Homecoming...Sort of

Posted on 26 Aug 2025 @ 7:49pm by Commander Lucsa Myan

827 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Unity
Location: Unity Station

It had been a long time since Lucsa Myan had been home.

This wasn't exactly home, though, was it? She had been born on the planet, and those mountains were where she had grown up until she chose to leave the system and join Starfleet. This station was new, but it was in orbit of home...so it was close enough.

The faces here were familiar, or familiar enough. The majority were, naturally, the tall, pale, willowy forms of her fellow Arrkun, but she saw several of the short, stout Hylcins and the elegant, colorful Qaiins and even the fierce, red Chaarans... She was surprised, to be blunt, since those three groups were less likely to want to leave the planet than the Arrkun.

Maybe times really were changing.

"So, you've finally returned," a feminine voice said from behind her.

Lucsa turned to see a familiar face, and she smiled vaguely...which to the Arrkun was downright warm. "Kyrta," she greeted. "It has been a long time."

Her friend was also Arrkun, born masculine but having chosen to eschew general gender archetypes as too binding and otherwise irrelevant. They had devoted all of their energy and mental faculties to their work, which was like a profession, a calling, a familial bond, and a parental duty all rolled into one for them. It was no surprise at all to find them here on Unity Station.

"It has," they replied, stepping closer and then falling in line with Lucsa as she began to walk again. "I cannot say that I am surprised to see you here now, however."

"Nor can I say that I am surprised to see you here."

"Indeed." Their nostrils flared, in what was their closest approximation of a laugh. "It is the next..." They paused, seeking the right words. "...the next great challenge of the Sal'kiiran people, and it is also a marvel for us technologically. Our efforts alongside the United Federation of Planets. Merging to create something new. How could I not be here?"

Lucsa smiled faintly again. Kyrta continued, however, before she could say anything.

"Sadly, not everyone has felt the same."

Tilting her head curiously, Lucsa simply looked at them long enough to continue.

"There have been a few...unfortunate incidents, nothing major but enough to show that a few people do not agree with our people's onward march into the stars. Trade for the planet is one thing, but venturing too far from home and inviting so many outsiders here to live... Well, it's not sitting well with everyone." Kyrta shrugged in a slight, economical way. "It is the way of things, I suppose. I heard an Earth saying recently that I believe applies. You cannot please all people all the time."

A human expression coming from her stoic Sal'kiiran friend was almost enough to make her laugh, but she restrained herself. "I have heard that expression myself, and I suppose it can apply to Sal'kiirans just as well as to humans, or many other races, I imagine."

Kyrta inclined their head in agreement. "I imagine," they said. "I personally look forward to learning whether that is so and to broadening my experience in meeting other species. I believe there are few alliances that our government could have made that would have afforded such a broad swath of opportunity to do so like working with the UFP and Starfleet does."

"Oh, you certainly do meet quite a range of persons," Lucsa had to agree, reflecting on experiences in Starfleet over the past several years. "I don't think you'll be disappointed."

The pair walked on for a while, speaking of what were--too them--matters of consequence. Any time it felt like there might be "small talk," they chose silence instead. In those moments, Lucsa took her time to look around her and observe elements of the station. The majority of the work was obviously complete, given there was gravity and breathable air within, but many other elements were still in progress.

Such as storefronts built along the promenade waiting for merchants to fill them. There were still panels open in several areas where final work was being completed on the station's inner workings. Sections here and there were closed to all but authorized personnel. The commander knew that she qualified, but she didn't pry into what was being done in each one since she was here just to take a look as a general thing.

Even so, much of it had been completed, and it gave her a...pleasant feeling to see it. She could see which parts were clearly Starfleet in design, which were Sal'kiiran, and which were a clear merging of the two. Such a fascinating choice had been made with this station, yet as the rare Sal'kiiran to leave her home planet and join an organization like the fleet, it was a choice and an outcome that pleased her.

So far, everything about this station made her feel quite...optimistic.

 

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