Thirty Years Later

Posted on Tue 14th Oct, 2025 @ 1:10pm by Commander Heriah Rex & Captain Gordon Francis

3,767 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: From The Ashes
Location: Ready Room, Ops
Timeline: current

ON

Captain Gordon Francis set down his cup of coffee, already his fifth, and crossed his arms, looking intently across his desk at his first officer, Commander Heriah Rex, someone he knew well, even if only recently they had started calling each other "friend." It was the first time they had been face-to-face with each other in weeks, possibly over a month. Aside from their brief moments in main Ops, the two had communicated only by text for quite a while, and almost all of it were daily reports and other station matters. Hardly anything at all. The silence had the presence of a very large elephant in the room.

And that elephant, Heriah felt, was something akin to an old roommate of Gordon's suddenly showing back up in the body of a young lady. A roommate who cheated his way to Starfleet graduation as well as a spot on the stage as co-valedictorian. And now, a young lady who was his Second in Command. Though there were three hosts and some history in between, the elephant in the room was essentially that...as Heriah had guessed.

"I can't tell which one of us is avoiding the other, but it's got to stop here," Francis said. "We've gone too long without some kind of pow-wow. If there's something going on here, I'd like to know. I'm not pointing fingers. I could have reached out a long time ago, but I didn't, and I take responsibility for that. Perhaps the two of us have just been too darn busy, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of my first officer and friend in a long time. So tell me..." Francis leaned back in his chair, relaxing his posture, but his expression remained serious. "...how are things?"

"Busy," was all she said at first. Then she added, "with the refugee situation going on, the reports on the Alidade entity, the Anslo Tol predicament I find myself in...and..."

'Didn't you surmise that girl you slept with is an ensign?'

"...things have been just busy, sir. But yes, you are right. If we do not make time for ourselves and for each other..."

'You've certainly been making time for that ensign.'

"...then we will certainly lose ourselves in our work." Heriah leaned forward in her chair. "I too take responsibility for not reaching out with more than reports and progress updates. I do feel I have integrated with this starbase and crew effectively however. I have been making acquaintances..."

'That is not all you have been making. Making whoopie is a better way of putting it.'

"...taking in some of the civilian life here. I suppose I just have not yet gotten to the point of seeing you as more than my captain."

"You found time for a social life?" Francis asked. "Maybe that's what I'm missing. Seems like since my arrival here I've hardly met anyone other than crew. Of course, Garan was always good at meeting new people. I'm glad Heriah is finding a way to unwind."

Heriah laughed singularly. "Garan," she said. "If he was not meeting someone to sleep with, then he was meeting someone to be a drinking buddy, a study buddy...also known as someone he could cheat off of..." She paused. "Lasting friendships, with Garan, was something that was few and far between. I remember Garan, I have his memories...after his Joining that is...but I do not wish to be another Garan. I have been finding ways to unwind."

'Ooh. Show him a replay of your exercises in the holodeck. Show him what it means for you to unwind.'

"I have some holoprograms I run from time to time. Lately, I have been going to a few nightclubs in the Garden Sector. I am not meeting people...per se...just putting myself out there a little here and there. So far, I really have not met many people...outside of the crew that is." She leaned back and thought briefly. "Just too much going on. It seems that just when we catch a break...something else breaks."

"At least we don't need to get anywhere," Francis said. "The nice thing about serving on a station, is being stationary. When I was demoted, I was afraid I'd get assigned to some garbage jalopy doing surveys of planetoids or second contact missions. Here, there's always a place to relax, with no ETAs to get in the way."

"I suppose we are up against more ETAs coming our way than any ETAs of our own. To be honest, I was afraid, myself, on what would happen to me, where I would be stationed upon my joining with Rex," she said as she patted her tummy.

'At some back water forgotten station on the fringe of civilization having to answer to some old fart.'

"I thought they would want me to go into infiltration, Spec Ops, elite military, things like that. That may have been Rex's previous hosts, but that is not me. I have, up here," she pointed to and tapped on her head, "all the memories and skills of those before me. Just not the desire for combat such as that." She sat back and slid down her seat a little, slouching and lifted a foot to rest upon the opposite knee as Garan had done many times when he and Gordon were in their dorm room. "I was told to keep to my career path though. And I did. Rex...he...he provides insight and advice much of the time. Symbiontic experience. It helps. Sometimes I listen."

