Reflections and Refractions

Posted on Wed Jan 31st, 2024 @ 11:04am by Commodore Edward Antilles & Grand General Paul "Caveman" Antilles & Brigadier General Sorlora, Daughter of Edraks

Mission: Mission 120: All Along the Watchtowers - Part Two
Location: Various Locations - Antilles family home - Earth, SOL
Timeline: 0800Hrs - January 21st, 2394

Grand General Paul Antilles smiled as he regarded his youngest. "Is everything packed and ready Kat?" he inquired.

Katrina Antilles smiled back as she looked up at her father. "Yeah. We're almost ready," she answered. "Last night was an interesting experience though." as the child yawned. "Sorry," she added.

"Its fine, honey," Paul answered. All of their stuff had been moved out the day before. Had Kerrie been present, he would have sent her on ahead. Plus she could have taken the kids with her as well. This would have cut down on Paul Antilles workload quite dramatically. But alas, the situation was what it was. There was no sense arguing the point. "Okay. We leave in two hours. I need to turn this place over to the local council." Antilles smiled gently. "Why don't you and your siblings head onto the runabout? If you wanted to go catch up on sleep. I don't think anyone would mind... I know I wouldn't."

"Thanks dad." Katrina turned before she moved off.

Michael came over, his pack over his shoulder. "Hey dad. Ed's here. He has someone with him." he commented.

"Okay. Go track down Will and Patricia. Why don't you three head out to the Runabout so I can tend to this political blowhard. Then we'll be on our way."

"Sounds good, dad." Michael turned as the doorbell rang. Paul raised an eyebrow but opted to not comment. A female voice shouted. "I'll get it!"

Michael sighed. "I'll go round people up."

Meanwhile outside. Ed turned to Sorlora. "I should warn you. Dad has four young children in his care and they might not be what you'd expect," he commented. "Dad had moved on after losing both you and Andrea. One of those relationships was a disaster. Then there was Madeline whose mother won't let dad claim her as his own, despite the fact that Madeline is now nineteen years old. Angelique Wolfsong hasn't let that go and odds are, she never will either." he paused. "Then there was Marie and she's a long story," he explained. "She's twenty-six years old."

"Yeah i kinda figured after all this time," Solroa replied casually.

"Well. Don't worry. Dad won't be too surprised to see you. But, he's been through a lot over the last twenty years. So, take a moment to prepare for it." Ed paused. "He won't be what you remember of him. He's changed." he then sighed. "Shall we?" he asked. He then popped the hatch before the shuttle filled with freezing cold air. "Ahh, taste that air!"

Sorlora shivered at the cold, despite the fact that she was bundled up like a marshmallow.

Ed sighed. "Come on, it's this way," he commented before leading his mother over to a large building. He then tapped the doorbell. The doorbell was answered a moment later by a teen girl with long dark blonde hair, and brown eyes. Her hair was short. She looked between Edward and Sorlora before he grinned. "Eddie!" the teen grinned. "What the fuck are you doing here?!" except her eyes regarded the strange woman next to him.

"Do you kiss your dad with that mouth," Edward answered. Before he hugged his sibling, who was young enough to be his child. "Patty, this is Sorlora. My mother."

Patricia blinked, this was a major shock. "Oh. Hello." she addressed Sorlora. "Come in, please. It's negative fifteen outside," she commented.

Solora wasted no time stepping into the house, clearly wanting out of the cold., "Yeah, hey I'm Sorlora, lost and out of time."

Patricia closed the door, as she giggled. She turned back to Ed. "Come on in. Sorry about the lack of anything. But we were heading out in the next hour or so. I'll go let dad know you two are here. In the meantime. That replicator still works, everything else doesn't." with that, she departed.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Dad never said he was leaving," he commented aloud.

Patricia found her father a moment later. "Dad. There is a Ms. Sorlora here to see you. She said something about being lost in time." she shrugged. "I'll go track down my siblings. We'll wait for you on the Runabout." Patricia then departed.

Paul raised an eyebrow, and he walked into the front room with a confused look on his face. Thats when he noticed Ed and Sorlora. "I see Patricia was not toying with me... But I simply must ask, how is it that you are standing in my front room?" he asked in a quiet tone.

Ed turned. "I'll leave you two to chat."

"Ed. I'm expecting someone from the local council. I'm going to be turning this house over to them so I can depart Earth for my new posting. Could you tend to him or her when they get here?" Paul addressed his eldest.

"Sure, dad. I'll tend to it." Ed answered, with a nod. "Consider the matter handled." he added.

