BURDEN OF AUTHORITY
BY: DANI

Nymphs & Resolutions

USS FLAGG... Somewhere in the Atlantic...

    "Look Flint, I'm certainly not trying to tell you how to live your life, but honestly... what the hell are you thinking?" Duke chided. After numerous attempts and despite Flint's evasive maneuvers to avoid him, Duke had finally cornered him. Duke, torn between rival emotions and responsibilities, tried to choose his words carefully, but he was dumbfounded by Flint's apparent indiscretions.

    Sighing and with a look of annoyance, Flint simply diverted his gaze, searching desperately for a way to get around Duke in an attempt to escape facing what would certainly be a rigorous cross examination by his CO.

    "Come on Flint... I might be your commanding officer, but I'm also your friend. You're walking a dangerous path on this one. I know you know that. I mean you of all people... " Duke paused in an incredulous stare.

    "Yes, Duke. I know. I'm the model officer. The pillar of restraint." Flint made no effort to mask the sarcasm in his voice. Taking a deep breath, he recomposed himself. He was irritated that he was having to answer for his decision, but what was there to say? He had reached the threshold crossing; hurled himself into the realm of official indecency and a potential court martial and he had no regrets. But it had taken him months to reconcile the choice in his own mind; how in the hell was he going to articulate it?

    "I'm in love with her, Duke." He looked almost sheepish as he said the words. True as they were, it wasn't easy for him to say. He'd spoken that phrase a hundred times to countless different women, but this was the first time he really felt that there was something behind it.

    Duke eyed him skeptically, knowing full well Flint's history with women. He couldn't possibly be serious, could he? He'd seen Flint toy with women so many times in the past, never taking a relationship seriously, never seeing anything in them beyond pure physical charm. Was it conceivable that one woman had broken him out of his emotional frigidity? That Lady Jaye had somehow restructured his entire view of reality?

    A hint of a lopsided grin emerged as Flint faced Duke's incredulity. "You don't have to believe me, Duke, in fact I'm fairly certain you don't. Just rest assured, I know exactly what I'm risking getting involved with her... but I also understand what I risk if I don't."

    "You'd jeopardize your entire career... and hers..."

    "As difficult as it is for you to believe, Duke, I think I've found something that's worth more than my career."

    Duke literally couldn't believe he was hearing this. As a friend, he was thrilled to hear that Flint had finally found someone that had snapped him out of his womanizing history; unfortunately, that someone was his inferior. This concept put Duke in a rather awkward situation, one that he really wanted no part of. He hated the idea of ratting his friend out to his superior, but his position as CO left him no choice. "Hawk's not going to be happy about this."

    Flint didn't even stiffen. He understood exactly the position Duke was in. He knew this confrontation was inevitable and he had steeled himself to it. "If Hawk thinks it's necessary to discipline us then that's his prerogative. I'm hoping he's open-minded enough to stretch beyond strict military decorum, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now I think my sex life takes second fiddle to the issues at hand, don't you?"

    "Agreed. As long as you can keep your mind on the mission." Duke countered bluntly, unwittingly hitting the one nerve in Flint that ran the most deep. Flint could only stare blankly as he watched Duke march down the hall towards the briefing.

* * * * * * * *

Hawk's office, post briefing...

    Flint paused outside the door. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, but he really had no choice. This mission was far too important to allow any sort of risk or concern. Flint glanced down at his orders once more, contemplating the severity of the situation he had gotten not only himself, but a person he cared about involved in. The aspect of the mission he had been ordered to undertake was not exactly one that was out of the ordinary for him. He'd been paired with Lady Jaye on numerous occasions, always successfully. But now things were different. Visions of Destro's escape kept flooding to the forefront of his memory... coupled with visions of his potential future failure on this mission. He saw horrific scenes of mass destruction playing out in front of his eyes... he saw his distraction and lack of focus as the cause... he imagined Lady Jaye just beyond his reach in tormented agony... and despite his efforts, he couldn't reconcile the idea of working with her again. He couldn't foresee positive results... all he could see was his failure.

    He had poured over this confession in his mind during his roundabout trek to Hawk's office. It would probably mean his career... and hers for that matter, but what could he have done? He had tried so hard to bury his feelings... tried so hard to maintain a sense of professional dignity and restraint... and he couldn't do it. And he honestly didn't regret it. He just hoped Lady Jaye would speak to him again after this...

