"STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE"
EPISODE SEVENTEEN: "A PLACE TO CALL HOME"
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(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
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<<Envoi>>
Captain's Log - Supplemental <continued>
There are no easy ways to begin conversations like the one we had that evening as the *Shard* pulled out of orbit from around the Artifact's ring city... but to his credit, Nicholas managed. And then, he managed to shock the Hell out of me as an added bonus.
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ISAS 'Shard of Night' - captain's ready room. 21:18 hrs, EST, Oct 29th, 2267.
"There's something you need to know - you and the others..." Nicholas began. "I think I've found another girl like you on Earth - a fourth fully matured human Observer."
Julia's eyebrows rose - of all the things she'd been expecting him to say, this hadn't been one of them. Another Observer to add to herself, Jennifer and Alkanion Verah, in addition to the as-yet unrealized promise of Jennifer's daughter, would be a tremendous asset. And yet... "That's an interesting claim to make, Nicholas - but how can you be sure?"
The engineer smiled, but the smile was a grim one. "I've seen and learned a lot working beneath you in the past ten months, Captain - and one of the things I've learned to recognize is the kind of things that you say when you go into full Observer mode, ah..."
"Point taken!" Julia conceded, as she allowed herself to smile in turn. "So..."
"Somehow this girl was able to deduce that I'd be at my sister's funeral - I haven't had the chance yet to ask her how she did it, but the important thing is that she lead her friend *straight* to where I was standing. Captain, she understands the Earth is under quarantine and that none of them can leave until the plague cure is found... but Kaitlyn Hughes also gave me the impression that she wants to travel offworld. I'll give you one guess where she'd go if given that chance."
"Minbar." Julia whispered, "Where lives the woman who helped me to understand what I am."
"Exactly." Nicholas agreed. "The wife of... your high councillor - the strongest human Observer in ISA space."
And now Julia frowned - she'd detected the hesitation in that last sentence, almost as if he'd *wanted* her to see it. "Interesting, if true - but now we're done with the preliminaries, why don't you come to the *real* reason for this discussion?"
"All right, then - let me be frank with you... Captain. If things don't go well, what's just happened to my family *is* going to happen again - if we fail, they and the rest of the people and creatures of Earth will die. And if they die, I lose my family."
Nicholas took a deep breath, and Julia held her tongue, as she felt that now-so familiar tingle that told her this was important - that after this moment, nothing would ever be the same again. "When I went home, my Dad helped me to realize I need a new place to call home in case the search fails. I came to space to build starships and help keep them running smoothly - that's my job... that's what saved me from their fate.
But once the job's done, at the end of the day you need somewhere to go where you belong - a family to belong to, or..."
"An order?" Julia finished for him, her smile becoming one of disbelief. "Nicholas, am I hearing you correctly? Are you...?"
"Petitioning you for entry into the Anla'shok?" Nicholas finished for her. "Yes - I am. If you'll have me, that is."
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Another conversation...
"What? Well that *is* an unexpected bonus."
"He's quite serious about the request, sir." Julia insisted, "More serious, in fact, then I've ever seen him."
A laugh. "Jennifer would call it a change in the pattern, I suppose - but why the Hell not? He's served you diligently during your time on watch, he's the only senior member of your crew who isn't a Ranger..."
"And when, exactly, are we going to find time to let him go to Tuzanor? I need him here!" She paused. "I cannot imagine this ship without him."
"Which only goes to show how you and the others have meshed as a team." Julia's High Councillor replied. "How you've managed, more or less, to exceed our expectations."
"And what of his request?"
"I see no reason why we can't have his 2IC take over chief engineering duties for a few months... or any reason for refusing his request. The next time you and yours return to Minbar, Julia, he will be summoned to Tuzanor to begin his training."
"Thank you, sir - I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that. Even though we probably won't return until early in the new year..."
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All Souls Night.
On Earth, a girl looked to the stars, and dreamt of a better future.
In the depths, a man who had stood alone and apart, a man who was only just beginning to realize what he had gained in turn, looked again at the invitation on his desk, and dreamt a similar dream...
While other men walking in dark places made their own plans, and dreamt different... and darker dreams.
And soon enough, innocence would end - and dreams...
Would shatter.
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