Unexpected Passenger Pt. 2

Posted on Sun May 24th, 2026 @ 7:54pm by Admiral Deela T'Lar & Colonel Ezekiel Bagwell & Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne & Lieutenant JG Deezell Vox

2,421 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 120 - Guardian at the Gate
Location: USS Essex
Timeline: Current

ON:

T’Lar stepped into the turbolift, preparing to return to the bridge and relieve Bagwell, when her combadge chirped.

“Nurse Hartland to Admiral T’Lar. Could you return to Sickbay, please?”

T’Lar exhaled slowly. “On my way.”

Moments later, she walked back into Sickbay. Hartland met her immediately, concern etched across her face.

“He’s unconscious again, Admiral. Just collapsed. Vitals are stable, but he’s not waking up.”

T’Lar’s brow tightened. The emotional spikes she’d sensed earlier — sharp, moving, unfocused — didn’t match the man lying still on the biobed.

“Thank you, Nurse,” she said quietly.

She turned and left Sickbay, her steps quickening as logic and instinct aligned with unsettling clarity.

If the fear wasn’t coming from this man…
then someone else had been in that escape pod.

She headed straight for the shuttlebay. The doors parted, revealing the damaged pod sitting exactly where it had been left. T’Lar approached it, her senses sharpening. A faint echo of fear brushed her mind — not present, but recent, like an emotional fingerprint left behind. She opened the hatch. A body slumped inside.

T’Lar dropped to one knee, checking for a pulse. The crewman — Hale — was alive, breathing shallowly, a dark bruise spreading along his temple. He had been here the whole time. And he was not one of the two men Sickbay had received.

T’Lar’s jaw tightened. “There was a third man,” she murmured. What she didn't know was what going on in Engineering.

Deela summoned Sickbay then the bridge, "Admiral T'Lar to Colonel Bagwell. I don't know how but there was another passenger in the escape pod. I just found Lt. Hale unconscious and hurt. He must be somewhere on this ship. I can sense his strong emotions. I need a security team to search this ship, immediately."

She didn't know what his condition or mindset was. They needed to find him.

"Understood Admiral, will coordinate from the bridge our security teams will start sweeping each deck." Ezekiel called out he left over to the Tactical station, he got out of the command chair and personally wanted to observe finding this missing passenger. "Will keep you updated."

Deela nodded, "Thank you. Please, as soon as you hear anything, contact me." She started to perform her own search of the ship. She spoke under her breath, "Now, where did you go?"

Ezekiel walked over and around the Tactical consoles station. He watched as a security officer started scanning the area. Then the officer pointed out an unregistered life sign. "Admiral we have movement near main engineering. The person appears to be heading towards engineering I'm dispatching a security team there now."

As soon as Bagwell told her where he was, she quickened her pace. She was concerned about Vox and the baby's safety. He already hurt someone. She only knew what she sensed.

Engineering

Security rounded the corner into Engineering at a run — two officers, both male, both armed. The moment the doors hissed open, the survivor jerked upright from the deck, eyes wide, breath catching in his throat.

He froze like a cornered animal.

Then he bolted backward, slamming into a console hard enough to make it beep in protest. His hands flew up defensively, palms out, shaking.

“No— no, stay back!” he choked out, voice cracking. “Don’t— don’t touch me!”

The security officers raised their hands, trying to show they weren’t a threat, but the sight of their uniforms — their size, their stance — only made him panic harder. His breathing turned ragged, frantic.

Dee saw the security. "Stay well back, please. " She begged them.

Then the doors opened again. T’Lar entered at a near-run.

The emotional spike hit her like a physical blow — raw terror, disorientation, guilt, all tangled together. She didn’t hesitate. She moved past the security officers and dropped to one knee beside Vox, placing herself directly in the survivor’s line of sight.

“Stop,” she said quietly — not to him, but to the men behind her.

The survivor’s eyes locked onto her immediately. A woman. Calm, centered, not advancing, not threatening. His breathing stuttered.

T’Lar spoke again, voice low and steady.

“You are safe. No one here will harm you.” She looked over at Vox. He needed more reassurance.

Vox reiterated what she said, "Like I've said before, you are safe here. Let us help you. I know your frightened and confused but we can help." She pleaded with him. Looking at him directly. Her natural kindness showing through the expression on her face.

