Cherish Love While You Can (Content Warning)
Posted on Thu Feb 5th, 2026 @ 4:59pm by Civilian Kerilia Dosivi & Civilian Teevs Dosivi
Mission:
MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Spheia
Timeline: Federation Year 2389, After "Stranger Danger"
3668 words - 7.3 OF Standard Post Measure
"I think that was pretty successful," Teevs complimented. He and Saphse concluded a trade, some metal ores for a hefty set of credits. It was enough to repair several parts of the Spheia that had been deteriorating for several months now.
Saphse gave him a smile. "It was shaky for a while, but I'm glad they agreed." Her hand slid into his and gave it a squeeze. "But that should cover most of the repairs we need."
Teevs smiled at her and lifted their clasped hands to kiss hers. "You always have a way with words, pheya. It's why I love you so much."
"I thought you loved me because you thought I was hot," she teased with a wink.
A small blush coloured Teevs' cheeks as he remembered the rather embarrassing way he asked her out. "Can't a husband enjoy both?"
Saphse chuckled, moving closer to Teevs as they approached the bay where the Spheia was docked. "I suppose," she poked back, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
They entered the Spheia, but their smiles faded when they saw unexpected guests. Four Nelorin were in their space: two were going through the crates in the cargo hold, one was supervising them, and one was holding a child under one arm.
Kerilia, cheeks streaked with tears, was kicking and trying to get out when she looked up and saw her parents. "Mommy! Da-mmph!" A hand clamped tightly over her mouth. She couldn’t grasp the hand because her arms were pinned, so she shook her head to try and get her mouth free.
Saphse gasped and took a step forward, feeling Teevs' arm press into her to stop her. "Kerilia!"
Teevs felt his stomach drop as he saw Kerilia in danger. Recognising the species, he stopped Saphse before she could get too far. A slaver species like the Nelorin was dangerous, because they'd do anything to meet their quota.
Jir'aa scowled when the newcomers arrived. They weren't expected back so soon... it would certainly complicate their plans. She watched Teevs reach for the comms and drew her knife, resting it by the child. "Ah-ah," she warned.
Teevs' hand hovered over the comms as he glared at the knife in her hand. Slowly, he reluctantly took a step back from the controls. At least they had to get past him to leave; personal transporters, like personal weapons, were heavily restricted on this particular station. The odds were still against them, though. "What do you want, Nelorin?" He asked slowly.
The Nelorin sneered. "We are a few bodies short of our quota," Jir'aa responded. With the tip of the knife, she lifted Kerilia's chin. "You taught her well, Lonian. Teaching her to not let... how did she say it... Bebborins onto the ship? A pity she was never taught what we look like."
Teevs' breath hitched when he saw the knife touching his daughter's chin. It took every ounce of self control to not lunge for it, because he didn't want Kerilia to get hurt. Inside, he was seething.
Saphse also stood frozen, watching their daughter. She had to do something... she couldn’t let them take her away. Without thinking, she blurted out, "take me instead."
The unexpected words caught Teevs' attention, and he looked to Saphse. "Saphse, what are you doing??" he whispered.
That also caught the attention of Jir'aa. Her head tilted slightly. "Oh? A proposition?"
"Teevs, trust me," Saphse quietly said back. "If you let the child go, I will take her place," Saphse offered. She kept her hands where the Nelorin could see them as she took a very cautious step toward them. "Your species has a certain set of morals. What honour is there in stealing and tormenting a child? I'm a trader, I would surely be of more value to you. I can give you whatever you want. You can raid our inventory if you must. Just please, let her go."
Teevs stared in shock at Saphse. The idea of his wife being taken by these slave traders was unspeakable, but he couldn't let his daughter be taken either. Their weapons were in the locker behind the Nelorin, and he knew there wasn't a chance to defeat them without weapons.
Moving slowly, Saphse extended the datapad in her hand toward them so they could see the inventory. An involuntary gasp escaped her when one of them grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward them, a knife soon pointed under her chin and causing her to lift her head slightly. "I will do whatever you want, but only if you release my daughter." Her voice was surprisingly calm, perhaps a result of her years of negotiation skills, but deep down she was terrified.
Kerilia's shouts were muffled by the hand over her mouth, but the tears streaking down her face conveyed everything her parents needed to know. Her kicking stopped when she felt the ground underneath them, and a moment later, the hands holding her disappeared. Looking up, she whimpered as the Nelorin straightened.
The Nelorin who let the kid go growled down at her, then pushed her with her boot toward the other Lonian. "Go, you rat, before I change my mind!"
