Post by Lt. Commander Liz Sur'Shess on Jun 18, 2016 18:10:52 GMT -8
"It's the same story a thousand times over on a thousand different worlds. And yet no tale is exactly the same."
As he spoke, Liz lowered herself down until she was laying against the rock too, staring up into the beyond as the stars began to twinkle in earnest above their heads. He'd taken the poetry she'd felt and hadn't been able to make into words and made it into words.
"Which does beg the question: how will your story end? I'm not expecting an answer, but... can't hurt to give it a little consideration."
And just like that, he was lapsing back into his counselor self. Liz nudged him in the ribs with her back of her hand. "Stop trying to psych-eval me, Bran. It's not nice." She paused, thinking about the question. It was a good question, even if it had come from someone who sometimes tried too hard to do his job without letting on that he was doing his job. It was a hard question, too: she'd never thought very far ahead, mostly because she didn't feel like she could. She'd always assumed, in the vague way that she was sure most Starfleet officers did, that she'd wind up dead in some space accident. And during the war, it had always been...well, you weren't too far away from being killed by a Klingon. She'd hoped to die in battle during that year and a half. An honorable death.
"Peace," she said quietly. "I hope my story ends in peace."
"A shooting star! Quick... make a wish."
Her eyes searched the sky, finding the arc of light and following it. She exhaled softly, an almost-laugh at the silliness of the tradition, but she obediently closed her eyes and made a wish, settling into the silence afterward. Wishes were pointless, the logical side of her argued, the part that was still wondering how the rebuild of the Talon computer was doing. The part that was here, on Risa, staring up at the stars with Bran, settled into the process. And for a moment, it let her believe that wishes were horses, and beggars would definitely ride.
"Liz... you were kidding about climbing back down right."
Liz laughed, pushing herself back up. "I have a transporter beacon in my backpack. Your life is safe for another day."
End Lt. Commander Liz Sur'Shess
As he spoke, Liz lowered herself down until she was laying against the rock too, staring up into the beyond as the stars began to twinkle in earnest above their heads. He'd taken the poetry she'd felt and hadn't been able to make into words and made it into words.
"Which does beg the question: how will your story end? I'm not expecting an answer, but... can't hurt to give it a little consideration."
And just like that, he was lapsing back into his counselor self. Liz nudged him in the ribs with her back of her hand. "Stop trying to psych-eval me, Bran. It's not nice." She paused, thinking about the question. It was a good question, even if it had come from someone who sometimes tried too hard to do his job without letting on that he was doing his job. It was a hard question, too: she'd never thought very far ahead, mostly because she didn't feel like she could. She'd always assumed, in the vague way that she was sure most Starfleet officers did, that she'd wind up dead in some space accident. And during the war, it had always been...well, you weren't too far away from being killed by a Klingon. She'd hoped to die in battle during that year and a half. An honorable death.
"Peace," she said quietly. "I hope my story ends in peace."
"A shooting star! Quick... make a wish."
Her eyes searched the sky, finding the arc of light and following it. She exhaled softly, an almost-laugh at the silliness of the tradition, but she obediently closed her eyes and made a wish, settling into the silence afterward. Wishes were pointless, the logical side of her argued, the part that was still wondering how the rebuild of the Talon computer was doing. The part that was here, on Risa, staring up at the stars with Bran, settled into the process. And for a moment, it let her believe that wishes were horses, and beggars would definitely ride.
"Liz... you were kidding about climbing back down right."
Liz laughed, pushing herself back up. "I have a transporter beacon in my backpack. Your life is safe for another day."
End Lt. Commander Liz Sur'Shess