An Aithris airson Teaghlach a tha air a dhreuchd

Posted on Sat Oct 27th, 2018 @ 6:21am by Ensign Kara Hoffman

Mission: Season 2: Mission 2.A: R&R
Location: Scotland Earth/U.S.S Elysium
Timeline: 2383/Present
771 words - 1.5 OF Standard Post Measure

An Aithris airson Teaghlach a tha air a dhreuchd
(The Ritual for Departed Family - Scottish Gaelic)


A rustic redwood-clad room sat dust filled and half empty of furniture. Kara, just a teenager sat by the log fire. It's embers flicked and floated forth from the grating, the warm orange caressing her cheeks as the cold winter's eve outside saw heavy snowfall. A low wheezing could be heard behind her, where her grandfather sat. Bald headed, wrinkled and tired his eyes half closed. His mouth open a touch, as air moved in and out with effort. She turned to look at him for a moment, her big brown eyes mottled with tears, discoloured from the light of the fire's glow. As if awaoken by an old friend gentle and kind, Pyke's eyes opened almost fully, as he struggled to breathe. "kara, come...come to me child. I feel it's time to tell you." He paused, as he coughed. The sound echoed throughout the room as if they stood in a church hall.

Kara loved her Grandfather but she would have to leave him soon, knowing she would probably never see him again. Three months until she started her Starfleet Engineering Course, she knew time was short. Pyke always dressed traditionally Scottish. His patchwork tartan Kilt, and bonnie red tartan shirt. He refused to wear anything else. "Character! Passion! Loyalty! Most of all Patriotism to one's birth land!" She remembered once, when she was younger her Grandfather spoke those words during Christmas dinner. The family would laugh, often mocking him behind his back, he knew. She always admired his way of not letting anyone sway his decisions. He owned them, whether they were right or not.

"Kara I have a treasured possession for you. Keep it safe." Pyke held out his hand slowly, he trembled and shook as she fully turned to accept this possession with both hands. "It's the second part to that hair clip that Helena made for you." He swallowed and took a slow inhalation of air. "I'm sorry it's taken so long to fix it up." He eased himself back onto the chair fully, sighing. "Kara we both lost Helena, and now your going to lose me child. Not now but soon perhaps. I want you to take this with you and think of it, as taking Helena and I on your adventures. We'll keep you safe. You've always been one to dream of the stars, I hope you make it."

As kara opened her eyes she found herself in her quarters, at her desk. The lights were off she must have dozed off. She knew what she had to do. Today was after all the anniversary. The day she lost her Grandfather. There was only one thing to do, she was not religious in any way. However every year on this day she practised a certain ritual with dignity and honour. Her Grandfather had his beliefs, that it is more often than not, a church in which the family go to for a unique blessing and healing of the mind and soul during and after hard times in life. She would take part in the drinking of the wine and eating of the bread in a church. Not particularly Scottish, but christian. A faith belonging to earth from centuries past.

She lifted her tired body from the chair and as quiet as she could to not disturb Gallia and Tayalas who were both sound asleep, she moved moved to the back end of the room and opened the drawer on the wall. Inside the drawer which nobody possibly could have known about, as it was expertly hidden, she took out a tiny bottle of earth red wine and a small metallic box. Closing the drawer she smiled, as a tear rolled down her cheek. Taking the items back to her desk, she opened the small bottle and box, which inside was a beautifully crafted bread slice. Engraved into the bread were beautiful Celtic symbols and swirls, crafted by an expert Baker back home from this very occasion.

"May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. May the rain fall softly upon your fields until we meet again. May God hold you in the hollow of his hand. Rest in piece Grandfather Pyke and Grandmother Helena. Thank you for sharing your life with me, allowing me to share mine with yours." She whispered before picking up the bottle and draining the contents and quickly biting into the bread.

"Fois dhut. Rest in peace."