LtCmdr. Jarred Thoran: The Returned

[Randal Shayne]

((Many, many feels. Great stuff.)) 

 

((Alien Complex, Navatria, Arndall))

 

Dairro: Commander, come on, they’re closing on us. Leave him

 

::Jarred rubbed his eyes, with added pressure and rose to his feet. Green flashes buzzed passed, cracking in the air as they flew passed him. Risking a look back, he could make clearly make out the creatures, four emerald green eyes glowing in the dim light. They let out a screech as Jarred reached for his phaser and fired a few shots towards them when he heard Dairro cry out.::

 

::Looking to his side his saw his friend lay on the floor, blood oozing beneath her. He rushed over to her, continuing to fire towards the aliens. He crouched down beside her, ducking his head as he did so. From this distance the wound was obvious, a mess, as if she’d been shot by two different weapons at once. There was a dark red hole, blood pouring from it as if in slow motion, soaking into her uniform. She looked up to him their eyes locking, as he cradled her, each of them bathed in her blood. He could feel his face begin to crack as she smiled briefly, before her breathing became a noisy rattle and she began to cough, flecking Jarred’s face with blood. A split second later and she went limp in his arms. Jarred let out a roar, screaming into the walls. Green flashes continued to whizz past as he rose to his feet. He tapped at the display on his phaser, setting it to overload and flung it towards the creatures.::

 

::There was a temporary pause from the creatures as they looked at the device that now lay before them. He grabbed Dairro’s phaser & set it to maximum power and began firing at the creatures, striking one of them square in the chest, causing them to flail backwards into the others.::

 

::Jarred heaved the lifeless body of his friend onto his shoulders. With blurred vision he began to run. He had no idea how long he had been running when he felt the cool rush of air hit his face and squinted as the bright light stuck his eyes. Up ahead was a shuttle, the rest of his group stood waiting.::

 

((Runabout))

 

::He climbed up the ramp, in silence, not even acknowledging his friends and gently placed the body of Dairro on the seats that lined the interior, before collapsing to his knees.::

 

Mandak: ::Yelling up front.:: Boots up! Let's get outta here! ::She looked to Thoran, and began to check Dairro.:: Is she?

 

G'Renn: Yes.

 

::He looked with swollen red eyes, his face a picture of grief, of loss, towards the others, & solemnly nodded his head. He felt an emptiness in his heart and a numbness pounding in his head as his gaze fell back to the floor. He was numb, yet somehow in agony. He wanted to scream, to yell, anything to bring her back. She has always been there for him, a smile shining in her bright blue eyes. Now she lay before him, gone forever. Because of him. Slowly he raised himself up, rubbing his eyes as he did so, his voice trembling as he spoke.::

 

Thoran: Try to raise the Blackwell.

 

Mandak: I'll let them know we're enroute... Commander?

 

Thoran: Update them on our…

 

::He flinched, his mind still trying to process what had happened. All he wanted to do was to curl up, escape from the reality. But he had a job to do. He couldn’t fall down now, that would be a disservice to his friends memory. For the moment, he had to suck it up. To be strong.::

 

Thoran: ...situation.

 

Mandak: Aye... ::She moved to the comm station and took a seat.:: =/\= Blackwell, this is the Edith Keeler... Come in... =/\=

 

Blackwell: =/\= ? =/\=

 

Mandak: =/\=Party aboard... good to hear your voice... We've two casualties, a Valcarian and Crewman Dairro... quite a few injuries... But we're on the way to you now... Commander Thoran is still alive, and is still in charge of the element. Runabout Revan is lost. =/\=

 

Blackwell: =/\= ? =/\=

 

Mandak: =/\= Aye... Edith Keeler out. =/\=

 

::He slowly made his way towards the front of the shuttle, grasping every surface he could for support. Finally he half collapsed into one of the seats in the [...]pit. Resting his face in cupped hands, he closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. The image of Dairro lying there filling his mind, her eyes, helpless and fixated on him, her arm reaching out as she calls out to him.::

 

Mandak: Home is waiting sir...

 

::He glanced up for a moment, meeting Mandak’s gaze.::

 

Thoran: Yes. Yes it is Ms Mandak.

 

::Home. Mandak was right, the Blackwell had become his home. He felt closer to some of his colleagues than he did his own family. He recalled his recent visit back to his family on Alpha Centauri and the elation he had felt at seeing them all again. But it hadn’t felt the same. He’d missed the hum of the Blackwell. The hustle and bustle of the corridors. He’d felt guilty, when upon his return to the Blackwell, he’d felt happier than when he’d been back with his parents.::

 

Ferentis: ?

 

::He heard a faint shuffling beside him and half turning his head, finding the comforting face of G’Renn. It seemed she was always around when he needed her.::

 

G'Renn: ::She spoke quietly, so no one but Thoran could hear:: I am so sorry, Commander.

 

::He gave her a half hearted smile, a temporary veneer over his pain.::

 

Thoran: Thank you Anath.

 

::The pair fell into silence. Not an awkward, nothing to say silence. A silence between friends. A silence of reflection. Jarred spent the remainder of the trip replaying events through his mind. He could have done more. He could have brought her back with him. They could now be sat around exchanging tales and jokes. Out of the viewport he could see the form of the Blackwell, increasing in size as they got nearer. From charring on the hull, it appeared the Blackwell had been busy in their absence.::

 

Mandak: ?

 

((Shuttlebay, USS Blackwell))

 

::There was a shudder as the shuttle touched down. Jarred sat for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Finally he took a deep breath and headed out of the shuttle, joining the others. As he stepped onto the flight deck, he was just in time to see the body of his friend being taken away and felt his chest tightened and his legs weaken. It took all his might and will to stop himself from collapsing to the floor.::

 

G’Renn: We should report in, figure out what we’ve missed. Maybe they know more than we do by now.

 

Thoran: Computer, located Commander Whittaker.

 

Computer: Commander Whittaker is currently located on deck eighteen in the primary sick bay.

 

Thoran: oO Sickbay? Had he been injured when the Blackwell had suffered whatever damage caused the scorching and charring on the hull? Oo

 

Thoran: Off to sickbay it is then. Mr Ferentis, judging by the look of the outer hull, you’re probably needed in engineering. Ms Mandak, i’d like to report to Commander Shayne on the bridge. ::He cast his eyes over the ragtag group.:: Good work everybody.

 

G’Renn/Mandak/Ferentis: ?

 

::The pair bid farewell to Ferentis and Mandak before heading towards the nearest turbolift. Much like the journey in the shuttle, the turbolift was silent. Thoughts of the captain’s status and of Dairro flooded his mind. Moments later, the turbolift came to a halt, the doors opening with a swish. Jarred gestured for the G’Renn to go first, it was after all her domain they were now entering.::

 

((Sickbay, USS Blackwell))

 

::Reaching the sickbay, they entered, and Jarred felt relieved to find the captain on his feet and apparently well. Fleet Captain Nicholotti, two unfamiliar officers in teal along with two other people stood nearby. From the looks of the pair, they were the Valcarian and Caraadian delegations. Lying before them on one of the biobeds was, from the looks of the uniform a Valcarian soldier. The image of those Valcarian’s they had left behind flashed across his mind, and he reached into his pocket, clutching the necklace the man had worn.::

 

Thoran: Commander Whittaker, apologies for intruding. We were able to make it back from the surface. ::He glanced around the room.:: Has Commander Adyr and her team reported in yet?

Whittaker: ?

 

G’Renn/Drake/Mika/Nicholotti/Asil: ?

Edited April 16, 2018 by Randal Shayne