The man’s breath came in ragged bursts as he stared at the deck, shaking. Then, barely above a whisper:

“Did I… hurt him?” He swallowed softly as his throat was dry. He trembled a bit too.

“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. Is he… is he dead?”

T’Lar felt the spike of guilt like a knife-edge in the air. She softened her voice even further.

“You did not kill him,” she said gently. “Lieutenant Hale is alive. His injury is not life threatening, and he will recover.”

His eyes squeezed shut, a broken sound escaping him — relief tangled with exhaustion.

T’Lar continued, steady and calm.

“You are frightened, but you are not in danger. Let us take you to Sickbay so you can rest and be treated.”

She offered her hand — not touching, simply there. “And when you are ready,” she added softly, “we will help you find your way home.”

He trembled… then nodded, small and exhausted, but willing.

"You can trust T'Lar. You are safe and we will help you get home. "

Dee reaffirmed what T'Lar has said and what she herself had said more than once before. She really wanted for him to understand that it.

His nod was small, trembling, but real. The first true sign that he was letting himself believe them.

T’Lar inclined her head, her voice still low and steady.

“You have shown great courage,” she said. “And you are no longer alone. We will take you to Sickbay, and when you are ready… we will help you return home.”

The words settled over him like a weight lifting instead of pressing down. His shoulders sagged, the last of the panic draining into exhaustion.

T’Lar rose slowly, giving him time to follow, offering her hand again — not demanding, simply present.

“Come,” she said gently. “Walk with us.”

T’Lar looked over at Vox, giving a small, deliberate tilt of her head — a silent instruction to join her in guiding him to Sickbay.

Dee nodded in return. She carefully positioned herself next to the man and with a reassuring smile when he glanced in her direction, she walked with them to sickbay.

Sickbay

Ensign Solomon walked into Sickbay with the steady support of T’Lar and Vox. They guided him toward the third biobed beside his crewmates, but he stopped short when a familiar voice cut through the quiet hum of monitors.

“Solomon…?” Lieutenant Rourke’s voice was rough, tired, but unmistakably alive.

Solomon’s breath caught. He turned toward the sound, eyes widening as he saw Rourke awake, propped slightly on the biobed, watching him with a mixture of relief and concern. Lieutenant jg Jalen Price lay unconscious on the bed beside him, breathing steadily.

“Sir…” Solomon whispered, the word breaking on his tongue. “I thought— I thought you were—”

Rourke shook his head slowly. “We’re here. We made it. And you did everything you could.”

The tension in Solomon’s shoulders loosened, the fear draining out of him in a long, shaking exhale. He looked between Rourke and Price, taking in the sight of them safe, unrestrained, alive.

T’Lar stepped just close enough for her voice to reach him without overwhelming him.

“You are all safe now,” she said gently. T'Lar pointed out the crewman that Solomon thought he had killed, "And as you can see, Hale is alive as I said."

Lt. Hale wasn't sure how to act. That man hurt him and all he wanted to do was to hurt him. T'Lar could feel his emotions as well. Anger, fear and relief that he was caught. She moved closer to Hale and whispered, "Stand down, Lieutenant. Everything is under control. We have this." Hale looked over at Solomon and could see that his demeanor had changed some since his encounter. He nodded to T'Lar, "Understood.

Solomon swallowed hard, eyes stinging. For the first time since the escape pod, he was relieved. He laid down on the empty biobed next to Rourke.

T’Lar tapped her combadge as the biobed monitors settled into a steady rhythm.

“Admiral T'lar to Colonel Bagwell,” she said calmly, “the situation in Sickbay is stable. All three survivors are accounted for and no longer in distress.” She debated if security was still needed.

"Understood Admiral, recalling the security team, we'll have a few security officers posted outside a sick Bay." Ezekiel said, waiting to see if the admiral would respond.

T'Lar responded, "Sounds like a plan."

She closed the channel and exhaled — a small, controlled release of tension she hadn’t allowed herself until now.

Then she turned to Vox.

For a moment, T’Lar simply studied her — the lingering worry in her eyes, the way she was still half‑braced as if expecting another crisis. T’Lar stepped closer, her voice low and steady.

“Lieutenant,” she said softly, “are you well?” She had genuine concern for her.

“You remained composed for his sake,” T’Lar added, “but that does not mean you were unaffected.”

