LtCmdr. Talos Dakora - Strange Liaisons
Travis
((OOC: Just closing the loop on these tags that were still hanging out there!))
((Crew Quarters, Deck 03, USS Artemis-A))
Talos had been interrupted during the solemn task of securing LtJG Sarah O’Connell’s personal effects by Nathan Richards. Both of them, it seemed, were grappling with the guilt of her death and their involvement, though Talos supposed Nathan had it worse than he did.
Dakora: Yeah. I’m sorry too. ::Beat.:: I’m sorry that this happened, to both of you. But you did what you had to do, and I think you know that.
He dropped the knick-knack he’d been holding in the crate and stood, leaning against the wall behind him and crossing his arms.
Dakora: If anything, Nathan, it’s my fault. I’m the one who put us in that position. ::He paused and let out a long sigh.:: If you wear that uniform long enough you’ll have more of these moments– where doing what you must feels like doing something wrong. And, yeah, It feels like shit every time.
Richards: Yeah…
Talos reached over and pulled open one of the drawers in Sarah’s desk and continued moving the contents into the crate as he spoke. Whether or not the Engineer knew it, the words were for both of them.
Dakora: But here’s the thing: in the end, we have a choice. We can beat ourselves up over it and let it consume us until there’s nothing left, or we can accept that what happened here—Sarah’s death, and all the others we lost on F-Day for that matter— will not be for nothing.
He reached out and placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Dakora: If we find the strength to persevere, to rebuild, then we honor them. That’s how we make it matter. That’s how we move forward.
The Amity engineer stared out the window for a moment, catching sight of the wounded armada that had formed up around the damaged Sol Station before nodding.
Richards: That’s what we always do, right? Find the strength and rebuild?
With a resigned sigh, he turned to face Talos.
Richards: We can do it again.
Talos nodded once, slowly. He too had been wondering if they could rebuild– or if they even should– but it had all sort of clicked for him as he’d tried to reassure Nathan.
There really was no other choice. If he believed in what Starfleet stood for– and he did– then the only option was to see it through.
Dakora: We can. And We will. It just takes time.
Richards: Just…so many lives. ::Sighing:: I guess we can’t really dwell on it for too long, huh?
As he slid the drawer shut and placed the last of Lieutenant O’Connell’s things in the crate he offered Nathan a shrug.
Dakora: I think it’s ok to keep them in our thoughts, but we’ve got to find a way to let that motivate us, rather than bring us down. ::He picked up the crate by it’s handles.:: What we do from here forward, we do in their honor.
The pair headed for the door when Nathan spoke again.
Richards: What do you say, after things have settled a bit, I buy you a drink?
As he met the other man’s gaze, he realized how much his attitude toward him had changed in the space of a couple of days.
He’d gone from annoyed by –and frankly, a little jealous of– him due to the drama with Robin, to seeing him as someone he could depend on when it counted.
A wry grin appeared on Talos’ face as he shook his head and replied.
Dakora: You know, if you’d have asked me that a few days ago, I might’ve suggested you take a long walk out a short airlock. ::He managed a small chuckle.:: But now, Yeah. That sounds like a plan…
Their sprites raised just a little, the two men stepped out of the room and the door slid shut behind them as silence fell over the now-empty space. Before long, another Officer would come along and claim the space as their own, and eventually another. And So on.
They would rebuild.
Things would get better.
Because that was what Starfleet did.
[END SCENE]
LtCmdr. Talos Dakora
First Officer
USS Artemis-A
O238811CD0