I wiped my brow as the stars flew past, scarcely believing that I had just taken a leisurely cruise straight through a Tholian armada and lived to tell the tale. As bad as I felt about leaving Trixie in the care of complete strangers under siege, I had done my homework. Those damn Starbases were built like nothing else; what they lacked in the offensive department, they more than made up for such a weakness with sheer impenetrability. It would take the Tholians a week to breach those shields and armor and even then, the base itself was full of highly-trained Starfleet security forces, each armed with phasers set on ‘HOLY CRAP’. Still, a small, guilt-ridden part of me berated my conscience for what I had done.
I shook my head and re-focused. I had a job to do.
“Computer, scan for the nearest Starfleet ship,” I exclaimed.
“Starfleet vessel located. It is currently en-route to Sierra Sector, warp 5.”
“Shit,” I cursed. That ship was heading straight into a Tholian trap. I knew what I had to do. “Computer, can we intercept them before they reach their destination?”
“Affirmative.”
“Good. Set an intercept course, maximum warp.”
“Acknowledged.”
***
Of all the ships in the vast Federation fleet, the Galaxy X-class dreadnought cruiser Repulse was easily the captain’s favorite. From the classic shape of the famous Galaxy-class to the extra nacelle perched on the hull peeking over the saucer section, the vessel appealed to many a Starfleet officer. On the other hand, perhaps its appeal had nothing to do with aesthetics. Perhaps the presence of a cloaking device and the fearsome Phaser Spinal Lance were the most significant reasons. Whatever they were, positions on board such a mighty vessel were highly coveted, a fact that Captain Remy was well-aware of. And now, they were on their way to Starbase 39 for some much-needed shore leave. Patrolling systems all the way from Eta Eridani to Alpha Centauri was a long trip even at warp, making the Starbase the perfect destination for his tired crew, not to mention offload the last of their cargo.
“Sir, there’s a ship approaching at high warp on an intercept course,” the tactical officer announced from his station on the bridge.
“An intercept course?” the captain asked, getting up from his bridge chair. “Can you identify the ship?”
“‘U.S.S. Ranger, registry number NCC-1337, owned and operated by a ‘Cole Stevens’.”
“Sir, he’s hailing us,” another ensign reported.
“On-screen,” the captain ordered. The ship’s viewscreen came to life, providing a look at their pursuer. “This Captain Remy of the Federation starship Repulse. What can we do for you?”
“I have urgent news from Starbase 39 Sierra!” my anxious voice replied.
“Is that why you intended to intercept us?” Captain Remy asked. “We were just on our way there to deliver some new industrial replicators.”
“Yes sir. I’m sorry but I have to speak with you and I’m not sure it’s something we can discuss over an unsecured channel. Permission to come aboard, sir?”
“Permission granted. Drop out of warp and prepare to beam over.”
“Yes, sir.” I replied just before the viewscreen returned to normal
“Take us out of warp, ensign,” Remy instructed, feeling the ship slow as they returned to normal space. He turned to his security officer. “Mr. Kauffman, you’re with me.”
“Aye, sir.” With that, they headed for the transporter room.
Minutes later…
The meeting with Captain Remy and his senior staff went surprisingly smoothly, considering I was interrupting their mission, shore leave, and delivering grave news. After a brief but thorough question and answer session regarding my identity and occupation, we finally addressed why I had contacted them.
“Tholians? Are you certain?” Captain Remy repeated incredulously as he, myself, and several of his senior staff sat in the Repulse’s ready room.
“Yes sir,” I confirmed with a nod.
“The Assembly hasn’t launched a campaign of aggression in over 75 years,” Kauffman pointed out. “Why choose now to attack and why a Starbase so close to Alpha Centauri?”
“I agree that if what Mr. Stevens says is true, it is a very strange move,” Remy agreed, slowly stroking his chin. “Mr. Stevens, do you have any proof of this ‘incident’?”
“Yes sir. I’ll have the Ranger’s computer send over a damage report. It should indicate that the shields were hit by Tetryon-based weapons recently to support my report.” I offered, not really sure how else to prove it.