The kick pushed Kerilia to the ground. Crying, she scrambled to her feet and ran to Teevs. "Daddy!"
Watching the Nelorin kick his daughter filled Teevs with rage, but as long as Saphse was in their grasp, he couldn't do anything. He could only protect one of them right now. Picking up Kerilia, he looked at Saphse with worry. "I promise I will get you back, pheya," he said to her. Glaring at the Nelorin, he added, "I will rescue her, even if it means my life!"
Jir'aa gave Teevs a sickening grin. "Don't worry, you'll get her back sooner than you think." Before the little man could respond, the Nelorin spun her knife around and, in one quick motion, sliced diagonally from their hostage's abdomen up past her chest. It was deep, and almost instantly blood began to seep out of the wound.
Saphse cried out in pain when she felt the knife cut through her clothes and into her flesh. Intense abdominal pain settled in, causing her to hunch forward against the grip of the Nelorin. After a moment, she felt herself getting lightheaded and starting gasping for breath. The blood made her clothes stick to her skin. Her heart was pounding. Her head felt thick. She felt herself grow lightheaded, unable to keep herself upright.
The Nelorin holding their hostage got a nod from Jir'aa and let go of the woman, letting her drop to the floor of the ship's cargo hold with a hard thump.
Initially, Teevs was frozen in shock. He couldn't believe that the Nelorin just injured his wife. The Nelorin served slavers, why would they kill their hostages?? Unless it was Kerilia they wanted this whole time. Saphse collapsing to the ground snapped him to reality, and it hit hard. "SAPHSE!!!" he screamed. What could he do?? What could he do??
Thinking fast, Teevs ran toward the Spheia's aft entrance, where a small evacuation pod was hidden in the wall. Opening it, he quickly put Kerilia inside. "Stay here!" he said, before shutting the door and locking it. The Nelorin wouldn't take his daughter if he could help it.
"DADDY!" Kerilia screamed, pounding against the glass with tiny fists. She didn't want to be alone. What happened to mom?
Turning around, Teevs braced as a Nelorin shoved him into the wall. "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY WIFE!!" he yelled at the Nelorin. With an enraged yell, he pushed the Nelorin away enough to dash for the weapons locker. He knew Kerilia would be safe, the pod was incredibly durable, but he was not, and he needed protection. Stopping at the locker, he quickly entered the code to open the door. Throwing the door open, he grabbed his hand pistol.
Arms wrapped around him, pinning his hands to his sides. Thrashing in the grasp as much as he could, Teevs aimed for the Nelorin's foot before firing.
The Nelorin who grabbed the Lonian cursed in pain. "Ahk'vrah!"
The grip loosened enough for Teevs to get out, and he turned and shot the Nelorin in the chest, watching him crumple to the ground. A curdling scream made him whip his head toward the cargo hold, where he saw Kerilia holding onto the door of the pod as best as she could while another Nelorin was trying to yank her away. Rage in his eyes, Teevs aimed the pistol, making sure he wouldn't hit Kerilia, before firing. The Nelorin dropped as well, along with Kerilia.
The young child was terrified. Kerilia was sobbing, hands over her head and unable to move out of fear. Her body hurt from being dropped, and through the commotion she could see her mother unmoving on the ground between her and Teevs.
The female Nelorin sneered as she watched the scene unfold. This was out of control. Seeing her options dwindle, Jir'aa went for the child.
Teevs saw the female Nelorin go for his daughter and fired a warning shot in her path, forcing her to stop. "Leave my daughter alone, and GET OFF MY FUCKING SHIP!" he screamed at her. When she didn't move, he aimed the pistol at the Nelorin, the whine from the weapon indicating that it was charging up. "GET!! THE FUCK!! OUT!!" His weapon moved with each forced syllable, and when they still didn't move he aimed right above their heads and fired, raining sparks down onto them. "NOW!!!!!"
Jir'aa flinched at the warning shot above her head, the sparks burning her skin. They lost their cargo. Baring her teeth, she slowly backed out of the Spheia, the other remaining Nelorin beside her. This little Lonian was tougher than they had expected. Perhaps this was a good thing, because if the father was this fierce, maybe the child would grow up to be fierce as well.
Panting, Teevs kept the pistol aimed at the Nelorin until they were off the ship, slowly moving forward so he could still see them. He stepped between Kerilia and the Nelorin, hearing her whimpers behind him, and he reached for the door panel to close the aft door. The female Nelorin kept stern eye contact with him until they could no longer see each other, and once the door was shut he sealed the ship so they couldn't break in.