* * * * * * * *

    Hawk glanced up from the stack of paperwork that was spread in organized chaos across his desk when he heard the knock at his door. He was mildly irritated at the interruption... there was so much that still needed to be done before the Flagg arrived in the Mediterranean. But he knew that if someone was brazen enough to come knocking at his door when they knew he was working then it must be important.

    "It's open," he stated in a tone of indistinct emotion. He was surprised, but not shocked when he saw Flint slide around the door, which he had opened just far enough to allow himself to enter. Hawk had been expecting this encounter for some time now.

    "Flint," Hawk leaned back in his chair, an air of superiority always seemed to hover around him, "I hope this is important."

    "It is, sir," Flint said in a confidence that caught him by surprise. "I need to talk to you about my assignment on this mission."

    "I'm not used to having my decision making questioned, Flint." Hawk stated matter-of-factly.

    "I'm aware of that, sir. And you're fully justified to feel that way... it's not the decision making that I want to talk about. There's some... information that you probably didn't consider when you compiled these orders which I thought... maybe... you should probably be aware of." Flint felt himself stumbling. His confidence was wavering. He knew full well that his entire future depended on how Hawk was going to react to this revelation.

    Hawk paused, examining Flint's demeanor. It took a lot of balls for him to come in here with this... although that was Flint... balls aplenty. Hawk grinned slightly at the irony of the situation. Hawk knew what Flint was risking coming in here... so Hawk let him stew in his discomfort for a few seconds before responding.

    "Flint, do you honestly think that there is anything I would have failed to consider when I put this mission together? I'm not entirely oblivious to the things that happen around here, you know."

    Flint stared at him in disbelief. "Sir?"

    "I think I knew before you did that your feelings for her extended a bit beyond professional courtesy." Hawk drank in the shock on Flint's face, the jaw hanging open, the brows furled in confused incoherence... "I'm proud of you, son. It took a lot of guts to come in here to confess your indiscretions to your commanding officer, risking your career and hers for the sake of the mission. You're one hell of an officer, Flint."

    Was that a compliment? He knew before I did? He's proud of me? What the hell? Where was the reprimand... the court martial... the verbal barrage of gross displeasure and discipline that he deserved?

    "Sir... I'm not sure you understand... I... We..." Flint struggled to find the words. Hawk had known all along? Well, he might have been aware of Flint's inner feelings and desires, but he certainly couldn't have been aware of his failure... Hawk would never have paired him with Lady Jaye again if he knew what a fuck up he was when it came to his fears for her safety... "I'm not sure I can keep myself focused on the mission if I'm with her, sir..."

    "Ah... I see." Hawk seemed contemplative. "And you'll be more focused if you don't know where she is or what is happening to her?" There was a jocular sarcasm in his voice that echoed the irony of his statement. "I appreciate your concern, Flint, but as I said before, I'm not used to having my decisions questioned. Rest assured I took all factors into consideration when I gave you your orders. You two work well together, Flint. You know that as well as I. In fact, you two work so well together, I'm willing to turn a blind eye to your personal relationship because your professional one is so effective."

    "Sir, I know in the past we might have functioned effectively together, but... our personal relationship has... changed since then..." Flint's confessions were pouring out. He was finally absolving himself of the guilt he'd felt ever since that fateful kick in the stomach Destro had inflicted... ever since he had realized that his effectiveness as a commanding officer was compromised whenever she was around... "I left a rather, uh, minor detail out of my report after that rescue mission. Destro's escape was totally and completely MY fault... I... I allowed myself to become distracted... I let my focus waver... I heard her cry out... I was worried... distracted..." The pain was becoming apparent on his face as he recalled his shame. He had always prided himself on his effectiveness... his positive track record. Now it was blemished.

    "I never pegged you as a 'glass is half empty' type, Flint." Hawk counseled as he rose from his chair and approached him. "You seem to be forgetting that your feelings for her resulted in the curtailment of a very nasty Cobra plot. One which we had no advance knowledge of and would surely have been violently successful without your intervention. Destro may have escaped, but not unscathed. Your leadership... your concern about her capture and fears for her safety foiled his plans. ... You're a good officer, son. That's demonstrated by your presence here right now and your sense of putting the mission and the safety of humanity before your own life. You've added quite a burden to your sense of command, but it's not something you can't surmount. I'm giving you a chance, Flint. One hell of a chance. Most generals wouldn't. I should have you on the first chopper out of here en route to a court martial, but I'd much rather have your expertise on this mission... and hers."

