Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Defend by any Means Necessary

Posted by Commander Ryder Raauhl (Executive Officer) in Defend by any Means Necessary

(snip)

Gen rubbed her eyes and her frown lessened slightly as the logical points of the argument seemed to make sense to the child. She knew deep down there was nothing she could do so she had to accept it. It was an adult thing. “You promise you’ll be back right?” She said checking again.

Gen

Casela hugged her tightly and then kissed the top of her head. “I promise I’ll be back.” And they would both ‘hear’ no matter what it takes, I promise.

She waited for Gen to let her go before getting up and walking out of her room and grabbing her bag. She turned and looked at Ryder and waited.
Casela

Raauhl looked to the bag and then too Casela and he smiled, a feeble attempt of a smile but he tried. The way he saw it was that even if he hated it they had to stand by each other no matter what. “I love you” You said those three little words before hugging her and kissing her neck, her cheeky and her lips, “Please for both our sakes come back to us.”

• Raauhl

Good byes were final and she wasn’t leaving for forever so she wouldn’t say it. It was a short simple mission. It was her job, it was her purpose…no it used to be her purpose. There was a shifting in her view of the world as he hugged her and then kissed her. T’Jal was right, it did sneak up on her, when she least expected it. Here, with Ryder and Gen, was home. She inhaled slowly, the sent of his soap and cologne, of him. “I promise, there is no way I’m letting a couple Romulans with too much conviction stop me from coming home.” And in that deeper connection, beyond her telepathy, there was a flare of her conviction and determination, but also the recognition of how deeply she loved him and their little family they hadn’t been aware they had been forming. She whispered into his ear, “I love you, Ryder Raauhl.” She kissed his cheek. “I know you’ll worry like mad the whole time I’m away, I would tell you not to worry about me and do what is right, and you want to choose to protect me over the safety of everything thing else but I would never put anyone, and especially not Gen, at any risk because of it, but it doesn’t matter because we’re strong enough to make it work and it’s worth it, we’re worth it.” It was no mistake her word echoed his from so many months ago. She kissed him, fiercely. “I promise I’m coming home.” And then she stepped back, tapped her combadge, “Alfred, one to beam aboard.” and she was gone in a blue swirl.

---

“Alfred…”
“Yes Valkyrie?”
Casela groaned, how she hated that name. She was no collector of the honored dead. She took the lives of those deemed unworthy. Jake had explained the lore to her all those years ago. She’d thought he was joking, trying to make her feel better. She had been piloting the shuttle manually for the last couple hours, but she couldn’t anymore. The headache was returning and the guilt just wouldn’t go away. She input her destination, “Alfred, take over the shuttle. Wake me up only if there is trouble.” Casela found the med kit and Hydrocortilene for the pain and inflammation, for both the headache and her still healing ribs. She flipped the port side bench out to a cot, grabbed a blanket and quickly wrapped herself up in it lying down on the cot.

Alfred’s physical form reappeared and he took the pilot’s seat. He didn’t need to sit there to control the shuttle, he was connected to the ship’s computer, he was the ship’s computer. But if they should encounter someone else, it was easier this way. He glanced many times at the sleeping form of Casela. He was an AI and emotional responses were simply a figment of his programming, but a frown of concern crossed his visage each time. Tellek Bog had programmed him to see to her safety and she didn’t look safe at the moment. Medical scans told him she’d had surgery and was still not recovered. She slept most of the way, waking only to eat and administer an anti-inflammatory. Once, she stayed up longer, recording preprogrammed messages, something about wine that he didn’t understand, and then giving him specific instructions on when/if and how to send them. Her override program stopped him from turning the shuttle around. He left her be, not needing the social interaction, and woke her when they were a day away from their destination.

Rho Puppis was a planet inside Federation space, between the old Romulan border and the Klingon Empire. The 2nd planet from the sun was where she was going. It was remote and not highly populated. There were some Federation and Klingon citizens still there, but after the Romulan star went supernova a Romulan relocation colony was set up there. It was just over the border and was more of a way station than anything else. The Federation and it’s allies were more than willing to move out when the Romulans arrived. Casela dropped the shuttle into a high orbit over the southern magnetic pole, using the distortions of the pole to help hide the shuttle. There was some traffic going in and out, but she felt better knowing she wasn’t so easily detected. Rho Puppis was on the right outer edge of the Ion Nebula; she could use that Ion interference to her advantage as well if she needed to hide.

There was a single settlement near the equator, where it was warmer and more to the liking of the Romulans. “Alfred, let’s make Valkyrja look a little less inviting and then let’s land.

After landing she began the power down sequence. “Alfred keep the holo image going but keep an eye on the power readings. Don’t draw attention to yourself.” Shuttles here usually stayed in stand-by mode, and thanks to Bog Valkyrja could run a lot of systems and still look like it was simply in stand-by mode. She moved to the locker by the starboard bench and opened it. She reached behind her neck and released the clasp of her necklace. She placed it in a heavy velvet bag. Stitched in runes it read “Only you can give this back to me,” and she placed it into the locker. She turned to look at Alfred, “You know who to give that too and if and when you need to.” Alfred nodded, “Turn yourself off. It is safer for everyone if they don’t find out there is an AI on this planet.”

She was simply a traveler on her way into Klingon space. She was taking a job at one of the smaller houses, but it had been a long journey and she was staying a few days. She contacted, what could only be described as, the local Inn. She paid for a room with gold pressed latinum. No need to leave a trace with Federation credits. She landed, left specific instructions for Alfred, and with a change of clothes and her bag, she locked the shuttle behind her.
Lt Synthi-er, S31

Alfred had turned off his holoprojectors and powered the shuttle down to standby mode. But he continued to monitor the shuttle’s systems and the outside of the hull. He had closed the blast shutters on all the view ports. The reason was simple enough and would not draw suspicion - privacy. It also meant that when the traffic around the landing pad cleared he would be able to work on repairs. Not that they had taken any damage, but traveling thorugh space took it’s toll. Unfortunately he would not be able to do any exterior work.

About 20 minutes after Casela left the shuttle Alfred’s voice was heard over the shuttle’s speakers, “I don’t know how you got on board, but I suggest you stop hiding. I can suck the air right out of the cabin or fill it with gas. It won’t hurt me, but I bet it does a number on you.”
Alfred, AI