Curiosity Kills Part 13

Posted on Sun Sep 27th, 2020 @ 2:09pm by Patricia Crow & Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova

Banks sat near one of the large fires as the stars filled the night sky. She absentely whittled the end of a thick branch into a spear.

Millie sat down next to Banks, a wooden bowl in each hand. "Taan made stew. I'm under orders to make sure you eat." She extended one of the bowls to her friend.

Banks took it but sat it down next to her. "Most of these...people..are not ready to become warriors. Puts them at a big disadvantage."

Millie stirred her stew with her spoon. "I seem to remember you yelling at me for the same reason a few years ago."

Banks chiseled the tip of the branch in silence a few minutes. "Chance was really pissed at me when we left."

Millie nodded, her face lit by the flicker of flames. "I know." She left the silence open, knowing that Banks would fill it if she needed to.

It took about thirty seconds. "That happens a lot because of what I do."

"Why does he get upset?" Millie already had a good idea from her sessions with the two of them, but wanted to hear what Banks was thinking.

"I do..this. Pack a bag and say be back later, dinner's programmed in the replicator." She stabbed the spear tip in the ground a few times. "I'm to blame for all of this and I'll never get to tell him that."

The Counselor nodded. "But you two discussed that you would still be going on missions, da?"

"Yea. I told him I'd tell him more and put him at ease and then..." she gestured to their surroundings. "When we got back I was going to show him some medical reports I've been reading about medical advancements where it comes to pregnancies and now, I've lost him and Keiran and..everyone except you."

A piece of Millie's heart broke for her friend, and she placed a hand on Banks' arm. "I'm sorry-- I didn't know."

Banks gave a slight shrug. "I should have retired from this when I married him. Especially after Keiran came. I think I make him think they're not enough for me."

"That man loves you more than all the planets and the stars in the entire universe," Millie stated. "And I can promise you that if your father-in-law doesn't violate a dozen Starfleet orders in coming to find us, your husband would take the ship by force and spend every waking moment of his life turning over every rock on every planet he can find looking for you."

Banks glanced at Millie for a minute before stoking the fire. "I've done a lot of...bad things in my life and I don't deserve what I had and what I've lost but I can't apologize enough to you for ruining your life and your future."

"My future?" Millie chuckled. "This is far more exciting than any future I could have imagined. Besides, you are the only family I have."

That hit the mark. Banks put her hand on Millie's for a moment before she heard footsteps approaching and turned to see a group of natives. It was time to start training. It appeared all their lives depended on it.

Millie gave Banks' hand a squeeze. "I'll go get a few hours of sleep, and I'll take over training of the morning crew."

"I'll be fine, you sleep in." Banks forced herself to stand and with the crutch walked off with her first trainees.

Millie sighed, watching Banks hobble away.

Lieutenant JG Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova
Chief Counselor, USS Mercutio

Patricia Banks
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Mercutio