The immediate danger now gone, the pistol slid out of Teevs' hand and clattered onto the ground, leaving his hand holding nothing but air. He slowly turned his hand toward himself as it began to shake. His breath felt strangled in his throat. His mind was still in disbelief that Saphse was injured, but he needed to know if she was alive. With a shuddered breath, he turned around. The air was thick and uncomfortable with the three bodies on the floor.
She hadn't moved since she fell.
"Saphse... Saphse!" Teevs ran to her, stumbling to his knees as he began assessing the damage. Moving the fabric aside, he could see the deep gash through the blood. There was so much blood. Looking around, he scrambled for the medkit, his trembling hands losing grip of the box. The container burst open when it fell to the floor, spilling its contents, and Teevs kneeled again to quickly grab what he needed.
Kerilia sniffled as she watched Teevs tend to Saphse. She was afraid, confused, and hurting, but she wanted to know why mom wasn't moving. Slowly standing, she took cautious steps toward her parents, afraid to see what was happening but also needing to know for herself.
Teevs seemed to ignore Kerilia as he focused on trying to see how bad the injuries were. Dropping the handful of supplies next to Saphse, he fumbled with the medical scanner, his hands shaking so badly that it was difficult to press the buttons. He eventually turned it on, and he hovered the device over Saphse's body. A wave of relief washed over him when the device picked up a pulse, but it was weak.
Everything hurt. Saphse could pick up muffled noise around her. Did she lose consciousness? Slowly, and heavily, her eyes opened a crack. Teevs was above her, looking like he was afraid for his life. It took effort to move her hand, but after a moment she found Teevs' leg with her fingers.
The touch startled Teevs, and he looked down to see Saphse looking up at him. "Saphse, Saphse my love, you'll be alright," he assured, panic clear in his voice. Tears were rolling freely down his face as he looked between the scanner and his dying wife. He grasped her hand in his. "You-you'll be alright. I need- I need to- to get you to a- to a doctor..."
"Shh," Saphse quietly shushed him. "Is our daughter safe?" Her voice was barely a whisper in her attempt to conserve as much energy as possible. Her breathing was shallow, her chest barely moving with each breath.
Kerilia stopped when she got closer. There was a lot of blood. Dad was afraid. She had never seen him afraid. "M-mommy?" she choked out.
Slowly turning her head, Saphse looked to see Kerilia, equally in fear. A smile faintly crossed her lips, despite the pain she was in, and she weakly extended her other hand to the child. It was comforting when Kerilia approached and grasped her hand. It gave her assurance that her daughter was safe.
Teevs looked up at Kerilia, wishing she didn't have to see her mother like this. "Yes, she's safe," Teevs answered. "B-but you..." he took in a quick breath as he fought to keep his emotions under control. He needed to take care of her, now. "Y-you need a doc-doctor, pheya. I can- I can p-patch you up enough t-to-"
Saphse turned her head back to Teevs. "Teevs..." She gently squeezed his hand. "Take care of our daughter. For me."
A sharp knot ripped at Teevs' insides. "N-no! Nononono... don't say that- don't say that! We need you, Saphse! I need you!" The look she was giving him told him that she knew she was dying, and he clamped his eyes shut and sobbed. "I don't- I don't- I don't know how t-t-to do this without- without you..."
Reaching up with great effort, Saphse gently cupped his cheek. "My love, you'll... find a way... My love thrives... in both of you..." As much as she tried, she couldn't keep holding on. Her energy was gone, she felt cold. Her vision was dark around the edges.
The hand on his cheek was comforting, and Teevs leaned into it as he hiccuped through his tears. But then, the hand was gone. The alert that came from the device made Teevs' heart drop and his blood run cold.
Warning: no pulse detected.
Kerilia was holding onto her mother's hand. She could feel when mom's hand loosened and suddenly became unfamiliar. "Mommy..." Choking sobs came from the child as she realized that Saphse wasn't breathing anymore. She began to panic, torn between wanting to drop the hand and keep holding on.
Teevs' eyes shot open, and he saw her gaze staring through him, the hand that was against his cheek on the floor. "Saphse! No!" Dropping the device in his hands, he put his hands on her chest and began doing compressions, the blood making the fabric and her skin slippery. "N-no, come back!" Tears blurred his vision as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, making a seal and blowing air into her lungs. The device was still repeating the same alert, so he tried another round of compressions. Each press against her chest pushed more blood out of the gaping wound across her body, soaking his hands and staining his clothes. There was so much blood...
Warning: no pulse detected.
