Stardate: 53843.47
Acts of Valor
Almost two days since the Battle of DS9 (2377)
USS Thunderchild
The ship somehow seemed so empty after the death of Lieutenant Kinchlirah, at least to Commander Bonham it did. He walked down the corridors as he did normally. His patrol for the day was over and his long expected down time was about to begin. He had done everything he could to fill his time with any distraction he could think of. But there was nothing he could do to over come the sadness that he felt. He missed her so much. Still even in death, she died just how she lived, with honor. But that didn't change the pain in his heart. He walked past a pair of crewmen conducting repairs in the corridor just outside of his quarters. They both stopped what they were doing to thank him once more. Ever since the battle, he had been patted on the back and thanked over and over again for leading his fighters in defense of the ship. Everyone knew what he had done to save those two escape pods. Before he was despised, now he was the hero on the ship. Somehow, he just didn't feel like a hero. He smiled and thanked them for their comments as he did to everyone.
He accused himself politely as he walked in to his quarters and in to the darkness of his life. He stopped just beyond the door and allowed it to close behind him. His dark room mirrored the feelings in his heart. Without her, his life somehow seemed so much darker than it already was. He looked down as the pain rose up from his heart. His mind steadied itself as he took in a deep breath. He reached down and pulled up his shirt and tossed it in the direction of where he knew his bed was. "Computer, lights, dim" he commanded and the lights in the room rose to just a bit more than a candle setting. His well built frame reflected a man who cared deeply for his body. The tattoos across his arms and back were not typical of Starfleet but he didn't much care. Each tattoo had its own special meaning to him. The first one he got was back home when he was only teen. Since then, his life was reflected by the art on his body.
He walked over to his desk and flipped on the computer. As he moved around his desk, he paused to see a hologram image of himself and Lieutenant Kinchlirah back on Mars. Just behind the holo-stand, set her personal d'k tahg. Chancellor Martok himself handed the blade over to Addison after they sent her spirit on to the after life. Addison flopped down in to his chair as he looked at the blade. His heart sank as he thought of her. He slumped in to the chair as he turned to face the monitor of his computer. He ran his hand over the hologram stand as he watched it from the corner of his eye. She was gone and he couldn't do anything about it. A beeping sound brought him back to the moment as he turned to see what messages awaited him.
He scanned the computer and saw that there was another message from Captain Campbell. That would make five now since the end of the battle. A number of times, the Captain had wanted to speak with Addison, but skillfully Addison had been able to avoid any meaningful conversations. It wasn't like he didn't want to speak with Captain Campbell. He gave his reports and even engaged in a conversation about the future of Lieutenant Junior Noonia. However Addison managed to keep any and all conversations about only official topics. Anything else and he knew that she would be brought up. Addison just didn't want to talk about it. At least not yet. He just wasn't ready to talk about it.
He wanted to, but he just couldn't bring himself to speaking about her. There was another message from Dr. McCoy. He read the message and noted that he had not replied to the last two messages that she had sent him. Her latest message stated that she was worried about him and would like to have him come speak with her during his next down time. He laughed softly as he read the words, 'down time.' He didn't have any down time cause he ensured of that. When he was on patrol or over seeing the repairs on the Flight Deck, his mind wasn't on her. Or the fact that she was gone. The next message was from the Captain again. "Thats six now...." he said softly reading it. This one carried more authority tone than the last few. It suggested that they speak once he was back from patrol.
Though Addison knew that the word suggested meant ordered, he just didn't care. He checked his watch and knew that the Captain would be expecting him any time at his ready room. Addison even pictured the Captain waiting in his chair with a report from the deck officer stating the time that his flight had landed. Addison bet that the Captain was even timing how long it would take him to reach his room, read the message and head up to his ready room. Addison leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh as he looked at the door. He knew he owed the Captain the respect to show up upon being asked to report. Again, he just didn't care. This wasn't like Addison and he hated these feeling. Addison checked the ship's clock and noted that he had ten hours before he was on duty next. He reached across his desk and picked up a partially drunken bottle of gold liquid. He pulled the cork out with his hand and tossed it at the Replicator.
