It's Not Been a Long Time

Posted on Wed Mar 19th, 2025 @ 2:04pm by Lieutenant Commander Caradan Eunidas

Mission: Outside the Box
Location: Outside Rachel, Nevada
Timeline: Backpost

OOC: In the spirit of It’s Been A Long, Long Time, here is something of a mirror version, following Caradan’s unfolding of events.

- On -

A single shuttle finally departed the U.S.S. Tornado. After so many had been beamed or shuttled aboard, there was finally someone leaving.

While all the others were to spend another month aboard the nearly derelict ship docked in a repair orbital, only Caradan was allowed to leave. She was not allowed to pilot herself however. There was another pilot, who said nothing at all throughout the whole trip. They bypassed Spacedock, did not open communications with Starfleet Command and made no on-approach transmission. In fact, as the shuttle entered the Earth’s atmosphere, the cabin lighting dimmed and a certain swoosh could be heard coming from the shuttle’s engineering beneath their feet.

Caradan made no comment, for she would not have gotten any form of response in return, but she surmised the shuttle had a cloaking device, and the pilot activated it as they descended toward Earth.

She accessed navigation from the terminal beside the pilot and noticed they were not going in the direction of Starfleet, not toward San Francisco, but to an unmarked location in the vicinity of Rachel, Nevada.

What could possibly be out there?

The pilot said nothing. His only response was pressing a few additional buttons upon his terminal and then Caradan’s terminal logged out and locked itself. She looked to the pilot then back out front, knowing she was not going to get any answers here.

The shuttle landed near a bunker, a lone bunker out in the desert. She did see two Starfleet uniforms standing nearby as the shuttle landed and the back hatch opened. The shuttle did not power down, but started its take-off procedure immediately upon Caradan’s exit. She did not bother to shield her eyes from the kicked up dust. Changelings did not have to worry about sand in the eyes. If any got in, she would just get a hold with her being and send it forth to the surface of her skin to fall therefrom.

She made her way toward the two she knew would provide answers, albeit cryptic she was sure.

Caradan recognized Admiral Norris from the few communiques she had made with Starfleet. She did not recognize, at the time, the captain to his right.

“Caradan Eunidas,” the admiral said. He extended his hand. Caradan did not take it. He withdrew the gesture and looked to his right, saying, “This is Captain Lynch.”

Caradan did not even look at the man.

“Welcome home. We all know what you did. Well, those of us who have been read into it that is. Of course, you know, this civil war among the Klingons did not actually happen; and no Starfleet vessel was involved in any way.”

“So, what I did…what I went through…did not actually happen either,” she said.

“Not the case at all,” said the admiral. “We just have to keep it all sealed. The empire does not want it out that they were even at war. And they certainly do not want it out that a lone Starfleet vessel on a plan championed by a Changeling is who saved them.”

“Of course,” she said. “It would look bad for them.”

“That being said,” the admiral continued, “Starfleet hereby awards you the highest commendation to be bestowed upon a service member. The Empire also bestows upon you the award, Warrior of the Klingon Empire. Henceforth, to the Klingons, you are Caradan Eunidas WKE. Or, as they like to say it, ‘W’Ka’Ee’. Congratulations.” Neither the admiral nor the Captain Lynch gave any form of applause.

Caradan saw that he had no paperwork, no digital document, and no medal. “And these awards…I take it they are also sealed.”

“You practically saved the quadrant, Caradan,” said Norris. “You can tell people that at least, but cannot go into the details. Do you…have any family you wish to see?”

Caradan only stared at him in deadpan.

“Friends maybe?”

“The only family and friends I have is aboard the Tornado. And they all know what I did…what I went through as a prisoner of war.”

Norris nodded his understanding. “They are being debriefed as we speak. Will continue to be for the next week or so. They will be dispersed among other ships and also cannot talk about what happened.”

“I understand,” said Caradan. “Secrecy.”

“What about Mr. Mindo,” said the captain finally having something to say.

“Do not worry about ‘Mr. Mindo.’ He was transferred off suddenly during our trip back to Earth. And he said he never wants to see me again.”

“Splendid,” said Lynch.

“You are being assigned a counselor,” said Norris. “Counselor Anastasia Lauda. She has already been read into the situation. You can tell her anything, everything.”

“I would much rather not have to relive any that I…”

“This is an order Lieutenant,” Norris said while finally announcing her rank. “And we need assurances of your silence in these matters.”

“My oath is not sufficient enough?” she asked. “On top of my NDA?” Caradan looked between the two. “I do have a price if you must know.”

“Figures,” said Admiral Norris. “Out with it.”

Caradan never looked at anyone so sternly when she said only one word. “Villeneuve.”

“Admiral Villeneuve,” Norris repeated, nodding, knowing the history. He only looked at Captain Lynch.

“On it,” said Lynch. “Not like I have 31 other things to do,” he said.

A week later, Caradan had received no word from anyone aboard the Tornado, no word about anyone aboard the Tornado. There was also no sign of Admiral Villeneuve. There was, however a missing persons report for the man and no one had any leads. It was not until a year later when Caradan met Lynch again that she finally put a few numbers together to figure out just who he was; the reason for Villeneuve’s disappearance as well as an agent for another section of Starfleet entirely. The man was never a captain.

A year of keeping it all to herself save for the very few she could tell, a year of meeting her counselor, a year of returning to the Academy to expand her resume. She made no friends during that time; didn’t really want new friends. There was still no word from the Changeling homeworld, so no family, not that Changelings even had individuals they could call family. But Caradan knew, long before her capture, that she could never return to the Great Link. She could never return to the Tornado. The ship had been decommissioned anyway. She could never return to her friends. She could never return to her past life and past self.

All that awaited her was a dismal, lonely, and painful future.

- Off -

 

Comments (1)