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Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Ah felt it grow, an' grow. It...it spoke t' me, tol' me what it wanted t' do t' me. It was there t' kill an' bah Gawd it was gonna kill, slowly, an' painfully. Ah almost wanted t' end it mahself rather than endure what was t' come...
- Krystal "Meony" Tancredi, War For Peace

[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Triton
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Falling, falling, falling. She fell through an infinite, endless chasm. There was a light coming from nowhere and everywhere, but there was also a great darkness all around her. The light was pale, grey and palid. There was mist, smoke or a haze of something, all around her were glass shards, showing reflections and faces of people she knew in her life. Enemies and allies and friends, and there was Jimmy, in one of them. She tried to reach out to grasp the glass shard that had Jimmy in it. The reflection blinked at her, and her hands felt like lead. Meony could barely move her body, but she had to get that glass shard before it fell out of reach.

Nothing else mattered.

DEATH. DEATH TO YOU. DEATH TO ALL. DEATH!

The voice terrified Meony. It was within her head, it was without, it was everywhere. It was nowhere. Why death? Meony chose life.

NO ESCAPE! DEATH! SHALL BE FREE! WILL GROW! WILL CONSUME! YOU WILL BE IN PAIN! THEN DEATH!

No. Meony shook her head, or tried to, in the infinite endless fall, she was losing reach of Jimmy's shard. She had to grab hold of it, or she feared she would be truly lost and alone. Dimly, she knew that this was just a nightmare, but that voice! It wasn't her own, it wasn't her, it felt like something familiar though. She knew it from somewhere.

In another time, a few years ago, in Hell Sector. Yes. It was in Hell Sector. Her fingers grazed the shard, Jimmy blinked at her, but was unable to do anything. She kicked feebly, and caught the growing shard, and wrapped her arms around it. She hugged the glass to her, then held it away from her with both hands, studying Jimmy's face.

The shard broke and shattered, a great black tendril wrapped around Meony, squeezing her like a boa constrictor. It looked like an alien octopus with severe sharp edges and symmetry. Eight eyes, forty legs, and a hammer head. She felt the air being crushed out of her strangled lungs to the point she couldn't even scream. She felt light headed, and her body felt like it was going to break and be crushed. Such intense pain, most of it was centered around her head though. She felt blood in her mouth. All through this the malignant being just looked at her, watched her suffer in silent agony.

WILL BREAK FREE. PRISON NO GOOD. THEN GROW. THEN DEATH. DEATH! DEATH!

It was the cancerous tumour in her brain. A sentient microbe that grew, took over the brain and slowly and very painfully killed. Tristan and Lynn couldn't do anything. They needed more resources and facilities that were not readily available. They could only contain it, slow it down, for a while. But it was growing stronger.

More tendrils wrapped around her throat, and she saw no more, but she was not even dead...yet. She still felt pain in every form. She was burning, she was breaking, she was exploding, and being crushed all at once.

Outside the dream, Meony's eyes opened, but she was not conscious. Naked, she slid noiselessly out of the bed she shared with Jimmy, and moving in a disjointed manner, she wandered about aimlessly for a while, until her head turned towards the door that led out from the quarters, which she had locked, but she lurched towards it regardless, bumping her body and face against the doorframe loudly.

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #1
[ James Mariner | Dreamland |  USS Theurgy | The Azure Nebula ]
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@triage

Warmth. Companionship. Love.

Sweet dreams were indeed made of these. James Mariner was on a planet where the sun embraced everything it saw while the waves of whatever planet he was on melodically crashed into perfect time-forged rocks, making the sounds of the balance betwen sea and land. It was an enchanting sound. Jimmy could almost smell the ocean and feel its breeze as he slept soundly, only lightly perspiring as he held a stunning redhead in his arms. For the hours that seemed to go on forever as they blurred into a sunset. Day became night: A cold, windy, blue-tinted night, and with it, the sun left with its warmth. The companionship gone, the love missing.

Loneliness was a staggering cold that brought Jimmy back to his own world.

Ens. James "Jimmy" Mariner |James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy

Jimmy awoke at once and looked about. Not having Meony in his arms was normally a rare thing these days, especially given the intensity of their passion. He realized at once that this wasn't a restroom break. Oh no, he dreaded. In naught but his skin, he dashed out of bed and raced over to Meony's side, and grabbed Meony by the shoulders.

