Oh my good-brutal-ness! This is sparse. You don't dwell on details of carnage or the chaos of calamity amid this traumatising moment when sudden death was visited upon the Enterprise. Yet the whole piece is more effective for that sparseness. In a way, that sparseness mirrors the lack in the link, the absence of detail the absence of another - Roged. And it all hits home harder then for it. That growing realisation already known that he is dead and that their little group is irrevocably broken. Is their calm, steadiness at this time down to their worth as officers, or is it in some part due to their link giving them that additional advantage, that bond to hold on and steady themselves? Has Chandra in her own way saved them in a way she would years later with the Klingons came and captured the crew? Maybe I am reading too much into the bonds, now, but it is a fascinating prospect. Given their respective career advancements I figure their skills are down to themselves but I like to think the shared bond might have given them something extra at least.
I appreciate too that inserting original fics characters into the lives of canon characters can sometimes be a dual edged sword, it can as easily not work at all. However, I love that it is the timing of this coincidence, it is the graduating class and select few aboard who for a small time found themselves inserted into the lives of these canon heroes. It's as though I can imagine the Forest Gump splicing of the Banshee characters into original film ala The Trouble with Tribbles episode. The fact their drama plays out in tandem with TOS crew and that it's an instigating trauma that will shape them throughout their careers.
I intentionally made it as sparse as possible. I wanted to show the effects of Khan’s attack as a microcosm, from Chandra’s POV, as well as the effect on her circle of friends and bonds. This is an event that shaped all of their futures, including their closeness with Saavik, who was the trainee first officer for the training cruise and her losses as well.
It might’ve been a little of both. Their own skills, even at such an early part of their careers, coupled with what their bond with Chandra, may have had more of an effect than they might’ve known, until years later. An effect that Chandra was able to use with a whole other group.
I’m glad that the insertion is working. I try to only put the canon characters in when it works; this was such a ‘foundational event’ for everyone, I needed to make that emotional, as well as intellectual connection.
As always, thanks for the read and the wonderful, thoughful comment!
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MirandaFave Sat 13 Apr 2024 06:33PM UTC
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B_Radley Sat 13 Apr 2024 07:13PM UTC
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