Post 249: As Blue as the Very Sea Part Three

Stardate:70624.2030
Title: As Blue as the Very Sea Part Three
Author: Zanh Liis
Scene: Deck 46/Arboretum
Time: The Morning After Part Two; "Twilight" and "Lursa's Curses" (Current time)
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The first thing she noticed as she exited the turbolift was pair after pair of shining, perfectly polished black boots. Lining the halls on either side, as far as the eye could see. Each pair attached to a Starfleet officer, standing with head held high. They were here today to salute their own; they were here today to show respect.

Liis squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She'd done a lot for Starfleet in the many lives she'd led for them- but never this. This was a first.

She felt a lump forming in her throat but fought it back with a gulp. She nodded to those she passed, all the while fixing her eyes on the doors to the arboretum at the end of the line to help her maintain her composure.

Not everyone could fit in the gardens for the ceremony, but as many as were able had shown up for the occasion. Leaving only a skeleton crew on the bridge for a short span of time so that these honors could be properly bestowed.

*In the service corridor, behind the back entrance to the arboretum*

"Let me out of this contraption Cliona or I swear, I'll," Gilmore complained, tapping his cane against the armrest of the wheelchair he rode in. "We're going to be late."

"You'll what? If you don't let me push you to the doors, I will push you to the nearest airlock and out of it, you ornery," she grumbled as she took him down the hall. "Soon as it's time, you can stand up. No one will see the chair. But it's too soon for you to walk the whole way." She set the brake on the chair and headed for the doors.

"Where are you going? You're not leaving me here!"

"I'll be back for you in a minute. I have some awards to give out first. You don't want to spoil the surprise do you?"

Gilmore sighed. He listened as the service began, piped through the ship's main com lines so all could hear.

*Back in the arboretum*

"Commanding Officer on deck." Simon Biggs announced, as Zanh crossed the threshold from the corridor. More than two-hundred officers who had served on the planet's surface as search and rescue first responders had assembled by department, awaiting her arrival. Their families were also present.

Zanh moved toward a long table at the front, which was set with boxes and boxes of Starfleet Order of Heroes medals. Department heads would be called upon to award the medals to their own, taking into account that no crewman could feel greater pride than that of being commended by their own department's commanding officer.

A lone officer held his bugle at the ready. On her signal, he began playing the Anthem of the United Federation of Planets, then the planetary anthem of Bajor.

As the music sounded, Zanh looked around for Vedek Jariel and finally found him staring at her from a vantage point across the room. He had not taken his place as she'd requested among the away team members for the ceremony.

He felt that this was their honor as members of Starfleet, not his, and stood off to the side beneath the gazebo, looking on. Her eyes pleaded with him to move forward, but he simply signed to her that he intended on staying where he was until it was time for him to speak.

Zanh motioned for the department leaders to begin awarding the medals. The statement they made as they gave each one and shook the hand of the recipient was the same; "With the thanks of the people of Bajor and a grateful Federation."

When they had finished, the department chiefs did as they'd been instructed and returned to the front of the garden, where Zanh stood and Vedek Jariel finally approached. He began to sign, and Liis gave voice to his words for the crowd.

"It is in the darkest of times, the longest of nights and saddest of days when we find out whom we can truly count as our friends." She translated. "Each and every one of you have proven yourselves to be a friend of the Bajoran people. It is with all our hearts that we thank you for your care, kindness, and service. We will never forget. May the Prophets bless each step you take, as you walk your chosen path from this day."

He stepped backward, but before he could vanish once more into the crowd, Zanh grabbed his hand and held it fast. She glanced at Salvek, and he handed her a box. Jariel shook his head 'no', but there was to be no winning this fight. Zanh took the medal from the box and pinned it to his collar herself. She leaned closer to him and whispered something before he could object.

"There's more that goes along with this but we'll talk about that later." He was puzzled as she moved away, wondering what she meant by that.

Zanh checked her chronometer. If she was right, any moment a surprise for the crew was about to come through the doors at the back of the room. But before that surprise, one other had to take place first.

She nodded to each member of the surface command crew, which had reassembled before her. Salvek. N'Dura. K'Pajek. Margolis. Biggs. Samson. Rogers. Blane. And beside Blane, the newest addition to the crew in the form of Sunshine, the dog who had performed a miracle.

"There are few words which can appropriately describe the act of saving a life." Zanh began. "Courageous. Selfless. Honorable," she paused, again choking back that damned lump. "But those are merely words. Nothing can explain the value of the work that you've done here more appropriately than the presence of someone whose life was saved by your actions. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Daia Hilani."

Zanh stepped aside, and a tall Bajoran woman with dark hair appeared from the gazebo behind her. She still had faint bruises on her face and arms from the crushing injuries she'd suffered. But the fact that she was here at all was a testament to the work that the team had done. Behind her stood a man, and a boy who appeared to be about eleven years of age.

"Captain Zanh," The woman began, her eyes filling with tears. "I present to you my family. We had been separated during the chaos before the storm, and they did not know what had become of me. If not for your crew, I would not be here with them today. I would request, please, the honor of thanking them." Zanh nodded, and handed the woman two boxes.

TC Blane's face was at first unreadable, then indescribable. Amazement collided with disbelief upon his features as he recognized her as the woman that Sunshine had found. She was moving toward him.

"I thank you, Lt. TC Blane," Daia Hilani began, "for listening to the voice inside you that told you not to give up on me." She pinned the medal to TC's uniform, and whispered something in his ear. His cheeks grew crimson, and he shook his head as if to say 'no' in response to her private comment. But the woman nodded and kissed his cheek before moving on.

She slowly bent down to the dog beside him. "And you, little one, I thank for being the voice that the Prophets used to save my life." She took the medal from the box and pinned it to Sunshine's collar, and the dog wagged his tail before giving her a hearty slurp across the face.

The woman's husband and son moved forward and shook TC's hand, and then the hand of each member of the command team. Emotions ran high as they all felt the power of this small moment of triumph amid so much sorrow.

"A moment of silence for Bajor." Zanh said at last, and the room became still. But the silence was soon broken as hushed voices became audible at the back of the room. Exclamations of "It's the Captain!" swept through the room like a wave, and Zanh grinned from ear to ear.

There stood RJ Gilmore. In uniform, walking unassisted with his usual 'click step, click step' gait as he moved with his cane down the stone walkway. He approached the command team, and nodded to Zanh. She stepped back, and without a word, began handing Gilmore the remaining medals to distribute to Salvek, N'Dura, K'Pajek, Margolis, Biggs, Rogers and Samson.

He shook each officer's hand and then gave them their medal. He leaned forward, saying something to each that no one else could hear, and they thanked him afterward. Then he turned to the crowd.

"Well done. You have made me proud to be Captain of this crew and a Starfleet officer." He raised his hand to salute the assembly before concluding. "Company dismissed."
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Commander Zanh Liis
USS Independence NCC-90791