Going home

Posted on Sun Apr 23rd, 2023 @ 2:59am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lieutenant JG Blake Leone & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Ensign Vailah

Mission: Planet of the Dinosaurs
Location: Camp
Timeline: Later that evening

The fires glowed a little more brightly at the campsite that night, the crew gathering in and devouring whatever the Botany Bay replicators had provided in bountiful supply. It made a welcome change from dinosaur meet, starchy root vegetables and the occasional supplement from the Sunfire's limited supply. Someone had even brought coffee, which made the Captain very happy indeed. It would take three days for the rescue ships to arrive and tow the Sunfire back to spacedock, but the Captain was sure those three days would go more swiftly than any previously. Both crews sat side by side, sharing the meal and catching up on any gossip going around. Things seemed to have turned a corner for the better.

Vailah for one was glad to feel the mood pick up, buoyed by the hope of finally being able to go home - and she didn't need any telepathic ability to sense it in the very air. The atmosphere reminded her of something she experienced often back in her home village, that very same sense of community and support to all. She sat down by the fire next to the first person she saw and stretched her slender arms. "Ahh. Feels good to be going home, doesn't it?" She quipped. It didn't matter that she didn't know who they were; the point was just to make conversation.

Aurora smiled warmly as she looked at the newcomer. “It feels very good. I’m Aurora Vali, Chief Counsellor and you are?”

"Name's Vailah. I'm one of your crew. You know, i thought it was extremely weird when I was asked to board the Botany Bay instead. Turns out it was just to send me here!" The Kelpien snickered. "I'm glad you all turned out better for it, though. I like this atmosphere. Far better than holding on to hope, don't you agree?"

Savar didn't know what the future days held for him, Aurora, Rhenora or the rest of the Sunfire crew. What he did know whatever the future held he would face with Aurora by his side along with his shipmates. Speaking of Aurora, he saw her talking to a crewman he hadn't seen before, so he walked over to join the conversation. "Hello Aurora, who are you talking to?"

“Hello Imzadi” Aurora smiled as she looked at Savar. “This is Ensign Vailah. She’s just joined the crew.” She motioned to Vailah.

Savar raised his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute. "Peace and long life to you Vailah. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Vailah smiled and returned the gesture in kind. "Peace and long life to you, sir. So you two are bonded? That's adorable. I hope I'll be as lucky someday, though with my luck I'm not having any kids. How long have you both been together?"

Aurora looked at Savar, we knew each other a long time ago that was when we first fell in love, but it was only when I came onboard ship that we finally got together.” She looked at Savar as she lifted their son onto her lap.

Savar inclined his head slightly in a small nod. "Aurora is correct we have known each other for a long time. In addition to being my wife, she is also my best friend."

Aurora smiled the happiest and warmest smile yet as she looked at Savar. “I’m a lucky woman to have you Savar.”

Savar looked at Aurora, "It is I who am the lucky one Aurora."

Vailah blushed and decided not to interrupt the loving couple and their son. She knew that the crew had been having hard times of late; they deserved these few minutes to spend together without interruption from her, or anyone else before going home.


The Captain settled by the campfire, a metal mug in her hands and a contented look on her face. She sat quietly, absorbing the chatter of the two crews mingling and getting to know each other. On every lap was a plate with fresh food that they didn't had to kill or gather themselves, and on every face was an expression of relief.

Flask in hand, Patin moseyed up to Nozzie and stood over the fire. She took a hearty slug of her drink then commented. "It's been a helluva week, huh Noz? Lost a few good people on this rock but we've managed to survive."

Rhen cast a sideways look at Patin and gave her a smile. "Hell of a week indeed" she echoed, her words fading as her thoughts turned to those they had lost. She lifted the cup of real coffee to her lips and inhaled the rich scent before drinking. "Too many people" she finished, referring to those they had lost. There would be time for memorials when they got back to the space station, in the meantime the dead had either been buried or unfortunately eaten. "How do you do it?" She asked, not really eluding to anything in particular.

Patin took another swig as she avoided thinking about the man that got trampled from his own stupidity. "Well first, never get attached. Especially to the stupid ones. Second, bury it all down deep and finally, drown it." She took another swig then reached over and offered it to Rhenora who declined. Shrugging, Patin returned to being lost in the firelight.

Rhen nodded absently and wished she had Patin's simplicity, or was it complexity? To be able to just bury things and wash them away with the drink was never really a way of dealing with things, it tended to just make them fester under the cover of darkness. Still - if it worked for Patin, then all good to her.

Blake watched as the crews mingled. However, she didn't speak much. Knowing that there was help to get now was a massive relief. She looked at the Captain and decided to ask about their injured. "Hello Captain", she greeted Rhenora. "How are the injured doing? I remember the man we gave our "test antidote" to. From what I heard last time, he is improving"

"Blake, please have a seat" Rhenora smiled and tapped the log on the other side of her. As the young officer who had worked so hard helping develop the cure sat down the Captain smiled "He is very much improved, he was released yesterday from Dr Wilson's care and is back to his old self - more or less. Thanks to you and all your assistance in getting that serum up and going."

Blake smiled. "I'm glad we managed to find a way to save people. Who knows what would've happened if we hadn't", she said and looked at the people around them. "Hopefully, we'll be back in space soon. While this adventure has been... well, kind of interesting, I'd rather not stay here any longer than strictly necessary", she went on. "How are you feeling, Captain? You've must be tired. It must have been hard on you to have been the one calling 90% of the shots here. Especially since we had so much against us", she asked hesitantly. Blake wondered if she was being too nosy. But she couldn't for the life of her imagine how the Captain must've felt with the whole crew stranded here. She could only guess that the other woman might need a nap or 5. Or a week off duty maybe.

Rhenora looked at this kind woman and gave a thankful smile. Few asked how she how she was really doing, how she was coping mentally with everything that had happened recently.
"I could do with a few days off maybe, once we get back to the Starbase and the ship goes in for repair I should be able to swing some time out. In the meantime, a hot bath would do wonders, that's if they fixed the plumbing of course" there was a wry smile as she looked at Blake again. "Thank you for asking, really."

"You are very welcome", Blake said. "Hopefully all of us can get a bit of off time. This has been quite... stressful, might be a way to phrase it. It has not been a pleasant experience to be stuck here", she added, wondering if there was more to say.

"It hasn't been easy that's for sure. I'll never take fresh food or a shower for granted again" she laughter, the troubles of the last week slowly fading. "They did well, you all did well to get through this. " She corrected. "In a few days it'll be a distant memory"

TBC