We left Chris being rescued by the Tolerian version of Abbott & Costello – err Mikkos and Galen.
"Naturally, you can see your crew members before we remove the sigils," Mikkos explained.
The Ambassador reminded Chris of every Ambassador Chris had even met, with a skillset that included verbal warfare, oral misdirection and the ability to charm the knickers off a nun (Except for Sarek, never ever Sarek as Chris never understood the Amanda/Sarek dynamics except to Thank God and all God's assorted various angels that unholy couple had somehow produced Spock. Hey, that was a good thing as he was remembering Spock?). "Except for Tilly, she is currently resting."
Pike stopped and exhaled, counted from one to twenty and then backwards twenty to one. "Is she ill?"
"She is…. Resting…" the silver haired, blue-eyed Galen advised. He spoke rapidly to Mikkos in Tolerian who nodded his head at various parts of the conversation.
"Galen wishes to let you know that he personally oversaw her care and reviewed Dr. Nessa's care when they arrived here. Tilly was physically exhausted, so she was placed in a private room so she could sleep undisturbed."
Ah yes, Galen, he was the one selected to join the line marriage as he was pretty, Pike remembered. The Healer seemed telepathic as he turned towards him and smiled. The smile was bright as the sun and his blue eyes were seemingly as empty as space. Right before the asteroid clipped your tail wing and sent you careening into a tail spin because you had been fooled by the vast emptiness of space.
Yes, Galen was playing stupid.
"I'd like to see her," Pike requested.
"When she wakes," Mikkos advised him.
"I'd like to see her, now," he repeated a little firmer. Just in case there was a translation problem.
"When she wakes," Mikkos reminded him, as though he was hard of hearing. "I understand your concern, but my brother would not have her sequestered if she did not require it."
"Captain, don't even try. Pretty boy over there wouldn't let me see her as he pretended that he didn't speak Standard," Nessa angrily explained. She hissed at Galen, who Nessa had deemed Pretty boy, who once again angelically beamed a vacant smile. "She's resting is all that they'd tell me. Pretty Boy is playing stupid and Glib boy…"
She hissed.
Both Tolerians stepped out of her two-foot tongue attack range, which spoke well of their common sense. However, Nessa could probably spin on her toes and thwack them with her tail if she well and truly pissed.
"Any use of your tongue to attack me be considered an act of war," Mikkos advised Ness, even as his eyes narrowed and the fake smile faded from his dark eyes. "And if necessary, for protection purposes, Healer Galen can and will temporarily paralyze your tail."
Mikkos then smiled brightly as though he was merely discussing the latest scores of the Andorian Wombats and how wasn't it such a shame that they wouldn't make the playoffs again, while Galen, who couldn't be that pretty and empty headed, not if he was the Head Healer of a Tolerian War Ship, cheerfully grinned. Chris swore that he could hear the sound of ocean waves coming from the vast blank cavern between the Healer's ears.
Though compared to his darker skinned crew members, he could see how the fair-skinned Galen was deemed exotic. Perhaps… even… pretty?
Really? Galen wasn't stupid. Far from it.
He hated being played.
"Galen, let us show Captain Pike that we have taken care of his crew as is proper," Mikkos smoothly inserted. "The Prime will understand that a good steward of his crew, Captain Pike wishes to see them prior to seeing to his own health. We are somewhat overwhelmed as we've already taken on the crew of four ships that were heavily damaged, so we have to put your crew in one of the cargoes holds. Please excuse us, we have tripled up occupancy in any available space plus station security. We're trying to keep sufficient room to prevent any altercations due to fraying tempers as some clan disputes go back generations. However, due to your rank and our immense respect for your doctor, we managed to pull together private accommodations."
"I've got a closet," Nessa dryly stated. "You've rated the quartermaster's office."
The two Tolerians appeared concerned over her obvious lack of enthusiasm, and then Nessa giggled, "It's a very nice closet. Small and cozy and private. Now, can the Captain see his crew?"