"Krystal! Meony! Snap out of it. The sun's getting low!" Jimmy spun her around and spoke the safety words that usually would spring her back to her senses in the event of a temporary moment of uncontrollable mania. Jimmy knew all too well that without the resources of a full starbase, she would die a very unenviable and tormentuous death. He held her, face to face, resting his forehead to hers and hummed a distinctive lullaby tune borrowed from Blue Skies and continued it until she responded. "That's it, Princess." He whispered, knowing a provocative term could wake the spark in her she still had somewhere.
Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #2
[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Triton
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She couldn't get out. Couldn't get out! Not on her own. The pain was intensifying, and she didn't think that was possible. She screamed in silence, then she heard a distant roar, but it was a voice. One that was very welcome in this private hell she found herself in. But why would he call her something she was not? She hated that. That was not very nice. She struggled against the creature that was right inside her skull, “Ah'm not gonna dah! Not t'day, not evah! So go fuck yerself!” she wasn't sure if she thought that, or said it, but impossible things were possible in dreams. Jimmy would get her out.

The creature shrieked at her, and she felt her neck snap and jerk as if she'd been hit in the head with a hammer. With a pained cry she drew breath and there was Jimmy, for real, and she was standing somewhere else from where she'd been sleeping. Her knees buckled and she collapsed as if all the bones in her body was suddenly gone. “J-Jimmy...” Meony whimpered. She was shivering, but not from the cold. She liked cold. It was heat she couldn't stand.

One hand sought to hold to a bastion of strength and hope, whilst her other hand gingerly dabbed at her upper lip, and came away with a thick dark residue stuck to her index finger. The nosebleeds. “It's gettin' worse, ain't it?” Sighing, she laid her head against him.

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #3
Ens. James "Jimmy" Mariner | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy
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@triage

Jimmy continued to comfort and shushed a melodic tune as he soothed and reassured Meony. He held her head to his chest and tried to relax, lest she hear slightly-alarmed beating that heralded the otherwise fearless security officer's heart. after a moment, he held her by her bare hip and led her to the quarters' head. "Easy, Sweetheart. I'm here." It didn't particularly seem to bother the Dominion War veteran that he was wearing only what he'd dashed out of bed with, same as she was.

Still, for her's sake, not that he minded her regarding his bottom, Jimmy put on a towel around his waist and procured a larger beach towel for Meony to cover up her personal space. Standing when he found it, he wrapped the towel from her bosom to her thighs, respecting her privacy, even if the two were as intimate as two humans could be, Meony would not be denied her privacy.

The restroom's lights manually came on in a dim setting, rather than an instantly-bright flash their retinas hadn't gotten used to yet. "Easy, Luv." said Jimmy, using a damp cloth to wipe Meony's bleeding nose, his expression showing neither concern nor outright terror under the circumstances. "Nobody's gonna die, you hear? Just the bad guys... and maybe the dumbasses who aren't letting us go home to a place of our own. Allright?"

Mariner continued to reassure Meony, holding her head by the temples and tucking the strands of flame-red hair behind her ears as he studied her face intensely focusing on her dark and very worried eyes. It was now that he wished he hadn't been asked to recuse himself from investigating the incident that brought her to this state. If he did catch those who did this to her, there was a chance he'd be putting his career at stake in pursuit of revenge. "Should I contact sickbay?" He wanted to say or do much more, particularly soon but needed to hear how she was doing.

Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #4
[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Triton
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Fear engulfed everything that went through Meony's mind at that moment, and she paid little heed to his efforts to protect her modesty, it was the last thing of concern for her, and besides, it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. She supposed later on, she would've appreciated his sense of chivalry. Funny how the few years had made them a couple, when before they could be downright toxic to one another, and in different circumstances, they could've become enemies instead of lovers. But now? There was no one else she would want to be with at the end of the day but him.

She heard his words. No one was gonna die. That was a lie, and he knew it. There was no point denying it. They were all going to die, no matter what. It was just a question of when and where...and if you wanted to get detailed, then how, too. She felt light-headed, dizzy, and tired, but unable to sleep. And more than anything, she was terrified. Her eyes did not hide this when she looked up at Jimmy. The reddish rims below the eyes and the pallor of her skin said everything about her immediate physical health in the meantime.

And if she were observant, which she was, the redhead knew what was going through Jimmy's mind. Probably out of a disinterest in a hypocritical lecture from her about towing the line, he never said anything about the incident yesterday evening, when she and Silim came this close to painful ends. But inside, Meony knew Jimmy was probably chafing and seething at not getting creative with the three cultists who potentially ruptured the protective coil in her skull further, enabling the sentient tumour within to continue its murderous task.

“Ah'll see 'em in th' mornin',” she glanced at the chronometer on the screen nearby and added, “later in th' mornin'. A li'l delay now ain't gonna change much.”