'Slit his throat. Take over his command.'

"Sometimes I don't," she finished.

An understanding smile came across Francis' face. "Rex has quite a history behind him," he said. "Sometimes I get the feeling I'm the last person he wants as a commanding officer."

'Yeah. Well...no. I mean, look at him. He can't kick around forever. Better him than some young turd.'

Heriah squinted at the thought. "Well, you are not the last person. As for me...well...you were the third on my list. First was the CO I was already serving under at Outpost Talon. Second was the First Officer who was going to get command of the Tiger Claw. I was told neither could happen. They wanted some shakeup to occur. You know...to keep personnel from getting too familiar and friendly with each other. So, I spouted the next name that came to mind," she leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling as she remebered, "'Gordon Francis', I said. I did not even know where you were, your rank, or even the posting and mission. I only remembered our history." She looked at Frank. "How you were disappointed in Garan, but thought of him well all the same. I thought about wanting to atone for Garan's shortcomings."

"Third's not a bad slot," Francis said with a smile. "Your reason, though - 'atonement' for Garan and how I think of him well - Garan was a good person making bad decisions and knowing better. The claim to his uniform was earned on a lie, and he knew that. But I knew he wanted that uniform as bad as I did. So I let him have the glory and never snitched on him. I didn't want both of us living with the guilt of betraying the other. Admittedly, I think I thought that made me better than him. But I don't put myself above Garan now. I went on to have have more and worse regrets in my life. If I regret anything about Garan, it's that I never got the opportunity to forgive him personally. Garan Rex was my friend. If some part of him still exists, I hope it knows that."

Heriah sat, silent, for a brief moment.

'...mmm...hmmm...'

Heriah gave a small smile. "Yes. A little of him is still there. He would be at a loss for words. He did learn...to stand on his own that is. Garan started out with the 'If It Isn't Broke Don't Fix It' mentality. He would take the SOP of his predecessors and re-employ that same SOP...without adding anything of his own. Garan might tweak a few small things here and there to make it appears as though it was his work. Just like that speech of yours that he stole. It took losing someone on an away mission for him to realize he needed to make some real changes within himself. That loss was ruled an accident and he was never put at fault, but he blamed himself all the same." Heriah looked at Frank sternly. "Garan never lost another...ever again. Was about to, but went into a radiation filled area to pull his man to safety. He was met with enough thelon radiation...not theleron radiation mind you...but thelon. He was exposed to enough of that to practically destroy his ability to produce isoboramine. Without it, he could not remain joined with Rex, he would die, and so would Rex." She fought back a choke as she pressed on. "So, they removed Rex and joined him with Refkin. Garan had only another six, or so, hours before he died as I am told. I don't really know as Rex's memories of Garan ended the second he was unjoined. Refkin was later told that Garan, among his last words, said 'Gordo' then closed his eyes. No one, who was with Garan, had any idea what that meant and it would take a few years before Refkin was informed."

Francis raised his eyebrows. "Gordo?" he replied, and shook his head. "I don't know how many times I told him not to call me that. Did the radiation have any lasting effect on Rex?" He could have guessed the answer, but there was really no way of knowing for the Captain. The profile on Rex's service history suggested a lot of bad things had happened to the symbiont over the last three decades, but Francis had not sought the specific psychological details.

"Thankfully, no," she said. "The radiation only effected Garan. I dug up and combed over the medical report myself. It was...difficult at first since Starfleet cited regulations and medical privacy for Garan. But since I was, and still am, Rex, that allowed me access to those medical records. Starfleet and Trill medical alike concluded no radiological threat to the Rex symbiont. So..." she smiled and looked at him. She felt she did not have to say 'the rest is history.'

Heriah did lean in more toward Frank. "I did look over your profile...more in detail...since my assignment here. Only what is publicly available that is, so...um..." She did not know much of his personal history but knew he had children, an ex-wife. She channeled her own counselor when she said, "Anything you want to talk about?"

Francis smiled and had to think about it. He knew she probably didn't know the exact details of his court-martial, but the fact there had been one and, following that, a demotion, he had no doubt her question was meant to dig deeper. Or perhaps she was asking about his personal life outside of Starfleet. Francis had no problem with either scenario, but since he had asked her for such personal information, it only seemed right she could too.

