A series of letters written by Sam, on his trademark Bishop crested paper, in his long, elegant, cursive hand. They are all written in dark emerald ink and are sealed in wax with the Bishop crest. Sam stores them in a safe, ready to give to his wife when she returns from her voyage.
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Keelah Se'Lai,
USS Valley Forge, Somewhere out in Space. |
USS Endeavour, Deep Space 13. 17th June 2418 |
My dearest Keelah,
How are you? How is space? Are you lonely? Do you think of me?
It's not been long since you left and already there's been a lot of changes. I don't know where to even begin...
I have a new Executive Officer on the Endeavour. I chose her specifically for this role, though she is unaware of it. Her previous knowledge of the Endeavour will assist the ship greatly, though it will take her time to get used to the role, since she has never been a First Officer before. Already, she is showing signs of becoming an excellent First Officer, though she lacks a certain amount of experience and backbone. I can picture your face now, giving me the cutest of disapproving stares. I'm don't want to be overly harsh on her, but I believe it's the best thing for her development! Don't worry; Tasha is here to keep me in check.
Few interesting developments here fleetside. We got entangled in a Tholian mess and the Endeavour was bombed... nothing to worry about, the ship and crew are okay. She was in drydock for a few days, but other than that, it wasn't too bad. I'm not happy though. A bomb going off on the ship is the last thing anyone wanted.
Other activities placed me on an excellent archaeological discovery! Oh Keelah, you should see what we found! An ancient scroll! I've not had time to open and examine it, but as you can tell, I am so excited about it!
Lastly, we participated in a rather amusing Olympiad. Amusing, due to the rather interesting and unusual events, involving a rather brutal egg and spoon race, a cooking contest, and a catch the bird event. Your amazing husband saved the day (as always) by single-handedly out eating a Klingon; the dish in question was Gagh flavoured jello, which was hands down the most revolting thing I have ever eaten (yes, that includes that vomit flavoured soup your Talaxian chef served on that date... it was still moving! AND COLD!). But yours truly heroically endured great pain and hardship to save a poor race from slavery, potential genocide and extinction. Are you proud of me?
I love you and miss you more and more every day, knowing that each second takes you further and further away from me. Please stay safe dear, and look after yourself. My greatest of love to T'Pia too.
Forever yours,
Samuel Alexander Bishop
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Keelah Se'Lai,
USS Valley Forge, Somewhere out in Space. |
USS Endeavour, Deep Space 13. 9th August 2418 |
My dearest Keelah,
Happy Birthday! I bet you thought I forgot.
I did.
Tasha reminded me.
I miss you. Risa's not the same without you. There's been so much going on, and I wish you were here so we could talk through it. What I wouldn't give for your logical level-headedness right now. Gabriella got poisoned a few days into Risa and almost died. I've been on edge since then, not being able to relax until I could find out who did it. She's recovering now, and she's not allowed to leave the Endeavour, but she keeps sneaking off to Risa again when she thinks nobody knows. I should reprimand her for it, but it actually makes me really happy; she's back to normal and that... is relieving. I was actually able to relax these last few days in knowing that.
I still haven't found who did it, but I'm fairly sure she's sorted it out; she's not the one to leave stones unturned... or unvapourised.
It's just been really weird here Keelah. One minute I'm hunting a murderer, and the next I'm shooting infected PADDs out of the air. Yes, it's as crazy as it sounds. And you know the cherry on the cake? A fake Klingon invasion.
I need another leave. Got any room on your vessel for me for a few days? I'll invent a faster warp engine if it means that I get to catch up to you. To hear your voice again, even if it's berating me for shoddy Engineering skills would be the greatest leave anyone could ask for.
At least it's been a bonding experience for us all; there have been a few new transfers lately, and to get to know everyone better has been a delightful experience, especially since I don't visit DS13 as much these days due to exploration duties. After Risa, the Endeavour will be following your lead and pushing forward the boundaries of space, though, at a smaller scale. I'm a soldier, but to explore the unknown... it tickles my archaeological bones.
