Never the Same

Posted on Tue Sep 20th, 2011 @ 8:22am by Lieutenant Commander Holly Gillo

528 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Mission 76 - Home comings
Location: Earth, Just outside of San Francisco
Timeline: Current

-- Bridge of the Avenger --

A hero's welcome and burial was to happen today. Word of the return of Commodore Pike back to Federation space reached the bridge of the Avenger. She knew Captain Greenwood and herself would be called to attend services down on Earth shortly and braced herself for the emotions of the people around her as she was sure that many would be morning his death for different reasons. To her she never knew the man personally so she couldn't feel nothing but the loss of a great man of many accomplishments for the Federation.

With the bridge being quite since they got off of leave the beep on her panel was somewhat of a startling sound to her alerting that all senior staff of Admiral Bremer were to report to Earth in dress whites. It was about that time she waited for Captain Greenwood to receive the message and dismiss for services before she moved from her panel. She was not looking forward to this at all as funerals tended to be uncomfortable for her to begin with this one was going to be more so because of how public and how political this was going to be.

-- Officer Quarters, Avenger --

Bracing for the emotions of others didn't end at the bridge or the walk into her quarters. The battle with herself also didn't end there as she went about digging out the dress whites that she hadn't warn since she buried her crewmates and Captain of her former assignment. This was not something she was looking forward to as she was sure she would still smell the smells of that funeral and of that occasion. She wasn't disappointed as she pulled them out and prepared herself for ceremony again that she wished she never had to repeat.

-- Earth --

Beaming down wasn't the hard part but beaming down and seeing the faces already there was. She had up her shields so not to get overwhelmed. She joined the other officers there and waited for the ceremony to begin. When it did it began in true military manner as a hero's welcome was given to the fallen officer coming him. Starfleet's top brass was there to give their final farewells to a man who left his mark on the field in more than one way. She listened and took in everything that was being said knowing full well that thoughts of being gone themselves remained in the back of everyone's mind there as they were reminded that they were all mortal and this ultimately was going to be all their fiats.

Personally she avoided the thoughts as too many times she played out how this would happen for her. Instead she focused on the speakers their words and their actions in the present world keeping aware of the others around her. Somehow she knew that if the man they were honoring today was around he would want them to carry on with business as normal as possible, so that is what she was trying to do keeping as calm as she could in her seat wishing this service already over.

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