Bedtime Stories 8 (Epilogue)
Posted on Tue Aug 2, 2016 @ 2:57pm by Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings
976 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
The Fall
Location: Kansas, Earth
Timeline: Years in the Future
“So….they made up? And they were friends?” Darla said. She’d long ago given up trying to sit up and instead resorted to lying back against her pillows, resisting the urge to yawn.
“Not exactly,” Cassandra said. “It took some time before there was any trust, and in the days I was there after, there were many cross words, and a lot of arguing, but no fighting.”
“How did you get home?” Darla said.
“Well, that was thanks to your Aunt Nicole,” Cass said, smiling.
It had been almost a week since the peace agreement was struck. I’d spent most of the time trying to hammer out a treaty between the two brothers, and act as both diplomat and family therapist. The Sultan’s culture didn’t allow for much wiggle room, but taking his brother on as an advisor had proven an acceptable move.
Cassandra walked back to her quarters in the Sultan’s palace and nodded to the guard behind her as he took his place at the door. She was now free to come and go as she pleased, but the Sultan still insisted on having her escorted everywhere. She suspected more because he feared what she might do, rather than what someone might do to her.
As she approached the door to her quarters, it flew open and Karadee rushed out. She ran up to Cass and bounced on her feet with worry. “The demons have returned!” she said. “They appeared out of thin air just as before!”
Cassandra’s eyes blazed and she pulled Karadee behind her and rushed into their quarters, bringing her hands up and preparing to obliterate anyone inside.
“Woah! Woah! Woah!” Nicole shouted, holding up a restraining hand. The two security guards behind her had their rifles raised, but Nicole put back a restraining hand.
Cassandra immediately stood down and her face lit up. “”Where have you been?” she said.
“Where have we been?” Nicole said, her voice half incredulous, half annoyed. “We’ve been searching half the Delta Quadrant for you. We finally tracked down the shuttle en route to Transwarp Gate back to the Alpha Quadrant.”
Cass nodded. “I used an insurgency code. I’d hoped it’d fly back to the Victory.
“Well, next best thing,” Nicole said. “Starfleet alerted us to a rogue shuttle from our ship that was incapacitating everyone who beamed aboard. So we chased it down and I got it to stand down. We dug through the unconscious security officers, took the two unknown men into custody and after some ‘creative encouragement’ got them to reveal where you were.”
Nicole paused and leaned over, looking past Cassandra. Cass turned and saw Karadee peeking in from the doorway. “It’s all right,” she said gently, “these are my friends.”
Karadee walked in tentatively. She curtsied and then stood with her hands behind your back. “Welcome, Holy Ones, we are honored by your presence,” she said.
Nicole raised an eyebrow, looking at Cass for an explanation. “A polite greeting for ‘Warriors of Light,’” she said, her emphasis on the last few words stressed for Nicole’s benefit.
“Ah,” Nicole said. “Well, jolly good. Shall we get back to that, then?”
Cass held up a hand and turned to Karadee, dropping down to a knee and cupping her chin, smiling at her. “You have been very brave through all this. I’m very proud of you. My friends are here to take me home, and they can do the same for you.”
Karadee looked at Nicole, then at Cass, then smiled. “That’s all right,” she said.
Cass’ brown creased. “Don’t you want to see your home still? Your family?”
“I do,” Karadee said. “But there, I’m just another village girl. Here?” She reached up and took her crown off, looking at it. “I’m needed.”
“To keep the peace?” Cass said. “The army can do that.”
“And what if other demons come?” Karadee said. “They’ll need me. And I wish to continue my studies. I cannot do that at home.”
Cass nodded and pulled Karadee in for a strong hug. “You are a very, very brave girl,” she said.
“Your Warrior Joan would be proud of me?” Karadee said, hopefully.
“Absolutely,” Cass said, smiling.
She stood up and walked next to Nicole. “I’ll visit if I can,” she said, knowing it might be an empty promise.
Karadee seemed to understand that and rushed forward, giving Cassandra another hug and kissing her cheek. She finally pulled back and wiped her eyes, smiling. “If you ever find my home, tell my parents I’m all right,” she said.
“I will,” Cassandra said. “Now, watch this. One more trick.” She nodded to Nicole.
“Anderson to Victory,” Nicole said, “four to beam up.”
Cassandra smiled at Karadee’s wide-eyed stare and gasp of shock as fountains of light spilled over them and they dissolved before her eyes, returning to the light.
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“Did you ever find her homeworld?” Darla said, sleepily. “Did you ever go back to find her?”
“Yes to both,” Cassandra said. “Her family was saddened by her loss, but happy she was off saving worlds. And she became a Warrior of Peace. Thanks to her, the Sultan ended his wars of conquest, and they began to see an era of prosperity.”
“And they all lived,” Darla said, her eyelids drooping.
“Happily ever after,” Richard said from the doorway to her bedroom.
Cassandra turned around happily. “Welcome home,” she said.
“Thank you,” Richard said, walking up and kissing Cassandra deeply. He then bent over and kissed his daughter on the cheek as she reached up to hug his neck tightly before dropping back to her pillow and falling asleep.
Cass tucked her in and took RIchard’s hand as they let her sleep at last.
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