[ussbansheec] The Bearer of Good News
- From: Korem Jaska <Haku_Mele@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:02:58 -0500
_The Bearer of Good News
_by Kestra Riker & Adonis Kaartaren
/"There is good news tonight"--Gabriel Heather /
Her last appointment had left her office an hour ago but Kestra was
still transcribing and reviewing her notes. The young man was having a
hard time dealing with a duty related injury and his reassignment to
Earth. It was a fairly straight forward case so it hadn't brought down
her more relaxed mood. Since her grandmother's arrival, the older
Betazoid had insisted that Kestra practice traditional Betaziod
meditation with her in the mornings and evening, and Kestra had to admit
that she was being to feel more focused and at ease with herself.
Apparently old people did know a thing or two, she thought with a smirk.
"You're finished for the day," a young man said softly as he entered the
office. "You should head home early."
Kestra looked up from her work and smiled. George had been her yeoman
since she'd taken the Earth bound assignment. "I'll get more work done
here. My grandmother's still staying with me."
George smiled which made his odd orange/yellow eyes even brighter. "I
like your grandmother."
That made the raven haired young woman laugh. "You would. Oh, that
reminds me. I need my dress uniform from the cleaners. I'm having dinner
at the embassy this evening."
"I'll pick it up and have it here for you shortly," the young man
replied as he tapped at his handheld padd.
A moment later Kestra's comm unit beeped. Glancing over, she cause the
flashing line at the bottom of the screen that said the call was
priority and that it was coming from DSVP. "George, I need to take this."
George nodded which caused his curtain of copper hair to cover his pale
face. "Of course. I'll be back with your uniform and lunch."
Kestra smiled at her yeoman and then turned back to her comm unit. Her
features shifted to a more serious look yet remained soft and
comforting. Reaching over she tapped in her access codes and the waited
the second or two it took for the Federation seal to be replaced by the
vestige of an auburn haired young woman with bright blue eyes and a very
Borg looking implant over her eye. "Gretchen, this is a surprise."
The young security officer nodded once in a way that reminded people of
her mother. It amused Gretchen Janeway to try and figure out which of
her mothers scared people more, the admiral or the former drone.
"Isabella asked me to notify you when there has been news of Banshee."
At the name of the missing ship all of Kestra's senses became
heightened. "You have news?"
A small smile tugged at Gretchen's face. "This is not yet public news.
Admiral Kaelyre will be hold a press conference soon, but Isabella said
you have a friend with an emotional connection to the families and that
you promised to let him know what was happening."
Kestra nodded. "Adonis: he was the former counselor on the project. He
worked closely with the families, I felt it was only right he get to
keep doing so, no matter what certain people think."
Gretchen smiled a little more at that. She respected those of her
fellows who were willing to take a stand when it was needed. "Then you
should tell your friend that he can tell his families that we have
received confirmation that Banshee is home."
It took several moments for that to sink in. Black eyes blinked once,
then blinked again before Kestra said, "Say that again?"
Gretchen laughed. "Banshee passed back through a wormhole created by Dr.
LeBeau aboard Tempest. They're home, Kestra, Banshee's home. Captains
Hale and Davis are making contact with her crew as we speak."
"Bless the Gods," Kestra whispered.
"Everything will be made official within hours, but Isabella said there
were promises to be kept so I'm letting you know." Gretchen said with a
slight nod. "If there's questions they'll be answered shortly, though."
"Thank you, Gretchen," Kestra said as she processed it all. "I need to
call Adonis."
Gretchen nodded. "You do that. I look forward to sharing a drink with
you when I return to Earth."
Kestra smiled as she nodded. "Rounds on me."
Several moments ticked by as Kestra let what she'd just found out sink
in. So many people would be beyond happy, and yet something dark still
lingered in the aura of Banshee that she couldn't explain but knew was
there. Shaking off the darker thoughts Kestra reached for her comm unit
again and tapped in Adonis' code.
That was it. He was hiring movers. There was no way in hell that he
was moving all the boxes he packed. Adonis sat down on a box and simply
took a breath. The movers could get all the accumulation of years into
the Reston brownstone. It would fit. Now all there was to do was
shower and go see Maria. He was just about to that when the comm beeped
at him. Tapping the connection open, he grinned when he saw his
friend. "Why do you always catch me when I'm a filthy mess?"
"Must be a gift, I do the same thing to my brother," she laughed. There
was a light in her dark eyes, one that would be wide spread in a matter
of moments. "You might want to shower and put on your best uniform if
your going be working the rest of the day."
"I'm technically between assignments if not drummed out already,
Kestra," he snorted. "I got a personally delivered letter--a real
letter for heaven's sake--that informed me that I'm officially tossed
from Nath's command. Bastard's mad as hell at me and put an order of
cease and desist against me. Not allowed to call anybody unless I knew
them prior." He waved a hand at the box he was sitting on. "And,
anyway, my things are all packed so I have no idea where my uniforms are."
