'Tis the season – A Winters Tale
by Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope

Post Details

Title		A Winters Tale
Mission		'Tis the season
Author(s)		Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope
Posted		Fri Dec 31, 2010 @ 2:26am

Tell lay quietly on her bunk. It was about two weeks to the old Earth traditional holiday of Christmas. They had celebrated it well when she had lived at home with her brothers and her father. They always had a huge celebration, Jamie had always made the most of it, making decorations and the Christmas dinner. There were so many presents under the huge tree in the living room which was always festooned with so many lights. They were good times then and even her quiet, reserved father would often join in the fun and the games over the Christmas period. She remembered laughing until her sides ached. How she missed them all. This Christmas would be just like the last one. If only she could find Jamie that would be the best Christmas present ever.

How she missed that family life and a small part of her will always ache to go back to those times. When the African sky was so blue and the plains stretched out before her, so wonderful at sunrise and sunset. It had been a long time since she had thought about home. After the accident in the mine, it was sold to another company. Tells eyes grew heavy as she looked at the picture she had drawn on the wall of her four brothers. Times were so different now. This ship, this bucket of bolts was now all she had.

She listened to the sound of the heart of the ship, so comforting to her own ears. Tell thought of the first Christmas on Earth and wondered if it would be any different if it had happened today, probably not. She fell into a dreamless sleep only to be woken up three hours later by Ro' calling her from the Bridge.

"Tell, Tell wake up. TELL!" he bellowed.

"I'm on it" she replied sleepily getting up and dressing "I'm already there."
Tell was levering her boots on as she headed out of her door. Not really fully awake and cursing everything and everyone as she stepped onto the Bridge.

"What's wrong now?" but had really wanted to say What have you done now? She stood looking at Ro' towering above her, trying to judge his mood.

"Vam." [This] he told her pointing to a small ship on the view screen. "We received a distress call. Warp drive is down, no weapons, minimal shielding. They have 'requested' our assistance." Ro didn't bother to hide his contempt of anyone desperate enough to enlist their aide.

"They sound pathetically..." Ro' struggled for the correct HUman word. It was a word every human likes to use often, but he hardly ever needed it. Ah yes.

"nice. Starfleet dictates we lend aide when requested, and we are in their space. QuVatlh" He muttered something untranslatable in Klingon and Tell was left in no doubt of the undertone behind it.

The engineer squinted her eyes looking at the small ship. "Good God! is that what I think it is?" she exclaimed and moved closer to the screen for a better look at it. "A 'Lausican Jenii" she exclaimed. "Well I never expected to see one of these except in a museum. Its a bit of a donkey of a ship, slow but sure but it will get you there .... eventually. Who's on board?"

"Our scans are inconclusive." Ro' replied, scowling at Jared who just shrugged. "Get your things together, Tell. Take what ever you need to get them going again. Report as soon as you get on board. I'll let them know your coming." He ordered

Tell turned away from the screen to face him. "I'll take Marla with me and we can get the job done quicker."

"Ghobe! [No] I need her to monitor the cloak. The FHew has been ordered to pick up three Diplomats at L’arusjeem 4. Your on your own." And he laughed "An away mission by yourself, engineer." As he slapped her on the arm in comradeship, Tell nearly lost her footing. " You'll cope or you'll die, and I will be saved the return trip. Go fix their tiny little ship and send the FHew a message when and where to pick you up." He waved a hand at her and Tell knew she had been dismissed so she left the Bridge.

She was on the transporter pad with two boxes of equipment and her bag of tricks. Tell felt nervous. She had always had the protection of the FHew by her side and now she would be on her own. Mustn't let it show how worried she felt. Was this a test? she thought.

"Ok Marie" said Tell "I'm ready send me over"

"If you don't come back can I have your..........."

Tell didn't hear the rest as the room dissolved around her and then she reappeared in a room of total darkness.

"Hello" she called out and reached for her torch "Anyone there? I'm the engineer, I've come to help" For goodness sake she sounded like an advert. "Hello!"

Some one answer she thought before I turn around and go back to the FHew. Her torch swung around the tiny cargo hold. It looked in reasonably good nick considering its age.

"Tell to Ro'" she called
"Ro' here"
"No welcoming committee yet. Though still picking up two life signs. I might be coming back sooner than you think....... belay that"

A sudden noise made her turn as someone struggled to open what would have been an automatic door. A hand pushed its way through. Tell shone the light in the intruders eyes. "And you are?" she asked a little to sharply.

"Seosamh" the voice replied "I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you engineer, can you help us? We have barely enough power for life support My wife Maura is here too."

"Where are you on your way too?" asked Tell "So I can inform my ship when and where to pick me up, that's if you don't mind a passenger."