At that moment, Tilly was not technically resting. No, in fact, she was sedated. When Nessa and Tilly had exited the spacecraft, they had been greeted by armed guards. There also had been three older Tolerians males who Nessa easily identified.
"The one with the long white braid and the burn marks is Bryce, Tolerian Prime, the one with the salt and pepper braid would be Ambassaor Mikkos. The one with the silver hair and those intense blue eyes is Healer Galen as Vaya said he was the prettiest of the senior husbands. They are the ranking husbands in their line marriage," she explained to Tilly. "As you can tell, we rated the big guns, literally and physically. All we need is for the Archon to appear and we've got ourselves a Royal Flush."
Bryce gestured and the guns were lowered. He bowed once and then gracefully extended his hands outward in a show of welcome
"I greet you, Sylvia Tilly," he quietly stated. Then in perfect Chistorian, he ritually greeted Nessa who was rather impressed at his fluency. "You have had a long journey, so let my brother Galen examine you. He is our head doctor and he is familiar with your species' physiology as he cared for Raphael while he was among us."
He had a noticeable limp to his gait and he motioned for them to follow him.
"My brother Vaya advised us that you would be the first to arrive. We are adjusting our course to meet the remainder of your crew as quickly as possible as I understand that your shuttles have limited oxygen."
Nessa stopped, "Brother Vaya?" Her voice was soft, and her tail slightly drooped.
"He unilaterally decided to leave the family, the family did not agree to his departure, so Brother Vaya he will be and will remain until we meet again," Bryce softly stated.
"The Prime hates being Prime," Mikkos stage whispered.
"I'm a munitions expert, not a military strategist," protested Bryce. "I have a pathological craving to explode things. The bigger the boom, the better. I should not be in this position for that reason alone. Alas, the Archon has a very dry sense of humor. She felt if the Federation found Vaya offensive, my promotion would just push the entire sorry lot of you into the Galactic Core where you could all implode with our sincerest regards."
"I never found Vaya offensive," protested Nessa.
Bryce gave a curt nod even as Tilly offered a quick agreement.
"If you'll come with me?" Mikkos offered. "We'll take you to medical."
Galen motioned for Tilly to enter a small private room, while a very unhappy Nessa was ushered…. Escorted…Chistorian-handled to another room.
"Are you comfortable with me treating you? I can have a female come in for the exam?" Galen asked. "I'm also conversational in Federal Standard as the Archon insisted that the senior family learn it. Not… fluid… fluent?"
He grimaced.
"Can you close the door? I have some questions," Tilly admitted as she settled on the stretcher. "Will it be kept between us?"
"Swear on my oath as a Healer," he easily agreed. He also performed what seemed to be a ritual gesture as part of his vow.
"I-i-i-i might be pregnant," Tilly confessed.
Galen nodded and simply stated, "If you require… options, I can offer them. No one need know."
His sincerity and empathy surprised her and his genuine concern for her brought her to tears.
Tilly shook her head, "No, it's a good thing, but we hadn't planned it for… now… With everything happening… it's just… we wanted to be somewhere…. Safe… when we started our family."
"You are safe with us," the Healer gently assured her. "Do not be worried about The Prime. His leg is paining him something fierce plus he mourns Rafael and Vaya."
"What?" Tilly not so smartly asked.
"He believes Vaya passed on the Janus as he is not on any of the shuttles." Galen's smile disappeared and he closed his eye to permit himself composure. "Vaya and he are… were quite close. They and The Archon built our family so his loss weighs heavily on The Prime. He also fears that he is not the Prime we need now. However, we have faith in him."
Her eyes filled with tears. God, she was so emotional at the best of times, but… not Vaya, he of puckish sense of humor. She wearied of all the death that seemed to be following her since she had first stepped foot on the Janus, Devins, DelRosso and now Vaya.
"Does she have a name?" Tilly asked.
