Breaking the Silence

Posted on Thu Dec 19th, 2019 @ 6:07pm by Captain Abigail Laurens & Commander Ichiko Gail

Mission: Sounds of Silence
Location: Observation Lounge

Abigail sat in observation lounge, watching the stars in space beyond. It had been hours since she had watched the alien vessel depart, yet she felt no desire to leave the room.

The information they had obtained regarding the Arg'oshians had been forwarded to Starfleet Command and Lieutenant Rue had already informed her that their own computer systems had been programmed to identify them as intruders, even if they were 'hidden'. They would not be able to sneak their way onto Starfleet vessels, espcially not the Astraea.

They had been provided with two Federation medical replicators that had been programmed to create the pregnane corticosteroid, on the condition that none of their species would harvest from any other living creatures again, an agreement that Ran'toth had, albeit begrudgingly, signed.

It was over. They were free.

But still she wasn't happy, she just couldn't quite place her finger on why.

"You know, on Ts'usugi ships we close all the view ports when we go to warp. As you call it." the voice was unmistakable, and to those who hadn't heard it in so long, a welcome tone. "It's taboo to see the Dark, as we call it."

Ichiko took her place next to Abigail, a mug in each hand. She handed one over to the Captain before motioning to the other side of the table, "May I?"

Taking the mug gratefully, Abigail offered a weary smile and nodded slightly. "Of course," she said gently. "I was just contemplating over everything..." she raised the mug to her lips and sipped carefully before sighing softly. "I'm still not okay with it, I don't think I ever will be. It feels like we rewarded them for attacking us."

"On one hand, we're ensuring that no one ever needs to be attacked again. These actions here ensure the safety and security of everyone from this point in history on. Though on the other hand, there's a passage from a piece of human literature I read once. On a lark, mostly." she started.

"What profit is it to a man who gains the world but loses his own soul?"

Book of Matthew. Chapter sixteen. Verse twenty six

"The next in line will thank you, but you yourself walk away empty handed. If it makes you feel better, you acted like a Daughter of Ts'usu there." a compliment, with a smirk.

"The Bible?" Abigail queried, truly surprised by the statement. Not because the Ts'usugi remembered the verse, that much was not surprising in the least given her eidetic memory, but the fact that she had actually taken the time to read the bible.

"A few pieces. Some were recommended to me, so I took the time to read a few passages. Holy texts intrigue me." she offered. "Nothing shows how diverse, or how similar, a people are than what they believe."

Abigail took another sip of her chai before she set the mug down on the table in front of her, keeping her hands firmly wrapped around it, drawing comfort from the warmth. "I know we did what had to be done, it was necessary. We've not walked away entirely empty handed, we know now that they can't come back, or at least, if they do we'll know they're here next time..." She paused momentarily. "Next time we will be ready and we can protect our people... I feel like I should have been able to do more to protect them this time. We don't know how long they were on the ship for, I should have been able to protect them, and I didn't.'

Ichiko gave Abigail a glance. "I disagree. Respectfully." a pause to sip her tea. "An enemy, undetected for decades, unopposed and unchallenged, met their end at the hands of a starship captain that didn't even know what they were looking for."

"Unaware of a danger, she listened to her crew and pooled her resources. She used the talent she had access to and her wits. To this, she ended an invisible threat. You couldn't know this danger, but you couldn't have reacted better."

Another sip of her tea. "None of that was from scripture. I didn't quote anyone, but I imagine someone's going to quote me in time."

"The book of Ichiko, chapter one, 'how to pander to a melancholy Captain'," Abigail quipped, her mouth quirking slightly in a smirk. "The rational part of me knows this, the emotional part of me struggles. Unfortunately in us mere humans, emotions are often stronger than logic and rationality."

"It's not pandering it's flowery diplomacy." Ichiko corrected with a smirk. "And there's nothing mere about humanity. I've read the history. Coming so far so fast, flinging yourself into the dark before you even knew what was out there. I think that humanity is where the Federation's obsession with speed comes from."

"You rush in, where others fear to tread, and tell the cosmos that humanity has.... once again... found something first." she giggled. "It's admirable, if not infuriating. Goes against the entire concept of Ts'usugi star travel. But, I will admit, it's fun." she took a sip of her tea. "And, off the record, letting them go with a stern warning and a new toy does infuriate me." she scowled slightly. "But that's the trade to being somewhere first. You set the path that others follow. You find the hazards and the pitfalls."

"It's what we do, Shipmaster." she used the Ts'usugi term for a ship's captain. Maybe out of respect, or maybe just to make light of the conversation.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'd like a break from coming first. How about we aim for second next time? Maybe even third?" Abigail smirked before taking a sip of her chai. "I could be quite happy just following in someone else's footsteps for a bit."

She smirked, "Ts'usugi are fueled by ambition. But, I suppose I could take a few days off. To let the universe catch up." she teased, "A vacation is well deserved, if I do say so myself."

"I think the whole crew needs a vacation." Abigail sighed and shook her head. "Too bad Meria is so far away, it would have been nice to pop back there for a few more days. What would you suggest? Anywhere along the way to 432 you can think of that might be nice to relax for a few days?"

"Dalacar." Ichiko recommended, "Though, I'm guessing you meant more local." a smirk, "This is more your neck of space than mine. I wouldn't begin to know. But, anyplace with a stiff drink and a skilled masseur is paradise for me. Ts'usugi feet require constant attention. Skilled attention." she smirked, sipping her tea.

"I'll see what I can find," Abigail said gently. "I think we all need a break. Though, Dalacar does sound interesting, I read a bit about it when I couldn't sleep. Think we can contrive a way to get there one day?"

"They're very accommodating people. Like most things in life, the trick is getting there." Ichiko offered. "But I'm sure we can find a place to relax after all this. As long as we can all get a good night's rest."