The Final Countdown

Posted on Sun Sep 7th, 2025 @ 2:21am by Lieutenant JG Kally Kellerman & Tessa di'Orion

Mission: A Princess Of Tial
Location: Sickbay

The woman who walked through the door was nearly unrecognizable, yet thoroughly familiar. She had been given two hours by the CO of Bey'a'Dande's Spear to prepare to return to the surface and she'd spent it packing her few remaining items and preparing herself. Cass was doing the same, but she had other tasks as well, which meant Tessa could go visit one last person. A query of the system told her where to find that one.

Tessa was in her full regalia, having had a replacement outfit replicated in every detail from the one she'd originally worn aboard. The tunic, the skirt, the only difference was the cloak that Cass would have waiting for her when she arrived at the shuttle. They had even been given a priority landing location outside Light's End, but that was for their departure in thirty minutes. Instead, she ended up outside of Kally's quarters and pressed the chime, "Lady Kellerman, may I have a word please?"

---

"Stop tugging at it," Katie said, pulling Kally's fingers out of her collar.

"It's uncomfortable. I must've gained twenty kilos for it to be this tight," Kally said, adjusting her uniform top.

"You haven't gained an ounce, because neither have I," Katie said, annoyed. "You're just nervous, and when you get nervous, you get itchy and antsy. Now stop moving before you wind up with blush in your eyes."

Kally huffed. "Doesn't help that I hate wearing a dress uniform."

"Or any uniform," Katie said. "Or clothing in general..."

"You're not help-ing," Kally sing-songed as Katie applied the final touches to Kally's makeup.

To both their surprise, Kally's chime suddenly sounded. "Lady Kellerman, may I have a word please?"

Kally's face went pale, but she couldn't refuse. "Enter," she said.

As the doors opened and Tessa entered, both girls stared for a moment. Katie brightened immediately. "Wow, Tessa, you look great!"

Kally finally smiled as well. "You sure do, kid. I mean...Your Grace." She nudged Katie.

Katie jumped, then cleared her throat. "Right...well...you're all set, Kal. Have fun planet-side."

Kally gave her sister a kiss. "Love you."

"Love you too," Katie said and headed out.

Kally stood with her hands behind her back. "What can I do for you, Tessa?" she said.

Tessa looked up, "I wanted to..." She started, then glanced down, "Come and thank you for all of your assistance and training that you gave me. I will forever be grateful to you and the Federation and..." She looked back up and made an impulsive decision, stepping forward quickly and wrapping her arms around the doctor, "Thank you."

Kally hugged Tessa tightly. As she loved reminding Katie (and Katie hated hearing), Kally was the older sister by a whole five minutes, and typically acted as that, either by being comforting or by being bossy, depending on the situation. In that hug, she felt a need to be comforted.

"You're very welcome," she said. "You've been a fantastic apprentice, and I'm so very glad I got to know you." She held her tight and gave her a squeeze. "Now...what can I do for you?" She stepped back and looked Tessa in the eyes, smiling supportively.

"The fear and sadness in Tessa's eyes was plain and obvious, but in it's own way, so was the bravery that was required for her to come and make this request, "I believe Captain Skyie intends for you all to remain here for a standard week, but I need you to keep Henry on board the ship. I fear for him if he comes to my world... And I fear for myself."

Kally's face winced in sympathetic pain. He's going to be crushed, she thought. He'd already clocked out to go change into a dress uniform. "Are you sure?" Kally said, concerned. "He'd be in danger from your people for being...what he is?" She touched her blonde hair.

"He wouldn't be in danger, not at Light's End, no, I can arrange for an escort for him if needed, but no." Tessa shook her head firmly, "I'm afraid he would do something stupid, or that I would. It would be best if he and I parted ways up here, make it a clean break rather than something that lingers on."

Kally nodded. She put an arm around Tessa and steered her towards her couch, sitting them down. "I can't speak for you," she said, "but I have had a talk with Henry, and he understands the consequences of what could happen if he loses control. He's vowed to be on his best behavior and not to jeopardize anything for you." She smiled sadly at her. "Knowing he caused you any pain or consequences is a far worse punishment than anything your people could do to him."

"And that's why he cannot be allowed to come down to the surface." Tessa didn't resist at all, "Because just having him there would cause problems for me. I have to do my duty and I don't know if I can if he's there. Who and what I am is important to me, to my people at home. Even more so now than before, because you've taught me so much. I can't jeopardize that for my own wishes."

Kally sighed and sat back on her couch, crossing her legs. "You're right," she said, sadly. "You can't jeopardize everything just for him."

Tessa sighed heavily, she knew that coming here would be the right choice. "You're right, my place is too important at home."

