Memories

Posted on Sun Jan 12th, 2020 @ 6:41am by Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor

Mission: Challenge Missions
Location: NCC 71805 USS Endeavour
Timeline: 2383
1861 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

(Prolog)

Ensign Lia Holmes stood in line on the planet surface, next to her was Lieutenant JG Ayuki Megumi. Ayuki was Japanese and had taken the young Ensign under her wing. The pair had become firm friends and went everywhere together, in fact it was Ayuki who had slowly taught Lia the pleasures of Japanese society and culture. Lia's love of anime had also helped, to say it surprised Ayuki might well be an understatement. Lia had joined the Endeavour only eight months before, and hadn't made the best of impressions. This had made the young Ensign a loner, and she would be seen in the mess hall sitting on her own with a PaDD before her or a computer watching anime. It had been this later action which brought Lia to the attention of the Japanese Lieutenant, as she was reported for playing the sound track of her anime to loud. Lieutenant Megumi heard her native language even before she entered the mess deck, this shocked her as she was the only Japanese on the ship.

"Ensign, just what are you listening to?" Ayuki asked as she walked in, she stood with her hands on her hips. Lia looked up slowly, "Japanese anime Lieutenant, I would have thought a native of Japan would know her own language when she heard it". Holmes's sarcastic response didn't sit well with Megumi, "Attention Ensign!! Who the hell do you think you are?" Holmes stood rigidly to attention, "I think I'm on stand down Ma'am, and relaxing on my own as usual". Ayuki walked over to Lia, "On stand down? Isn't your watch on duty at this time?" Holmes nodded in response, "It is, but I was relieved of duty as being surplus to requirements Ma'am". Megumi now crossed over to where Lia stood, "Explain that statement Ensign". Lia looked at Ayuki, "As stated Ma'am, the Duty Officer relieved me as surplus to requirements. I guess you could say I don't fit their needs or their requirements". That last comment made Ayuki angry, "Let me get this right, your Senior Officer relieves you of duty as being surplus? Just who is this Officer?" Holmes took a deep breath, "Lieutenant Commander Winston Harper Ma'am".

The name stopped Ayuki in her tracks, Harper was the XO. Why would the First Officer effectively write off an Ensign? She now asked another question, her anger simmering even more. "Does the Captain know about this?" Lia looked at the floor, "I can't answer that question Ma'am, I've never met the Captain". Megumi sat down and tried to keep her anger under control, "Are you telling me, that you have never spoken to or even seen the Captain of this vessel?" Lia nodded, "Correct Ma'am". Ayuki now lost it, "Ok Ensign, enough with the fairy tales. You will tell me why you are here, and why you are absent from your duty post. Do you hear me?" Holmes simply stood at attention and remained silent. Megumi now contacted the XO, =^="Megumi to Harper, can you please come to the main mess hall. I have a problem I require you assistance with"=^=. The answer she got was a surprise, =^="If this is about Ensign Holmes, forget it. She isn't staying on board, she's insolent, useless, and I'm getting her transferred"=^=.

Lia now sat back down, "Like I said Lieutenant, I'm on stand down. As usual". Ayuki looked at the young Ensign, "Your an engineer aren't you? Care to tell me just what happened?" Holmes lent forwards leaning on the table, "I had a slight problem at the Academy, and the Officer concerned knows our First Officer. So when he finds out my posting, he tells Mr. Harper to ride me until I squeak then get rid of me by washing me out of the service". Lia's matter of fact way of relating her story shocked Ayuki, "So he's been giving you every crap job since you came onboard right?" Holmes nodded, "It's the sexual comments that get me the most, you see Mr. Harper is very clever. He only makes them when he knows there is nobody else around to hear them, no witnesses no evidence". Megumi shook her head, "I don't believe this, ok Ensign I have a suggestion. Transfer to my department, Security". Now it was Lia's turn to be shocked, "Won't happen, the XO won't let it". Ayuki just smiled, "You leave that to me, my Chief knows a few tricks. He'll get you transferred".

(Eight months later)

Now the pair stood on the planet surface, the best of friends and inseparable. Lia seemed to blossom in her new role in Security, even the XO had relaxed his vendetta against her. This away team was hunting a rebel force of heavily armed men, killers and thieves with no morals. Megumi had been given the patrol and the orders to find, engage, and wipe out any of the group they found. She commanded a team of around twenty strong, all well armed and well trained. Lia was the second in command of the patrol, she knew this little sojourn wasn't going to be easy. But Ayuki was in charge and she trusted her without question, forming up the patrol moved out.

