"But... you're dead!"

Posted on Sat Jan 9th, 2021 @ 2:20pm by Colonel Sehan t'Varis

799 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Chapter III: The Hunt is On
Location: Drozana Station
Timeline: 238701.19

Raven was strolling along the bazaar on Drozana, quietly humming a tune to herself. Things were going surprisingly well. Gedak had made a good deal on some small craft, and young Mila Lynn had apparently discovered some strange fighter, which she and Ash Rogers were now working on restoring to functionality. She chuckled at the thought.

Everyone needed a little project to tinker with, she mused. Back in the day, she had done the same with antique technology, although she rarely had the time now to enjoy that hobby. Still, her mid-20th century television with attached game system still worked, and playing some of those old games with a maintenance man trying to save a princess definitely helped her relax after a busy day on the bridge.

She sat down at a small café, purchased a coffee, and continued to reminisce. She had been part of the vintage gaming club back at Starfleet Academy, in fact, that had been where she met Ellie. And she had given her a solid thrashing on that crossover fighting game, she remembered. What was it called again? Bash Siblings? Something like that. She still had the game in her collection, of course, but she hadn't played it in a long time.

There was a reason she didn't much like quiet days like today, the young commander thought to herself as she took a sip from her coffee. Too much time to think, too much time to imagine what was, and what could have been.

With a sigh, she pulled out a PADD and went over some requisitions Gedak had put in. Anything to keep her mind occupied.

An hour, maybe longer, passed, as she kept herself busy with her work, only looking up to occasionally order a refill as her coffee became empty. Other people, doing much the same, came and went, some even sitting at her table as there was not much space in the small café, and it was rather busy. Thankfully, the air conditioning system had been repaired. Or the Ferengi running the place had simply turned it back on, who knew.

Raven did not pay much attention when another person sat down at her table. She had finished working through the requisitions, as well as the reports from various departments, and was now reviewing the files of some potential recruits that Gedak had forwarded to her.

"One raktajino, please. Extra strong, extra cream, extra sugar."

When the stranger placed her order, Raven could not help herself but smile. That was exactly what Ellie always liked to drink. Even the voice had been similar. No, not similar. Exactly the same. With a frown, she finally looked up from her PADD.

Sitting across from her was a young human woman, roughly the same age as Raven, with doe eyes, messy, mousy hair, and a face Raven would recognise anywhere in the universe.

"Thought you'd never look up from that PADD, Sey."

She couldn't believe it. Tears welled up in Raven's eyes. "No. No. No. This is impossible. This is impossible." She shook her head in disbelief. "You are dead. You... you are dead, and I was expelled from the academy because they thought I murdered you."

Ellie shrugged. "And yet, here I am, alive. You weren't expelled for killing me. You killed the other guy. I was injured quite badly, but they managed to fix me. Well, most of me, I have an artificial lung now."

The tears were in full flow now. "Why the fuck did you never call, never tell me you were alive?"

"Because I couldn't find you, stupid! You did one hell of a job disappearing! I only found out where you were a few days ago, and I came here straight away!"

She put her hand on Raven's. "But here, look at you. Colonel. A privateer captain, working with the Romulans. Got your own ship and all. I knew you'd be a great commander, Sey. I always knew."

Raven blinked away the tears and took a deep breath. "And... and you? What have you been up to in the last five years?"

Ellie's smile grew wide as she opened the coat she was wearing, revealing a Starfleet uniform, trimmed in sciences blue. On her collar, two solid gold pips indicated her rank. "Lieutenant Ellie Greaves, junior science officer, U.S.S. Amelia, at your service. She's a small science vessel, studying stars and supernovas and that. Really fascinating stuff."

She finished her raktajino and smiled. "And you're still wearing that old coat I got you all those years ago, I see? Well, Colonel, I'm surprised at the sentimentality." Ellie laughed. "Come on, let's go for a stroll and have a proper catch-up. I've taken a few weeks leave, I've got plenty of time."

RSS Feed