On the road home
Posted on Mon Aug 31st, 2026 @ 3:32pm by Captain Mira Rodale Lance & Commander Kevin Lance & Lieutenant Betaras K'ner
1,477 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Starbase 364
Location: Midway to Starbase 364
Timeline: Present
On :
{Family Quarters, Harbinger}
Mira’s hand went to her chest as she gasped for air. There was no hole. It was healed and there was nothing wrong. She rolled over slowly to look at the room. The kids were back in their own rooms thanks to Montgomery. Speaking of Montgomery, he was sound asleep on the couch in the sitting room.
Poor guy, she thought. He was much too tall for the couch, but the kids didn’t want anything happening to her. So he took turns with Awal in watching over them all.
Picking up a PADD, she looked over the information they gathered. Montgomery cleared his throat. Mira raised an eyebrow. “It’s sleep time. If you don’t sleep you can’t heal”
Mira powered down the PADD.
“There is nothing for you to do. The prisoner transfer was completed. The gateway is destroyed and we are heading back to the Base as ordered.”
Mira frowned at his deep voice, clearly he was taking his role as acting captain way too seriously. “fine” she rolled back over.
“You ok? Are you in pain?”
“No.”
He thought that over. What question did she answer? He added. “We are under orders to return to the base.”
Mira sighed. “Without Kevin!”
Montgomery was quiet for a few moments. “Kevin would go through the fires of Hell for you and the children. He will find a way, if possible. But those are our orders.”
“Fine, goodnight.” She rolled over in her bed. It just felt so wrong to leave him.
{Morning, Holodeck}
“Momma, look what I can do!” Kolar swung on a vine over a little creek before letting go to splash in the water. Mira grinned at her little daredevil. The twins were splashing at the waters edge with Zimia. Mira was leaning back on a log,¹ watching the kids play. That was about all Mira was permitted to do, watch them play or sleep. She was going a little crazy from all this forced rest.
“Computer, ETA on Base arrival.” Mira asked.
=/\=“24 hours at the current speed.”=/\=
Mira frowned, wondering if she could get the USS Chuck Norris to meet them. Make the changeover and head out for their next mission? Then she could avoid the Admiral all together? That had possibilities!
She saw a form in the water, very near the girls. Zimia wasn’t alarmed, perhaps she hadn’t seen it yet but Mira had programmed the sim and knew there should be nothing dangerous. A forehead with tiny tentacles broke the water slowly, creeping towards the twins.
Finally Zimia reacted, although her acting was a little over the top so Mira knew she was in on whatever it was. “OH NO! The sea monster is coming!”
The twins scream-giggled as K’ner wiggled closer in the water and jumped back into Zimia’s lap, pretty much drenching her in the process. “RAWR!” bubbled up from the water…
Kolar swung out again, “No monster can take my sister, or my new brother! YAARRRR!”
Mira heard the whoosh from K’ner, knowing her boy had landed rather well, but she took it in stride. In all actuality she had taken harder hits in combat, but it still looked like it would leave a mark.
There was splashing and yelling, the twins cheering their big brother on until he pulled the ‘sea monster’ up into the shallows of the shore of the creek, standing on top of it/her… “HAHA! No more monster!”
“YAY!” came the chorus from the shore, which lasted a few glorious seconds before K’ner thrashed, much to Kolar’s wide-eyed surprise, as he tumbled into the water, popping up, spitting water and coughing, also much to the twin’s joyous laughter, which he had to join in with a smile.
“Never underestimate the enemy boy… Never gloat over your victories.” K’ner was light about it, but Kolar had that knowing nod that he had perhaps gained something from playtime today.
Mira's thoughts were interrupted by a chirp from her comm badge. =/\= “Captain, we are being hailed by the USS Keisari “ =/\= Montgomery told her.
The ship commanded by the Odinkus exchange officer? How did she know where to find Mira?
“I’ll take the message here on the holodeck,” she replied, “Computer, Arch.”
The holodeck entry appeared a little ways away and Mira walked over and activated the communications panel. The transmission materialized the image of Kevin on the screen. He had shaved his beard off and looked exhausted.
Mira froze at the sight of him. So he was with them? Or was it him at all? Her mind kept going around in circles. Perhaps he was just contacting her to ask why she hadn’t signed the divorce papers? Oh that thought hurt.
Her hand went to the spot a hole had been in her chest. She looked over her shoulder at the kids playing then back at the man. He had probably been with his first family this whole time. Yeah that thought hurt too.
“How do I know it’s you? Did the Odinskus pull off your beard?”
She frowned at herself where did that crazy comment come from.
A smile played across Kevin’s face and he gave a chuckle. “No,” he replied, “The Terran Emperor shaved my beard to match his goatee in order to use me as a decoy.” The smile dropped as he continued, “The deception worked a little too well for him.”
Mira raised an eyebrow, so he had been in the mirror universe.
Hearing sloshing behind her Mira turned around, Kolar had his hands on this hips “Mama, Never underestimate the enemy.” He told her the information as if she didn’t know it. “Who’s that?” he asked frowning.
“That’s your Da….” She started to say but Kolar shook his head no.
“that’s not dada.” He shook his head no then yelled for Shan’nara to confirm that wasn’t Dada
Shan’nara ran over and frowned. “That doesn’t look like him.”
Mira rolled her eyes.
{Captain office }
Montgomery’s hand went to his beard after he connected Kevin to Mira in the holodeck of the ship. He wondered what was going on. Kevin had just asked to be put in contact with Mira. He could not believe that Kevin hadn’t been the second emperor the had been trying to meet up with in the Mirror universe.
Mira was either going to be very happy to see him or extremely mad. He briefly thought about hiding that bottle she had stored but he was sure she had a few more bottles hidden around the ship. The woman could be down right devious when need arises. He had got in mix reports on Kevin’s survival but didn’t have the heart to tell her.
The door to the office open and a crewman walked in Montgomery frowned “who are you?” the image flickered and Montgomery cursed. “Whatever your about to ask for the answer is no.”
The man laughed “Don’t be that way. I am just checking up on her.”
Montgomery narrowed his eyes “ Did you know she was going to get shot and be that close to death?”
The man shook his head no. “Time lines are funny that way. How is she doing?”
Montgomery frowned he almost sounded like he cared. “She is expected to make a full recovery.” He told him nothing else, like her nightmares, weakness and restlessness.
TC as Mira had been calling him just nodded. “is TC your real name?” Montgomery asked.
The man laughed. “No but it’s a good enough name. Keep her out of trouble” then he touched his temple with two fingers and disappeared leaving Montgomery frowning at how quickly the man disappeared. “Yeah I can see why Mira dislikes him.” He said to himself then rubbed the back of his neck as he sat there. Mira had been unconscious when he had gotten the order to return. Since Mira was in Sickbay they had ordered him to put her on medical leave and return to the base Immediately. He had found out there was another team sent to another portal to destroy it. He wondered just how many entries did the mirror universe have? Seeing that Kevin had made it back to this universe he must have either joined that team or…. He let the thought hang. K’ner had entered the holodeck program a few hours ago to ensure Mira rested and to keep an eye out on the kids. He wondered how that was going but turned back to the reports.
TAG
OFF:
Lt Betaras K’ner
Hazard Team Combat Medic TL-B / CMO
USS Chuck Norris
&
Captain Mira Rodale Lance
CO USS Chuck Norris
&
Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris
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