"Last Goodbyes"
Previous Post: "Things Are Never As Easy As We Want Them To Be" by Jessica
-=/\=-
Stardate: 60325.1735
Setting: Draxx-Rikar Quarters - Enaii's Office
Enaii had moved about the ship efficiently and with tremendous purpose. She had appointed a second in command for the IGC, written a letter requesting that Serenna ensure Talia be raised with Romulan respects, personally verified that the transporter modifications had were being completed with a zero percent margin of error and now she stood in her office putting her final affairs in order and setting them to be released in the event of her demise.
She set several of her personal intel files on time-lock release so that they may be accessed by Talia when she was older, if she should choose to become an Intel Operative, much of it, though it would by then be dated, would still be useful. She left care instructions to Serenna for her collection of weapons of mass destruction, and she set her bank accounts to be released onto different parties. There was one that would remain actively Talia's, so that the child would want for nothing, two accounts placed in trust for Talia as an adult, three left active for Sabrina to provide for them in her absence, and one rather large account left for David Dawson with the trust it would be used to take care of her family… if David were to perish it was set to automatically be transferred into the name of James Simmons, because although he was no longer their Captain, she trusted that he and Sul would not resent the added responsibility.
Having everything in order, she had only one thing left to do. Turning from the room, she decided to track down her child. This was quite possibly the most immediately dangerous thing she had ever done with foreknowledge since Talia had been returned to her, and she wanted to ensure the child knew it was not personal. After all, she remembered quite vividly how the child had blamed herself for Sabrina's disappearance scarcely months ago.
-=-=-=-
Stardate: 60325.1800
Setting: Arboretum
Enaii had found the young girl hanging upside down from a maple branch in the arboretum, her tiny primate friend swinging similarly and chattering happily at the child. She watched the two of them play innocently for a while, she didn't even try to hide the growing pride she had in her daughter. In this moment, nothing else existed, just the child and her pet, playing, laughing, acting like children should. But it was never that simple, there were responsibilities that had to be addressed, that crept into the paradise of the mother's enjoyment of her daughter's childhood.
Breathing in deeply, Enaii straightened up and stepped forward into the sight of the girl.
Immediately Talia's face brightened even more, a genuine happiness to see her parent had come to be with her. Spinning backwards and plunging down from the branch onto the ground, the girl giggled with delight as she ran forward to hug her mother. "Nan'ha! Capi an Ta-ha'lia find place to play! You come play too?"
Enaii grinned, there was so much she wanted to say, needed to say, but couldn't find the words. Perhaps this was better, "Yeah," she managed, clearing a small frog from her throat, "I bet I can hang upside down longer than you!!!" she challenged playfully as she ran to the tree and climbed to a high branch, hooking her knees over the limb and watching upside down as Talia mimicked her mother's actions with pure delight.
"No way Nan'ha! Ta-ha'lia is best at hang-ging! Me beat Capi, she fall on her head!" the girl announced with laughter, accompanied by her mother's echoing laugh.
-=-=-=-
Stardate: 60325.1815
Setting: Arboretum
Sabrina watched quietly from the shadows of the archway, she had never heard Enaii laugh, in all their time together. She had come here to tear into her wife for doing something so foolish as having her atoms scattered into millions of pieces when every likelihood was that they would be unable to reassemble them. Instead, she locked the door to the arboretum and left the two of them to enjoy what just might be their last moments together in privacy.
-=-=-=-
Stardate: 60325.1855
Setting: Draxx-Rikar Quarters
Enaii and Talia returned to their quarters with a handful of flowers the mother had help her child pick. There were flowers of every colour and every sweet scent imaginable. They had not spent much time together, but it had been more than memorable.
"Talia," Enaii managed, calling the girl obediently over to her. "Nan'ha has responsibilities, and I know sometimes things might not make sense to you, but someday they will. Sometimes I have to do things, put my life on the line, for my responsibilities…"
The girl swallowed, "Ta-ha'lia your sponsibility, take care of Ta-ha'lia," the girl protested almost instinctually knowing what was still unspoken.
