Father - The Unwanted Gift that Keeps Giving Pt. 2

Posted on Thu May 4th, 2023 @ 7:02pm by Lieutenant JG Jericho (Marsh) Aldaje

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

Jericho threw the frisbee and watched as it swirled in the sunlight. Talon barked and took off after it. And while she enjoyed the husky's company, she could barely focus. Being transfered without much notice was the life--it was a part of what being a Starfleet officer was. But Jericho was barely on board the USS Poseidon. Adelle had taken her under her wings and she'd become Jericho's mentor.

She was my safe space and to now lose that.

Sure, she said she would be around if Jericho needed her, it it wasn't the same as asking the ship where the captain was and running to her. It wasn't the same as looking across the bridge, seeing her there in the center chair, regal and so much larger than life.

Her presence had become a kind of a lullaby for Jericho.

Talon barked.

Jericho blinked and looked around. When something fell at her feet, she looked down to see her pet sitting there, panting, waiting for her to get it together and throw the frisee.

"Okay, one more." I told Talon.

She stood, wagged her tail while staring up at me.

Smiling, I tossed it and this time, I paid attention. When she launched herself through the air and caught it again, Jericho thrust both hands in the air and cheered.

"jalhaess-eoyo, Talon!" She giggled, jumping up and down. "Good work!"

Talon ran over to her and she hunched down to rubbed Talon's head and kissed her nose.

She allowed the dog to carry the frisbee in her mouth as they walked the fifteen minutes back to her house. Inside the door, she used a towel to wipe the dog down, then dragged her palms along Talon's sides, along her back and tail. She inspected the corners of Talon's eyes then released her. Talon went directly to her watering boal and began lapping from it.

Frustrated, Jericho filled Talon's food bowl then went to her bedroom to begin packing. Keeping an eye on the clock, Jericho carried her bags to the door, and left them there. She then packed up Talon's toys and his extra bowls and added those back to her things. Heading back to the USS Poseidon to prepare for transfer was hard.

Jericho arrived with a heavy heart. Talon rushed out ahead of her, accepting pets from the officers they passed.

Sometimes, she wore they only knew her because of Talon

Jericho didn't mind. She merely tossed her duffel over her shoulder and walked behind her pet. Talon knew the way to their quarters, but she sniffed at the ground as she followed the right path. In my quarters, I set out her bowls in their usual place, offered her a treat then showered and changed into my uniform. I stared at myself in the mirror while brushing my hair out then affixing it atop her head. She then braided the end, wrapped it around the bun and pinned it down.

Straightening her spine, Jericho exhaled a long breath then turned to look at Talon who'd entered the room and hopped up to the center of my bed.

"What do you think?" She asked Talon.

The pet yawned and rested her head on her paws.

"Thanks for that," Jericho muttered in Korea.

Gathering her PADD, she folded her arms behind her back, kissed Talon's head and left. As she meandered her way along the familiar halls, offering curt nods to those she passed, it dawned on Jericho that this would be one of the final times she'd do this. It sat on her chest like a giant elephant, crushing her.

Panic swelled in her stomach, rising from somewhere in the pit of her stomach to hold her heart into a vise-grip. Still, Jericho straightened her spine, added a little bounce to her step up to the door leading to the science department. When she entered, she recieved the usual tip of a chin for greetings. She offered a short nod and went over to her station, trying to finish up work she'd started before she was sent to take time off.

Losing herself in the work, time zoomed by. She was still preoccupied when someoen tapped her on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I apologised. "Is something wrong, Ensign?"

"No Lt." She replied. "The captain has been calling for you."

"Oh--" I offered her a bow. "Thank you."

=/\=Lt. Aldaje to Captain Richards =/\=

=/\=Go ahead, Lt.=/\=

=/\= Would you like to speak with me, ma'am?=/\=

=/\= Yes, please report to my ready room=/\=

=/\=On my way, Captain.=/\=

Smiling stiffly at the eavesdropping Ensign, Jericho rose from her chair, tugged her uniform back in place and got on her way. There should be no mystery about what she wished to speak with Jericho about. It had to be about the transfer and my answer to her question. It wasn't as if Jericho had a choice--if starfleet wanted her to move to some distant planet they never heard before, it was an order.