"Who?" Galen asked.
"Your senior wife?" She prompted.
Galen blushed, and admitted, "Yes, she does. I use it only when we are alone among our family or during pillow talk. She is The Archon otherwise, as is the Prime. For others to use her given name implies an intimacy that would be improper for the leader of our people."
His exam was surprisingly thorough and then the moment of truth came. Deep in her heart (belly?), she knew the results before he said a single word. Her inner Tillys were silent except for the newest member of her mental menagerie who softly sniffled. Her various inner Tillys (except for the one sobbing) held hands and several of them prayed to deities of the ninety-seven major religions plus a few of the lesser known ones. Their sincere (but far too late as Chris' swimmers had bolted from the gate as they were swimmers on a mission to knock her up) prayers were for naught.
"Boy or girl?" Sylvia asked. Her voice trembled only slightly.
"Girl," he informed her. "Among my people, if your first baby is a girl, it's a very good omen. You're maybe… four weeks… so still quite early."
Tilly nodded her head once and tried not to cry.
I am Ensign Sylvia Tilly of the USS Discovery and I am pregnant with Captain Christopher Pike's child, her inner Federation Tilly announced. Her voice was quite dead. He'll be furious when he finds out. Culber gave me the injection, I know he did.
"Don't tell Chris. I want the moment I tell him… to be perfect… when he's not worried about… the crew… and… please don't tell him… Please… please…" Her voice broke as she wept for the dead, she wept for the baby… and she wept most for Captain Christopher Pike whose career she had just destroyed. The tears would not stop even as Galen permitted her to dampen him with her waterworks. He hesitantly embraced her and the simple compassionate gesture made her weep still harder.
Galen reminded her of nothing than Hugh Culber… who was dead… she realized.
What about Stamets? Was he dead also? What about Michael? Chris… no… CAPTAIN PIKE was on the Enterprise; how could a mere Ensign from the USS Discovery know him?
Why am I remembering him on the Discovery?
You have beautiful nailbeds.
"I won't say anything," he promised. "I can give you… options… if you need them. Among my people, the females make the decisions.""
Uhm… I'm Ensign Sylvia Tilly. I'm… I'm Discovery's newest addition to the Command Training Program.
AND I'M FUCKING PREGNANT. THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE CURRICULUM! Screamed Captain Killy.
THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC DQ FROM THE PROGRAM, shrieked another Inner Tilly.
WHO CARE ABOUT THE CTP? WE'RE GETTING THROWN OUT OF STAR FLEET!
Mom was right, I always fuck up everything. I always do, wept Brainiac Tilly.
"No… no… I don't need…. Options…He'll be so happy…" she lied as she was flooded with memories… of Ensign Sylvia Tilly and her countless Tillys who had people laughing at her. Not with her but at her, but this one, this was biggest fucking Tilly she's ever done. "The moment… I tell him… the good news… has to be perfect."
You thought you broke a Captain before… HA! The universe has decided to show you how to really do it.
That warm smile with the dimples where he was laughing with her, not at her.
"We talked …. about naming…. our first girl… after his mother…" she explained, even while she cried so hard that she hiccuped. "I wanted….a little boy… that looks like him… I swear… these are… happy tears…"
I can't let him find out. I can't let him find out. I have to hide this until I know what to do. Omigod, I'm so scared. What do I do? What do I do? How do I handle this? I'm pregnant!
"Can I see her? I know she's just a blob of cells right now, but she's,…. My… blob."
"Of course," Galen easily agreed. The Healer motioned for her to sit up even as he brought over a wheeled device. He tapped on it and there, suspended in midair was a blob. "This is your insides. Currently, she is the size of a jalan melon seed."
He looked at her, and nodded his head. "You've never a jalan meon, I take it. The seeds are very, very small and they insist on clinging to your teeth after you have a jalan melon. We need to expand the visual, and there she is. That's your little circle of cells right now, but before long, she'll look like a baby. If you will permit me, I will do a thorough scan to ensure that there are no issues so far?"
