You Really Are Something Else

Posted on Mon Aug 8th, 2016 @ 4:23pm by Commander Alexandra Vance & Jethro Vance

1,446 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Shadow Dance
Location: Jethro's Quarters

Jethro sat in his quarters taking a break from the search for Amarylis. He had received some help from a young ops officer who apparently had enough time to run integrity checks on the shuttle bays file systems. Whilst this was happening, he sat in solace in his room with the dim hum of classic music playing in the background as he enjoyed some fine tobacco he had acquired during his last visit to earth. Placing the pipe in his mouth, he allowed the smooth menthol vapour to enter his throat, slithering along his tongue leaving a sweet, soothing sensation along his taste buds. His head leaned back in the chair as he exhaled the smoke into the air. A good bourbon and pipe always found a way to brush away the day's events. Today was one of those days.

"You can blow all the smoke you want, it won't make Morat disappear or Amarylis reappear." Alexandra said entering the room from behind Jethro.

"Would it teach you to knock?" Jethro shot back raising his head to meet the figure of his daughter standing before him, arms crossed and ever present scowl on her face accounted for.

"I'm a ghost, remember?" Alexandra scoffed as she turned away from him towards the window. "You know, your advice is about as bad as your habits. Sending Tate down there, I should have you confined to Starfleet medical. You're going senile in your old age."

Jethro chuckled rising from his seat walking towards Alexandra.

She looked at him disgustedly as he approached waving her hand in the air to brush the smoke away. "Get away from me with that thing."

"Give it up princess. If Morat hasn't found a way to off you yet what the hell do you think this thing is gonna do? As for Jennifer, she's gonna be just fine. She might be an analyst, but if she wasn't she'd be one hell of a diplomat." he commented.

Alexandra continued looking out to the stars. "And you think throwing her in the midst of a diplomatic mission, hurling herself in an act of grandeur will get Sam's approval." She turned and looked at him for a moment. "You really are going senile."

"Or maybe you just need to stop thinking so highly of yourself. I don't know who shoved that stick up your rear but it sure as hell wasn't me or your mother. Maybe if you joined us in this universe, you'd start to see things a little more clearly Alexandra. That little stunt you pulled, what were you even thinking? What possessed you to think that was a good idea?" Jethro rebuked her.

"I was operating under a theory that proved inaccurate. I will adapt." she replied matter of factly.

"Don't you start with that Borg bullcrap Alexandra. You aren't a god damn tin can and to hell am I gonna let you act like one. Jesus Alex! You left them for god sakes." he replied in a raised tone.

Alexandra glared at him intensely beginning to fill with rage. She could easily overpower her father now. Those tin cans had given her increased strength, she could snap his arms like a twig. Instead she just smirked wryly at him. "And who do you think brought her hear hmm? You honestly think York isn't going to put it together. York knows Hunter and Hunter knows you were involved on Bajor! You may not have gone down their personally but you have just as much blood on your hands as Dorin! Only difference is he had the guts to look that girl in the face. That's right." Alexandra took a step closer to him. "The little girl you turned into a monster. That little girl who took at whip as cracked it across my back. Did I ever tell you what I screamed every time she did that? How I called out for you and guess what? You never came. No that was Amarylis...Amarylis carried my limp bloody corpse out of that building. You say I'm the one with the Napoleon complex, look in the mirror someday pops."

"I can see who you are Alexandra, the ice queen does not chill me." he retorted in a lowered tone.

"I don't really care if it does or not. It doesn't change the fact of what you did, what you continue to do. How far are you going to drag this girl hmm? How long will you allow her to chase your ghosts? How much of her life will she lose? When will you let Tate make her own choices?" Alexandra countered.

"Jennifer makes her own decisions I am not her father, I do not dictate her life." Jethro replied frustratedly.

"No, but it make it almost impossible for her to make any other choice. Chase a notorious criminal, serve on the fleet flagship. The girl has ambition and you're taking advantage of it." Alexandra fired back.

"I brought her here to replace you!" he exclaimed.

Alexandra placed her hands on her hips. "And how exactly is that going? Has she been anymore then a blip on Sam's radar? A warm body to fill Gamma watch? The girl spends three quarters of her time down here. When you do let her go, you throw her to the wolves filling her head with some crazy idea that crashing a diplomatic party is the way to get noticed. If Sam wanted her there, she would have damn well asked. I wouldn't be surprised if this little escapade lands her in the brig, or at the next Starbase. Is it all worth it to you? Is it worth it as long as you get Morat?"

"ENOUGH!" Jethro's voice boomed. "This is not about Morat! This is about fixing your mess. For not allowing Morat or any one else for that matter to continue meddling with this ship and crew. For giving Samantha someone she can actually trust. Someone whom will voice their opinions but ultimately support her. You think I just picked Jennifer up at random? I brought her along because I knew that she was everything you were not. She is what Sam deserves, not you. No, you and I....there's a special place in hell for us."

"When did you become an expert on Commodore York?" Alexandra asked glibly.

"Ever since you were assigned here. You think I just sit at home and read the daily news all day? You think that I wake up everyday having forgot what that monster did to you? You think, that every SINGLE moment of my day I don't see Amarylis hand me your limp, naked, blood-soaked body?" Jethro was showing signs of becoming unhinged as emotion hit him like a tidal wave watering his eyes. "You think I don't see the day I looked Dorin Kilus in the eye, looked Morat in the eye, looked you, your mother, ANYONE who ever gave a damn about us in the eye....Damn it Alex Damn you!" he said slamming his fist against the table.

"Alex....she really hurt you didn't she?" he asked as he fought his tears back.

Alexandra's emotions did not change, she simply stood before him with her arms still crossed expressionless. She did not reply to his question, remaining silent.

"She took a part of you from me and I can't get it back." Jethro said pursing his lips together looking to the ceiling as he discarded his pipe. He looked down at Alexandra again. "Show them to me."

"What?" Alexandra asked.

"Show them to me. Don't play dumb Alex, you know what I mean. I want to see them again. I want to see what that sick twisted bitch did to you." he replied gritting his teeth as he was now becoming angry.

"No." she replied.

"Show them to me." he replied in a raised tone.

"No, no you don't need to see them again. It's unnecessary and if you want to prove something to me you can save it. Save your sympathy for someone who actually needs it." she replied coldly turning her back on him.

Jethro walked closer to her, hands behind his back as he began to calm down. "I don't need to prove anything to anyone Alexandra. I just need to be reminded of what she did so I can take extra pleasure in wringing her skinny little neck when I get ahold of it."

"How about you just find Amarylis first dad." Alexandra replied.

Jethro nodded. "Yeah, yeah I suppose that'd be a good place to start.

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NPC's played by: Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Tate

Jethro Vance(NPC)

&

Commander Alexandra Vance(NPC)

 

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