25 - Sendoff
Posted on Thu Nov 14th, 2024 @ 7:04pm by Commander Jenna Ramthorne & Remal Kajun & Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Mission:
The Beginning of the End
Location: Bajor
It was settled then, they would create a Viking-esque send off for Ikar, complete with a boat carrying his mortal remains that would be set alight via a phaser beam along with anything of his that he would have wanted to pass from this world with him. It would take place the following day, allowing the quartet time to organise and prepare.
The day following that they would farewell Patin, and invite some of the crew who had spent time with her. Rhenora mused about the fact they needed to tell the crew about everything that had transpired over the last 28 hours. Right now she needed time to rest and heal and bond with their young one.
The night had passed once more into day once again. The morning brought with it a baby feeding, a coffee brewing and some solemn reflection. Remal was making plans to travel to Ikar's village where he had secured a villa with a large outdoor pool. It was a peaceful, secluded place that brought with it much relaxation for a man traumatized by the events of the war.
He entered the bedroom, two cups of coffee in his hands, paused briefly to check that Patina'agi was still asleep before moving over to the bed. She was such a peaceful baby, at least for now. He sat down on the edge of the bed right next to Rhen and waited for the smell to wake her from her slumber.
The fatigue was mind numbing, her body was still repairing after the Reckoning and the birth and her brain was trying to process everything. Sleep was a welcome retreat she didn't want to emerge from, but the alluring scent of freshly brewed coffee was irresistible.
"Good morning" she mumbled as she rolled over towards the holder of said coffee.
"Good morning. It's early but I wanted to get a head start. How are you feeling?" His concern was evident as he offered her a cup of what he considered was strong coffee. She had been through a lot, but the nurses suggested she would be back to normal in a few days. It was still early in her recovery.
"Exhausted, but hey, that's gonna be a running theme for the next 18 or so years so I might as well get used to it" she smiled and gave him a kiss on the nose.
The kiss of reassurance felt nice upon his ridges and he savored them for a moment before shifting. "Oh, I plan on heading to Ikar's villa. I wasn't sure if I should take Zio or Jenna with me. Who would you prefer stay behind to help... keep you in good spirits?"
He was candid in his request. Zio had been a champ, helping with the baby more than anyone could have asked. Jenna had been there, but was more concerned with Rhen's health and slightly apprehensive of Patina's.
"Take Jenna with you, she's probably more up to travel" Rhenore mused. "You could ask them though, if I know them both they'd have already got a plan together between them."
"Sure. It shouldn't take long. You saw the place last time we were there. Pretty sparse." He leaned in and returned the ridge kiss before standing up.
"Be careful though, we don't know if 'they' have fully retreated or may still be watching us. My trust outside of our small group is very limited at the moment" she cautioned.
He felt the same and she knew it, but reassurance never hurt. "We will be cautious. You, on the other hand, rest. Get your strength back. Sarah sent down some of her herbals, said if you didn't take care of yourself she'd come down and spoon feed them to you. And if you know her, I wouldn't tempt fate." He rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Hrmmm, herbs herbs and more herbs" Rhenora grumbled as she rolled her eyes. "I hope they taste better than the previous stuff"
Jenna and Zio indeed had a plan of action. Jenna really wanted to stay and protect Rhen, but Zio called dibs. Remal was okay they were both choosing his wife over him as it amused him so. Although Zio was all about the baby. Remal was confident should anything happen, Zio would be quite capable. He made a mental note to remind her to check in with her own worried children before it was too late. Then he and Jenna set off walking towards the village where they would catch a transporter signal to Ikar's town.
Rhenora and Zio waved them off before retreating to the cabin. Although warmer than the day before it was still chilly and the fire warmed both their bodies and spirits.
" So, in between naps, bum changing and feeds. Plans?" Zio asked in good nature, knowing full well that the first few days with a newborn were chaotic.
"Huh what?" Rhenora replied as though Zio had grown two heads.
"Exactly, shelve whatever grand plans you have and get some sleep. Sleep whenever you can cos you're gonna need it" Zio pointed towards the bedroom and Rhen hung her head in subjectivity, yawning as she went.
Once the house was quiet, Zio went to work. Quietly cleaning, organising and ordering supplies for the next few days. They had discussed plans for Ikar'agal's funeral for that afternoon and they still required a boat and timber for the pyre. She made contact with some traditional fishermen and purchased an old boat that could be delivered later that morning. Timber was also easily arranged. Remal would have to put the two together but they would figure that part out later.
