<USS Avalon> "One Mystery Two Many" by Ensign Redgrave and Cmdr Skyler

One Mystery Two Many
written by:
Ensign Melanie Redgrave & Cmdr Skyler

Skyler was still standing over Flubb's body watching and waiting. Medical had 
arrived and was beginning it's preliminary assessment. It was obvious to 
everyone present that Flubb was dead, however protocol's had to be followed. 
The 
scene had to be protected and the room had to be secured. As she stood there 
lost in thought, a young woman approached her.
 
"You called for forensics, Commander?" Melanie asked as she stood there 
looking at Skyler. Then she looked over at the body of the captain, and then 
around 
at the room taking in as much detail as she could. She opened her case and 
removed the tricorder, opening it. "What happened?"
 
Skyler was shaken from her daydream, if that's what you want to call it, by 
the voice of a young woman. "Well, I called for Ensign Daros, and who might you 
be? I don't think that we have been properly introduced yet? I am Commander 
Skyler the XO of this ship, now the Acting, CO I should say. As to what 
happened,   someone killed Captain Flubb. That is why I called for Forensics. 
So I 
ask again, who might you be?" Skyler looked at the young Ensign, perhaps a bit 
longer than she should have. She would have to talk to Georgia about her and 
see if anything special came up on her physical. If this stupid headache wasn't 
bothering her so much she might be able to sense more but as it was so she was 
trying to keep her walls up to protect herself from everyone's feelings at 
the moment.
 
Melanie knew full well who the woman standing mere feet from her was. "My 
name is Melanie Redgrave I'm the new ensign in forensics. Ensign Daros was 
unable 
to come at this time, but I'm sure she'll join us soon." Her eyes were green 
and Melanie couldn't take her own away from them. "I've brought what I'll need 
to start combing over the scene with your permission, Ma'am." 
 
Skyler noticed that this woman was staring at her and was curious as to why. 
This was not proper behavior for a junior officer to behave especially under 
these circumstances. She exited the room, making sure to leave the same way she 
entered so that she didn't disturb anything. "Ensign Redgrave will you please 
come with me." Skyler walked a few feet away from the room, but still within 
sight of what was going on. She wanted to make sure that she could see 
everything that was going on.
 
'Shit.' Melanie thought as she followed Skyler. In her head she had planned 
out the first time she'd see Skyler, she'd be professional almost icy, but 
clearly reality had it's own plans. Melanie erased all signs of emotion from 
her 
face. She took a deep breath and cursed the headache she felt beginning to 
thump behind her eyes. "Yes, Commander?" 
 
Skyler turned to look at the new ensign. "I am just a bit curious as to why 
you were staring at  me? It's a bit unprofessional don't you think? Especially 
under circumstances such as these. Now I would hate for us to get started on 
the wrong foot as they say. So if you can give  me a good reason I will let it 
slide, otherwise I will have to think about it."  Skyler seriously thought 
about letting her defenses down just briefly to see if she could sense anything 
from this person. She thought about it for only a second and decided to risk 
it. She let the walls come down and shuttered for a moment and leaned against 
the wall and immediately put the walls back up.
 
"Commander?" Melanie reached out as she watched Skyler head for the wall. She 
could feel her heart rate jump and her breath catch in her lungs. "Commander 
are you all right?" 
 
Skyler's headache was pounding twice as hard as it had been. She looked at 
the Ensign before her who was reaching out to touch her. "Don't touch me! It 
can't be! Who are you and what do you want from me?" Skyler clutched her head 
in 
her hands and started to slide down the wall as if gravity were pulling her 
down. She took the risk and now she was paying for it. "It can't be, it's not 
real. You're not real!"
 
Melanie looked stunned. She'd forgotten about Skyler being Betazoid. She 
knelt down in front of the other woman, careful not to touch her, careful not 
to 
let any more of her thoughts lose and out in the open. "Commander let me get 
the doctor." How could she have forgotten that? This wasn't how it was meant to 
happen, not here, not like this. What had she seen? Had she seen the truth? 
Had she seen who she was? She's had too, and now she doesn't believe it. "Stay 
there Commander I'll get the doctor for you."
 
"STOP! You are not going anywhere. Not until I know exactly what in hell's 
name is going on. Now I suggest that you start talking and you better make it 
good before I throw you in the brig. I know damn well that I don't have a 
sister. I never have had one so there is no way in hell that you can be my 
sister. 
So what exactly are you up to and who put you up to it?"
 
Her mouth dropped open and Melanie knelt there stunned. She didn't know what 
to say. She'd planned on telling Skyler who she was after they'd gotten to 
know each other. Finally she managed to choke out. "Not here." She looked 
around 
the room and the back at Skyler. "Not like this." 
 
Skyler looked at Melanie and couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What do 
you mean, Not here. Not like this? I can't very well leave in the middle of 
this investigation. I need to make sure the room is secure and that every 
protocol is being followed to the letter. So if you have something to say you 
better 
say it now."
 
"I can't explain it all to you right now. As you've said we're in the middle 
of an investigation. I need to comb over the scene and you need to run the 
ship." Melanie told her as she began to stand. She locked eyes with Skyler 
again, 
they were so much like her own. Her mouth felt like she was chewing cotton 
and her stomach was doing flip flops. "I promise I will explain it all to you. 
Everything from being found on that outpost to finding a DNA match in the 
medical records, to coming here to find you." 
 
Skyler stood up, straightened her uniform and looked at Ensign Redgrave. 
"What the hell are you talking about? What outpost? What DNA in the medical 
records? Ensign, you have a lot of explaining to do and I mean a lot. If it 
weren't 
for this damn investigation we would be having a very long talk and you had 
better have the right answers. Consider yourself warned." Skyler returned to 
the 
Ready room with Melanie behind her. Skyler was still in shock at what had 
been revealed when she let her walls down for that brief moment, but it was 
more 
than she wanted or needed to know at this time. There was already too much 
going on. Her head was pounding even worse than before but there wasn't a damn 
thing she could do about it. Upon returning to the scene of the crime, she 
discovered that the medical department was finishing up and soon it would be 
time 
to let Forensics take over. She turned and looked at Ensign Redgrave.  "Have 
you spoken of this to anyone?
 
"No Ma'am," Melanie answered as she opened her case and prepared to comb the 
scene, "but," She paused to think about wither it was wroth bringing up. "for 
a moment during my visit with Ms. Georgia she looked as me as if I looked 
familiar to her." Melanie looked up from her case, tricorder once again in 
hand, 
and made eye contact with Skyler. She was in pain and she was confused, Melanie 
had never meant to cause her any pain. She held the gaze a moment longer and 
then looked away quickly. She opened the tricorder, turning it on, and began 
to scan the area around the captain's body. 
 
Skyler watched as this new Ensign assumed her duties. Could she really be her 
sister? How could she have gone all these years without knowing? It didn't 
make any sense, but then when did anything in Skyler's life make sense lately.

Other related posts: