Father, daughter time

Posted on Wed Nov 18th, 2020 @ 10:38am by Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Commander Sthilg

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Sthilg’s quarters
1654 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

{ON}

Alicia made her way along the corridor towards Sthilg’s Quarters, last time she visited it was for the ceremony to become Sthilg’s daughter now she had another reason. She had noticed he was bust rearranging his quarters after the mirror universe events but she had also come to realise that Sthilg hadn’t spoken to her or any of the Counselling team about his experience of the mirror universe and she found that unsettling. Having left Connor with Savar she stepped up to the door and pressed the chime.

Looking up from the table which he was using for book repair the old doctor looked up and gave a warm " Come in."

Stepping inside the door Alicia smiled warmly. “It’s only me father.” She paused and grinned it felt good to have a father again. “I thought I’d ...” she stopped herself. “I came to see if you’d talk to me about what happened in the mirror universe. I’m your daughter now, you can talk to me about anything.”

The gorn paused as he placed his tools down on the table. " I hope you can understand why I've not been wanting to talk about it. Finding out a thing with my face had been mutilating and raping my friendsss is sssomething that is very uncomfortable to talk about."

Alicia nodded. “Of course it is. I only met him once, he was the one who told me I was pregnant. He also slapped on a telepathy inhibiting collar. If it hadn’t been for Savar I’d have been packed off for sale, in his eyes I would either draw a buyer because I was pregnant or he’d abort my child so I could be sold easier.” She shook her head. “Savar saved my life and discovered he was going to be a father all at the same time.”

" He'sss a brave man and you're lucky to have him." the old gorn said his hands slightly shaking at the thought of his mirrors behavior. " Why do you think he ended up so evil and i didn't." he asked.

“There could be any number of reasons” Alicia moved across and sat on the sofa. “The universe itself was a brutal one, the violence of the Terran empire and their ways. Who knows what the Gorn in that universe were like, he could simply have served to save his own life but he had a sadistic streak about him that you simply do not possess. That’s something that I, for one, am very glad about. No one blames you father, none of it was your fault and I know it’s easy for me to say but you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

" I know, but part of me ssstill keeps on blaming myself. I mean he was mutilating and violating my friendsss, turning them into copiesss of my wife." the gorn said standing up and walking over to the picture on the wall. The Terrans had vandalized it, but it could be repaired. He looked at the image of his orion wife thinking of their short reunion in the hunting grounds. " Ssshassssou would never have wanted this no matter what universsse ssshe was in."

Alicia shook her head. “No she wouldn’t. I’m not even going to try and make excuses for him. I was lucky, the worst thing that version of me did was to be Captain Taylor’s woman, to love him and bear him a child. At first I cursed her before I came to realise she only did what she had to do to survive. To make her life the best it could be. I gained a son from it, because she wanted Connor to be safe. To be away from Taylor and all his enemies.” She offered a smile. “In this universe he can live in safety and grow up a better man than his father.”

" Indeed my grandson doesn't know how lucky he is. He has a mother who will do anything to keep him safe and make sure he get'sss the bessst life possssible. " he said giving her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder.

Alicia smiled. “Plus you have a daughter who will do anything to see you live a long and happy life.” She placed her hand on his. To be honest I’m glad I have you to care for me both as my father and my physician.”

" And I'm glad I have sssuch a wonderful councilor and daughter. Would you like sssomething to eat I've been doing some more cooking?" he said calmly.

Alicia nodded. “I would like that very much. Savar is doing some father, son bonding with Connor while I’m away. I made him promise he’d call if he needed me for anything.” She looked at her Gorn father curiously. “So what have you been cooking?”

" Chicken and noodle sssoup. " The doctor said stepping into the kitchen which was still in the process of being rebuilt. A small portable stove was on a counter with a pot which the lizard returned from with two bowls of soup and some more of his cornbread.

“Mmmm that smells delicious!” Alicia grinned. “I can cook but I think you could teach me to be an even better cook.”

" Being over two hundred does allow you to pick up a few ssskillsss that i will happily passss on." the lizard said.

Picking up some cornbread Alicia politely dipped it into her soup before taking a bite. It was quite hot and the flavours were amazing. She dipped and ate a little more before pausing to speak. “So can I help you finish off your quarters? I enjoy d.i.y. I’m a dab hand at assembling things.”

" I do need a hand repairing a few of the bookssshelvesss." replied Sthilg as he pointed over to a pile of bookshelves awaiting assembly.

“Then once we’ve eaten I’ll help you.” Alicia smiled. “Connor won’t need a feed for a while longer yet and if he does Savar will call me. The least a daughter can do is help her father.” She ate some more of her soup and corn bread enjoying every mouthful.

" Thank you." The gorn replied as he ate his own soup and bread in his species' own way of eating. Placing his empty bowl down on the ground he waited till Alicia had finished before taking her own bowl along with his own to the kitchen.

Alicia smiled as she got up and moved over to the bookshelves that needed assembling.“So tell me more about what it means to be the daughter of a Gorn.”

" It meansss much the sssame asss any daughter is to her father. " The gorn said as he sat down to help her. " Hisss job is to protect her and provide her with the necceary ssskillss to sssurvive. My own father made sssure all of my eggmatesss could hunt, build, and defend ourselves as much as possible. " he explained.

“In that case would you teach me?” Alicia gave Sthilg a curious look. “I’m obviously trained to Starfleet standards where self defence is concerned but I’d like to learn to defend myself better especially now I have a family. Learning to hunt and build would be a plus.” She sorted out what tools and parts she needed to start assembling the bookshelf.

" I'd do my bessst, but remember your old man was the worssst in his egg clutch. There was a reassson i ended up an apprentice to the village healer and not hunting or cutting up the wrecksss for scrap." The gorn said with a chuckle.

Alicia laughed. “In that case How’s about you impart your medical knowledge to me instead.” She started piecing together the first part of the bookshelf as she spoke. There was something incredibly fascinating about using tools to build things instead of relying on replicators for prefabricated parts. “I do have basic medical training but that’s it.”

" My dear I would be honored," he said as he helped before picking up the next piece of the bookshelf. " Isss there any part you'd like to ssspecialissse in i know a great many fieldsss."

“Now that is a good question” Alicia paused to think about it. “I’m a mother now so I’d like to learn more about paediatrics, I want to know what to do in an emergency.” She pieced together her first part of the bookshelf and started on the next piece.

" I'm sssure i can tell you all of what you could want to know and more my dear. I was learning how to help bring life into thia world before your mother was born and with toolaas that the Klingonsss could provide. " The gorn said with a hint of pride.

“Then I’m glad to have you as my doctor as well as my father.” Alicia grinned. “I want everything to go well with this pregnancy and I know with you looking after me it will. Plus I’ll be able to learn from the best!”
She moved to sit with her back resting against the wall, having a fair sized bump tended to pull her centre of gravity forward.

The gorn smiled at that a slight twinkle in his eyes. " Thank you my dear. I'll do my best to passss on as much knowledge I have as possssible."

Smiling Alicia set about helping to put the rest of the bookshelf together, she was glad to have this personal time with Sthilg and very proud to be his daughter.

The gorn smiled as he and his adoptive daughter raised the new shelf into place. As he gave her a hug he reassured himself that he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Lieutenant Commander Sthilg
Chief Medical Officer
USS Elysium

Lieutenant Alicia Kelea-Salik
Chief Counsellor
USS Elysium