Orphans

A Voyager Virtual Season 7.5 story by jamelia

Chapter 1: Marlena

"Mom, there's a Starfleet office coming up our sidewalk."

Kaylyn Richardson's mind froze in fear. Rick was Out There on his training cruise. Her mind raced at hyper-light speed, conjuring up a myriad of things that could have gone wrong to call for this visit. She tried to keep her voice steady as she called out to her daughter, "One officer, or two, Marlena?"

"I only see one. A woman. She's got reddish-blonde hair. She's pretty."

Only one. If it was bad news, there should be two coming to call. Still, a mother always worries about her son when he might be in danger, and his current assignment had been known to be perilous at times.

The bell rang seconds later. Kaylyn took a deep breath to steady herself as her eleven year-old daughter opened the door to the visitor.

"Hello there," the young officer said with a smile. "Is this where the Richardson family lives?"

"Yeah," Marlena drawled.

"Then I think this is the house I want. May I come in?" The young officer had flicked her eyes up momentarily to see Kaylyn standing in back of her daughter before turning all of her attention back to Marlena. "Tell your mother that Lieutenant Commander Naomi Wildman is calling."

"Commander Wildman? From Voyager?" Marlena gazed raptly at the young officer as she stepped aside to permit her entrance to the Richardson home.

"The very one," Naomi confirmed with a chuckle. "And I'm guessing you're Marlena? I don't know if you remember me. You were just a toddler the last time I made it to one of the picnics." Kaylyn stepped forward then, her hand outstretched to the mother. "Mrs. Richardson, it's been a long time since the last Voyager Family Association picnic. I read about it in the newsletter, when I was on assignment in the Beta Quadrant."

"It has been a long time, Commander. It's so good to see you again." Kaylyn was annoyed with herself as she heard her voice wobble over the simple greeting. This didn't seem to be one of Those Calls after all, but until she knew why this visitor had come, she couldn't be truly at ease.

The young officer's brow wrinkled with concern. "Are you all right, Mrs. Richardson? You seem a little shaky."

"Sorry. I don't get many visitors from Starfleet any more unless it has to do with my son Rick. He's on a cruise this week. Advanced Tactical Training. He couldn't tell me much about it, so I can't help but be worried until he's back in contact." Kaylyn drew her daughter close to her side. She really had to control herself in front of her daughter. It wasn't fair to Marlena to obsess so much about Rick. Marlena was still young enough not to realize just how dangerous her big brother's line of work could be. Still, memories of how she'd felt when she thought her own sister Marla had been lost forever always haunted Kaylyn.

"Ah, I see. Well, I just came from Starfleet Headquarters, and I heard the class was already heading home from a successful mission. I'm sure you'll hear from him soon."

"That's wonderful news, Commander. And where are my manners? Come in. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee? I was about to make myself an afternoon snack. Marlena, get out those cookies you baked from scratch all by yourself yesterday. I'm sure Commander Wildman would love to taste an old fashioned treat . . ."

Mindlessly chattering as she led her visitor to the dining area, Kaylyn rushed around her kitchen, getting out plates for the cookies and cups for the coffee she replicated in a flash. Their guest good-naturedly helped Marlena set the table, all the while answering the girl's eager questions about her life in Starfleet. As the three sat at the table with their refreshments and chatted, Kaylyn gradually became aware that her daughter, for the first time, was asking the same kinds of questions that Rick had when he was the same age, when he started thinking about living a life in the stars. She didn't know whether to be happy her daughter was thinking about the future or petrified that she might have to go through all of the worry again with Marlena, just as she had with her sister Marla and now with her son Rick.

At last there was a pause in Marlena's eager questioning of their guest. Kaylyn seized the opportunity and said, "I don't think Commander Wildman came here on a recruiting mission, Marlena."

"No, not at all," she replied. "Although they were very excellent questions, Marlena. But we go way back! Please call me Naomi. Both of you!"

"Okay, Naomi," Marlena said, giggling in delight at being given permission to call a grown-up who wasn't even a relative by her first name.

"So, may I ask why you've come?" Kaylyn persisted.

"I have something to give you. Perhaps you've heard that I'm getting married . . ."

"I think the entire quadrant has heard about that," Kaylyn laughed. "Probably all four quadrants, in fact!"

Naomi rolled her eyes and sighed. "I guess you're right about that. You'd think the news media would have more important things to obsess over than a simple wedding between old shipmates."

They all laughed at that. The youthful lovebirds from the famous – or infamous, depending upon your point of view – starship Voyager were Big News everywhere. "I get so tired of being followed all the time. I had to transport from Headquarters to the corner of your street to lose the posse that follows me everywhere. I might have been able to walk here. It's not really that far, and I could have used the exercise, considering I've eaten at least four of your delicious cookies, Marlena. So far!"

Marlena blushed with pleasure at the compliment. "You can have another, if you want. I can always make more for Rick when he comes home."

"I'd better pass. I want to fit into my wedding gown!"

"Oh, I wish I could see you in that. I'll bet it's really pretty," Marlena said, a dreamy look coming into her eyes.