"She's beautiful," Tilly whispered, before she broke down into body shaking tears. "Please scan to make sure she's healthy so far."
Excuse me, she's just a blob of cells, right now? Asked an inner Tilly. How can you decide that she's beautiful?
There was a fierce response from the most unlikely of Tillys.
SHE'S OUR BLOB OF CELLS RIGHT NOW, Captain Killy stridently announced. WE WILL NOT LET ANYONE HURT OUR LITTLE BLOB NOW OR EVER. WE WILL BE THE BEST MOTHER EVER! WE WILL PUT ALL MOTHERS TO SHAME! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD? AND YES, SHE IS FUCKING BEAUTIFUL!
YES, MA'AM! The Inner Tillys shouted.
WE WILL PROTECT HER FROM EVERYONE. WE WILL PROTECT FROM OUR MOTHER. WE WILL PROTECT HER FROM STAR FLEET AND WE WILL MOST ASSUREDLY PROTECT HER FROM CHRISTOPHER PIKE. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?
But he wanted this? One lone voice asked that before her sisters turned to face her. But he wanted this. He wanted this with me.
IT WAS THE BREEN WHO PLANTED THAT IDEA IN HIS HEAD. TILLY SEX WAS MEANT TO BE A DISTRACTION, SO HE WOULDN'T REALIZE THAT EVERYTHING WAS A LIE. BUT WHEN HE REALIZES THAT HE'S A FEDERATION STAR SHIP CAPTAIN, AND TILLY IS AN ENSIGN, HE WILL NOT WANT THIS. HE WILL NOT WANT TILLY! HE CAN HAVE ANYONE IN THE FUCKING UNIVERSE SO HE WILL NOT WANT TILLY. WHAT HE WILL WANT IS FOR THIS ENTIRE EMBARRASSING EPISODE TO DISAPPEAR AND THAT WILL MOST ASSUREDLY INCLUDE OUR LITTLE BEAUTIFUL BLOB.
The inner Tillys gasped in horror.
We should trust him. We should tell him, pleaded an Inner Tilly. If he finds out from someone else, he'll be so angry that we didn't tell him.
WE ARE NOT TELLING CAPTAIN PIKE ANYTHING, BECAUSE WE CAN NOT TRUST HIM. CAPTAIN CAN NOT USE THE POWER OF HIS DIMPLES TO WIN WHEN HE'S FACING MAMA BEAR, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD? WE WILL NOT TELL HIM. WE WILL NOT TELL ANYONE. WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE FEDERATION, WE WILL RUN, AS FAST AS WE CAN.
The inner Captain Killy walked over to Federation Tilly who hysterically sobbed. In a soft voice, she whispered, I know you want to tell him. But we have to protect our little Blob, because she's ours. It's a little piece of Chris that only you will have. Don't you want to keep that part of Chris safe?
Federation Tilly nodded her and wept harder.
Killy sat down next to Federation Tilly and she hesitantly embraced her, I know, I know. You want to believe that Chris would be happy to continue… this… That he'd risk everything… his career…. His reputation… everything… to be with you and our little Blob, but you know it won't happening, Tilly. He will look at you with nothing less than disdain and disgust for the madness that he endured, and that disgust will include our little Blobbie. We need to protect our little Blob, as we're the only ones that can.
He was so nice to me. He was so kind and patient. Unlike the others, he wasn't… wasn't ever… mean … to me. He never mocked me.
He was Chris, murmured Brainiac Tilly. So sweet and affectionate. It was really easy to fall in love with him. Because for the first time, someone unconditionally loved you and all our little quirks. He didn't try to turn into a better person, he didn't want to fix your faults, he just wanted to be with you. Oh, honey, I fell in love with him, too. Like all of us did, even Killy did. Plus, honey, he was one hell of a lover, wasn't he?
