24 - Death and Life
Posted on Wed Nov 13th, 2024 @ 4:44pm by Commander Jenna Ramthorne & Remal Kajun & Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Mission:
The Beginning of the End
Location: Bajor
The cabin had returned to relative quiet. With the dawning of the new day the first light revealed the carnage of the previous 26 hours. The front of the cabin itself had been damaged from the Reckoning, the garden all but trampled to death, the utility shed blown up, and the nearby fields and forest strewn with bodies from both sides.
Rhenora looked through the thankfully intact window from her bed, the local authorities tagging the dead for later transport whilst combing over the scene. There would be a thousand reports and witness statements to gather, and she didn't envy their task.
All but two of the medical team had returned to their base station, leaving behind a doctor and nurse to ensure the transfer back to the Sunfire went smoothly for everyone. Rhenora herself just felt depleted in every way possible. Her body exhausted, and her mind reeling from the death of two close friends, not to mention her own passing and then return. Somewhere in there a baby had been born as well. Quite the day some would say.
Zio was currently holding the young one, now securely wrapped in warm blankets and sleeping whilst being periodically checked by the doctor.
"Do you have a name?" The nurse asked whilst filling in the required paperwork.
"Ahhh not yet" Rhenora replied, knowing the Remal would be coming home with sad news at any time. She was thinking of a nod to Patin, honouring her long time friend who had given up her life to save Rhen's and their newborns.
The walk back from the beach was a solemn one, quiet and serene. Kira and Remal were each reflecting on the day's events. Remal was thinking about his friend and how to announce Patin's death to Rhen when he felt she already knew. When they stopped to enter the cabin, Kira hesitated.
Remal sensing her need to be somewhere else, commented, "You are welcome to come inside you know."
Kira grinned, "I know. It's not that I don't want to intrude, I should really be getting back to the station. As the one in charge, the fun never ends. Besides there might be some paperwork to file as to my involvement in this mess. And this is Family time for you, enjoy it."
"We consider you family, I trust you know that?" Remal gave her his understanding eyes to show he cared. "And we thank you for your involvement in, this mess." He gestured to the charred front lawn.
"I'm honoured" Kira dipped her head in respect. "But I do need to return to the station. Someone parked a banged up old ship with Sunfire on the hull there yet again demanding it be fixed in an unreasonable amount of time. I'll see you all when you come up" She nodded again and departed quietly.
Once Kira was out of sight, Remal entered the cabin and delivered the final word to the remaining medics and the constables out of earshot of Rhenora. They nodded their understanding, offered their sympathies and made their way out of the cabin. This left just the four adults and the one infant on the premises. Jenna was currently standing guard in the adjoining room, dedicated to not leaving Rhenora's side.
"You didn't find her?" Rhenora asked from.the bedroom, her voice sounding just a little bit stronger than before.
He moved in to the bedroom area, glanced at the baby in Zio's arms, then to Zio, who took the hint and walked away. He then sat down on the bed next to Rhen, his head low. "Looks like we've each lost a friend today." He said simply.
Rhenora let her head drop, awareness that this moment would come hadn't fully prepared her for the reality of it actually happening. It was like losing her friend twice in a short period of time. "She traded her life for mine. The poor Prophets didn't stand a chance. And they'll have their hands full with her up there" the words were tinged with sorrow. So much death had occurred over the last day, and yet there was also new life.
"We need a name, I think we need to honour Patin with it, don't you agree?"
She was changing subjects, sort of, a way of deflecting grief. His counselor self recognized that they would all need to traverse the stages in their own way. His personal self realized that meant him as well. He followed her train of thinking up with, "Do you have anything in mind?"
"Paitin, maybe Patina. That's all my brain can come up with at the moment. What do you think?' She addressed Zio, Jenna and of course Remal.
"Patina is pretty and reflects Patin and her unconformity." Jenna offered, amused she was involved.
Zio raised one eyebrow at Jenna, "Patin was so much more than simply non-conforming. Full on rebellious that one. If there was a drum she marched to, it was the upside down bongo with the hole in the side." Zio had a way of putting things in perspective. "But sure, Patina sounds pretty."
Remal was amused as he thought about Ikar. "You gave Ikar his nickname, Agi, I think it was. What would you think of Patina'agi Kajun? As a way to honor them both?" He knew she may reject the name as it did not conform to Bajoran customs, and it was typically the woman's role to name the child. But he was involved and always would be.
