Finding Peace
Posted on Thu Jul 23rd, 2020 @ 8:38am by
Edited on on Thu Jul 23rd, 2020 @ 8:40am
861 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: The Quarters of Richard Ballston - Deck 2 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 1600 hrs
Richard had just come in from his shift. It has been a busy one, trying to get everything back to normal in the medical department, or was it he was just trying to forget. The loss of one of his wives at the murderous hands of fanatics was bad enough but to have his daughter kidnapped for no apparent reason only made things worse. To top it off, Lei’hallah was holding him responsible for both events.
It was true that he was the one that alerted the Federation to the possible DNA research and that he had. Stubbornly refused to become a citizen of a world that was not a member of the Federation of Planets. To him, the choice to inform was relatively easy. Richard wanted nothing to do with genetically altering, enhancing, or otherwise making the Azzians more of a target for the HGP.
Humans for Genetic Purity had pretty much vanished. after it was made abundantly clear Richard was not human. They had accused him of many lies, deceptions, and various plots to deceive the Federation about the true nature of the Azzians but all of them had been untangled rather easily.
The physician drew in a deep breath as he looked about his nearly spotless quarters and spotted the Azzian doll that Fahli’ had given his daughter and walked over towards it. He picked up the child’s toy and smiled. She, his daughter, would be eight soon and he cherished every moment he had to spend with her. The majority of the time he had been in the custody of his wives and he only got to see here when the Pioneer docked at Empok Nor, but that was rare and with all three of his wives no longer on the station she had ended up in his custody, at least until she could be reunited with Fahli’.
To his side, he could hear the feet of his daughter as she came just into the main living area from the hall. She had gone to wearing the Azzian traditional gowns her mothers had bought for her, sort of a reminder of how things used to be and were rather reclusive of her father still.
“Abigail,” Richard said softly looking lovingly at the blonde-haired child. He held out the doll and smiled at her, “did you have a good day today?”
The girl walked over and took the toy and glanced up at her father and shook her head negatively. She lowered her gaze and began to walk away but then turned around to face her father again before embracing him in her small arms.
Richard crouched down so he was on the same level as the girl and returned the hug picking her up as he had done so many times when she was a little younger, “I love you so much, Abigail.”
The girl was quiet until her father sat down on the couch and placed her on his lap, “if you love me Daddy why did you have Adibah’ killed?”
It was rare for the once outgoing child to speak to him after her kidnapping and when she did it was typically to ask such questions, “I didn’t have her killed sweetheart, I loved her too, it was people that want to do bad things and hurt me that did it.”
Abigail nodded slowly, her dark eyes looking at her father, “I believe you Daddy but I want her back I want things back the way it was.”
“Richard nodded this time, “things can’t always be put back together the way they were Abigail. I can’t undo what they did to Adibah’ or you, but we can move on. We’re going to go see Fahli’ and Azzia, our homeword, you’ll be able to live with her again if you want.”
Abigal was quiet for a moment and nodded again before placing her head on her father’s chest, “but I don’t want to leave you again Daddy, could she come here, live with us on the Pioneer?”
Ballston took in a deep breath and gave her a hug, “I can see about that Abigail but the Captain and Fahli’ have a say in whether that happens or not.”
The girl was silent as she nestled her head in her father’s neck and within a few moments had fallen asleep, just as she had as a much younger child. Richard smiled and rested his head gently on hers for a few moments before picking her up and carrying her back down the hall to her room and placing her gently on her bed. For a long moment, he stood there taking in the peaceful scene. He smiled and nodded fighting back some tears as he turned quietly exiting the room, his daughter was back, she was safe and she still loved him.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Commander Richard Ballston M.D. PsyD
Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Abigail Ballston
Child, Empok Nor
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