A Fly Girl

Posted on 25 Mar 2017 @ 5:37pm by Ensign Aurilia Moretti & Lieutenant Lucas Abrams M.D.

2,068 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Endgame
Location: New Bajor
Timeline: MD 17 || 2100 Hours

Aurilia completed her fourth circuit of the planet where the Black Hawk had gone done in her Peregrine, only adrenaline and desperation keeping her going. She should have reported in by now since the battle was over, but her ship was crashed on the planet and she had no one to report to. She didn't even know if the Captain or anyone else had survived even though she had seen life boats be ejected from the Akira class ship.

=^=This is Ensign Moretti of the Black Knights to Lieutenant Abrams of the Black Hawk," she called over an open frequency used by Starfleet personnel using her Peregrine's com system. =^=Please respond=^= It was the fourth time she had put out such a call and several Abrams' had responded before getting chewed out by the redheaded pilot after she had specified the ship. She had kept on a vector wherever there were refugee camps and field hospitals, but didn't know if Luc was near any com equipment or even had his combadge on. Or if he were alive or not.

***

Lucas sat outside with his knees up and his forearms resting on top of them. He was exhausted, and now that Starfleet had sent in reinforcements, he was able to take a much needed break. This... all of this... was a first for him. In all of his career, he'd never heard the call to abandon ship, nor did he have to help evacuate an entire sickbay full of injured and dying. While the loss of the ship was a catastrophic occurrence, those injured during the battle had a much greater chance at surviving now. He was grateful for that, just as he was sure the other Medical personnel were, too.

He was exhausted. The last time he could remember being this worn out wasn't that long ago. The question now was... where was he going to sleep tonight? Where was anyone going to sleep? He'd slept under the stars before, so he wouldn't mind doing it now.

Just as he was about to rise to his feet to get back to work, he heard his combadge come to life. It was a sound he hadn't heard for hours. The voice he heard had him letting out a sound of pure joy. Luc quickly tapped it and spoke. =^=Aurilia! You're okay!=^= Relief flooded through him.

Aurilia looked over her console that was still lit with warnings for damaged systems that the Peregrine had taken in the fight. Still, a bright smile lit up her face when she heard his voice at last as she switched to a private frequency once she had determined the one he was using. =^=Luc! Oh, thank the stars! Where are you?" she asked as she looked at her sensors again in an attempt to triangulate his position.

=^=I don't know my exact location, but we're at a field hospital with all of our evacuated patients and some others.=^= he answered, hoping she'd be able to get to him. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, lean down and kiss her.

=^=Keep talking,=^= she told him as she checked the navigational sensors and came up with an area of roughly a hundred square kilometers where he could be. =^=It'll help me zero in on you...and I love hearing the sound of your voice.=^=

=^=I'll keep talking as long as you do, Red.=^= He rose to his feet and moved to a more open area he hoped would make it easier for him to find him. =^=After all of this, it's going to be a while before I let you out of my sight again, you know that?=^=

=^=I was so worried when the ship...=^= Aurilia started to say before her voice caught. She approached the location and resisted the urge to max out the poor, battered Peregrine more than it already had been in the battle. =^=Please tell me you're okay.=^=

=^=Some bumps and bruises, but nothing major. I'm okay, love. You don't have to worry about me. Are you okay? That's the important question.=^= Lucas said, wishing she could get to him faster.

She was definitely closer and spotted a refugee camp ahead on the sensors and increased her speed to just under the rated maximum for atmospheric flight. =^=I'll be there in ten seconds,=^= she told him with a brighter smile when she realized that he had called her love. A warm fuzzy feeling appeared in her stomach and began to spread and she had to refocus on flying the Peregrine or risk crashing it while she daydreamed.

Lucas looked toward the sky and lit up when he spotted her. It was going to take far too long for his liking for her to get out of the Peregrine, but he was going to do his level best to be patient. =^=Come on, Red.=^= he said, trying not to pace.

=^=I'm coming, my gentle giant,=^= Aurilia responded as she found a spot near the camp to set the eighteen meter Peregrine fighter down. She made quick work of getting out of her flight harness and shutting the craft down, then popped the canopy and pulled herself out. Without a ladder, she jumped down in her flight suit and removed her helmet which she set on one of the wings and shook her long red hair out. She spotted Luc and began to run in his direction with a huge smile on her face. "Luc!"

Lucas didn't even say anything when he saw her running his way, but instead, took off to meet her more than halfway thanks to his long legs. He caught her with his arms around her waist and brought her against his massive chest before leaning in to kiss her. Seeing for himself that she was okay meant everything to him, but to be able to hold her... kiss her... that had the big guy overcome with emotion.

