The Final Farewell

Posted on Fri May 24th, 2024 @ 6:19am by Lieutenant Commander Annalise Faulkner & Ensign Ilan Ocara & Private 1st Class Cedrik Feng & Captain Ivan Petrov & Lieutenant Commander Yana Petrova & Lieutenant JG Corvin Hartjin & Ensign Mika Petrova & Sergeant Bryana "Bri" Locke

Mission: S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location: Gamma Eridine II
Timeline: Date 2371-11-16 at 1900
3779 words - 7.6 OF Standard Post Measure

It had been nearly two days since the Shadow Fleet had departed Gamma Erindine II, leaving behind the infected away team to their confinement on the planet until they themselves were able to find a cure it seemed. Most of their time had been spent finishing the fine details of setting up their small living compound. The quarters were cramped, but at least every individual still had their own small space and didn’t need to share. Ivan and Yana had a larger space to themselves, naturally; anyone who felt it unfair wisely said nothing. Nobody had been particularly social, the shock of the situation had worn down into a general numbness; people were going through the motions of existing and trying to figure out what that would even mean for them anymore.

It had taken Yana's insistence that the group gather for a home-cooked meal on the eve of the fleet going out of communications range to bring everyone together for the first time since they had all woken from their stasis pods. The insistence had been met with mixed feelings, but naturally, everyone acquiesced to the demand.

-

Corvin was off with the other men, taking care of this and that, helping things run smoothly. The Security Officer seemed to have adapted the best since the impermanence of his childhood and most of his adult life had left him with the understanding that everything was temporary. Nothing lasted, and the more you fought against it, the more it would hurt.

That was part of what made him a good dog. He understood his place in the world, and he accepted that. But to have something like this happen was testing his acceptance.

Cedrik walked in carrying a large, heavy box like it was nothing. Of course, he wasn’t happy with the situation at hand, but what other choice did they have but to deal with it? He looked around the room, frowned, and then looked at Corvin. “Hey, do you know where I’m supposed to put this?”

Corvin paused as he looked over at the Marine before nodding to a space he’d cleared out just a moment ago. “Yeah, right over there. Mika also asked for about a half dozen to be brought over. They apparently are making a whole feast for our first communal dinner.”

The Security Officer sighed and then shook his head. “How much more needs to be moved?”

“Just a couple more like this.” Cedrik shrugged and moved to put the box down where Corvin indicated, not really questioning if it was correct or not. “Any idea what they are making?”

“I'm not really sure. Whatever it is smells good, so hopefully, it's going to be a full spread.” The older man nodded as he continued to watch Cedrik and wondered how he’d handle being trapped on the planet. With a mental shrug, he figured the boy would sink or swim, but from everything he’d heard, Cedrik was a pretty cool cucumber when it came to stress, so he’d probably be okay.

“Yeah, hope so. Anyway I’ll go get those last boxes.” Cedrik nodded and moved to do just that. He wasn’t really overly sure about Corvin, but he supposed that would change in time - they had a lot of it now.

Ivan walked in, his large, hairy arms full with a box. Looking over it, his eyes settled on the two men.

“Yana has about a thousand candles in this box, and she wants us to place them on the tables. We can put it off for the women, but we at least need to take them in.”

“Why are there so many candles?” Cedrik asked, probably naively, and blinked a few times.

Corvin made a face at the mention of so many candles before shaking his head a little. “Are we starting a monastery with dinner?”

“I don’t know, gentlemen,” Ivan answered, shaking his head. “Trust me, a few months after the wedding, you just don’t ask anymore.”

-

Ilan wasn’t a cook, so she helped with the effort by arranging the necessary place settings along with a couple of others. Most of the men were off sorting out where supplies needed to be placed, and it seemed anyone who had any cooking skill —man or woman—had joined Yana and Mika in the meal prep efforts.

She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. This place was absolutely miserable.

Next to Ilan, Luna distributed plates and cups as well, her slender arms moving quickly. Her composure and coolness was a stark contrast to the woman on the other side of the table from them. Riley Scott, formerly a nurse, was only playing at putting out plates and cups. What she was really doing was sobbing uncontrollably and getting everything near her wet. Her ordinarily attractive face was splotchy and red, and she was moving the same plate back and forth in front of her repeatedly like a holo program on a loop.

“Zatknis, glupaya shlyukha..” Luna said under her breath, her green eyes darkening.

