Echo

Posted on Mon Oct 13th, 2014 @ 10:40pm by Lieutenant Colonel Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan

2,786 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Mission 86 - Discovery
Location: Sullivan Quarters - Starbase 400
Timeline: I have no idea... but after the fight.

"Echo"

Lieutenant Siaxx Dvald
Dorothy Sullivan
Blake Sullivan
Aryssa Sullivan

***** Sullivan Quarters - Starbase 400 *****

Lieutenant Siaxx Dvald sighed softly as she was sitting down to dinner with Phoenix's parents and her sister, the woman who was actually Phoenix's daughter except Phoenix herself was absent.

"Pass the salt please." Siaxx inquired quietly.

It was Aryssa who passed Siaxx the salt, then just as quietly, ate on Dorothy's delicious tasting lamb-stuffed ravioli.

"How you feeling, Siaxx, Dear?" asked Dorothy. The older Sullivan woman looked more gaunt in the face, but still had a vibrant personality, despite the toll her illness was taking on her body.

"Oh... my eye is healing nicely... in a few days, nobody will know anything was ever wrong with me." the graceful Bolian explained.

"Seems stupid not ta let the docs patch the bruise up," Aryssa pointed out in partial confusing. "Why'd ya keep the bloody thin' anyway?"

"I actually don't know." she admitted. "I guess to punish myself for not ducking or not being fast enough." she paused. "I signed up for Master Sargent Duval's combat class... if anyone can teach me how to fight.. its him." the Bolian sighed. "Phoenix... is avoiding me."

"Jill don' rightly know how ta control herself," Blake answered with a grunt as he scratched his balding head - as if his answer explained everything.

"She don't come see us either," Dorothy spoke with high concern.

"Why we all worried 'bout that ass when it's Siaxx that needs ta be told she aint weak," Aryssa countered very bitterly. "Jill aint nothin' but a selfish prat."

"Jill needs a vacation, somewhere where she can get away and forget about things for awhile...." Siaxx paused. "its not going to happen though." as she looked at Aryssa in silence, she didn't have the heart to fight with her about Jill.

"It could..." Dorothy spoke with a small smile. "Doctor Brislan has her on leave for three weeks or so for mental fatigue... She's putting most her time into the cadet program to kill time though."

"Yeah.... She spends more time with Rachael than me," Aryssa spoke with envy.

"Now that's just ironic.." Siaxx commented. "Jill hates telepaths yet she's hanging around with Rachael." she looked at Aryssa. "I'm not quite sure how I feel about her now, considering she did beat the living snot out of me."

"You still love her. And she, you," Dorothy spoke with conviction.

"My luck with relationships has always been bad... " Siaxx shrugged. "I'll get over it."

"She's afraid to hurt you again, I think.... And maybe embarrassed to face all of us, after her outburst," Dorothy guessed with the latter. "If you attacked someone you loved and insulted everyone else in the room... How would you feel after finding you erred?"

"I would confront it directly but.... I'm not her, I'm not the warrior type..." Siaxx responded quietly. "I've always been more subtle about things.."

"So go to her and let her know you still love her. She's in her quarters now -" Dorothy began but was interrupted by Aryssa's sardonic tone, "But she's probably drunk by now. Passed out."

Siaxx looked at Dorothy and then Aryssa as both women said their peace. She nodded her head. "Alright... I will try..." she sighed as clearly she didn't think it would go anywhere.

"You aint weak, Siaxx," Aryssa reaffirmed. "No fightin' practice could of stopped that metal hand of hers. Klingons can barely brawl with her."

"And since when have you seen her brawling anyone," Blake spoke in a stern voice.

"I might of went lookin' for her, once, and found her in a pub, fightin' some guys that went ape on her and Oxly fer being Maquis," Aryssa admitted while uneasily scratching the back of her neck.

It was Dorothy that turned to Siaxx to explain, "Oxly is a philosopher that used to live in our village. And Jill used to be enthralled by his preachings of staying true to each other, in order to keep fighting."

"-Only, once we were all busted and sent to prison, Oxly took tha Nelson Mandela approach, and took to politics," Blake interceded. "Somethin' of a role model for her... But his peaceful protests against the government have usually caused a lot of trouble."

"That's more or less what happened...." Aryssa said as she cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Oxly started ranting in the Black Ball, 'bout Federation fixin' their allies' problems, but ignorin' the lands and worlds the Spoonheads destroyed. Not fixin' their own problems first."

"...And Jill was right there with him?" Dorothy probed.

"Not exactly..." Aryssa did not like the stare of angry parents. It was enchanting, in a very bad way. Once caught in a lie, the teen found she had no way to save her skin through a thousand more. "She didn' really get involved, until some spacer attacked Oxly for calling the Fed government traitors, and the Maquis the heroes... Jill felt obligated to save his skin, but not before calling Security."

