*Backpost* A Post Credits Look

Posted on Thu May 29th, 2025 @ 6:28pm by Lieutenant Alisha Reno & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair

2,464 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Indivisible
Timeline: On the way to Braxus

The time had come for her to make use of the gift that the Director given to her. She was even happy that it would be in time for the movie that was going to theaters in the next couple of weeks. Oh sure, it was only an add-on, one of the post-credits scenes that had come into fashion, gone out and back in once again. Teasers for the next one and she'd been able to make a deal.

Alisha looked over at Jane who had put on something comfortable, then smiled at her and gestured to the door, "Shall we, my dear? I know it really isn't much," She lied flawlessly, "But you know how valuable post-credits scenes can be in a movie, right?"

"Of course," Jane said, not entirely sure what to make of it all. In truth she didn't understand the film industry at all. But it would be fun, so she happily followed Alisha inside.

***A Few Minutes Later***

The program was uploaded successfully and in order to make it as secret as possible for everyone, especially everyone not named Alisha Reno, the makeup studio was was included as the first room they walked into. Alisha- err, Alexis Silverstar- was used to having her makeup done FOR her by a professional, but had become a fair hand at it herself given her post-movie career and so on. Now, after she'd put on her own, she was touching up Jane's as well, using a tissue to wipe an errant streak of the lipstick to bring out the outline of the lips.

"So just as I was saying, we'll do this as just one long take for the filming, so if you think you messed anything up, all you gotta do is tell me and we keep going. I've got permission to make initial cuts from the scene. We're just going to be walking along the market, stop at a stand or two, pick a piece of fruit or whatever you find appealing, if someone calls you by a name, acknowledge it and move on until you find 'home'." At this, Alisha gave a bright grin, "Don't worry, you'll know exactly where THAT is once you see it." She knew what Jane liked when it came to something like that.

"I'm sure," Jane said with a smirk, careful not to undo any of Alisha's hard makeup work. "I still don't understand though. Why are we doing this? Why me?"

"Hey, you know high profile cameo appearances, right? Get a big name into a movie and drive the viewers!" Alisha couldn't help but shake her head slightly, "The drones won't be visible for the filming, adaptive camouflage and all, to keep from being a distraction. And due to doing this all in one take, once you get 'home' and inside, just keep doing whatever you'd like for a bit. There are lots of angles being filmed, so you'll be in the forefront with me in the background, plus the other way around and all." Alisha finally stepped back to look over Jane one more time, "All right, costume time!" She pointed towards another door in the program and led the way over, entering ahead of Jane to where a few dozen outfits were, all civilian of some sort, from dresses to super casual to flight suits and even combat harness, "You can pick anything that's in here, aside from that one over there." She pointed at a corner where a garment bag was hanging over a duffel bag, obviously meant for her.

Jane examined all the clothing options and picked one that looked fun, a red short-sleeved shirt with brown pants and a matching jacket, which had stripes along the arms in the same shade of red as the shirt. Black combat boots finished the look, adding a couple of centimetres to her height.

Just a moment later, she was dressed for the part. "So how do I look?"

"Perfect!" Alisha said jubilantly, adjusting the final touches of her own outfit. A decorative but rather simple tiara held back her red curls from her face, the blue dress suitable for someone of royalty to be seen out and about and if recognized, to be seen as just out on a casual trip. The heels were elegant and added a pair of inches to her height and she stepped over to her girlfriend to adjust a seam a fraction of an inch, "Just perfect! And hopefully I look like a princess out for an afternoon stroll through the market?"

"A Princess out of a science fiction fairy tale," Jane said, grinning. "But, you know, out for an afternoon stroll in the market, yeah." She shook herself loose and looked at the door onto the holographic 'set'. She also spotted a couple of setting-appropriate coins on the table and put them in her pocket. "So walk through the market, act like I know everyone, be friendly, answer greetings, buy an apple maybe, and go into a place I'll recognize as home?"

