Athalya Anne surveyed the scene. It was a typically overcast day. She snorted. *Damned hypocrites. The whole lot of us.* She cursed Terrakian for strong arming them into coming. Not a one wanted to be there. *No..... we have to listen to the gun salvo and then to El Capitan make a speech about a man he's probably is glad is dead.* Surveying the scene further, Athalya Anne noticed a little chapel up yonder. *Well, if I can't leave, I may as well get the hell away from here.* And she began to hike.

Trying to stay at attention Alison gives a small yawn for the man she never met. It doesn't take much to gain her attention as she sees the new XO backing out of formation trying to be unnoticed. Curiosity soon gets the better of Alison as she begins to slip out of formation in pursuit of Brinn. *No doubt she has something more interesting in mind than watching dirt being thrown on a unknown captain.* Making her way through the crowd of uniforms Alison tries to be inconspicuous and keep pace with the major at the same time.

The chapel wasn't that far away, maybe a half of a kilometer or so. *Ah, to get away from them all.* Had she been non empathic, she would have stuck around the ditch, but she wasn't, so she didn't. It was also this same empathic alerted her that she was being followed.

Athalya Anne's training kicked in. *Don't look back.* Then she realized that she had no reason to be running. *Oh, fire! Let her follow!* But that didn't stop Athalya Anne from being ever so slightly nervous.

The chapel came into view rather quickly. *Ah, beautiful.* It was a good old fashioned church, stained glass and all. Athalya Anne let herself in with ease. A Catholic priest assaulted her, "May I help you, my child?"

She was annoyed. Athalya Anne hadn't come to be consoled. But she suspected it was a part of the program. "Oh, buzz off." she told him. "Computer, delete all holographic people in the building." The annoyance was gone. She smiled. *And now down to business.* "Computer, replicate one Straat guitar, middle year 2231." That was about as old as she could get without having to lug around an amp as well. Older guitars had a tinnier sound that Athalya Anne liked better.

She smiled as her fingers found the appropriate chords. She knew what song would be coming next. "My sister got lucky, married a yuppie....." she crooned, "Took him for all the was worth. Now she's a swinger......"

Watching as Athalya disappears into the doorway of the little church Alison began to have second thoughts about spying on Athalya. *Maybe she was grieving or maybe needed to be alone to pray.* Then considering the antics of the major.. *Nope that can't be right. She has something going on in there and I aim to find out what it is.*

Doing her best not to make a sound but finding it very hard to find cooperation. The gravely walkway was even too nosey and the creaky stairs to the doorway was even worse. Peering through the door to see if she could get a look at what the major was up to Alison hears strange noises emanating from inside. Once again Alison's curiosity gets the better of her and she slips into the church. *What's this? The major has a passion for music..* Not wanting to interrupt the majors concert Alison sits in a pew at the back of the church.

"But not me, baby, I've got you to saaaave me. You're so bad. You're the best thing I've ever had. In a world gone mad, you're so bad." Athalya Anne launched into the fine and finished with a smile on her face.

Alison applauds. "Brava Major!" standing up Alison starts walking down the isle way. "A fine performance, what kind of music do you call it?"

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Athalya Anne turns to Alison. "That is rock and role. The artist who originally wrote the song is Tom Petty, I believe, cierra 1995." she paused. "It's apparent what I'm doing here, but not quite the same can be said of you."

"I never cared for that ancient music, I like the more modern performers." Replies Alison then she continues. "It seems to me that my reasons for being here are just as good as yours." Hoping against hope that rank would not be shoved into her face.

"I'm sure they are, Alison. If I may call you by your given?"

Athalya Anne paused, but not long enough to let Donucci respond.

"However, that does not answer my question."

Realizing that Athalya was more than just asking for a response. "I saw no sense in saying farewell to a man I never said hello to." Quickly Alison searches her mind for a more complete answer. "I saw you leave and thought you may have needed consoling." A lame tail which would be hard for anyone to swallow and Alison knew it, but it was too late the words already escaped.

Athalya Anne snorted. "Sure thing, sweetheart." she said without a note of sarcasm in her voice. For once. There was an awkward silence, punctuated only by Athalya Anne's random strumming on the electric. In spite of how many lovers she would have in her life time, this one was the best. Hands down. "Requests?"

"I'm not sure you would know any of the songs I'm accustomed to." Alison quickly blurts out not wanting to hear another song. "Who taught you to play this instrument?" Hoping a question would quell Athalya's need to play.

Athalya Anne tossed her head back and laughed. *She thinks she can 'quell my need to play?'* Athalya Anne absently wondered. Playing was just that, a need. It was right up there with breathing and eating. "My Granny taught me. She needed cheap entertainment for her bar. Simon, Billy and I were as cheap as they come." she grinned. "You play anything?"

Giving Athalya a smile. "No, never really had the patience to learn anything. My talent where put to use in my fathers restraint." Alison takes moment before pursuing. "I take it that you where rather close to your Granny?"

Athalya Anne shagged. All the people she had just mentioned were dead now. The curse of life. "She owned the pub and we played." She didn't want to go down memory lane just now. Not out loud.

"You're close to your father." she observed.

"I learned a lot from that old man he wanted me to take over the family business, but I think he was asking the impossible." Taking a deep breath Alison stops being completely taken off-guard by how personal the conversation had become.

"If I'm not prying, may I ask why it was impossible?" Athalya Anne was curious now.

"Trying to keep me on earth and out of Starfleet, I guess I wasn't suited for an average life."

Athalya Anne smiled a sad sort of smile and cocked her head as though she heard something Alison couldn't. She reached out with her mind to Alison's and found... her life. And with that, Athalya Anne played a heart breaking jazz melody. Well, actually, Alison played it. It was her soul and her song. "No one, m'dear, on this ship, is suited for an 'average' life."

The song was a bit of a surprise change in pace from what Athalya was playing earlier, and Alison loses herself temporally in Athalya's music as she ponder what might have been. "You seem to know what lies in store for this crew."

"What of your family now?" asks Alison..

"I know not what lies in store for this crew, though I wish it were different." A hard, embittered look crossed into her eyes. She leaned back and began to strum absently on her guitar. Alison waited patiently.

"Dead." The single word summed up it all.

*All alone..* Alison thinks to herself. "Surely somebody as attractive as you has had a husband or two maybe......." Alison didn't finish the sentence not wanting to dredge up any possible memories or broken dreams.

Athalya Anne laughed. "If looks were all it took to catch a hubby, between the two of us, we would have a whole harem of them."

"Apparently looks aren't enough, not even close to being enough." The memory of what she and Loren had still weighing heavily on Alison's heart. "How long do you think we have before they start to miss us?" hoping a change in subjects would lighten the mood a bit.

Athalya Anne tried to block out Alison's broken heart, but failed. *Poor dear. Perhaps one day.* But she ignored the emotion, as she was accustomed to. "Hopefully not at all." And then, the seats from under them disappeared. The two fell on the holodeck floor with about as much grace as a sack of potatoes.

"Well," Athalya Anne said as they stood amongst the empty holodeck, "apparently they didn't."

LMaj Athalya Anne Brinn and Lt Alison Donucci