[Backlog] Echoes of Blood Pt 4

Posted on 13 Jan 2026 @ 6:48am by Lieutenant Aev Flammia
Edited on on 17 Jan 2026 @ 12:21am

1,991 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Echoes of Blood
Location: Corvanis IV
Timeline: 1.5 Weeks Previous

= Corvanis IV =

It felt as though an eternity had passed as they sat in their so-called holding cell, waiting for their captors to return. They weren’t shackled, but the isolation, the hours of silence punctuated only by the low hum of unseen systems, was its own kind of torment.

Aev and Sam had talked the situation through until there was nothing left to say. Now, with time dragging on, doubt began to creep in. If the Remans had wanted them dead, they wouldn’t still be breathing. That much was clear. So why leave them here? The Fenris Rangers, for all their reputation as vigilantes, weren’t truly antagonistic to the Federation. They operated outside protocol, yes, but they didn’t make a habit of abducting Starfleet officers. Which raised an uncomfortable possibility: these Remans might not be Rangers at all. They could just as easily be mercenaries, or worse. Had he led them straight into a trap?

Aev glanced across the room. Sam sat on the floor with her knees drawn up, chin resting against them, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She looked smaller like that. “How’re you holding up?” he asked quietly.

Sam lifted her head slightly, resting her chin on her knees as she looked at him. “I’ve been in worse rooms,” she said after a moment. She shifted, stretching her legs out a bit before pulling them back in. “I’m fine. Annoyed. Tired. Trying not to imagine all the creative ways this could go sideways.” A faint, crooked smile flickered. “So… pretty normal, all things considered.”

“Yes,” Aev said, a faint smile of recognition crossing his face. “Imagining all the ways this could go sideways seems to be my new favorite mental exercise.” He exhaled quietly. Of all the things gnawing at him, the absence of Ignis was the most persistent. Ever since he’d slipped that ring onto his finger six months ago, true silence had been rare. There was always a comment, an observation, some irreverent aside. And even when Ignis wasn’t speaking, there was a constant sense of presence, a subtle awareness that he wasn’t alone.

Now there was nothing.

The quiet felt hollow.

That, more than anything else, unsettled him. When had that absence begun to feel like a loss? “I keep trying to imagine what Ignis would say about all of this,” Aev added softly.

Sam watched him for a moment, her expression softening. “He’d probably say something infuriatingly insightful,” she said quietly. “Followed by a joke that completely misses the point, but somehow still makes you feel better.” She shifted closer, resting her arms on her knees. “You get used to a presence like that. Someone who’s always there, always reacting, always… with you. Doesn’t matter if they’re holographic or not.”

“You d-” Aev began, then fell silent as a harsh metallic clack echoed through the room. The locking mechanism disengaged with deliberate force. He rose to his feet as the hinges creaked and the door swung open.

A tall, thin Reman stood in the doorway, his pale eyes sweeping over them both. He lifted a finger and pointed directly at Aev, then gestured sharply for him to follow.

Aev stepped forward as Sam began to stand, but the Reman snapped his finger toward her and barked, in rough Federation Standard, “Not you.”

“I’m not going without her,” Aev said immediately, turning back to Sam. He couldn’t leave her alone, not after she’d chosen to come with him.

The Reman studied him for a long moment, eyes unreadable. Then he gave a small, dismissive shrug and turned away. “Come,” he said.

Sam didn’t hesitate. She moved quickly to Aev’s side, falling in just behind him as they followed the Reman into the corridor.

They were led through winding, rock-hewn passages until the space abruptly opened into a vast chamber. What might once have been a natural cavern had been expanded and reinforced, its ceiling lost in shadow. Several long tables filled the room, perhaps a communal hall, or a meeting space.

At the far end, a raised dais held five chairs, all occupied by Remans. Their glowing eyes fixed on Aev and Sam as they approached. A dozen or more guards ringed the chamber, watching with quiet, coiled alertness.

The Reman escort stopped and stepped aside, leaving Aev and Sam standing alone before the figures on the dais.

One of the Remans seated at the far left, a lithe female, leaned forward and pointed directly at Aev. “Isala trii t’khal.”

The Reman male beside her inclined his head once in agreement. “Au Saetare trii.”

Aev’s gaze moved between them. He couldn’t make out every nuance of their expressions in the dim light, but he understood enough to feel a chill settle in his chest. They were talking about his parents. “Nni kllai mnhei?” he asked carefully in Rihannsu.

Both Remans snapped their attention to him at once, their reactions sharp and unmistakably startled.

At the center of the dais, the eldest Reman who had remained silent until now raised a hand. His eyes, violet and luminous, fixed on Aev with measured intensity. “Who are you,” he asked slowly, “and why have you come here, Starfleet?” The words were spoken in Federation Standard, deliberate and precise, and the shift in language carried its own weight.

“I am Lieutenant Aev Flammia, Chief of Security aboard the USS Arawyn,” Aev said evenly. The reaction was immediate- a low ripple of murmured voices spreading through the chamber. Aev noted it without comment, filing the response away. Do they think the Arawyn is nearby? Watching? He set the thought aside for later. “I was part of a relief mission to Rhaevath,” he continued. “While there, I was approached by a Reman.” He paused, feeling the weight of their attention settle fully on him. “He remarked on my eyes, and told me that if I wanted answers, I should come to Corvanis.”

