… of the MacAlpine. From across the galaxy, we have come together as a crew and a family, to explore the great unknown. Though we have different beginnings, strengths and goals, our strength of character has brought us together with the ship we share in the great journey into the unknown. We may call each other different names, but we are a crew, and these are our stories…
~ Captain Fiona Skye.
(Part 1);
— STARDATE 97318.3 —
— DEEP SPACE 13 -—
Keri paces back and forth inside her quarters, occasionally adjusting her clothes or hair while she tries to keep herself calm, but she can’t stop the negative thoughts running through her head. However, her thoughts are quickly brought to a sudden stop at the sound of her door being buzzed.
“Enter,” Keri says, her voice cracking slightly before she coughs to clear it.
Once the doors open, seeming to take an age for both people, Fiona steps inside, freezing when her eyes land on Keri physically for the first time in two years. Neither of them moves for a moment, both just looking at the other, with Keri noticing the faint wrinkling of Fiona’s nose that she always does when she is nervous but trying to hide it. Their stillness is broken when they both quickly move to meet halfway, wrapping the other into a tight embrace with tears flowing from both of them while they just stand there holding each other for a solid minute or two.
Fiona eventually pulls back slightly to place her forehead against Keri’s while she looks into her eyes.
“I…I missed you so much. And I know we have been speaking, but I missed being able to hold you,” Fiona says softly.
Keri just nods for a moment, “I know what you mean, and part of me didn’t want to believe I would get to hold you again because if I didn’t, I don’t think I could have managed it. Losing you once, after what happened with Cecilia and how happy we were when she woke up…it almost broke me,” Keri says, trailing off with a sob.
Keri would see the flash of pain that flew across Fiona’s face before she leads the two of them over to the couch where they can sit down and still be embracing, neither of them ready to even think about letting go of the other yet.
“I am sorry…I should never have left you and Cecilia, and when I was recovered, I had a duty to do and to complete the two-year mission. Or I would have headed straight for Earth in a shuttle the moment I woke up if I could,” Fiona says while she lightly kisses the top of Keri’s head.
“I don’t hold what you did against you, I know why you did it, but it still hurt and continues to hurt. Just promise me you won’t leave me behind again,” Keri says softly while she rests her head against Fiona’s shoulder.
Fiona tilts Keri’s head so that their eyes meet, “Keri, I promise I will never leave you behind again. I am going to spend the rest of my days with you. I love you,” Fiona says.
Keri smiles before she lightly kisses Fiona, “And I love you, Fi. And I want nothing more than to spend my life with you and our daughters,” she says.
“Speaking of, how are Cecilia and Nexus getting on? And how was she doing on Earth?” Fiona asks.
Keri smiles while she thinks back to the last month before she transferred out to deep space 13 and spending time with Cecilia and Nexus, “The two of them hit it off almost right away, honestly reminded me of how we used to be at that age,” she says with a soft laugh, “As for how she is getting on, she was still getting used to being on a planet, but she was adapting quickly, she is a good kid.”
Fiona nods slowly, “Yeah, yeah, she is, and that is good to hear. It is going to be hard enough for Nexus but good that she is going to have Cecilia to lean on,” she says before trailing off slightly, “I…I have no idea how Ceci is going to react when she transfers out here.”
“She is going to be a mess like I was, she has missed you so much, and even with me staying close, it wasn’t the same thing. She has always taken more after you than she has me, and she will want to lean on you a lot. She still has problems she is working through, and I have tried to help, but I think you will be better able to help her,” Keri says.
“Ok, and I will be there every step of the way if she will let me. I have already spent far too long staying distant to try and protect her, and all that did was cause pain. I am not going to make that mistake again,” Fiona says with determination.
The two of them fall into a comfortable silence, just happy to be holding the other after the long two years apart.
Fiona strides onto the bridge of the MacAlpine, her pace surprises the closest officers for a moment before the call of captain on deck is given, with Fiona motioning them back to their stations at the same time. Commander Luna Orso stands up from the Captains chair with a questioning look on her face as Fiona was supposed to be off duty at the moment. Fiona nods to Luna as she reaches the central area of the bridge before looking to the helm console.
“Lieutenant Calder, change course for Talos Junction, maximum warp,” Fiona says before taking the Captains chair with Luna sitting down next to her, “Lieutenant V’lel, give me ship wide priority.”
Calder and V’lel acknowledge the sudden orders with calm and quick reaction, with a signal from V’lel was the intercom was open.
“Attention all hands, this is the Captain. All non-essential personnel are to report to staging areas 3 & 5 for disembarkation, you will be transported to the closest federation station or planet. All ship crew, set condition Yankee throughout the ship, Department chiefs will filter down further orders shortly. Department chiefs to the briefing room. This is not a drill,” Fiona says calmly as the atmosphere on the bridge changes slightly from an air of curiosity to an electric feeling of the calm before the coming storm.
Fiona stands up slowly, “Number one, with me. Commander Yakovna, you have the con, maintain course. Lieutenant Alves, coordinate the disembarkation of the non-essential personnel use the Nyx and what hanger craft you need, but they must be off my ship before we arrive,” Fiona says before making her way to the turbolift with Luna behind her.
“Deck 2. What’s going on?” Luna asks with a small look of concern, not worried about keeping up any appearances with just the two of them from their long service together.
“It’s not good, Luna. I won’t say to much just so I’m not repeating myself but it’s the Terrans, they have launched a fleet into the Itrin,” she says as the lift doors open and they move into the main briefing room.
Fiona moves to the head of the table, looking out the window while waiting for the other department chiefs to arrive, all of them sensing the urgency were quick to arrive. Once everyone was seated Fiona turns back to the table with a nod.
“Computer, seal the room, code: Skye-Alpha-6,” Fiona says with the computer acknowledging the command and sealing the room for the briefing, before she brings up a map of the border sectors, “So let’s begin, as you have probably guessed something serious has happened. The Terrans have launched an invasion through the Itrin system. At the moment they have not invaded Federation space so we are being dispatched to Telos as the Fleets vanguard, we will link up there and form a front line HQ to coordinate from,” she pauses to look at her senior staff for a moment, “I know this isn’t a lot to go on though, but I trust all of you and I have faith in our crew. We have drilled them hard and now time to show people why we have. Until we know more I want a Helios-Echo-2 plan in place so we have alert teams on standby. You know how to prepare your own departments for this, so make it happen,” Fiona says, unsealing the room as the department chiefs quickly move to their control rooms to start preparing orders.
Luna stands, moving over to Fiona, “You OK?” She asks.
Fiona just shakes her head slightly, “I’m worried, the Terrans are a big threat. If they have launched a sizeable force we will have a few hard engagements coming up,” Fiona says.
Luna just nods slightly in agreement for a moment, “Right, it will be a few hours before we arrive so I will take back the con and you go back to being off duty for a bit as I know you won’t give yourself much time once we arrive.”
Fiona nods slightly, “You are probably right, let me know when we are arriving,” she says, watching Luna heading for the bridge before she turns to look out the window, a conflicted look on her face as she knows they are approaching Azedi space along with the bad feeling she has had from when she woke up.