Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2020 @ 4:16am by Captain Nycolas Temple & Lieutenant Machwen Adaestron
Edited on on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 7:35am

Mission: New Moon Rising
Location: Cargo Bay 01

Once the Pandora had recovered the forty two crew members of the Talarian vessel, their bodies were laid carefully in the Cargo Bay for appropriate identification and transport back to their home planet.

Ensign Adaestron and various other medical officers were placing placards around the cargo bay, next to the bodies, so that their identities could be easily recorded. Despite the silence of the room, it was filled with screams of regret. If Machwen decided to use his psionic abilities on any of the medical officer, he was sure that he would hear the same thing from them all.

In the midst of the commotion, few had noticed the Cargo Bay doors had opened and a man had entered, his body hunched over as he hugged his arms tightly to his chest. All of the Colonel's usual pompous stance and grandiose presence was gone, now he was just a shell of a man shuffling towards his deceased crew mates.

"My friends... my family..." Sevros muttered as he peered across the rows of bodies and knelt down in front of them, hands covering his face. "Forgive me."

Machwen quickly walked over to Sevros, "You do not have to apologise, Ambassador. The best you can do now is to honour them how they would wanted to have been. Are there any rituals that your race carry out for the dead?" he asked.

Sevros shook his head, "My people will see to that once we get back home. And I only apologise because I live... while they are gone. I should have been with them. With my son/"

He straightened up again and looked around, "We talked of a better future; that this new technology was going to protect us from the Tzenkethi invasion, help coordinate our defences. If only we could stand on our own without the Federation's help, the Talarian warrior would be reborn. I can hear them now; voices ringing in pride, dreaming of a better tomorrow... But tomorrow never came."

"Their faces will forever haunt me, a phantom shadow across my life," He continued as he paced in front of the fallen crew, his voice getting louder and louder, "All my days now will be filled with empty chairs at empty tables."

Walking into the middle of the Cargo Bay, surrounded by his deceased comrades, "My friends! My family! Do not ask me what your sacrifice was for. It has all come to nothing. Murdered by those wretched lizards..." He broke down in tears, "...I'm sorry..."

Having followed Sevros into the centre of the room, Machwen asked him, "Is there anything you would like me to do for you. Would you like something to eat, anything?"

Sevros looked up to the young Ensign, his face so earnest and helpful. No one in the Talarian hierarchy would ever accept help from a Federation officer, it was simply not their custom to show weakness in front of another species in this manner. But the Ambassador was struggling with a grief that he could only barely grasp himself and in his vulnerable state, managed an appreciative smile to Machwen.

"Thank you, Ensign," He replied, standing up onto his feet again. "You are a good son, you do your father proud."

Nyx had also appeared in the Cargo Bay, having been alerted by ship's security to Sevros' movements, though he had asked them not to interfere. He saw the Talarian man in his grieving state and could only feel sorry for his plight.

"Machwen," He spoke quietly as he approached, "May I have a moment with the Ambassador?"

Turning around to the Captain, Machwen nodded, "Yes, of course," before walking out of the cargo bay.

Servos looked to Temple with an exasperated expression, "I want to thank you for rescuing my crew and arranging to bring them home. Especially, my son."

"Ensign Adaestron is the one to thank for that," Temple replied, giving a nod to the departing CMO. "He has taken incredible care of your people."

Sevros looked to the closing doors and sighed, "I hope you will impart my gratitude to him. I... have not been my diplomatic best..."

"It's understandable, Ambassador," Nyx nodded.

For his part, Nyx was trying to keep his gaze tightly on the Talarian Ambassador, not wanting to look at the lines of bodies covering the Cargo Bay floor. He had been around death before but this was excessive and heartbreaking. It could have easily been the Pandora crew boarded and murdered like this, had it not been for the quick skills of Lieutenant Griffin, Commander Nash, and the USS Palatine. A life of service was always one bad decision away from total disaster, as the Talarians had discovered.

"I have read your report on what happened to my ship," Sevros remarked gravely, "You see now that I was not dishonest with you, Captain. We had no intention of spying on the reptiles."

"I know," Temple replied quietly, "We have all the evidence to support that. What will your people do now?"

"Probably make a lot of sound and fury at the Tzenkethi for this.... war crime. No matter how they try to justify it." Sevros replied, though his heart was barely in it, "One day, we will have our revenge for this. My son's murder will be avenged."

Nyx nodded along quietly, knowing this wasn't the time for his own opinion.

Sevros finally turned away from the bodies and sighed, "I will contact my people to let them know the Pandora is coming, there is a starbase not far into our territory we can disembark from."

He turned to Temple and bowed his head down low, and Nyx followed suit, as the two men briefly touched foreheads together. It was a small but symbolic gesture of respect from the Talarian Ambassador and Nyx chose to follow without comment. Once complete, Sevros straightened up again and quietly filed out of the room. Nyx cast one eye over the rows of bodies before also departing, and the cargo bay was once again drenched in an empty silence.

OFF