Later...
[USS Tempest, Jada's Quarters]
After being turfed out of Ten Forward, the gaggle of green girls had retreated to Jada's quarters, for some serious laughs, stronger drink, and louder music. So it had gone, deep into the night, until at last they'd dropped off to sleep, sprawled on the couch.
*
Even with the booze clouding her head, Jada was a light sleeper, her senses honed to any suspicious noise in the night. Something stirred her, she extricated herself from s'Metra's arms and shooed Snake off her chest, and crept into the bathroom. She saw Corallel from the back, but in the mirror, she could see she was holding a knife. Jada blinked, it seemed unreal. 'You're right, I do own a lot of sharp objects.' she said slowly and curiously.
Corallel's breath caught in her throat, feeling suddenly caught. She swallowed and, meeting Jada's eyes in the mirror, accused in her quiet, quick way. 'You destroyed my world and robbed me of my death.' There was no other way to put it, the traumatic transition from her temporal prison. But there was no feeling in her words, she had none left.
'I did.' Kolari lacked a word for "sorry"; she could only own up to it. 'I owe you one.' Jada came closer, slowly reached around Corallel and closed her hands around the hilt of her knife. Dully, she wondered why Corallel had to pick one of her good ones. It wasn't even the sharpest. 'Let me help.' she offered kindly. 'I'll put you unconscious first, you won't feel a thing.' Sure, the body was going to be hard to explain to the captain, but she'd work that out later. She just needed to put an end to Corallel's pain, to support her decision. Orions had standards the Federationen wouldn't understand.
Nodding, Corallel let her take the knife, then let Jada step behind her and slip an arm around her neck. Jada had to tiptoe a bit to reach her, but Corallel helpfully stooped, then leaned back into her. It was a gentle, loving embrace, as she softly squeezed the breath from her. Then, feeling Corallel tense, Jada slackened her arms. 'Stop, please.' Released, she sighed, turned around. 'Thank you. I... I needed to feel control over my life. An escape.'
Jada slipped her arms down into a normal hug. 'I know.'
Corallel had a little smile. 'You can kill me another day.' Then she broke down, burying her face in Jada's shoulder, sobbing out her trauma for twenty years. Jada felt awkward, public grief was a faux pas, but she accepted Corallel's necessary intimacy. 'I don't know how to go on.' 'Just one day at time, like the rest of us.'
*
After a while, Corallel felt her head clear again. She kissed Jada in gratefulness, then after twenty years alone, she wanted more, to feel again, time to flow once more. But Jada stiffened, discomforted. 'I'm um, cyclosexual. I don't feel it for women right now.'
Corallel slipped back, disappointed but accepting. 'Timing, story of my life.'
Jada grinned. 'Nah, I just need more mandisa.'
Fade to black.