Long Voyage to a New Home

Posted on Sat Dec 29th, 2018 @ 12:17am by Lieutenant Jaime Mallory

Mission: The First Step...
Location: Zulubase Main Landing Bay/Magellan Campus
Timeline: 2388/08/25 1540 (August 25 2388 6:50am - 3:40pm) Mid-Afternoon

The final transport carrying Cadets to Magellan Campus had departed from Zulubase, and the Campus' Flight Deck Supervisor and pilot, Lieutenant Jaime Mallory stood within the base's main landing bay as she waited on a few other passengers to be taken to the Campus. One of these passengers was far from the usual and Jaime was really looking forward to meeting her.

Running her hand through her long honey blonde hair, the Betazoid Hybrid exhaled and started to pace along side the large shuttle she would be taking them in. There weren't many others around now that the cadets were gone, other ships waiting to dock had been placed on hold. The unnatural silence caused her to open her mind, and she sensed their presence as well as heard their approach as they entered the bay. She turned and watched them as they headed towards her.

The sound of laughter echoed in the bay, a deep sonorous baritone reverberation of happiness. There was a soft titter of an achingly beautiful soprano that echoed the deeper laughter a few second later, followed by the hissing of a feline.

~Prrrriest, I fail to see how such things are humorrous. I simply asked if we would be able to hunt. It is a naturral question leaning towarrds ourr continued survival in a wilderrness arrea.~

"Morrigan you know quite well what is so 'humorrous' about such a question." he said mocking the rolled hissy 'r' "We will have replicators, which means our continued survival is not hinged upon hunting. You just don't like the taste of replicated meat."

The female voice responded as they turned a corner and came into view of the shuttle. "Da, I would enjoy hunting with Morrigan more as well. It was fun in Ireland." the pointed eared girl with hazel eyes said with a touch of sadness in her Irish tented accent.

"I'm sure the Dean can be convinced to allow us to hunt when I'm not in class, provided Morrigan you are a lady befitting the name of the goddess you carry." the taller man said as he pulled up short just in front of the shuttle and saw the honey haired woman before them. He grinned winningly and bowed in an older form of a formal introduction. "Lieutenant Commander Miach Ap Tinsha, at your service Lieutenant."

Jaime raised an eyebrow and smiled at his bow. ?Lieutenant Jaime Mallory." she replied with a smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Sir...and to your daughter." she said looking to the young teenage girl with him. Then her eyes turning bright laid on the Sehlat, "And 'this' must be Morrigan.."

Miach grinned "Word of Morrigan has gotten out." he said with good humor towards Brighid. Then he looked down at the bear like creature beside him as if in an exchange of sorts.

~She has good taste Prriest.~ Morrigan said into his mind.

~You think anyone who offers you sausage or praises you has good taste Morrigan.~ he retorted.

"I'm always informed of who my passengers are, Sir." Jaime replied, a little intrigued. She had caught on there had been some sort of exchange. "Anytime your ready," she smiled. "we can take off. Your luggage was already stowed aboard."

Morrigan proceeded to the shuttle as the door was open and hopped up onto a seat. Miach nodded for Brighid to do the same as he followed behind them. He eyed the Lieutenant curiously and caught her looking at Morrigan for just a half second longer and he grinned. "You know she's special don't you?" he asked pausing just long enough to ask the question.

~Of courrse she knows I'm special Prriest, I am afterr all.~ came the playful response from his friend.

Jaime gave a small nod with a sassy, mischievous look in her eyes. "Yes, Sir. I certainly do." she admitted, taking her seat. "I can sense it."

"Telepathic are you? If you care touch her mind, I'm sure she'd enjoy someone's voice other than mine in there." He grinned as he took his seat and cast a quick glance back to his shelat before relaxing completely by breathing in and then exhaling the tension out of his muscles.

"I'm empathic, Sir." Jaime replied, with a few extra's she added in her mind. "She'll need to initialize any telepathic communication between us." Her hand worked the console in front of her, bringing the shuttle to life. She requested clearance, it was granted, and then they were out of the bay and on their way.

He looked at the sehlat and shrugged "Was worth a try Morrigan." then he looked back at Jaime "She's not telepathic in as much as she can talk to me because I bound her to myself. Since then she has been my constant companion and helps keep me balanced. She's like my conscience, my furry, four legged, always hungry for honey and sausage conscience."

Brighid spoke up "A very annoying conscience." then ran her fingers over the beasties fur.

Morrigan looked at Jaime then at Brighid ~Tell your twit of a daugherr that I'm only annoying when she wont get out of bed.~ This elicited another baritone laugh from Miach.

Jaime had turned her head slightly from her console at Miach's explanation to her, "You bonded with her?" she sounded interested, "I know that Vulcan's bond with their families, and often times a pet Sehlat is considered a member of the family, but I..." She turned and her eyes went immediately to Morrigan as she realized how her reference to her could be taken. She knew Morrigan was no ordinary 'pet'. The concept was no stranger to Jaime, she just hadn't heard of a Vulcan doing this with a Sehlat before. "Morrigan, I meant no disrespect."

Morrigans rumbling growl was her version of laughter. Miach did the same before answering "She is used to it, she actually enjoys messing with people who think she's a simple pet. Maybe someday I'll explain why I bonded myself to her."

