Echoes Of A Past Life
Posted on Tue May 19th, 2026 @ 8:22pm by Captain Adrian Kellan & Lieutenant JG Aurora Winters
1,202 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Episode 1: Shadows of Diplomacy
Location: USS Scharnhorst, Chief Counselor Office
Location: USS Scharnhorst, Chief Counselor Office
Adrian walked into the counseling office of Lieutenant Aurora Winters. "Hello, Lieutenant Winters?" Adrian called out as walked in. You really didn't want to be here, but Dr. Kennings didn't really give him much of a choice.
Aurora walked into the room from her office, "Hello captain, I was wondering when I'd see you. Please have a seat and we'll begin. Can I offer you something to drink?"
"I take it you talk to Dr Kennings?" Adrian asked, wondering how much information he needed to share. He was not sure, if he was ready to share.
Aurora nodded, "Yes I spoke with Dr, Kennings and she told me you'd be coming in. I was a little surprised to see where you'd come out of retirement. Last I knew you were home with your wife and daughter. How is your wife and daughter?"
"That makes two of us, I'll be honest it wasn't my idea." Adrian pointed out to her. "Starfleets hurting for good officers, or that's excuse they told me. I guess a little thing like a borg assimilation is enough of a reason to retire anymore." Adrian said with a little bit of resentment in his tone, trying to sound funny but falling flat.
"Headquarters needs good captains but they should have given you a choice," Aurora said "Oh wait they did they told you you were needed and I think there is some form of a re-activation thing where your never fully retired. Is your family with you?"
"It's the only reason I came back, I'm not leaving them behind. I can't protect them if I'm millions of light years away." Adrian said felt a little defiant, at the question. But he understood that she was just doing her job. It still didn't make it any easier for him to talk his family are what happened to him. He also knew he wasn't the only officer to her personally been affected by the Battle of frontiers day.
"Having your family aboard is a wonderful thing. Probably the best thing for you as it will give you time away from the demands and stress of command. Not that captains are ever off duty. I'm here to help you through what you saw and experience when you first officer was killed. Your not the only one who has had issues with what happened during Frontier Day, That was a dark time for so many," Aurora said, she too had shipmates killed the screams she'd never forget.
"I know your right, but at times it does not feel like it." Adrian said, trying not to get all defensive. It was his family, that kept him from completing spiraling into chaos.
"I'm sure it doesn't. You've been through quite an ordeal, it's going to take some time for you to work through it. But you will work through it. It won't happen overnight but it will happen. Keeping it bottled up inside isn't the answer." Aurora said opening a desk drawer, she slid a notebook and pen across to him. "If your like the others I've talked to I'm sure you have dreams and nightmares about it. You don't have to but perhaps if the dreams and nightmares do wake you up write down your dreams and nightmares and we can talk about them."
"I was taught to believe that dreams and nightmares have no real meaning." Adrain said, curious to see where she was going with this train of thought. He could not help it, the explorer in him was fascinated by her approach, to get him to open up to her.
"Most people don't remember their dreams or nightmares. I believe you do and if you wright them down that will give us a way to help you work through what you had to deal with and see during Fronters Day," Aurora said. "You don't have to do it but it might help you cope and overcome things."
"Well that's the thing it seems like my dreams are a reality in my consciousness is the nightmare that I can't escape." Adrian said completely missing her point or did he miss her point? He was just trying to give her a glimpse into his psyche.
"Then we need to put your consciousness behind you. Captain this is a new ship and crew, They need you, lean on us. We look to you for guidance when times get tough. You have a new first officer and from what I've seen in his file he's one you can lean on just as you can me. I am bridge rated and if you like I'll be more than happy to be on the bridge at times," Aurora suggested. "You can get through this, I know it."
"I think you know just as well as I do that it's not that simple, it's a nice goal but it's not going to be that simple." Adrian suggested as he just gave her a blank stare, like you got to be kidding me. But he also knew that she was probably just planning out the obvious to him.
"No captain I know it's not going to be that simple. But bottling it up inside is not good either. But together we can get you through it. It's part of your past and it's going to make you a captain to look up to and be one of the best." Aurora said. "You have to face your fears and work through them. That's what I'm here for."
"Well I appreciate you being here, but I'll be honest with you. I barely feel like I'm here. Part of me still back home, part of me doesn't want this. Starfleet suggested that I needed to come back because they're desperate for capable officers and captains. I told them, I would train my replacement. Because I don't know how to come back from this." Adrian said, as he started think again about his former command.
"That's because captain, your not letting go of what happened and the longer you dwell on it the harder it's going to be for you to move forward. I understand what happened was painful. Once you move forward from it, it's going to make you a better captain,not that your not a good one now. You'll learn from what happened," Aurora said. "Trust me and should you need to talk to me in the middle of the night you call me,"
"I don't know counselor, I think I learned what I need you from the experience. But letting it go doesn't mean I can't stop seeing my friend dying in my arms at the hands of my crew." Adrian said has he looked down to his hands couldn't look up at Aurora at the moment.
"We'll get you through this," Aurora said gently.
"I hope you're right cuz right now I feel like I'm fighting you as bad along my own. It's nothing against you it's just how I feel." Adrian started to say as a scene starts to fade away, him lost in his thoughts thinking he is alone but also appreciative that she's willing to help him.
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