No Unicorns Here

Posted on 21 Sep 2023 @ 9:31am by Lieutenant Aria Rice & Commander Scarlet Blake & Lily Blake

2,088 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I - Level 17, Ring Corridor
Timeline: MD 16, 1600hrs

[ON]

Aria walked down the corridor, thinking as she walked. It had been a busy day and she was tired, but pushed it aside. Her hand touched the wall on occasion as she walked, tapping, feeling the hard smoothness. The station had been well built, and it needed that with the Klingons here. She had already had to shove two back onto the ship for causing trouble. It was a full time job. She turned the corner and stopped when she saw Lily Blake and Commander Blake. Her eyes widened slightly, a brief stab of panic. She didn't want them to see her in this uniform. But she saw that Lily had stopped and she glanced over her shoulder to make sure there were no Klingons around before she smiled at them.

"Aria!" Lily pulled away from her mother's hand and sprinted down the corridor with an acceleration that would have made even Tarin proud. She collided with Aria, grabbing her with tight arms. "You've been gone ages!"

Aria let out a shaky breath and picked her up, hugging her as she closed her eyes. With no colour in her hair and wearing the Klingon uniform, she knew she didn't look like she usually did. She pressed a kiss to her hair. "Not back yet either, princess. Still have to work with the Klingons."

"You look like a Klingon!" Lily giggled as she held on to her, rubbing her nose to hers. "But not as grumpy...you could never look grumpy..."

"Oh, I think she could..." Scarlet chipped in as she caught up, shaking her head as she folded her arms and looked her up and down. "I didn't know they came in small..."

"Apparently it's specially replicated for me," Aria said and put Lily down, looking at Scarlet for a moment before she looked down at Lily. "I've really missed you two. You know that, right?"

Lily took Aria's hand, gripping it firmly as if to make sure she didn't run away. "Missed you more...it's not the same," she said with a dramatic sigh.

"Well that's true enough," Scarlet shook her head as she studied her friend with clear concern. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly, motioning to her face with a lingering simmer of anger.

Aria nodded, a firm nod before she smiled. "I'm making new friends," she said, lightly. "And trying new...food. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to Klingon food, but I can keep it down."

"This whole situation is absolutely ludicrous. I did try, but Tarin won't recall you," Blake shook her head with frustration and tilted it in a way that seemed to suggest a roll of the eyes, and most certainly a sigh.

"Of course not, I haven't learned my lesson yet," Aria whispered before she gave a small chuckle. She picked Lily up, taking a breath. "Want to grab some ice cream? I think I have enough time for that before I have to run around gathering the entire shopping list for my Captain."

"Do Klingons eat ice cream?" Lily asked with a bright smile at being held by Aria, playing with some of Aria's long, dark hair. She missed the colours, but it was still lovely.

Aria shook her head, watching her before she kissed her cheek. "But if they did, I bet it would be slugs or raw liver..." she said in a deep, dark voice, her eyes shining before she looked at Scarlet. "I crave strawberry ice cream."

Lily looked at Aria with absolute wide eyed horror. She couldn't decide what was worse...slug ice cream or no ice cream at all. "We have to save Aria, Mummy..."

Scarlet chuckled, rolling her eyes slightly as she folded her arms, starting to stroll slowly with them. "Fine," she said softly. "Knight in shining armour, that's me..."

Aria smiled as she walked, looking fondly over at Scarlet. "I can't stay with you long," she said, but to Lily. "I have to make sure my new friends are okay. You know how it goes, right?"

"But it's been aaaaages...." Lily rested her head on Aria with a sigh, absently playing with the strap around the arm of her uniform. "No one plays games like you do..."

"I know, I'm sorry," Aria said, meaning it as she carried her to the mess. Replicators, thankfully, so she could get some ice cream. She looked at Scarlet, giving the other woman a small smile. She had a thousand things to tell her, but couldn't. It wouldn't be fair on her, or Lily. "When I come back, we can play. All three of us."

"Deal," Lily grinned, balancing out of her arm enough to be closer to the replicator to give her order. "Please can I have mint icecream with chocolate chips, warm chocolate fudge sauce, fluffy cream, chocolate wafers....oh and marshmallows! Thank you!" the girl was smiling again, and honestly, it was enough not to make her mother protest.

Aria looked over at Scarlet, with an 'aw' face at the Lily before she smiled, nodding. "I think I need the same thing, Lily, you can order one for me too." She held the girl, the smile fading a little as she savoured the moment. It was starting to hit her that it might be ages before she was close to what she considered her family by now.

Scarlet watched Aria for a long moment, silent as she took her expression in. She carried the sundaes to a table, setting them down and sitting herself close to Aria, with the pretence of sharing with her. She chuckled softly as Lily delved in, with all the joy and happiness that only a child could embrace. It was at that point she glanced to Aria, keeping her voice soft. "And how are you?"

Aria took a spoonful of ice cream, tasting it and enjoying it for a brief moment. She met Scarlet's eyes, giving a weak shake of her head. "Survivor mode," she whispered, but kept her voice light. "If I get out of this, I'll need to talk to you the...way you used to be. A counselor."