Aev lifted his chin slightly. “So I did. I’m here because I’m looking for those answers.”

The Reman frowned, shaking his head. “Yes. Korr told us he had met a Romulan.” His jaw tightened. “He should never have told you that. He has misled you, and in doing so, put all of us in danger.” He turned sharply and gestured to one of the guards. “Uhlan t’kalem.”

The guard nodded and stepped forward, opening a duffel bag and methodically laying their equipment onto a table near the dais. Ignis’ ring was placed last, set with deliberate care on the small surface.

The Reman’s gaze returned to Aev “Take your things and leave. You should not be here.”

Aev looked down at the equipment, his gaze lingering on the onyx ring for a long moment before he lifted his eyes back to the Reman. “When I was a child,” he said evenly, “I was left at a Federation medical station by a Reman. Before he vanished, he told the doctor my name was Aev.” His voice hardened slightly. “I don’t believe that was a coincidence.”

He glanced at the two Remans who had been speaking in low tones about him. “I am not fluent in the Reman dialect,” he continued, “but I know enough Rihannsu to understand they were talking about my parents.” His gaze returned to the elder “I cannot leave without answers.”

The Reman male beside the elder shook his head. “Skaien nai, Skath. Jal trii kllai.”

The elder answered with a low grunt, irritation flickering across his features before he let out a long, weary breath. “S’Tcaevra.”

Aev frowned. “S’Tcaevra?”

The elder inclined his head. “That is the name they were given. Your name.” His gaze softened, just slightly. “It was chaos- too many injured, too many sick. I am not surprised they did not hear it clearly. When they took you, I knew you would be in good hands. I also knew you would be safe.” His expression hardened again, protective now rather than dismissive. “You are not safe here, S’Tcaevra. Return to your ship. Return to Starfleet. Forget about us.” He paused, voice lower. “We are only glad to know you are alive… and well.”

A whirlwind of thoughts battered at Aev’s mind. Why am I not safe? What happened to my parents? Who were they? He drew in a slow breath, forcing himself to steady. “I need answers,” he said quietly. “I’ve been having dreams, recurring dreams. I’m on a planet with tall grass. There are always Remans there, and one Romulan. I can never see his face clearly, but I know he’s my father.” He swallowed. “Ever since I met that Reman, Korr, I’ve been drawn here. I can’t ignore it. Where are my parents? Do I have any family left who can tell me the truth?”

The elder sighed again and rose to his feet. The other four Remans stood with him. “You are stubborn,” he said, studying Aev closely, “just like your mother.” His brow furrowed. “Too stubborn.” He turned to the others and spoke sharply. “Rau trii jal nai.”

The gathered Remans dispersed, their footsteps fading until the cavern stood empty save for the elder, Aev, and Sam. The elder faced Aev once more, his expression heavy with resignation. “I will tell you about your parents, S’Tcaevra,” he said at last. “But we may both come to regret that you chose to linger here.”

“How did you know my parents?” Aev asked.

The Reman regarded him for a long moment, then gestured toward one of the large tables. “Come. Sit.” He lowered himself into a seat, movements slow and deliberate. “How much do you remember of your childhood? You were very young when I brought you to the refugee clinic, and very ill.”

Aev and Sam exchanged a brief glance before sitting across from him. “I remember nothing,” Aev said quietly. “I was critically sick with encephalitis. I barely survived. If it hadn’t been for expert care, and years of rehabilitation, I doubt I’d be able to walk, or even speak, today.”

The elder’s expression darkened. “We had no medicine then. Nothing,” he said. “When you fell ill, we were terrified. We did what we could to soothe you, but I could feel the sickness burning through your mind.” He raised one hand, fingers curling slightly. “Even now, I remember it. The fire that surrounded you. So hot.” The Reman lowered his hand and shook his head, the memory clearly still with him.

“So you knew me as a child,” Aev said, the words coming faster now. “I was with you, all of you?” His gaze locked onto the elder. “What about my parents? How did you know them? What happened to them?”

For a long moment, the Reman said nothing.

“Yes,” he replied at last. “I have known you since before you could speak. Since before you could remember.” He studied Aev with an intensity that felt uncomfortably intimate. “Since you were still in your mother’s womb. How could I not know you?”

The room seemed to contract around them.

The Reman straightened slightly. “My name is Skath,” he said. “And I am your grandfather.”

Aev blinked. The words fell into the space between them like a physical weight. For a moment, it felt as though the air had been knocked from his lungs, not violently, but completely. His mind stalled, caught between disbelief and recognition. His fingers tightened against the edge of the table without him realizing it. The room seemed farther away now, the murmurs, the Remans, even Sam fading to a distant hum. All he could hear was his own breathing, too shallow, too fast.

= To be continued =

Lieutenant Aev Flammia
Chief of Security
USS Arawyn

&

Lieutenant Samantha Dawes (NPC)
Medical Officer & Surgeon
USS Charon

 

RSS Feed