Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in From the Shadows Comes Hope

Posted by Gamemaster Alias Smith N. Jones, Esq. (Gamemaster) in From the Shadows Comes Hope

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in From the Shadows Comes Hope
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Micah chuckled and said “Y’all ‘ll meet ‘em soon enough. They’re comin’ for dinner one night. For now, why don’t y’all get settled. There’s a care package on the counter in the kitchens for ya both. Faye, get your little rock ready. It’s got a workout comin’.” and he grinned.

Micah

“Oh good gods,” Faye said, knowing that his was not an idle threat. She looked to Dag. “Save me,” she said, as she picked up Tess’ carrier. She’d let the feline explore their cabin before bringing her back here. She knew all too well that Tess would want to be close by in this new circumstance.

Nadine slung her pack over one shoulder and just veered off for the cabin to the left. Given they were both the same distance away and had pretty much the same views, it saved having to figure out how to make that decision.

As they ‘kids’ wandered off, Shara smiled and turned back to head back inside. Something tiny had shifted within her that only Micah (by virtue of having been in such close proximity these last months) would be able to discern. There were some difficult conversations to have but she could say she felt just a tiny bit at ease.

~Shara et al.

Micah watched as everyone went to their respective places and he set his hands on his hips and shook his head, smiling. It was oddly comfortable having all of them here. He had spent so many years keeping away, and now here he was… with a full family and kids he had never known he wanted before. He chuckled and shook his head again before walking into the house.

Micah

A little while later, Nadine stepped back into the cabin, followed by Daggum and Faye (who was carrying Tess in her carrier). Faye let the feline out once they were safely inside and Tess immediately began to investigate the place, making sure to brush past both Shara and Micah’s legs.

Faye held up her stone. “Am I going to be glad for this thing or regret it?” she asked with a grin.

Nadine snorted. “Based on last time, be glad.” She smirked. “Oh, I appreciate the day pack. Better than lugging my trekking pack all over the place.”

“About that,” Shara said, a gleam in her eyes. “I was surprised you hiked in.”

Nadine shrugged. “What can I say, a lot has happened in the last several months.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Faye said, eyeing her parents with a critical eye. Oh there was going to be a conversation at some point. Maybe that was why Micah was brining out the booze?

~Shara et al.

“About that…” Micah said from the kitchen. Metal fingers pinched five glasses together and his flesh hand carried two jars of clear liquid. “Dinner’s on, but I ain’t spendin’ my vacation waiting around for someone to sack up and start the talk we all know is comin’.” He set the jars and glasses on the table and then pointed at the chairs. “Y’all sit, now.” he said and unscrewed the lid from one of the jars and filled each glass halfway full. He took a seat at the head of the table and said “So… questions. Somethin’ ya wanna get off your chest. Anybody… now’s the time. Speak up.” and he tapped a metal finger against his glass.

Micah

Pulling the glass towards her, Faye slipped in the Stone of Kvaar’Ton and watched it do its thing. Nadine took her glass without hesitation and watched the stone work in Faye’s. She’d seen it before at the wedding but it was still quite the thing to witness.

The stone had reacted to alcohol before… but this stuff actually made it shake and bounce in the glass. It took more than a few seconds for it to calm down. Micah chuckled.

Shara wrapped her hand around her own glass and measured the silence before chuckling. “No volunteers? Okay, I’ll go. It sucked. More than I can express. The mission wasn’t fair to me, or the crew, and certainly not to our loved ones. But it was necessary and in the end we did what we had to for the Federation. But I’m not going to pretend like there weren’t consequences or that thrilled about the whole damn thing. It messed me up. Again. And Micah and I had to deal with that as a couple. Fortunately, I did have him there. I don’t know that I would have made it without him”-she shot him a look and held up a finger to prevent any objection-“though he might try and deny it.”

“How are you now?” Nadine asked.

She considered the answer and it seemed to change. “I’m… doing better than before. I’m on a new med that helped with the nightmares and sleep issues, which eased some of my anxieties about the situation. And I was cleared for duty, but I’ve really needed this trip. To be here, and to be with all of you.”

~Shara et al.

Mich cleared his throat and said “And a’fore y’all go gettin’ pissed at Fleet or the Federation or whatever for it… I was the one that set the mission up. Operational parameters were designed by me. And I chose the ship. So if you wanna hang the responsibility for us vanishin’ on ya… it’s my neck you should wanna put the noose around.”