Federation Tilly nodded her head.
But it was the drugs, Tilly. It's the only way we'd ever get someone like him, you know? They gave him a shitload of drugs so he would constantly want sex, and we were willing to provide it.
Tilly had to ask, What's so wrong with me? That even Christopher Pike had to be drugged and programmed to want to be with me? You don't think… that the Blob will be embarrassed by having me as her mother, do you? Do you?
No answer from her inner choir, so Sylvia Tilly screamed her questions again.
CAN SOMEONE ANSWER ME, PLEASE? SHE WON'T WISH SHE HAD SOMEONE ELSE AS HER MOTHER, WILL SHE? CAN SOMEONE ANSWER ME?
CAN SOMEONE LIE TO ME, PLEASE?
I WON'T BE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO HER?
LIKE I WAS TO MY MOTHER? I'M TIRED OF BEING AN EMBARRASSMENT. I WANT SOMEONE TO BE PROUD OF ME FOR ONCE.
I'M SO TIRED OF BEING A JOKE. I'M… JUST… SO… TIRED…I just want someone to love me for me… what is so wrong with me? For the first time I felt… special… because it was fucking Christopher Pike who wanted to be with me. You know… the girls on the Janus were jealous because I was fucking the Captain.
They wanted to be me, for once. They wanted to be Sylvia Tilly, who right now, wishes she was anyone else.
A concerned Galen carefully took a hypnospray and applied it to Tilly's neck. Her bout of hysterical weeping had him concerned for her as she appeared close to emotional collapse. Tilly stiffened when she heard the telltale hiss of betrayal.
"You… drugged… me…." She protested. "I… trusted… you…"
"You're exhausted and you need sleep. Your baby needs you to be stress free and rested," Galen murmured as he carefully positioned her on the stretcher. Then he placed one hand on her right temple and began to whisper, "Go to sleep. You're exhausted and you need to sleep. You know you are safe because Vaya sent you on to me. He'd only send you to someone you can trust, someone who can help you."
An exhausted Tilly was deeply asleep before long, so Galen summoned his senior spouses to Medical. Once the three of them agreed to his summons, he began a rather thorough physical exam as Tilly's emotional reaction wasn't making sense. As a Stage 5 Empath, the amount of sheer terror and grief when she realized she was pregnant had badly rattled him.
Whatever had happened to Sylvia had happened in Tolerian space, so Tolerian justice would prevail.
And if Christopher Pike had raped Tilly, (but that didn't seem to be the case, but her fear of his reaction to her pregnancy had … been so incredibly intense… that Galen had momentarily feared becoming completely and utterly undone) the Tolerian Prime would throw him out the airlock sans suit while the drums thundered and the crew cheered.
Regardless of Federation protestations, it was his duty as a Tolerian officer to ensure Tolerian law was maintained. He would report his concerns to the governing Triad and they would decide how to handle it.
"Behave," Chris hissed at his favorite little blue doctor during a brief stop on their walk to the cargo hold. Mikkos had stopped at the quartermasters for additional supplies for the Janus crew, so currently Pike and Nessa were left to quietly talk amongst themselves. "We need a ride to the closest Starbase unless you can breathe vacuum."
Nessa nodded and then whispered, "They won't permit me to see Tilly. When I was done with my exam, Sir, they had the three heads of the Tolerian Government in Medical. They had the Ambassador, the Prime and they had even pulled in the Archon, and they were waiting for Galen in his office. He came out of Tilly's sickbay and then went into his office. Closed door meeting and I wasn't allowed to see her after they came out. Galen was only in there for a few minutes and afterwards he turned into the dumb pretty boy right then and there… This isn't good, Captain."
