Post by do on Aug 18, 2009 7:54:35 GMT -5
NX-01 Enterprise
Azati Prime
Stardate: 20.01.2169
The fleet was mobilizing, what remained of it that is.
The wreckage of thirty-five ships remained in a semi-permanent debris field over the space of Azati Prime, a despairing reminder of the battle fought there. They had taken out the primary target but they had not ended the war. One last push into the Xindi home world would end it. Even as T’Pol made her way to the quarters of Sloane McRae aboard the NX-01 Enterprise, the ships were warping in from all corners of the Alpha Quadrant. Vulcan and Andoria had taken the worst losses, largely due to the fact that they had committed more ships to this exercise than any one. What remained of their depleted forces was presently on route, along with ships from Cardassia, Tellar and Bajor. The Romulans were also sending reinforcements. In a matter of hours, Enterprise would be flying into battle again.
However, before that final conflict, T’Pol had other business to attend.
The Captain had tried to convey this message the day before, despite her advice against it. Unfortunately, as he had so succinctly put it, he had ‘sure screwed the pooch on that one’. News of the nature he had to deliver was never well received through the glass of the decon chamber. He had barely been able to reveal the losses of the day, without it being surmised already, let alone reveal an even more personal agenda. No, he had learnt his lesson and left it to her to deal with.
T’Pol concurred with his conclusion.
She arrived at the quarters of Sloane McRae and activated the chime to reveal her presence, waiting to permitted to enter.
Not now.
Pulling a pillow over her head, Sloane was tempted to ignore whoever was at the door. She had been pushing on since she'd gotten out of decon, catching up with her men and with what had gone down while she and the Acheron Captain were marooned on Azati. Debriefings, reports and going over the mission and the team she had failed had kept her busy, focused on something else other than her grief for her best friend, for Tom and his sweet kid... for the family life they had lost.
Now, she was trying to sleep - not successfully but that was beside the point. If she didn't get some shuteye soon, she knew she would keel over. And there was another offensive in the works. She would have to be fresh enough for that.
Yeah, she could ignore whoever was at the door. Whatever their business, it had to be personal because had it been for work, they would have comm'd her. She blinked.
Christ, this could be Mercer, she realised. Wouldn't that be honky fucking dory, she decided, pushing the covers away and getting up. She could go on ahead and make another spectacle of herself. At least, this time she would be wearing clothes.
"Coming..." She pulled on her Sharks BDUs that had been left on the floor at the foot of her bed and was zipping it up when she keyed the door open. Her hair a mess, she barely looked to see who it was before she started to turn away and the stopped dead. "T'Pol?"
"Sloane," T'Pol's eyes widened just enough to register her surprise at the woman's state of dress. "Have I come at an inopportune time?" She asked, not wishing to disturb the woman after what had almost certainly be a trying two days.
"No, yeah..." Sloane hung her head, wondering if T'Pol was there as Archer's First Officer or a friend. "I wasn't expecting you, Commander, that's all. Come in. Would you give me a minute..." Her hand waved near her head before she spun on her heel to slip in the little bathroom.
With a sigh Sloane leaned on the sink and gathered herself, working hard to find that stoic mask of hers. Looking up, she saw the puffy reddened eyes, the slightly crazed look in them due to lack of sleep and grief. That wouldn't do.
"Pull yourself together, McRae," she berated herself under her breath. She splashed some water around and brushed her hair, working it into a quick braid. A couple of minutes later, she came back out, her BDUs smoothed down and set right too.
"I'm sorry... I'd been trying to catch up on sleep," she tried to explain her earlier appearance. "What can I do for you, T'Pol?"
T'Pol stepped into the room, wondering whether this was the best time for this, despite Sloane's words. It was clear that the woman had been through some distress, even if T'Pol wasn't privy to what had taken place in the decon chamber. In the past, Sloane had spoken of her friend Alexandra Merrick with great affection and so it was only logical that the news of the Saratoga's destruction would have been met with sorrow.
