Coda
Posted on December 31st, 2016 by Alexis Wright and Kathryn Harper

by Alexis Wright and Kathryn Harper

“Captain’s log, in what will likely be my final entry as Commanding Officer of the USS Atlantis. Admiral Blackthorne and Captain T’Kirr are safely aboard, and pending their restoration to active duty status, I will return command of this vessel to the Admiral, assuming that he wishes it.” In Lexy’s quarters, Captain Kathryn Harper paced as she listened to the recording that she had made at the end of that tumultuous, yet ultimately triumphant, day of duty. As it continued, her tone had become increasingly cold, her typically fast and clipped speaking cadence even more precise and sharp than usual.

“For whatever value this record may hold, it is my genuine belief that the organization known as Section 31 has, at least in this matter, acted in flagrant violation of Federation law in their detention of two highly distinguished Starfleet officers, thus justifying my actions in effecting their rescue. Admiral Smith’s orders that detained us at Starbase Vinland were clearly in support of this illegal effort, and were therefore rendered invalid. While I am under no delusions that I will not be required to answer for what I have done, my only regrets are the lives that were lost in bringing justice to the officers that were taken from us.”

“Should this log stand as testimony, let it be known that in my time as Commanding Officer, I have attempted to hold myself and this crew to the highest of standards in service of the values of the Federation. If my career is ended by this, it was not worth continuing without those values. End log.”

Harper let out a quick breath and clapped her hands against her thighs, then turned to face the couch. “How was that?”

Lexy, who was curled up at the near end with Anna purring in her lap, took a thoughtful sip of her tea before responding. “I think it was quite good,” she announced with a nod, “And you stated it very well. I wonder, though, did you want to mention anything about the computers we seized, or the prisoner, or… Commander Vallero?” The last two words were spoken with hesitance, and the eyes that looked up at Kate grew troubled.

Sitting down beside Lexy, Kate answered, “No. They are in my briefing for the Admiral, anyway, and that log is meant to be fairly high-level.”

Deciding not to press further just yet, Lexy nodded as she placed a hot cup of tea in Kate’s hands. “It’s chamomile,” she said with a small smile, “I thought it might be nice to unwind a bit… at least until some headway is made on the computers. I keep thinking that there must be other prisoners out there, and that we have to get to them before Section 31 decides to… destroy the evidence, as it were. But perhaps I’m being overly pessimistic.” She closed her eyes with a sigh, then opened them to stare down into her own tea. “I have to keep reminding myself that they’re really alive and we really saved them. It’s surreal.”

“Mmmm,” Kate agreed through a sip of tea. “We really did it, did we not? I keep expecting to wake up from this dream, back at Vinland, without them. While they may have to amend the stages of grief to include finding out that the deceased are not really dead, then successfully rescuing them from exile by a shadowy organization, for now, I just feel profound relief.”

“Yes, of course,” Lexy said, turning to nod at Kate while crushing down her persistent worries, “Though I imagine that giving up command to return to your previous roles was somewhat bittersweet?” Tilting her head, she watched for Kate’s response to the sensitive question.

“Of course it was. I would be lying if I tried to pretend otherwise behind the guise of false modesty.” Kate glanced away, finding the window; she was reminded of the large ones in the ready room, and the many times she had looked through them for answers. “I cannot say that I always dreamed of commanding a starship, especially given my strange path through Starfleet… but, it certainly affords a unique opportunity to make a difference, that I found myself unexpectedly drawn to. And some parts of the job are just, well, fun.”

“Is a command position something you want to pursue? You found yourself drawn to it, parts are enjoyable, and you took to it well and quickly. It would seem a shame to give it up indefinitely. Not to mention that it’s rather… unorthodox to have a helm officer with the rank of Captain. ” Lexy was truly curious about this, and she was indeed nervous about the answer, but she knew she was avoiding the question she really wanted to ask out of a desire to avoid conflict. She made an effort to sound casual, but the anxious chewing of her lower lip betrayed her.

“That may be my official rank, but I am also supposed to be officially under arrest, so my future is uncertain.” Kate shrugged and continued, hoping to assuage Lexy’s obvious concern that her rank could force her to transfer to another ship, “What I may or may not wish to pursue is not even worth considering until we see how this situation is resolved. Right now, for us, Atlantis might as well be the only ship in the fleet.”

Realizing that she would have to face potential conflict if she wanted answers, Lexy took a calming breath and a sip of tea before embarking on what was likely an unwise course of action. “Given the situation, I can’t help but wonder why Vallero left in a runabout before we departed via slipstream… surely Command would have some significant questions for him, if my deductions regarding his affiliations are correct.”

Not expecting this topic to come up, Kate looked away and stared at the wall for a few seconds until she figured out how to answer the question, eventually deciding on the truth. “Daniel left because he asked to be allowed to try to aid our cause from elsewhere, and I permitted it.” She turned back to find Lexy’s eyes again before finishing, “And I believe that he will.”

