Ensign T’Fearne - Back Through the Looking Glass [Part 2]
teayl.thorn
((B'Hala Excavation Site, Kendra Provence, Bajor, The Present Day))
The wind gusted past her face, tugging at her curls. T’Fearne’s consciousness snapped back to her body.
She was in a field outside; it was daytime. She looked down at herself and saw that her Bajoran clothes, even her playfully embroidered jacket, had changed into the sharp, clean lines of a Starfleet uniform. The golden trim of a security officer. She reached a shaky hand up to her ear to caress the familiar point of her Vulcan heritage. Her fingers moved next to her neck to gently brush the rank pip on her collar. She was back in her Vulcazoid body.
Scanning the scene, she noticed temporary shelters were being set up nearby, and a group of security personnel was gathering for a search mission. They were back at the excavation site—but where were her companions?
To the north, a shuttle passed overhead, its engines faintly rumbling in the distance. Something caught her eye as her gaze swept across the field—a flash of familiar white hair in a small crowd with other figures.
Her pulse quickened, and without thinking, she broke into a sprint, the pain from her shoulder momentarily forgotten She didn’t stop until she reached her friends. When she reached them, she saw Luxa—back in her sleek Caitian form—laughing and petting her luxurious tail. Nemes was brushing at her smooth arch of a nose and looking relieved but a little unsteady on her feet.
T’Fearne couldn’t suppress the grin that plucked at her lips. Relief flooded through her.
Lorana: We done it!
Luxa nodded for her to detain Xan, who had appeared back with them somehow.
Vrozek: If you’re going to arrest me, I want to be detained by Starfleet. I don’t want to be taken by the Bajoran government. I’ll take a Starfleet Penal colony over whatever the Bajorans would dish outl
T’Fearne::: raising a slanted eyebrow:: That decision won’t be up to me or you.
She gestured for him to raise his hands above his head as she began a perfunctory search of his clothes. Pulling several odd items from his pockets, but nothing like Lenik’s possessed avian artifact.
Lorana: Turn him over to the Bajoran militia. They can decide his fate.
T’Fearne felt her empathic sense clunk into gear with a wobbly spike of hope emanating from Xan at the mention of being arrested by the Bajoran Government, but after that brief flash, all she sensed was strange, confusing emotions that smelled like grapefruit and had the texture of soap bubbles popping on her skin. She couldn’t trust her empathic ability right now. It had been acting strangely since the battle with the lattice alliance troops aboard DS33, and now it was even more erratic. Something was wrong, and she knew she couldn’t ignore it for long, but talking to someone about this would have to wait.
For now, there were more pressing matters to address as Nemes broke the spell of preoccupation.
Nemes: This was not the rescue mission I had expected.
Though the young scientist was smiling slightly.
Xan put his hands behind his back as he waited for the cuffs in a show of acquiescence until he started talking and gesturing wildly.
Vrozek: How many bars of gold-pressed latinum would it take for you just to let me know and we can pretend this ::waving his arms around:: never happened.
T’Fearne didn’t even dignify that with a response. She swiftly captured his arms that had flown up to provide emphasis to his remarks and secured his wrists behind his back—thankful for the return of her Vulcanoid strength.
T’Fearne::: shaking her head:: You’re asking the wrong person, Vrozek. But feel free to keep talking. You’re doing such a good job of incriminating yourself that we can add attempting to bribe Starfleet officers to the list of charges.
Nemes: :: pointing at her leg:: I'd better have a doctor look at this.
T’Fearne winced in sympathy and agreement, her shoulder was particularly painful.
Vrozek: ::begging:: Please, I have the latinum, I’m good for it!
As the Bajoran militia led Vrozek away, she heard him trying to convince them that he wasn’t a criminal, just misunderstood.
oO Good riddance. Oo
She whipped her hands on her uniform pants. Lenik had been a fanatic, but Vrozek was a reptile, and if she never saw either of them again it would be too soon.
T’Fearne shook her head, dismissing the thought. For now, at least, the task at hand had been completed. Lenik’s twisted path had ended. Vrozek would face the consequences. And whatever remained of the past they’d altered, whatever fractures still lingered in the timeline, would have to be dealt with in time.
She focused back on her comrades. For a moment, the weight of everything they’d endured seemed to lift, replaced by the quiet realization that their mission was over. The past was behind them where it belonged, and now, the future awaited.
Looking around, she finally noticed that someone was obviously missing.
T’Fearne: Wait, where is Alieth?
[No Tags / End Mission for T’Fearne]
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14