"Screw Nath, Adonis," Kestra said in a manner not at all like her normal
proper manner. The grin on her face was far more Riker than Troi, that
was for sure. "You're going to want to finish this, my friend. I just
got a call form Gretchen Janeway, she's Isabella's girlfriend, the one I
was telling you about? She's the chief of security on DSVP. She had news
about Banshee."
"Don't make me use psi this far way, Kestra. It gives me a headache.
Spill it, woman," Adonis said quickly.
"They're home, Adonis," Kestra said, her tone once again her normal soft
spoken tones. "They've found Banshee and brought her back through the
wormhole."
He rarely grinned that widely but he grinned so hard it almost hurt. "I
have to tell Maria," he said suddenly. "If Mr. Lynley doesn't know yet
then him, too, and my young friend from the park."
"It was that promise to your young friend that made Gretchen agree to
leak the news to me," Kestra admitted. "She has a sense of honor that a
Klingon would be proud of."
"That was very kind of her then," Adonis mused. "I'll have to thank
her. The kid doesn't trust too many people, certainly not me, but he at
least tolerates Maria and I would like to think this would help." He
grinned widely. "You know, I wonder if the planetary volume meter's
gone off scale or is going to."
Kestra laughed softly. "There are going to be parties all over the
quadrant."
Adonis shook his head and sighed. "And heartbreak, I'm sure," he said
softly. "I know at least one parent died in the ship's absence."
"You feel it too?" she asked with a soft sigh. "That dark lining that
still lingers around Banshee?"
"I certainly do. I'm too sane a man to believe in luck or fate but the
one person at the center of this all has a damned black cloud of poison
hanging over his name." The sour look on his face was unmistakable as
he thought about the man in question. "It's a sad thing to not see a
face you expect to see."
Kestra nodded her agreement. "The McEntires and one of the marines are
coming back just to find out their fathers are dead, and that's just an
example off the top of my head."
"Vincent Aigremont," he said quietly. "His son is an only child,
Kestra, and they're close."
She had a sudden urge to call her parents. "I can't even begin to
imagine the pain these people will feel."
"We'll see," he said with a sad shrug. "I just hope that all made it
back on the ship, too."
"Gretchen said the Admiral would be speaking with the press, but that
would likely be something that would come out later after she and the
counseling teams have spoken with the families." Kestra replied.
He muttered something under his breath, the words unclear though the
feeling was quite transparent. "At the very least, I know the Oroscos
on DSVP are good at what they do. My dad's know Jesse a long time and I
know Mariko."
"And if they need more help than that the conference my mother's at is
close to station," Kestra said instead of pointing out what a moron her
CO was. Nath would not be getting her yearly holiday cookies this year.
"Screw Nath. If Mr. Lynley asks me, I'm going to any get together they
have. I like the whole family and I'm also very curious to see what my
cranky young friend's family is like," Adonis said with a mischievous
glint in his eyes.
"Which family would that be?" Kestra asked, her gaze drifting for a
moment to a picture of her and Dominic. The last time he'd been home
she'd gone to his father's family homestead in Siberia and then they'd
gone to St. Petersburg. It had been a lovely trip despite all the missed
chances to talk about their futures. "I've meet the Munroes. Ms. Munroe
is very close to Dom's father, she calls him little brother, which is
really funny when you've seen Dom's father. He makes Worf look like a
tiny guy."
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea who the boy comes from. All
Maria would say was that his parents were both mutants," he said with a
shrug. "That coupled with the fact that his brother is aboard that ship
is all I know."
"There's still so few out mutants in Starfleet it wouldn't be hard to
find out," Kestra mused. "But from what I've gleened of this boy, it
sounds as if it would be better to allow him to give the information he
wants known more freely."
"Exactly. Digging, even out of curiosity, would kill any level of trust
he has with Maria and he rather likes her," Adonis explained.
Kestra smiled. "She's a very likable young woman. I'm so glad you woke
up before you lost the best thing to happen to you."
"Just for the record, we ran into each other by sheer coincidence and
then I practically begged her forgiveness," he snorted. "I know when
I'm an idiot."
"I don't believe in chance, I believe in fate," she replied in cheerful
way that made her sound like her grandmother.
He shook his head. "If you asked Maria, she'd say it was God's will. I
can't wrap my mind around that either so I'll settle on the coincidence."
"Well, however it came about I'm glad it did." She smiled. "It's good to
see you happy."
"Here's hoping that the returnees are just as happy then."
--
Whatever I now seem to be,
Yet more is to be found in me.
--James Dillet Freeman
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