Addison rose up from his chair as he took a deep gulp of liquid and felt the burn down his throat. "Computer" he said with a horsed voice from the liquid then paused, "play Bonham musical file ten and preset audio levels." On that note, the music filled the room as Addison walked over to a small ledge next to his window. The sounds of a live audience could be heard as his own voice filled the room. Talking about the song that was about to be played. He scanned the pictures on the ledge and saw one of his band a couple of years ago on the Shuttle Bay. It was the only major concert that the
Thunderchild ever hosted. Thousands of marines were in attendance and they rocked all night. Addison put the bottle to his lips once more and turned the bottom to the ceiling and held it there till the first lines music were heard.
"Make the sadness go away, Come back another day." His recorded words echoed in the room and beyond those walls. The beat and music was not classical, but harsh and heavy. It matched his own soul. To his core, Addison was heavy metal. He didn't like Jazz or classical music. He found their tempo too slow, their beats too soft for his liking. He looked at another picture on his ledge. In this picture were those of his friends. Most were dead now, some moved on with their lives. But a few have chosen to remain aboard and continue what they started. Just like these, once more someone close to him was gone. He put the bottle back to his lips once more and turned it towards the ceiling. Once more he felt the burn down his throat. The burning allow his other pains to be soften. He looked in to the picture as he smiled, remembering those days. The music played on in his room,
"For years I've tried to teach, But their eyes are empty"
Within the picture was a large Peregrine Fighter in the center of the
Thunderchild's shuttle bay. Along its wing, a large black Skull and Cross Bones had been painted. Knelling before the wing were a group of uncommon friends, they would have never forged their friendships had this unit not been created. As he tipped the bottle once more to the ceiling, a black Skull and Cross Bones tattoo on his upper left shoulder reflected the same symbol on the wing of the fighter. Bent over the tattoo was the letters, 'VF-84'. Under the tattoo and bent to circle it from the bottom was the word 'Reaper.' Under the word 'Reaper' were a number of different symbols. Some were of the number of Jem'Hedar fighters he killed while others reflected the number of Cardassians met their end due to him. Unofficially, Addison was the first Starfleet Ace. However no one outside the fighter unit was actually counting kills. Within time, they all became Aces. If only Starfleet had noticed what they had at the time.
Still, after this unit had been created, their friendships became stronger than the ship its self. They flew together, fought together and some even died for each other. The words from his song echoed in his mind and through the room,
"Empty too I have become, For them I must die." Along the side of the Fighter, a pair of engineers, Ensign Jenifer D'Antonio (who would later be married and take on her husbands name of Luther), and Ensign Tina Jacobson stood with pride. They were the ones who designed the Peregrine Mk X Fighter. The X had been an inside joke that that was how good the fighter had become. Addison toasted the pair of engineers just before he lifted the bottle once more. He knew that no pilot was worth more than the engineer that supported him. Back then, they had six fighters and only two engineers. Everyone worked long hours but they worked like a family with a single goal.
Between these two remarkable engineers were a group of brash and insane pilots. The resident Vulcan daubed them as the most illogic group of humans he had ever met. Addison smiled as he lifted the bottle once more. There names would forge the future of Starfleet's carrier program but they were forged in to his memory as some of the bravest men and women he ever served with. These pilots were Lieutenant (jr) Markus Luther, Ensign Josef Ferrer, Ensign Armando Girard, Lieutenant (jr) Tamara Pajari, Lieutenant (jr) Addison Bonham and lastly standing behind this lot of misfits was their leader, Lieutenant Lindquist. And while the unit would grow to thirty six fighters and pilots, these six were the original twenty forth century Jolly Rodgers.
Taking another deep gulp from his bottle, Addison carefully ran his fingers over the holo-image of his friends. There was more to the song than anyone would ever understand as it continued to play,
"A sad and troubled race, An ungrateful troubled place!" He looked at the image of Ensign Girard and remembered the day that picture was taken. It was a week after the invasion of Velos and Captain Evelyn Hoffman had asked Lieutenant Lindquist to create a unit that would be ideal for raiding Dominion behind lines. Addison picked up the image and walked over to his desk with his bottle in hand. He set down as he continued to remember those days long gone. He remembered how everyone doubted that the group would survive let alone be successful. But they were all edger and shared a common hatred of the Dominion.