"Exactly, and just be natural about it all, as if you're back on Proxima in your hometown." Alisha rubbed Jane's shoulder gently, "And if you think you're being awkward, you can just keep going around the market as you want, but I know you." The confidence oozed from her.

"Okay," Jane said, shaking herself loose again. "I'm ready."

"All right." Alisha resisted the urge to lean over to give her a kiss, but it could have smudged lipstick or makeup and it would have just been a bit awkward. She reached down and slung the duffel bag, more a satchel that was voluminous, and walked to the door, "It'll start filming once we're out of this room." And she exited, her pace already languid as she made her wandering way across the marketplace as it buzzed with activity.

There were a fair number of people actively doing their shopping, but paying no attention to anything but their own business dealings in the market. Alisha, now fully in her part of Allura just wandering this marketplace on the replenished world of Altea, She stopped at a stall of textiles, admiring the weave of one of the tapestries that was there, accepting a sample of the fabric and tucking it into the satchel before smiling at the vendor and glancing about.

Jane, for her part, found an obvious path to navigate and instantly felt at home. It didn’t look like Proxima but the small-town ambience was the same here as in Clearlake. There were many visitors, welcomed with friendliness and joy, but also so many locals, greeted with joviality and warmth.

A man called out to her — though Jane knew this was for filming, and that in the edit the name would be edited or blurred in some way — and she responded with a grin and a wave. An old lady dropped her purse, which Jane gladly stooped down to pick up, touching the woman’s elbow as they exchanged a thank-you and you’re-welcome. The woman at the produce booth greeted Jane like they’d known each other since primary school; they shared a quick hug and two cheek-kisses before Jane picked up a blue apple. She tossed one of her coins to the teen boy — the friend’s nephew, maybe? — as payment and continued on her way.

Throughout the marketplace, it would have seemed that the ebb and flow of the people around was purely natural, though as the red of Jane moved through the market, the blue dress of Allura seemed to follow like a ghost, never too close, never too far. The glances about of Allura cryptic and ever a smile and a laugh on her mouth whenever it was seen.

Jane’s ultimate destination was, just as Alisha had suggested, blindingly obvious. The garage, with its three big bays open to permit maintenance and repairs on setting-appropriate vehicles. Two were empty, but the third housed something interesting. Jane lacked context but she could tell it was some kind of pet project for her character. A bright red hot rod, its engine fully exposed. In progress. Maybe something for the customers to gawk at while she or her employees worked on their own cars.

She exchanged pleasantries with a young woman, an apprentice maybe, who gave her a clipboard with some information about the day’s appointments. She took a spot behind a customer service counter, set the blue apple down to enjoy later, and started looking at other paperwork available on the set.

A bell rang. A customer coming through the main entrance. “Good morning!” Jane said, looking up. “How can I help you today?”

The woman in elegant blue dress smiled as she came face to face with the person she'd been looking for, the handful of diamonds glittering in the light, "You know, I've been looking for you, Lara." She reached around with her one hand into her satchel and withdrew... A red helmet, the features very lioneqsue, "The Kingdom needs you."

Jane was prided herself on rarely getting caught flat-footed. But all she could do was stare, mouth agap at what Alisha (no, Alexis Silverstar -- no, Princess Allura!) just said to her.

She had a name, apparently. Lara. And it all came together.

She had loved Voltron as a kid. She knew the vehicles. She knew the characters.

She remembered Lara. From the "Ultimate Voltron" stories that came out in the 2320s and then who crossed over with the Prime timeline sometimes. There was no good feminine equivalent for the name Lance, so the producers did their best. Lara McClain. Pilot of the Red Lion. Traditionally the second in command.

Before Jane could react beyond wide-eyed, jaw-dropped shock, the entire scene went black for just two seconds. When the lights came back on, she was still staring open-mouthed at her girlfriend. "Whaaaaat."