"Thank you." Paul turned back to Sorlora, while Ed departed. "You've not aged a day Sorlora. You look well."

"That's because I haven't," Sorlora added casually, "Three days ago. I was in 2375, fighting the Dominion. Then I got jumped 19 years into the future."

"Oh." Antilles paused. "Did Ed update you on events?" he inquired. "You caught me as I was being reassigned to my new posting which I am told will be a lot warmer than this place was," he added. Paul then gently took a moment to touch her cheek with his hand. "I..." he paused. "I thought you were dead. You were listed as missing in action," he explained. "Let's go into the kitchen. There is some furniture in there. A table and a couple of chairs which I hadn't yet moved."

Paul turned before heading towards the kitchen.

"Hey in all fairness I thought I was going to be dead too," Sorlora replied dryly. "We were quite literally on our last legs and about to be blown to bits by the Jem'Hadar."

Paul replicated two glasses of water. "I have no booze of any kind in the house. Water is the best I have. Sorry." he then offered her a glass.

"Well that's disappointing," Sorlroa remarked dryly, "And here I was hoping to sample some human liqueur's.

"I don't have booze in the house. Its just me and four teenagers." Antilles smiled. "I also doubt you want anything out of a replicator either. Since it can't make decent booze to explain its existence." he added. There was a knock at the door, Ed answered it and sure enough, it was the building inspector. "I'm here to look this place over."

Ed nodded. "Right this way. I can tend to your needs and wants. Leave those two to chat."

"Right then. Lead on then, young man." the man answered.

Paul smiled in amusement before turning back to Sorlora. "You are more than welcome to come to New Yorkshire with me and the kids," he commented. "While you sort things out, maybe the kids and I can help with things. If you wish," he commented. "Unless you have other plans," he added.

"At the moment my plans are very flimsy," Sorlora admitted. "But I do want to find my family, maybe spending a couple months with mom and dad will give me enough time to pick up the pieces from this mess."

"Thats easy enough to arrange," he commented. "Your parents are presently residing on a colony world called New Belfast," he commented. "I heard them talking about settling somewhere permanently. "I'm not sure of what happened to your siblings," Paul admitted. "I know your parents will be overjoyed to see you. Or they will be really confused," he added the last as a joke.

Sorlora nodded and looked more serious, "And what about Ashivs mate, Chura, and their Daughter Okrella. She will want to see them too."

Paul slowly sipped his drink. "Well, she's presently serving as an independent contractor on Starbase 67. My sister is looking after the details. She had a new identity assigned as a result." he paused. "Okrella was raised in my household but she's presently at Starfleet Academy. She's presently residing on Vega. She also has a new identity."

"Yeah Ed told me they had to change their identity," Sorlora replied softly. "Just how bad did things get."

"Mag'tor poisoned his own brother to steal the house. He succeeded." Paul commented. "Mag'tor then demanded Chura and Okrella from me. When I refused. He then threw me and all of my kin out of the house. So I killed him for the affront. I drew my sidearm and reduced him in height by one head. His eldest son took over the house. I could not claim leadership of a house I was no longer a part of... Not that House Kaang was worth much to anyone. Most of our troops were dead, or missing in action with you. All of our Generals were dead and much of the fleet was made up of older ships. Rejects and castoffs the KDF no longer wished to keep. Ashiv was dead. Had that been different... She could have reinstated me and then turned over the house to me. Now that would have turned history on its head... But alas, it wasn't to be. Krann refused to overturn his father's decree about me. Because House Kaang is but an empty shell and the wolves began to feast on the scraps. Krann was able to stop the decay but he doesn't have half his uncles skills. But he was a much better leader then his father." Paul then shrugged. "I'm going to be blunt. I enjoyed decorating the back wall with Mag'tor's blood."

"I see," Sorlora replied with an expressionless look, "Well either way, I've already decided to immigrate to the Federation, and I know Ashiv wants nothing to do with house leadership anyway, so maybe it would be better off if the remnants continued to believe she was dead."

"I see no reason to change the status que." he commented. "Besides. I have a family to think about. I got no time for a part of my past that's not worthy anymore of anything other then the trash midden." he sighed.

There was a knock at the door. Ed stood there. Paul regarded his eldest. "Yes, Ed. Whats up?"

"Everything's taken care of. We can depart at your leisure." he commented.

"Excellent." Paul rose to his feet. "Then lets depart. I know the kids are sick of this place." Paul commented. "Sorlora. I'll see you to your family's present home on New Belfast. If you wish."

"Yes, I do. Let's go," Sorlora replied.

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