2417: In Shadow's Light

Posted on 27 Feb 2024 @ 5:14pm by Commander Scarlet Blake

1,268 words; about a 6 minute read

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There had been a time when Scarlet Blake could never have imagined anything coming before her duty to the Fleet. But her duty as a mother? To protect her child at all costs? When it had come time to choose between the two duties, there had been no contest.

Her daughter had come first. And she had no regrets.

Especially when she looked at her now...at the tenacious and intelligent young woman Lily had become.

Back in 2496, when it had become clear that a diplomatic solution was long since dead and the writing was on the wall for just how devastating the war was going to become, Blake had handed in her resignation, to protect Lily from the ever widening conflict.

Blake couldn't have known that her resignation had come on the eve of the destruction of the Galileo-A. Once she'd made her mind up, Blake hadn't waited around for internal bickering, it was clear cut. She had resigned and they were leaving. If they had further inquiries on the matter, they could forward them to her new civilian homestead.

But the inquiries never came.

Her departure had been so close to the destruction of the ship, and in the chaos that ensued, she had been listed KIA along with the rest of the crew...although she had only come to realise that very recently.

At first, they had settled in a human colony, but as the frontline of the war had spread throughout the region, she had realised there was little safety in being tied to one place. On the contrary, they needed to be able to move, and quickly if needed.

So Scarlet had purchased a sturdy little vessel that served as their home from home. The Vesper.

Of course, they made regular stops at civilian stations and colonies, spent time in the sun and the fresh air and with new faces. They would resupply and take the chance to repair, and in return they would help when and how they could, whether it was to fortify a settlement, make supply runs for them or even evacuate people when the frontline pushed too close for comfort.

And it was in that shadow's light that Lily had grown and flourished. She far surpassed Scarlet in her ability to take care of the Vesper. Indeed, Lily was a one woman force of nature when it came to that side of things. She could fight and defend herself too, Scarlet had made sure of that. And their visits to other people and places had kept the sparkle of life and warmth in the young woman's eye.

Scarlet smiled as Lily caught her watching her across the room, nodding as Lily lifted a hand to wave at her. "What are you working on?" she set her padd aside to move over and take a closer look.

"I'm integrating that holo-emitter we picked up at the Ha'sreth Bazaar," Lily shifted in her seat to give her mother room to join her, sharing the view of the screen. "It could come in handy if I can get it working, you never know."

"Another pair of hands, I guess," Scarlet replied, but with limited enthusiasm. She had never been keen on relying on holograms.

"Or a holo-pet..." Lily teased her with a knowing smile, shaking her head at her mother's caution. "I'd rather have it and not need it."

Scarlet squeezed her knee reassuringly. "Absolutely," she nodded to her, giving her approval to go ahead and fit out the Vesper as she pleased.

Scarlet watched with a small smile as Lily nodded quickly, clearly pleased with the sentiment as she bowed her head to go back to it.

Their similarity in looks had only increased over the years. Lily's dark, almost black hair was long and kept out of the way in a simple plait over her shoulder. Her blue eyes were the same shade as Scarlet's, and the elegant lines of her face created a likeness between them. She'd even developed a similar tall, athletic frame and had the same need to exhaust her significant energy whenever able.

And although the optimistic warmth had never left Lily, she had developed a ruthless streak that came with the years of self-reliance they had lived through. Lily had shown her aptitude for playing the long game when needed, shrewd and skilled in the game of life, where Scarlet had often been more brash and hard hitting.

Scarlet had nothing but pride for how capable Lily had become, even in such impossible circumstances. They had been boarded more than once, by parties from all sides of the conflict. Seen as a non-partisan family unit of little worth, they were usually allowed on their way...although often with their supplies confiscated. It was a tax they could live with.

And it was true, while the Vesper served as a comfortable and reliable home, it was little more than a runabout, not worth much to anyone else, or the war effort on either side. Even so, such boarding parties and inspections took more than just a little nerve to negotiate, and Lily had become a pro. A warm and frivolous smile here, a look of respect and awe there, a slew of questions showing just the right amount of interest to flatter rather than raise concern...she had become more than just a little skilled in how she handled the different factions. Scarlet had a sense that morally, she probably shouldn't feel maternal pride over such manoeuvring. But she did.

It gave her independence and defences in life, everything she had wanted for her daughter.

The most dangerous interest had been from Ferengi, who wouldn't think twice about taking the chance for a modest profit by selling their ship...and them. When a boarding party had invited themselves over, Scarlet had beamed back four pairs of severed ears to their ship. The opportunists had decided to be on their way.

"How's Aria doing?" Scarlet asked lightly, standing so she could stretch her back out and roll her arm. An old shoulder injury liked to nag at her now and again...but it was better than Lily's nagging if she caught on to it, so she'd learnt to be discreet in her movement.

"She needed a rest after all the excitement, she's in her room," Lily assured, tilting her head back to indicate the door but never taking her eyes off her screen.

"I bet..." Scarlet chuckled softly to herself, letting herself into the small bedroom. She approached the young girl quietly, but smiled when she saw she was stirring. "Hey..." she whispered tenderly, reaching to pick her up, holding her close.

Aria Blake was fast approaching her fifth birthday. Scarlet brushed the girl's long dark hair away from her face, caressing it gently before cradling the back of her head with her hand.

It made Scarlet's heart swell to know how fierce and loving a mother Lily had become. They had made it to the Jenovia colony in time for the birth, and despite an arduous labour, Lily had fought with every breath. It had been love at first sight and the experience had only brought Scarlet and Lily closer together.

A healthy girl with boundless energy and spirit, Aria Blake had been an absolute blessing.

And as Scarlet held her, rocking her gently to ease her back off to sleep, protected by the steadfast shadow of the Vesper, and nestled far, far away from the furious battlegrounds of the war, she knew there was nothing she wouldn't do to keep her family safe.

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