Smiling, Jaime turned back to her console, "I look forward to it, Sir." and then raised an eyebrow," And you are no ordinary Vulcan, Commander, although I have never considered Vulcans ordinary." And really cute too. she thought to herself.

He nodded "No I'm not," the grin that spread across his face was infectious "when I was younger, after completing my primary school education I went to become a brother at the Tinsha Monastery, studying the healing arts of the T'Shen. I studied there for about fifty years. It was during my time there that I explored more than the mysteries of the mind and body and the healing arts. But also the great philosophers and saw, in myself, a schism that was mirrored in Vulcan society as a whole. We cut ourselves off from our emotions. I had taken the robes of a Priest of my order by the time of my great awakening. Several things happened all at once, that culminated in my declaring to the High Priest that I could no more separate myself from my emotions and call myself a logical being. He pronounced me a 'vrekasht' and branded me an outcast. At that point I took the cub which I had saved and left for Earth. There I made a home and a life on the emerald isle. While on the isle I studied and fell in love with the myths of the land. It is from their myths I took my name, Miach. I chose to honor the birthplace of my awakening by adding it to my name. No more was I Velekh the disgraced outcast Priest. Now I was Miach Ap Tinsha, healer for my town and a local surgeon. Several years later, I decided to join Star Fleet and here we are." Morrigan had moved from the back of the shuttle to sit beside Miach as he spoke. His hand reached out to the sehlat and entwined his fingers in her fur unconsciously drawing strength from her as she drew intelligence from him.

Jaime looked impressed as she looked back to him again, and then shook her head in disbelief. "I have always admired Vulcans, I understand that you feel emotions very deeply, and I feel it takes a lot of strength to handle them the way that you do as well as it does for Vulcans who follow Surak's teachings." her eyebrows scrunched together, "But to brand you an outcast! Whatever happened to IDIC?"

He smirked "What is IDIC? I am but one combination in the great diversity." It was Brighid who spoke up next "The High Priestess endorsed Da's viewpoint when she asked that he be the one to administer to her death. She gave him her IDIC medallion the day he saved me."

Miach nodded "Unfortunately the High Priest did not share your view nor my own. My emotions 'tainted' me which is why I left Vulcan, that was before I knew I had a daughter." He looked out the front window, "Tis pretty where we will be living Brighid." his mind seeing a second thought and then returning to the first one. "Though technically I am still a Priest, no Vulcan will allow me to minister to them. That and I have melded my beliefs with those of the old Irish and various other religions I've encountered. I've endeavored to take the good and discard the bad. As I have tried to teach Brighid the same."

"I think I understand, Sir." Jaime said, and she wondered about what Brighid meant when she said he had saved her.

Miach's fingers rubbed the soft fur of Morrigan's neck as he felt her calming presence in his mind. He felt her thoughts moving to her mother and siblings.

~When we land we'll find a place to burn incense in there memory old friend.~ he whispered into her mind and then let his mind drift back to the night he was called to heal the cubs. Then he laughed softly to himself. ~What a strange life I've lived. ~

Morrigan's voice whispered softly ~Would you change anything?~

He grunted and nodded ~I wouldn't have left Kas, and Brighid would have come with me when I left Vulcan.~

Hours later Sapientia was before them and Jaime made her usual approach. Streaking through the atmosphere she circled around, and having seen the last of the transports that had dropped off cadets leaving the planets atmosphere, she made her approach to land.

Miach watched the Lieutenant's skilled hands moving over the controls as the shuttle went in for it's landing. He smiled softly to himself as he took in the spire of the Academy and the lake below. It was pretty. Not Ireland but pretty none the less. He breathed in deeply closing his eyes and center himself for a new experience.

"Lieutenant it was a pleasure flying with you. Perhaps later on you can tell me more about your history as I seem to have rambled on about mine." He waited for the shuttle to stop before he stood.

Jaime rose out of her seat and faced him, "I would really like that, Commander." and she smiled, her eyes going from Brighid to Morrigan, where they stayed. "May I touch her, Sir?"

He grinned and Morrigan ambled over to the Lieutenant and pressed her head against the woman's leg.

"I think you have your answer Lieutenant." Miach said as Brighid laughed. "She likes you." Brighid said as she pulled the carry on bag she had brought with her out from under the seat, and Miach stepped out into the corridor to head to the aft of the shuttle craft.

"I like her too." Jaime smiled, softly running a hand over the Sehlat's head. "Christopher would like you." she said softly, thinking about the time she and her best friend had gone to Vulcan to check up on another friend who was going through a rough time. It was then and there she had met a Sehlat for the first time. "Osito..." she whispered. She then found herself gazing into Morrigan's eyes and a strange yet wonderful feeling went through her. She pulled her hand away and with her mouth partly opened, stared in wonderment as the Sehlat slowly turned and walked away.

End


Lieutenant Jaime Mallory
Pilot/Flight Deck Supervisor
Magellan Campus

Lt. Commander Miach Tinsha
Core Instructor/Surgeon
Magellan Campus

Brighid Tinsha
Teenage Civilian
Magellan Campus

Morrigan
Unusual Sehlat
Magellan Campus