You F*ck up you Move up.

Posted on Sun Aug 14th, 2022 @ 9:10pm by Commander Curtis Thibideaux & Commander Natan O'Donnaghue

1,091 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Prelude to War
Location: Captains Ready Room, USS Valiant.
Timeline: Week before leaving port

Curtis stepped into Valiant’s ready room, glancing around and met Nathan’s eyes as he held up the flimsy. Valiant was quiet; coming off of night shift into day and was still too quiet for his liking. Being landed on Betazoid had the main drive shut down and only secondary systems operating. Even the scrubbers had been routed so Valiant was cycling fresh air.

The ship smelled of ocean brine, flowers, and …. somehow. Pastries.

“Thanks for seeing me, sir. I guess you’ve already seen this,” Curtis remarked wearily. I’m being transferred to Admiral Leyhei as a Flag aide. Even though the ambassador’s death wasn’t our fault, I don’t think Fleet is seeing it like that.”

Then he half grinned, “Although I probably shouldn’t let the Admiral hear me talking like that.”

Natan smiled. His trusted Lemur sleeping on his desk. "We were ultimately responsible for the Ambassador's well being, we failed. I just thought I wasn't cut out for all this, and I could go back to my science station. I guess Star fleet is not done with us yet." He petted the Lemur who just softly purred but continued sleeping. "But I don't think you came here to complain about your position. Would you like a drink? Apple?" He pointed to the bowl of apples on his desk. "There are from my parents tree. They grown one when my in laws send them some, they wanted to grow their own. These are just that good apples." He grinned as he talked about the apples.

At the mention of food, Curtis felt his stomach protest and he reached thankfully for the fruit. "The apple sounds great. It's been a while since food appeared on the day planner."

Settling into the chair across from Natan, Curtis slumped his shoulders. "I don't know...I never had plans of being an Admiral's aide. Certainly not this soon. And you're out to a Base Command? That's all I had heard so far. Have they told you which one?"

"From what I heard, a refurbished Federation station by the Alteans. It was an old station set up before the Dominion war and was abandoned during the war. It's name is Avalon station, it's an old watch tower class." Natan grinned as he continued. "It was ravished by pirates, they are still repairing the base, so I guess still have to wait for that luxurious spa."

"Ravished by pirates?" Curtis asked, a grin spreading over his face. "Sounds like a line out of a romance novel, Captain. But congratulations. Gamma should be interesting lots to explore out there."

Natan smiled weakly. "Lots to explore, but I probably am stuck on the station for the next year getting it up and running. I guess that is my consequence to the whole ordeal. I really hoped to explore. But if there is one thing I learned, then it's that I am not a Diplomat. I am happy we came out of there with our skins."

"Diplomantics is learned, not something you're usually born with," Curtis replied. "I think you did fine. We did come out alive and unfortunately we're moving on in different directions. I also think you'll get more exploring in than you think. I read Sisko's log entries back in Academy and he embraced that challenge. I tend to think you'll do the same, Captain."

Natan laughed a little as he shook his head. "I read them too, well when I heard about the assignment. Sisko, unbeknownst came in to a war that shaped this future. The discovery of the wormhole, the Dominion war. I was in that war. But General O'Donnaghue, my brother in law, already thinks the Crescent war is going to be much bigger. I also don't know what I am getting in to. So far hell hasn't broken loose yet, but I feel this maybe the calm before the storm." He picked up the padd in front of him. "Since we were knee deep in that mission, this new just now reached me." He sighed. "These Crescent are bold. Getting in our territory with just want ship and then destroying one of our ships. With an Admiral on board. Admiral Le." He looked back on the padd as if he had to confirm it. He needed to stop looking at it. "Have you met Admiral Le, Curtis?" He called him Curtis now, as he felt with all they have been through and the changes, ranks didn't feel right.

Picking up on the mood, Curtis shook his head in answer. "No I haven't met the Admiral. You're much more in tune on Gamma things than I am, Natan. I'm not surprised at the war rumors. Federation and Fleet aren't what they used to be. Fleet hasn't been necessarily tending to things they should have and have concentrated their interests in the wrong area and it's catching up with us."

He considered for a moment then shrugged. I'll likely get my belly full of politics and the rest on Admiral Leyhei's staff."

Natan nodded and then said, "Well you never know. With the way things go, we might meet again. The Admiral might want to pay a visit to the Gamma quadrant for whatever reason. Just hold your own, politics is a totally different side of the war. Which is usually one of the things that makes war ugly."

Curits let out his breath in a sigh and shook his head. "The drums do seem to be beating. Softly. You wouldn't know it by the reports and intel briefs we're getting. It's all back channel. When I asked the Admiral during the last meeting, he told me it's almost as if the Admiralty as a whole is hoping if they don't talk about it, it won't happen....apparently it's the same in the Senate. Outside of the security counsel, there's unease but it's being drowned out by disputes."

Natan sighed. "Alas that is war. Sometimes there is more war behind the doors than outside in the field. It takes me back to the Dominion war. So hard to imagine I survived that."

"Well, they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Curtis said, trying for a philological tone. "Trouble is, it's all kinda random. Sometimes there are so many things trying to kill us at the same time.." This last was delivered with humor in Curtis's voice.

"All we can do is all that we can do," Curtis tried for wisdom. "I just hope it'll be enough."

 

RSS Feed