Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters and the ship. This story was inspired by the "Dead Letters Home" challenge, where a character is dying and can write one last letter.
SENSELESS
A young, quarter-Klingon teenager walked into cargo bay 2, carrying a padd of an old design. She sat down beside a stasis chamber that had been running for sixteen years, back facing Seven of Nine's alcove, and began to read.
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Dear Miral,
I don't know where to begin. I can picture you now, safe in your mother's arms. You're only a week old, and I'm already going to die. But I have a few minutes before this asteroid becomes my grave. It's already Ensign Mechani's.
In one week, you've changed my life. Maybe every new father says this, but I'm the proudest dad in the galaxy. You're so beautiful, so much like your mother. I wanted to see you grow up, and be a part of your life. I wanted to show you Earth, and teach you to be a great pilot, and escort you down the aisle on your wedding day. I wanted you, your mother, the brothers and sisters you'll never have, and I to be together. I wanted to encourage you to be the best you could without hampering who you are. I wanted to learn from my father's mistakes.
And now I'm going to die on an asteroid after a battle with yet another alien race, and leave you fatherless. Don't let your mother do anything risky; I can't bear the thought of leaving you orphaned. I'm sorry for leaving so soon, Miral. I didn't want to. This was supposed to be a routine survey mission. I was only going to leave you for a few hours, but now I'm leaving you forever.
There's so much I want to tell you, and so little time left to tell it. I don't even know for sure if you'll ever get this. I love you and your mother so much. Look to the past for great holodeck programs. I made a lot of mistakes in my life, but coming on Voyager, and getting lost in the Delta Quadrant, were the best things that happened to me. It's because of them that I met your mother, and am lucky enough to call you my daughter.
I'm sorry, Miral. I don't want to leave you and your mother, my B'Elanna. I would die for you two, but I don't want you to have to live knowing I died senselessly, for no cause, no reason. I know what it feels like. I'm sorry...
Love,
Dad
"We found him, B'Elanna. But he's almost dead. The only thing we can do is put him in stasis until the Doctor can figure out how to save him." Janeway knew the words would be of little comfort to his wife.
"No...."
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Sixteen years later, her daughter echoed her cry softly, staring at a face frozen in time. "No...."
SENSELESS
A young, quarter-Klingon teenager walked into cargo bay 2, carrying a padd of an old design. She sat down beside a stasis chamber that had been running for sixteen years, back facing Seven of Nine's alcove, and began to read.
****************************************************************
Dear Miral,
I don't know where to begin. I can picture you now, safe in your mother's arms. You're only a week old, and I'm already going to die. But I have a few minutes before this asteroid becomes my grave. It's already Ensign Mechani's.
In one week, you've changed my life. Maybe every new father says this, but I'm the proudest dad in the galaxy. You're so beautiful, so much like your mother. I wanted to see you grow up, and be a part of your life. I wanted to show you Earth, and teach you to be a great pilot, and escort you down the aisle on your wedding day. I wanted you, your mother, the brothers and sisters you'll never have, and I to be together. I wanted to encourage you to be the best you could without hampering who you are. I wanted to learn from my father's mistakes.
And now I'm going to die on an asteroid after a battle with yet another alien race, and leave you fatherless. Don't let your mother do anything risky; I can't bear the thought of leaving you orphaned. I'm sorry for leaving so soon, Miral. I didn't want to. This was supposed to be a routine survey mission. I was only going to leave you for a few hours, but now I'm leaving you forever.
There's so much I want to tell you, and so little time left to tell it. I don't even know for sure if you'll ever get this. I love you and your mother so much. Look to the past for great holodeck programs. I made a lot of mistakes in my life, but coming on Voyager, and getting lost in the Delta Quadrant, were the best things that happened to me. It's because of them that I met your mother, and am lucky enough to call you my daughter.
I'm sorry, Miral. I don't want to leave you and your mother, my B'Elanna. I would die for you two, but I don't want you to have to live knowing I died senselessly, for no cause, no reason. I know what it feels like. I'm sorry...
Love,
Dad
"We found him, B'Elanna. But he's almost dead. The only thing we can do is put him in stasis until the Doctor can figure out how to save him." Janeway knew the words would be of little comfort to his wife.
"No...."
****************************************************************
Sixteen years later, her daughter echoed her cry softly, staring at a face frozen in time. "No...."