Zio was no gourmet chef but she could feed a family and set about making some hearty meals that could be eaten later on. Soups, stews and other highly nutritious meals were cooked and safely stored for later. She felt at home but missed her own children, taking the time out to call and see how they were doing.
The transporter deposited them in the same basic neighborhood of Ikar's house, about a city block away. Remal and Jenna set off walking initially quiet until Remal broke his internal thoughts by speaking out loud. "I want to thank you." He said.
Jenna shook her head, "There is really no need to thank me. We're friends and last I checked, this is what friends do."
"It's more than just this. You have a duty to ship and crew. You have a commission and a responsibility to Starfleet. Taking part in the fight, standing up to Brin, you went well beyond and I want you to know I will always be grateful." His voice was ever so sincere.
Jenna picked up on the tone and realized he just needed an ear. "Where would Starfleet be if it's people did not help one another? Besides I cannot count the number of times you've both been there for me when I needed you."
There was silence as they walked up to the house. A terracotta villa tucked deep into a well wooded area. Glass floor to ceiling provided and unabated view of the interior all the way through to a water feature which reflected upon the walls and ceiling. The slight breeze created a sort of movement in the reflections that almost looked like the wormhole or the planet of the changelings if it were red.
Remal unlocked the door and they entered slowly, cautiously. The interior was stark, minimalist, and simple. Barely any furniture in any of the living spaces, no knick-knacks or art pieces save one. Looking from the kitchen into the main living area was a beach scene that looked eerily like the beach at Remal and Rhenora's cabin.
Jenna moved closer as she spotted a figure on the beach. The figure in question was performing a relaxation technique she recognized as yoga. It was silhouetted against the watery backdrop, but the figure appeared to be at rest. Jenna called out to Remal, "So, what was Ikar like? Like, how did you know him in the first place?"
Remal was rummaging through the empty cabinets looking for anything Ikar may have considered sentimental or personal. Vikings were often snet to sea with personal affects or their trade tools, whether it be a hammer, axe or sword. Dominion soldiers on the other hand, didn't tend ot have personal affects.
"After the Dominion war, there were groups of soldiers left behind, practically orphaned by the Changelings. Their Vorta masters returned to the Gamma quadrant and left them behind. A product of cloning I suppose. They were treated more like cattle than people. Bajorans assisted in the placement and recovery process."
He entered the bedroom area but kept talking as Jenna followed suit. "Most of them struggled to adapt to their new lives. Some of them committed suicide. But then, this one soldier came forward. He had what we determined was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At first he was a handful, often refusing to sit down and talk with anyone. That's when he was referred to me."
"I had just left the Sunfire and was starting my own practice. Many of my techniques were different than those on Bajor. It took over a year for me to find the right thing to get him to open up." Remal rolled his eyes as he recalled. "Turns out he liked books and painting. Pacifism was the goal, even though he enjoyed reading warrior tales about Klingons, Vikings, Telosians etcetera. After his second year, he was like a new man, refreshed, enjoyed yoga. Even took up Zen gardening once, until it frustrated him."
Remal opened the closet doors to reveal several blank canvases and sitting upon the shelf, a container filled with various paints and a single used paintbrush. "Huh. I guess this is everything he needed to get by."
"No clothes, no notes, no nothing." Jenna asked, dumbfounded.
Remal removed the paint brush set and closed the closet doors. "I was expecting nothing, so finding something is in itself a surprise." He sat back onto the bed with a thud. Something hard and flat was poking at him like the pea and the princess. Perplexed he stook back up again, turned and began shifting the mattress until he found what he was looking for.
From between the mattresses he pulled a... "A book?" Jenna asked, vocalizing the find.
Remal smiled as he read the title. "The Butter Battle Book by Doctor Suess." He turned and looked at Jenna. "I gave him this early on in our sessions."
"What's it about?" She asked.
He opened it and began flipping through the pages. "Essentially, the theme was about how the choice to butter ones bread can be enough to create a military complex, in the hands of the wrong idealists. I used it as an allegory for why the Dominion war was started in the first place."
Remal stopped on the last page, opposite the inside cover. Where instead of a blank white piece of cardboard once was, there was a painting. It was simple, like the one in the living area. A beach, with water silhouetting a pair of figures, easily recognizable. They were holding one another and a bundle of something in their arms.