And there are definitely some exciting archaeological opportunities coming soon. All things to keep me busy until you return.
I miss you. Give all my love to T'Pia. From Lara too, she's with us on Risa.
I love you,
Forever yours,
Samuel Alexander Bishop
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Keelah Se'Lai,
USS Valley Forge, Somewhere out in Space. |
USS Endeavour, Deep Space 13. 7th September 2418 |
My dearest Keelah,
How are you? What have you been up to? What boundaries have you pushed? Where is space taking you?
As you sit on your bridge, staring at the stars, soaring on your voyage of discovery, I find myself mired in the quagmire of trouble, political incidents, and the filth of greed, corruption, and envy. I feel like running sometimes; in taking the ship and following you out into deep space, to get away from the cesspit here.
But I can't. Duty binds me, like a flag to the pole, despite the winds that might seek to whisk her away. Besides, I promised to keep the house clean whilst you were away.
It has been a long few months. There has been a number of attacks on Starfleet assets, "for revenge" if the engravings at the scenes of the crimes are to be believed. Carefully planned, coordinated attacks leaving no Starfleet crew alive. In addition to this, we recently came across a slave ship; men, women, and children, enslaved for the benefits of others. We saved one hundred people from shackles, but I cannot help but feel wretched for the hundreds of others who we have not been able to save. And to feel that if we had arrived, even hours later, these hundred people would have been lost. My heart goes out to them, and to their families. I got my Lara back. There are millions who won't ever get theirs back.
I promise you Keelah, I will stop these people, at any cost. Every life in this universe is free. Nobody should ever live their own life, or die, in shackles. Ever.
I love you. Stay safe, and give my love to T'Pia. I promise the house will be spotless when you return.
Forever yours,
Samuel Alexander Bishop
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Keelah Se'Lai,
USS Valley Forge, Somewhere out in Space. |
USS Endeavour, Deep Space 13. 24th November 2418 |
My dearest Keelah,
How are you, sweetheart? I hope you're taking regular breaks on this mission of yours. Please make sure you do. Stretch your legs on a planet. I did that a few weeks ago. Went down to a planet that was undergoing a survey, and we came across a cave, that led to some wonderful archaeological discoveries. Oh, and crabs tried to kill us. But there was archaeology!
I don't know if you heard, but Lara got moved to the Pegasus under Alistair. I'm a bit uneasy about it, truth be told but... I know she'll continue to grow under Alistair's tutelage and I trust that man greatly. She'll be fine. She sends both you and T'Pia her unending love.
Usual things going on here. I'd elaborate but you know us too well to know what that means!
It was the award's ceremony today. I know people think it's outdated pomp and tradition, but... you know I love that kind of stuff. I got the usual awards, though I somehow managed to get not just one, but TWO Zefram Cochranes. I'm pretty sure someone messed up in Command but... there you go.
I'm... in a really strange position. One of my officers was promoted without my knowing, and I wholly disagree with it. The increased expectations on her, the increased responsibility... she needed more experience, and the fact that someone decided to grant her a promotion, and worst of all, not tell me it was happening... and the timing of it too. I take increasing issue with her actions and her behaviour, and then for her to be rewarded like this? How would you deal with this my love? It would be through patience and second chances. Like you gave to many officers under your command. I just don't have your skill set.
Brie's causing even more headaches. I gave her a promotion but... at least running into this, I was able to let her know, and it gave her something to work towards. I'm worried that this officer will continue how she is, with the thought that no matter what happens, someone will grant her a promotion at some point. I feel as though I've lost all authority with her and her development.
It's going to be a busy few months, and a Christmas without you. I'll always take my strength from you, and be someone who continues to make you proud, and make T'Pia proud. Give her my love.
I love you. A lot,
Forever yours,
Samuel Alexander Bishop
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Keelah Se'Lai,
USS Valley Forge, Somewhere out in Space. |
USS Endeavour, Deep Space 13. 27th January 2419 |
My dearest Keelah,
It's been a while; how have you been keeping? Is everything well with you? We set off on our exploration patrol to the new sector. Part of me hopes that we'll run into each other out there in deep space, but, I know your route takes you further than we venture forth. But I can dream, right?