"I feel drained." She said taking slow but calming breaths. "I could almost feel what he was going through. He was truly terrified. I could actually feel it radiating from him. I could do with a lay down for a moment. "

“That’s not surprising” A voice came from behind them, Krysia Kaleri offered a smile. “Powerful emotions have a way of affecting others, especially those who feel empathetic towards someone.” She smiled politely. “Commander Monroe brought me onboard as her assistant, but I guess as she’s off ship that leaves me as temporary Counsellor.”

Dee turned around and smiled. "I'm sure I will be ok but the experience has drained me somewhat. I wouldn't be surprised that being pregnant has something to do with it." Dee commented.

"Good." T'Lar patted Vox on the shoulder, "Then I will leave you in the hands of Counselor Kaleri while I go talk to our guests."

T’Lar remained near the biobeds, her senses open but controlled. The emotional atmosphere in Sickbay had settled into something fragile but stable — Hale’s earlier alarm had faded, Solomon’s guilt still pulsed softly, and Vox’s exhaustion lingered behind her with the counselor.

Lieutenant Rourke watched Solomon with a steady, protective gaze. When T’Lar approached, he straightened slightly, as if preparing to speak on the young man’s behalf.

“Commander,” Rourke said quietly, “I know what this looks like. But Ensign Solomon isn’t dangerous. He’s inexperienced. Too inexperienced for what we went through.”

T’Lar said nothing yet — she simply listened, her expression composed, her mind absorbing the emotional currents around them.

Rourke continued, voice low but firm, “When he woke up in that pod, he wasn’t thinking clearly. He panicked. Anyone would have, given the damage, the smoke, the injuries. He thought Hale was dead. He thought we were dead. He lashed out because he thought he was next.”

His eyes flicked toward Hale, who was watching from his biobed, calmer now but still processing the presence of the man who had struck him.

“Solomon’s a good officer,” Rourke said. “He’s loyal. He’s got heart. He just… wasn’t ready for something like this. And I don’t think this should go on his record. It wasn’t malice. It was fear.”

T’Lar absorbed his words, her gaze shifting briefly to Solomon — the young ensign sitting stiffly on the edge of the biobed, shoulders hunched, shame radiating from him like heat.

She processed Rourke’s defense with the quiet precision of her Vulcan discipline and the soft undercurrent of her Betazoid empathy.

“Your assessment is noted, Lieutenant,” she said at last. “And it aligns with what I sensed when he was found.”

Her eyes moved between the four men — Hale steady, Solomon trembling, Rourke resolute and Price unaware.

“My priority is ensuring the emotional stability of this room,” she added. “Once that is secured, I will determine the appropriate course of action.” She didn’t promise anything or condemn. She simply held the space — calm, steady, and in control — as she began forming her decision.

T’Lar crossed to Lieutenant Hale, who was already awake and watching Solomon with a guarded expression. She stopped beside his biobed, her voice low and steady.

“Lieutenant, I want to address the incident with Ensign Solomon.”

Hale exhaled, tension easing from his shoulders. “I know. And… I get it. He was terrified. I’ve been that green before.”

T’Lar inclined her head. “His reaction was driven by fear, not intent. I sensed no malice.”

Hale glanced at Solomon — hunched, ashamed, barely holding himself together.

“I don’t want this on his record,” Hale said quietly. “He panicked. That’s all. He’s a good kid.”

T’Lar processed his words, her expression composed.

“Your perspective is noted,” she said. “And it aligns with my own assessment. My priority is keeping Sickbay calm. Once emotions settle, I will determine the appropriate course of action.”

Hale nodded, the last of his defensiveness fading.

T'Lar looked around as she exhaled. Emotions seemed to have calm down and she could still sense their emotions but it didn't feel overwhelming.

Dee turned to Counselor Kaleri. "So what's next?" She enquired.

“Next I’d say you need to rest, especially in your condition. I’ll talk with Ensign Solomon when he’s had a chance a rest.” She offered Solomon a warm smile. “We’re both in the same boat so-to-speak where career experience is concerned.”

"I won't argue with you there, Counsellor. I'm shattered. " Dee commented.

Krys nodded. “Would you like me to walk you to your quarters?”

"Sure, thank you." Dee replied.

Krysia nodded before letting Solomon know she’d be back to see him. Returning to Vox she motioned towards the door, “Shall we go?”

Dee smiled, somewhat wearily. "Absolutely."

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