The escape to Starfleet is paved with a broken heart
Posted on Tuesday, 8 December 2020 - 9:23am by Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt
---A few years prior---
"Dan, please, where are you? I'm at the pick up. Point and I think it's been compromised," Adrianna whispered in a panic into a form of communicator. She slid subtly behind a wall. It was night time. Still hot from Italy's peak Summer's day.
Silence.
"Dan," she pleaded again into the communicator, "please!"
Silence.
Adrianna peaked over the wall and saw familiar faces coming her way. She ducked back down, breathing heaving and heart pounding so hard she was convinced it would give away her location. "Please," she whispered, almost crying.
"Pssp!" came a noise, from the next wall over.
Adrianna's eyes searched the moonlit darkness until she came across a pair of eyes staring at her.
"Adrianna Baciami, I'm Commander James Davies, I have your ride," he whispered with an air of demand, "the team here has you covered. Let's go! Move!"
Adrianna peaked over the wall again. Her options were limited. Be murdered by her own blood, or attempt to trust someone. Either way, one option held hope. The woman felt the need to ask, "where is Dan?"
The commander looked confused and was taken back a bit, "reassigned. You're also in the wrong pick up point as the mission was compromised. Did he not tell you?"
Adrianna suddenly felt very sick. The ambience turned to a blurred mumble as her brain fell into an overdrive of emotions. But cleared as she saw a few Starfleet officers suddenly appear, firing phasers.
The commander reached out, grabbing Adrianna's arm and pulling her to her feet, running with her to a small vehicle. "Move, move, move!" he commanded with quite the military growl to punctuate.
Adrianna stumbled to her feet, running after him. She did suddenly freeze when she heard a familiar voice. It was her father's. She yanked her arm back and looked to the origin. "Adrianna! You will not be able outrun this," he barked, "you will return. Your hands are bloodied. They will never accept you. They will use you! Come home."
Adrianna genuinely felt a tug at her homing instinct. But it soon turned to chaos. The commander grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back and continue running.
A loud explosion echoed through the ruins.
---
Adrianna's eyes fluttered open and stung in the presence of a medical fluorescent like light. She groaned, sitting up. A she sat up, a shooting pain gave her reason to feel. Regret for movement.
Commander Davies and a doctor came into view, "Baciami, you're awake."
Adrianna nodded and looked down to see white veins slowly creeping up her abdomin. She cursed under her breath.
The doctor interrupted her focus, "you have enough morphine in your system to probably not even feel me poke your arm."
Adrianna nodded looking to the commander, "my father?"
The man nodded, "salt in a shotgun bullet. That's traditional."
Adrianna couldn't help but laugh a moment, before regretting that too. "Nothing sends a message like it. The scar it leaves haunts you because it bleaches skin and stings. If you don't die from the shot itself, you pray for death. Thank you for finding me."
James nodded, "we're running a full investigation as to what happened with Luietenant Harrison. We could have got you out without a scratch. We have set up fully vetted security personal to be here whilst you recover and then we'll be taking you to some secure quarters on the USS September. There you will be debriefed. We'll get all the information you have so we can prosecute and hopefully put an end to Baciami rule. I've spoken with the admiral and he's trying to find a position for you, long term, so you don't have to go back to Earth. If you choose to not take that path, we cannot guarantee your safety."
Adrianna took it in. Somewhat grateful for what had been said, but equally feeling unsure. Was her father right? Was she being used?
---
Thankfully, time had answered that question for her. Though she felt that this mission would creep into the grey area she hoped she would never have to tread. Being asked to use Baciami for information was going to be hard. She prayed to any deity who may be listening to keep her same and to keep her mind in the right place.
