Posted April 22, 2021, 2:33 a.m. by Lieutenant River Styxx (OIC Marine) (Nathan Derricutt)
Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in Rivers quarters - ghosts of the past (Tag CNS)
Posted by Lieutenant River Styxx (OIC Marine) in Rivers quarters - ghosts of the past (Tag CNS)
(snip)
Revna took the small figure and ran a thumb over it. They had been well loved despite the fire damage. The missing antenna seemed a fitting tribute to those who were lost, either to death or the shadows. And there were so many. “You probably couldn’t tell the difference across the comms, but we, the ships arriving with the fleet, heard that transmission and we joined you, our crews and the honoured dead.” Revna’s gaze was very very far away for a moment lost to her own memories and the monsters there. With a sigh and a slight smile she handed back the small figure. “Perhaps not the best craftmanship by your judging but I’m sure these meant the world to your daughter and brought her a sense of love and safety when she knew you were fighting so hard.”
Lt Edman, CounselorRiver nodded “Lilly kept them on a shelf above her bunk in the bunker. we where lucky enough to be near the command centre when the attack began, and she was given a space inside the command bunker, with the rest of the senior officers families. Even though I was only a sergeant. She did this thing when I lost a member of my squad. she would turn the figure around. She said it symbolised that even though they where gone, they where still watching over her.” she said fondly as she lined the wooden figures up.
“I suppose I was lucky. I only lost one of my nearest and dearest, my squad, to the darkness. The others didn’t die from the neurotoxin, they weren’t lost to the mutagen. They died fighting. Chi’man was shot, William was caught in an explosion and Ini was killed when a fighter crashed into her sniper’s nest. I sounds terrible to think of them as lucky. but seeing as what could have happened to them. I can’t help but feel they had luckier deaths.” River scoffed “I guess that must make me sound pretty morbid.” she added.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
Revna shook her head, “No it’s not morbid. In the end we all die, we all have a wish for how we should die just as much as how we live. To contemplate mortality is not morbid but a condition of being mortal. It is not wrong to be glad they didn’t suffer. That it was quick and probably mostly painless. In my culture, to die after terrible suffering is an insult to the life the person led. ‘Hjarta mitt,” the strange word rolled off her tongue carrying quite a bit of emotion with it, “died fighting. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Your Klingon and Romulan comrades would agree.”
Lt Edman, Counselor“That’s the truth. I made goods friends from both races. sub commander Te’lee and General Mar’chuk, are the two that come to mind. In fact Mar’chuk and i still contact each other. He says that I should leave the federation and join his crew. that a warrior such as myself is wasted in star fleet.” River said chuckling “To which I remind him I’m a marine I’m not officially part of star fleet. but friendly advice, if you ever meet Mar’chuk don’t get into a drinking match with him.” she added
Revna shook her head, “I have yet to meet a Klingon who has met a Viking. I may not be able to out drink him but I would certainly be interested in seeing if I could match him drink for drink.” Revna didn’t drink often but she could more than hold her own. “He sounds like a very honorable man, and I would be greatly honored to meet him. But he is right. The Federation does not recognize our warriors as they should. It is a great honor he has offered you.”
“Now that is something I would like to see. I’m not sure who would win that one. Perhaps one day you will get to meet him” River said happily, well happily for River anyway.
Revna grinned, “I wouldn’t expect to win, but I bet I get a great story out of it.” She inclined her head slightly, “I would be honored to meet such a man.”
“I had to talk him down when I got arrested. Otherwise star fleet would have lost a few men to a very angry Klingon. The Sub commander Te’lee organised a new lawyer for me as the one i was given to begin with was useless. You can imagine how shocked those admirals where when they where faced with a Romulan as my lawyer. Never get into a legal battle with a Romulan.” she said it was clear the memory amused River.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
“I had this misfortune of getting into a debate with a Romulan once. It is not a mistake I would make again. They are masters of interpretation and using it to their advantage. You are blessed in your friends, River.”
Lt Edman, Counselor“I hope I may count you among them as well.” River said kindly “I have always thought i was lucky to have the friends i did. It so easy for someone who grew up as I did, to fall into crime and all manner of other misdeeds. they then either end up in a prison or in the ground.” she added before fishing out an old coin form Lillys box.
Revna certainly would consider River a friend and she smiled and nodded her head, but didn’t want to interrupt River.
“In fact that’s how I met Lilly. She was in an orphanage. Her parents where in a shuttle accident. Her Father was killed on impact but her Mother lived but only just. The docs had to make a choice, save the unborn lily or her mother. Her mother pleaded fort hem to save Lily. And they did” River said twirling the coin between her fingers “She tried to pickpocket me. But she wasn’t skilled enough. I applauded her skill and she ran off. After that i tried to figure out where she was from.” she added.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
“She was lucky. Anyone else might have been very cruel to her. She was fighter, a survivor, like you. It’s amazing the ways our choices, or our lack of choices, brings us to people and places that can so impact our lives.” She eyed the coin, “Was that what she tried to pick-pocket?”
Lt Edman, Counselor
River nodded “Yep. She saw the glint when i took it out of my pocket as I sometimes did” she said handing the coin over to Revna. It was an old pound coin, the gold had faded and it was dirty but it was still easy to tell what it was “During basic we did a survival week. We where given a small backpack with a handful of supplies and told to survive a week. So I found a cave not far from a river, set up my camp and started fishing. I caught this. I had never seen an actually coin. I mean it’s been hundreds of years since coins where used. So I saw it as good luck charm.” she added smiling “I kept it with me wherever I went.” She said.
“Lily saw the gold and thought it was worth something. When i came to the orphanage she thought I was going to press charges or have her shot. She had heard skewed rumours about Marines executing people who broke rules. I told her it was only in war we did that.” she said after a short pause.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
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