She gave herself to him in the kiss that she returned as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "Oh, Luc! I'm so glad I found you alive! I circled the planet four times trying to find you," she said before she kissed him again and showed no signs of wanting to let go.

He showed no signs of wanting to let her go, either. "As far as I know, everyone made it off the ship alive," Luc said, kissing her one more time for good measure. "I've been worried sick about you, and now that I know you're okay, I don't plan to let you out of my sight for a long time."

"I'm just happy to have my feet on the ground again," Aurilia said as she laid her head against his shoulder. "It was a furball up there, Luc and I never want to go through anything like that ever again. I know it's my job as a fighter pilot, but going up against other Starfleet fighters...."

"Shhh," he said softly, holding her to him. What happened today would likely give many people nightmares for some time to come. Even he wouldn't be immune to it. "It's over now, and hopefully, we will never ever have to go through anything like this again. As a matter of fact, once we've been cleared, we're going to get away and forget for a little while."

"Anywhere as long as I don't have to fly," she agreed with him. "But, I'd be lying through my teeth if I didn't tell you that I could drink a bottle of Romulan Ale right now. My nerves are shot to hell and back."

"I could use a bottle or two myself, but we have each other, Red. I know this is crazy, but we've spent every free second we've had with one another. I've seen you at your worst, just as you've seen me at mine," he said softly. "I love you. You don't have to say it back, but I hope some day you can."

If she wasn't already in his arms, she would have thrown herself into them. Instead, she settled for giving him a long, soft kiss that lasted until she had to come up for air. "Ever since the moment you called me love when I contacted you, I've had a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach. Now it's a nova and it's burning just for you, Lucas Abrams. I love you, too."

Lucas smiled just before kissing her soundly. He didn't want to pull away, but the doctor in him nagged at him to do so. "Would you object to me doing a quick check... just to make sure you're really okay?" His heart was soaring right now, and that was one of the reasons he wanted to make sure she was good to go.

"I wouldn't, but all you're going to find is elevated adrenaline levels and a really smelly me under this uniform," Aurilia told him after returning the kiss.

"I need to find a place to rest our heads for the night. We're not going anywhere for a little bit. There will have to be a debriefing, screenings and likely some other things," he said, allowing his mind to think.

"It may not be the most comfortable, but my Peregrine seats two," she said. "I have no torpedoes, so we could go back there and stretch out and I have an emergency survival pack that has a blanket."

"That sounds like a good plan to me," Lucas said with a smile. "Now... let's go get you checked out." With that, he carried her in so he could check her out.

"Okay," Aurilia agreed. "I can't even change out of this flight suit until I get a new uniform. Also, is there any grub around here? I'm starving and feel like I lost twenty pounds in that fight."

"Rations, sadly," he said, reaching into one of the medkits to grab one, then handed it over to her. "They're not the best, but it's only temporary, I hope."

She accepted the ration bar. "Why do they make them taste like flavored cardboard?" she asked as she peeled the wrapper and took a bite. "And not even a good flavor at that." She commented after she had chewed and choked it down. "I mean, we have cured most diseases, solved hunger problems, homelessness, and did away with much of the old things, but we can't make a ration bar that actually tastes good. Is it punishment for needing them to begin with?"

"Who knows really?" Lucas asked in return as he began to run a scan on her. "The most important thing, though, is their nutritional value."

Sure enough, the young redheaded pilot was low on electrolytes and showed signs of physical exhaustion that she kept at bay behind a wall of adrenaline that was slowly wearing off. She fought against it, but allowed Luc to do his scan even though she knew he'd see how tired she really was with the tricorder. "Nutritional value," she grumbled after taking another bite. "Replicators do the same thing, but at least they try to make the food taste good."

"I agree, but we don't have the use of replicators right now," he said, giving her a bottle of water. "I want you to drink a couple bottles of water, eat a few ration bars and get some rest. Don't worry, I'm going to go with you."

"Go with me where?" Aurilia asked as she accepted the water. "We don't have anywhere to go, Luc."

"Back to the Peregrine so you can get some rest," Luc replied.

"Oh," she said, then nodded. "I forgot about that already. Come on, babe. Let's get what we can, then get off of this planet and head somewhere tropical, romantic and warzone free."

"That sounds like the best plan I've heard all day," he said with a smile, then began to gather up the few things he'd already been given. "As soon as they clear us, we'll go anywhere you want to. That's a promise."

Aurilia took his hand and headed back to the Peregrine. "Just do me a favor and never let me go again."

"Never in a million years, Red," he assured her as they made their way hand in hand back to the waiting fighter.

 

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