Lessons & Dragons: Part 2/2

Posted on Wed Jun 10th, 2026 @ 9:45pm by Civilian Lily Blake & Commander Cornelius 'Kit' Hanlon & Civilian Temas Latham

1,557 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Behind the Curtain
Location: First Officer's Office, Deck 2, USS Fenrir
Timeline: En Route

PREVIOUSLY:

Kit said and rubbed his chin for a moment, clearly thinking. "Wonder if it is because the teaching style is different...or because you've gotten older and you're now in a class suited for your skill?"

Lily pulled a face at that, shaking her head emphatically from side to side. "Older lessons are boring..."

CONTINUED:


"Alright," Kit said with a soft chuckle, nodding as he reached for another colour. "But you have to have one or two lessons you...enjoy."

"Stories," Lily smiled at that, glancing over to him with shining blue eyes. "Reading and stories. History can be fun too, all the kings and queens and knights...."

He smiled back, nodding as he watched her with understanding. "I always liked stories too. About...the knights helping people. Those were my favourites. When they helped, and the Dragon lived."

"Me too!" she smiled brightly to him, leaning eagerly on the table to be closer to him. "You know....there's gots to be dragon eggs out here somewhere in the stars....and we're gonna find them!"

Kit met her eyes with surprise before he smiled, tilting his head. "So that's why we always do those scans wherever we go...to find the dragon eggs," he said, happily playing into it.

"Exactly!" Lily giggled, enjoying his joining in with the epic adventure tale. "We just can't let it think we're its mummy..."

"Well...image what would happen then! The poor Fenrir would have a baby dragon snuggle up to its nacelles..." he said with a small smile, raising an eyebrow before he chuckled warmly.

Lily paused at that, her smile turning to surprise which faded to awe...and then became a grin as she decided that was actually pretty awesome after all. "Let's do it."

"You are an adventurer, Lily Blake," Kit said with approval, before his eyes went to the PADD that flashed with a little message. "Ah. Your teacher is asking if you want to come to his next class..." he looked at Lily, with a small smile.

Her lips pursed at the question, her eyes narrowing with suspicion over a possible conspiracy. "What is it?"

"I don't know," he admitted as he looked at her, giving a small shrug but watched her with sympathy. "He didn't say."

"Hm...tricksy..." Lily considered for a long moment, sighing as she dropped her chin into her hand, watching him like the whole weight of the universe was on her young shoulders. "Would you go?"

He considered it for a moment before he nodded. "I would...you've already escaped maths. So, the percentage is good for you to have a lesson you enjoy more..." he said and then smiled. "I like the odds."

"Hm...you have dice? We could roll to see," Lily chuckled softly, enjoying the game of it now.

"I..." he looked at her before he nodded, getting up and walking to the bookcase. He pulled out a board game, opening it up and taking out the dice. "Here we go."

"Ooooo! Can we play your game later?" she asked, her eyes widening with hope and sparkling with joy.

He looked at it before he smiled, nodding. "Sure," he said, deciding that it wasn't the worst idea for the child to learn playing 2D board and dice games anyway. "I have a few. I...was given them when I was a kid, they just travel with me."

"Oh! I have loads of games, you should come to my home and we can play!" Lily grinned as she reached for the dice. "Jefferies Tubes and Ladders....Red Alert....Tribble Trouble...Warp Trails...Spacedock Shuffle..."

"I used to play Red Alert a lot," he said and let her have the dice, smiling as he watched her. "And Crisis in Sickbay...I was very good at that. Steady hand."

"Oooo I don't have that one," she grinned as she started to shake the die in her hand. "Okay....er....odd number means I don't go....even number means I do go...."

"Okay," he said with a small smile, not minding letting her. It was early days...and this seemed to be a fight a mother should have with their child, not...the First Officer. He was keeping the kid company and safe, that...had to count for something. And there was something infectious about her.

"Okay," Lily repeated, throwing it down. She gave a dramatic sigh as it settled on a six, pressing her forehead down down against the desk in mock despair. "Rules is rules."

