Com Ivanova, Cmdr Dahe'el, CO & XO | "Trip Around The Sun"

Posted on Fri Jul 14th, 2017 @ 11:42pm by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander Almar Dahe'el

1,775 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Ballynamony

Earth… From a distance, it had the appearance of a blueberry kissed by frost. Swirling undulations of weather systems left clouds that clung to its spherical curves like the satin of a night slip – and to Rochelle, it was just as tantalizing. It was a tease, hung in front of her nose as she stood near the big windows of Earth Spacedock’s promenade. The planet was supposed to be home. It was supposed to be a safety net. Supposed to be. With a blink and an almost imperceptible wrinkle of her nose and brow, Rochelle added up the days and years to quickly realize that, while she’d been born of Earth, she’d spent the majority of her life up among the stars.

Earth was more a nursery and vacation destination now – even on leave she’d found herself drawn more to strolling station and checking up on the status of the Vindicator’s latest toy installment. There were exceptions, of course, Javaan was walking now and experiencing a new-found sense of independence that she’d known would come. At fifteen months old, he was as bullheaded and wild as his bloodlines dictated he would be… And then some. All fire and smiles, the boy had taken to Earth like a duck to water – especially the beachy parts. Sand was a new tactile experience and when combined with the sights, sounds, scents, and feel of the ocean it became a concoction that he simply couldn’t resist. The sunburn, however, was something that Rochelle could have done without. It still stung and itched as it continued to heal. Landon and Javaan had bronzed. Rochelle had become the same shade as a freshly boiled lobster everywhere aside from what her swimsuit and sun glasses had covered. It wasn’t a good look, but it was healing in spite of her stubbornness and refusal to cheat the process and find help via technology. The burn was her cross to bear for forgetting sunscreen.

“Not one word.” She cautioned without bothering to look over her shoulder. The little Commodore could feel the Cardassian’s presence from somewhere off her right – his amusement bubbling over in the intensity of his gaze. The weight and fit of her uniform across her shoulders was nearly unbearable. She wanted to itch, to pick, to shift – but she knew she couldn’t do any of the above until she was out from under the public microscope. Almar had to know it. He could usually read her like a book, leaving little to nothing in the way of secrets between them. This time… It sucked.

"I wasn't going to say a thing," Almar replied as he stepped forward and turned to follow her gaze out of the window, his cold, obsidian eyes in stark contrast to hers, "Although I was going to ask if you've been enjoying the sun in our time off, but your body language is screaming that perhaps you enjoyed it a little too much." he added with a chuckle that rang out from deep inside his chest, "It would seem that I do not have the same problems as you, the beaches on Earth have been quite restful."

"Well aren't you lucky. I forgot sunscreen," she admitted without skipping a beat or harboring any outward chagrin. Inwardly she knew the act had been sheer stupidity on her part. "You'd think the human sources would have evolved to be impervious to the sun, but noooo. Go to the beach, they said. It'll be fun, they said." She sighed quietly, blinking as she studied the ball of rock, water, and had below.

"I'm sure it was fun at the time," the Cardassian responded with a bright smile, "How is the family doing? Javaan responding well to the new environment?"

"I'll admit that much." Rochelle nodded and finally turned her attention away from the swirling storm systems dotted across her home planet, "Landon is lovely as usual, tired maybe. Javaan is independent as always and relatively sure that he owns the universe. It's his stage and we're only here to entertain him." She chuckled lightly and motioned for the Cardassian to follow her as she stepped away from the window, "I shouldn't expect anything less of him."

Without a second thought, Almar fell into step alongside the redhead as she moved, "He is the child of the phoenix, see how he rises up..." the Cardassian replied as he scanned his eyes around the promenade and noticed how the crowds had seemed to thin slightly since he'd waded through them to find Rochelle. "We're still awaiting a number of systems to be installed," he continued, turning back to the pressing matters in his mind, which at the moment consisted of thoughts like, 'why the fuck isn't my ship ready,' and 'Who do I have to murder to get a transporter technician?', "I've been pushing the station's quartermaster as much as I can but there's nothing else they can do at the moment."

