Into the Woods [Part I]
Posted on Fri Sep 5, 2025 @ 12:15am by Commander Cara Letsul & Colonel Nicholas Means III
1,844 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Time After Time
Location: Pangaea
Timeline: MD 13 Late Evening
(Continuation of Have fun...That's an Order)
[on the other side of the dance area]
Means had made it to the site of the brawl as things were being cleaned up. He could see the backs of one group seemingly dragging off someone still struggling. Someone who was unceremoniously thwacked across the back of the head.
He knew when he was moving up the ranks that he wanted to keep things handled within house; so he would not intervene so long as he was informed that things were taken care of. Lifting his hand to his face to take a drag from his cigar he remembered that someone else was holding that for him.
Smiling he began to make his way back.
Cara had been looking towards where Means had disappeared, smiled when she saw his approach.
"Here's your drink and cigar all safe and sound!" giving a light laugh.
Cara held them both out, not knowing which one Nick would take first.
He reached out for his cigar, his hand brushing over hers as he took it from between her fingers. Clicking his tongue off the roof of his mouth several times. "Tsk tsk tsk...you let it go out."
Looking at the end of his cigar, Cara's eyes widened, "Whoops, I didn't think to keep the cigar lit. I am sure that you can relight the fire, to not waste it."
That caress of his hand on hers, an intake of her breath at his touch. Cara was also picking up on the marines becoming more inebriated, making her feeling the need to depart. She handed Nick's drink to him,
"I should be going as well, I just need to find my way to Bag End. Would you show me the way?"
Lt. Commander Wells' 'cabin' wasn't exactly close by but he nodded. Setting his glass aside. "It would be my pleasure."
"Thank you." Cara responded with a gentle and relieved smile. "I truly hate to make you leave the festivities, but I am worried about getting lost." laughing slightly at herself.
He smirked at the lie. While it was possible since she was new to the command, it was highly unlikely she didn't know where one of her officers was operating form. With his cigar having burned out he slipped it back into the tube in his pocket as they headed to one of the shuttles near by.
Cara caught his disbelief at what she had said, and shook her head.
"Nicholas, I am getting the inkling that you don't think I am being truthful. I am being truthful. My head is buzzing from not only my own drinks, but picking up those around, their levels of intoxication. And boy can the Marines drink. Back in the day, having been around marines quite a bit I was able to, put up a filter to not get influenced by what I pick up. A bad thing at times with empaths not only picking up emotions but also the state of being."
"Well that does explain things. But I will never let you get lost." Steering them towards the shuttle, "From here to Bag End is quite a ways so..." With a gesture he waved her up the ramp of the open shuttle.
Cara walked up the ramp, not as graceful as she normally walked, she wove just a little bit, but made it into the shuttle. she sat down in the seat next to the seat where Nick would be sitting.
"Such high spirits at the party tonight, a natural high could be had, and I am feeling it." a slight giggle.
She shook her head to try to clear it and felt a slight wave of dizziness. Cara having a bemused expression, "Oh my. I am sorry."
Closing the ramp he saw her and took the seat next to her, facing her a hand on her should. "Are you ok? Anything I can do"?
"I will be alright." her cheeks turning red with some embarrassment.
Cara reached up to touch the hand that Nicholas placed upon her shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"The effects will wear off soon enough, and I will have a bit of a headache like a hangover. With you taking me to Bag End, it will help, though." looking into his face. "I wouldn't have missed out on the get together, it was something I desperately needed." Cara's voice, soft and low. "The last station I had been at, we faced a Breen attack, even them breaching upon the station." Cara stopped, her mouth was getting away from her.
Hadn't considered the impact of of the celebration on an empath. The alcohol must have weakened her her enough that she became over whelmed by the weight of all those minds. "The Breen? Well nothing to worry about here. The last time they showed their face around here they got beaten back easy enough.
The shuttle lifted off and he kept the shuttle just above the tree tops. Soon they were over the lake with the starlight reflecting off the surface.
The further that they travelled the better Cara seemed to be getting, she became lost in thought, as she continued "The Breen got stomped as well. Ship to ship battles. We had, Ferengi, Andorian, Orion, Cardassians, Klingons and Civilians enter into the fray, led by Admiral Rice. Protecting their home. K'Doc Valadorn who was chief of security on SB 50 and Raphael Mattix Chief diplomat were in charge of prepping the Station in a short amount of time. We had gotten intelligence that the Breen were arriving to wage war. Security and Marines alike were all working together."