"Then she proceeded to beat the snot out of the spacer." Siaxx commented. "I would have done the same." a smile then appeared on the Bolian's face, from the look of things it was the first in quite some time. "I'd have stamped on his foot first, using my heels against him." she explained.

"And you begin to realize why you love her again," Dorothy smiled brightly. "She, like you, can't let injustice go unpunished... Which is all the more tragic for her, since she believes she committed an injustice to you."

Siaxx gently touched her eye, blackened and scared as it was. "I do.... dammit... I can't exactly just turn my back... even after what she did..."
Siaxx sighed. "I'll go pay her hovel...I mean her quarters after dinner."

"What happened will stay with both of you forever, but you'll never move forward if you can't forgive each other," Dorothy supplied.

"I told Tressa about it only because she could be trusted.. I told nobody else. Hell not even Torilla Yamaguchi and I normally tell her everything, hell... ask her and she'll tell you how I am." Siaxx explained. "Forgiveness is all well and good... but she needs to forgive herself before she can forgive me for anything." she then sighed quietly. "that goes both ways I guess.."

"I understand why you told the doc," Dorothy spoke very warmly. "Jill will too, in time... Trick is to communicate with each other better. Both ways, as you say."

Siaxx sighed. "Yeah..." she then took a bite of the food. "Can you teach me how to cook like this?"

"I've got a family recipe book that I can give to you... Was going to will it to Jill, but she doesn't cook much," Dorothy spoke in partial disappointment. "She does cook, despite what she puts on... but she doesn't really get into like you."

"I don' like cookin' either," Aryssa supplied. "Jill cooks a nice taco casserole though."

"I'd love that." Siaxx responded with a smile. "My grandfather was a Chef and he felt all his relatives needed to learn to cook... I was his only real success story." she paused. "I was just thinking how I met Phoenix.... at a wedding bachelorette party, when the three Q's visited the station."

"...Doesn't sound like something she'd go to, unless pressed into it," Dorothy laughed lightly. "I can only imagine her dreary self sulking in a corner."

"Actually she was at the bar... then Q brought in the strippers... there were a couple of children present but... Jill wanted one of the strippers but... she got one and I didn't so I decided to drown my sorrows.." she shrugged. "that's how we met.."

"She don' remember, does she?" Aryssa laughed lightly. "Bet she was drunk."

"Oh she was hammered." Siaxx responded. "Saith took her home...I was detained with a Klingon who wanted my time." she sighed. "He was rather.... how do I say this?" she inquired. "sloppy and boring."

"You two need ta go clubbin' then," Aryssa winked. "A night just havin' fun and dancin'."

Siaxx raised an eyebrow as the way forward came to her. "I have been too forgiving, its time I tell her exactly how I feel." the Bolian responded. "I have been too subtle about it."

"You have our love and support, Dear," Dorothy promised lovingly.

Siaxx nodded her head slowly. "Alright..." she then popped the last bite of food into her mouth, she chewed happily. "Mmmm.."

"Her quarters looks like a hurricane hit," Aryssa warned with a bit of a grin on her face, for Dorothy never let her keep her room messy.

"Or a Meteor." Siaxx commented. "Its why she's always over at my place.... I'm a much better house keeper." she explained.

Aryssa was about to make another joke, when she noticed Dorothy having problems gripping her fork. The elderly woman had made it a private fight, to keep going as long as she could. Prideful and stubborn in her own way - like Jill was.

"You need help, Mom?" Aryssa asked gently, but Dorothy waved her off as she finally gripped her fork.

"I'm just a bit arthritic these days Dear. I'm fine," Dorothy tried to assure everyone.

Siaxx raised an eyebrow as she looked concerned. "I brought my medkit... do you want me to check... to make sure.?" she inquired.

"If you like," Dorothy agreed, though she already knew why she sometimes had problems gripping things - Her illness was now deep in the motor cortex of her brain.

Siaxx raised an eyebrow. "No... I'll wait until after dinner.... no need to make a scene since I already know what it will tell me.." she commented. "your issue is progressing."

"I came here knowing I'm on borrowed time, Dear One," Dorothy spoke wryly. "I had hopped to help Jill and Aryssa bond more with each other though."

Aryssa's reaction was that of visual protest. She looked up to Jill as a sister, but she refused to let that drunk take over Dorothy's place in her heart.

Siaxx turned to Aryssa. "She needs you... she doesn't let on that she does.... but... she does."

"Jill's a sheep dog. She goes after the wolves ta protect tha herd," Aryssa countered shortly. "Makes no effort ta get ta know the sheep though."

"She doesn't consider them worthy of her." Siaxx explained. "I can't say I really blame her though..."

"She loves you though," Aryssa pointed out in a mix of happiness for Siaxx and Jill, and yet bitterness of herself for not having a connection as strong with Phoenix. "I'm tha bastard she never planned ta have."