"TELL! report!" came Ro's booming voice

"One God damn moment Captain." she replied gruffly as she waited for Seosamh to answer.

"The Terahzan system, the third planet. A city called Mhelteb-eh." he informed her. "And yes you are most welcome to stay with us engineer."

"Did you get that?" asked Tell

"Got that Tell, we'll meet you there. FHew out."

Realizing now that she was entirely on her own Tell introduced herself and reached out a hand of friendship. "I'm Tell Hope" she told him "Chief Engineer on the FHew."

"FHew?" he asked reaching to shake her hand as was the Earth custom "Very unusual name for a ship."

Tell nodded her head she couldn't agree more. Apart form her engine room, the FHew was a rust bucket held together with duct tape. "Well that's Klingon's for you anything to make them stand out in a crowd." she snorted as she followed Seosamh to the control room. "Tell me where did you find this Lausican Jenii? I haven't seen one outside of a museum for years."

"A friend loaned it to us" he replied smiling at her and trying to make Tell feel at ease. With in moments they were in the control room. The engineer couldn't believe her eyes as this little ship seemed to her no more than a few years old to say the least. It was in remarkable condition, just not working thats all.

As her eyes scanned the control room, one of the two chairs in there swung around and a very heavily pregnant woman greeted Tell. She smiled warmly at her.
"Hello" she said "I'm Maura, You must be our engineer welcome."

To Tell's eyes she looked positively raidiant, glowing almost. To her ears her voice sounded lyrical and as smooth as cream on coffee. She was dressed in a pale robe that accentuated her pregnancy, a matching wrap covered most of her long curly hair. Maura's skin was olive in complexion as was her husbands. Her eyes were as dark as the space around them, but not cold and unfriendly, they were warm, sincere and full of hope. Tell realised she was staring and pulled her gaze away reluctantly as Maura laughed.

"I gather the engine room is just here" stated Tell pointing down to the floor where there was a hatch.

The air was beginning to smell a little stale because of the extra person in the small craft using up what little oxygen they had left. Tell realised that life support was only just on minimal. She was going to have to work fast if they were going to survive.

The hatch was open to the engine compartment and space was at a premium but because through years of training and being small and flexible, Tell was able to squeeze into the smallest of places. She used this to her advantage on the FHew if ever she needed to stay out of Ro's way when he was having one of his episodes.

The light wasn't working so Tell used her torch. For a ship that shouldn't be here and in a museum instead, it was in remarkable shape for an engine room. At first she couldn't see much and thought that there might be a fault in one of the sperical manifolds. She didn't know much about this 'little donkey' and so she would have to rely on just her own engineering skills to get them through. Her sharp eyes took in everything as she tried to ignore the black dots that were appearing just on the edge of her peripheral vision.

"Tell" called the urgent voice of Seosamh. "It's getting a little difficult to breathe in here."

"I'm on it" Tell replied keeping her voice calm and under control. C'mon where are you? Its no good you hiding from me because I'll find you wherever you are. she almost sang to the little ship, while she struggled to fill the most tiniest part of her lungs with air. Then suddenly she saw it, a damaged life support panel. All she had to do was get to it....."

Shadows danced in and around her eyes. Tell had no idea where she was and felt totally lost. The last thing she remembered what was it? repairing something. Then the feeling of being pulled somewhere. When the shadows finally cleared and her memory gained back its sharpness, she knew where she was. She sensed the smooth vibration of the tiny ship underneath her and knew they were underway. She felt soft cool healing hands on her forehead and temples as her breathing returned to its normal pattern. The clean air, once foul and decaying, now tasted good on her lips. Her lungs drank in every single precious molecule and she knew that once again she would never take life support for granted.

"Welcome back Tell" came Mauras soft voice. "You have been asleep along time."

Tell sat up and fought back a wave of dizziness.

"What happened" she asked "The last thing I remember was looking at the panel and then nothing."

"You saved us." Maura replied "With out you, we never would have survived. Here drink this." She passed Tell a refreshing drink that seemed to revive the very soul of her. "Qu'varek juice" she told the questioning engineer "Made from the fruit of the Qu'varek tree. It is said that the tree is as old as the universe itself and to have healing properties but I just think it tastes good."

OOC: quv'a'egh {pron: kuv-A-egk) roughly translates as to honour oneself greatly, or to boast.

She had to agree, she felt much better. As Maura made them something to eat Tell reopened the engine hatch and made sure that things were working as they should be. The repairs looked good but for the life of her she couldn't remember doing all of it but she must have otherwise they wouldn't be here. She sighed and after another through hour of assessing and checking the rest of the engine room, she was happy. Tell closed the hatch and joined Maura and Seosamh for a meal.

