Diclaimer: It's all Paramount's, cept for Verla, T'Valk, and Rachel. Maybe
a few Maquis.
A/N: "Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad."
Chapter 13 – Loose Ends
Sela stared out the front window of ten-forward with a sigh. She had been on board the Enterprise for a week. A week! She had seen all the ship, including her mother's station on the bridge. Commander Riker, who she now considered a friend, had taken care of everything. 'Friend' was not a term that Sela used lightly. Sela had very few true friends, and most of them were related to her in some way or another. She would've never thought that she could have a friend there, on the Enterprise.
Sela had hated the people on the Enterprise since she was a child. She had hated the people who had put her mother through a living hell with all her heart. Now, though, she found out why her mother was endlessly talking of them all. Even though she was to be considered an enemy, they all treated her as a friend. And she was beginning to have doubts about what all Rihannha were taught as children. The Federation was not as bad as everyone said.
The Enterprise was a beautiful ship. The people aboard were just wonderful. She was able to talk to everyone about her mother without getting yelled at by her father. Sela now knew what her mother had really been like. She had been too young to remember.
Sela had even been able to talk to the bartender, Guinan, about her childhood. Guinan seemed to know about Sela's loses. Her family, too, had been killed. It had been wonderful to have a sympathetic ear, for once.
Thomas Riker was sitting on the bridge on the tiny Maquis fighter. He had failed. The Federation would now overrun the Maquis. And Rachel was gone.
The Maquis would put up a good fight, though. They always had. Maybe they could take a few Federation ships with them. But Rachel was gone.
Sweet Rachel, who had always been there to help him. Marvelous Rachel, who had always been there to ease the pain. Amazing Rachel, who wouldn't give up until she had avenged her family. Rachel, with her kind words and determination. Rachel was gone.
The universe would go on. Empires would fall, stars would be born, alliances be forged and broken. Perhaps the Maquis would even survive, to fight again.
But none of that mattered to Thomas Riker anymore. Because Rachel was gone.
Sela followed Commander Riker to the transporter room. After two weeks aboard the Enterprise, no one even gave her a second glance. For just one moment, she wished she could stay there. Stay in the place where she was accepted for who she was.
She watched a young couple and a little girl (probably their daughter, she thought) walking down the hallway. The man and the girl looked part Vulcan, or even Rihannha, and the woman was noticeably pregnant. And Sela thought that the little girl looked vaguely familiar.
Riker noticed that she had stopped, and turned around. "Is something wrong, Sela?"
Sela gave him a sad grin. "The little one reminds me of my sister. She . . . died only a few years ago. Who are they?"
For a moment, Sela thought Riker seemed uncomfortable about answering her question. But the moment passed, and Will was back to normal. "Simon and Sasha Tarses. The child's name is Liza." They arrived at the transporter room and went inside. "I wish you luck, Sela. Explaining everything to your government may be hard. And I hope you get the Khazara. She's a fine ship."
Sela smiled. "Not as good as the Enterprise. I hope you get her someday." Sela laid a hand on the transporter console. "An excellent ship. She deserves a good captain." Sela then stepped up onto the transporter pad. "Don't forget me, William T. Riker."
"I won't, Sela t'Khaiellterrh." It was an honor, in Rihannsu culture, to be allowed the use of someone's full name. To 'give' someone your name, was a great sign of friendship. Riker smiled, and bowed his head slightly. "Energize."
For Sela, the trip home had been horrible. Toreth didn't trust her anymore. She never would, Sela realized, until she found some way to redeem herself in Toreth's eyes.
Everyone wanted to know exactly what happened. They wanted to know about the
Enterprise, it's people, and the Federation. They wanted to be reassured that there was no defection
scheme, that the integrity of the Empire was safe. And, most of all, they wanted to know what had really happened to ARK-7.
Sela had told them. And everyone had wanted revenge. Sela had told them that one Maquis had died. Told them that most of the others were in Federation hands. But they hadn't really wanted justice. They wanted blood.
As soon as they had reached home, she had been called to Proconsul Neral. And there she stood, outside his office. She took a deep breath and walked in.
"Sit down, Commander," Neral instructed. "I should probably be extremely angry at you for giving the Maquis vital information about the Khazara," he began, and Sela took a deep breath, waiting for him to reprimand her, "but I'm just glad you're alive!" After a moment, Neral pushed a PADD across the table to her. "Here's your new assignment."
Sela expected a freighter, or maybe a demotion to first officer of a ship, or, even worse, remaining as Neral's aide. She was wrong. "Commander of the Khazara?" she asked in astonishment.
Neral nodded. "You deserve it. I had to pull a few strings with the Admirals . . . but she's all yours, Commander."
Sela jumped up. "Thank you so much, Proconsul!"
"Just one thing," Neral said as he stood up. "Try not to get yourself killed, Sela."
For once, she didn't loath his using her name. "I won't, Proconsul. I promise I won't." She turned to leave.
She had just reached the door, when Neral came up behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sela," he said. "I know how much you hated being my aide. Although you were very good at it. If you ever decide on a change of profession, I'm here. The office won't be the same with out you. And I do wish you would call me Neral."