    "But sir... what if I can't... what if I..."

    "Jeez-o, Flint! I've never seen someone with such an overdeveloped fear of failure. ... You won't, Flint. I know you won't. You're sense of responsibility in regards to what is really important won't let you fail. Lady Jaye was more important to you than capturing Destro. But you were willing to assign her to a dangerous role in order to thwart Destro's poison gas scheme. Regardless of what you might think, you have a pretty good sense of appropriate behavior and are one hell of a commanding officer under pressure. Now do me a favor and get the hell out of here so you can prepare for your mission and I can get some of this paperwork off my desk."

    Flint let the words sink in. Hawk was a tremendous judge of character. And he seemed pretty adamant about his position on this matter. Well, if Hawk thought he was the best man for the job, he wasn't about to disappoint him. He just hoped he could live up to the man's expectations. Without another word, Flint turned to leave.

    "And Flint," Hawk calmly added without looking up from his desk, "Don't make an ass out of me."

    Flint knew exactly what he was talking about and it wasn't the mission. "I'll endeavor to keep my indiscretion as... discreet as possible, sir." Flint grinned. "And sir... thank you."

    Hawk smiled, but still didn't look up, "dismissed, soldier."

* * * * * * * *

Somewhere in the Ionian Sea region of the Mediterranean aboard a Hovercraft

    "What the hell are we looking for again, Flint?" Cutter inquired as he surveyed the blank horizon, "There's been nothing in sight since we left the Flagg."

    "There's something out here, Cutter. We've intercepted some encrypted Cobra transmissions that seem to originate somewhere in the middle of the Ionian Sea," Flint explained, dropping his binoculars for a moment to address Cutter. "And it's not a boat. The transmission origin is stable... our GPS track always pinpoints it at the exact same latitude and longitude coordinates."

    "Ya gotta love getting sent on these 'long-shot' missions. You know, it's probably just a relay buoy so Cobra can mask their transmission origin," Cutter reexamined the GPS enabled cartograph embedded in the console. "Well, if it's at those coordinates, we should be on it soon enough."

    "It might be a long-shot, Cutter," Flint responded in acknowledgment, "but with a threat like this Hawk wants to make sure he covers all the bases during this preliminary recon. Who knows. maybe we'll find this isn't the wild goose chase it appears to be." But Flint had his doubts. All the data they'd compiled pointed towards a small but fortified old castle on the Spanish coast. Hawk had centered most of his force there with a few straggling recon groups checking out some of the more remote locations. Flint was struck by the irony of the situation. Hawk might trust Flint's abilities, but apparently he had enough of a doubt that he wasn't going to include him where the fight really mattered. Flint didn't blame him; Hawk was a practical man and he wasn't going to take any chances. not on something this big. Over time, perhaps Flint would be able to prove to Hawk and to himself that he could be the commanding officer he was recruited to be while simultaneously knowing the woman he loved would constantly be in danger. He'd said it before. this relationship was not going to be easy.

    Flint turned to notice Lady Jaye staring intently out to sea, searching for something, anything in what Homer often referred to as the wine-dark sea. He found her so attractive when she was like this. so focused, so direct, so calculated. so unlike the often fragile woman he had come to know; she rarely slipped out from behind the stoic exterior she now displayed. always displayed. Flint smiled inwardly at the thought that he was probably the only one who knew there was another side to this woman. But now she just looked frustrated.

    "You know," he began, resting his arm on the rail beside her, "the Greeks named this sea after Io, one of Zeus's many lovers. For that matter, I'll bet you didn't know that all the moons of Jupiter are named for his lovers as well," Flint unceremoniously cleared his throat, "male and female."

    "You're just overflowing with useless information, aren't you?" She chuckled a reply that hinted at her aggravation. They had been floating around aimlessly without even seeing a floating piece of kelp to break the endless blue surrounding them.

    "Actually, I think the reference to Io is rather ironic, given our current situation."

    "Do tell," she smiled. She often joked with him about his constant barrage of literary references. She'd chided him about not being able to speak his own mind about things, constantly retreating into the words of others. She had never meant it seriously, and he knew it. She loved to hear poetic verses dripping from his lips, sat in rapt attention as he discussed his opinions on various literary works and genres, often engaging him in heated discussions revolving around the deeper meaning of various texts. She'd always been more than impressed by his expanse of knowledge in the literary world, but she loved to tease him about it anyway.