"The Captain sends his apologies," T'Pol said first and foremost, unable to engage in this business of small talk that humans required so much. It was simpler to say what was on her mind than delay it with unnecessary chatter. In this instance, it seemed doubly so. "He attempted to speak to you yesterday but the circumstances made it 'difficult'." The term screwed the pooch returned to her mind. "I volunteered to speak on his behalf because I know that you and Captain Merrick were friends. Prior to the destruction of the Saratoga, she relayed a message to be delivered following her death."
"He what?" Sloane's gaze moved for the wall behind the Vulcan to study her face. Why would Archer be apologising? Sloane had been the one to lose it, calling things a MACO lieutenant colonel had no business hurling at a starship captain. "I'm the one..." she started saying before she processed the rest of what T'Pol was saying. "She what?" Sloane swallowed hard, almost holding her breath. A message? Sloane had tried to reach Merrick as soon as she had made it out of decon but she hadn't been successful. She'd tracked him to the Vulcan ship Surak but he had already left, no doubt already en route back to Gaia and Lexie. A message to be delivered following her death... Sloane steeled herself, calling on meditation techniques T'Pol herself had taught her. "I'm listening..."
T'Pol nodded and produced the tricorder that had been strapped to her belt and called up the message stored in its data banks. Activating it, there was no visual projection, just a voice spoken in the middle of maelstrom.
“Hi Sloane,” Alex’s voice was cheerful almost, a profane contrast to the destruction that was happening around her at the time of recording. “I don’t have a lot of time so I’m going to get to it. I’m sorry to lay this on you but you’re my best friend and if there’s one person I can trust with the most precious things in my life, it's you. I know I always could but I figure it might help you to hear it anyway.” A deep breath was taken as Alex appeared to steady herself to speak further. In the background, the sound of emergency klaxons continued to scream. “Please take care of Lexie. She’s going to need Aunty Sloane to show her all the things I know Tom will be completely useless at doing. And don’t think for a second, you won’t be any good at it. I know you will.”
The klaxons screamed loudly. In the background a voice said dully that core breach was eminent.
“Please tell Tom that I have loved him from the minute I met him. I may not have wanted to admit it but it’s true, that he didn’t have to throw himself in front of a MULK for me to figure it out. Tell him that being his girl was the best time I’ve ever had in my whole life. He’s going to be a great father who’ll spoil Lexie rotten no doubt but he needs to know that I trust him with our baby. I never had any doubt that he wouldn’t be great at it.” Another explosion was heard in the background. “Well that’s it, Sloane, I have to go now. I guess we’re not going to make that shopping trip to Betazed. Do me a favour, take Lexie when she’s old enough. Thank you for being my friend when I needed one the most. See you, Sloane.”
Sloane didn't notice but tears welled up in her eyes and ultimately spilled while her face remained expressionless, just turning pasty, drained of blood. Standing ramrod straight, she didn't move, hands in tight fists, she listened. She could visualise the scene, Alex in the captain's chair, everything collapsing around her. The last explosion, sounding so much closer than the others, made Sloane shudder and when Alex closed with her goodbyes, Sloane tried to hold it together just a little longer, biting back a sob.
Christ, T'Pol, get out of here!
Even for a stoic Vulcan, the message was affecting. It had certainly affected Captain Archer and his difficulty the day before had been in allowing the Lt. Colonel to hear this while in decon. "I am sorry, Sloane," she said quietly. "Can I be of any assistance?" The words seemed trite, almost ineffectual. There was no purpose in saying them because the grief in Sloane's eyes was answer enough. There was nothing to be done. Nothing left to say.
"I..." Sloane tried to swallow again but her throat was tight with emotion. "Thank you," she said rather flatly, the tone belying the turmoil inside her she was sure her eyes were unable to hide. "Can I... keep it?" She glanced at the tricorder.
"Yes." T'Pol nodded without hesitation. She handed her the tricorder. "You may retrieve the message from it and return it to me when you're done." T'Pol's words were spoken without the usual Vulcan aloofness. "Sloane, is there anything I can do for you?" She asked, eyes genuinely showing the desire to help.
Her face broke momentarily, before she breathed in twice deeply. "No... yes." Sloane canted her head, the expression on her face almost a smile as she strained to not totally break down in front of T'Pol. She would have reached for the other woman's hand, gripped it hard, had she not known Vulcans didn't like to be touched, for she was grateful for her being here, for offering her help. Sloane didn't know what she would do if she was facing Archer now.