"Alright then," he said before he tapped the desk for a moment. "But how about instead of your teacher coming here, I take you there instead?"

"Hm..." she narrowed her eyes in thought, trying to figure out the least worst option. "Okay then..." she slipped off the chair, reaching out to take his hand, expecting him to lead her.

He smiled as he got up and gently held her hand, leading her with him. "And if you want, I can let the Captain know you wanted to see her?" he asked, with a small, cheeky smile at calling her mother 'the Captain'. He suspected she was getting used to it.

"Hm...it's okay...I just wanted to see where she works. She's always there, it's gotta be fun..." Lily shook her head, walking easily at his side.

"Well...maybe after your lessons...I can check with her and take you up there?" he asked, looking at her as he led her. "I am sure she'd love to show you, if it isn't too busy there."

"I don't know...." now with some time and distance, the girl wondered if her mother might be cross with her over her adventure. "Maybe..."

He looked at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I know if my niece was here, I'd love to take her to the bridge..." he admitted, chuckling softly. "But I don't think she would find it as...interesting."

"If I had a bridge, I'd have purple seats..." she declared with a firm nod, looking up to him with a grin.

He laughed at that before he led her to the turbolift. "I'd have dogs," he finally said, playfully. "If I could do anything. Dogs on the bridge. To help."

Lily gasped, watching him with sparkling eyes at the idea of a bridge covered in dogs. "Yeah! And cats...and rabbits....and penguins...."

He got her out on the deck with the classrooms, eyes warm as he walked with her. "Unfortunately, not allowed. I checked. Starfleet rules..." he said, his voice a little sad.

"Then you've gotta get in charge so you can change them," she said in a dramatic stage whisper.

He looked at her with warmth, unable to stop himself at the way she spoke. The girl was funny. Gentle. Smart. And he saw a lot of Blake in how she looked. "Alright...when I become Admiral one day..." he said, winking, before he took a breath as they approached the classrooms. "Which one is yours?"

"That one," Lily pointed, but her steps slowed and became half shuffles in her reluctance. "Wanna swap? You go to school and I'll be Number One."

"I've already done my time," he said in a dramatic voice before he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "And I think you'd get very bored, very quickly..."

"I'd have that colouring book..." she murmured, but moved up to the door of the classroom anyway.

The doors open and Temas smiled gently, looking at Lily before he nodded. "There you are...I was getting worried," he said, but with a small smile as he crouched down, to meet her eyes.

"I don't like maths," she declared with a slightly stubborn frown, holding onto Kit's hand a little tighter.

Temas nodded slowly watching her before he glanced over at Kit. And then back at her. "I understand," he said, because he did. "Right now, we're doing Federation history." He'd talk to Lily's mother later, right now...it was important to get Lily back into learning. The rest could be ironed out later.

"Hm..." she considered it for a long moment, rocking on her feet as she tapped a finger thoughtfully against her lips. "Kings and Queens?"

"Well...sort of," he said, wanting to be honest with her, but he smiled. "Explorers and adventurers...and then some Kings and Queens."

"Oooo! Adventurers..." she pulled away from Kit, heading towards the classroom. "I like those stories..."

Temas nodded as he stood and smiled, giving the First Officer a respectful nod. "Thank you for returning my student."

"She's fun," Kit admitted before he looked at Lily, at how absorbed she already seemed. "I'll see you later, Lily."

"Bye Bye, Number One! Tell me if you find the dragon eggs," Lily grinned, waving rapidly to him.

Kit waved back, grinning at the idea of it. "I promise," he said, his eyes shining as he watched her. And then he let out a breath as the door closed. He wondered for a moment if he should tell the Captain. And decided that if it happened naturally, then fine. If not? Maybe he'd just hunt dragons for a bit.

OFF:


Commander Kit Hanlon
First Officer
USS Fenrir

Temas Latham
Teacher
USS Fenrir
(PNPC Hanlon)

Lily Blake
Civilian Child
USS Fenrir
(PNPC Blake)

 

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