.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"I thought you'd already made him aware," Q said dryly, moving to help Tanner.

From:

0_0_7

"Someone should, Q. It's not my job," Bond snapped. "I should have been gone already."

He'd done his part, and his part wasn't saving anyone. He'd foolishly tried to save Q...

And now they were all doomed.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"You should then. Now," Q replied firmly.

From:

0_0_7

"You do it," he shot back.

"I have no interest in facing a tribunal, if we survive," he said. "And I'm sure Harry will listen to you. I have no interest in wasting time convincing the man, either."

The way he said the man's name was the first hint of jealousy. He simply couldn't contain it.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"You're unbelievable, do you know that?" Q snapped.

Tanner had been watching the pair, and after a moment opened communication with starfleet. "Yes, we've just been informed of a possible incoming attack on the station, we're advising an emergency evacuation..."

Tanner didn't hesitate to answer what he could- Though as he was speaking the first explosion went off.

From:

0_0_7

Any quick retort Bond might gave had vanished as the explosion rocked through the station. Alarms sounded and a calm computer recited evacuation instructions.

He reached for Q.

"We can fight about it later," he said, knowing the explosions would only keep coming now.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Q still looked upset, but stopped arguing in favour of getting his team into the pod.

"Come on," he said, looking at Bond as another explosion went off. "Get in, we need to go."

From:

0_0_7

Bond didn't hesitate. Climbing into the pod was suicide, but so was staying on the station. As he locked himself in, a light fingertip hesitated over the beacon before pressing it. It would, in theory, have all pods try to keep together.

"What's the nearest habitable world?" one of Q's team asked.

"Omicron Three," Bond answered, just a bit too quickly.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Barely, Q thought.

Leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes. Without realizing he was doing it, his hand moved closer to James', fingers brushing against fingers as the pod shook and trembled.

From:

0_0_7

Bond caught a finger only to seek a whole hand. When he had a grip, he held fast.

"Rescue will hear the beacon," he tried to assure Q.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"Perhaps," Q said, having already done some calculations in his head. He had his doubts they'd be recovered anytime soon. In fact, he estimated it would take about four months.

He'd be happy to be wrong though.

Squeezing Bond's hand in return, he found himself thinking of Harry. He hoped the other man wasn't waiting too long to get off the station.

From:

0_0_7

"I won't let go," he promised, turning his head to look at Q as the pod began to shake as it hit the atmosphere.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Q nodded, but as they descended reality began to sink in. Not everyone was going to make it.

He exhaled a breath he hadn't needed to take, squeezing Bond's hand again.

From:

0_0_7

Bond had seen to it that Q was horribly, horribly right. Hundreds of casualties on board, and more wouldn't survive landing. He thought of every explosion, inside and out, that would kill enough to justify action.

Q could be cross, but Q couldn't know.

Bond wet his lips.

"I love you," he confessed, "In case I may never get another chance."

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Q looked over then, confused. He wanted to argue that a loving man might have warned him, might have done more- But part of Q understood. After all, droids were built to do as they were told.

"I love you," he said quietly in return, too distressed to really think about what it meant to love as a droid. Too scared to wonder if he was even truly able. In that moment it felt like a certainty.

From:

0_0_7

It took forever, the pod threatening to shake itself apart every second of descent, until he heard thrusters fire to slow it-

-but not enough as it plowed into a meadow and sank into the soil surrounded by fields and fields of flowers. The large open plain was what the pods that didn't break up locked onto and the rest of the survivors in this first crop of refugees arrived.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Impact was rough, and Q gasped as he felt his left arm slip out of the joint. He hadn't been designed for this. As everyone started to climb out out the pod, he hung back a little, arm hanging limp at his side. It would need to be pushed back into place.

"Are you alright?" he asked James as he watched Tanner tend to the rest of Q branch.

From:

0_0_7

Shockingly enough, he was fine. As he unbuckled his harness, he could see immediately that Q was holding himself wrong.

"I'm fine," he answered. "But you're not. Is everyone out? Let's get clear and I can fix that," he added, nodding to Q's limp arm.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"Tanner saw to it everyone is out and alright," Q assured him as he climbed out and took in the mess of other pods around them.

"This is... All those people..."

He trailed off, looking at his team again, thankful that at least he knew for certain they were safe.

From:

0_0_7

"This is only the beginning, Q," Bond said gravely. "For the survivors...and for the oncoming war."

He looked up as other pods burned through the sky, landing as near as they could manage in the vast field of flowers.

"Here, let me help you," he said then, hoping maybe fixing the damage might distract from all the other damage done.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Q said nothing, but moved closer so Bond could repair his arm. He was always so focused and calm, but suddenly he felt as though he couldn't think at all. Everything was just white noise and static. He wanted to ask Bond to just shut him down for a while, just long enough to let his system calm down. The request was on the tip of his tongue- But then he saw something that sparked just the tiniest hint of hope inside him...

Nyx had felt like something was wrong all day, and then the shaking had started, and the loud sounds... Hex telling him they needed to get to a pod... Messy, loud, awful. Bad times, bad sounds. They'd been leaving Hex's when things started to make sense to him, and the weight of what was happening set in. And yet, for once in his selfish little life, he found himself thinking of someone else for once. The second blast had damaged something in the system, and doors were hanging wide open down the hall as he and Hex hurried along with what little they could carry, but as they ran past the quartermaster's residence, Nyx slowed to a stop as he spotted the droid's pet inside. Without pausing to think about it, Nyx scooped the little creature up, hissing at it when it tried to swat him away. The terrified cat was still in his arms as he made his way over to the android and held it out at arms length.

"It does not like me," he informed Q as the android took it with his good arm.

Q looked stunned, cradling the cat against his chest. "She doesn't like most people," he apologized, still a bit dumbfounded.

"We have that in common," Nyx said, turning to leave before Q could thank him.

From:

0_0_7

Hex was smiling gently at the exchange. To him, it was no surprise. He was used to the kindness from the prince. What did surprise him was that he'd done it for a stranger. A droid. And he could see Q's relief and almost reached out to comfort him before remembering it was just programming.

He held out his hand for Nyx to hold him and comfort him. He could see all the survivors, shaken and scared. He felt a bit of a twat for wanting to go again. It had been a thrill.

"He's growing tamer," Bond noted as he watched the pair move away.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"Notably," Q agreed, gently putting the cat down. She purred and lingered at his feet, reluctant to wander.

Re: Bond and Q

From:

just_hex - Date: 2024-06-04 12:10 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: Bond and Q

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Re: Bond and Q

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just_hex - Date: 2024-06-04 01:12 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: Bond and Q

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Re: Bond and Q

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just_hex - Date: 2024-06-04 02:35 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: Bond and Q

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From:

just_hex

Hex smiled softly at the exchange, waiting patiently for Nyx to return. He slipped his arm around him once he was near enough.

"You're a hero for that, yeah?" he said warmly. "You saved a life, reunited friends. A hero."

His hold around Nyx's narrow shoulders was solid and sure. Where he could see everyone shaken and upset, he was buzzing. His heart was pounding and he was flush with excitement.

Edited Date: 2024-06-05 01:14 am (UTC)

From:

tempting_the_fates

Nyx leaned into him, purring a little.

"It's a small creature, it couldn't escape alone," he muttered, not wanting to admit he'd done something nice. "The android loves it, I have seen them. I thought he might not have time to save it."