“Hmm…” Captain Remy hummed as he considered Cole’s proposition. “Mr. Kauffman, you’re in charge of analyzing the report. If Mr. Stevens’ assessment is correct, we have quite the situation on our hands.” He turned back to me. “Mr. Stevens, transmit the report directly to my tactical officer and stand by for further instructions. I don’t intend to spend more time than I need to on this enterprise, at least until we have verified the report. Dismissed.”
“Yes sir,” Kauffman and I replied in unison.
Eager to mount a rescue to relieve the besieged Starbase, I wasted no time in transmitting a complete tactical report containing every single byte of information I had gleaned from my encounter with the Tholians. As expected, the captain and his staff poured over the information with great interest, which prompted them to come to an ideal conclusion.
We were going back to Starbase 39.
And we weren’t going alone.
***
Trixie tried her best not to show a single hint of fear as the lights flickered once again. She breathed a silent sigh of relief as the power returned after a few tense moments, the gentle ‘hum’ of the nearby machinery providing a good deal of comforting background noise. The irony was not lost on her; rather, the fact that the machination that had contributed so much to her general misery in the past now served as a source of comfort wasn’t so much a revelation as it was a realization. The showmare had, at least in part, become accustomed to the world of the Federation. Granted, she wished it had been under less-hostile circumstances but she was grateful that even under such pressure, she could still do what she did best.
Of course, there wasn’t much else she could do. Keeping the children (and some adults) entertained and out of panic mode was just what the situation demanded as the Tholians continued to punish the station, inside and out. As much as the reports made her sick to her stomach, she couldn’t help but strain her ears in an attempt to pick up anything she could regarding her human counterpart. She wondered if he had actually escaped cleanly and not been followed, hunted down, and subsequently destroyed.
She felt her stomach tense up at the thought and shook her head in an effort to banish the notion. Cole may be an incompetent pain in the ass but he was resourceful when he needed to be. Or just extremely lucky; Trixie wasn’t sure which it was. Either way, he had his work cut out for him but something told the blue mare that things would work out somehow, and within a couple of days, they’d be on their way to Risa for Cole’s promised “best week of their lives”.
Despite the insanity of the goings-on around her, Trixie managed a small smile and for a moment, wondered why she had chosen that moment to do so. Perhaps it was the annoying confidence he had when issuing such bold statements and as Trixie briefly reflected on it, she realized that he had every intention of keeping his promise. After all, he had so far. Time and time again, they had reached out and saved the other from peril and even though it was usually Trixie who caused it, Cole never once hesitated to reach for her and take her hoof in his hand.
She missed him.
It was useless to deny it; the redness of her eyes, the steady thumping of her heart, the nonstop racing of her mind. Every sign was there, screaming at her that even in spite of every little tick and quirk the human possessed, there was something she missed. It was a feeling she had not experienced for a very long time. She had been cold, detached, and defiant, and at her core, deathly afraid of what she now felt. The feeling of uncertainty and a complete lack of control, not knowing if he would return safely, cavalry in tow, or if the void of space would claim him as it did so many others.
She felt something warm at her chest and looked down at the Alicorn Amulet as it glowed softly, as if sharing in her revelation. As she looked down at the floor with the Amulet barely within her field of vision, her mind seemed to calm down and she felt her heart slow as well. What began as gentle whispers mingling with her nervous thoughts became louder and louder as they sought to usurp her anxiety. After a few moments, they spoke to her, gently yet confidently, much like the one who’d made such sentiments such an integral part of her new life.
We’re a team. We watch each other’s backs. I’m here for you. Cole’s words echoed as she stared wordlessly at the frightened populace of Main Engineering. She wanted to do something, something to prove to herself and to Cole that she was worthy of being part of his “team”. But what could a frightened pony do against such a fearsome foe, a foe that drew closer as time passed?
It was then that a nearby reflective surface caught her eye. At the center of the slightly-warped reflection, the Alicorn Amulet shone brightly as if responding to her thoughts, spurring her to pursue them. It was dangerous, that much was certain, but it didn’t seem fair to squander potential in the face of such adversity. Trixie recalled an interesting colloquialism that Cole seemed to be fond of, something along the lines of “if you’re in the Kentucky Derby, you don’t leave your prized stallion in the stable”. While Trixie was certainly to stallion, the message rang true nonetheless. Irony, it seemed, could be quite persuasive and it was enough to convince the blue mare that her idea, however risky, was a good one.
