Reunion
Posted on Tue Aug 6th, 2019 @ 6:17pm by Lieutenant Commander Jacob "Jack" Devine
Mission:
Preludes
Location: SB 211 - Rebuilt
Timeline: 2386
Tags: Reunion
Note: Italics in post represent flashbacks. If you are on site in pulsar you will not see the italics. If you read in email or in Titan, they'll show up fine.
Jacob leaned against the window of the observation bay. Starbase 211, had been rebuilt in the ten years since it’s destruction. Sitting on the outer reaches of space it was nothing like its original self. Everything was brand new and shiny and he imagined the current engineers were not nearly as smart and quick on their feet as their earlier counterparts who were once kept on their toes by the previous ancient hunk of metal that floated in space, not to mention the array of teenagers that ran her halls.
Being here was hard even after ten years of living. Granted nothing looked the same but the memories were still sharp and clear as if they happened only yesterday.
***
-c-Red alert, red alert-- -c-
The rest of the computer generated warning was lost as the base shook. Myvelle squealed and nearly everyone gasped or cried out. The doors parted to the presence of nine year old Evan Rand. His face was pale, eyes wide. Behind him a whole section of the base was missing, the only thing holding him in, the force fields that had automatically tripped.
Jacob grabbed the boy and pulled him inside the room, stepping back so the doors closed.
“What the hell is going on!” Orion shouted.
Another explosion rocked the room and bottles of fizzy water crashed to the floor, colored bubbly liquid spraying over everything. Dallas got up from the table and ripped off the panel next to the door and went to work.
“What are you doing?” Orion demanded.
“Making SURE these doors are airtight. If the fields break out there we’re all dead!” Dallas’ nimble fingers secured the room quickly and she looked around at the group.
***
“Jake!”
Jacob shook himself from the memory and turned to face a tall blonde woman in a Starfleet uniform with the color of operations. More specifically engineering. “Sprocket!” He grinned as he opened his arms to her assault by hug and returned the favor. “How long has it been?”
“Eight years, bozo,” she remarked, letting him go and promptly punching his shoulder. “Would have been less if you had just stayed put.”
“Hey, I go where the orders send me,” Jacob protested, automatically reaching up to rub his shoulder. “It wasn’t like I was running away.”
“You could have come home every once in a while,” Dallas Holmes chided, her blue eyes taking him in.
“What--
“If you say ‘what home?’, so help me God, Jake.”
“I wasn’t going to say that.” Jacob offered her a smile, head ducking just a bit then changed the subject. “I procured us a shuttle. The proper way,” he tacked on.
“Good,” she answered, eyes going to the glass. “Arthur is bringing Evan. He had to have a sponsor to leave the Academy for this.”
“Dang, what is he now? Eighteen?” Jacob blinked.
“Nineteen,” came the counter offer from the side and Jacob and Dallas turned to see a tall young man over six feet in height with dark hair and a big smile. He approached the two with a redheaded man in his wake. “Damn, you’re short,” he said, attempting to ruffle Jacbo’s hair.
Jacob caught the young man’s wrist and brought it down. “Don’t mess with the hair. I’ve killed guys for less,” he joked, sobering as the realization of what he said sunk in.
“C’mere,” and Evan Rand, cadet third, grabbed the older man and hugged him by force.
***
"Jacob, can you help me with this?"
With a sigh, Jacob turned to nine year old Evan Rand. "Why do you insist on wearing that thing if you can't get it unzipped?"
"It...it was my dad's. Syto gave it to me." Evan choked on a sob, but refused to cry.
Jacob reached over and took hold of the zipper. With his lower lip caught thoughtfully between his teeth, Jacob carefully struggled with the zipper, noting that the jacket was several times too big for Evan and that the sleeves were rolled up.
"Just yank the fool thing and be done with it."
Ignoring the vicious piece of advice, Jacob kept at it until the zipper slid down to the bottom, releasing Evan from the coat's hold. "There ya go, Evan. Mind be careful next time."
"I will Jacob...I promise." Evan whispered as he shrugged off the jacket and started getting ready for bed.