She gazed out towards the view as they skimmed over the trees, coming back to the present. "you know, when a person comes from a whole pack of trouble from another station, being around that much positive energy, yeah, perhaps a bit overwhelming. Like a kid being let loose in a candy store and getting a sugar high." Cara giving a smile.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "How much you wanna bet most of the folks back there think you're a lightweight? One drink and and she spinning around everyone like a Tasmanian Devil."
Cara laughed. "Let them think what they like, I'm no stranger to people gossiping about me."
Her tone sobered, "Tonight was about having fun, to mingle with the fine marines, and they do you proud, Nicholas. And I hope that they will accept me as a liason. Even if I am a light weight." giving a wink to Meams. "At times someone in command needs to show the human side of themselves. Yes it in some aspect, reveals some vulnerabilities".
"Nothing wrong with that at all." Taking a quick glance to ensure they weren't going to hit anything he look back at her. "I would be more than happy to have you as a liaison...and you can call me Nick."
"Thank you, Nick." a warm smile, chasing away the serious expression from Cara.
She turned her attention from Nick to the view outside. "This is the first time I've seen this place at night, its beautiful. Reminds me of another planet, another station was above." a lump rose in her throat. "Here though, more land, the other planet, it had a lot of water with some pieces of dry land."
"Well there's a lot of water here as well." Altering course he turned the shuttle west over the finger of the lake and headed towards the coast.
"Tell me something about yourself, Nick, besides your good taste in drinks and cigars. Where are you from?" Cara deciding to open up a conversation. As what was her habit, for wherever she went, and did counseling, she hadn't cracked open the files upon Means. She valued letting things develop naturally.
"Well, son of a Starfleet Admiral that didn't want to be handed everything because of my dad so after a rather heated argument I took the enlisted route. Various assignments after I completed basic training; Jupiter Station, the Columbia, Copernicus, the Entente, and then I was on the USS Bloome..."
There was something about the way Nick mentioned the USS Bloome which caught Cara's attention. She touched his shoulder,
"Okay, tell me about the USS Bloome, I've not heard of it before, but I can tell it is something significant to you."
"The Bloome was declared missing in 2284 and her crew list MIA. That is until the ship reappeared in 2373. Several of us were recovered but I was the only one to make it."
"I am sorry for your loss." Cara responded quietly. "Time anomaly? It sounds like one." speaking as if from experience herself. "Its something difficult to experience especially losing time itself. "
"Thanks, given the damage to the ship they think it was some secret subspace weapon. When I came to it was a bit of a shock all the changes, everyone I knew, my family...all gone."
"Good heavens." Cara gave a shudder at that thought. "I have a friend, his name is Nicholas, he got lost in time. He was gone maybe only a few months, but it was to him a century or more. He came back a changed man, physically. He was younger than when he got lost. he had to relearn how to talk. My friend Brina who is married to him, she and I had to work with him. For him to get reaquainted with her and the rest of us. She had to remind him that they were married. Apparently when he was able to communicate, we found out that he had a whole life, of family, kids a tribe."
"Anyway I digress, with that happening, I got the sense of what it was like for lost time."
Trying to lighten things, "Yes it took a little getting used to. On the one side, I didn't have to worry about my father nagging me anymore for not going to the academy."
Cara raised an eyebrow at his attempt of humor and she went along with it. 'Well that is one way to look at things." giving a half-smile.
"Your XO of the Marines, K'doc has a sense of humor, darn him." her cheeks started going a little bit red when she thought back to tha tincident.
"He got me a good one, he arrived at the station back on Poseidon Station and decided to tease me. He had said something which caused me to give out a growl and he came out with the crack, "Oh you bared your teeth at me. Does this mean you are finally accepting the invite of joining House Valadorn? Shouldn't we be discussing this over dinner?"
Cara touched both sides of her cheeks feeling them go rather warm. "Even thinking about that, still gets to me,"
Means laughed. "Those Klingons and their mating rituals...so is it true they like to bite?"
(TBC)
Commander Cara Letsul
Executive Officer
Deep Space 5
Colonel Nicholas Means III
Marine CO - 21st MEU
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