She sighed and leaned against Jimmy's frame, “They're gonna ground me, Jim...take away one'a th' few things Ah have left t'live for. Clip mah wings. Maht as well shoot me...” she looked up at him, and quickly changed that statement, “...it just ain't fair. What am Ah gunna do instead? Fix ships with Eun Sae Ji and Liam?”

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #5
Ens. James "Jimmy" Mariner | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy
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@triage

Jimmy replicated two ice cool cups of water in matching Ancient-Western tin mugs. He tapped it against his temple to cool off before he had a drink then poured it over himself in the sink, taking the time to come up with any sort of solution to the situation. It really helped take his mind off of how it got to this point. Point is, it got there, and he had to point to point out.

"You could always try your hand at security. Quartermaster's... Spend the day toying with weapons and we can see eachother every day at the office." He made an idea gesture best befitting him raking his mind for logical ideas. On the one hand, he wanted to personally take care of her as often as he could, share the same vector and make sure whoever her doctor was, they'd treat her condition to get her back behind the wheel. "You'd work with guns each day, maybe lend insight to security and in time, get even shared quarters full-time..." Jimmy observed.

It was a long shot, but to Jimmy, all that mattered, even as much as-- if not more than the mission, was getting Meony cured. There were reasons why dating personnel could be as much cause for conflict as clarity. But Jimmy needed to cheer Meony up and ease her pain.

"Would a sonic shower help, or do you want to visit the Beach?" Jimmy offered, adjusting his towel to see if she was paying any attention before he moved beside her, arm on her shoulder. "Da Vinci Falls on Blue Horizon, just like you like it." The invitation was idle, but could be just the bit of fresh air they both needed before their mission. It would be a better way to take the edge off than a shared session in the sonic shower, but meant the invite only as something else to think about besides the pain.
Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #6
[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Triton
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Meony let go of Jimmy when he got up to replicate tin mugs with ice cool water, and slowly rose from her position in the refresher and followed him out, letting the towel slip off her form, but she held it in her hand. She watched his actions, how he was applying the cup to his head, and then pouring it over himself. He was easily more agitated than she was, and that was saying something, considering she was the one with the sentient tumour.

She appreciated the amount of care and thought he was putting into this, for her. She idly felt her upper lip to see if she was still bleeding. It appeared to have stopped for now. She felt sick, and said to Jimmy, after accepting the cup for her and took a sip, “Would'ja make me a set o' night clothes?”

She didn't wait for his answer as she went back into the refresher and audibly started throwing up whatever she'd managed to eat earlier. She suddenly felt him near her, holding her hair back for her, rubbing her back gently. She couldn't talk right then, but she felt so grateful for him being there. He was saying to her to think of her homeland, and yeah, that helped her get sicker. Thinking about Earth and her biological family was a great way to make Meony upchuck, and Jimmy knew it. The abuse they heaped on her since her earliest memories filled her with such fury, that she actually could get sick from it.

When she got to the point of dry heaving and coughing, there was the cup of water again. She leaned back against the wall, accepting the cup after flushing the disgusting contents in the toilet bowl away. “S-sorry...” she managed weakly, then took a swig of the water, pushing down anything else that might've been left in her, “...an' thanks...”

He went back out, and she took a moment to clean herself up, washing her face, then she came back out, to a set of pajamas in her size waiting for her. As she dressed, he spoke, suggesting a transfer to Security. Working with guns certainly had its appeals, she always loved playing with weapons and sharp objects. There were loads of jokes she could think of in relation to that, but at that moment, none were forthcoming in her mind. Settling weakly into the chair across from him, she'd had her cup of water refilled, and left it on the table between them, moving her hands to hide them out of sight.

They were shaking.

Just my nerves, she thought. “It'd be fun, sure...” said Meony out loud, to his suggestion. “...gettin' shared quarters...Ah mean, Ah already leave mah sporks here, don't Ah?”

After a while, she buried her face in her palms, propped up by her elbows on the table. How were they going to do this? What came first? She looked up when he suggested a holodeck date. At this time? She wondered, and the alternative of a sonic shower. Both would've been welcome suggestions, at any other time than right at that moment...not when all of the problems were at the surface. She smiled wryly as she lightly tapped the side of her temples, “Th' holodeck's where this started...Ah really don't feel lahk bein' remahnded 'bout it th' whole tahm. An' a sonic shower would kill me raht now.”

She took his hand in hers, and realized too late that her hands were still trembling, but she leaned forward to kiss him, and gently tugged, looking towards the bed, “L-let's just...stay here? Ah jus' wanna be with ya.”

That was really all she needed now.

