The Trip Home [Part 1]

Posted on Wed Feb 26th, 2025 @ 5:48pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant Commander Oscar McDonald MD

2,274 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Timeline: Past

The USS Solaris dropped out of warp, its sharp, imposing silhouette dwarfing the freighter. Adrianna stood at the airlock, arms crossed, her expression stony as the Starfleet boarding party approached with phasers drawn. She didn’t flinch as they levelled their weapons at her.

“Hands up!” barked the lead officer.

Adrianna rolled her eyes but complied, raising her hands slowly, gesturing to the children to stay calm. Her voice was calm and controlled, but it was clear that she was angry with how they were approaching this situation knowing that there were children present, “I’m the one who called you. Do I look like a cazzo di threat? I'm not even armed. Come on, these children have been through enough.”

The officer wasn’t moved, and within moments, her wrists were bound in cuffs, and she was being marched aboard the Solaris. Behind her, she caught a glimpse of the children being escorted away under heavy guard.

“Take care of them!” she snapped over her shoulder, her voice laced with frustration, “They’ve been through enough!”

The officers didn’t reply, shoving her into a cell in the brig without ceremony. She sat stiffly on the bench, her jaw clenched as she glared at the forcefield. Her eyes briefly went down to the cuffs that they'd left on her and she sighed.

Not long after, the doors slid open, and two figures entered: Captain Alvar Reyes and his first officer, Commander Ani Sha’ar. Reyes was tall, with sharp, calculating eyes, while Sha’ar radiated an intensity that suggested she enjoyed taking people apart in interrogations. In another world, her and Andrianna may have got along.

Reyes folded his arms, his tone clipped, “Adrianna Reggimi, is it? Care to explain why you’re the only adult survivor aboard a ship full of dead crew and almost 30 terrified, starving children?”

Adrianna didn’t even look at him, but flatly responded, “Care to explain why you’re treating me like a criminal when I’m the one who called you?”

“Calling for help doesn’t absolve you of suspicion,” Sha’ar said, her voice cold, “the freighter crew were all dead and piled up into a locked room, and the ship shows signs that the children were hidden in smuggler compartments. That’s a lot of red flags.”

Adrianna leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms, “I don’t have to answer your questions.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Reyes said, his tone hardening, “refusing to cooperate only makes you look more guilty of some pretty serious charges.”

Adrianna smirked, though there was no humour in it, “I’ve been in situations like this before, Captain. I know how it works. You can bark all you want, but until you’re willing to actually listen, I’ve got nothing to say.”

Reyes exchanged a glance with Sha’ar, who frowned. “This is a waste of time,” Sha’ar muttered, “She’s clearly hiding something.”

“I’ll tell you what you want to know,” Adrianna said suddenly, sitting up straighter. Her gaze fixed on Reyes, her voice calm but deliberate, “but only after you acknowledge the importance of uncharted peregrines on Earth's eastern regions.”

“What cryptic nonsense is that?” Sha’ar rolled her eyes, “captain, she's insane. I strongly advise that we–”

Reyes froze, the colour draining slightly from his face. Sha’ar blinked in confusion, but before she could speak, Reyes raised a hand. “Commander, leave us,” he ordered.

Sha’ar hesitated, her brows knitting together. “Captain, I—”

“Now, Commander,” his tone offered no room for argument.

Sha’ar scowled but nodded curtly, striding out of the room. The doors hissed shut behind her, leaving Reyes and Adrianna alone.

Reyes deactivated the forcefield and CCTV and stepped inside the cell, his voice low and urgent, “you’re Starfleet Intelligence.” It wasn’t a question.

Adrianna nodded, “Mission codename: Drifting Gallivant. This freighter has nothing to do with my assignment– it’s a genuine coincidence. But I couldn’t leave those children behind, sir.”

Reyes’ expression was unreadable, but he didn’t interrupt.

“We came across the freighter while scavenging for parts after a bit of an incident,” Adrianna explained, her voice firm but weary, “The crew was already dead when we boarded, they’d been double-crossed by the same people we were. The crew I've infiltrated did not have adequate resources to care for the children and nor did they feel it was in the children's best interests to hand them off to the nearest base– it's not a StarFleet one. Seems even criminals have a moral compass when it comes to children. Someone had to make sure the children were safe.”

She paused, her gaze hardening, “I made the call because I knew how this would look. If you found my crew here, you’d jump to conclusions. Plus, there are many outstanding warrants on the crew. I am the only one where, even undercover, I've got a clean record. This way, they got away clean– my mission intact, and you get to save the day with those children.”

Reyes sighed, pacing the small cell, “You sacrificed your mission for them.”

“Si, Captain,” Adrianna said without hesitation, “because it was the right thing to do. My mission is intact, but I couldn’t turn my back on those children. Now, I need your help to clean this up without blowing my cover.”

Reyes studied her for a long moment before nodding, “do you have proof of your assignment?”

Adrianna sighed, “contact intelligence quoting the mission codename. They'll put you through to my handler. They will confirm my true identity: Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami.”

Reyes nodded, his expression softening slightly, “if this checks out, we’ll get you to Earth with the children. But until then, you’re staying aboard the Solaris and you make it look like you are a sole caretaker for these children– like an orphanage caretaker. Understood?”

“Understood, sir,” Adrianna replied, her shoulders relaxing slightly.

Reyes reactivated the forcefield and turned to leave, “I’ll handle the rest. Sit tight, Lieutenant.”