“What?” Riley asked, pausing in her repetitive task. “Luna, speak English. You know I hate it when you talk that stuff.”

Lina’s jaw tightened, and she fixed her gaze on the crying woman.

“I said shut the fuck up, you stupid whore.”

Riley was out of the room and leaving a trail of tears in under ten seconds. That event, which should have drawn the attention of the entire room, fell on a room full of silent numbness instead. Luna looked at Ilan.

“I’m this close to snatching that ponytail off her head.”

Ilan just chuckled and shook her head. “Yeah, I know, it’s obnoxious. Maybe she will skip the meal altogether.”

Grabbing a tray of cutlery, she began to disperse them in their proper areas, then suddenly she smirked and glanced up at Luna. “I don’t know if you can really call her a whore though, Luna. Pretty sure your legs are just as open as hers.”

She grinned and winked, teasing the other woman good-naturedly.

“What are you talking about, girl?” Luna asked, offering a mischievous grin. “As far as you know, I’m practically a vestal virgin. You know nothing of my work.”

Ilan laughed at that and shook her head. She hadn’t found many reasons to laugh over the past day or so, but picturing Luna as some chaste flower definitely did it. While the woman certainly didn’t get around as much as Ilan did, she certainly got around. “Oh right, right. My mistake.”

“Well, at least I’m not a stupid whore.” Luna said and went to the other side of the table to finish what Riley had started. “Papa would be proud.”

“No, no. You definitely aren’t stupid.” Ilan confirmed the pertinent part with a devious grin and finished putting down all the silverware. “Are we missing anything?”

“Just the food, I think. I wonder if anyone’s figured out how to make vodka yet.” Luna responded before wandering off to see if the men needed any help outside.

-

Bryana had joined Yana and Mika to help with meal prep since she had learned how to cook, her mom having insisted since it would have been part of her responsibilities to cook for her future husband, as expected of her. The dark-haired woman hadn’t taken to such lessons with gusto, but she’d been obedient in learning. She’d always been a quick learner and had even studied cooking in her downtime but rarely had any occasion to show off this particular talent. She was using the meal prep to distract herself from their dismal situation, trapped on an alien planet, fated to die here, never to see Terra or their families here.

Like a good Marine, she didn’t let it show on the outside, even if she felt like screaming out her anger.

Most people seemed numb and quite disappointed to be stuck on the planet, but Yana wasn’t one of them. Of course, she wasn’t happy about it and there were many sorrows related to being stuck on this planet, particularly being away from her son, but she was a survivor first, and she knew how to adjust her mind, her body, and even her soul. She had kept herself busy with certain projects specifically designed to make their compound more homey, starting several gardens between the buildings and replicating some small amenities that helped to beautify them in the inside. She had also started a small menu of edible life from the planet.

She was putting the finishing touches on the ribs of several tiny pig-like creatures that had proven incredibly tender and delicious. She slid them to Bryana and pointed.

“Don’t skimp on the barbecue sauce on these ribs. These are specifically designed to lift the men’s spirits and stop them from sulking like little boys.”

The Marine wanted to make a snarky comment about knowing how to make proper ribs but smiled and nodded instead. “It won’t do to leave’em naked; nobody likes flavorless ribs.” She moved to grab the barbecue sauce and a brush and start applying it to the meat, generously coating each piece with an amount that would help create a delicious glaze.

“My ribs aren’t flavorless. I pre-seasoned them.” Yana said, looking at Bryana expressionlessly. Somehow, she had been offended by the comment, but few besides family matriarchs would understand why. “Mika, how are the vegetables?”

“Fine, Mama. They’re ready to go out with everything else.” Mika responded quietly but not meekly.

“Good.” Yana said. “Alright ladies, let’s get this food out there to the serving table.”

Bryana didn’t trust anyone not born in proper barbecue country to know how to make ribs, even if they did pre-seasoned them. Let alone a Russian woman that the Marine wasn’t certain had spent any time in a kitchen except maybe to pull her skirt up for one of the more handsome members of her staff. The Terran woman finished her task without remark as she quickly hit the ribs with the small blow torch to crisp up the sauce on the ribs before she turned it off and gathered up her portion of the dinner to start carrying it out.

The rest of the “colonists” had finally gathered in the dining area, with some standing in small groups or pairs and talking to each other while others preferred to be themselves. As the women started to bring the food out, there were various sounds of interest, and people started congregating closer to ensure they got their share. It was easily the most enthusiasm anyone had shown over the past few days since they had been stuck there.

