Old Friends, Old Loves - Part One

Posted on Wed Nov 30th, 2022 @ 6:13am by Fleet Captain Heather Walking Bear & Commander Jennifer Pravdin

Mission: Mission 118: The Christmas from Hell
Location: Various Locations - Utgarde IV
Timeline: 1500Hrs - December 18th, 2393

Commander Jennifer Pravdin was wearing civilian clothing, a pair of hiking boots with a pair of blue jeans that hugged her curves, she wore a simple black spaghetti tank top, over that she was wearing a sweatshirt. Over the top of all of that, was a winter jacket. Hat and gloves as it was winter around this area of Utgarde IV. She was here to visit the gravesite for her dead husband as this could be the last time she could be doing this.

Pravdin knew that the Starfleet cemetery was well maintained and looked after. So before she departed for her new assignment, she wanted some alone time with him as he lay in his response. Pravdin missed her husband with a passion that had been frightening to behold. Many of her siblings had said as much to her, many of them, several times. Pravin had been gentle about it that she wasn't prepared to simply let it go and move on.

Her siblings had understood. Julia and Patricia especally so. But Pravdin couldn't simply let her husband go, so lightly or so easily. His death had occurred on her watch and she held herself responsible for his passing. The man who was the father to her children and the light of her life. Who was now dead. Leaving Pravdin with a gigantic mess to clean up. But she had no idea of how to pick up the shattered pieces of an old life that were no longer hers to live.

Pravdin sighed. Her twin sons were all she had left of him. She had the command she had long fought for. The roses were red and the violets were blue. The world had hues and colours aplenty. The World was young. The Mountains Green. No stain yet on the moon was seen. Now the world was grey. The mountains were old and the moon was blemished. The loss of her husband was too close to her career as a Starfleet officer because he too had been career Starfleet but now Pravdin had no idea how to process life without him.

Pravdin knew it was much the same for her two sons. She wanted to be there for them but she was unable to do so which only angered her all the more. She had been given new orders that said all civilian dependants would have to make other arrangements. It was with a heavy heart that she needed to impose on her older sibling. Heather lived planetside with her husband and her own family.

Pravdin entered the Cemetary in silence. She knew where her husband's space was, so she made her way there in short order. Only to find that she wasn't alone here on this particular day. There was someone else here too, who was wearing a heavy coat, like herself. "Hello." Pravdin addressed the figure.

The figure turned to face her. When a hand reached up and pulled back the hood. "Hello, Jen. You look as lovely as ever." a female voice she knew all too well, greeted Pravdin's ears.

"Heather." Pravdin regarded her older sibling before the two women shared a hug. "I know I'd find you here Jen. We do have a matter to discuss but not now. Ryan doesn't need to hear our issue."

Pravdin smiled. "No. He does not." she turned to face the gravestone in silence. "It's going to be a while before I come this way again, Ryan. But I finaly got my command. The USS Aquarius. Which means I've been reassigned elsewhere." she commented.

Walking Bear knew that her sibling was having very serious issues in letting go of her husband. But Walking Bear had no idea of how she would react or even function if the was the situation was reversed. So she opted instead, to say nothing and let her sister have this time with her husband. It mattered not that he was dead. It wasn't her issue to resolve. Walking Bear could go home and hug her husband. She knew that Jennifer couldn't and she didn't need to make things worse. So she left it alone.

Pravdin rose to her feet. She then pulled her hood back up over her head before she turned to face her sibling. "Thank you, Heather. We should go."

"Of course." Walking Bear answered with a gentle smile. The two women walked side by side while she departed the cemetery. "My ride's over here." Walking Bear indicated the type six shuttle that was her own personal shuttle. It was an older model but it was reliable and still worked.

Pravdin smiled as she followed her sibling onto her shuttle. Walking Bear tapped the display several times when the aft hatch suddenly closed. Pravdin sat down in the co-pilot's chair as Walking Bear activated the ships antigravs and got the shuttle underway.