"Merrick... Major Tom Merrick. I need to know he's okay."
What Sloane could not do, T'Pol did and reached for the woman's hand. Her mental shields were sufficient enough to filter the barrage of emotion that would come from Sloane but that in itself could aid her empathy of the situation. "He was notified of Captain Merrick's passing," T'Pol answered, assuming she would wish this information and had researched it before arriving here. "I am told that he was given special dispensation by Colonel Hayes to return to Gaia."
Sloane squeezed T'Pol's hand and nodded. "I have spoken with Captain," She had to think about it, "Skon. I know he's on his way back. I... I just haven't been able to reach him." Maybe she should try Rickman, or even Richards. At least Gabe had let him head on home to Lexie.
T'Pol had made inquiries on Sloane's behalf following the news of the Saratoga's destruction. "I contacted the Captain of the Vulcan ship and he tells me that the Major returned home with Lt. Rickman, I believe Sgt Richards was able to convinced the Colonel that it was unwise to let the Major journey home alone in his present condition."
Closing her eyes for a second, Sloane thanked whatever deity threw that kind of crap their way for small mercies. Derick was there with Tom. "Thank you." Sloane hadn't risked pressing Skon for more details so she was grateful T'Pol had. "Thanks for everything." She looked at the tricorder. "Do extend my apologies to Captain Archer. I was... I was way out of line yesterday." Her gaze met T'Pol's.
T'Pol nodded and added, "The Captain apologises that he could not deliver the news in a more appropriate fashion. I do not think you need worry about any offence. We admired the sacrifice made by Captain Merrick. The sacrifice made by the entire crew of the Saratoga allowed the Planet Killer's deflectors to be overloaded. The blast disabled their shields and allowed the rest of the Fleet to destroy it. Lives were saved." It was cold comfort to Sloane or to the husband who mourned Captain Merrick but T'Pol felt compelled to give it nonetheless.
"The blast? She rammed it?" Sloane could see Alex do as much. Easily. She wiped at fresh tears.
“Yes” T’Pol explained. “The Saratoga was experiencing containment breach, they would have been destroyed anyway. Captain Merrick chose to ram the Planet Killer just as the anti-matter core was exposed.”
At least her death wasn't totally in vain.
Nodding, Sloane's zoned out as she remembered the bits of what was left of the Saratoga as they had journeyed through the floating graveyard above Azati. A large piece of the saucer, parts of the exposed bridge... Alex... she was out there.
“I am sorry, Sloane,” T’Pol repeated herself. “If you like, I will leave you alone. Do you require anything further?” The Vulcan asked, not knowing what else to say, how else to soothe the woman’s grief. A friend had passed and there were no words, no logic that could be used to change that fact.
Sloane shook her head slightly, the words taking longer to come. "No. Thank you, T'Pol. I could do with a couple of hours' sleep though, if you can manage to deflect anything coming my way." She tried to smile. "If there is anything, my XO is up to speed," she offered at last. "Now, I think I need to be alone..." She was grateful the woman understood.
“I will see to it that you are not disturbed,” T’Pol nodded, able to do that much at least. The Lt. Colonel was grieved but not in any condition that would concern T’Pol with leaving her alone to her own devices. She had come to learn enough about the woman these past years to know that Sloane was capable of managing her grief without interference.
Offering her a look of understanding, T’Pol headed towards the door. “Take care, Sloane.”
And with that, T’Pol left the room, leaving the tricorder behind.
As soon as the door slid shut, Sloane deflated and her ass fell in the chair behind her. A fluke really because her brain didn't even compute if the piece of furniture was in the right spot before letting her legs go. Her fingers caressed the tricorder.
"Aw, Alex..." A pained look on her face, she grabbed the device as more tears came. Climbing back in bed, this time, Sloane didn't try to stem the flow. She sobbed, much like she had done in the decon chamber, almost wishing for Mercer's arms around her again.
Fingers feeling for the keys, she replayed the message once more, Alex's voice as she lived her last moments forever etched in her heart.
"... Do me a favour, take Lexie when she’s old enough... "
"You got it."
"... Thank you for being my friend when I needed one the most. See you, Sloane."
"See you, Alex."