For the next few days everything was as it should be. As their journey progressed Tell took down the specifications of the little ship that had no right to be here. Thinking that one day she would build one her self, with a few added little extras of her own thrown in for good measure that is............

A few days later they were having their last meal together as the 'Jenii' neared the third planet in the Terahzan system. Another blasted sand planet. thought Tell. She hated sand.

"Why here?" Tell asked as she prepared the ship for landing.
"Every so many years" replied Seosamh "We have to return to our home planet for a census."

"Seems ridiculous to me to come all that way." stated Tell as she checked her instruments for landing. "All this way just to be counted."

"Oh I don't know" groaned Maura as she heaved herself out of the chair. "Its also a chance to be with friends and family again. We have a wonderful time and my baby boy will be born there too." her hands lovingly caressed her swollen stomach. "Soon I think."

"Its a boy then?" asked Tell as her fingers ran smoothly over the landing control panel. "Have you any nice names?"

Maura's eyes took on a distant look as Seosamh watched her intently. "His name will be Yeshua and he will be a healer and a prophet." he told Tell

Tell, who was too involved in her pre landing checks, had just simply said "That's nice." She had heard things like this before all over the galaxy. If she had a bar of gold pressed latinum for every healer and prophet she had heard about, well she wouldn't be on the FHew for a start.

Tell used her engineering tricorder to take readings and nearly dropped it when Maura announced "And he will be the Son of God."

Tell closed the panel and stepped down. She turned and faced the two people who she had got to know really well over the last few days. Normal everyday people, made a change from the crew on the FHew or so she thought. Tell didn't know what to say 'that's nice' seemed the wrong thing to say and the wrong time, 'your crazy' seemed to be more appropriate. Why cant she meet just ordinary, completely uncomplicated people. Was that to much to ask for?

"You don't believe us do you Tell and I can't say we blame you, but its true." explained Maura "We are ......."

Suddenly the little ship was rocked by an explosion some one was firing on them. With little and possibly no way of fighting back and very little shields, Tell fought to control the little ship. With an enormous effort she made sure that they were all strapped in before taking the Jenii into land. Her last thoughts were before darkness over took her was,

"ToH! Hegh jIH" [Oh my God! I'm going to die]

....................................................................

"Open your eyes Tell" came a voice she recognised but couldn't place. She liked being where she was, it was warm, sunny and not a grain of sand in sight. She was in a field of tall grass that came up to the tips of her fingers. The sky was the colour of cerulean when she looked to the horizon she saw a rich cream coloured house set against the background of trees that swayed and changed to silver in the breeze. She walked towards it, she knew this house it was familiar to her.

"NO! don't go there" a voice insisted "You must wake up Tell"

The feeling of cool hands touched her brow and temples again, raking away any pain she had felt and clearing the fog behind her vision. She felt suddenly better and managed to stand. She shook her head expecting a wave of dizziness to over come her but none came. Tell looked at Seosamh and Maura as she brushed dust and dirt off her clothes. "We all ok?" she asked and they both nodded in acquiescence.

Tell turned towards the ship hoping that she could repair it but one look told her other wise and her heart sank. It was beyond repair so she did the only thing she could she carved a symbol near the door with one of her blades. (A letter H in the centre of a circle.) She would come back to it later when the FHew picked her up. She would take the little ship with her.

She returned to the other two. "You must have some powerful enemies" she told them. "To want us shot out of the sky. Who were they?"

"Probably D’orehs men in one of his ships." Seosamh informed her "He knows about the prophecy and is doing all he can to try and stop it from fulfilling its destiny."

"About the Son of God?" said Tell unbelievingly

"About the Son of God" replied Seosamh. "Your not a believer then Tell?"

For the next few minutes they both had an in depth discussion about life death and life again and were only stopped when a low moan escaped Maura.

"Seosamh its time." she groaned

"Time for what?" asked Tell as she turned to the Jenii in the hopes of salvaging something from the wreckage.

"The baby is arriving" She replied "We have to find shelter Seosamh. I cant have the baby here." Her body was racked by pain and after a few minutes it stopped. "I'm ok, I'm ok."

Tell scanned the area on her Tri-corder. There's a village nearby, a few minutes walk that's all." aware that her voice had raised to an uncomfortable falsetto. She looked on as Seosamh lifted Maura gently in his arms.

A sudden light in the sky made Tell look up. That was good timing. thought Tell, the FHew should be here soon to help.

"Thats not your ship." Seosamh told her "All the planets in this system are forming in one straight line as foretold in the prophecy."

Tell knocked on the door of what appeared to be an Inn. "Next you'll be saying that there will be no room at the Inn." Tell muttered.