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #7
Ens. James "Jimmy" Mariner | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy
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@triage

It was no secret about Meony's past, at least not to Jimmy, and he knew how and when to best say what needed to be said, even if in this case, it caused a violent reaction. Jimmy couldn't compare, having the parents he did, but swore if it came to it, he'd be an infinitely better father than his would-be father-in-law was. Who would treat Krystal the way that varmint did? Barbarian. But Jimmy didn't dwell on that as he helped his lady get dressed, even despite the momentary appreciacion of her lovely, even if a little scarred, body, Jimmy was more preoccupied with making sure she was safe and... when she held his hand, … with him.

Fortunately, he knew her dimensions by memory but didn't need to replicate her nightwear  when he'd taken that liberty before and had the clean pajamas folded and ready from the night before.  He took a minute to get some briefs on in the spirit of showing that he wasn't a completely shameless or incorrigible gentleman. He handed her her nightwear and made time preparing himself a red-leaf green tea, something Cardassians tended to like, but this was reduced for a blend a human could appreciate. He finished just as Meony explained, but Jimmy tried not to notice the shaking hands, chalking that subject for a medic.

After cleaning up the table and collecting any spent glasses, Jimmy simply glid into the bed and gestured Meony to follow him. "Someday, we'll get rid of that thing, sooner, rather than later. Theurgy's gonna find a friendly port of call and we'll get that damn thing out. I'm going to do everything I can to advance in the ranks here and get us a good posting on the Sword Vector by then and we can look to the future." he offered. It wasn't the best he could do, given his training and set of skills that put him in the danger zone as often if not more than what the dangers were in Tac-CONN.
Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #8
[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Triton
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She followed him easily back to bed, it was so comfortable, plus his presence there helped ease her mind and heart. She idly wondered if she could handcuff him around her, so she wouldn't go sleepwalking again, not without dragging him right out of bed. She knew he noticed the quivering hands. He'd have to be deader than a Dodo or a rock to not notice, but he didn't say anything about it, and she supposed she'd hear about it in some other way. But for the time being, he was focused rightfully on the main problem, and addressed it in the usual James Mariner fashion, which made Meony give a weak laugh, suppressed by the elephant in the room, which, even though addressed, still proved to be a dampener on the mood or any form of levity.

“A friendly port of call...Ah'd love that...” she sighed wistfuly, and then looked up at her man, “...but Jim...they maht have t' do the operation raht here. Ah think that's th' more realistic solution at this point. Ah don't know too many places that would welcome us...”

She rubbed tiredly at her red-rimmed eyes and lay down beside Jimmy, wanting to just leave it all in his hands, since he had a pretty decent idea and plan for his future and career, but then, so did she. “Ah wanna keep flyin', Jim...that's...that's what Ah'm th' best at. And Ah love flyin'...not shuttles, mind, but Valkyries, or those Valravns.” She ran a hand over his exposed bicep, “But yea, we're gonna keep our eyes forward...on th' future.”

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #9
Ens. James "Jimmy" Mariner | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy
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@triage

He had a lot to say but ahd to let the moment settle in as he settled into a spooning position as he rested his head on her shoulder. "Luv?" He asked after a few minutes of silence had passed after he verbally dimmed the quarters' lights and polarized the Azure Nebula outside.

"If someone else could do any of the things I can do as good as me, I wouldn't have the job I have now. I'd rather be out there with you to make sure we can do this every night." he confided, knowing she had her reservations about why he took volunteer missions. It was usually dismissed off as his abilities, but in reality, Mariner had to do what he had to. Otherwise he wouldn't have the credentials or favor needed to have a CO-authorized dwelling unit, should their situation restrict their ideal future to the confines of this craft. There simply was no where to go, so he conceded that tumor was in the hands of frontier medicine--fugitive frontier, at that. Jimmy was starting to get tired in light of what happened earlier, despite the after-action of earlier. The inevitability of the job he volunteered for was on the horizon.


Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #10
[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | James Mariner's Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Triton
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Of their own volition, Meony's eyes began to close once more. But she saw the creature waiting for her in there. It came like a full sized monster within her own mind. She supposed that would be an accurate assessment considering that it was within her own head, and fighting to break through the preventive coils. It had been meant to be a temporary stopgap until they could get her to a fully equipped medical facility with better gear and means to dispose of the Screaming Death. Unbidden, her eyelids rose up at the sound of Jimmy's voice calling her out from a deeply troubled second slumber.

