"An Avalonian Morning"

[Guest Laarell]

"An Avalonian Morning"

Lt. Laarell Teykier

May 20, 2156

 

Over pine needles and granite she climbed, ascending the steep slope above the new base. The early morning's light only beginning to shine through the clouds, the sky was turning a pale shade of pink. Unwarmed by the Avalonian sun, the air carried a chill, the remnants of a cold night not wanting to relinquish their hold on the world.

 

Laarell knelt, taking a handful of dirt in her palm. Dark; rich with nutrients. She hadn't seen the soil analyses of the planet, but judging my color and texture alone, a good possibility existed that settlers would be able to farm. The Orion hoped so -- one day it would be rewarding to come back in a few years to find Avalon's valleys flourishing with crops. Gods knew what a refreshing change that would be.

 

She seated herself upon a large granite boulder, pulling the black sweater closer to her arms as she shivered. There were times when Laarell regretted her posting on Excalibur. Namely, in the middle of battle. She wasn't a tactician, nor was she a weaponry expert. Her scientific heart wept at those times, though never showed it. It wasn't what Starfleet was out here for. But who was she kidding? Peaceful exploration in the name of science had disappeared back around the Dominion War.

 

Darker thoughts subsiding, she looked down upon the newly-minted base, smiling. This, on the other hand, was why they were really out here. Peacefully, they had started a colony on a beautiful Minshara-class planet. Federation citizens would go about their lives without worry, for a little while, at least.

 

The gleaming metal, untouched by rust and tarnish, seemed a monument to the beauty of such endeavours. Its polished surface reflecting more and more of the sun's blossoming light, Laarell turned her head away, unable to bear its brilliance.

 

With the coming of the day came the coming of certain duties, the Orion involved in said duties. Her meditations here finished, she stood, making her way down the incline once more.