Lexy searched Kate’s eyes for reassurance, and then broke her gaze away. “I know you’re tired of hearing this, but I have to wonder if your history with that man has—” She stopped abruptly, realizing that what she had been about to say would have been monumentally stupid. Instead, she reached out for Kate’s hand. “Look. You know that I trust your judgment and I would follow you anywhere. Right? It’s just that I don’t trust him.” At this, she locked her eyes back up to Kate’s, radiating earnest sincerity. “I love you, Kate Harper. And if he betrays you… well, I can promise they won’t take you without taking me.”

With a squeeze of Lexy’s hand, Kate smiled through suddenly moist eyes, the unexpected profession of Lexy’s willingness to defend her catching her off guard. “I love you too, but please, do not ever—” She gathered her composure before starting again, not wanting to consider the original thought, “I will tell you what I told him when he asked it of me. Perhaps history will judge me as an idealistic, naive fool that set herself up for betrayal, but my intuition tells me that he genuinely wants to help. I knew Daniel Vallero once, and the man that tried to get us to kill innocent Romulans was not him. The man that left here yesterday was.”

“I hope for all of us that he stays that way,” Lexy said, breaking away again as she moved to set her tea down on the table. Anna leapt down in protest, and stretched luxuriously before padding away to seek less volatile bedding. “My intuition is suspicious of him, but… I’m prepared to trust yours over mine.” Sitting back up, she snuggled into Kate’s shoulder. “And whatever you were going to ask me not to do, I’m sorry to disappoint…” Her voice was soft and somewhat muffled by Kate’s sleeve as she explained, but her tone was matter-of-fact. “It’s absurd to expect me to do nothing if they take you. If you would do nothing in the reverse situation, then I’ve dramatically misunderstood how this relationship stuff works. Because to me… if we were atoms, our valence electrons would be a perfect fit, and that bond makes us both better.”

The delightfully scientific analogy provoked a spontaneous giggle from Kate in defiance of the moment’s gravitas. “I do so love it when you talk science to me… and you are right. If it were reversed, I could not bear inactivity, so thank you for pointing that out, for your faith in me, and for your steadfast support while I was in command.”

Remaining snuggled against Kate’s arm, Lexy offered a slightly embarrassed shrug. “Science, I know. Romance, not so much… except that there’s no need for thanks. I’m happy to be at your side, and I hope the feeling is mutual.” She paused for a moment, then pulled slightly away to give Kate a quizzical look. “That… is how this relationship stuff works, right?”

“Yes, love, that is how it works, and apparently I just needed you to remind me of that.” Kate smiled fondly and trailed a few fingertips down Lexy’s cheek before taking in a breath to speak, but instead stopped to look around the room. The thought had come to her to once again ask her lover to move in with her, but she reminded herself that Lexy had told her to wait six months. Still, the moment just felt right, given both the timing and the circumstances, so Kate concluded that it could not really hurt to bring it up once more.

Her view returned to find those big blue eyes looking up at her questioningly, and unlike the first time she asked, this time Kate did not feel nervous. “I am quite glad to have you at my side, so that feeling is definitely mutual, and I would like it very much if you were there even more often. My things are already being moved back to my old quarters, and it would be much easier to integrate yours if they were all to be unpacked at once, you know.”

The questioning look turned first to confusion, then quickly to uncertain understanding. “Are you saying… what I think you’re saying?”

Laughing, Kate nodded. “I know it has not been six months, but it seemed like a good time.”

Lexy blinked once in surprise and sat up, meeting Kate’s eyes as if to confirm she was serious, then blinked again and let her focus fade as she turned inward to consider. Only a few beats of silence passed before she turned back to Kate. “I did say six months,” she said with a serious expression, “and it has only been four. However,” she spoke over Kate, and raised a finger to prevent further interruption, “that was with the assumption that you would be the Captain going forward. To give us time to deal with all the change. But now… everything’s going back to more or less the way it was before… so… okay.” Breaking into a nervous smile, she nodded. “Yes. Let’s do it. If you’re sure.”

A jubilant smile lit up Kate’s face before she pulled Lexy into a tight hug. “Yes, Alexis Wright, I am quite certain that I want us to live together!”

After long moments sharing a happy hug, Lexy withdrew and stood up, looking around her quarters before turning back to Kate. “And you mean… today? I should call the movers?” At Kate’s smiling nod, she darted over to the console to make arrangements, but paused and looked up. “And… Anna too?”

“Of course, Anna too! What kind of monster would expect you to leave your kitty behind?”

Blissfully unaware of the tribulations of unpacking into cohabited space, Lexy grinned and arranged for the movers to come right away. “They’ll be here soon! This is all so exciting! And so sudden…” Looking around once more with a thoughtful expression, she finally turned back to Kate. “You know, I’m kind of going to miss this place. I have some good memories here.” Gently, she took the teacup from Kate’s hands and set it down on the table before straddling her lover with her knees and plopping into her lap. With a mischievous grin and a husky voice, she purred, “We have half an hour… wanna make one more?”

“Oh, the ‘quickie,’ yes?” Smiling up from under her eyelashes, Kate squirmed with eager desire and pulled Lexy closer before lowering her voice and responding, “Mmmm, I accept your challenge.”