Enaii breathed in deeply, her chest puffing out slightly as she did so. "I did baby, I promise you I did... You'll never want for anything. But now I have to take care of my other responsibilities. I don't want you worrying anymore Talia, I'll be ok. You go to bed now, and when you wake up it'll all be over."
Talia's upper lip quivered slightly as she held back tears. "I no cry Nan'ha, I make you proud."
The mother smiled weakly and nodded. "You be a big girl for Nan'ha, take care of Capi. I jol 'au Ta-ha'lia."
The girl hugged her mother as her voice cracked. "I jol 'au Nan'ha."
Turning and running into her bedroom, Talia allowed the door to close behind her as she plunged into bed, her face squished into her pillow was the last thing Enaii was able to see as the doors slid shut.
Turning her eyes toward her personal quarters, Enaii swallowed and headed into the room where she instinctively knew her wife waited for her.
As she walked into the darkened room, candle light wavered over the cloth shrouded walls and the smell of rose petals drifted through the chamber. Sabrina rested on the bed, her white satin negligee draped softly over her form. It was evident from her face that she had done her crying, done her screaming, and had come to terms with the risk her wife was about to take.
"I could order you not to do this," the Captain offered.
"No you couldn't," the Intel Officer replied, she knew her wife could not order someone else to take her place and she knew she could not abandon David, Lea and the crew of the MERCURY to their fate on the planet.
"I wondered when it would be my turn," Sabrina whispered, "When you would come to me to say goodbye."
Enaii swallowed. "There's not much time left, I should have come here earlier, I'm sorry…"
Sabrina smiled a tear rolling down her cheek, "No, you did what you had to. We still have twenty minutes…"
Enaii reached out and gently wiped the tear from her lover's cheek. "Then I guess we'd better make them memorable," she whispered, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on Sabrina's lips.
-=-=-=-
Stardate: 60325.1930
Setting: Transporter Room
She had seen her daughter once more, sleeping peacefully on a tear stained pillow, and had breathed in the aroma of her silky blonde hair one last time before leaving their quarters. She had left her wife there, to report to the Bridge on her own.
She took the long way here, past an unmanaged Sickbay, past a chaotic Engineering, remembering who it was she was risking her life for. Were it just the MERCURY's crew she wasn't sure she'd go through with this, but for the ANUBIS, her home and family, she would do anything.
Taking one last moment to collect herself, she brought forward the coldness at her core and used it as a shield from reality. Prepared, she stepped into the transporter room, locked eyes with the engineer there and nodded.
Stepping onto the transporter pad, she listened as the man reported to the Bridge. "We're ready down here Sir."
=/\=Are you sure about this Commander?=/\= Sabrina asked, one last shred of hope strung from the Bridge to the Transporter Room where it was emotionlessly cut.
"I am," she returned coldly.
There was a pause. =/\=Good luck, see you in a few.=/\=
A beep on the control panel indicated they had permission to go through with it.
The Transporter Chief began the descrambling, it felt no different than any other transport, and then the feeling was gone.
"SIR! I'm losing her!" the Chief called out.
=/\=Rerouting all available power to the pattern buffers,=/\= Elan answered from Engineering.
"It's not working!" he replied urgently.
=/\=ABORT! Bring her back!=/\= Sabrina ordered, fear and power mixed together and laced her voice.
The man at the controls frantically pressed buttons to reverse the procedure, a shimmering silhouette began to appear before him, he watched and worked as it became brighter and stronger. Almost in an instant, the silhouette disappeared, leaving only an empty transporter pad before him.
Hanging his head, he tapped his comm badge. "I'm sorry Sir… we lost her."
-=/\=-
Lisa Mac Isaac {lisa_mac_isaac@hotmail.com}
Writing the hopes, dreams and future of:
Lieutenant Commander Enaii - Intelligence Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
And if you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured that the fault is in yourself. 2005 post #369
~~Chief Tecumseh 1813