    "Io was doomed to wander the world for countless years after experiencing dreams instructing her to surrender her body to Zeus and not acting on them. In Prometheus Bound, she explains to the shackled Prometheus how Zeus threatened to wipe out the entire human race if her father didn't kick her out of the house to wander homeless to the ends of the earth."

    "Endless wandering. yes, that is rather appropriate." Lady Jaye paused as she scanned the blank horizon yet again. She was beginning to think that this WAS a wild goose chase. They were almost right on top of the coordinates and there was nothing in sight. She took a deep breath to try to calm her sense of frustration. She could tell Flint knew what she was feeling, regaling her with his interminable source of literary allusions to try to keep her mind off it. And just having him stand beside her, knowing he was trying to comfort her, trying to ease her annoyance was almost enough. "So she was sentenced to a life of exile and wandering for not shacking up with a god, eh?" She questioned wryly, still staring out to sea.

    "THE god." Flint added. "Zeus was quite the tyrant among the gods. But ironically, as Prometheus foretells, Zeus finally has his way with her, and their child becomes his downfall."

    "Well, if we ever find anything out here, maybe we can bring about the downfall of our own little maniacal would-be tyrant," she tried to smile as she felt Flint gazing at her, but she continued staring blankly out to sea. She cherished every moment with him, every conversation, every wordless exchange, but she also knew that there was a time and place for it and right now all she really wanted was some action.

    "Flint, come over here and take a look at this," Cutter called from the opposite side of the boat. Lady Jaye hurried over and stood beside him, following him gaze out into the open sea. "There," he pointed, "could that be an island? There's no record of any charted islands in this region..."

    Flint, joining them, strained to see the minute object that rose slightly above the horizon in the distance. "It's definitely something. And given our position, I think that could be exactly what we're looking for. Cutter... chart us a course that takes us in closer, but not close enough to be obvious. If anyone's there, I want to be mistaken for a passing vessel."

    "Can do, Flint." Cutter replied as he punched the information into the on-board computer system.

    "What do you suppose Cobra's got out there, Flint?" Lady Jaye inquired, lowering her binoculars, "From this distance, it doesn't look like a battle platform or any type of vessel..."

    Flint squinted his eyes, focusing on the object off in the distance. "You know, Homer wrote of an island in the middle of the Mediterranean that was uncharted. It's been credited as pure myth since it was purported to move around, changing it's location constantly. But most mythological elements are rooted in reality... maybe there really is a tiny uncharted piece of land out there."

    "A mythological island, eh?" Lady Jaye smirked. "And I'm sure I won't be able to stop you from telling me what was supposed to have happened there. mythologically."

    Flint grinned mischievously, "Ogygia was supposed to be the home to a group of beautiful nymphs who had never seen a man before Odysseus was washed ashore. The goddess Calypso held him captive with the intention of making him her husband. By night she seduced him and by day he wept on the beach pining for his home and wife in Ithaca."

    "I can see why you're so anxious to get there," Lady Jaye chided.

    "Calypso was fabled to be the loveliest of all goddesses. Even Hermes the messenger god marveled at her beauty and the splendor of her island." Flint raised his eyebrows as his characteristic grin formed, "However, Odysseus claimed he stayed true to his wife by never giving consent in his heart. Obedience to the laws of the gods was an important issue for the Greeks. Odysseus felt he was obligated to do as the goddess ordered."

    "So... nymphs and gorgeous seductive goddesses that order you to sleep with them, eh..." Lady Jaye considered with a chuckle, "And Cobra would be interested in this because..."

    "I'm just citing mythology. If that really is the fabled Ogygia isle, I doubt very seriously that there will still be singing nymphs there," he gave her a sly glance, "but we can always hope..."

    Rolling her eyes at him she had to laugh. So like Flint... the surface ladies man. She had been so turned off by it in the past, but now it was just another aspect of the personality of a man she had come to love completely, even with his often jeeringly chauvinistic and testosterone driven comments.

    "Flint, if sex-starved goddesses are the worst thing we'll encounter on this mission, then I'd count us lucky."

    "Absolutely lucky," he grinned. "But unfortunately, I think Cobra might have something much more sinister hiding in those fabled 'smooth caves'."

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To Be Continued!
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