Terrace & Tide
Posted on 09 Mar 2026 @ 2:46pm by Captain Sabrina Corbin
756 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Silent Inheritance
Location: Kestral Reach, Lathira IV
// Kestrel Reach :: Administrative Terrace //
The council chamber doors closed behind Sabrina with a quiet click.
The corridor beyond was cooler than the meeting room they had just left. Administrative staff moved quickly through the hall carrying padds and exchanging short, quiet conversations. Through the tall windows at the far end of the corridor the terraces of Kestrel Reach stretched toward the ocean, sunlight reflecting off pale stone walkways and railings polished smooth by years of coastal wind.
The scent of salt drifted faintly even this far inside the building.
Sabrina had nearly reached the exit when footsteps sounded behind her.
“June.”
The name stopped her.
She turned.
Evan was coming down the corridor toward her, one hand resting briefly on the railing as he slowed. Without the formality of the council chamber between them the moment felt strangely familiar and entirely different at the same time.
His expression carried quiet curiosity rather than surprise.
“I suppose,” he said, “that’s not the name most people use for you.”
Sabrina regarded him calmly.
“No,” she said. “It usually isn’t.”
He glanced toward the windows where the terraces stepped downward toward the sea.
“You might have mentioned you were a starship captain.”
A faint hint of amusement touched Sabrina’s expression.
“You might have mentioned you were part of the colonial government.”
“That’s fair.”
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Outside, the ocean wind moved softly through the gardens along the terrace walls. The sound of distant waves rose faintly from the cliffs below.
Evan looked back at her.
“So June wasn’t a lie.”
“No,” Sabrina said quietly. “It wasn’t.”
She folded her hands loosely behind her back.
“It’s what my family calls me. A few close friends. People who knew me before Starfleet decided my rank was the most important thing about me.”
Evan nodded slowly.
“That makes sense.”
The tension between them eased slightly.
They stepped outside onto the terrace.
Warm air settled around them immediately, thick with humidity and the unmistakable scent of salt carried inland from the sea. Sunlight reflected off the pale stone walkway while the cliffs dropped sharply away beyond the railings.
Below them the ocean stretched wide and shallow, the water shifting through shades of clear turquoise where the sandy seabed showed through the surface. White lines of surf rolled slowly across the reef before dissolving into softer ripples closer to the cliffs.
It was the same view Sabrina had stood beside only a week earlier.
The atmosphere of the colony had changed.
Movement across the terraces was quicker now. People walked in small groups, conversations carried in low tones, and more than a few glances followed the Starfleet captain as she stepped onto the open walkway.
Evan rested his hands lightly on the railing.
“The council meeting didn’t make anyone feel better,” he said.
“It wasn’t meant to,” Sabrina replied.
He glanced toward her.
“That’s honest.”
“It’s accurate.”
Evan looked back out across the terraces.
“People are starting to worry about what this means,” he said. “If something in the infrastructure is interfering with the vaccine…”
He gestured toward the city around them.
“This colony runs on water. Irrigation systems, hydroponic farms, livestock reserves. If people begin believing the water itself is unsafe…”
“Panic will spread faster than the virus,” Sabrina finished.
He gave a small nod.
“You’ve seen that before.”
“Enough times.”
The ocean breeze shifted slightly, carrying the sharper scent of salt up from the cliffs.
Evan watched the movement of people along the lower terraces for a moment.
“Not quite the morning we had at the Tide Gardens,” he said quietly.
Sabrina followed his gaze toward the gardens several levels below.
“No,” she said.
“Circumstances have changed.”
Evan accepted that without argument.
After a moment he straightened from the railing.
“You should probably get back to your ship,” he said.
“I will.”
He studied her briefly.
“Good luck, Captain.”
Sabrina inclined her head.
“Take care of your colony, Director.”
Evan looked out across the terraces one last time, the turquoise water beyond them bright beneath the midday sun.
“That’s the plan.”
He turned and headed down the steps toward the lower agricultural terraces.
Sabrina watched him go for a moment before turning toward the transport hub.
The warm ocean wind followed her along the terrace.
The colony stretched out beneath the cliffs, bright and deceptively peaceful in the sunlight.
And waiting for answers she did not yet have.
Captain Sabrin Corbin
Commanding Officer
USS Arawyn
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