Shocked, Remal turned and showed the image to Jenna, who in turn held an expression of disbelief. "Do you think he knew?"
"How could he? He barely understood when we talked about the idea Rhen was pregnant. It's more feasible to believe he was there, watching over us, or... "
"Or he was precognitive?" Jenna asked, still in disbelief.
Shaking his head, Remal stood. "I don't know, but as with many things, we may never know. Come, I think we've found the perfect send-off item. And considering it is the only item, we shall head back." Jenna followed and together they made their way back to a safe transport site and the Cabin by the Sea.
Later that day when Remal and Jenna returned, the pyre was built on the boat, and the body returned from the morgue. Rhenora emerged with Patina snuggled securely against her body in a traditional Bajoran wrap, allowing her to move freely and use both hands.
The quartet gathered on the beach, somber in the moment.
They stood, surrounding the boat. Remal holding onto Rhenora ever so lightly. Their thoughts spoke the loudest beyond the crashing distant waves. For several minutes all was silent until Remal opened his mouth to speak, "We commit this wonderful, simple, soul to the sea. For many years now Ikar'agal, Dominion Soldier, sought only peace. May he finally rest in the waters he so dearly loved."
Remal reached into his tunic and pulled the book out, placing it neatly inside the boat upon Ikar's body. He then looked around at the faces in front of him. "Since Ikar was not Bajoran, I will not force any of you to suffer through the Death Chant, long as it may be."
There was a collective sigh of relief. Many of them knew the chant was a two-hour long monologue. He then reached in and touched Ikar's cold body, "Tay'ma kost a-aka (Peace be with you) my friend."
The boat was pushed into the water with the tide. Remal wading in with it until the breech where he was able to give it one last push along the way. He stood for a moment before wading back out of the water, returning to Rhenora's side.
Zio raised her rifle, aimed and fired a single shot, igniting the tiny boat aflame. The Pyre ignited in a glorious eruption of red and yellow flame, turning purple as it began to engulf the body. They watched until the last light sunk beneath the watery waves.
"May the Prophets smile upon him and grant him the peace he so craved. He gave his life for ours" Rhenora said simply, nodding her head as a sign of respect. The cooler air of the night began to fall, causing Rhen to shiver a little. She had been feeling the cold more and more the last few days.
"A fitting tribute for him" she said finally to Remal, breaking him out of his reverie.
He squeezed her gently knowing she was strong but not wanting to harm her any more than she had been. "Now, let's get you inside out of this cold. Tomorrow should be much more lively."
"I don't doubt that for an instant" She chuckled as everyone slowly made their way back inside. As they settled by the fire Zio disappeared into the kitchen and re-emerged a short time later with 4 bowls of stew and some freshly baked bread. "It's not up to your standards Remal, but it's hearty and it'll warm your bones"
He accepted the offered bowl and sat down next to Rhenora. "My standards, huh? I'm sure it will be just fine. A good home cooked meal that I didn't have to prep is always welcome."
The meal was rustic and delicious, Rhenora scoffing hers down faster that she had realized. The eating for two thing was a thing of the past, but feeding a newborn and healing were making her ravenous. "Is there any more?" She asked sheepishly.
Remal side-eyed her with amusement, noting his still half full bowl. Looked as though someone was getting their strength back.
" 'Course there is, here, rest your ass and I'll grab it for you. "Zio was up in an instant and returned a few minutes later with another half serving. "The first plate was for you, this one is for Patina. Eat, cos when she wakes she'll be just as hungry as you.
Rhenora tucked into the second plate and looked up at Zio. "Thank You, for coming and looking after us during all of this. You have your own family to look after and here you are looking after ours."
"Never you mind." Zio retorted as she leaned back against the sofa opposite them. "If I've done anything right in this life it's raise my children to be able to fend for themselves. We all have priorities, they understand mine is here, fighting for what's right along side my friends. When tomorrow is done, I will return to them with open arms and a story to tell." She smirked, "Tonight however, we have drinks and Jumbja sticks."
Remal snapped his head in her direction, mouth full of food, "Jumb..a sti..s?" He asked before swallowing and asking again. "Jumbja sticks? Why didn't you lead with that?"
The quad in the cabin erupted in laughter, a break to the tension of the day, and a comfortable ending of the night. They sat around the fireplace, enjoying drink, good food, and good company until the late hours of the evening. Many Jumbja sticks were ate that night. A comfort food, sweet, tangy, a sign of better times.
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