As the doors closed behind him, Adrianna leaned back against the wall, exhaling slowly. It wasn’t the smoothest operation, but at least the children were safe. That was what mattered.

***

As the Solaris approached Earth, the tension aboard began to settle. Captain Reyes had reviewed Adrianna’s credentials and confirmed her story. By the time they dropped out of warp, she was no longer confined to the brig.

Adrianna had wasted no time in keeping up the story that the captain had woven once she was released. She moved through the corridors of the Solaris, stopping by the infirmary where the children had been taken. One by one, she checked on them, speaking softly to calm their fears and ensuring they were treated with care.

With close to thirty children to care for, the infirmary was somewhat chaotic. Which suited Jynx. It allowed the young teenager to keep out of sight, for the most part. She was far from trusting the strangers, for trusting anyone but yourself was a sure way to end up dead - or worse. Yet she couldn’t just leave these little ones. Nobody was as fast as her, or as good in a fight save for maybe Dai. Not that it had done him any good…

Adrianna spotted the teen and stepped up next to her, "they're going to be alright you know. StarFleet Will give you everything you need to settle. You should give them a chance, Piccola." Adrianna's voice was soft but encouraging.

Jynx was far from convinced. “They are young, they don’t know any better. Trusting any hand that feeds them,” she turned her head as two of the younger ones began to squabble over a toy. Every other child fell silent, watching the room as if expecting … something.

“Icha!” Jynx called out to them, and the pair immediately fell silent before the one without a toy came running to her with a trembling lip. Jynx spoke to him in a quick unfamiliar language, her voice barely more than a whisper. After a moment he crawled into the space behind her, curled up and fell fast asleep.

Jynx sighed as she continued to keep watch. “Why would Starfleet even care?”

Adrianna took a moment to watch the interaction. After a moment, she looked at Jynx and then the other children, "StarFleet have a funny way of seeing only potential-- in the best possible sense."

She paused, "you may not see it now, Piccola, but I would give them a chance if I were you. These people act like guardian angels for when you need them most. People in StarfFleet– they may never be thanked for what they do, but they do it anyway because they want to make the place safer for people like you. You can choose to help, or you can choose to watch, but make no mistake: they care and they will protect you from the people that would want to do you harm like those smugglers."

Jynx had no idea who or what a guardian angel was, or if what the woman was saying was true. “We will see,” she said quietly as a few more of the little ones began converging. She shifted a little so that they could climb on or cuddle in, all in a way which made it clear this was a routine for them of sorts. Only now they all wore new clothes that fit well, after a scrubbing in the shower had cleaned off the dirt and grime for the first time in forever.

“They don’t like the beds,” she confided after a moment. “Too soft and strange.”

"I agree," Adrianna grumbled, "Fleet like to provide the best, but it's not always the best for everyone. I'll see if they can replicate something firmer. I'll make sure there's a few nightlights in here too."

She looked at Jynx, "you don't know me and I don't know you, but as far as these uniformed people are concerned-- I'm the one looking out for you all until you're settled. To be fair, even after, I'll be checking in on you all, but still. Let me know if you need anything. I can be quite resourceful."

The teen didn’t think she was lying about that. “Did these Starfleeters bring anything here from the ship?” She asked suddenly, looking over at one of the little ones who sat nearby debating on whether or not to eat the strange green food on his plate.

"They brought the entire ship onboard," Adrianna nodded, "my crew only took parts and a couple of things from the crew. What are you missing?"

“There was a toy. Rags mostly. Missing three eyes and most of the stuffing. Like those teddy bears the nurses brought them. New ones are nice and all but Ima,” she pointed out the child fussing over his food, “loved his. I don’t even know where he got it. He dropped it on the freighter. He misses it.”

"I'll go take a look and see if I can locate it," Adrianna nodded a and slipped out.

About an hour later, Adrianna returned with an archive box. She placed it at Jynx's feet, " I found a few blankets, teddies and dolls -- there was a small necklace too-- in the hatches where you were all hiding. They are taking the freighter apart at the moment. I have asked that if they find anything else to let me know."

She looked up at Jynx, "ensure that everyone knows that if they need something, I can try, ok? I'll be in some guest quarters next to where all of you will be sleeping tonight. On my request, they are finding some firmer beds-- it may take a little while-- and they have put some nightlights in there, ok?"

Jynx nodded, unsure of how to respond. All these people … being so nice. It was so alien to her after a very different life until now. “You promise they will look after the little ones?”

Adrianna nodded, "I will not stand here and pretend that I know what you are going through, and not would I expect you to believe me, but I have no doubt in my mind that every single one of you will thrive with the help of StarFleet. I will keep tabs on all of you to ensure this, also-- even long after I'm gone. Trust me when I say that there is nothing that I wouldn't do to ensure that, ok?"

“Just look after them,” she nodded to the little ones, “then maybe StarfFleet will earn my trust.”

"Trust me, piccola," Adrianna smiled, "even if you end up hating StarFleet, it will come back and save you one day. Even if you don't know it."

A boy with a mop of dark hair clung to her sleeve as she crouched beside his biobed. “You mean that you will not stay with us?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Adrianna smiled gently, though there was sadness in her eyes, “You’re going to be fine now, little one. Starfleet will make sure you’re safe, and you’ll be taken somewhere where people will care for you.”

“But what about you?” another child asked from across the room, her wide eyes filled with worry.

Adrianna hesitated, her expression flickering before she forced a reassuring smile. “I’ve still got a job to do. But I’ll always be thinking of you and I will keep an eye on all of you too.”

 

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