Arrival

Posted on Fri Apr 5th, 2024 @ 7:13am by Lieutenant Ayren Kelan
Edited on on Mon Apr 8th, 2024 @ 7:18pm

1,462 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Opening Moves
Timeline: MD021 - 0800

It was hard to leave Ethan and Ayren could sense that he wanted to be brave for her. At eight years old, he had experienced more than he should have. After hugging her mother and her father again, she took Ethan in her arms and held him as if she would never let him go.

"Mom..." he said, "I am okay, I will see you in a few months..." He loved her, but he understood that she needed to work. "When you are bored, you are bothersome and interfering and..."

Ayren pulled away a overly shocked expression on her face. "I am whaaat? No... never, I am sweet and interested in everything..."

"No, you are not!" Ethan laughed and wiggled as his mother held him too tight and tickeld him. "Go Mom, " he cried with laughter.

"M'am, your transport is waiting...." the pilot fetching her reminded her they had a time line.

A few hours later Ayren transfered to the USS Caledon that would take her to her new destination, Utopia Planitia, where she would board the USS Thunderbird. As she stepped from the transporter padd, the unfamiliar hum of the crew's thoughts nearly overwhelmed her and she grappbed her head.

"Are you okay?" the transporter chief asked as he motioned the security officer who will take her to her quarters, closer.

Ayren clenched her jaws and breathed through her nose to regain her composure. "I will be fine," she said in a strained voice. She hated it when this happened. What she once welcomed and found comforting, was not intrusive and disturbing. All her barriers were not in place and she had little control over the volume of background telepathic 'noise' in her mind. She forced a smile and indicated that she was ready to go.

"Please take me to my quarters, before I throw up," she said.

"Should you not get to sickbay?"

"No, no, I just need to lie down..."

Amanda, the security officer took her by her elbow and guided the half Betazoid to the guest quarters.

Ayren went to the bed immediately and once she was certain she was alone, uninvited tears ran down her cheeks. Loss of her husband, loss of her abilities and their irratic return, and the loss of leaving Ethan behind was just too much. Regardless of having had the time on Betazed to recover, she never had time alone. She was Betazoid, but half. She didn't grow up on Betazed; in fact she grew up on earth, Vulcan and Q'oNos, and wasn't used to the openess both mentally and physically. Her father's family were really sweet and respected her need for privacy. She needed the medical attention, but still, she needed to recover on her own now. Now she could cry alone, on her own and no one would rush in to be with her.

A fews days later and feeling much better, she accepted an invitation for supper in the ship's lounge with some of the crew members she got to know. She was just about to leave when she heard a voice behind her.

"My beautiful Ayren..." Viren Col said when he saw her. She had a simple white spagetti strap dress on printed with large flowers in various colours of pink, ending above her knees. Her long legs ended in strappy heels, adding to her height. "Always so elegant..." he thought

Ayren swung around and saw a tall Trill man grinning at her. At first she didn't know who it was. With her senses still recovering it took her a few moments to recognise the symbiont.

She laughed as she stepped towards him. "You look a bit better, Col," she said.

The Trill grinned and stretched his hands towards her. "I am Viren, the new host. Gordin had sadly passed away since you last saw Col," he said. "And you are far more beautiful than the images I saw," he said.

Ayren took his hands. "So you looked me up?"

Viren laughed. "Col made me.... he thought we would 'connect' if ever we meet, and here we are".

"Oh did he now?' Ayren responded. "Col, you old targ.." she teased. "Wanna come for a night cap? We have a lot to catch up" she invited. For the first time in a long time she actually happy and excited. With some more bantering they made their way to the quaters she stayed in.

Ayren glanced at Viren as they entered through the door. "You do know that it is a little weird..." she said thoughtfully. "I think us unjoined people will always find you mysterious."

"Believe me, until you are joined, even to a Trill it is a mystery," Viren said. "One doesn't know how it feels until you are joined. I guess it is the same way races with telepathic and emphatic abilities are a mystery to us non-telepaths. That being said, I heard you lost your abilities. How is your recovery going?"

"Up and down," Ayren said. "I mean really, intense, beyond what I had experienced before. I can hear thoughts and feel strong emotions, and then as quickly as that comes, it disappears. Then almost nothing. It is better, but I don't think I will ever fully recover. The damage was too extensive."

Viren Col then asked her to elborate about it and she told him how they were 'stamped with different identities during an away mission, and their eventual escape after five months on a planet. She first discovered she had telepathic and empathic abilties and then her real identity started to break through the implanted identity. The more she used her abilities, the more the neuro-transmitter responsible for the same, psionine, increased. The psionine was also a barrier against the stamping. She was discovered and 'restamped' repeatedly. The last time was too much for her to bear and she nearly died. During their harrowing escape she started to realize something was very different. Back on the ship it was confirmed how severe the damage was. She had lost her abilities.

"I am far better now," she said. "So tell me ..."

"No, no... first tell me who you were," Col asked. He could see that there was more to her story.

"I was Erin, the owner of a large restaurant, called "Erin's Why Not.. It was a jazz club."

Col didn't answer, he just stared at her, peering into her eyes. "Oh come on!" she exclaimed. "Don't give me that look."

Viren placed his fingers on hers and softened the stare. "You know you can tell me anything..." Vorin Col said with exaggerated smoothness.

It made Ayren laugh. "I will tell you, but not just because you are better looking than Gorin, but because you *are* better looking than Gorin," she said to Vorin with a sweet smile. "I sang in my club.."

Her revelation led to some arguing back and forth, Vorin Col wanted her to sing a song and Ayren refusing. Eventually she capitulated. "Computer play Ayren play list 4, start with 'Temptation'" she instructed. Sitting on the armrest of the couch, she started to sing for him, and it was long before her selfconsciouness disappeared and she getting lost in the moment of the song. She was not the only one.

Vorin was entranced by her melodious velvety voice, husky in just the right places. He got up and took her in his arms, slow dancing to the of the music. She barely finished the last note before he lifted her up and walked to the bedroom. Gorin was too old when he met Ayren, but through Vorin, at long last Col could epxress the desire he had for her since the first day they met.

They spent a few days together, enjoying each other's company, and knowing that this liaison would only last for as long as their paths crossed. Viren Col was not a man to be restricted by rules and regulations. His opinion was that the Federation was a political institution organisation designed to futher the few's political's agenda using Starfleet to further their agenda. It was just exhausting for Ayren to argue politics and philosophy with 200 year old symbiont who claims to "have seen it all" and
a "nothing every changes" default stance. She cared for Col, but could handle only that much of him.

She was relieved when she arrived at Planitia Untopia and Vorin Col boarded their tranport to 'who knows where'. She was ready for her assignment and a new chapter in her life to begin. Following the instructions on her padd she made her way to where the USS Thunderbird was docked.

Once she cleared security and received her comm badge, she made her own way to her new quarters.


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Lt Ayren Kelan
Counselor

 

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