Spotting the station’s captain and his senior staff, she ran over to them before fear could get the best of her and change her mind. As expected, they discussed ideas and options in tones one might describe as a mixture of excitement and anxiety. At least, that’s how Trixie interpreted their chatter as she nervously entered the circle of humans gathered around a large circular computer console.
“Excuse me,” she began, a little too quietly. “A-hem,” she tried again, clearing her throat to no avail. “HEY! OLD GUYS!” she shouted, causing everyone to jump and look down at her.
“Something I can do for you?” Captain Wright asked, trying best to reign in a considerable degree of irritability. Trixie couldn’t exactly blame him. The last thing the beleaguered captain needed was a distraction from the task at hand, although Trixie hoped that her willingness to help would be interpreted as something more than a mere “distraction”. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure about what she could do but there was something about the glowing piece of metal clasped around her neck that coaxed her into action and granted her a growing amount of confidence that she couldn’t explain.
“I…Trixie would like to help…sir!” the showmare replied as confidently as she could, keeping a stiff upper lip. The captain sighed, a gesture which surprised her.
“I appreciate the offer but I’ve got enough on my plate without worrying about another civilian getting hurt. I’ve got some of the best officers and personnel available on top of…”
A loud crash interrupted him as a tall four-legged spider-like creature clad in armor burst into the engineering section through the blown-out reinforced doors, eliciting a less-than-calm reaction.
“Sir! Get down!” a Starfleet security member cried, firing his phaser rifle at the alien. The creature returned fire, knocking the man down right before Trixie’s eyes, whereupon he lay still. Acting on instinct, Trixie momentarily concentrated, focusing power from the Amulet into her horn, which began to glow with a vibrant blue hue. Taking aim at the intruder, she released the built-up power into an energy bolt, which sent the offending Tholian to the floor in a lifeless heap. Both the captain and chief engineer looked at her in surprise.
“Alright, you’ve convinced me. Report to…”
A particularly hard shudder shook the station, throwing everyone to the floor.
“Report!” Captain Wright shouted as he, Trixie, and Engineer Richards returned to their feet.
“That last attack knocked our shields! We’re vulnerable!” the chief engineer exclaimed as he frantically pushed buttons.
“Get them back! We won’t last long against that armada without our shields!” Wright ordered.
“Don’t worry sir, I’ll get ‘em back in a…” The engineer’s promise of a miracle was cut short as the computer console he had been working on exploded, sending him flaying back onto the floor as sparks rained down upon him. A nearby medic ran over and scanned the engineer’s unconscious form.
“He’s suffered from second-degree burns but other than that, nothing serious. We need to get him to Sick Bay immediately.” the medic informed.
“Acknowledged.” the captain answered with a nod. “Get any available engineers down here immediately!” he added, tapping the combadge as he addressed his other officers scattered about the station. The captain’s attempt to remain stoic despite the loss of quite possible the only sane individual on board the station was not lost on the showmare, nor was the fact that he was using it to cover up his anxiety. Trixie couldn’t blame him for that, especially when it was a trick she often employed herself.
Maybe that’s what compelled her to consider something she’d never tried before, or at least to the scale necessary for her hastily-formed plan to work. Moving away from the group of engineers and officers working frantically to get restore the shield system, Trixie began to concentrate like before. She worked with the Amulet, tapping into its power and it wasn’t long before she felt an immense amount of energy building up within her, even more so than the photonic fleet entailed. No, this particular spell required vastly more raw magic to work and while Trixie was having no issues with gathering the necessary power, keeping it stable under pressure wasn’t something she was 100 percent sure about.
That didn’t matter now. What did was the fact that there were thousands of people on the station that were at risk and in true Trixie fashion, she wasn’t giving them up without a fight. Scraping every bit of confidence together that she could, the blue mare cast the spell.
The first to notice the sudden burst of blue was the captain and his staff, followed closely by the entire Starbase as an enormous translucent blue bubble formed around the station, encapsulating it in a mighty force field. Startled by the unexpected development, the Tholian fleet brought their weapons to bear against the new shield, only to have their shots dissipate along its shimmering surface. Trixie grunted as she struggled to reinforce the affected areas, restoring the shield’s integrity whenever a part of it was damaged. After several minutes, the Tholians stopped firing and started scanning, searching for a way through the perplexing obstacle.