But what led them to victory was a completely insane way of taking to piloting. Lieutenant Lindquist said it best, "Anyone can be a helmsmen. But only someone who is insane would take the risks needed to be a Ace Fighter Pilot." Addison smiled as he knew they were all certifiable piloting those fighters that were more like reactor overloads waiting to happen. Their engineers had those first fighters wired so tightly that the joke was, if their fighters would blow up before the enemy could kill them. He turned the bottle up towards the ceiling once more and took all that his mouth and throat would allow in that moment.
Addison recalled just after this picture had been taken, he and Ensign Girard had spoken while the others were in debate over the future of this new unit. Those words echoed in Addison's memory today as he took another drink. The song's chorus played as Addison remembered back to that day.
"I see the sadness in their eyes, Melancholy in their cries, Devoid of all the passion, The human spirit cannot die, Look at the pain around me, This is what I cry for, Look at the pain around me, This is what I'll die for"
"Listen Addison, I want you to do me a favor. If anything were to happen to me and you survive. There is someone I want you to look over for me." Addison remembered the request as if it was yesterday. "Her name is Lylliana Skytower" Addison remembered as he pulled another image from behind this one. It was of a young female standing with her parents at some kind of fair. "She is my cousin. Her mother was my aunt" Ensign Girard said then his tone turned to sadness, "My parents asked me to look after her when her parents were killed. My parents were both assigned to a deep space research ship and I was living on Earth on my own. I was loving life and getting ready to enter the Acadamy" Addison recalled the pain in the man's voice as he told the story. "I was young and didn't want to be bothered with looking after some kid I barely knew. The last time I saw her, she was only a baby. Now she was some kid how needed a real parent, not me. I mean, really, it was the Federation. She wouldn't be left on the streets. I figured she would be placed in a good family. And I could enjoy life as I wanted to."
Addison never judged the man for his mistake as he looked at both picture. "Before I could undo what I did, my parents were killed when their ship was destroyed. By that time, I was in the Academy and she was in some orphanage" Ensign Girard explained. "I never knew how to explain it to her that I left her alone when she needed someone to step forward for her. So I did my best to look out for her from the shadows. Making sure that she had what she needed for her studies and that the doors she wanted were always within her reach. Addison, she is really bright and has a good future ahead of her, despite the fact that I abandoned her. So listen, if anything happens to me, you have to promise me that you will look out for her" Ensign Girard asked. "Promise you will look after her, Addison."
Addison nodded as he looked at both images while the music continued playing. Addison returned the smaller picture to its hiding place. Ensign Girard would give up his life in defense of the ship a week before the Battle of CMO-26. By this time, the Dominion were being able to predict where they were attacking all to well. Rumors started to spread, but it would be too late as CMO-26 would spell the end of the Jolly Rogers. The unit would be all but eliminated and the
Thunderchild left a burning crippled shadow of her former glory. It was a untimely accident that prevented him from taking flight with his unit. Instead he was on the bridge manning tactical. Addison had often wished he had been out there with his bothers and sisters. Left to die with them...Addison lifted the bottle once more and held it longer than he could take it. He coughed hard after this gulp.
He reached across his desk and picked up a PADD with message from Federation Diplomatic Corps still on the display. His music continued to play,
"Make the sadness go away, Come back another day." The header of the message was dated just a week ago and read 'Congratulations Commander Addison Bonham, your application to transfer to the Qo'noS Embassy has been cleared by Starfleet Intelligence and accepted by the Federation Diplomatic Corps. Upon acceptance of this message your orders will be sent to your current command.' Addison sighed heavily as the crisis had prevented him from moving forward with their plans. He had placed his duties ahead of the woman he loved. They had agreed to hold off on anything till after the crisis had passed. 'Now it was too late' he thought as he took another large drink from his bottle. Once more the coughing.