Zio snorted. "That's like calling her your ja'ital, your light, only using gibberish words."
"Well, I like it." Jenna followed up, never having been given the opportunity to name her own child she was feeling a bit envious.
Rhenora mused over it, looking at the small being wrapped in her arms. She looked like a Patina with the tiny whisp of hair. "I like it, Patina'agi it is, I don't care if it means gibberish. This poor kid is gonna have enough gibberish if she has to deal with the Prophets". The child gave a little cry as if by protest before it returned to suckling.
Later in the day, Remal was once again throwing something together in the kitchen and pondering. "Hey, hon, did Patin have any family to speak of?" His thoughts had now turned to how best to honor the death of their friends. Traditional funerals were off the table with a rebel and a Dominion soldier.
Rhen had moved to the couch in front of the now roaring fire. The day had broken sunny and clear, the snow now melted but the air chilled. It was the depth of winter outside. The bassinet stood nearby with their sleeping daughter, and Rhen was resting quietly.
"She didn't speak of any family. No biological family left alive after the occupation. She had a nephew I think at one stage, but never mentioned his name. And she never could hang on to a man, or a woman for that matter" she replied to his question. "
" Did you find her on the beach?" Zio asked, wondering if there was another body they needed to deal with.
He finished carving up some carrots and tossed the refuse in the recycler. "No, just her personal effects, her clothes and such, oh and her flask. She never went anywhere without that flask." He returned the carving board to the counter and started on the next item. "I didn't know she had a Nephew. That means she had a Brother or Sister at some point right?"
"I remember her mentioning him once or twice. She had siblings but they died during the occupation. Her older brother had a son before he died, he was raised in an orphanage I believe as Patin was only very young herself."Rhen recalled, her eyes distant as she remembered those times.
"I was just thinking, we should let someone know so we can celebrate her life and honor her death in a way she would want. And don't ask what we are to do with Ikar. I've thought about taking him into Dominion space but then I remembered, he was bred in the Alpha Quadrant away from the White. I don't begin to know how they treat their fallen." Remal added, knowing Ikar sought a life away from the bloodshed yet held a strange fascination for Earth Vikings. Of all the books Remal had let Ikar read, he enjoyed the Norse and their ways most of all.
Rhenora thought about it for a while. Traditionally Bajorans buried their dead, often near their homes rather than in large burial grounds. "He was happy here on Bajor, should we bury him near here? Or perhaps something involving the water, he always found that calming." She went quiet again for a few moments, collecting her thoughts. "Patin had a neighbor down in the Southern Province. Apart from us they would be the only ones who knew about her"
Remal thought back to when they had traveled the snow covered South and his nethers shriveled at the thought. "We can reach out and invite the neighbor." He chuckled, "Patin would want us to hold a Piss up in her honor. Plenty of alcohol, smoking and fighting for good measure. Not my cup of coffee, but something she would have liked me thinks."
"I'm down for that." Zio chimed in even as she spun her shoulder. "Might have a few years on me but I can throw a few back for someone who saved my life... a my friend's life."
"Patin also seemed to take a liking to some of the crew. I heard she took that awkward Bonnie lass under her wing." Jenna said, adding her two cents.
"She did." Remal agreed. "So it's settled then? We can have the loudest raucous this side of Bajor. Light off some fireworks, maybe blow something up. It will be so much fun, if she's watching, she'll be regretting."
"She would approve of the blowing of something up I'm sure" Rhenora chuckled from in front of the fire.
"As for Ikar, I'll read up on Viking traditions but I think something having to do with the water would be perfect. I might even pop over to his Domicile and see if there are any affects we should be worried about. He led a rather reserved life there."
It felt good to talk it out, making plans for the future meant they weren't looking back to the events of the previous day. There would be moments, times when missing their friends would hit them sure. But these moments, they were for those who remained.
TBC
Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Commanding Officer, USS Sunfire
Commander Jenna Ramthorne
Chief Flight Control Officer & Mission Advisor, USS Sunfire
Remal Kajun
Counselor Aide, USS Sunfire
Husband of the Captain
Played By Commander Jenna Ramthorne
Patin
Friend of the Captain, USS Sunfire
Played By Commander Jenna Ramthorne