Trixie sighed with relief and sat down on her haunches, visibly fatigued from the effort. She couldn’t rest for too long, though. In order to stay in effect, a shield spell needed to be re-cast periodically. While Trixie had managed to stabilize the enormous energy field, she wasn’t sure as to how long she could keep casting the spell. It required a staggering amount of energy to maintain and although the Amulet was providing all the raw power she needed, channeling it was an entirely different matter. Exposure to such a large amount of magical energy was hard on a unicorn’s body, especially one used to only using relatively small amounts.
She looked around as the sudden near-silence began to sink in. All around her, people stood and sat wide-eyed as they tried to grasp what had just transpired. She looked up as Captain Wright approached.
“In all my years of being part of Starfleet, I’ve never seen anything quite like that. I have a hunch but still, I’d like to hear it from you. What exactly did you do for us, ma’am?” he asked, kneeling down in front of her, enabling them to speak face-to-face.
“Trixie…I…used a protective spell to make a shield around this station,” she replied somewhat nervously under the captain’s scrutiny. She winced as the captain’s hand moved towards her but stopped as he felt it gently ruffle her mane. Inwardly, she sighed, the captain’s gentle touch reminiscent of a certain someone’s.
“Thank you, Trixie,” Wright responded with a small but proud smile. “I would ask you more about it but I think it’s better if we just leave you to concentrate. That can’t be an easy trick.” He turned to his staff. “Gentleman, I need you to ensure that nothing hinders, disturbs, or agitates Trixie. Secure this area and post security personnel along the perimeter. Keep her safe and bring her whatever she needs. She’s our best hope right now; I suggest we keep that hope alive.” There was a chorus of “Yes sirs” as the captain’s officers hurried to follow Wright’s instructions.
“Thank you,” the blue mare answered quietly, grateful of the captain’s pragmatism. He was right, of course. Less distractions equalled better results and to pull her latest and greatest off, Trixie needed all the concentration she could get her hooves on. She gritted her teeth and repaired another damaged section as she wordlessly urged Cole to hurry back.
***
The hours stretched into the longest day Trixie had ever experienced, and then stretched some more, becoming two days until, like the mare herself, it stretched itself thin. While the station’s personnel, Wright himself, and even some worried civilians had done everything in their power to make good on the captain’s promise, Trixie could feel herself slowly breaking down from the effort. Even though she had only had to re-cast the spell a handful of times, every instance necessitated a superhuman (superpony?) effort on her part. Exhaustion and constant hunger plagued the showmare as she struggled to make good on her promise. While the shield hadn’t collapsed as of yet, the Tholians certainly weren’t helping. The bombardments came in experimental waves as the Tholians tried to make sense of the proverbial fence keeping them from their goal.
Much of whatever food and supplies the station could spare was dedicated to keeping Trixie from falling into a coma but even their efforts weren’t enough. Trixie didn’t know exactly how much she had left in her but it wasn’t a lot. Re-casting the spell was taking its toll on the poor mare and although her indomitable will and general stubbornness fought on and in some cases, kept her conscious, even those were beginning to wane. Maybe she could close her eyes for a minute, just enough to shake off the fatigue. Just one second of relief, then she’d be okay. Trixie took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
And immediately opened them as she felt yet another impact weaken the shield. Mustering up the necessary energy, she focused it onto the weakened point and let out a small sigh as the field stabilized.
Or so she thought. Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt the exact same spot weaken once more, this time by a considerably larger margin. And still, she managed to repair it. Again and again, the Tholians beat the shield like a drum, hoping that concentrating their efforts would thwart the unicorn’s attempt to do the same. Every time, the shield held fast, reinforced by the sheer power of will and dedication.
Still, Trixie felt herself begin to fade away. She didn’t have much time left before the raw power of the Amulet would finally get the better of her, shredding her body from the inside out and guaranteeing the fate of the people under her protection.
“Aaah-aah!” she cried out as she felt a sharp pain in her…well, everywhere. This was it; her body was slowly succumbing to the effort of keeping the shield up. It won’t be long now, she thought, acknowledging her likely fate but still unwilling to give up. It’s too bad that idiot isn’t here to see this, she thought with a small smile despite the pain that wracked her dying body. He’d…he’d… A tear fell from her eye as she came to a realization, her second one in as many days.
