Mirror, Mirror - Part Six

Posted on Sat Mar 21st, 2020 @ 5:20am by Vice Admiral Paul Emerson & Lieutenant Katrina Emerson & Rear Admiral Shaiamoon 'Shai' Emerson

Mission: Mission 98: Building Our New Home
Location: Various Locations - Starbase Vanguard
Timeline: 1230Hrs - September 11th, 2393

Lieutenant Isabella Emerson emerged from a turbolift as she turned to her left, she had been informed that members of the family she would have had, had she been born in this reality, she had a twin sister who was also here on the Starbase. Emerson reached her destination a few minutes later, as a set of large double doors parted at her approach as Emerson entered the large flag lounge. She noticed the three people she had been looking for as she went over to the replicator, to get herself something to drink.

Emerson received her drink before she moved over to join her family. "Hello. May I join you?"

"Have a seat." Katrina Emerson commented with a smile. "We have a matter to deal with, you and us."

Isabella sat down in the last chair that was unoccupied at the table. "Yes, we do." she turned to her twin. "You and I have much in common."

"We do," Katrina answered with a smile.

Shai Emerson gently brushed her bangs out of her face as she regarded her daughter and her daughter's twin who had seemed to come out of nowhere. "So, tell us of yourself?" she inquired of the younger woman before her.

"I am Isabella Emerson." she indicated her twin who looked like her in all respects. "You and I are more or less the same people in two separate realities," she explained. "I was called Katrina until I was forced to settle here... I am the last of my kin. Thanks to the Borg." she paused. "We tried to stop them at Deneva... They popped up and they demolished the Starbase in less than two minutes. Forcing us to regroup and then while we were distracted, we=" Isabella stopped as she fought off a sudden wave of emotion. "We watched helplessly as the Borg glassed the entire planet. None escaped." she paused. "The Borg fleet then waded into the battle, we lost most of our fleet that had been deployed but thanks to the ordinance we had, we killed almost all the cubes, all but one.. which escaped." the paused. "Not for lack of trying from our remaining ships."

Paul Emerson regarded the newest member of his family. Once he had been informed of her existence, he had requested proof of who she was and once he had gotten it, he had decided that she was who she purported to be, to him, the matter was closed but then he knew that Shai would dig deeper into the matter. "So, what will you do now?"

"Carry on with my career in Starfleet," Isabella answered in a quiet tone of voice. "Try to form something of a relationship with you guys," she added.

Paul shared a quick look with his spouse who sat across from him before he turned his attention back to Isabella. "You did go through various medical checks." he regarded her with a gentle smile. "The DNA scans and the other checks indicated that you are who you claim to be," he commented. "So we have two daughters of adult age rather than one, this doesn't bother me in the least."

Shai smiled as she lifted the glass in front of her to her lips, she took a mouthfull of water. "What was our family like in your reality of origin.?" she inquired in a gentle tone of voice.

"Well, seeing you in a Starfleet Scientists uniform is... A bit hard to swallow at times mom." Isabella paused. "I recall you as a General in the marines. Dad, you were even worse... You were a civilian and wanted nothing to do with Starfleet. It was a source of almost constant strife between you... and you ended up separating after ten years of almost constant argument... Made worse when Michael and Martin both joined the service, I joined as well to get away from the situation which deteriorated... To the point where you two utterly and completely hated each other." Isabella paused as she smiled. "I always wanted my parents to get along and be my parents, not people who were fighting and feuding with each other over their past mistakes."

Paul shared another look with Shai before he returned his attention to Isabella. "We have our concerns but we work them out as they come up. If anything, its Hapshepsut who causes us the most issues, keeping up with her is a real challenge at times, she's got my looks..." Paul shrugged. "She has her mother's intelligence."

Isabella regarded her parents. "You two had another child?" she asked in a quiet tone of voice.

"Hatshepsut was something of an Ooops baby," Shai answered. "Then there was T'Lee. A Vulcan girl we had adopted and then there was Alexa who married Michael..." she explained. "She was an orphan so we took her in," she added.

"You guys are an actual family..." Isabella paused. "I'm not sure of what to say."

"Who is to say what might happen in one reality will happen in another... Different factors will be at play." Paul explained. "Shai and I took different paths in life at that point," he answered diplomatically. "It does not matter but what does matter... Is that you are here in a reality that's alien to you. The least we can do is help you settle in so... You can move forward with life."

Isabella nodded her head. "That sounds good," she answered.