Chain Reaction: Part 2/2

Posted on Mon Apr 27th, 2026 @ 6:57pm by Lieutenant JG Elen Rell & Sergeant Jace Morven & Lieutenant JG Electra Drake

1,632 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Prologue
Location: Deck 14, USS Guinevere
Timeline: Early 2389

Continued from part 1

Elen watched with interest, a small smile coming to her at seeing the metal disc Jace had engraved. "It's pretty," she said, her voice quiet before she tilted her head. "I'm glad he showed you them. He never lets me see."

"Bit like your crochet...see...?" Lucy ran her fingertip over the patterns before offering it over for her to touch too.

She reached out to touch it, stroking her finger over it. She smiled, nodding as she glanced at her face. "I like making things. It keeps my hands busy...I think for him, it's...getting how he feels onto something."

"I like patterns..." Lucy added, nodding lightly as she felt the loops of her yarn again. "Can look at them...all day..." she sang lightly, tilting her head from one side to the other with the lilt.

Elen nodded, watching her for a moment before her eyes went to the hands, how they moved. She could get lost in things like that too now and then. Patterns. Following them down rabbit holes. Not that she had ever seen a rabbit for real. Or a real rabbit hole.

"Thank you, Elen," Lex smiled gently to the woman, absently tidying Lucy's hair back. "This was really kind of you, I know she'll appreciate it."

Elen looked at Electra with surprise before she smiled, shaking her head. "It's fun to teach someone," she admitted softly. "Most don't...find it that interesting. Not when you can replicate it."

"Oh, I have a feeling that Lucy might be onto this for a while," Lex chuckled softly as she watched the way the girl was already trying to repeat the stitch.

Elen smiled with hope, looking at her before she tilted her head. She felt it for a moment, shivering, and she let out a soft breath. "I hope so," she said and turned her head, looking at the corridor. "I've found it calming when little else could hold me." She gave a small smile as she saw the shadow, heard the footsteps, and saw Jace appear.

Jace stopped, watching the three of them and the bench for a moment, his body tense. His eyes clocked the yarn, the crochet hooks, the way Lucy's hands moved. He felt Elen's eyes on him more than saw them, his eyes drawn to Electra for a moment. He looked away, shifting his weight.

Electra looked over to him with a small smile, standing to meet him on his level. She motioned subtly with her hand, an invite. "Jace...would you like to join us?"

Jace glanced at her, then at the bench, a slight frown coming to him. It wasn't what he had planned. He had planned for it to be empty.

Elen pushed herself up, smiling as she walked over to him. "Come on," she said and took his hand, lightly, walking back to the bench. One thing she had learned was that sometimes, he just needed some direction. And sure, right now it was her physically taking him over to there. "Lucy's learning a new skill." She let go of his hand and sat down on the far side of the bench, giving plenty of space.

Jace looked at Elen for a moment, a slight arch of an eyebrow that for him was almost an eyeroll at her. But the words made him look over at Lucy with the crochet hook and yarn. And how focused she looked. "Good."

"I made a chain..." Lucy lifted the wool to show him, a small, triumphant smile on her features. "I can make a...um....scarf...."

He looked at it before he gave a small nod. "You can," he said and tilted his head a little to the side. "Or it can be a chain to tie something to, to carry around your neck." He spoke quietly, a little awkwardly...fully aware of Elen beside him, of Electra there too. But he knew better than to turn and walk away. It didn't work with Elen.

"Now that's an idea," Elen said and smiled, tapping her fingers against her side for a moment. "Always nice to have something pretty to hang things from."

"Or a friendship bracelet..." Lucy pointed out with a soft chuckle, looping it around Jace's wrist to tie, even if it was still attached to the other end of the ball of wool.

Jace looked at Lucy, confused but he let her do it, eyes flickering over to Electra as if she had the answer to what was happening.

"Oh, we need to cut the yarn first, or else Jace here will walk around trailing the wool after him," Elen said and bent down into her kit to search for some scissors.