Micah

Nadine knocked back some of the shine in a more smooth manner than she had the last time she had gotten drunk on the stuff in this very cabin. “I can’t say I understand any of it exactly, but from what you explained before the mission wouldn’t have come to you if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. I don’t have any blame for anyone, but I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t confused and scared. Being told only to ignore the news wasn’t exactly illuminating but I get you were trying to protect me, and others.”

Shara gave her a grateful smile before she took a small sip. “Trust me, if I had had another choice I would have taken it. As it was, our crew were ill-prepared for such a complicated assignment. Very few had the skills or expertise to pull off what they were being asked to do, so I couldn’t in good conscience walk away when offered the chance and leave them all to die. They needed people with my experience to stay and show them how it was done. For better or worse.”

Faye was gazing at the rock in her glass and just took a tiny sip.

~Shara et al.

Micah’s face was expressionless. “Y’all, I hated makin’ that choice. And while what Shar said is right on paper… the crew on that ship is still one’a the best I seen. What they lack… well… lacked in experience they made up for in loyalty and tenacity. And with what we had to do? We needed that edge. And they came through… in spades.” He looked at Shara and grinned. “Pretty sure Shar is pretty damn proud of ‘em, too.” He looked back at the table and said “What’s next?”

Shara gave him a small smile but she wasn’t ready to share her news just yet. “I am. It could have gone to hell but it didn’t. And that is impressive.”

Daggum had been staring down at his glass while the conversation started, not speaking. When Micah stopped, he didn’t look up. He just said “Not to be a d!<k or anything; but when does the job stop being more important than the people you are supposed to love and care about?” Micah’s jaw clenched and Sharah was the only one who could see that the question had cut his very soul.

Micah / Daggum

Micah knew how devastated she had been from the outset knowing what the parameters of the mission would mean for their children. People who were all rather new in their lives in one way or another. Pain swept across her face and for once she didn’t even try to hide it. “I hated every minute of it. I knew what it would mean for you three, how it would screw things up that were going well. We aired the grievances, worked through the crap. I get it. I really do. But this was the last time. That I can actually promise. And I get that that promise might not mean much but you need to understand that Micah and I had unfinished business. That business affects you Daggum. And it affects Faye. Maybe for the rest of the crew it was about the greater good but my reason was selfishly wanting to protect those I loved so they had a future.”

Faye, who had been contemplating taking the stone out of her glass and knocking back a large amount of ‘shine, looked up and stared at her mother. Oh, there was assessment in her gaze, but also disbelief. She stared. And stared. And then she got it. “Was Blue involved?” she said, her whole body tense. Shara just nodded while Nadine looked on, rather confused. But Faye drank from her glass and just looked at Micah and then her mother. “None of you in this room were there left waiting on a colony, not knowing if you were going to be killed on that assignment or not. Dad and I waited, and waited. And then when we got word you were missing I just laughed. Because of course. And I’m being callous and saying you landed in the Delta Quadrant on purpose. I’m not an idiot. But you promised me you wouldn’t disappear again and”-she gestured vaguely-“here we are again, so forgive me if I find your reassurances that that was the last time rather hollow.”

Shara tensed but she didn’t blame Faye. Nor in that moment t could she counter the criticism. It hung there, heavy.

~Shara et al.

Micah stared at the table after Daggum’s ‘question’. He listened to the exchange between mother and daughter, his hands in fists in his lap. But with Faye’s last remark, he looked up and set hard eyes on her. “I think ya can climb down off your moral high-horse now.” and his eyes flicked to Daggum. “The both of ya.” He lifted his glass and took a drink, and then said “It ain’t like anyone at this table ‘cept Nadine has picked a life that allows for that kinda perspective. All ‘a us live lives of risk. Sacrifice. And each an everyone one’a us chose to do it looooong before any of us knew the others even existed.” He looked at Daggum and said “You wanna answer to your shitty little question, boy? You know the godd@÷n answer. You make the same choice e’ry time ya walk through that hatch on the Athena. It ain’t like you always know you’re comin’ back, either.” He looked at Faye. “Yeah, Blue was involved. Hell, he was focus point of all of it! He and I built the op together. An’ ya wanna know what his primary motivation to do it was? It was ‘cause those sonnavabit<hes had used you. Same for me.” He glared at her for a long moment. “You ain’t been my daughter long, Faye. Hell, maybe ya don’t even think’a me ann you like that. Fine… but yer still my daughter. An’ ain’t nobody nowhere allowed to f^<k with my kids.” He looked at Nadine and then Daggum. “Same goes for the both’a ya.” He stood up and downed the last of his moonshine. “Now if’n y’all’ll excuse me. I’m gonna step outside before I get really pissed.” and he turned and walked out the front door.

Micah