"Doesn't mean she hates you, Aryssa." Dorothy's eyes were so sympathetic for Aryssa that she wanted to hold the teen. Thing was, she was a lot like Phoenix. Folks did not really embrace Aryssa unless the teen said so. "We haven't been fair to Phoenix at all, really, when you look at the big picture."

"How so?" Aryssa asked very dubiously.

"In the span of a few hours after arriving here, she's had to discover that I will die within the year," Dorothy spoke as she counted on her fingers, "That you can't read well and you father and I are too feeble now to be much of help there. That Yeager is coming here to settle legal affairs with you -"

Aryssa rolled here eyes at that. She knew Yeager was coming here in order to finalize Aryssa's legal papers so she could function as an independent... And she overheard something about Oxly needing pressure on something, while she was waiting at the study to Yeager's study.

"And she's also in a relationship with Siaxx that's very new to her," Dorothy continued sympathetically as she turned to the Bolian. "We put all our burdens on her shoulders, to get her ready to be the mother she should of been.... When we need to help her and Siaxx out with this new relationship of theirs."

"I don't get it," Aryssa finally signed in frustration when she could not make any correlations.

"It means that we put too much on 'er shoulders, too fast," Blake explained as he finished his plate. "Anyone would crack up, put in 'at sort of pressure cooker. An' she don' know how ta deal with all of it at once."

Then she looked to Dorothy and Blake, then to Siaxx as if she finally understood. The Sullivans had not gone after Phoenix after the outburst on Siaxx, because Phoenix needed space to process and decompress.

"Not good ta leave her by herself too long though," Aryssa finally pointed out.

Siaxx nodded. "As soon as we finish here... I'm going to go put my foot up her ass." the Bolian responded.

"I should like to see the two of you here at dinner more often, I admit," Dorothy smiled sheepishly, for it was a selfish, wishful thought.

"Well... I like to think I am entertaining." the Bolian smiled at the older woman as she turned to Blake. "You and I should talk after dinner..." she paused. "I am not sure how to discuss your final request." she indicated Dorothy. "Bolian's throw a big party... all the relatives and friends of the deceased come and the party lasts two or so days."

"Sounds very similar to an Irish wake - which is what I want," Dorothy spoke with a bittersweet tone.

Siaxx nodded. "Very well.... It will be done." she answered simply. "May I add a few Bolian touches?" she inquired. "stuff like food and drink... no music... "

"I gotta go polish my boots," Aryssa finally said with annoyance as she stood up from the table. She loathed the JRSFROTC program with a passion, but quickly found the flight's instructors were keeping Aryssa in the program under Phoenix's orders... no matter how badly Aryssa tried to score on her monthly report.

Siaxx looked at Aryssa. "Do you like the program?" she inquired.

"I don', not really," Aryssa confessed as she cleaned her plate at the sink. "Jill's fighter folks wont let me quit either."

"You wanted to enlist not long ago," Blake pointed out with high interest.

"I moved on from that career path," Aryssa reminded both of her parents. "Not sure why Jill's forcin' it on me. Not like she's givin' me private lessons like she does Rache."

"Yes, Rachael did mention extra classes.... I wonder what she could be learning..." she arched an eyebrow.

"I think Jill just wants to give you something that you still want, even though you deny it," Dorothy spoke sagely. "You were really bitter when you failed the reading assessment exam. At least now you have an opportunity to be part of the corps."

"But I aint as good as Rache in a fighter," Aryssa countered.

"You can be a good flier and be a poor officer. Am I right, Siaxx?" Dorothy spoke as she turned to the Bolian.

Siaxx chuckled softly. "You could.... but you won't get far." she explained patiently. "Do you actually care about where you want to go in life?"

"I dunno what I want," Aryssa finally admitted in frustration.

"So, stick with this program and see where it goes..." Siaxx explained.
"It could help you later on..."

"Holosports is where the money's at," Aryssa explained for what might of been the hundredth time to her folks. "I'm good at Quidditch too."

"Okay... then afterwards when the cash runs out and you break something you can't easily replace." Siaxx commented. "What will you do then?" she inquired. "At least if something goes wrong with me, I have others around who can help me."

"Be a sports commentator. That's what all tha pros do," Aryssa quipped back easily enough.

Siaxx raised an eyebrow. "You might want to stick with this program.... quitting is easy..... she doesn't think you can handle it anyway.... I say prove her wrong."

"Jill knows I can do it... She knows I don' wanna be her," Aryssa pointed out rather fiercely.

"Alright." Siaxx said simply. "You've already proven your worth to me.... Now prove it to her.."

"It don' matter if I try hard or not now. Cause lots of kids in my class have basic flight already. I'll not make a flight team, cause I don' read fast enough ta learn," Aryssa finally spoke in frustration.

"So you'll have to fight harder for it.... but in the end... it'll make you a better pilot.. because you wanted it enough to work twice as hard as all of these other little shits." Siaxx commented, swearing was something she almost never did.

***** Here's where the fun begins - Anakin Skywalker *****

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