240011.16.2120

“Enter,” Kr’Antren said from where he was relaxing with a good book, in his overstuffed recliner one of the few pieces that he had brought from home when he assumed command of the Osiris. 

As he looked up to see who was entering. He couldn’t help but notice how very different Doctor M’Gok looked in something other than her uniform or what she normally wore around the ship as her non-duty clothing. 

Raising an eyebrow. “Well I see no signs of blood and you’re not in restraints, so I’m guessing it went ok?”

“I need a stiff drink and not Synthol.”

“Second cupboard on the right, glasses are on the shelf above,” he said with a slight smile. “Was it that bad?”

She quickly grabs a glass, pours about a shot’s worth, and downs it. She then poured about half a glass worth and placed the bottle back in its place. “That was to wash out the rubbish I had to say to make the evening palatable for all involved. This, “ she raised the glass as she took a seat on the couch. “This is to keep me from going and finding those two pa’ jISaH and giving them another piece of my mind. To answer your other question, no it wasn’t that bad. Believe it or not, he was rather unferengi in the way he carried himself and talked during dinner.” 

“And?”

“And what captain? It was a very quaint dinner. As you said there are no signs of blood on my dress and I wasn’t brought here in restraints and I’m back on board at a rather decent hour. That should and my previous statement should tell you everything you need to know.”

“Indeed, it does.”

They spent the next hour making small talk and going over the plans for the memorial service scheduled for the next morning. 

240011.17.1000

The crew was formed and the “stage” was set as the ship’s whistle signaled that the service was about to begin. The engineering and operations crew had been busy all night turning the main mess hall into a place to hold the service. 

The command staff stood to the right of the four flag-covered torpedo housings at the front of the mess hall, while the governor’s council and several invited persons from Coadunatio Prime stood as a group to the right of them. Captain Kr’Antren stepped forward and then walked over to the podium placed on the left and slightly behind the four. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, crew and officers of the Osiris. Thank you for joining us this morning as we remember four members of our family. This morning we remember Master Chief Sean Paulson, Petty Officer Second Class Akiko Sugiyama, Petty Officer Third Class Sakkit, and Petty Officer Third Class Aidan Rosewood.” he paused for a few seconds as he said each name. “We will now hear letters of remembrance from those that have asked to remember their friends and crew mates.” He stepped back a step from the podium as four members of the crew stepped forward and read letters that they had written, one for each of them. 

After the letters were read, the captain stepped forward again. 

“Preparing for this service I was doing some reading, I found a poem that I would like to share as I feel that it fits this occasion. The poem is called A Hero’s Welcome by Robert Longley and dates from before the last great war on earth.” He begins to read.

“Time to come home dear brother and sister, your tour of duty through you’ve given as much as anyone could be expected to. Just a few steps further the smoke will start to clear. Others here will guide you, you have no need to fear. You have not failed your brothers and sisters, you clearly gave it all and through your selfless actions others will hear the call. So take your place of honor among those who have gone before and know you will be remembered for now and evermore.” He bows his head and waits about a minute.

He turned and looked up at the large holographic view screen that was installed on the wall, an overhead view is shown of the Osiris, particularly of the mission pod. From behind the row of four, a crew member started to play “amazing grace” on a set of bagpipes. As he did so, slowly marching through the crew as we see four torpedo housings slowly start their journey home, two forward and two aft, from the mission pod on top of the Osiris. 

As the crew started to make their way out of the mess hall they were each handed a small felt-covered box, if/when they opened it they would find a remembrance pin inside.

Epilogue

Over the next couple of weeks, the crew of the Osiris is kept busy. They help the people of Coadunatio Prime finish the refugee compound as well as helped several of the mining enterprises find and secure several new areas that hold minerals and other sources of industrial materials that they could not properly locate with the systems that they had available. 

When the Osiris received the report of the probe modifications, they started to build the needed parts and modify several of their available probes. After which they made their way around the region between Coadunatio Prime and the known borders of the Devore Imperium launching probes when they recognized the signals of subspace rifts either opening or that were currently open.

Arriving a couple of days before the wormhole opening they were able to hand over the Devore Imperium officer to the Task Force 17 security office. They also notified the Task force 17 central operations office that a subspace rift was not located close enough to Coadunatio Prime for a probe to be launched and that the area needed to have an eye kept on it till a rift either opened or another avenue was found to free the system of its Blood Dilithium. They also noted that they were able to convince the Governor’s Council to shut down Blood Dilithium mining operations.

The Osiris made its way back to the Alpha Quadrant upon the opening of the wormhole, from there they were to make their way to Starbase Bravo for needed repairs and to pick up a load of supplies for Deep Space Forty-Seven before returning to the Thomar Expanse to continue their previous mission.