Felix Caelus

Felix no longer needs to guess at the swears Jim's rattling off when he mentions having a way to conjure himself out of his problems. In part because he's got access to his own universal translator now thanks to getting in with Starfleet and partly because he's heard those words many times before.

"What's it going to take, Felix? What. Do. I have to do. To get you to stop hiding this shit from me? To understand that I trust and respect your expertise as a goddamned mage?" There's tears in Jim's eyes but he's too busy shaking his head.

"How many times are we going to repeat this? How fucking open and honest and upfront with you do I have to be before it gets returned in any capacity? Sure I wouldn't have liked the thought of going back to Rielle but we could have had a plan. Sent you in with some gear that might have given you an edge. Something. Anything."

How many more times are they going to do this before Felix doesn't make it back? Before he pays a price behind Jim's back that he can't save the mage from?

"How many away missions have I sat out because you took ill to the idea of me going? Why is it always..." He has to stop. Jim's going to start shouting otherwise and he doesn't think that's going to help anyone. It's not fair and Felix knows it. But the damage is already done. Jim can't change that this has happened, all he can do is try to help fix it.

Again.