"With you? I suppose I can talk about most anything. Is there anything specific you're curious about?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

"To be honest," she laughed shortly, "that was an automatic question. I am so used to Rik...um...my counselor asking me that question that I asked it without thinking. However..." she did not really know how to ask this so she decided it was to best to just be out with it, "...I did overhear, in the general replimat, not the officer's mess, your name mentioned a time or two along with the word 'demotion' almost as though there is some malicious rumor going around. It certainly is not any of my business, but I started thinking about it and...it's been about 30 years and..." she was eyeing his pips. Cadets can generally make Admiral in 20 years. Yet here was Gordon Francis, 30 year Starfleet, and a Captain. She did not have to continue vocalizing her question.

The Captain grinned and shook his head. "I guess that's the big one, isn't it?" he said. "My demotion is no rumor. I was an Admiral, second in command of Starfleet Intelligence. In my last mission, I was assigned to a temporary supervisor position on a science outpost in the Delavi Expanse. We'll call the planet 'Green.' The truth was, I never made it to Green. Another Admiral marooned me on Delavi Prime, stole my identity, and used the outpost's research for his own gain. I was able to expose him, but major damage had already been done to Green. It and the indigenous people there were wiped out... all in my name. When all the proverbial hullabaloo hit the fan, it was my name attached to the incident. After the truth was revealed, the Admiral was sent to a Starfleet penal colony - one of the real bad ones - and I was given the choice of demotion and reassignment, or forced retirement." Francis looked down and shook his head. "My whole life is Starfleet. I'm not the retirement type. So they sent me here." He looked back up. "I'm glad they did. Being here has given me a new outlook on myself. My life after the Academy became a whole big mess. This post has given me a chance to make things right. That's why you don't see me taking things so seriously anymore. That's why I don't think myself above Garan."

'Steal someone's identity, do research, commit crimes, and pin it all on them. That's brilliant. Just don't get caught. Garan should have thought of that.'

"No," Heriah said. "That is why you don't see yourself above Garan. Because not even Garan would have done something the likes of that. He may have stolen and cheated; all for his own gain...but genocide." She shook her head. "I can feel Garan cringing at the thought." She thought briefly. "I am glad they sent me out here too. Kind of a full circle thing I guess, for us to be together again...in a way. Old things are new again. However, this time, we are both more learned and experienced. And, we both have families, so to speak." She was not going to speak further on his family situation. She saw what was in his public profile and did not want to dig deeper. Though Garan, Refkin, Luftine, and Davmorda could not have cared less and their thoughts and emotions proved a 4 to 1 ratio against not diving into the topic more, it was Heriah who was in charge. "I have no family of my own...significant others or children I mean. Rex does...through previous hosts but I...as Heriah...do not. That...and my parents and sisters all have nothing to do with me since I left the family business. It is a sprawling and prestigious business, just not for me."

"So what is?" Francis asked. "For you, I mean."

A brief span of silence stretched between them, then, "Starfleet," she said.

'Bullocks' thought Rex.

"To me, sir, it is the one business that is open to any and all, from any background and any planet. The Khatain family business is reknown throughout the Trill system. It is only beginning to reach the eyes and ears of others in the Federation. It was not the...attention or the area of effect...that I wanted." She was shaking her head. "No. I wanted more than what my family wanted of me. Mother had everything planned out for me, up until I would take administrative control. None of that included becoming Joined and I wanted that above all. If I could not become Joined, then I wanted to be away from it all and Starfleet paved for me an avenue to do just that. It was at the Academy, wearing this uniform," she tugged on her own uniform, "and wearing the rank...that was where I found myself."

'And the award for best acting goes to...'

Heriah looked down at herself, her belly as though giving Rex squinty-eyes. She looked back up and reconnected eyes with her captain. "And that is where I plan to stay."

"Starfleet definitely gives one an identity," Francis said. "I'd like to ask you something of a sensitive nature. I don't know much about joined Trills and their symbionts, but I know that five hosts in thirty years is highly abnormal..." This time, Francis felt he did not have to vocalize the question.

"Yes, she said. Then she thought about it. The best way to get through it was to get through it.

