A Goodbye

Posted on Wed May 15th, 2024 @ 3:57am by Captain Ivan Petrov & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Lieutenant Commander Yana Petrova & Ensign Mika Petrova
Edited on on Wed May 15th, 2024 @ 3:57am

Mission: S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location: Gamma Eridine II
Timeline: Date 2371-11-14 at 1830
1695 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Kneeling down in the grass tall damp green grass, Andrei’s fingers moved quickly across the diagnostic console. His movements were focused and methodical, and his uncovered eye studied the readings before him. The EV suit kept him safe from being stung by the strange insects of Gamma Eridine II and, as a result, from contracting the mysterious disease which plagued the away Team; the very same disease that bound his family to the planet irrevocably, it seemed.

For now, the XO on the Vengeance was determined to do everything he could to ensure their continued survival on this planet. It would be their new home far away from home, and he knew he would never be back to assist should something happen. The gods were cruel sometimes, and even though he knew they sent this suffering to make him, and the Fleet, stronger, he couldn’t see how it improved them in the slightest.

The nightmares had become unbearable over the past few days, and he had rolled in his sleep, tossing, turning, and clawing for his mother and his sister. His father always stood with them, stubbornly persistent in his decision. Phaser, sword, gritting, sobbing; none of it could help him across the threshold between him and them. And, now that he was with them in the waking world, he had done everything he could to avoid the goodbye. He knew it wouldn’t make anything better, but still, half his nerves forced him into avoidance.

“You’ve been very hard to find.” Came a soft melodic voice he would recognize anywhere. He didn’t turn around to see whom it had come from, but knew instantly. His eyes remained steadfast in his work.

“I want to make sure these buildings will stand the rest of time.” He said, his tone controlled and even.

“Well, you’re a security officer, Andrei. I Don’t know what you could do that the trained engineers haven’t already done.” Mika said, taking another few steps toward him and resting beside him. She had abandoned her uniform for one of the countless replicated outfits which had been beamed down to the source along with the residences and other resources. It was a pale pink dress with spaghetti straps.

“I’m a command officer, and it’s my job to make sure you’re safe.” He said, his tone still even.

A soft hand found his shoulder over the EV suit. He couldn’t feel it’s softness through the tough material, but only remembered it. That made him sad.

“You’re a good brother, you know. And I love you.”

He looked first at the hand which had landed on his shoulder and then at the woman it belonged to. His sister had always been so beautiful, and he had his work cut out for him scaring men away from her almost their entire lives. Though he could be particularly intimidating, she was a tempting target for their affections. He knew he wouldn’t be there to protect her anymore in any way. His frown was deep, sad, and unmasked.

“I’m not a good brother.” He said in a low, almost avoidant tone. “I good brother would find a way to get you off of this planet.”

Mika immediately shook her head, her big brown eyes turning serious and her eyebrows raising in fearful warning.

“Don’t talk like that.” She commanded. “You’ve done everything you could.”

“No, I haven’t, Mika.” He said, stress entering his tone. “I should have done more. I should have worked harder.”

Her arms were around her big brother in a second, and she drew near enough to him that he wouldn’t see her tears beginning to fall.

“I’m afraid for you more than myself, Andrei.” She said, holding the tough suit as if she could feel his true warmth and the strong, reassuring strength in his body. “I’m afraid you’ll let guilt and regret destroy you.”

He was silent for a moment as his hands moved up to her back. He held her for what seemed like an hour, and then her responded simply and darkly.

“Maybe I deserve to me destroyed.”

“Don’t talk like that.” She said, some anger entering her voice as she pulled back from him. Her fist made contact with his chest to no effect. It was sudden and shockingly out of character. Her face contorted in anger for an instant. “You’re acting like a child.”

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t really true. But he wasn’t acting like the true Terran he should, and he certainly wasn’t acting like himself. Slowly, her expression softened, and she touched more gently the place she had struck.