Chris motioned for her to continue, so she did, "As a Captain, you should have been greeted by their Captain. No, instead you rated the Ambassador-at-large and the Healer. Plus, Galen's a genetic quirk. The few Tolerians with blue eyes are customarily females, and they're also Empaths. When a male Tolerian has blue eyes, they're Empaths of extreme strength. Stage 4, sometimes even a 5. The Tolerians aren't sure about you, Captain. You're Federation, plus they know Rafael had difficulties on the Enterprise which you captained. Your greeters consist of someone you can't read, and someone who can read you."
"You know a great deal about our hosts," was Chris' response.
"DelRosso had gone native during his tour with them. He came on the Janus, hair braided and he was tattooed. Carefully done, so they weren't visible in Federation clothes. I know what it's like to be the odd one out on a deep space mission so I made an effort to reach out to him. Jury rigged the food processor so he could have his Tolerian noodles dishes. Learned about their holidays and their traditions, but something is really wrong here. The Prime greeted Tilly and me when we arrived, so something's changed. Is Tilly ok?"
"What do you mean?" Chris asked.
"The atmosphere changed after Galen examined Tilly. Speaking as a concerned officer of the Janus, I have to ask, when you two get freaky, do you get… rough?" Nessa asked. Her ears weren't just pink, they were scarlet. "By that I mean, abrasions or bruises? I mean, she did throw your back out, so I know you two are…"
Nessa covered her blue face with her little blue hands.
"Physically rambunctious?" was her strangled question. "Sexually adventurous? Possibly trying out the trampoline in the gym?"
"Absolutely not." His response was louder than he meant it as both of their Tolerian babysitters turned to face him. "I would never hurt her."
"Oh, thank the goddess, because the Tolerian punishment for rape is that the ship's Captain tosses you out the airlock while the crew cheers the execution. The female ratio to males along the Tolerian is quite low, so they're both in charge and protected. Wait… wait…" Nessa protested as Chris strode towards his babysitters.
"I would never, ever hurt Sylvia," he informed Galen. "Never. Do I make myself clear?"
Galen blinked and Pike grimaced, "Stop playing stupid. I highly doubt Vaya tolerated stupidity, let alone married it."
"They married me because I was pretty," Galen easily confessed. "Not for my brains."
"I'm sure that the possibility of having little Tolerians with your gift might have come into play. I don't particularly care for Telepaths… and I'm not so sure about Empaths, but if you wish to rummage through my mind to prove that I did not hurt her, go right ahead," growled Chris. "And as for Rafael DelRosso, he and I made our peace before he died."
Gone was the blank expression, instead Galen appeared … contemplative as he weighed and measured Christopher Pike. At last, he turned to Mikkos and nodded his head once. Mikkos visibly relaxed.
"I will see her," Chris quietly stated.
"She's sleeping, as she was … emotionally exhausted. She should sleep for some time as I sedated her," Galen stated.
"You what?" Pike questioned as he stepped towards Galen.
"I sedated her as I felt it medically necessary," Galen explained. He stepped towards Pike even as Nessa made a sardonic comment about pissing matches and dick waving.
Chris stepped closer to the Healer and then the ship around him took on an amber hue. He was about to speak when there was an overhead announcement and Mikkos motioned for him not to talk. The announcement was brief, but the effect was immediate. The crew went from every day calm to a heightened sense of alert.
"Change of plans, you're not seeing your crew. The Janus didn't self-destruct and there's a red signal of some sort. We're pulling all the various captains in for their input, so you're invited for a meeting with our leaders. There's nothing we can do about removing Tye's sigils from his face in the next ten minutes?"
Galen shook his head.
"It may help you actually, as it will prove that the Breen are acting against the Federation. Enemy of my enemy will attack each other and leave us out of it. That was Vaya's words of wisdom," Mikkos admitted.
"Enter," a voice announced.
Chris entered the room and he was surprised to see that there were only two Tolerians present. One male, one female. The male didn't look up from his desk, but he continued to speak, "Opening offer. My wife wishes to offer twenty cases of Draxylian Whiskey for your little blue doctor with the tail."
