Whispers in the Dark

Posted on Fri Feb 28th, 2020 @ 4:06pm by Division Admiral Thomas Lasky & Commander Tressa Brislan-Antilles

Mission: Mission 31: The Ashes of Eden
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1400Hrs - March 29th, 2391

Lt Commander Tom Lasky was wearing off duty clothing, consisting of a pair of khaki pants utterly festooned with pockets and a heavy sweatshirt, a pair of hiking boots which looked well used and broken in completed the set.

Lasky had started to think of himself as Tom and not by his callsign because being down o the planet had woken something in him, his humanity had begun to return to him. It was part because everyone involved had begun to refer to him by name even through he had insisted they call him by his callsign. Little Saki Yamaguchi had start that one, it had quickly spread to her mother and Siaxx before Phoenix made it official.

Siaxx knew that Kameron along with everyone else had refused to address him by callsign, insisting that call-signs were for places of danger and death and this planet was neither, other then the Orobirds.

Lasky was now sitting in the counseling offices, he smiled as he was sitting on Tressa's sofa, sitting back with his eyes closed, clearly very comfortable with his present surroundings. "Still... once I settled in.... I managed alright.." he admitted. "the hard part was being bored all the time. But Kameron Yamaguchi was an excellent student, we taught each other a lot..." he paused. "He regarded me as one of the best things to ever come into his life... I'm not sure how to take that.." Lasky admitted, as he regarded Tressa.

"It sounds like a compliment to me," the counselor said with a smile. "How have you been readjusting to life on board?"

Lasky regarded Tressa, a soft smile on his face. "Its quieter for a start..... and I can get a decent nights sleep..." he regarded her. "Kameron is my finest student...

"You are very fond of this Kameron...."

"Kameron Yamaguchi... " Lasky nodded. "He has the potential to become a Master of the martial arts I specialize in but.... his greatest failing is that he's never had a decent father figure. Which... isn't his fault so I took him under my wing..."

"Do you like being in a father role?" Tressa asked.

"I do actually." Lasky responded. "Kameron however is a special case... he listens to me and generally is good company, the fact that he can kick my ass... makes him all the more interesting."

"Do you feel like he is a younger version of yourself?"

"I do yes." Lasky responded. "He helped me find my humanity.. I owe him a debt."

"Then you don't think that you have had a positive impact on his life as well?" the counselor asked.

"I know I did. He's even gone so far as to tell me that.." Lasky responded. "He missed his wife while he was planetside very much... It brought his feelings and his life's goals into much sharper clarity... same as it did for me."

"Then there is no debt, you each helped the other to grow."

"He might feel differently which is fine. He still trains with me and he makes it a challenge. He can kick my ass... which makes training all the more interesting, sometimes his wife trains with us too.... now Elizabeth is downright dangerous." Lasky slowly smiled. "He compliments Kameron quite well. I can see why they got married..."

"Is there no more to life than the ability to fight?" the counselor asked with a teasing smile.

Lasky regarded her as he wore an almost amused look on his face. "Well considering there were few ladies to choose from planet-side, my options on what to do with my time was rather limited." he responded bluntly. "Lets see... my choices were Phoenix, Siaxx... Rachael, Moni Nasao and .... that was it really... the others were either too young or too alien."

Tressa laughed. "Not just women. Tom, but you only speak of Kameron...and his wife... as excellent fighters. So one-dimensional, is there nothing else in your life, or theirs? No other reason to exist?"

"Well we had little to do planet-side" he explained. "Other then sit around and meditate or go hunting or handle domestic chores." he explained. "there really was little to do."

"What do you want to do with your life now? Eight years passed, is there a 'bucket list' that you want to complete?"

Boomer regarded Tressa. "I went missing four days ago relatively speaking... I've been gone about a year." he responded. "Rachael and Siaxx were the ones that were gone eight years... I think Torilla is in mourning.... she didn't get her child back... the teenager.."

"I see, and I cannot imagine what Torilla is going through."

Lasky nodded his head as he let out a sigh. "Rachael has become a woman and Torilla missed so much with her." he regarded Tressa. "To cap it off... Torilla has another child to help raise... Saki is the same age as your two." he shook his head in the middle of saying it. "OI was expecting her to come back all sunburnt, ready to go flying again... nurning her baby bump... still wondering if this path is right for her.. " he looked pensive. "She's still asking that question.... and she doesn't know anymore... She has a child to worry about now."

"Yes, but Torilla has always had a large family." he sighed. "I myself... do not.." which from him was saying a lot.

Tressa nodded. "You have been alone for some time?" she asked softly.

Lasky regarded her as he answered. "Yes... I have.." he responded quietly. "What was four days for you was a year for me.... I guess that gives new meaning to the term: Stuck in a Bubble."

"How does that feel?" she asked.

Lasky paused a moment. "Like I'm going through the motions but I'm going nowhere.... I can't talk to anyone or do anything but I can see everyone else..." he paused. "The Last year was me, standing on the planet wondering if rescue was ever going to come... being apart from you.. and I hated it.. Because you were not there to share it with me..."