[One Final Run Part 5] What did he give you / Let's go home

Posted on Wed Jul 16th, 2025 @ 3:50pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant Fang Lee
Edited on on Wed Jul 16th, 2025 @ 10:10pm

1,207 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Our in Space
Timeline: During Recovery and Rest

ON:

Lutz went to head back to the Pendragon to help unload the relic when he stopped. Looking into the disheveled chapel he saw the large picture of Vance still standing by the cracked lectern. The portrait seemed to have claw marks running through it.

He sighed, being taken back to the funeral. He'd lost two crew members that day. He had known that Adrianna was hurting after Vance's so-called death, but had still been angry. Even now, whilst he had ended the hunt for her, he still blamed her for everything– not Starfleet– her specifically. He'd lost his best friend, the Pendragon had lost its Captain and Freecloud had lost one of the best smugglers in the known galaxy. Now, Vance was a mere legend, and very much missed.

But this?

He was alive.

Lutz watched Adrianna leave, now regretting giving her a Reggime ball. But how was he to know. Lutz stepped up to Vance and threw his arms around him.

Vance returned the hug. "I missed you too buddy."

Lutz started pulling him towards the ship, before looking up and seeing a blond, "Ari, too? I don't... I don't understand. How?"

Vance sighed. "Well that is a long story. Come on my friend. I'll tell the crew at the same time."


---Meanwhile---

“I assumed that was Lutz. I struggled to make out his face at first, but from working with him a bit lately, I know he's tall and slim,” Constantine stepped close to Adrianna and dropped his voice, keen for only her to hear him with what else he had to say, his eyes on their guests, “I promised that I would help you do this as a wedding gift but only if there were no secrets– what did he give you?”

Adrianna didn't remove her hand from her pocket, she just quietly replied, her voice clearly a little strained, ignoring the question slightly, “I need you to get the med-kit, a belt, and some sort of pliers or wire cutters. Then go and get this mission sorted. I don't think it would be wise if I left this ship again without being fully fit or armed. I'll help you as soon as I've sorted myself out-- but I'll stay on this ship as we agreed.” She shifted her elbow a little so that Constantine could see into her pocket.

She took a sharp breath and looked to the floor as she leaned against the frame of the loading bay, wincing a little as she shifted her hand a little before looking back at their guests as they began to leave. Adrianna knew that she needed to keep her heart rate down.

In her hand was a similar device to the one Vance had used on Jason: a small ball with a barb puncturing through the palm of her hand, a bloodied arrowhead now sitting on the back of her hand. If the device had been used properly, it was laced with something, so she knew that she had limited time to deal with it– another reason to keep her heart rate down. Why had she given this idea to Vance to begin with? It was twisted and potentially, ridiculously dangerous.

Constantine raised a brow curiously, finally looking over at her. He knew her well enough to know that she could take care of herself. His eyes went to the contents of her pocket subtly and he cleared his throat, cursing under his breath in Russian. He quickly returned his gaze to their guests to not draw attention before hissing quietly, “how the hell aren't you screaming?”

Adrianna took a deep breath, calming herself further, “a lot of focus– and I don't want to ruin this for our guests. This should be a positive trip for them, they deserve it. This will help them both. Minor acts of revenge like this shouldn't taint their reunion, especially when I know that acts like this are tame in comparison to what they could be– I know what that crew were capable of when it comes to protecting their own after betrayal, Vance especially. It's a miracle that they didn't follow through when they hunted me down on Earth.”

“Better person than me, lisichka,” Constantine subtly took off his belt, careful to not make too much noise as he pulled it through his belt loops, rolling it up and placing it in her back pocket, trying not to nudge her too much– he knew how this could look to her future husband from a man's perspective. As their guests left properly, he stepped away to grab everything else she had requested, “you terrify me, you know that?”

Adrianna couldn't help but smirk, “making people scared? It fuels me, cucciolo. now grab everything and pick up that you need from the Pendragon. I'll sort out this and stay on board as agreed."

Constantine nodded, heading back into their ship to get everything for her as Adrianna watched the reunion from a safe distance. It felt bittersweet, but it was a necessity, she felt. After a brief pause, she turned and left to go into the ship.


---Back to the Starbase - Trip ---

Vance walked onto the ship smiling. "Adri, Connie." He said giving Constantine a name he knew would rile the man up.

Constantine raised a brow, and snorted, "Ade can call me that, but you? It doesn't sound right."

Adrianna smirked and nudged Constantine playfully. She then stood up, her hand bandaged and walked over to Vance, "well?"

"It's just us going back. The Pen is going to be okay, an Adams at the helm."

Adrianna stilled, a little unsure of what to think, "but what about her husband? The child?"

"Frankie will be resigning. He'll join her shortly and that other goblin they hang around with...." He shook his head. "Finally found out about who he is to them...trust me there are some things one should not know." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and mumbled something under his breath.

"Seems she missed the crew and the crew missed her."

Adrianna was taken back and was silent for a long minute. "I--" she shook her head and put her hand softly on his cheek, "amore mio, I love you, but this is your one and only opportunity to stay. I cannot arrange for this again. This is it. I want nothing but to see you happy. Are you sure that this is what you want? I have said it before, and I will say it again: I would follow you into the black, capitan."

He laughed. "I'm sure. I'm glad she's staying. I don't know if I should be angry that I raised a thug but hell she'll make my legend look like a comedy routine." He smiled. "Let's get back to the station, I have a date with your brother. Poor sap thinks he can win against me in Parrises squares." Vance snorted.

"Then to Italy in the morning," Adrianna smiled and kissed him softly, savoring it. She stepped back and looked at Connie, "andiamo, Connie."

Constantine nodded, a little uneasy that he was without a guest, but understood that this was always a possibility. "Alright, buckle up. Let's go."

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