=Shuttle Amu Darya=
=Aeran III=
" ... anyhow, Sarah wanted me to make her my Chief Medical Officer, but I told her that one of us needed to be with Annie," Trent said as he looked over the sensors. "For whatever reason, she was pissed off at me. Can you believe that? I mean, she understood and wanted to be with Annie, but she was angry at me because I was taking command of the Lancelot. I told her that it was Admiral Jefferson's idea, but somehow, it's my damn fault. I will never completely understand that woman."
Rick, sitting next to Trent, listened.
Shuite was piloting the shuttle while Trent manned the tactical console, looking at the sensors for escape pods. Rick helped make some minor repairs. They had managed to "tag" a few stray pods, whose occupants were either beamed up to the Lancelot or, in the case of two engineers and a science officer from the Manticore, were drafted to help work on the shuttle's systems.
Rachel, meanwhile, was busy sitting on the deck, playing with her flower necklace with her teddy bear Nicky sitting in her lap.
"She's probably just worried. If the roles were reversed, wouldn't you be upset," Rick said.
"Yeah, but not at her," Trent said. "Then again, maybe it's ... maybe ... maybe that's it!"
"What?"
"I forget to tell you ... you're going to be an uncle again," Trent said.
"An uncle again? What do you mean ...?"
"Sarah's pregnant," Trent said.
"Really? How long?"
"A month or so," Trent said. "Come to think of it, that explains a lot of things."
"How so?"
"If MaiKai ever gets pregnant, then you will understand. Until then ... "
Rick sat back, the look of concern on his face was easy to see.
"I know how you feel, Ricky," Trent said, looking at Rick. "It'll be OK."
"How can you possibly know how I feel?" Rick shot back.
"Years ago when I was chief security officer on the Archer, crew members were abducted by an unknown alien race, including Sarah who was pregnant with Annie at the time. I was like a caged animal since we couldn't find the ship that had abducted them. When we did, I was sent over to lead teams on two shuttles to get them back.
"We found them, but the aliens were not so willing to give them up. We managed to make it to the beam out point where the crew would be beamed to the shuttle and then to the ship. There was a firefight in a confined space of a corridor as it took time to beam everyone away. I was the last one beamed to the shuttle. On the way to the ship, I felt relief that we had gotten everyone back ... that Sarah was safe. Or at least I thought she was. When we got back to the ship, and as I was leaving the shuttle, I was told that Sarah had been shot just before she was beamed out."
There was a short pause as Trent looked closely at the sensors.
"I never felt so helpless ... so useless. How in the hell could I have let this happen. I was worried and angry and ... Thankfully, Sarah and the baby survived. But it was that day that I began to consider leaving starfleet, which I did after Annie was born."
"You never told me about that," Rick said. "Why didn't you?"
"I don't know. Maybe I ... wait, I'm picking up another pod. And a couple of life signs. They are about two clicks from the pod. Mr. Shuite, we're having problems with transporters. There's a clearing about forty meters from their position. Can you land us there?"
"No problem, sir," Shuite said.
The shuttle made a quick turn and, moments later, gently landed at the clearing.
MaiKai and Lindsay had walked along for quite some time hoping that they were going in the right direction. Mai was starting not to feel so well, but took it in stride. One she figured it was because she just needed to adjust to being on the ship to being in an escape pod o now being on a planet and two: Lindsay had already gotten on her case about things she really didn't want to talk about, Mai didn't want to add her health to the list.
They walked awhile more mostly in silence before Mai gripped hold of Lindsay's wrist. "I need a break..." she sounded out of wind and they hadn't even walked that long. Lindsay knew that if Mai was saying she needed a break then in all actuality she probably needed a break ten minutes ago. Mai was known for not putting herself first when it was called for.
Rick and Trent navigated their way through the thick growth of trees that stood between them and the two life signs. Rick had left Rachel in the safety of the shuttle. When they came out into an opening, the first thing Rick saw was Mai and Lindsay Joy sitting on a fallen tree. He couldn't even contain his excitement as he rushed to her.
Mai was slumped up against Lindsay trying to get relaxed without actually lying on the ground. Mai heard the soud of something charging in their direction and abruptly sat up and looked around. She saw two figures rushing their way one ahead of the other. It was Rick and Mai believed Trent. MaiKai shook at Lindsay's arm for she had fallen asleep a bit sitting up.
When Rick finally got to Mai, he felt a wave of relief as he held her tightly in his arms. It was as he had just woken up from a nightmare. Trent, for his part, slowly followed and watched at a distance. Trent simply nodded in Lindsay's direction as if saying 'hey'.
Mai melted into her husband's arms. She had hoped that he wasn't badly injured or even killed, but now just holding him nice and tight with her head on his shoulder filled her with joy.
"I ... I thought ... I thought I lost you. I thought you didn't make it. I ...," he just held her, praying deep down that this wasn't some sort of trick and that he wasn't asleep and dreaming on the shuttle.
"I know..." she lifted her head up so she could just look him in the eyes. Her own began to fill up with tears, but she refused to let them fall willingly.
Mai was slumped up against Lindsay trying to get relaxed without actually lying on the ground. Mai heard the soud of something charging in their direction and abruptly sat up and looked around. She saw two figures rushing their way one ahead of the other. It was Rick and Mai believed Trent. MaiKai shook at Lindsay's arm for she had fallen asleep a bit sitting up.
When Rick finally got to Mai, he felt a wave of relief as he held her tightly in his arms. It was as he had just woken up from a nightmare. Trent, for his part, slowly followed and watched at a distance. Trent simply nodded in Lindsay's direction as if saying 'hey'.
Mai melted into her husband's arms. She had hoped that he wasn't badly injured or even killed, but now just holding him nice and tight with her head on his shoulder filled her with joy.
"I ... I thought ... I thought I lost you. I thought you didn't make it. I ...," he just held her, praying deep down that this wasn't some sort of trick and that he wasn't asleep and dreaming on the shuttle.
"I know..." she lifted her head up so she could just look him in the eyes. Her own began to fill up with tears, but she refused to let them fall willingly.
After a minute or so, Rick reluctantly pulled back.
"I believe that there's someone else who wants to see you," Rick said.
All Mai could think of now was Rachel and hoped that it was her Rick brought along.
"I believe that there's someone else who wants to see you," Rick said.
All Mai could think of now was Rachel and hoped that it was her Rick brought along.
Moments later, after a short hike back to the shuttle, they came out in the clearing. Sitting on the ground outside the shuttle and playing with Nicky was Rachel, who was being watched by Shiute. When the child saw Rick and Mai appear from the line of trees, she leaped to her feet and ran toward them.
Mai ran towards her daughter scooping her up and twirling her around before holding her close in her arms.
"Mommy's not going anywhere baby," Mai said to her daughter while looking back at Rick as they made their way back into the suttle.
= End Log =
Commander Rick Rodgers
Chief Engineering Officer
U.S.S. Chimera (formally)
Lieutenant Commander MaiKai Rodgers
Chief Engineering Officer
U.S.S. Chimera (formally)
Lieutenant Commander MaiKai Rodgers
Chief Medical Officer
U.S.S. Chimera (formally)
Commander Trent Rodgers (npc by Rick)
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Lancelot
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Lancelot
Lieutenant Lindsay Joy (npc by Mai)
Head Nurse
U.S.S Chimera (formally)
Rachel Rodgers (npc by Rick & Mai)
Child
U.S.S Chimera (formally)