He’d be proud of me.
Allowing herself just a smidgen of imagination, she instantly saw his smiling face and felt a hand softly cup the back of her head and ruffle her ears and mane in the manner he knew she loved. It was too bad that she’d never get to bask in his kindness again. Perhaps out of everything her mind threatened to spill out should her concentration lapse, losing someone she had come to truly like and appreciate was the most difficult. After all, they’d faced death before but never so apart from each other. Someone had always been there to watch the other and that was what caused Trixie to shed more tears.
Having heard her anguished cries, several Starfleet medical personnel ran over and began their usual routine of scan and offer. Once more, Trixie motioned for them to stay back and allow her to maintain the spell for as long as she could. This was it; she’d done her best but as usual, it hadn’t been enough.
No.
Trixie doesn’t go out like that.
“The…Great…and…Powerful…Trixie…doesn’t…lose!” she muttered, digging deeper than she ever had before. She cried out and her horn flashed brightly, temporarily blinding the rest of the engineering section. Viewed from outside, one would’ve witnessed a blue shock-wave emanate from the shield’s surface, impacting several Tholian ships unfortunate enough to be too close. It flung them back and there they remained where they ended up, sparking, burning, and adrift as the great blue orb of protection finally dissolved.
“Sir!” one of Wright’s officers suddenly exclaimed as he studied a communications console. “I don’t know how she did it but she just knocked out the Tholian jamming signal! We have communications!”
“Send out a distress call immediately, all bandwidths, all channels!” Wright ordered.
“Sir! We’re receiving a transmission!”
“Already? Patch it through!”
“…en-route, I repeat, this is Cole Stevens of the U.S.S. Ranger. We are en-route…” The transmission suddenly ended as static overcame the signal once more.
From in her small corner of the station, a light-blue ear twitched, the only part of the mare’s body capable of any movement. It took a few moments for the captain and his staff to notice the mare lying still on the cold metal floor. Her fur was faded and her breathing was labored. The captain knelt down beside her and gently cradled her head, taking note of the small smile on the mare’s muzzle as she drifted away.
“Sir?” a nearby officer asked. “You’d better take a look at this.”
“Do everything you can to keep her alive,” Wright ordered of the medical team standing by before joining the other officers beside a flickering monitor. “What is it?”
“Sir, we managed to regain control of one of the short-range senor arrays during that transmission. We only caught a little bit but take a look for yourself, sir.” Wright leaned forward to examine the sensor reading.
“Well, I’ll be damned…”
At that moment, the space just beyond the Tholian blockade came to life as dozens of starships of every configuration dropped out of warp and headed straight for the enemy fleet. Phasers and torpedoes lit up space around the station as the two forces clashed. Among them, a small ship slipped unnoticed through the screen of warring vessels, heading straight for the station. Before the Tholians could respond, the Nova-class took aim at the large jamming device attached to the Starbase’s communication array and fired, careful not to hit the station itself. The device exploded, permanently restoring the station’s communication capabilities.
***
“That should do it!” I exclaimed over the Ranger’s communicator, hoping that the Starbase and more importantly, Trixie, could hear me. The reunion could wait; for the time being, I had another job to do. We had a Tholian fleet to crush.
And crush it we did. We caught them completely by surprise, as if they actually had not been expecting us in the first place. Guess they figured one little ship wasn’t much of a threat. Lucky us.
The battle was over in less than an hour, which had to have been some kind of record. During the fight, the Tholian armada only managed to disable a few Starfleet vessels, thanks to some excellent tactical coordination courtesy of Captain Remy aboard the mighty U.S.S. Repulse. I had never seen a Starfleet ship with more firepower and judging by the speed of the Tholian retreat, neither had they. As we mopped up a few stragglers, I wasted no time in returning to the station and it wasn’t long before the Ranger was docked once again. At this point, Trixie’s well-being was my main concern.
“Computer, where is Trixie?” I asked as soon as I entered the station. Having registered both of us as guests three days prior, the computer had us on record, hence my inquiry.
“Trixie is in Sick Bay.”