A brief moment of clarity forced him to get up and run to the nearest comms control. He slammed the button with his hand, streaking blood across the wall. "I need a medic to docking bay 26!!" He practically screamed to the station commander. He didn't wait for a reply, instead running back to Saphse. The impact on his knees was sure to leave bruises, but he didn’t care.
Turning back to the spilled contents of the medkit, he grabbed the cortical stimulator, a band with small pads that resembled electrodes on it. Lifting his wife's head, he positioned the band so the pads were on either side of her temple, then grabbed the scanning device off the floor and configured the stimulator. "Kerilia, stand back," he told his daughter.
Scared, Kerilia quickly moved away from her mother.
Pressing a button on the device, he looked up, desperation in his eyes. Saphse's body tensed from the stimulation, but her condition didn't change. "Come back, come back, come back..." he muttered to himself. Wiping away the blood that transferred from his hands to the device's screen, he activated the stimulator again. "Please, Saphse, my love..." he begged, trying again and again to bring her back. Each time, her body would tense and fall limp, but remain unmoving.
Warning: no pulse detected.
Frustrated, he threw the scanning device across the cargo hold, not caring if it broke, before trying the chest compressions again. He couldn't lose her. After the third time of forcing air into her lungs, his lips lingered on hers, hoping that his touch, his kiss, would bring her back. Through trembling lips, he whispered the word "please" repeatedly as he sat back up to continue chest compressions.
Eventually, he slowed, and then stopped, but not because he wanted to. His heart shattered. With a scream of agony, he leaned over Saphse's body as his grief reached its peak. He put his forehead on the back of his bloodied hands and sobbed, his body shaking with each gasping breath. She was gone. Saphse, the love of his life, was gone.
It was then that several transporter beams appeared in the cargo hold. Medics in white jackets were dropped off by the beam, and the instant they materialised they rushed over to Teevs. One carefully separated him from his wife and guided him to sit against the wall while two others took over assessment of the body. The fourth went to the child and tried to soothe her.
Teevs felt himself be moved. He fought them briefly, but his mind recognised the white coats before he could fully comprehend it, and after a few seconds he let the hands guide him. He was hyperventilating, unable to fully breathe. His body trembled. The only sound he could make was choked sobs.
The medic truly felt for the man. From what she was able to see, the injury to his wife was fatal, and to be soaked in her blood had to be traumatising. Still, she made sure he wasn't injured before gently working to help clean him up.
Kerilia didn't know what to do. She was curled up against a storage crate, trembling, and crying uncontrollably. Mom was dead, and dad was heartbroken. She couldn't look away from Saphse. Now more than ever, she wanted her mom. She wanted to feel her comforting hugs, the gentle affectionate tap on Kerilia's nose. The presence of the newcomers frightened her, and she pressed herself further into the crates.
The medic attending to her got down to her level and tried to make himself as non-threatening as possible. "It's ok, sweetie. I'm a doctor, I'm here to make sure you're ok."
Slowly, cautiously, Kerilia trusted him enough to let him scan her. There was a slash on her side from when the Nelorin grabbed her, and the medic healed it while offering gentle assurances to the child. She sniffled as he worked, shying away from him every time he got too close. Her scared eyes kept darting between the medic, Saphse, and Teevs, unsure of where to find comfort.
When the medic finished, he backed off from the child, knowing she was quite traumatised. No child should have to see this, and he felt for her. "Can I bring you to your dad?" He asked gently, offering a hand in a non-threatening way.
There was a long pause as his words slowly comprehended in Kerilia's mind, then she gave a small nod. She stared at his hand for a couple seconds before cautiously reaching out.
The poor child was terrified. Making sure to only grasp her hand and keep himself a calming presence, he stood and guided her over to her father, who was getting cleaned up by his colleague.
Once Kerilia started moving toward Teevs, she couldn't stop. Her vision blurred from more tears, and by the time she got close enough she was basically sobbing again.
A child's cry pulled Teevs back to some semblance of situational awareness. His red eyes focused on Kerilia and he pulled her in close without hesitation. He hugged her tightly, tembling from fear. It was almost both of them. The Nelorin almost took both of them from him. "It's ok, my love... I'm here..." he murmured, choking on his own words.
Glancing up, Teevs caught the eyes of one of the medics who had gone to Saphse. The medic's subtle shake of the head made him squeeze his eyes shut and hold on to his daughter for dear life. Grief ripped at his insides as he felt Kerilia cry into his shoulder. He broke down, hoping that it was just a bad dream, but this pain was far beyond any figment of his imagination.
It was going to be a very long night.
