[One Final Run Part 4] Welcome Home

Posted on Wed Jul 16th, 2025 @ 2:54pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant Fang Lee

1,544 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Out in Space
Timeline: During Repair and Rest

ON:

The moon hung desolate in the void, its surface scarred by craters and fractured plains of dark, grey rock. A faint mist clung to the ground, swirling around jagged outcroppings as though reluctant to rise. At its center stood a solitary chapel, a ruin of blackened stone and fractured stained glass. Adrianna had once held a funeral for Vance here– a quiet, desperate ceremony to mourn the man she had thought lost forever. But the chapel held darker memories as well. It was here that her grief had almost become her end.

The heavy wooden doors hung askew, one torn entirely from its hinges and lying splintered nearby. From the opening, any witness could tell and see that the air was cold and heavy with the scent of decay and the metallic haunting of dried blood. The pews, once orderly rows of solace, were shattered and overturned, reminders of the chaos that had unfolded and the lives needlessly lost because of Adrianna's inability to grieve properly and to take the punishment Starfleet was going to impose. The stone floor bore a patchwork of dried blood, stark against the pale grey, marking the site of a slaughter as fierce as it was personal.

Adrianna could still picture it: the looming figure of the horned warlord, his twisted armor catching the dim light filtering through the fractured stained glass. He had descended upon her during the ceremony, interrupting the funeral with violence and hatred. The infiltration had been brutal, her grief and desperation to join Vance in an afterlife overwhelming her fight or flight response.

Even now, the chapel bore the scars of both love and violence. The shattered windows whispered of a funeral too brief, while the ruined altar spoke of a pure rage. She could still see the bloodstains and trails from where they dragged the bodies out. She wondered how much of it was hers and how much was that of innocent mourners and Starfleet officers– it had all been such a blur.

Adrianna sat the ship down, facing the chapel. Her breath caught a little, staring at the remnants of the bitter and terrifying memory before her, a guilt surrounding it. She tore her eyes away from the chapel to Constantine who had gone rather pale. “Speak, Connie,” she sighed, she knew that look too well.

“Final set of instructions, Baci-baby, and you're not going to like it,” he groaned, switching to Russian to read out loud, not wanting to hinder Adrianna's chances at keeping this under wraps, but equally knowing that Vance may step in the way of a mission if he knew the risks.

Adrianna ran her fingers through her hair, in frustration. She looked at Vance, not replying for a moment. This was a tight situation. She new the risks and evidently Vance was part of that balance. She looked back to Constantine, "Agree-- but the second I do, I want their ship decloaked, or I will ensure that they never leave this godforsaken place. Tell them that you will be joining me just to make sure that his crew don't do anything stupid." Her eyes turned to Vance, "how's your Russian accent?"

Constantine spewed off something in Russian and Adrianna just glared at him, "This may be your mission, Connie, but this is my life. You need to ensure this mission gets done, you will remain here. You and I both know the agreements for this mission to go ahead and this is my best option at keeping myself alive-- that is what you demanded. You demanded that I be sensible about this-- I am working with what I know and who I know. Vance is better suited for what is about to happen."

Constantine sighed, but knew that she was right, and so nodded, relaying the message back to the cloaked ship.

She looked back at Vance, "get a rifle and grab a scarf-- I don't want you choking on dust before our wedding."

His lip twitched. "Yes Wifey."

Adrianna smiled and grabbed a scarf for herself, wrapping it around her face. Constantine grabbed her arm as she was about to leave the ship and seemingly whispered something her in ear. Adrianna just nodded.

Adrianna gestured for Vance to follow her. They head outside, the dust starting to settle. "On your knees, Reggimi," came a muffled voice. Adrianna sighed and looked at Vance with a nod. She got on her knees, putting her hands above her head.

A tall, lanky man walked out, face covered, rifle in hand. He looked Adrianna over, ignoring who he thought was Constantine. He reached out and pulled off her face covering rather unceremoniously, "you look substantially less like death than the last time I saw you. What changed?"