“Hey, this all looks great.” Cedrik spoke up, smiling and looking at Mika over the rest.

Mika returned the smile with an appreciative, blushing expression. She placed two large mixing bowls full of native vegetables mixed with replicated lettuce in her own personal salad recipe.

Ivan stood by a metal keg containing a replicated sweet and strong mixed alcoholic beverage. He raised his glass into the air and smiled.

“I know the last few days have been difficult, but we’re already starting to make a new life here. I want each of you to know how proud I am of your dedication, your composure, and the work you’ve been doing. I propose a toast to us, and to our new home.”

While he still had certain feelings about the situation, Corvin was the first to raise his glass in a toast with their Captain. “To our settlement,” he added, not looking at anyone. He was a good dog, and he would support Ivan because he believed that was what Lyra would want.

Much more hesitant than Corvin, Bryana raised her glass, and it seemed like a half-hearted gesture before she finally spoke up, looking at Ivan. “To home.”

While it could have meant here, it would have been ambivalent if she meant it to another home, another place far from here.

“May the gods bless us with luck and good fortune,” Ilan spoke up pleasantly and lifted her glass with a smile. The rest also raised their glasses, some more enthusiastic than others.

“To the Empire!” Cedrik spoke up and that sentiment was immediately echoed by everyone in the room with strength and vigor befitting Terrans. Parted from their people or not, they were always Terran, always loyal to the Empire.

As the toasting settled down, Mika sipped her drink and enjoyed the sweet, fruity flavor. She was less than overjoyed about where they were and the calamity that had befallen them. Still, she was surrounded by loved ones and people she trusted, and she knew she had a purpose: to devise a cure for this disease. For now, though, it was time to celebrate. She grabbed her plate and moved stealthily in between people, finally stealing a seat next to Cedrik. She sat and smiled at him.

Cedrik grinned as Mika sat down next to him, his attraction to her was obvious, but it went well beyond the physical for the sweet, kind young woman. “This really is great from what I’ve tasted. You and the other ladies really nailed it.”

“You’re too kind. All I did was make some salad,” Mika said, blushing. Her eyes glowed from the compliment and his attention. She shrugged and stuck her fork in the bowl. She had also used animal fats and replicated materials to invent the planet's first salad dressing, but she kept that part to herself.

“Hey, the salad is good too and it’s an important part of the meal.” He pointed out. “Don’t sell what you did short. Be proud.”

She grinned at him and subtly put her hand near his.

“You’re really sweet.” She said. She missed Vengeance and her brother, but having Cedrik here with her helped a lot. She was fortunate to be surrounded by family and a romantic interest while most everyone else was alone.

“You make it easy to be sweet.” He replied smoothly and pulled off one of the small ribs to eat with his hands. He was trying to make sure to give her attention, but he was also very hungry and everything smelled like heaven. The fact she had a part in making it only made it sweeter.

Mika put her leg against his and sighed, but said nothing else. She knew it was time to eat, and she could tell by his movements he was eager.

—

On Vengeance, Will Burnett had been a logistics specialist and a Petty Officer in the Operations department, but here he was the one Ivan had put in charge of keeping track of their stores. He’d taken organizing it very seriously, and had spent hours thinking about that instead of his lost beau on Vengeance.

He was the only son of a pair of florists; he was a nobody, and somehow he had pulled the daughter of the late High Lord of Mars and the most beautiful girl in the universe. He had been riding high, but apparently, his luck was a temporary boon. He missed her like crazy, and he had a hard time experiencing any joy. He took a bite of the small, meaty ribs he and the other men had retrieved from the small animals they had hunted and threw his body back in the chair, nodding.

“Godsdamn, this is good.” Turning to Bryana and smiling, he said, “You girls have some serious skills in the kitchen.

“Glad you like’em,” Bri gave Burnett a kind smile before she dug into the ribs on her plate. “The trick is to lather on plenty of sauce and then hit it with a torch to give it a nice caramelized crust that makes it all the better.”

“Oh, so you’re the type that gives away all her secrets, huh?” He’s asked, and then took another bite.

Bri quirked an eyebrow at his comment as her attention turned to her salad to doctor it up a little. “Darlin’, if you think applying fire to food is a secret, then I question if you don’t need to have your noggin’ checked out in medical to make sure something didn’t happen while you were in stasis.”

