*A/N: Italics indicate flashbacks.*
Kah'Li kneeled by her father's side. She lifted his head from the cold, metal floor and placed it into her lap. Tears of joy fell from her face onto his. //He's here.// she thought joyfully to herself. //He came to rescue me.//
She gently dragged him over to the bed, and tried to pull him up. He was bigger than her, and her energy was depleted, but somehow she managed it. His face was covered in lacerations and bruises, and one of his wrists hang limply at his side. //What have they done to him?// she thought, her joy at finding her father turning into anger towards Hael.
A pain erupted in her side. She grabbed the side of the bed for support, but it was in vain. She tumbled to the floor, hiting her head on the ground. She had one final thought before she joined her father in the realm of unconsciousness.
//It'll be a wonder if either of us survive this rescue...//
~*~
Jon sat nervously in his command chair. He had given the order to find the 'Cerassians' an hour ago. No luck so far. He was gravely worried for his best friend. There was no telling what his best friend might do. There had been a few times where Trip had gotten himself into more than he could handle...
6 years ago, Utopia Planitia...
Jon sat at the bar, quietly sipping his drink. Trip had been supposed to meet him here half an hour ago. Knowing Trip, he had probably gotten himself into some kinda trouble, or he had forgotten completely about the meeting.
Jon was just about to give up on Trip when he saw his best friend plop down beside him. It was normal Trip, except that he kept looking behind him and looked very nervous.
"Hey, Trip, what's wrong?" he asked his friend.
Trip looked at Jon nervously. "What do you mean?"
Jon sighed. Now he knew that Trip had gotten himself into trouble. "What have you done now?"
Trip slouched down in his chair. "Uh, well, nothing big. Just well, I......." Trip mumbled the last few words of his sentence.
"What was that?"
Trip frowned. "I kinda lit the Admiral's hair on fire."
Jon suppressed a laugh. "And," he paused and tired to keep his face straight,"How did you manage that?" His efforts at keeping quiet failed just then, and he exploded in laughter.
Trip sighed. "I knew I never should have told you. It's not funny!"
"Oh, I know." Jon tried to say seriously. "It's just that, well, the Admiral doesn't really have any hair to burn!" Once again, Jon started to laugh.
Slowly, a smile came to Trip's face. "Yeah, I guess. It was kinda funny." Trip started to laugh as well.
Once both men had calmed down, Jon asked Trip another question. "Why do you keep looking over your shoulder?" Trip smiled sheepishly. "I dunno, I guess I just expect the Admiral to come after me or something."
Jon smiled and put an arm around his best friend. "Trip, you really are a laugh and a half."
Present Day...
Jon smiled sadly to himself. He would give anything to have his friend here with him again.
Kah'Li kneeled by her father's side. She lifted his head from the cold, metal floor and placed it into her lap. Tears of joy fell from her face onto his. //He's here.// she thought joyfully to herself. //He came to rescue me.//
She gently dragged him over to the bed, and tried to pull him up. He was bigger than her, and her energy was depleted, but somehow she managed it. His face was covered in lacerations and bruises, and one of his wrists hang limply at his side. //What have they done to him?// she thought, her joy at finding her father turning into anger towards Hael.
A pain erupted in her side. She grabbed the side of the bed for support, but it was in vain. She tumbled to the floor, hiting her head on the ground. She had one final thought before she joined her father in the realm of unconsciousness.
//It'll be a wonder if either of us survive this rescue...//
~*~
Jon sat nervously in his command chair. He had given the order to find the 'Cerassians' an hour ago. No luck so far. He was gravely worried for his best friend. There was no telling what his best friend might do. There had been a few times where Trip had gotten himself into more than he could handle...
6 years ago, Utopia Planitia...
Jon sat at the bar, quietly sipping his drink. Trip had been supposed to meet him here half an hour ago. Knowing Trip, he had probably gotten himself into some kinda trouble, or he had forgotten completely about the meeting.
Jon was just about to give up on Trip when he saw his best friend plop down beside him. It was normal Trip, except that he kept looking behind him and looked very nervous.
"Hey, Trip, what's wrong?" he asked his friend.
Trip looked at Jon nervously. "What do you mean?"
Jon sighed. Now he knew that Trip had gotten himself into trouble. "What have you done now?"
Trip slouched down in his chair. "Uh, well, nothing big. Just well, I......." Trip mumbled the last few words of his sentence.
"What was that?"
Trip frowned. "I kinda lit the Admiral's hair on fire."
Jon suppressed a laugh. "And," he paused and tired to keep his face straight,"How did you manage that?" His efforts at keeping quiet failed just then, and he exploded in laughter.
Trip sighed. "I knew I never should have told you. It's not funny!"
"Oh, I know." Jon tried to say seriously. "It's just that, well, the Admiral doesn't really have any hair to burn!" Once again, Jon started to laugh.
Slowly, a smile came to Trip's face. "Yeah, I guess. It was kinda funny." Trip started to laugh as well.
Once both men had calmed down, Jon asked Trip another question. "Why do you keep looking over your shoulder?" Trip smiled sheepishly. "I dunno, I guess I just expect the Admiral to come after me or something."
Jon smiled and put an arm around his best friend. "Trip, you really are a laugh and a half."
Present Day...
Jon smiled sadly to himself. He would give anything to have his friend here with him again.