At the door, Jericho stopped out of sensor range to gather herself. The closer she'd gotten to the door, the tighter the tension in her chest became. When she did stop moving, Jericho pressed a palm to her chest, swallowed the lump in her throat and tried adding some steel to her spine. Knowing waiting would only make the panic worse, she stepped forward.

"Enter." Adelle called.

Stepping forward, the door opened and she forced my wooden legs to move her inside.

"You wished to see me, Captain." Jericho stood up straight.

She stared at Jericho for a breath then offered her a seat.

After a deep breath, Jericho sat at the edge of her seat and waited.

Adelle cleared her throat and walked around her desk to sit across from Jericho. After a while, Adelle cleared her throat.

"I had a conversation with your father." Adelle began. "He realized you were listed as one of the crew on board the vessel and he wanted to have a word with me He had questions about your experience and about you as an officer."

Jericho grew sick to her stomach.

"Was he asking these questions as a father or as a commanding officer?" Jericho wanted to know.

"I'm not entirely sure." Adelle replied. "Did you wish to know what I told him?"

"No, Captain." Jericho cleared her throat.

"But you have serious feelings about this situation." Adelle tilted her head. "I can see it in your eyes."

Jericho hung her head for a bit to gather herself.

"Speak freely, Jericho."

"With all due respect, Captain." Jericho frowned. "If he wants to know things about me, he should be speaking with me about that. I do not feel it is right for him to be questioning my commanding officer--especially as he's made it clear he had no child."

"Perhaps he is trying to make peace." Adelle suggested.

"That would be assuming he knows the meaning of the word." I lifted my chin defiantely. "I will accept my transfer."

"You cannot keep running from this demon." Adelle advised. "Sooner or later the shadow will grow too big to run from and you will have to stop and face it. Maybe by then it'll be too big or too strong to handle."

"Then I will cross that bridge when I get to it, captain." I told her. "I may be lonely without a family or people to love me, but I am not desperate. I will not put myself in the position of having him hurt me again. And I will not run to a man who doesn't love me just because I share his DNA. I tried that--it still hurts."

Adelle nodded.

"He's requested a meeting with you before you leave." Adelle mentioned gently. "Is this something you would like to do?"

"You could make it easier and order me to see him."

Adelle shook her head. "This is not a ship thing, Jericho. This is a personal matter."

"Then no." Jericho told her. "I do not wish to speak with you. I am not ready."

Adelle nodded. "Very well. Dismissed."

Jericho rose, drew herself to attention then exited the room, trying to keep the strength in her body. When she was out of sightline with the ready room, she leaned heavily to the wall and exhaled. Her body sloped downward, her breath leaving her in quick bursts. It took so much energy pretending to be strong, pretending that her parents leaving her alone in the world on purpose didn't break her every time she thought about it.

It shouldn't ever be like this--ever. Her mother was still alive and living her best life with her wealthy husband. That was the extent of the research Jericho had done. She didn't know if her mother had more children with this new man. A part of her wanted to know but a bigger part of her, the angry part of her, didn't want to know. It would crush her knowing her mother walked out on her to raise other children.

Footsteps caught her attention and though it was hard, she pushed to her feet, smoothed a hand over her hair and folded her parms behind her back, holding her ever-present in her left hand.

Her father's face was one she'd never forget, no matter the length of time since she'd see him. Only now, it seemed as if life had been hard on him for he'd grown older. The little girl who had once idolize her father felt bad for him. That same little girl wanted to help, to see if I could make it all better.

But the angry, lonely adult in me didn't care.

"Captain." Jericho offered him a bow of her head in respect for his title, not to him.

She walked by him.

"Lt." Captain Toki Marsh caught her arm.

Jericho looked down at where they connected feeling nothing but cold, sterile, numbness.

Toki yanked his hand back. "I'm sorry," he offered. "Do you have a moment to speak?"

"Is this about my work here on the Poseidon, Sir?" Jericho asked.

"No."

"Then I am prepare for my departure in forty eight hours, captain." She exhaled and met his eyes, ensuring she saw the absolute distance in them. "If there is something you wish to discuss regarding my serving on board or my duties, I would be more than happy to assist you. Other than that, we have nothing to say to each other. If you'll excuse me."

Pressing her palms to her side, she offered him a bow, a child would give to a stranger, and made her way back to the science department, partially holding her breath until her lungs threatened to explode.

Forty eight hours was a long time away.