“Not everyone uses torches on their food. Go easy on me.” Will commented with a smile, not bothered by what was a potentially less-than-friendly response from her. “My dad and I used to fire up the grill all the damn time, and we never used a torch.“

“Torch has a lot of good uses, fixin’ things, puttin’ a nice crisp on some barbecue, settin’ off a whole ton of fireworks just for the fun of it,” Bri smirked a little before she tucked into the ribs finding the meat and sauce to be flavorful and tangy. “If you’re plannin’ to hang around awhile maybe I can teach you some tricks with a torch.”

“That sounds almost like a threat.” Will said with a laugh. “We’re going to be here for a while, so I’ll definitely take you up on that.”

—-

Corvin moved to gather a plate of food, working his way back over to the table as he took a seat next to Ilan and smiled. “Got everything looking nice out here, and the food smells delicious,”

Ilan looked up as Corvin sat down and immediately smiled. “I did the looking nice part with some help. Cooking definitely isn’t my thing but the others definitely made some good stuff here. I haven’t had ribs in a long time.”

“Well, you and everyone who helped did a great job. The food is definitely good, too. I'm glad we had someone in the kitchen who knows how to make some proper ribs.” He agreed with the brunette and began to pull the tender meat from the bone, pausing to chew and use his napkin to wipe away some of the sauce on his chin.

“Who’d have thought a Russian mama would know how to make delicious ribs.” Ilan chuckled. “Certainly not the image I come up with when I think of who generally makes ribs.”

She looked over at Corvin from the side of her eye while she pulled off some of the meat from the ribs to eat with a fork. She knew the man had a hard time with small spaces and she wondered if he had recovered from their time in stasis. It had been a few days, but sometimes that kind of thing lingered.

“I don’t think I ever really had an image of who could or couldn’t make certain kinds of food, when I actually got to Terra and was allowed out of my holding cells, I was so amazed at the idea of not having to fight someone for scraps I gorged myself on practically everything in the replicator library.” Corvin shared as he continued to go to town on the ribs, making soft sounds of appreciation for the food while he ate.

“Bet you made yourself sick, didn’t you?” Ilan asked with a slight chuckle, trying to keep it light instead of focusing on the terrible part of the reality he had just shared with her. They’d had enough focus on all the terrible things recently.

“So sick, I think I might have even thrown up once or twice, I kind of went ham on the ice cream cause that was so different from anything I’d ever had, it was very sweet and creamy, still one of my favorite desserts.” He replied with a little chuckle of his own as he shared about his misadventure.

The meal continued for a good hour and a half with people enjoying food, drink, and conversation. For just a little while, they were all able to look past their grisly fate and simply be. It would take time for them to adjust, and perhaps some never would, but this was a clear sign that they could.

After some time and after many people had filtered out, the familiar chirp of an incoming communication sounded.

”Faulkner to Petrov.” Annalise’s voice came in resolutely over Ivan’s commbadge.

Ivan had been sitting with Yana and chatting with a very silky nurse when the combadge in front of him chirped. Grabbing a napkin, he wiped the barbecue sauce off of his hands before pressing it. The entire room silenced and listened at the familiar sound.

“Petrov here.”

”We are about to move out of communications range. How are you faring?” There was almost something about her tone that indicated she was looking for a reason to return. While she knew what needed to be done for the rest of the crew, she didn’t want to leave these people behind any more than the next person.

“It seems that Terrans are exactly what this planet needed, Captain Faulkner. Go figure.” Ivan said with a sad grin. He had used her new rank, and that alone made things strange and difficult. But they were all on a new path now and there could be no going back. “I’d like to address the crew one more time.”

”Your commlink has been put through to the entire ship.”

Ivan took a deep breath. He had been thinking of this moment for days, but now that the moment was upon him, he felt the pain of loss all the more. Nevertheless, he pushed through the wall of sorrow and spoke.

“To the crew of the ISS Vengeance and all the ships of the Shadow Fleet. This is Captain Petrov. Through the fire of adversity, we’ve traveled through this quadrant making more enemies than friends, but always pushing forward. By some caprice of the gods, some of us have been forced to remain here. I know there is sadness at our parting, and great sorrow as we come to terms with the fact that we may never see Terra again. But we hold out hope that you will finish the journey for us. As for us, we will build a life for ourselves here and continue to work on a cure. Perhaps we'll meet again some day in this world. Until then, long life to you, Shadow Fleet. Petrov out.”

Perhaps one day.

END