Act One, Scene One

[Akirapryde]

Commander Bonham looked down in to the snow as if he was looking back in to time itself. He heard her words but couldn't understand why he was feeling the way he was. He felt so alone, but at the same time he knew that he was needed. It was the reason why he was still here. There was that lingering feeling of something left undone. He nodded a bit, "Okay, I guess I could stay for a bit longer" he said softly and relaxed his stance.

He paused as she continued talking about the event and how people were suppose to relax and enjoy themselves. He pondered how they could enjoy themselves knowing that so many of their shipmates had been lost in the line of duty just over a week ago. He couldn't understand why no one morned those that were lost. Then it dawned on him what was going on. He knew this all too well. During the war, loosing shipmates had become almost a daily thing. 'Had the legacy of this ship spanned in to a new crew?' he thought to himself.

He was once more lost in thought as she continued to talk. He realized that she was speaking from the heart and something she said just hit a cord with him. He listened carefully to her statement and replayed it in his mind. "You're stuck, and not going anywhere, so why even try to continue to move forward? Why not just end it all? No one left to miss me anyways..." she said as her voice trailed off in to a whisper.

He turned his head at her and looked once more deep in to her eyes. His presence almost commanded her eyes not to look away. He timed his statement just right for when he had her full attention and not a moment before. "Listen carefully. No matter where you were in your life. You were always looked after. Making sure that you were not alone even if you might had felt completely alone" he could see the pain in her eyes. He took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh, "Often wonder why those charges were dropped two years ago. When you and your roommates got a bit too rowdy. It could have ended your career or at least been a nasty black eye to it." he lowered his voice so that it was only between them. "You were not alone then, and you are not alone now" he said softly.