Solace

Posted on 06 Jul 2025 @ 5:57pm by Lieutenant JG Ziyi Zhao & Lieutenant JG Delenna Morak

1,606 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Festival of Unity
Location: Elysia
Timeline: Current

The sea carried the vaguely salty scent all the way to the edge of the dense tropical jungle, stirring the delicate red flowers that Ziyi was carefully picking. Her tricorder had assured her that they were perfectly harmless to humans. Her instinct told her that an infusion of these lovely and delicate flowers would taste very similar to hibiscus tea. She picked four more flowers, and placed them in her basket, to carry back to her cabin.

Unlike most of the crew, she had requested a villa in the hills, and not one overlooking the ocean. She was actually not that fond of the water, though this was not something she was prepared to admit. She had actually never learned how to swim, and the idea of sleeping over water frightened her.

It felt good to be out of uniform, for a change. She was dressed in a simple silk shirt with a sarong wrapped around her waist. Her hair was tied neatly into a bun at the base of her neck, and she had placed one of the flowers behind her ear. The stress from the explosion on the Cygnus was wearing off, and she was sleeping better now. She had found over the years that there was nothing like contact with nature, meditation, and a nice cup of tea to help calm her nerves.

Delenna had spent much of her time off the Cygnus, on the station with Dr Matthius, in intensive counselling and he had suggested very strongly that she take time on Elysia before re-assignment. She quietly growled at Matthius because his "strong suggestions" were anything but that, for Delenna. Matthius knows her too well to give Delenna a choice in the matter. He had packed a bag of stuff for her and sent her on the next shuttle to leave the station.

Delenna was sat on a rock face, with the waves crashing up at her feet. She took in the sunshine and pondered the things that she'd been covering in her counselling sessions. She missed her "dad" like hell and she had not really given herself chance to grieve and now the deaths of 400+ crew members, made that ten times worse. She had a box that was left in his will to her. She had it sat on her lap, pondering whether she was ready to open it.

Zhao walked along the path on the way back to her cabin, her eyes squinting against the sunlight. She had forgotten to bring a pair of sunglasses, and she cursed inwardly against her forgetfulness. The path rose slightly as it led up into the hills, running along a cliff overlooking the lagoon. She saw a figure in the distance, sitting down with their legs dangling over the cliff, the water clamoring down below. The figure was familiar, and she recognized the ship's counselor.

"Counselor Delenna," she greeted as she approached. "How are you this morning?"

"I am physically getting there, but mentally that's another matter. i sometimes wonder how i managed to get this far in Starfleet, when half of it has been spent in therapy for various reasons." replied Delenna. "Although I think this sun has something to do with some of the positivity I am feeling at the moment. most times that I get leave I either stay on station or ship."

"Fresh air and real sunlight does feel wonderful," agreed Ziyi, turning her face toward the twin suns. "I love my work on the ship, but it feels nice to have my feet on the ground and hear the waves, instead of the humming of the air recyclers and the Warp drive."

She held up her basket. "I was about to make some tea. Would you care to join me?"

"That would be nice. Thank you." Replied Delenna getting down from the rocks.

Ziyi started walking toward her hillside cabin as Delenna fell into step beside her. A gentle breeze stirred a lock of hair out of the clasp she was wearing, and she tucked it back behind her ear. "Have you had a chance to explore Elysia yet?" she asked.

"Not yet, I have been resting and working on my therapy so i can get back to work properly. I feel like a total hot mess with added mess and I have got through starfleet." Delenna mused. "I should be in a Mental Hospital....Sorry, I don't find it easy to see things positively these days."

"That is easily understood," replied Ziyi softly. "What we have gone through is very traumatic. Your line of work involves making people relive those events so they can move past them, but that means you also get to experience them again, and again, through their eyes. There is no escaping the tragedy."

"I seem to have done that my whole life, but I only talk about my shit when I burn out or in crisis," said Delenna. " I generally only speak to one person but again only when in crisis." She looked at the box again she had in her hands.

"They do say therapists make the worst patients," said Ziyi as they approached her cabin. "What would you say to a patient who came into your office and described exactly how you are feeling?"

"I'd say 'You are right in one way that the people who have passed are lucky, however, You are also lucky because you get to tell others your story and the story of those who have passed," replied Delenna. She looked at the box in her hands again and she felt a tear roll down her cheek. "Outside of Counsellors, I only spoke to one other person and he is gone too. I never really dealt with his loss until this tragedy. I feel so lost without him around to talk to." she continued.

Ziyi felt moved by the Counselor's words. She reached out, and took her hand. "Counselors are not the only ones who can help. Friends also have a way of doing that."

Delenna didn't say anything, just sat there, with Ziyi's hand in hers. It was the first time she'd opened up to anyone and it was overwhelming for her. She looked down at the box in her lap. She carefully lifted the lid with shaking hands.

Ziyi held the Counselor's shaking hand and remained silent. This box obviously held a special meaning for her, and the last thing she wished was to disturb the solemnity of the moment. Right now, words weren't what Delenna needed. What she needed was simply the presence of a friend.

Delenna pciked up the hologram padd and pressed play. A hologram of Liam Shaw shimmered into view and full size, "Delenna, my daughter, You will know by this and protocol that I am dead. I know my passing will be extremely hard on you because of how close we are now and probably forever will be, and i am not expecting you to have watched this straight away, however I will always be with you in your memories and in your heart." {Shaw smiled} Delenna stood up and walked to the hologram. She touched the face of the hologram and started to cry again.

Ziyi looked down at her hands on the table, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. This was a very private and intimate moment. Delenna had felt confident enough to share it with her, and she felt honored.

"I want you to remember that you are more than I am, you have been through so much in your life even before me. You are strong and brave, more than me. I keep to the book. Hell, {Shaw gave a chuckle} you will probably bend the rules that I follow religiously, and you will probably team up with Seven after I am gone, on that note."
{Pausing and then sighed, wiping tear from his cheek. He had started to tear up as he spoke in the recording.} For Delenna watching this hologram for the first time, it was something she had never seen him do in front of her. As much as she felt his love when she cuddleed up to him, when she was struggling, to see him tearing up even on a recording showed her that he had more feelings than she knew.

{Picking up a hand as if lifting Dellenna's head to look into her eyes} "You will get through this. You must remember that you are never alone. You will always have a family in my family and Starfleet." {Tears now streaming down his face Shaw continued. Dropping his hand.) "Even though your mother and I never married, you are both Shaws in my family's eyes and mine. I am proud.....so proud to call you my daughter and I love you so much." {Shaw smiled as he said the last line}

Delenna smiled through tears at the last line. "In this box I leave to you my medals and ribbons, my knife and more personal things. I know you will look after them. Look after yourself and your mother as much as these. Goodbye Delenna Morak-Shaw." {He leaned in and gentlly held her head as if to kiss Delenna on the forehead} as the hologram shimmered away.

Delenna crumbled into a heap and cried hard and uncontrolled.

Ziyi stood from the table and walked to Delenna. She placed one hand gently on the Counselor's shoulder until she turned slowly. Ziyi wrapped her short arms around her friend, and simply held her and let her cry in silence.

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LtJG Delenna Morak
Chief Counsellor
USS Cygnus

Lt JG Ziyi Zhao
Science Officer
USS Cygnus

 

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