"Unbelievable." The sigh that passed her lips was harsh, abrasive even. It felt like they were behind schedule, though scheduled launch was still looming above their heads like neon flashing numbers. "If they think we're staying here any longer just so they can keep up their dog and pony show, they've got another thing coming to them." She grated as her shoulders set and her pace quickened... And then she realized there really wasn't anyone she could storm off to that hadn't already been handled by the big bull of a man strolling beside her. It was obvious, though, in spite of his relatively calm exterior he was fuming and just as irritated as the little firebrand.

"I've already told them that if they can get the parts on board before we launch, I'll install them by hand myself with spit and bailing twine," Almar replied with a slight sigh, "We're launching back out on time, if I have to finish fine tuning the ship in flight then I will."

"Duct tape," She quipped, "You need duct tape. Stuff fixes everything spit, baling twine, and WD-40 can't. Old Earth trick. Ancient, really."

"I've heard of this mythical construction material," Almar replied, a sideways glance cast at Rochelle as they rounded another set of bulkheads and came level with the viewing platform set into the interior space-dock of the station. The gleaming Vindicator Class ship hunkered in it's moorings, it's running lights dimmed and umbilical connections stretching in all directions, "She looks everything I built her to be."

At the sight of the dark ship's beauty, Rochelle sighed. This time it was in resignation and extreme understanding of the grand picture. "Duct tape... Doesn't suit her." Her lips pursed as she studied the ship, taking in the intricate details of the giant as she slumbered, "You created a masterpiece, Almar. I know I say it every time I see her, but it's the truth.

"We'll see how well she holds up under some pressing tests," the Cardassian replied quickly, "While we stretched her legs on the run over from Cold Station Theta, we didn't really have the chance to run the appropriate calibrations on the tactical systems or the shields,"

"Leto and Landon both have been itching to see her at her fullest... Pushing limits," She mused, her nose twitching as she looked over at Almar, "Navigating the Nebula we're being sent off to will do all of that and more. With any luck, we'll be up to the task and you won't be left putting things back together after they break them."

"I've been reading what little information we have on this new nebula," Almar responded as he thumbed a padd out of one of his pockets and offered it to Rochelle between a large alabaster thumb and forefinger, "The data we do have is fragmented and extremely unpredictable, something in there seems to be disrupting the communications with the probes although some of our... colleagues in Stellar Cartography seem to think something is destroying them."

"Then we should hope and pray to whatever God is listening that they're wrong and it isn't our old green blooded friend." The response was short, clipped - cold. Tr'Bak was a problem that would follow them like a storm cloud so long as they existed. "It doesn't seem his style, though." She shrugged almost dismissively, "He'd hold out a great big banner announcing that he was out there, waiting... Which means that we're in for a new adventure."

"New is better... that's for certain," the response was truthful, the Cardassian was looking forward to something other than what had become routine in their lives, they expected trouble to be waiting around the next star and it'd become tedious, it frayed his nerves too as it meant he was always waiting for the next thing to fall off his ship, "I would quite like a change of pace."

"We could all do with a change of pace. Steady as she goes, and all that." Rochelle all but mumbled, reaching to tuck away a lock of hair that had somehow managed to come free from her twist. The damned thing was impervious to every trick in the book. Even glue. "Just glad that you're back from your break. I'd almost expected to be the only one wandering around for the next little bit... Then I remembered that you're as much of a workaholic as I am." Her nose twitched slightly at the thought, "Speaking of work, Landon asked for a job... To be put in change of the shuttles and their flight control. I gave it to him."

"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning, eh?" Almar replied with a nod as he regarded the ship before him, "My break was... minimal as you most likely expected, I spent a large amount of time getting myself acclimated with my new quarters and office, I'm also not surprised Captain Neyes has asked for a job, hes about as good at sitting still as you are." the Cardassian added with a little thought, "I will admit though, he is one of the finest pilots I've served with, our flight ops crews can learn a lot from his experience."

"Would you expect anything less?" She asked, rounding all the bases with that five worded question. "I think we're going to be ok. All of us. Tomorrow's a new day with a new ship and a new mission. The past is just that."

(To Be Continued...)

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS Vindicator NX 78213-F

&

Commander Almar Dahe'el
Executive Officer
USS Vindicator NX 78213-F

 

RSS Feed