Suns (LGBT - Sci-fi - Romance)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22 

Colonel Rice had been shocked out of his senses for a moment when he saw Stefan kissing young Connell. He had felt quite faint, sick even, until he realised what was happening. Stefan was taking his revenge, hitting back at him by doing the one thing he knew would upset him the most. Liam Connell had filled his head with sentimental nonsense about Mars, and Stefan was blaming him, Viktor. Admittedly he had not helped the situation himself last night, by blurting out the truth, that he had been involved in Mars' death. 

Still feeling a little shaky he had returned immediately to Stefan's apartment, poured himself a stiff drink and sat down to work out how he was going to handle this. He tossed around several ideas but in the end decided the best thing to do was to stick to the story he had already told. That he had been bluffing about his threat to kill Connell and Mars had fallen to his death in the confusion, after all it was almost true. 

He brooded over his second glass of Orion brandy. It wasn't his fault, he had been entirely within his rights at the time. He was the Patrol officer in charge. Mars was a dangerous criminal and if Connell was weak enough to be persuaded into helping him escape he was a criminal too as far as he was concerned. In fact, he would have been totally justified in shooting both of them if he had had the opportunity. 

Stefan had always known he had a criminal for a father and he had managed to deal with it quite satisfactorily until Connell had stirred him up, confused him with his version of events. He'd told Stefan talking to Connell would only cause harm and look how right he'd been! 

Come to think of it, where was Stefan? It had been over an hour since he saw him. What on Earth was he doing?  

Another hour passed and still no Stefan. Viktor was now pacing up and down the small living room. He couldn't believe Stefan had lost his self respect enough to actually go home with Nick Connell but it was getting harder to believe anything else. He felt sick again. How could he? It was so degrading. If Stefan came in now, he'd ... he didn't know what he'd do. He didn't think he'd be able to control himself. Before he could change his mind, he packed his things and walked out. He'd find a hotel, he couldn't bear to be in the same room as Stefan, not for a while at any rate. 

XXX 

Viktor spent the next day looking up old acquaintances, catching up with people he hadn't seen in person for a while, some of them for over twenty years. He renewed old contacts and in the process made a few new ones. He found it helped ease his worry about Stefan, gave him other things to think about. 

He was back inside his son's apartment the next evening, waiting for him to come home from duty, trying to keep a lid on his feelings. He had to be in control to take control. If the worst had happened and Stefan had spent the night with Nick Connell, he would deal with it, but he had had time to calm down somewhat during the day and conceded to himself that he might have leapt to conclusions.  

Stefan had a quiet day at work. Although the anticipated confrontation with Viktor was constantly on his mind, it was one conversation he didn't want to have via wristcom. He would make an effort that evening to find out where Viktor was and arrange to see him the following day, when he could arrange to take some time off in the afternoon. Hopefully that would give them both sufficient time to calm down, enough to have a meaningful conversation. That evening he wanted to see Nick. They had a date, he grew excited just thinking about it. 

No sooner had Stefan entered his apartment than he realised all his well thought out plans were going to disappear in a puff of smoke. Viktor was there, waiting for him. He was sitting in the living room, a glass of Stefan's brandy on a small table in front of him, very much at home.  

He spoke first, before Stefan could gather his suddenly scattered thoughts. 

"I went to a hotel, the Golden Crown. Where were you last night?" Viktor asked crisply, as if he was asking for a report from a subordinate. Despite his resolve to insist that Viktor treated him as an equal, Stefan felt as if he had been put on the back foot straight away.  

"Actually, I was at the Golden Crown too. I went out and got drunk, then crashed on Liam's couch, if you want the truth," he tried hard not to sound defiant. He moved further into the living room and poured himself a drink. It appeared they were going to have that conversation now, he wasn't going to be able to put it off until tomorrow.  

"We need to talk about what happened," he said, bringing his drink over and sitting in the chair opposite. 

"I think it's best to leave well enough alone," countered Viktor. "I know you thought you were making a statement of some sort last night, but it was a stupid thing to do. Especially demeaning seeing you were in uniform. However I've made a few discreet enquiries today and it appears no real damage was done, no-one else saw you. If you stay away from young Connell, keep your distance as a Captain should, I think the whole distasteful incident can be forgotten." 

Stefan found to his fury that his hands were trembling slightly as they gripped the glass. He was a grown man, responsible for his own behaviour, mistakes and all, not a disobedient teenager to be scolded. He made himself take a breath before speaking, he was going to talk to Viktor as if they were both adults if it killed him. "I wasn't referring to last night. I want to talk about what happened the day my father died." 

"I don't see why you want to rake up the past," insisted Viktor. "Look at all the trouble it's caused!" 

"Trouble or not, I want the truth, Dad," Stefan requested simply. "I think I deserve the truth."  

"The truth is, your father was a vicious criminal who died during an attempt to capture him by the Patrol. He would have been facing a life time in prison if he'd been caught. That's all you need to know, anything else is morbid curiosity." 

"Liam Connell said you threatened to kill him and Mars committed suicide to save his life." Stefan protested. There, it was out on the table between them. 

"Liam Connell has his own agenda." Rice spoke bitterly. "He'll do his best to fill your head with lies and wishful thinking, that's why I didn't want you to talk to him in the first place." He drained his glass. "As far as I'm concerned, this subject is closed. I suggest you put it all behind you and move on."  

Stefan looked at him in frustrated disbelief, getting to his own feet as Viktor stood up. "But Dad-" 

"I think it would be best if I stayed at the Golden Crown for the rest of the week, then I'm due back on Capella," Viktor talked over the top of him. He put a hand tentatively on Stefan's shoulder, gave it a small shake and softened his voice a fraction. "I know it's been distressing for you, but once you have a chance to think everything over calmly, logically, you'll realise I'm right." He walked out. 

So much for their conversation. Viktor had decreed, and he had been left with nothing to say. Stefan poured himself another drink, he felt angry and frustrated. He wondered if it would be fair to keep his date with Nick.