“If you’re going to find a cure then find it, Andrei. But don’t let your sorrow make you weak.” She said, her eyes threatening to Well with hot tears again. “It wouldn’t be you.”

Andrei looked at her and reflected in silence, examining the redness of her face and seriously considering her words. He cleared his throat after a while and put a hand around her back.

“Let’s go say goodbye, Mika.”

The walk to the unlit bonfire where everyone was standing and talking was a short one. There, they saw many teary eyes and hugs. In particular, Andrei saw a deeply grief-stricken Ensign Prince in her own EV suit, weeping over a man he could only assume was her boyfriend who had been a part of the away team. It stirred that primal urge in him again which drove him to some action, but he didn’t know what to do with it.

“You’ve found him.” Yana said, smiling as her children approached. The beautiful woman threw her bare arms around her much taller son and held him as if they were dancing. Her eyes were dry, but there was a hint of sadness in them at least. “I’m sure this camp will stand for a thousand years now that you’ve checked it.”

It wasn’t clear if she really meant that, but she obviously wasn’t mocking him. She smiled up into her son’s sad eyes, initiating the goodbye without any prompting.

“You will be great, Andrei Petrov. Don’t look back.” She said, as if she already knew what he had been suffering over. “Your father, Mika, and I can take care of ourselves.”

“Your mother’s right, son.” Ivan said, stepping forward and putting a hand on Andrei’s shoulder. “We'll probably lick this virus ourselves, and, when we do, we’ll use the shuttle we dropped down here to catch up with you. Either way, live your life, and get my people home.

Andrei looked at his father, a wave of contradictory emotions surging through him. Hatred, grief, resentment, and admiration all in one. The man wasn’t weak, but Andrei had come to disagree with many of his decisions of late. He knew he wasn’t the only one in the Fleet who felt that way as well.

“You should have left me in command.” He said in a regretful tone.

“If I had done that, Andrei, you would have stopped at nothing to find a cure. You would have disregarded my orders.” His father said.

“And I would have succeeded.” Andrei said, his tone now resolute. “This is all a mistake.”

“Andrei, please.” Mika said gently. She put her arm in his and attached herself to his side. “Let’s not mar our goodbye with a fight.”

Andrei sighed and licked his lips. He had half a mind to take his suit off right there and to stay with them, and he knew he would have in that moment if it hadn’t been for one person. Lyra. He couldn’t leave her. Instead he sighed.

“Very well.” he said and looked at each of them in turn. His heart sank at the thought that this might be the last time he ever saw them. He found himself without words, and so he opted, instead, for something more physical. He approached Ivan, noticing the pained expression in the man’s eyes. For all the tension that had existed between them in their life, it was crystal clear that Ivan Petrov loved his son, and he had done everything in his power to do right by him since he had come back from exile. They locked in a hug, two huge men wrapped in muscled arms. Ivan’s hand struck Andrei’s back several times, and when the hug was over, the older Petrov had tears in his eyes that didn’t fall.

Next, he moved to his mother. The radiant woman had loved him so completely all his life that it felt strangest of all being separated from her. She approached, raising her arms substantially to get her arms around her son’s shoulders, and she hugged him tight. She spoke to him in Russian, reminding him to be strong and never to forget them. When they pulled back from the lengthy hug, her eyes were dry, yet still full of obvious pain.

Finally, he came to Mika whose face was already covered in tears. She leaped on him and wept like a babe in arms. Her cries were intense enough that Andrei’s tears began to fall as well, despite his great desire that he would remain strong during the visit. Mika hugged him so long, with no sense of letting go, that their mother approached and started to pry her arms off of her big brother’s shoulders. She leaned up and kissed the glass on his face plate over and over, irrational in her grief, and then Yana had gotten her off. As Mika basically folded into their father instead, Andrei balled his fists. Sadness had turned to anger. He didn’t know what he was angry about, but he wanted to kill whomever it was.

“Goodbye.” he said, and cleared his throat. He reached up to hit his combadge with a shaky hand. “Petrov to Vengeance. One to beam up.”