Electra watched on with a small smile, touching Lucy's shoulder with approval for the gesture. "It's an old earth custom, children make bracelets and give them to their friends. It suits you..."

Jace frowned at that, swallowing as he watched the yarn against his skin, the little chain pattern. It looked delicate. He stayed still when Elen cut the yarn, even if the scissors were closer to his skin than he liked. His eyes went to Lucy's face. "I can't make you one of wool," he finally said. "I don't know how."

"You made me the metal starmap necklace..." Lucy shook her head with a soft smile, motioning to the metal work she'd found under the cushion, to remind him of the one he had already given her. "Even stevens."

He gave a small nod, reaching to touch the...bracelet. "Even stevens," he repeated and glanced at her, briefly, seeing the look on her face. The smile. "I'll try not to break it."

"I'll make you a new one if you do," Lucy shrugged as if it were that simple. And now that she knew how...she could, and she would. A hint of pride touched her smile.

Elen watched with a small proud smile of her own, watching them for a long moment before she looked down, putting the scissors away. Jace looked at Lucy for a moment before he nodded, fingers tracing the bracelets. "Thanks," he said, after a moment silence. He swallowed and shifted, a bit awkward, eyes moving as if he was figuring out what came next.

"We should be going," Electra came to his aid. He had joined them, accepted a gift...small successful steps were better than a failed big one. "Lucy has homework to do."

Before Lex could prompt her, Lucy turned to Elen with a shy smile, nibbling at the inside of her lip. "Thank you," she reached for her arm, squeezing it in a hug. "Wool can be made into felt," she offered the fact before turning to Jace, giving his arm a quick hug too.

Jace stilled, eyes widening a little for a moment at the unexpected...hug. His hand touched her arm, briefly, before he looked over at Lex and then away. But he had recognised the exit strategy even if he did not understand it. "I did not know that," he said, about the wool to felt. He didn't even know what felt was to be honest.

"Felt animals," Elen said quickly, smiling as she nodded. "Maybe that should be on our project list for the future, Lucy...felt animals..."

Lucy nodded quickly as Electra took her hand, pulling in close to her mother with shyness...but her eyes were bright at the prospect of another project.

"Thank you," Electra said softly, meaning it as she looked to Elen and then to Jace. She had rarely seen her girl sit so comfortably with people before. It meant the world to her. She gave Lucy's hand a squeeze before leading her away.

Elen bit her lip as she watched them go before she looked over at Jace, and then down at the bracelet. "You make a new friend..." she said, her voice hushed...a hint of teasing. "A small, human shaped one. And all by yourself. Jace...you're growing."

He shot her a look before he exhaled, shifting to sit on the bench. His eyes went to the nacelles, studying them for a moment. "She doesn't ask for anything."

"No...you're right in that," she observed, thoughtful as she watched his back, the way his face was lit up a little by the glow from outside. But she knew the set of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders. She knew better than to reach out for him, or try and feel his emotions. "Funny, isn't it. How...that can change your perspective." She stood, gathered her things. "Oh, tomorrow...meet me on the holodeck? After your shift? I got a surprise for you."

He gave a small, sharp nod as answer, but nothing else. A surprise from Elen could mean a new hat, or alternatively a new activity. He knew already it would not be anything sharp, or...awkward. But he also knew that was all the warning he'd get.

"Okay then..." she smiled and turned, before she hesitated. "Oh, and for the record...I'd love a disc..." she poked her tongue out at him before she walked off, almost whistling, more humming as she headed to the turbolift.

Jace closed his eyes for a moment as the silence took the corridor, except the hum of the warp core. He hesitated for a moment before opening his eyes and getting the engraving tools out, his fingers finding a piece of metal to work on. And it started with the round shape of Mars.

OFF:

Lieutenant JG Electra 'Lex' Drake
Counsellor
USS Guinevere

Lucy Drake
Civilian Child
USS Guinevere

Lieutenant JG Elen Rell
Engineer
USS Guinevere

Sergeant Jace Morven
Platoon Sergeant, Alpha Squad
Federation Ground Forces
USS Guinevere

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