To this day, I’m sure that upon hearing the computer’s answer, my heart momentarily stopped. I suddenly felt light-headed and I staggered up against the bulkhead and pressed a palm to my forehead while I waited for the dizzy spell to go away. My mind raced with one awful scenario after another until I finally forced myself to focus and seek her out like I’d planned. With that, I took off towards Sick Bay, letting the computer guide me.
I arrived, panting, at the entrance to the Starbase’s large medical facility deep in the heart of the station, the safest place next to engineering. After a brief but frantic series of questions, I was brought to intensive care and found myself outside of a small room with a bio-bed in the center.
Upon the bio-bed lay the still form of Trixie.
I nearly vomited. It was surreal in a sick and twisted way, the way she just…lay there, almost completely still. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest stopped me from having a panic attack. The attending physician let me in and I stood silently at her side.
“What happened?” I croaked.
“Her body has suffered considerable internal trauma along with extreme physical and mental exhaustion,” the doctor replied with a somber expression. “If it’s any consolation, the only reason she’s here is because she saved the station and everyone on it from the Tholian attack.”
“Wh…what?”
“To my knowledge, she used that ‘device’…” the doctor explained, pointing to the Amulet. “…to create a force-field around the station, stopping any further damage. From what I read in the report, nobody’s sure how she did it but it put a tremendous strain on her nervous system. I’m not an expert on Equestrian physiology but suffice it so say that whatever their body uses to channel pure energy has been badly damaged. I’ve done all I can for her. All we can do is hope that her body systems recover.”
I fell to my knees and stared into Trixie’s closed eyes from my position on the floor. Even if they were squeezed shut, I still wanted to look at her. Her expression was surprisingly calm, all things considered. It was almost a ‘satisfied’ expression, as if she’d succeeded at what she’d set out to accomplish. I hoped so. It wasn’t much but it helped.
“Can I…can I stay here with her tonight?” I asked in a half-whisper.
“Normally, we ask any close friends or family to stay in the courtesy rooms down the hall. However, I think we can make an exception this time, if you don’t mind the small space,” the doctor assured me. “I’ll have someone bring in a cot. You won’t have much room but at least you’ll be close.”
“Thank you, doctor,” I replied, wiping my eyes.
***
Three sleepless nights will take their toll on a person. I figured that out firsthand during Trixie’s harrowing recovery. While I mindlessly wandered about, pretended to eat and sleep, and staved off panic attacks, she slept peacefully in the bio-bed. Doctors and medical staff worked diligently to make her as comfortable as possible and ensure her recovery but even their efforts did little to alleviate my anxiety. What had been a safe haven only a few short days ago had become a nightmare, one I was eager to escape.
One activity that gave me at the very least a few minute’s respite from life was vacation planning aboard the Ranger. I had pored over every major tourist destination in the Alpha Quadrant and examined my accounts closely to see what I could pull off without selling the ship or myself. Like many brain busters to which we often dedicate far too much time, the answer to this one was pretty obvious. I had never been to Risa but I’d heard good things. It was beautiful, fun, and most importantly, fairly affordable…like a good woman. I saved my research and promptly fell asleep in my chair.
I awoke to an incoming hail several hours later.
“Mr. Stevens?”
“Captain?” I asked in surprise.
“How are you?”
“Been better, sir.”
“I understand. How is Trixie?”
“Still in a coma.”
“I see,” the captain replied with a hint of dejection. “She did us all an incredible service. She is truly an exceptional individual.”
“Thank you, sir. I know she’d love to hear that herself.” I wasn’t wrong about that. Receiving praise was Trixie’s favorite pastime.
“Do you have a moment? There’s a few things I’d like to discuss.”
“Should I report to you, sir?”
“No, it’s quite alright. I hate to say it but I’ve got a very interesting report to file and I just don’t have the time for personal visits. On that note, I wanted to inform you that Starfleet has accepted your application. Congratulations, Mr. Stevens. You are now an official Starfleet courier.”
“Thank you, sir.” Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been elated. Sadly, these were not normal circumstances.
“I’m happy about it, really. It’s just that…well, you know…”
“I understand. I would be lying if I said that the report you included about that Iconian installation didn’t help. You’ve shown some promise; it’s a shame you hadn’t enlisted in Starfleet years ago. You’d probably be serving aboard the Enterprise or the Valiant by now.” That got a small smile out of me.