****
Jaob tensed with the hug attack but relaxed and wrapped his arms around the young man, patting him on the back awkwardly as he gave the redheaded man behind Evan a wide eyed look.
Arthur Prescott shrugged, but his eyes were dancing with mischief. “Don’t worry, he stopped before he outshot Orion.” The medical blue looked good on Arthur and as far as Jacob could tell he was still the laid back personality he always was.
“Nobody pats me on the head,” and with those words the group turned to see a tall, dark skinned man who had a few inches on Evan. Orion Hall, security. Jacob saw that one coming before Oreo ever left for the Academy.
“So where’s My,” Dallas asked with concern as she stepped back from hugging Arthur after hugging Evan and Orion. With Arthur being the last her eyes met his.
“She’s here,” Arthur said with a broad smile. “Just visiting the facilities.”
“She looks like she’s going to pop any day now,” Evan joked only to jump oddly and turn to look behind him as a tennis ball hit the floor and rolled toward Jacob.
“Nice shot, hun,” Arthur remarked with a chuckle as all eyes turned to the petite woman with a well rounded belly. He moved toward her as if drawn by a magnet and slipped his arm around her waist then ducking his head kissed the side of hers in a quick peck as they moved further into the group together.
“Shorty....Alice?” Jacob took the pair in with an expression of shock.
“I told you he never got the invite,” Arthur said to the small woman at his side as he hugged her into his body.
“I knew you were right. I just wanted to be angry with him for not being there.” Myvelle Chan (now Prescott) pulled away from her husband to approach Jacob. She put out her arms for a hug and laughed when she got the most awkward hug she’d ever received. “I won’t break.”
“I don’t know about that,” Jacob countered finding it weird to experience the pressure of her gravid belly before her arms could fully attempt to wrap around him. He was well aware the others were laughing at him. He was pretty sure he looked like a moron, especially when the kid kicked him and he was openly startled. “I’m sorry. Um, when did this happen?”
“April third, 2384,” Arthur supplied the date as his petite wife returned to his side.
“Yeh, and thanks for being an idiot. I got to be the best man but then let’s be real. I was always the /best/ man,” Orion met Jacob’s eyes with a smirk which was followed by an “Ow!” after Dallas bapped him upside the back of the head.
“I’m sorry, eighty-four was... well... it really didn’t exist for me,” Jacob withdrew with a glance out the windows behind him. “I think we better get that shuttle before our window of time is up.” He looked back at the others. “I mean, if we’re going to do this thing?”
He didn’t miss the looks passing between Arthur and Dallas. His head might have been turned but their reflections in the glass were easy enough to see.
“Yeh, I’m starved,” Evan announced as he stooped down and picked up the tennis ball. “Let’s do the thing then we can catch up at the galley.”
“Do you /ever/ stop eating?” Arthur rolled his eyes but ended up laughing at the wounded look Evan gave him. “Fine, fine.... Jake, lead the way.”
Jacob took the lead with Dallas at his side while Orion and Evan fell in step behind them and Arthur and Myvelle brought up the rear. They were just far enough ahead of the others for Dallas to get a few words in quietly. “Eighty-four didn’t exist for you?”
****
Inside the cage were the two biggest members of the prison population. One was a rather large human that still managed to be well muscled in spite of the meager fare and the other was an Orion.
“I decided that since you enjoy picking fights that I would simply let you get it out of your system. If you desire to be the prison yard boss now is your moment, thirty-nine. Walk away from this and I will name you one.” The Gul spoke matter-of-fact but there was a sadistic look in his eyes. “Lose and I will make you a pet among your own kind.”
“I’ll name him Rover and pet him and feed him and take good care of him. Can I keep him?” The words ended on a laugh as the large human smacked his fist into his opposing palm.
The Orion beside him chuckled. “Not if I claim him first.”
“I have money on you with the Legate, thirty-nine. Do not let me down.” The Gul nodded to the guard and the cage was open and Jacob was pushed inside.
***
“Jake?!”
Jacob shook himself and looked at Dallas, flashing her a reflexive smile.