Sela smiled. "And you can call me Sela."
A/N: "Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad."
Chapter 13 – Loose Ends
Sela stared out the front window of ten-forward with a sigh. She had been on board the Enterprise for a week. A week! She had seen all the ship, including her mother's station on the bridge. Commander Riker, who she now considered a friend, had taken care of everything. 'Friend' was not a term that Sela used lightly. Sela had very few true friends, and most of them were related to her in some way or another. She would've never thought that she could have a friend there, on the Enterprise.
Sela had hated the people on the Enterprise since she was a child. She had hated the people who had put her mother through a living hell with all her heart. Now, though, she found out why her mother was endlessly talking of them all. Even though she was to be considered an enemy, they all treated her as a friend. And she was beginning to have doubts about what all Rihannha were taught as children. The Federation was not as bad as everyone said.
The Enterprise was a beautiful ship. The people aboard were just wonderful. She was able to talk to everyone about her mother without getting yelled at by her father. Sela now knew what her mother had really been like. She had been too young to remember.
Sela had even been able to talk to the bartender, Guinan, about her childhood. Guinan seemed to know about Sela's loses. Her family, too, had been killed. It had been wonderful to have a sympathetic ear, for once.
Thomas Riker was sitting on the bridge on the tiny Maquis fighter. He had failed. The Federation would now overrun the Maquis. And Rachel was gone.
The Maquis would put up a good fight, though. They always had. Maybe they could take a few Federation ships with them. But Rachel was gone.
Sweet Rachel, who had always been there to help him. Marvelous Rachel, who had always been there to ease the pain. Amazing Rachel, who wouldn't give up until she had avenged her family. Rachel, with her kind words and determination. Rachel was gone.
The universe would go on. Empires would fall, stars would be born, alliances be forged and broken. Perhaps the Maquis would even survive, to fight again.
But none of that mattered to Thomas Riker anymore. Because Rachel was gone.
Sela followed Commander Riker to the transporter room. After two weeks aboard the Enterprise, no one even gave her a second glance. For just one moment, she wished she could stay there. Stay in the place where she was accepted for who she was.
She watched a young couple and a little girl (probably their daughter, she thought) walking down the hallway. The man and the girl looked part Vulcan, or even Rihannha, and the woman was noticeably pregnant. And Sela thought that the little girl looked vaguely familiar.
Riker noticed that she had stopped, and turned around. "Is something wrong, Sela?"
Sela gave him a sad grin. "The little one reminds me of my sister. She . . . died only a few years ago. Who are they?"
For a moment, Sela thought Riker seemed uncomfortable about answering her question. But the moment passed, and Will was back to normal. "Simon and Sasha Tarses. The child's name is Liza." They arrived at the transporter room and went inside. "I wish you luck, Sela. Explaining everything to your government may be hard. And I hope you get the Khazara. She's a fine ship."
Sela smiled. "Not as good as the Enterprise. I hope you get her someday." Sela laid a hand on the transporter console. "An excellent ship. She deserves a good captain." Sela then stepped up onto the transporter pad. "Don't forget me, William T. Riker."
"I won't, Sela t'Khaiellterrh." It was an honor, in Rihannsu culture, to be allowed the use of someone's full name. To 'give' someone your name, was a great sign of friendship. Riker smiled, and bowed his head slightly. "Energize."
For Sela, the trip home had been horrible. Toreth didn't trust her anymore. She never would, Sela realized, until she found some way to redeem herself in Toreth's eyes.
Everyone wanted to know exactly what happened. They wanted to know about the
Enterprise, it's people, and the Federation. They wanted to be reassured that there was no defection
scheme, that the integrity of the Empire was safe. And, most of all, they wanted to know what had really happened to ARK-7.
Sela had told them. And everyone had wanted revenge. Sela had told them that one Maquis had died. Told them that most of the others were in Federation hands. But they hadn't really wanted justice. They wanted blood.
As soon as they had reached home, she had been called to Proconsul Neral. And there she stood, outside his office. She took a deep breath and walked in.
"Sit down, Commander," Neral instructed. "I should probably be extremely angry at you for giving the Maquis vital information about the Khazara," he began, and Sela took a deep breath, waiting for him to reprimand her, "but I'm just glad you're alive!" After a moment, Neral pushed a PADD across the table to her. "Here's your new assignment."
Sela expected a freighter, or maybe a demotion to first officer of a ship, or, even worse, remaining as Neral's aide. She was wrong. "Commander of the Khazara?" she asked in astonishment.
Neral nodded. "You deserve it. I had to pull a few strings with the Admirals . . . but she's all yours, Commander."
Sela jumped up. "Thank you so much, Proconsul!"
"Just one thing," Neral said as he stood up. "Try not to get yourself killed, Sela."
For once, she didn't loath his using her name. "I won't, Proconsul. I promise I won't." She turned to leave.
She had just reached the door, when Neral came up behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sela," he said. "I know how much you hated being my aide. Although you were very good at it. If you ever decide on a change of profession, I'm here. The office won't be the same with out you. And I do wish you would call me Neral."
Sela smiled. "And you can call me Sela."