They both looked at her oddly. "You know the prophecy then Tell?" gasped Maura "Of course there won't be."

The door opened and an overly large Inn keeper stood there and as if on que. "We have no room." he said "Don't you know that its the census?"

"I need a room" pleaded Seosamh "My wife is about to have a baby, you have to have something?"

"Noth....." before he could answer Tell had pushed him up against the back wall, her blades were unsheathed and up against his throat. " Qu'vatlh!" she roared a curse at him.
In a laconic voice she told him. "I have had a bad day so far and I have no time for preliminaries, take my word for it, so you get us a room and get it now.... please."
"Round the back." he said "There's a stable."
Of course thought Tell, there would have to be.

Tells blades snapped back into her wrists and she let him fall to the floor. He mumbled something unpronounceable to her and waved a dismissable hand as he sidled along the wall to where his room was. The door slammed shut and they were left alone.

The stable smelled faintly of hay and fodder. There were many animals there and that helped to keep them warm.
"This wasn't what I had planned" moaned Maura as Seosamh tried to make her as comfortable as possible. He said nothing but smiled at her lovingly.

Tell kept a discreet distance and stood guard at the stable door. She listened to Mauras cries and told herself she would never put herself through all that agony. She was not going to let herself get involved in anything like this again.

The stars were so unusually bright that night and as she looked up she could see that the planets in this system were almost in conjunction with each other. When they did it would make them shine like a star of incredible magnitude. Then something else caught her eye a small white dot that moved silently against the backdrop of space. Instinct told her it was the FHew. They weren't far off.

The planets moved slowly together and Maura's final agonising cry ended only to be replaced by the smaller cry of a new born baby. Tell turned as a light of incredible brightness shone down on the tiny stable and settled itself on the newly formed family. She walked over and knelt beside them and tears escaped from her eyes as she watched Maura hold her tiny son. She knew instinctively that she would do anything to protect him but she also knew that many would die because of believing in him. She touched the tiny hands and looked into eyes that were as deep blue as the space around them. For that moment only nothing else seemed to count. Everything else seemed to pale into insignificance because all that mattered was the baby, Yeshua.

Maura squeezed Tells hand. "Thank you Tell for what you have done." she said "But now its time for you to go."

Tell didn't want to leave, she wanted to protect them and stay with them; tell them the dangers she knew they would face. But as she looked into Maura's eyes she couldn't find the words to say - perhaps they weren't hers to tell after all - and that Maura knew in her heart and soul of what was to come.

As Tell walked out of the stable as more people entered, shepherds she guessed. No doubt the Kings would arrive soon. She returned to the Jennii but found it no longer there. Scavengers she thought, they would take anything. Tell picked up what little bits she could find and then used her communicator to contact the FHew that was probably here by now.

"Tell to FHew" she asked

"FHew here" replied the recognisable voice of Ro' "You're not dead after all, Tell? Lucky for you your engine room has missed your attentive care."

"Where are you?"

"The ship is on the rise just above the village. We have just off loaded the three delegates, or Kings as they insist on being called. I wouldn't call them that." he replied

"On my way, Tell out"

She made her way up the path that led to the ship looking back only once to where the stable was. Looking warm in the dark night and with its blaze of starlight that appeared to hover over it. She passed by what appeared to be three very richly robed type men on animals that vaguely looked like camels except for the horns, spikes and claws on their feet instead of hooves. No doubt the Klingon's would have a word for them, they always do.

The ramp closed up behind her and the FHew made preparations to leave. As Tell went to her quarters the ship was already airborne. She emptied her pockets and tossed her tricorder and a small flat piece of metal, which was all that she could find of the Jenii onto her bunk. She was tired and needed a shower and she almost made it.

"TELL!" came the oh so familiar voice.

What now? she thought. "I'm on it, Captain what ever it is." she replied tiredly.

"Meet me in the Mess. I want a full report on your first solo mission." He ordered

Picking up her jacket, she thought twice about it and just tossed it back on her bunk. It knocked the tricorder and it brought up the schematics of a Lausican Jenii. Tells trip would not have been in vain after all. Though she didn't see it, it would be there when she got back.

Well this would take some explaining Tell thought as she headed out of the door. "I'm on my way." she replied and wondered if the replicator served up Qu'varek juice.

......................................................

Meanwhile on the planet Cretaris Six, a new museum had opened and had just received a delivery of an unusually small ship. The likes of which has never been seen for a long time. There was not much of it to see but enough for the engineers in the museum to piece it together and find out more of its story. There was great excitement about it. The director ran his fingers over the door frame and noticed a monogram scratched there. It was a H in the middle of a circle. They would be able to get rid of that, they could do anything in 'The Museum of Absolutely Everything.'