Now, Kinchlirah was gone and there was no reason to accept the transfer. It was if his heart had been ripped out of his own chest. He held the PADD in one hand while he took another drink from his bottle. Still holding the bottle he wiped the excess from his lips with the back of his hand. The music seemed to hit the very heart of his pain,
"The things I've said and done, Don't matter to anyone." Tears slowly well up in his eyes as he reread the message and remembered their plans. He was going to transfer to Qo'noS and she would return home. That would give the pair of lovers the chance to explore their love without having to worry about regulations and security. He had intentionally selected a role that would be low risk and low security so not to interfere with their plans. To some it appeared as a working retirement. For him, it was opening a door that he so badly wanted to cross. All he wanted was just a chance to walk away from this life and have a life that was his own.
"But still, you push me to see, Something, I can never be."
He deleted the message from the PADD without any further action on the application. He slammed the PADD down on to the desk with the pain of his heart. He stood up once more and took another deep gulp from his drink before throwing the now empty bottle against the far wall as the music continued to play.
"Why am I their shattered king? I don't mean anything!" Letting out a scream filled with heartache and pain from love lost. Half dropping half sitting, he flopped back in to his chair and looked at his reflection in the large window.
Beyond his image, he could see the massive structure that was called Deep Space Nine. He could see his own scared face gazing back at him as the chorus continued again.
"I see the sadness in their eyes, Melancholy in their cries, Devoid of all the passion, The human spirit cannot die, Look at the pain around me, This is what I cry for, Look at the pain around me, This is what I'll die for"
There was pain in those eyes as Addison reached out in to the air almost as if to touch the face of the man in the window. He could see the tears of pain running down that man's face. The years of suffering in those eyes. He leaned forward as to reach just a bit closer to the window as the musical solo played on. How much he wanted to speak with that man in the window and share with him the pain of their heart. Addison tilted his head as the reflection did the same. They shared the same pain and Addison could feel it. She brought light to his life. Her own existence almost seemed as if a God send to him. And now she was gone. The words to him of her death echoed again in his mind, "...rumors of her death....." 'Rumors' he thought with almost a laugh as he leaned back in his chair once more and opened up a draw of his desk.
He carefully pulled out a second bottle from its hiding place. He reached over and picked up the picture of his friends of yesterday while he pulled the cock to the bottle with his teeth and spit it out. Taking another full gulp of drink he looked in to the image of yesterday and recalled the promise he made. He said out loud as he remembered what was said that day, "Yeah, I will. I promise. I will watch after her for you. But don't worry nothing will happen to you." Once more the chorus played on,
"I see the sadness in their eyes, Melancholy in their cries, Devoid of all the passion, The human spirit cannot die, Look at the pain around me, This is what I cry for, Look at the pain around me, This is what I'll die for"
Addison continued to work on finishing off the second bottle as he shifted his attention. He placed the picture back down next to the image of Kinchlirah. He reached in to the open draw and pulled out a small shoe box sized metal box. He placed the small metal box on the desk before him. He carefully opened it and pulled out the heavy clothed item. With all the care he could, he unfolded the cloth revealing a nineteenth century pistol. It was only a replication of the original but Addison had painfully rebuilt the weapon to fully working order. It was Ruger Blackhawk 45 and the pride of his collection. It's thick black shine seemed to captivate him as he ran his fingers over the weapon. Within the cloth were small metal rods, small square cloths, a old plastic bottle, and a set of long narrow brushes. Addison took another large gulp from his second bottle before turning his attention to his pistol.
Beyond his room, repairs to the
USS Thunderchild continued as the pair of crewmen continued their work. They could easily hear the chorus through the door.
"I see the sadness in their eyes, Melancholy in their cries, Devoid of all the passion, The human spirit cannot die, Look at the pain around me, This is what I cry for, Look at the pain around me, This is what I'll die for" In that moment, a sound that was too sharp to be a powerful explosion was hurt from Commander Bonham's room. The noise was so sudden that it caused both crewmen to jerk with surprise as the crack filled the corridor as the music faded.......
TO BE CONTINUED
The actually music that Addison Bonham was listening too.
Act Two, Scene Three
