Intermission – Taking You Home
by Lieutenant Commander Steve Wyman
Post Details
ON:
Slowly, the flag draped casket moved through the airlock, flanked on either side by a pair of dress uniform clad security crew. It was a somber occasion, and nobody was looking at their upcoming trip to Earth as a vacation.
Steve watched the casket emotionlessly. He only had one duty now, and that was to see his old friend safely home. As it passed through the airlock and into the waiting transport ship, slung the ceremonial phaser rifle he had been holding over his shoulder. "Honor guard - dismissed!" he barked. With practiced precision, the small force fell into ranks and marched in behind their quarry.
Once the honor guard and the casket had disappeared around the corner, Welshy sniffed back a tear. "Good luck, Steve. We'll hold down the fort for you."
"I'll miss you, Daddy." Gwen had tears running down her rosy cheeks, which she unceremoniously wiped away with her sleeve.
Crouching down in front of his daughter, Wyman smiled softly. "I'll miss you too, baby. But I need you to be a big girl for Mommy while I'm gone. She's going to have a lot of work to do, and she can't be worried about you getting into mischief. Okay?"
Gwen almost comically nodded her head rapidly. "Yes, Daddy."
"Good girl." he said, pulling her into a hug. Lingering in this moment of fleeting happiness, Steve was reminded of the innocence his little girl lost a matter of days ago. Finally letting go, Steve rose to his feet and turned toward his wife. "Keep the rabble in line. Straggard's going to need the help putting this place back together. So I guess he's lucky he has the best damned engineer's mate in the fleet on his team."
"Stop flattering me and get Sharas home, you big lug. Drakt's waiting for the both of you." Ceridwen smiled weakly, not wanting to lose her composure in front of Gwen."
Snapping off a salute, Wyman smiled weakly. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll see you both in a few weeks, and I'll call when we rendez-vous with the Cavalry."
Welshy returned the salute. "You'd better, Lieutenant. Now fall out."
Nodding wordlessly, Wyman turned away from his family and walked through the airlock - glancing once over his shoulder before rounding the corner.
The captain of the transport ship was waiting for him a short distance down the corridor. "Your people are settling into quarters. I've got the remains in a VIP suite on deck three, and you've got the next room over. If you need anything, just let me know."
Wyman gave him a once over - tall, older, probably retired Starfleet from the way he carried himself. But most obvious of all was his species - Andorian. "We'll try to stay out of the way Captain. Thank you for taking the time to serve as a funeral barge; I know I couldn't offer much in the way of payment..."
Steve was cut off mid-sentence by a large blue hand raised in protest. "You'll speak nothing of money, Lieutenant. It is an honor to bring a fallen brother even part of the way home. Now go try to relax. We'll set off immediately, then it'll be about a week before we reach Earth."
The same weak smile his family had elicited crossed Wyman's face again. "Thank you again, Captain. And if there's ever anything I can do to repay your kindness - don't hesitate to ask."
OFF
Lt. Steve Wyman
Chief Engineering Officer
by Lieutenant Commander Steve Wyman
Post Details
| Title | Taking You Home | |
| Mission | Intermission | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Commander Steve Wyman | |
| Posted | Sun Apr 27, 2014 @ 8:09am | |
| Location | Airlock 12 | |
| Timeline | SD 82 1100 |
Slowly, the flag draped casket moved through the airlock, flanked on either side by a pair of dress uniform clad security crew. It was a somber occasion, and nobody was looking at their upcoming trip to Earth as a vacation.
Steve watched the casket emotionlessly. He only had one duty now, and that was to see his old friend safely home. As it passed through the airlock and into the waiting transport ship, slung the ceremonial phaser rifle he had been holding over his shoulder. "Honor guard - dismissed!" he barked. With practiced precision, the small force fell into ranks and marched in behind their quarry.
Once the honor guard and the casket had disappeared around the corner, Welshy sniffed back a tear. "Good luck, Steve. We'll hold down the fort for you."
"I'll miss you, Daddy." Gwen had tears running down her rosy cheeks, which she unceremoniously wiped away with her sleeve.
Crouching down in front of his daughter, Wyman smiled softly. "I'll miss you too, baby. But I need you to be a big girl for Mommy while I'm gone. She's going to have a lot of work to do, and she can't be worried about you getting into mischief. Okay?"
Gwen almost comically nodded her head rapidly. "Yes, Daddy."
"Good girl." he said, pulling her into a hug. Lingering in this moment of fleeting happiness, Steve was reminded of the innocence his little girl lost a matter of days ago. Finally letting go, Steve rose to his feet and turned toward his wife. "Keep the rabble in line. Straggard's going to need the help putting this place back together. So I guess he's lucky he has the best damned engineer's mate in the fleet on his team."
"Stop flattering me and get Sharas home, you big lug. Drakt's waiting for the both of you." Ceridwen smiled weakly, not wanting to lose her composure in front of Gwen."
Snapping off a salute, Wyman smiled weakly. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll see you both in a few weeks, and I'll call when we rendez-vous with the Cavalry."
Welshy returned the salute. "You'd better, Lieutenant. Now fall out."
Nodding wordlessly, Wyman turned away from his family and walked through the airlock - glancing once over his shoulder before rounding the corner.
The captain of the transport ship was waiting for him a short distance down the corridor. "Your people are settling into quarters. I've got the remains in a VIP suite on deck three, and you've got the next room over. If you need anything, just let me know."
Wyman gave him a once over - tall, older, probably retired Starfleet from the way he carried himself. But most obvious of all was his species - Andorian. "We'll try to stay out of the way Captain. Thank you for taking the time to serve as a funeral barge; I know I couldn't offer much in the way of payment..."
Steve was cut off mid-sentence by a large blue hand raised in protest. "You'll speak nothing of money, Lieutenant. It is an honor to bring a fallen brother even part of the way home. Now go try to relax. We'll set off immediately, then it'll be about a week before we reach Earth."
The same weak smile his family had elicited crossed Wyman's face again. "Thank you again, Captain. And if there's ever anything I can do to repay your kindness - don't hesitate to ask."
OFF
Lt. Steve Wyman
Chief Engineering Officer