Adrianna flipped him off before sighing, "thanks, I think. Surprised you didn't shoot me-- you promised me that you would when you hunted me down in Roma."

The man shook his head, amused, "killing you won't bring him back, but I won't lie-- it would make us feel better to see your brains scattered over the floor."

"Are you here to toy with me, or do you want to get paid?" Adrianna rolled her eyes.

The man offered a hand to her, glancing at 'Constantine', "don't worry. I just wanted to ensure that if you brought the cash and her-- it was our deal after all." He shrugged as Adrianna got up and then signaled for his own ship to decloak. A ship just next to the chapel de-cloaked revealing the Pendragon in all its glory.

The Pendragon was a slick, independent vessel, far removed from the pristine aesthetics of Starfleet design. Its matte-black hull absorbed the faint starlight, rendering it almost invisible against the void. Built for speed and subterfuge, the ship’s angular frame was compact and predatory, with no unnecessary flourishes to betray its purpose. Its silhouette tapered into a pointed prow, giving it the appearance of a weapon aimed perpetually forward, yet it masked the ability to hold a weight in its cargo hold.

The engines were recessed into the hull, their faint, crimson glow visible only at full thrust, making the Pendragon ideal for stealth operations. The propulsion system was integrated seamlessly into the main structure, prioritizing efficiency and low detectability over traditional aesthetics. The minimal exterior markings hinted at its origins– a keen eye could spot a patchwork of components scavenged, traded, or stolen, yet expertly assembled into a deadly whole.

Before the man let go of Adrianna's hand, he gave her something. Adrianna flinched and put her hand in her pocket. She stepped to Vance as if nothing was wrong, patting him on the shoulder, "a taste of home-- enjoy an early wedding gift."

Vance stared at the ship eyes wide. He never thought he'd see her again. The Pen was his baby for a long time. It was his home, it was where he met Adri...his eyes misted over. "What...How...."

Adrianna looked back at the tall man, "Lutz?"

The man turned around and looked at Adrianna, "what if I could pay you in something better than latinum, or me?"

"I'd consider it, but it's got to be good-- so far, all you've brought is Death, Reggimi."

Adrianna looked back at Vance, "I need to stay on the ship, or else my ass will be handed to me by fleet. I will send your sister out too. Constantine can handle the drop. I--" Adrianna paused, "you have 4 hours before we have to leave. But Vance, you should know, only Constantine is on the manifest. If you catch up and realize you want to go back--" She shifted on her feet a little nervously, "this is it-- You're only opportunity. I will follow you anywhere, amore Mio." Adrianna reached up, removing his face covering and kissing him softly.

"Holy sh--" the man behind them muttered, pulling his own scarf away, revealing it was Lutz, "Vance?"

Vance looked over shocked. "I...How..." He knew he'd been reduced to bare minimum but this ship...Lutz...the crew. "I'm dead right?" He was dead and this was the underworld...he thought fire and brimstone but this was okay.

"No, amore mio," she smiled, "this is real-- so real. I did this for you. For Ari. Please-- go. You are wasting time." Behind her, the rest of the crew started filing out in disbelief, "do not think of me-- just go and have fun, ok?" Adrianna didn't wait for a reply, she headed back to her own ship, knowing the instructions Constantine had given her.

Vance turned around. He gently wrapped his hands around her waist and placed his forehead against hers. "Getting one last chance to say goodbye to the past is a great gift. But you know what's better?"

"What?" She asked, curiously.

"Marrying the woman I love."

Adrianna smiled and broke eye contact, "this doesn't have to be goodbye, Vance. It's only Constantine on the manifest. You could go back."

"I could but I don't want to. I want to say goodbye properly and then I want us to start our life properly."

Adrianna simply nodded, relieved really. She smiled, "then go and enjoy yourself whilst you can. Next stop after here is Roma."

OFF:

 

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