Alisha's expression changed ever so slightly as the lights came back up, but there was a hint of wariness in her eyes. This was a BIG surprise to throw at someone, but for someone who wasn't a professional actress, natural reactions were the best ones if you knew what you were looking for in regards to said reaction and this one was... "Perfect!", Then a more subdued, "But I'm sorry for springing this on you without warning.. You were the first pick for the Red Lion." She held the helmet out a few more centimeters.

Jane hesitated a moment before taking it with both hands. She looked into the helmet's face. The Red Lion. Lara McClain. All of those childhood games...coming true?

"I love it," she whispered. It was a part of Alisha's life she had been outside of, and now she would get to be part of it too. "Thank you."

"The director knows that a filming schedule is going to be tricky to set up, which is why he's having his scriptwriter work on a script that will get both the scenes for you and me done in the minimum time possible if needed." The Princess in Blue embraced the Mechanic fondly, "And we can work on learning the lines and practicing long before. I know this isn't something you're used to, but you'll be great!"

"What's the usual turnaround on something like this?" Jane asked. "Filming of this one hasn't finished, as evidenced by," she gestured to them in the holodeck and all the holograms around them. "So surely your movie isn't even out all that soon, let alone the sequel."

"'Allura' comes out in about two weeks, maybe three, this little bit is really the icing on that cake, but he would have released it without this little bit if needed." Alisha shrugged slightly, "This is meant to be a teaser for the next movie and with such a star being teased for that movie?" She gave a knowing smile, "Means that the hype for it will be all the greater! You didn't hear this from me, but we're looking at bringing in Tiana Vellour, Marcus Hellav and Yggral Belsavtin in as the other three pilots." She named three of the major stars in film of the time, "I think it'll depend on how popular Allura turns out to be whether they'll sign on or not."

“With you in the lead role, how can it fail?” Jane asked. “Especially with such a talented cameo in the post-credit,” she added with a wink. “Those are some big names. You acted with Vellour before, if I remember right?”

"She and I were competition in the past, did a couple of things together as well." Alisha agreed, "But it's my name that's the risk, given the 'events' of yesteryear. If it goes badly, I may have just screwed over any acting career you may have had, just by association, but if it goes well? That's when he'll approach the other three to gauge interest. But do you like it? My surprise?"

“Those ‘events’ are behind everyone,” Jane said, trying to assure her. “I’ve seen the positive press you’ve gotten recently. They love you out there.” She shrugged. “And if I’m wrong, and my acting career is tanked…it’s been fun either way. And we’ll still have the holodeck. We need to resume the Bond story, after all.”

A wistful smile crossed Alisha's face at the last reminder. "Oh yes, yes we do. Ginger Fox still has a lot to show to Jane Bond, she's not just a pretty face after all! She's a scientist!"

“We’ll be in battle very soon,” Jane lamented. “When this crisis ends, let’s reserve a couple of hours of holodeck time and finish the story. I want to see everything Ginger Fox has to offer.”

"Oh, you will, that much I can promise you!" Alisha grinned widely at that, knowing that there was a hidden meaning in that, plus an obvious one, "You'll get to see every.. Little.. Bit of her." She reached up to touch Jane on the nose with that.

Jane scrunched her nose, giggling and smiling, at the touch. “Well, do I also get to see every…little…bit of Princess Allura?” she asked.

"For that?" Alisha peered over her nose imperiously, as befit a princess, "We'll have to see."

“Oh, of course,” Jane dropped her head and fell to her knees in supplication. “I would never dare presume, Your Majesty. I just wish only offer the tender care you deserve.”

“Then rise, and be known as Lady Sinclair, Baroness of Alvathria!” The actress made up the name on the fly, “And let’s go celebrate!”

***************

An Off-Duty Post by:

Lieutenant Alisha Reno
Deputy Air Boss
USS Myogi

And

Lieutenant (jg) Jane Sinclair
Chief Helm Officer
USS Myogi

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