"Actually, that's the reason I'm here. I wanted to hand deliver these to your family." Naomi picked up the portfolio she had carried with her, opened it, and handed a large white envelope to Marlena. "It's an invitation to our wedding. We want to turn it into a reunion of the Voyager crew, too. We know everyone won't be able to come, of course, but we want as many there as possible. The Voyager Family Association officers, too. The way things are going, it may well be the last time we'll have a chance to get everyone together. It's not easy getting people from New Earth, New Pojzan, or the Gamma Quadrant here. We're going to try, though."

"Oh, Mom, can we go? Please?" Marlena was breathless. To go to any wedding was a treat. She'd only been to two in her life, and they both involved cousins. To go to this wedding, of all weddings! The newsvids were all calling it the "wedding of the century." (Of course, Kaylyn thought, they always said that until the next big event came along.)

"We'll see, dear. I'll have to talk to your father. It depends on where it is! It's not on Ktaria, is it?"

"Oh, no, it's right here in Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains. It's a great venue. We'll be able to put up everyone who attends in this big hotel. It's right there on the grounds. We can keep the party going even after the reception is over! I hope you can come."

"The Equinox people, too?" Kaylyn asked, a little too sweetly, to avoid coming off too tartly.

"Absolutely. Assuming we can get hold of them. And that's why I came to deliver your invitation instead of transmitting it to you. I want your help contacting your sister." Naomi slipped a second envelope out of her portfolio, with the name "Marla Gilmore" written in beautifully flowing calligraphy. "There's a data chip inside the envelope, so you can transmit it to your sister. I don't have a way to get this to her except through you or Noah. I don't have an address for her. I know you've both been keeping in touch with Marla. I couldn't get quite enough leave time to go to Luna to give this to Noah. And I really did want to see you again. It's been too long."

Kaylyn swallowed audibly as she accepted the envelope from Naomi. She gently stroked the envelope inscribed with her sister's name. It had been so very long since she'd seen Marla.

Kaylyn was drawn out of her sudden reverie by the soft touch of her daughter's hand on her forearm. "Do you think she'll come, Mom?"

"I don't know. I hope so."

After a brief moment of silence that threatened to become uncomfortable, Naomi filled the space by saying, "Marlena, have you ever met your Aunt Marla?"

"No. I was born after she left."

Naomi surveyed the girl's facial features. There was definitely a family resemblance. Marlena's light blonde hair, blue eyes, and delicate fair complexion accentuated their connection. "You look a lot like your aunt, you know," Naomi finally said.

"Rick says that, too. It's hard for me to see. When we get a transmission from her, it's all snowy and I can't see her very well."

Naomi nodded knowingly. "That's what happens when a transmission is bounced too many times when it's sent from one location to another."

Kaylyn shrugged her shoulders resignedly at her daughter's confirmation that the Richardson family had indeed been in contact with Marla over the years, despite their many denials to anyone who asked. "I'll contact her, Naomi, but I don't know. She's always worried about what people will say to her about her Equinox days. And her work is very demanding. She's devoted to the children in her care. Four months' notice is plenty of time for someone in this system or somewhere close by to arrange to come to a wedding, but she's really far out now."

"I understand, I really do, but Icheb and I want to see her again so much. Tell her not to worry about any sort of pressure from anyone. Icheb's father, Admiral Paris, is going to make sure she'll be protected from the media. You can tell her Noah is coming with his family. It looks like Angelo Tessoni and Tal Celes are coming with their brood, too, with the New Earth contingent. Mr. Ayala and his family are planning to come, too. Captain – I guess I should say President - Janeway and Chakotay are coming, too, with their son Edward. It may be the last time they come to this side of the galaxy, she says, so it's a really big deal for all of us to get together with her. And, really, everyone wants to know that Marla is okay. After all of this time, Marla doesn't have to worry about Harry Kim being upset with her. He's moved on. Icheb says they both need the closure. He should know. He saw his father when he was coming back from his last assignment. He says his mind is eased because his father answered a lot of questions Icheb had about his people and his family. Our wedding would be the perfect opportunity for that to happen for Harry and Marla."

"What about Jim Morrow and Brian Sofin?"

"Jim's not sure he can get away. He's very high up in the Delta Quadrant Federation Security forces, you know. And Brian . . . do you know how to contact him?"

"No. I have no idea where he is."

Naomi sighed. "No one else has any idea, either. We all hope he's simply gone way, way out and changed his name. He's completely disappeared."

Kaylyn nodded at Naomi soberly. The thought that Brian was long dead always intruded whenever his name came up in a conversation. Even in this day and age, people who wanted to disappear could, and could stay out of touch forever, if that's what they really wanted.

"Well, I'll try to convince Marla to come, Naomi, for my daughter's sake, even more than for you and Icheb. She should get a chance to meet her. We chose the name Marlena to honor my sister."

Naomi stretched out her left hand to Kaylyn, and her right to Marlena. "Thank you both. For the cookies, the coffee, and most of all, for the good company. I really hope Marla comes to meet her namesake."

Kaylyn looked at her daughter. Hero worship shone out of Marlena's eyes as she gazed upon the young Starfleet commander. Pride and terror warred within the mother as she realized that, once again, Starfleet would snare one of her nearest and dearest.