“I appreciate that, sir, but honestly, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than here on the Ranger.” I replied, patting the console embedded in my chair.
“That’s the mark of a good captain; considering their ship their home. Report to the quartermaster for your uniform and further instructions whenever you’re ready.”
“Yes sir!”
“Good. Wright out.”
I sighed with relief as the viewscreen went dark. Knowing exactly what I wanted to do next, I headed out.
Later…
“Hey,” I murmured as I stood beside the sleeping Trixie. “Guess what? I got the job. I’m officially a Starfleet courier.” I didn’t care if she couldn’t hear me; I felt compelled to share the new with her regardless, if only to feel like I was including her in something. It added a much-appreciated albeit brief semblance of normalcy to the day’s mindless routine. I hadn’t had much to share with her before save for self-pity, which I had elected to keep to myself. Still, it felt therapeutic to talk to her again even if she couldn’t answer back.
“You were right, you know,” I continued. “That report about the Iconians really sped things along in my favor.” No response. Even though I knew I wouldn’t get one, it still hurt. I sat on my temporary bed beside hers. “I finished planning our vacation, too. I think you’ll really like Risa. It’s supposed to be one of the most amazing destinations in the Alpha Quadrant. I just hope that you’ll be around to enjoy it with me.” There was a pause as I closed my eyes and sat in torturous silence, hoping I wasn’t fooling myself with unjustified optimism.
“Haven’t you learned by now?” a small voice murmured. “Trixie’s always right.” My eyes flew open and I shot up to my feet. I stared in disbelief at the yawning and stretching blue showmare. She looked up at me expectantly with a hint of irritation present in her expression. I smiled and wiped a tear from my eye. Same old Trixie.
“Guess I haven’t, huh?” I replied.
“Well, luckily for you, it looks like Trixie’s gonna be around to…h-hey!” she stammered as I suddenly (but gently) picked her up like one would a newborn child. Despite her initial surprise, she didn’t struggle; rather, she wrapped her front hooves around my neck and nuzzled it as I lightly rested my head on hers.
“I missed you,” I whispered. “I just…you have no idea…I thought you were gone.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” she whispered back. I smiled as I felt her grin into my neck.
“Don’t be,” I replied, giving her an extra squeeze.
Obviously, the doctor wanted to perform one last follow-up scan before he allowed us to leave. The good news was that none of the damage was permanent and was almost completely healed over. The bad news was, at least as far as Trixie was concerned, his order for her to rest for at least a week before even attempting to use magic. As one might imagine, Trixie’s response was an ill-times endeavor to prove them wrong by attempting to levitate a nearby (thankfully vacant) mobile bio-bed. The ensuing splitting headache convinced her of the doctor’s assessment and she grudgingly agreed to refrain from using magic during the coming week.
It was good to have her back.
***
Acting captain’s log, Stardate…whatever ‘Vacation Time’ is. After a short repair session for the Ranger and a visit to Chief Engineer Richards, who is recovering well by the way, we left Starbase 39 in order to pursue a well-deserved vacation. I have to admit that I feel much safer traversing the quadrant now that the Ranger’s no longer a total wimp. I’ll never be able to repay Captain Wright for letting me keep the Aegis set AND the new phaser banks, not to mention the photon torpedoes. He assured me that while the safety of every Starfleet member is important, I should exercise prudence and discretion, especially where this new gear is concerned. I assured him that I most certainly will and I have every intention of doing so and making everyone back there proud, although after what Trixie managed to pull off, it’ll be a tough act to follow. Of course, that’s exactly what makes her so special, at least in my eyes. She is a tough act to follow, damn near impossible if you ask me. I think that’s just one of many reason why I care so much about her.
“Computer, pause recording,” I exclaimed as the mess hall viewscreen came to life, showing a Great and Impatient Trixie.
“Since when does it take two hours to make hot chocolate?” she asked with yet another hint of irritation.
“It’s only been 20 minutes,” I replied nonchalantly, realizing after that that didn’t really help my case.
“Well, hurry up with it! Trixie doesn’t have all night!”
“Yes, your majesty.” I answered, rolling my eyes.
“Hmmph!” With that, the screen went dark. I smiled and shook my head.
“Computer, resume recording…”