Saying Goodbye Is Not Easy

Posted on Saturday, 30 December 2023 - 3:13pm by Commander T'Varis Pren & Commander Soral & Lieutenant JG Hayashi Hamura & Ensign Oriana Skye Sety & Captain Pippa Whitley & Commander DeVala Victrix Ph.D & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant K'Var & Lieutenant Konata Hiiragi & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Lieutenant Tazuko Miyahara

Mission: Operation: Lobes & Liberties
Location: Transporter Room | USS Standing Bear-A
Timeline: 2396 -- Upon return to station post Away Team rescue

ON:

Soral entered the transporter room to find Oriana, Belladonna and Hamura there. The bags were on the transporter PADD and Soral took a moment to pull Hamura to the side. "Well old friend, this is where we say goodbye. You are always welcome on New Romulus."

Hamura sniffled. "I'm going to miss you Soral."

"Indeed, and I you but your place is here now. Keep an eye on Pren for me."

Hamura gave a nod and they briefly hugged. As Hamura stepped back they motioned to Soral's simply black pants and black turtleneck. "Stylish. I'm not used to seeing you out of uniform."

"A new one will come shortly." He looked around the room. It would be a small send off and Soral saw that more of his friends arrived.

T’Lanna walked into the transporter room with Jayce in her arms, putting him down as he wriggled in protest at being restrained from walking now he’d found his feet. It seemed wrong not to bring him to say goodbye to Soral, as much as she hated saying goodbye.

Soral walked over to Vali. "Hello T'Lanna." He took her hand. "And so its' time to say goodbye. I have no words to express what a good friend you have been to me."

T’Lanna offered a somewhat melancholy smile. “I am going to miss you Soral, take care of yourself. Hopefully I’ll see you again in the future.”

He gave her a brief hug and then picked up Jayce. "You and your son are always welcome on New Romulus." He paused. "I have something for you and Jayce." He handed Jayce back to Vali and reached into his pocket pulling out two small boxes. "A holo of your mother, from the Mirror Verse a way to remember and an IDIC for Jayce to remind you both no matter where you are you have a home and a link to a proud heritage."

T’Lanna looked at the presents with tears in her eyes, taking them she gave Soral a hug. “Thank you so much Soral” she stood back letting him go. “Thanks to you I know who I am now, I will treasure your gifts and we will see each other again.”

He returned the hug just as the doors opened to admit more well wishers.

“If we were married I’d be jealous,” Lieutenant Kingsley quipped as she gestured for the ensign at the transporter controls to take a break. “I came to confirm your welcoming committee is waiting for you. Whenever you are ready.”

He raised an amused eyebrow. "You will not comment on the fact that I'm transporting over even though I could just walk across to the station?" He walked over and leaned down placing a kiss on her head. "I see someone is eager to get rid of me."

“I assumed this was your way of making a more ‘low key’ exit,” Alex admitted, “and I’ve had no fewer than eight messages from Severine enquiring about your ETA. Apparently she also needs to ensure you sign some papers for her studies and she is… impatient to spend some time with you.”

"Actually," He whispered to her. "I am having a family gathering of sorts. I would love it if you joined me for dinner tomorrow night on the new ship. The kids will be there as a surprise."

“It isn’t a surprise if you tell me,” she whispered back. “And people will start to think the divorce was a lie and we just wanted a party…. Wait, exactly what children?”

She thought it best to check in case he meant literally all of them. "All our children, Mirror and this verse." He cupped her face. "I wish you to meet them, to know that you have a family."

“I don’t think that is a good idea,” she pointed out, “especially for the boys. They won’t understand.”

"Think on it. Your mother will be there." He looked up as the door opened.

“Of course she will be,” Alex sighed, moving to take the spot at the transporter controls to give space for others to say goodbye.

The Chief Security Officer didn’t know the individual very well yet but wanted to show her respect and say goodbye. She entered the transporter room and stood to the back of the gathering crowd with a soft smile on her face.

Doctor Hiiragi and Lieutenant Miyahara also weren't entirely acquainted with the soon to be former XO, but like Tazuko's boss, they both still wanted to show their respects. Because of the late nature of their arrival, Konata and Tazuko found themselves at the back of the crowd in the transporter room.

"Damnit, Kona-chan." Tazuko grumbled to her wife. "This is what happens when you sleep in."

"I can't help it..." Konata muttered sleepily. "I didn't know it would be happening so early, otherwise I wouldn't have stayed up all night playing games..."

It was poetic that the doorway of the transporter room parted and one by one three of the Commander Soral's former and most recent Commanding Officers entered: Victrix, Stillwater, and Whitley. Each held Soral in fondness and high regard though each having had different experiences with him.

"Commander Soral, your presence aboard the USS Standing Bear will be missed. Your guidance as my First Officer was valued, and admittedly I thought there would be a time that our roles would be reversed. You'd be standing here as I disembarked, and you'd be taking command" said Captain Pippa Whitley.

"Thank you Captain. I do not think I was ever meant to follow that path. It has been a deep honor serving with you."

Victrix stepped forward towards the transporter pad and gave the Vulcan the gesture of his people. "May you live long and prosper my friend" she added.

He returned the gesture. "Long life and prosperity to you as well. We shall meet again and I am only a call away."

Though it was Captain Stillwater that made the boldest of gestures, stepping onto the transporter pad and positioned himself with Soral as two operations crewmen came through with an anti-grav lift carrying several containers.

Stillwater looked at Soral. "Your mission is my mission" the man said to his former First Officer.

Soral's eyebrows shot up. "Captain?" Then he sighed. "This is the Human thing to do, the Romulan thing. You are...a friend." He then did something he would never do. He enveloped Stillwater in a hug. "Thank you my friend."

"Just gotta let Talarn know," Stillwater said referring to his spouse. "Not to wait up for me. Though if I'm going to do this, he's going to probably start packing up the house and will meet up with us" he said to Soral.

"I will be honored to have him on board. There will always be a place for you and he. Perhaps we can get all this right, this time. Show that we can all work together."

Kingsley glanced down as the transporter console beeped, “we are ready to transport.”

"Then we are ready." He motioned for Bell and Seti to take their places. He looked at Pippa. "It has been an honour." He turned to Victrix. "I look forward to seeing you across the negotiating table when I am senator and then Praetor." He winked at her. "Thanks to you my ambition knows no bounds."

He turned to Alex. "If you wish to join our children and myself for a family dinner the invitation is always open."

“Noted,” Alex said quietly.

"Well then. It has been an honour serving with you all. I wish nothing but greatness for you all. I shall think on memories here with fond remembering and sadness that we are not together still but paths often diverge and sometimes wind back together."

Soral held up his hand and divided his fingers in a well known Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper my friends." With that he looked to the transporter. "Energize."


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