“Where the hell did you go?” she asked. “I’m trying to scold you for letting Arthur down and you’re just not having it, are you?”
Jacob met those angry blue eyes and ducked his head. “What excuse could I possibly give that would make it alright?”
Dallas sighed. “Yeh, I guess. Just, if you’re not at my wedding don’t be surprised if I hunt you down and drag you there.”
Jacob couldn’t help but laugh at the image. “Somehow I think your groom would have something to say about being left at the altar just so you can chase me.”
“Maybe I’ll just marry you,” came the flippant reply.
“What and give up on the best man?” Jacob grinned only to wince when she slugged his shoulder again.
[One Hour Later]
The shuttle drifted in the middle of space as Dallas and Orion prepared the memorial beacon for launch. Jacob stood back from the group with the excuse of keeping close to the console in order to adjust their position. Really, he struggled to watch.
“It’s hard to believe how calm it is now,” Arthur remarked, one hand holding Myvelle’s.
“Wasn’t calm that day,” Orion replied. “I don’t think I’ve had such an adrenaline high since then.”
“I still miss them,” Myvelle murmured, curling into Arthur’s side.
“I would have died with them had it not been for you guys.” Evan looked at Jacob.
“That was some ride in that pod,” Dallas shook her head. “I thought for sure we’d strike space debris and blow up but I know now that those pods are designed to withstand a lot.”
“I miss the Achilles and her crew,” Arthur brought Myvelle’s hand up to his lips.
“God, you remember that crazy crawl in the Jeffries Tubes?” Orion chuckled. “Our bit of adventure while Jake was out there gunning down the bad guys in space.”
“Our hero,” Evan remarked with a smirk and a cut of his eyes in Jacob’s direction.
“You mean our thief?” Orion shook his head. “You broke so many damn rules that day, Jake.”
***
Peeking outside the transporter room, Jacob checked to see if the coast was clear. Then he made his way to the jeffries tube access and started his hidden descent through the ship. Jacob kept low, underneath the watchful eye of the camera as much as possible, but he was counting on the maintenance log to keep him from drawing too much attention.
A couple decks down, Jacob replicated a pilot's uniform and put it on. Then he continued on down to the hangar deck. It was amazing how the uniform kept him from getting a second look as he meandered through the engineers and approached a console with the authority of a squadron leader.
Now the difficult part....hacking into the flight computer. Jacob hoped he remembered everything correctly. It had been a long time since he played this game of "what if" with his dad. He could remember saying, "Dad, what if the base was taken over..."
Jacob's fingers moved across the keys with the memory of that long ago conversation. He smiled as the access came up. "Ghost". That would be his call sign...a borrowed one, for now. Closing down evidence of his hacking, Jacob turned away from the console, crossed the terminal and calmly entered an F180.
It was a bit more advanced than the fighters he flew in simulator, but with a bit of study he soon figured out the new configuration. With a look of pure satisfaction, Jacob started the launch sequence and tripped the hangar bay doors. He could hear the alarm sounding, but before anyone realized why, he was out in space.......
***
“Jake?! Hey, Jakie, boy?” Orion let out a low whistle startling Jacob. “You okay?”
Jacob nodded his head and reluctantly left the front to join the others in the back.
“I’ve added pictures of all those we lost that day to the memory. The beacon will announce itself for what it is and any interested party can pay respects to the memorial,” Dallas told the group. “I, um, even added in a copy of Ky’s sketch.”
“The creepy one?” Evan inquired only to duck his head at the looks he got.
“It was so hard not to be angry at security. They should have helped Jenn and her family and Orion’s sister and Myvelle’s brothers and...and all our parents...” Dallas trailed off shaking her head.
“They died too, Dal,” Arthur reminded her.
“If anything, I struggled to contain my anger against the Luminai,” Orion admitted. “Was in counseling for years. They murdered all of them.”
That feeling of sadness was like a lead weight and into it Evan remarked, “It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years.”
“Ten years,” the others echoed.
Ten.
LtCmdr Jacob "Hijack" Devine
Squadron Leader