She tilted her head and her chin jutted in a manner that indicated wordlessly that she was listening, and once he spoke, a wan smile played on her lips, and she reached out to cup the side of his face in her slender hand. “Ah know, Jim...Ah know...” her voice was a little hoarse and gravelly, she felt tired, in body and spirit, but she also felt a sense of defiance, to the monster within her head, and to whatever cruelty and evil life could think of to throw at her. She mentally gave the monster the bird, and to death. In that moment, she knew, no matter how crazy she would be, she would cling on to life and to her friends and family. Jimmy most of all.

“Ye're a mud-marcher, Jim, 's what ya do best. An' Ah'm th' Sky Angel. Trah not t' think of it as ya not bein' there with me, but more lahk we...we complete two sahds of a puzzle. We're raht where we need t' be.” She lifted her head so she could lean it forward and brush his lips with her own, leaving a chaste kiss before lying back down. “Ground meets th' skah,” she said, as her eyes began to close again, “raht in th' middle. Perfection. Now...trah t' get sum rest. Ya got a bigger day'n me.......”

She was out for the rest of the night after that, more exhausted than she had realized.

 

Re: Day 03 [0330 hrs.] Sweet Nightmares & Terrifying Dreams

Reply #11
Ens. James "Jimmy" Mariner | James Mariner's Bed (Shared) | Deck 8 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy
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@triage

Jimmy had a lot to say on the matter. His career had taken him on as many ups as it did downs, but finally getting to this point on the edge of wanting to commit to a military marriage was approaching, but the danger of the mission kept him from offering the green Volcania stone he was saving for a special occasion and time to ask. Jimmy let Meony's kiss cool his concerned, scalding but now worriless heart. It was too early, or perhaps too late to ask anything heavy. He chose his words wisely in response to that peaceful moment of harmony.

"You may be as pretty as an angel, but you're a Valkyrie." Jimmy whispered into her ear as she drifted off to sleep. "But the mouth of a downright Aussie." he quipped while one of his hands graced her pale but to him, perfect facial features. It was a moot joke, she was probably already halfway to dreamland. To some of the fantastic places in the quadrant Jimmy's father recorded in immaculate detail to film for the entertainment and education of families on earth and the Quadrant. But even Jimmy had kept a few unpublished locations meant to enjoy anyone who'd visited and remembered them; but not to merely market for any mere holo-adventure. Of course, Jimmy had shared these paradises the way planning couples planned premarital vacations. "...And....The body of an outright goddess." he whispered, as his other hand massaged the redhead's scarred but sculpted navel, but settled on holding Krystal's hip for comfort.

Jimmy somehow knew early on that he was going to fall in love with someone that would motivate him to bring out the best parts of him It could have been that Trill girl who first motivated him to get out of a life of barhopping and pointless fistfights or eluding authorities on his escapades from these fights. Usually a girl was involved, followed by gangs. Jimmy's cunning and ability to anticipate the authorities got him out of more trouble than he would have collected as grounds for disbarment in serving in the armed forces. It was consideration of his academics and father's advocacy that got Jimmy this far. An ensign, but a successful and above all, happy one. Regardless of what his otherwise family felt was destined for him back home. They would have otherwise loved Krystal as their own daughter-in-law, and Jimmy knew it.

With Theurgy now associated with Resolve and Orcus and who knew how many other defectors though, Jimmy tried his hardest not to think about what the parasites' retaliation against the families of those condemned crews' families would be. It was easy for Meony, but Jimmy's last words for his parents were in anger and animosity. Jimmy's desire to be more than just a footnote in his father's series' credits became the apple of discord when it came for the time for Jimmy to choose his own destiny. By 21st century standards, he would have wanted for nothing in fame, glory or the equivalent to wealth, but before Starfleet, not in happiness. He held that in both his hands, particularly the one that would someday caress his future. Jimmy's worries seemed to cool away with Meony's angelic words. A mud marcher indeed, but one who was on the front lines of the Federation's very struggle to exist. To exist in this and any other timeline, barring the arrival of a Q or intervention from the Prophets, for those who believed in the power of such prayer. Mariner did, but very often had trouble believing in the power of prayer.

But having Meony in his arms like this was proof to the contrary. "I love you, and you know." Were Jimmy's last whispered words before he drifted off to sleep. His last words to her before he'd slay who knew how many claw spiders, Klingons, Borg, Asurians, Savi, and who the hell knew what else he'd have to wipe out of existence in order to open the box hidden under their mattress, which among other things included an immaculately handpicked combination of Klingon and Vulcan jewelry. Particularly a note of a marriage-proposal-in-abstentia if something were to happen to the mud-marcher's status as anything ending with the dreaded acronyms -I.A. It was only fitting that Jimmy thus made sure he kept a precious lock of her hair close to him wherever he went. Jimmy hoped they were both dreaming about the same thing.


FIN
Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

 
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