Father - The Unwanted Gift that Keeps Giving

Posted on Tue May 2nd, 2023 @ 5:39pm by Lieutenant JG Jericho (Marsh) Aldaje

Mission: Starship Side Quest
Location: Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul, South Korea – Earth

“Dangsin-eun neuj-eoss eo.” Lee Jung So leaned in to kiss the side of Jericho’s head.

“I know, I’m late. Mianhae.” She apologized, tossing her body in the chair he pulled out and setting her helmet on the floor by her leg.

Jung So sat across from her, leveled his pale brown eyes on her face then eased to the side to look out the glass window.

“I hate that thing.” He muttered.

Jericho knew precisely what he was speaking about—a motorcycle—Harley Davidson Nightster, all black with a rebuild engine from 2023.
Smirking, she reached over and tapped his nose with an index finger.

“It’s fine.” She told him. “I’m safe—or as safe as I can be riding a Nightster. Can we not have another lecture? I haven’t seen you in a while, Doctor Lee.”

Jung So grinned handsomely at her just before their server approached their table. He allowed her to order her drink first before he did, then leaned in close.

“Sounds good, doesn’t it?” He grinned wider. “Took me a while.”

“But you did it.”

“Neh.” Jung So nodded. “How’s it been?”

“The hours are long. But it’s been the dream—enough about me. How are you?”

She exhaled while shrugging. “I don’t know how to answer that.”

“Should I be worried, Jeri?”

“No.” Jericho shook her head. “I told you my counselor basically forced me to take time off. Threatened to declare me unfit for duty otherwise. I just—I prefer to be working, you know?”

“Yes, but you’re also not super-human.”

“I’m half Bajoran. Same thing.”

Jung so laughed. “But seriously, they don’t want you burning out.”

“I have nothing else doing but my work.” Jericho paused to accept her drink and only continued when they were alone again. “I don’t go home to a husband or kids. I go home to Talon and then a book and then bed.”

“You need to make more friends.” He folded his arms across his muscular chest. “You’re very anti-social.”

“The only friend I need is you.” Jericho pouted at him.

“Aniyo.” Jung So crinkled his nose at her. “That’s not how it works. I’m your friend and I adore you, but shouldn’t you be going out with females—drinking, dancing, sewing wild oats?”

“Wild oats?” Jericho tilted her head. “No one says that.”

“They used to.” He sipped from his cup. “And they should again.”

“Ugh—I don’t like the sound of that.”

After lunch with Jung So, Jericho left the luxurious center and rode toward her home on earth. It’d been a while since she was actually on the cycle. Though she had it maintained, when she arrived home for her imposed vacation, Jericho took a couple of days checking it out, ensuring it was safe to go cruising on.

Jung So worried every time she got on the thing and she understood why. But just because he was scared or she should be, didn’t mean she shouldn’t enjoy it.

There was a freedom that Jericho enjoyed while riding the cycle that she didn’t get on board a starship or a base. Being on board the Poseidon was restrictive and sometimes it was hard to breathe as the walls felt as if they were closing in.

On the Nightster it felt like open spaces—wide open spaces.

The rumble of the motorcycle filled her soul as she pulled up to my home. The moment she slowed in the yard, she could see a familiar face, sitting on the swing on her front porch. It was hard to miss Captain Adelle Richards—the captain was a commanding presence.

Her black hair tied back in an always tight bun, the pronounced ridges of her Klingon heritage and the wideness of her shoulders—all of it would terrify most.

But the Captain had always been kind to her—far kinder than Jericho’s own mother.

When Jericho didn’t see Captain Richard’s husband, Jericho knew this wasn’t a social visit.

Jericho sighed.

Jericho knew the woman would show up sooner or later—Jericho was desperately hoping it would have been later.
Parking the cycle, Jericho removed her helmet, shook her head out and tossed her leg over the bell of the bike.
She hesitated only a moment, before making her way across the yard and up the steps to face her commanding officer.
As was her custom, she offered the captain a bow.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Captain.” Jericho greeted her. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Hello, Lt. And this trip wasn’t planned.” Adelle replied.

“Um—please, do come in.” Jericho opened her door and stepped to the side.

They both removed their shoes, and Jericho, with her heart racing, walked the captain into the living room, offered her a drink then sat across from her.

“I know you’re wondering why I’m here.” Adelle sipped.

“It has crossed my mind, Captain.”

Adelle nodded and set her cup on the coaster. “I know you’ve heard the rumors of me possibly retiring.”

Jericho swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

“It isn’t a rumour.” Adelle admitted. “And I know you love where you are right now. But I cannot, in good conscience leave you on board.”

“Can I ask, why not?”

“Your father will be taking over command of the Poseidon.”

The bottom fell out of her heart.

Holding her breath, Jericho tried to stop the tightness in her chest.

“Out of all the places he could be stationed—”

“I know.” Adelle replied as she shifted to the edge of her seat to catch Jericho’s eyes. “Now, you can remain on board, but there is a position on board the USS Resolution in their science department. I called in a few favours so you can fill it.”

She was right—Jericho enjoyed where she was on board the Poseidon. It had taken a little while, but she was finally finding her footing. She was finally in a place where she was beginning to trust those around her, to have some stability in her career.

“Breathe, Jericho.” Adelle rubbed her shoulder. “You need to breathe—no more anxiety attacks.”

“I haven’t had one of those in a while.” Jericho muttered.

“What do you say about the transfer?”

“I don’t have a choice.” Jericho hung he head. “He is like a rash that I can’t seem to get rid of. I see what happens when we are in the same place—his reputation ruins everything. How could they give him command of a vessel again?”

“I don’t tend to understand how any of that works.” Adelle replied. “My only worry right now is you. I’ll give you some time to think about this. The Resolution is currently on a bit of a break, so you have a little more time than I first thought. But don’t wait to make the decision.”

"Why now?" I asked. "I'm just getting used to all of this. And I know that's a selfish thing to ask, but why now?"

"I realized at the end of last year that I've been married to my husband for three years and I barely get to see him." Adelle replied. "I'm never in the same place as him--I haven't hugged hin, touched him--and after the fiasco of the last mission, life is hard. Plus, I'm getting older, Jericho. My body doesn't bounce back as quickl as it used to."

"Where's that Klingon spirit?"

Adelle scoffed softly. "It's tired. It's lonely."

Jericho hung her head.

She was suddenly feeling like a selfish brat for wanting Adelle to keep going just for her. But Jericho was scared--she was terrified of walking out into the big wide galaxy without her sheild.

“Captain…Mianhae”

"I think I remember that word." Adelle told her. "It means sorry--you don't have to be sorry. We all have that one thing that we don't think we can face alone. But I wouldn't have kept you around if I didn't see something in you. You have a little bit of me."

Jericho blushed. "But I feel like this weakness is letting you down."

"Never, Jericho." Adelle assured her. "I don't want you to think like that. And I'm retiring, not leaving entirely. You can always visit or call. I'm sure William would be happy to see you. I'm here for you, remember me saying that?"

Jericho nodded.

"Then this isn't goodbye."

Adelle smiled at Jericho but soon she was gone, vanishing in an array of grey light like a dying star.

Jericho wasn’t sure how long she sat in that same chair, her mind a swirling vortex of thought—all of them bad. Though she was tempted to call her father and demand to know what he was thinking, Jericho refrained.

And while she could call Jung So, he’d just worry.

Eventually, she’d have to tell him what was happening. But for that moment—that night, she had a couple tequila shots and crawled into bed.