Blake watched her with concern, reaching under the table to squeeze her knee. "Always," she assured gently. "Whatever you need," she let out a breath to try and dissipate her anger at the situation. "It's ridiculous, you shouldn't be there."

Aria glanced at her before she smiled weakly. She agreed. And it showed what happened if you stood up against Tarin in her eyes. She let out a breath, taking a mouthful of ice cream. "I need to report something," she finally said. Because it was the responsibility as a Starfleet officer. Lily seemed engrossed in her ice cream, not listening. "I was challenged into single combat against a Klingon, Brin't'a. I won." But that had meant she had killed the other woman and she wanted to report that to Starfleet. She might be on a Klingon ship but she was still a Starfleet officer. She needed to be honest about what had happened, even just for when she came back to Starfleet so they could be ready to review it. And with her record, Aria wondered if it was a step right down to Ensign again.

Scarlet searched her features for a long moment, able to read between the lines well enough. They'd known each other so long, it was second nature by now. "Then write the truth," she said softly but firmly. "That a Klingon chose to invoke one of their own edicts on their ship while you had been sent to serve under their orders...and you defended yourself appropriately," she paused to let that sink in. "How do you feel about that?"

"I'll handle it later, when I have time," Aria admitted before she took more of her ice cream, sighing contently. She knew she hadn't faced what had happened, not properly, just put a plaster on it until she was back. It would have to do and all she could hope was that it wouldn't rip off while she was on duty. "I've missed sugar. Oh, I've missed it so, so much..." she breathed, looking at Lily.

"I don't think I could be a Klingon, not with no ice cream or sugar," Lily sighed heavily just at the idea of it, her chin dropping to rest in her hand. "Must be why they seem so grumpy..."

"I know!" Aria laughed, watching her before she reached out to touch her cheek. "Don't worry about me though, I am sneaky...I'll play at being a Klingon and when I get back home, I'll take a bath and then eat loads of chocolate to make up for it."

"You should take secret snacks with you!" Lily looked to her with wide eyes and a beaming grin at coming up with a plan so dastardly. "Er...concha...concha..."

"Contraband," Scarlet filled in for the girl, unable to hold back a slight snigger of laughter at her daughter even having a concept of what that was, and the idea that sweets would be considered it. "We'll talk about where you heard that word later..." she teased Lily, reaching out to pinch her side playfully.

"Oh, I need some of that," Aria said and looked over at Scarlet with big eyes. Now she hadn't taught that word to Lily, as far as she knew anyway. Now just who had been babysitting her princess to get contraband into her head? "Loads of it. Of the chocolate variety."

"We'll get you a coat, so you can sew a load of confectionary into the inside of it," Scarlet watched Aria with amusement, trying to imagine her smuggling anything on that teeny body of hers. "Sometimes that tiny waist works against you..."

"Hey, a baggy hoodie is an amazing thing for smuggling things," Aria said with a grin, finishing her sundae before she winked at Lily. "Especially sweet things."

"I could stow away with you," Lily grinned as she leant forward on the table to her, grinning conspiratorially as she drummed her fingers together in a 'I have a wicked plan' motion.

Aria laughed, watching the girl with adoration. Lily Blake might be the sunshine in her life, the one person who could make her laugh no matter what. Her imagination tapped into something in Aria that had never truly grown up, that childish sense of wonder and play. "Oh, but who would make sure my plants are watered in my quarters and all my shoes are safe?" she asked playfully, reaching to touch the tip of her nose with a finger.

"Er....Mummy....?" Lily said with a pitch that got higher in question, looking across to her mother with a winning grin before her shoulders slumped expressively. "Hm...no...she'll forget, they'll go all droopy..."

"She's not wrong," Scarlet looked to Aria with an almost playful smile, shrugging with an innocent air about her. "I can't even be trusted with a peace lily. It's irresponsible when people give me plants as gifts."

"Which is why I bake," Aria said playfully before she smiled, her eyes shining. "Maybe ask Verity to help?" she touched her arm before she sighed. "I...should get back to work now. Loads to do and my Klingon Captain is expecting...a lot." It sounded stupid. And Aria would rather stay here.

Scarlet watched her with a mixture of frustration and regret, shaking her head. "When I find a way to bring you home, I'll do it," she assured, standing to hug her properly, fiercely. "I know it probably feels like it, but you're not alone, Aria, you're not. Your family are thinking about you, every second of every day."

Aria hugged her, closing her eyes as she let out a shaky breath at the words. "There, I am," she whispered before she pulled back, to kiss her cheek. "In body, not in spirit. Thank you, Scarlet...for...for everything," she said the last, needing it said. Just in case. "I love you. And I love Lily."

"We love you too, so don't be saying a goodbye," Scarlet said firmly, holding her eyes for a long moment before chuckling as Lily moved to them, not wanting to miss out on a good hug as she wrapped her arms around Aria's leather clad legs.

[OFF]

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lily Blake
Civilian Dependent
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Lieutenant Aria Rice
First Officer
IKS Praxis

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