Pike grimaced and he heard Nessa hiss. Two could play that game, so he retorted, "I'm sorry, she's of such sterling quality that nothing less than seventy-five cases would be the minimum offer I'd consider."
That was enough to buy a small freighter, so there was no way in hell that he'd get that price.
"Done. We'll transfer the liquor over."
Nessa slapped him with her tail hard, and hissed, "What is it with you and trading staff members for alcohol? I'm filing a complaint with my new Captain and then I'm reporting you to Star Fleet as you have a very serious alcohol problem that needs to be addressed. However, if you drink seventy-five cases of Draxylian whiskey, your liver will implode."
There was a soft cacophony of noise which Pike realized was the Tolerians' laughter.
"Captain Pike, please sit down. Doctor, please also sit down. It has been… sometime since I last met you," the male spoke. "I thought it best in the interest of safety that I discuss this matter with you separately as opposed to with the other four ship captains. So, let us unbraid our hair, and freely speak regardless of rank. Mikkos, can you please ask the staff to serve dinner? Remember, the doctor only gets a half-serving of whiskey. She's feisty enough sober, Goddess help us all if she gets drunk."
The Tolerian males undid their braids and the female motioned to a very perturbed Nessa to sit down.
"It appears that having obtained the role of Prime that it has aged me, as you do not recognize me, Christopher. Doctor, please, we did not seriously trade for you, however if you wish to join us, we would be delighted to have you join us. Both Raphael and Vaya spoke highly of you, plus… Galen could use another doctor," the Tolerian Prime stated.
"You have me an at a distinct advantage," Pike admitted.
"Starbase 32? I was there when the Tellurian Ambassador decided to hit Raphael with a piano bench. Apparently, the Ambassador wanted a stirring Tellurian march played, but he took it unkindly when he was outvoted. I'm Brycetean?" The Prime shook his head, "Bryce? You really don't remember me?"
"The Breen have done something with my memories," Chris admitted. "Everything is hazy."
The woman spoke then, "Then we have a problem, Christopher. We had hoped you might be able to explain these seven red signals. Do they look familiar to you?"
The Archon gestured and seven little dots appeared in the universe. They hung in the air, and the Prime began to explain, "As you can see, they were predominately appeared in Federation territory. One was in Beta Quadrant, and one was in our territory. They first appeared when we were busy fighting off the Breen. By the time, we were able to arrive at the location, the signal was gone and there was nothing there to explain them."
Chris viewed the red splotches and something clicked.
He was on a Starship; the crew was wearing the old Federation uniforms while he was in goldenrod. His new crew, not the Enterprise…. But the Discovery, they had just…. jumped… jumped? to the coordinates of the first red splotch and there was nothing there. Just an asteroid shedding debris.
"I was expecting a red thing. Where's my damn red thing?" he whispered.
Connelly was dead.
And Ensign Tilly had brought on a dark matter asteroid for shit and giggles among the science corps.
Ensign Tilly.
Ensign. Sylvia. Tilly.
Ensign. Sylvia. Tilly, who he had been regularly fucking for the last two months.
SHE WAS HIS ENSIGN!
HE HAD BEEN FUCKING HIS ENSIGN FOR THE LAST TWO FUCKING MONTHS!
CHRIS, BREATHE. CONCENTRATE ON THE MISSION. THE FUCKING RED THINGS, Robert April reminded him. DAMN RED THINGS NOW, CHRISTOPHER PIKE, TILLY LATER.
"The damn red thing has reappeared," the Archon explained. "The coordinates are the exact location where the USS Janus is. What would the Janus have to do with those damn red things? The Federation has requested permission to enter our territory. We have granted it with the understanding that we get there first, so we are burning out our engines to ensure that we arrive first. What is the damn red thing?"
"We're not sure. We had two recent encounters. The signals were gone by the time we arrived, but in each time, there was someone or someones in need of rescue. There was a downed Federation medical transfer ship the first time, the second time, there was a colony of humans that were about to experience a nuclear winter but we prevented that," Pike answered.