The Endeavour has been running smoothly over the last few months. Strange, I know. People are settling into their new roles following a crew rotation. The officer I told you about; we managed to retain her and keep her promotion from being overturned. She's had to take a step backwards in terms of her progress, but I think it's for the best. Gabriella received a promotion (she will not stop telling everyone that she's a Captain now), and has been leading her MACO Team. She's done an excellent job, and I'm really impressed at the work she puts in. She's got an eye for leadership that goes beyond any normal officer. Also, she's not so much of a handful anymore. I don't know why, but whatever's caused her to slow down seems to be making her easier to keep in check.
Amy's also doing well. She still doesn't have faith in her abilities as XO, but she's become very reliable both in terms of away team leadership, and starship command. She's a huge change of pace from Mischa, but she's managed to fit in well with everyone else.
And Lara! Oh our Lara. She's thriving under Alistair's command and has almost completed her fighter pilot training that she began with Leila. Leila always had an eye for talent, and I'm glad that she pushed Lara to do this. It's been something she's stuck to throughout her recovery, and I'm so happy to see it finally paying dividends. She's going to be a fine officer, and she's making her family proud. And she's making me proud too.
There's something that's been bothering me lately though. On one of our missions into this new sector, we found this little alien girl, trained from a young age to fight. And she's very good at it; she broke the arm of one of the Captains trying to detain her, managed to evade Alistair, and, on top of that, she managed to floor Gabriella when she tried to detain the girl. In the end, we managed to get her to calm down, and talk to her. She wanted to return to her homeworld, so we did, only to witness her previous commanding officer being executed by what we assumed to be governmental forces on their homeworld. I don't know what the relationship between this girl and her previous commanding officer was, but the girl seemed to take it to heart, breaking down on the bridge and almost trying to beam down to the surface herself. This girl, who looks a little older than T'Pia.
We can't take her home now; her species are locked in a civil war, and with the execution of her commanding officer, we can't send her back to somewhere where she could also be executed. The plan is to file for political asylum, but... it just feels like this girl is all alone, in a strange galaxy with strange people. My mind keeps thinking back to T'Pia, and how it would be if it was T'Pia who was in the little girl's position. And it's distracting, I can't shake the feeling that I could have done something else. Maybe if I hadn't have dragged my heels in going to her home planet, or if I had proceeded to return her straight after I rescued her, things would have been different. Instead, I feel like the architect in her predicament, and her crying voice on the bridge keeps echoing in my dreams. I wish you were here. You always know how to deal with emotion and logic, better than I can. You'd know what to do; you always do.
Hold T'Pia close, and give her a kiss from me. I love both of you very much.
Forever yours,
Samuel Alexander Bishop
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T'Pia Bishop-Se'Lai,
USS Valley Forge, Somewhere out in Space. |
USS Endeavour, Deep Space 13. 10th February 2419 |
My sweetest daughter,
You came into this universe in the most difficult of circumstances. You surprised both of us. You continue to surprise us. You were born at a time where your mother and I did not know what the future held for us. But all that changed with you. Suddenly, we both knew what we had to do, what our lives were for. For you.
I have missed so much time with you, and continue to miss every day with you. If I could, I would trade everything away to spend just one day with you. Your smile lights my life, your hugs ignite my soul. You are our joy. You are the best of both of us and none of the worst. You are perfection embodied. You are our beloved daughter.
Look after your mother, and look after yourself. This universe is there for you to hold and change, and I have no doubt that you will do so. Whatever you do, do to the best of your ability. Stay humble and respectful. Continue to learn, to grow, to push boundaries and expand your horizons. When you put your mind to it, there is nothing you cannot do.
Today, on your birthday, celebrate who you are. What you have done. How much you have accomplished so far, and how much you have left to do. Look into the future with those brilliantly bright eyes, and confront each day with that dazzling smile. And do not ever forget that your mother and I love you so very much. We will always love you very much.
Happy Birthday, darling.
Forever yours,
Samuel Alexander Bishop
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