As the countryside gave way to a forested terrain, the track the patrol moved along narrowed. Lia had fallen in behind Ayuki as she checked their direction and possible distance to the rebel group. Silence echoed in the patrol's ears, only a soft thud of footfall proved that sound was still around. Ayuki now called for a rest and fell the troop out on the sides of the trail, no food only sips of water. Any food stuffs would alert the enemy as the aroma would permeate around the area, Megumi sat slightly apart from the squad as she went over the map and co-ords. Lia stood with her phaser rifle at the ready, this was to easy surely the rebels had scouts watching them. She moved towards Ayuki, "Lieutenant, you think their watching us?" Ayuki nodded, "Be stupid to think otherwise, tell the troops to keep it quiet and watch where they step". Lia turned and passed the message on, all the while checking all around.

After about 15 to 20 minuets Megumi formed the patrol back up, two new point men went forwards and they all moved off. Things didn't seem to change terrain wise but the tree's became thicker, and as such the light faded and the patrol moved in almost total darkness. Ayuki refused to allow lights to be used, they were a "Dead Give-a-way" she had said. So the darkness became deeper and eye's strained to see just what was inches away, and that was when it happened. Ayuki was just ahead of Lia when a click was heard from under Ayuki's foot, before they had realised she had moved forwards and loud explosion followed. Lia only remembered the flash, something had hit her hard and knocked her down. All hell now broke loose as the rebels opened fired, the patrol spread out setting other booby traps off killing and injuring people. Holmes had by now managed to sit up, to come face to face with Ayuki laying across her legs. "Ayuki!!" She could see blood, lots and lots of blood. "Medic!!" Lia screamed, but their medic was already dead.

Cradling Ayuki in her arms she held her friend tightly, phaser rounds hit the earth all about the pair but Lia didn't move. Looking up into Lia's eye's Ayuki tried to speak, but the noise of battle made it difficult to hear her. Lia lent forwards and strained but heard only one word from her friend, "Gomennasai". Lia now felt Ayuki tremble slightly and go limp, she closed her eye's and prayed. Placing her friend down Lia now looked towards a group of rebels, she now picked up her phaser rifle and charged. The rebels had thought both Federation women dead, as they had observed no movement when they had fired on their position. Now a blood covered harpy vented her anger upon them, not one of the rebels survived Lia's visit. Adrenaline drove Lia onwards, but she had been wounded in the first attack and her loss of blood was beginning to tell. She fell forwards and waited for a rebel to finish her off, but the sounds of shuttle craft met her ears and the sound of running feet meant relief had arrived. Lia felt herself being pulled over and seeing a Star Fleet uniform, but she passed out with the pain shortly after that.

Two days later Lia Holmes came to in sickbay, she felt pain all over and she looked like a reject from a horror holo novel. Her first words were to the nurse, "Ayuki Megumi, did she......." The response of a slow shake of the head answered the question, "Sorry, she died on the planet". The nurse stated, she then turned and left Lia to process the information. But there was nothing to process, Lia had already known the answer before she asked. Ayuki had made sure of that, her simple final one word left nothing to doubt. "Sorry", the word echoed in Lia's head and tears flowed from her eye's. It took Lia several more days to fully recover, but she had a reason to get the hell out if sickbay. Ayuki's funeral, she just had to be there for Ayuki. And so at 18:00hrs the ship's crew came to attention and the torpedo case carrying Ayuki moved forwards with the Federation flag draped over it. The service was short but finally the Captain asked if anyone had anything to say, Lia moved to the front. But she wasn't dressed in her uniform, instead she was dressed in a Kimono. A deep blue with cherry blossoms and dancing cranes embroidered upon it, she hit the button to launch the torpedo. She then sank to her knees then bowed with her head on the deck, as Ayuki left the ship Lia uttered one word. "Gomennasai". Harper made to move forward but Captain Sylvester March stopped him, "Not this time No.1, just leave Lieutenant Holmes to me". The XO stared hard at his Captain, but Sylvester's hand remained to block his progress. "As you wish sir, but she's out of uniform". March nodded, "I have eye's, No1".

The crew dispersed and only Lia and the Captain remained, he now crossed to her crouched figure her head still touching the deck. "She's gone Lieutenant, you can raise your head. I think she wouldn't want you to be sorry, instead I think she would want you to go forward and make something of your career. Now please raise your head, and stand". Lia did as she was asked and stood facing the Captain, "I wish to ask for a transfer sir, my time on this vessel is over". March simply nodded, "I know, and I have a friend at Star Fleet Intelligence who can help. You'll report to Earth at the earliest date, good luck Lieutenant". Holmes simply reached forwards and hugged her Captain, "Arigatoh gozaimasu" was all she said.

OFF