He compartmentalized himself, answered whatever questions they had even while he ate. However another part of him was focusing on the problem of one Sylvia Tilly.
"While officially we are not in communication with the Federation, we have a way to contact one of their Admirals. We have reached out to her, and once she responds, I know she will wish to talk to you," the Archon advised him.
Pike nodded his head.
"Is possible to speak with Sylvia? I want to talk to her," he requested. "Galen, please?"
Sylvia Tilly woke from a very deep sleep. First thing, she touched her tummy and sent massive reassurances to Blobbie, on how much she was loved and wanted. How she was utterly perfect because she took after her father. Then she opened her eyes to see Christopher Pike sitting next to her bedside. His eyes were shut, and so help her, she thought he was praying.
"Captain?" she whispered.
His eyes opened and he smiled. It was an odd smile, not his usual warm smile, but tentative… guarded. She noticed how his eyes weren't focused on her, they were looking at anything but her.
"Hey, how you feeling? Galen said you were exhausted?" Chris asked. "The last few months have been really rough, so I'm glad you could get some sleep. You still look pale, are you sure you're feeling better?"
He knows, Galen ratted us out!
"I'm fine. Just needed a nice long nap," she lied.
Christopher said nothing and then he began to speak, quickly. "I just received some information and I needed to talk to you. I hope you know that the last two months with you… has been …. Amazing. It really has been, but… it has to stop. It has to end. It's not you, oh God, believe me, it's not you. It's…Sylvia… I just found out… I'm your commanding officer. I'm your … Captain. You're an Ensign on the Discovery, Sylvia."
"What?" she asked.
I told you. I told you he'd be too embarrassed to continue it. He can't even look us in the eyes.
"The blame for this is completely mine, as I kept pushing the idea of us…" Chris stopped and then closed his mouth.
"Fucking, you can say the word, Captain," her voice sounded like hers, but it was Killy who spoke. "We fucked. Repeatedly. Incessantly."
"I want you to be angry, Sylvia…" Chris.. no Captain Pike requested.
He's being sincere. Ignore it. You need to be a Mama Bear right now.
"Ensign, you will address me as Ensign, Captain Pike," Killy interrupted.
"I want you to be angry with me, I want you to be furious with me. When we get back, this entire issue needs to go the Board of Inquiry. What with DelRosso, Devins…us… it has to reviewed. But I'm promising you that I'm getting you help. Anything I can do for you, I will. I swear. You won't be out of the Command Track Program and you will still be on the Discovery. Your friends are there, Michael's there, and you'll need them now. I'm just temporary so I'll be gone soon. Saru will take over your mentorship, and you will never have to deal with me. You just let me know what you need, and I will do it. This relationship between us, will not be a blemish on your career, I swear to you, I will do everything I can, pull in every favor owed me to protect you from the fall out. You have to believe me when I tell you this is not your fault. Do not let anyone tell you always."
Pike was talking fast, unlike his usual laconic speed. That speed, that cadence appeared when the Discovery or its crew was in trouble, and Captain Pike had to make an appearance.
You think you can solve this? You think you can just make everything better?
"You think you and I can be on the same starship after this?" Tilly asked. She couldn't even try to hide her disbelief. "You think it's possible for me to be in your chain of command after this?"
Oh yeah, I'd love to hear you answer that when I'm fucking eight months gone and bigger than a shuttlecraft, waddling in front of you on a daily basis.
"I'm hoping we can. I'm only temporary, and you've got your friends there. Right now, I think you need their support," he requested. He pleaded, "We can do this. I will protect you from the fallout as this is my fault."
Then with a Mama Bear strength that came deep from within, Sylvia Tilly turned towards Christopher Pike and spat, "You really think we can be on the same ship after this? You are a fucking asshole, Christopher Pike."