Kally gave her a sad smile. "Exactly. I mean, we both agree Henry's a nice guy, handsome, cute rear end." She bobbed her eyebrows. "But ....c'mon Tessa. He's not worth giving up a planet for." She shook her head.

"I may not be in control of the planet, but Light's End is a large place." Tessa corrected, "But still, the people there count on me and my mother."

"Exactly!" Kally said. "They all count on you. You're literally the only person in the galaxy who can do what you do. And don't worry about Henry. He'll be fine," Kally said, getting a devilish grin. "I will make sure of it personally."

"Thank you, My Lady." Tessa said with a bit of testiness in her voice, this was getting repetitive and she stood up from the couch and took a step away.

Kally stood up and followed her, crossing her arms and upping the sauciness in her voice. "You go back to your people and your prestige and your power, bond with whomever, and I'll bond with Henry." She smiled wide as Tessa stopped in front of her. "You don't want him sad over you? You have my word, he won't be." She leaned forward, her voice dripping with false honey as she murmured into Tessa's ear. "I will take him here, put him in my bed and I will bond with him until he can't even remember your name, and you can go forget about him, because after all, he's not that important, right?"

There was no warning as something inside Tessa snapped, her hand flying up as she put her entire weight behind it and a whipcrack sounds as it landed on Kally's exposed cheek. There was no thought behind her motions as she spun and Cass would have been proud of how much power the kick to Kally's chest had to it, driving her back onto the couch. As Tessa recovered from the motion, her rapier filled her hand and she advanced on Kally, point driving towards the doctor's chest and stopping a centimeter away, Tessa's eyes blazing wildly and her own chest heaving as she stood there, ready to strike.

Kally coughed, blood spraying over her uniform. She saw stars in front of her eyes and she felt an ache everywhere. "Sounds like you aren't as good with this idea as you let on," she coughed, spitting out a shard of a tooth. She stood up and faced Tessa, albeit a bit wobbly. "Where's this fire coming from?"

"BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT EASIER!" Tessa screamed at the other blonde, turning and throwing her sword the opposite direction as hard as she could before collapsing to the ground, sobbing, "I hate you, I hate Lord Espersen, I hate Henry, I hate EVERYONE here who's told me that I can just run away and stay here, because I CAN'T!" The last word was a wail of grief.

Kally quickly took off her uniform jacket and put it over Tessa's shoulders to protect her dress from getting blood on it as Kally dropped to her knees, wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her tight. "If you hated us," she said, sagely, "you wouldn't be so upset right now. You care about us as much as we care about you. And as for Henry..." she took a steadying breath as her head began to spin, forcing herself to focus. She leaned in and whispered in Tessa's ear. "You know what you're worth to him."

When Tessa cried harder, Kally went from her knees to her ass, leaning on one hand weakly. "Tessa," she said, breathing hard. "You believe there are only two options in your life: all or none. You either must have all of this life and none of the other, or vice versa. Things aren't always so black and white. There's always another gambit. If you truly want something in this galaxy, you find a way to get it. If you want a life with Henry, and you want to protect your people's position on your world, then find a way

"I can't!" Tessa sobbed out, shaking now that she couldn't hold it in, "I can't take Henry with me, even if he were willing to stay on Tial... He's too low-class and... Sentar. If it were known that he and I had any relationship, he would be killed and I would be disgraced, stripped of title and rank and banished or executed." There was a deep emptiness in her, "And I have responsibilities to my people, to care for them and provide continuity and to pass on the knowledge you've given me. What you've taught me can save countless lives... I CAN'T keep that from them, it would be wrong, evil for me to think of myself instead."

"No one's asking you...to....," Kally said, groaning and lying down on her back, pulling her uniform off of Tessa's shoulders in the process. "You can....you...." she swallowed the blood in her mouth from her broken nose. "Go...before you're late..." she said, running out of breath.

"Oh, by Urd!" Tessa's eyes opened, "The shuttle!" Then she looked at the doctor, "By Bey and the Others! I need to get you to medical, Kally!" She spoke Kally's first name for the first time ever without prompting.

Kally waved her off. "Kellerman to Sickbay: Medical emergency in my quarters! On the double!"

"Aye, Doctor, we're on our way," Nurse Ojin said, closing the channel.

"Go," Kally said to her, wheezing slightly. "You have your priorities."

Tessa gave Kally a look over, to make sure she'd be fine until the others arrived, then started for the door, stopping only to pick up the weapon where she had hurled it. One more wild look over her shoulder at Kally and she vanished through the door.

Well that fucking backfired, Kally thought as her medical team lifted her onto an antigrav gurney and rushed her out the door.