'You do remember what is not in your record right? Oh, who are we kidding? Go ahead an tell him. We can always kill him later.'

"After Garan, was Refkin. He was a Trill Special Forces elite. After some years there came word that a Borg Sphere was patrolling a nearby system some lightyears outside of Federation space in a remote area of the quadrant. Refkin had also heard of a secret project to infect such a ship with a bio-electronic virus. Surely that could bring down the Collective. Refkin proposed his plan and his intent on leading the mission. The operation was greenlit. It did not go as planned of course. Refkin was captured by the Borg. The rest of his squad made it back to their ship and escaped. The virus...well it didn't work. Refkin was assimilated by the Borg, but was rescued 24 hours later in an emergency mission. That plan worked and the SPhere was destroyed. They were able to remove all of the Borg implants from Refkin. 24 hours is not enough time for full assimilation to take effect. The Borg did try to assimilate Rex as well. There was one implant the doctors could not remove and is a device attached to Rex himself," she said as she patted her belly. "Trill doctors could not remove it without killing Rex. From the experience, Rex had become emotionally unstable. That...and Refkin's ability to maintain isoboramine balance was compromised. It was only 2 weeks after his rescue that Refkin showed signs of rejection. Rex needed a new host."

Heriah realized this was turning into a marathon monologue. "Then came Davmorda Rex..."

"Hold up," Francis said, bringing a hand up and cutting her off. "Rex had become... 'emotionally unstable,'" he repeated. "Next came two more joinings within in ten years that ended questionably - according to the record - leading to your joining, if I understand all that right. I can't imagine that was easy on Rex..."

'Ding ding ding. Tell the old fart what he's won.'

"No, it wasn't," she said shaking her head. "And it still isn't. But that was why they chose me to join with Rex. You see, Davmorda was a domineering sort. Her rebellious and domineering traits only became more honed when she Joined with Rex. Five years later, she too showed signs of rejection. Thus Luftine Rex. Womanizer, political magnate, weapons trafficker...just a shady guy in and out, but dominating and disciplined. And, sure enough, all his traits became more honed after Joining with Rex. 5 years later..." she did not have to say what happened. "He died alone. I mean, in the Joining facility, but he had no friends or family there with him. I know, I was there."

'Unfortunately, so was I.'

"I was summoned there because the people I served with all said the same thing about me; that I am kind-hearted, easy going, would do anything for anyone. 'Heart of an angel' they said. And the Joining Commission felt that my traits would be rehabilitory for Rex."

'I just haven't broken you yet. The others fell within months. You've lasted a year so far. I'll give you that.'

Heriah sat and smiled, confident, at her captain.

Francis smiled back, and the moment felt genuine. "Well I'm glad Rex is still around, and I'm glad you're here."

"And I am glad to be here, sir. In addition to the experience that is in my Starfleet profile, I assure you, I bring a motley assortment of other experiences through symbiontic memory. Out here, on the fringes of Federation space, I am confident you will think of me as a...oh what is that saying you humans have...a godsend?"

'If he but knew of my storied past, he would call it a devilsend.'

"And it pleases me more than you know to be working with you again," she finished.

Francis smiled again and stood. "Me too. I think you fit in just fine, Heriah. If there's nothing else, you're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir," Heriah said as she rose. She assumed an attentive stance then turned and started toward the door.

'Don't you say it. Don't you say it.'

"Oh, and..." she was just outside the proximity for the door the slide open. Heriah turned back to Frank. "He had a strange way of showing it, sir, but Garan did look up to you." With that said, Heriah stepped out and away.

Her words echoed with Francis as she left. "I know," he said quietly. The Captain had been a no-nonsense bookworm at the Academy, and Garan was his loud, polar opposite roommate. Francis never hated--or even disliked--Garan. Garan was obnoxious, but Francis never saw him as a bully. An idiot sometimes. Perhaps a nuisance as well... but not a mean one. Garan's heart was always in the right place, even when his brain wasn't. His selfless death was not an entire surprise to Francis. Garan always had a way to look out for others. It was what made him so popular with his classmates and professors. Well, that and the fact that he was cheating off the smartest guy in the whole school...

After a small moment, the chime rang for his next appointment, and Francis came back to the present.

END

 

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