JL | Com Ivanova, Cmdr Dahe'el - "Lively Old London Town"

Posted on Tue May 10th, 2016 @ 1:45am by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander Almar Dahe'el

2,964 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Resurgere

Sparks.

When last Rochelle had seen sparks flying it had been on the bridge of the dying Vindicator. She'd been arguing with Landon and Almar both, demanding that they run while she went down with her vessel - or rather had every intention of turning herself over to TrBak, ending the madness that stretched long between them. The choice had been tabled for her and nearly extinguished her life in the process. Nearly ending Javaan's life before it even began. A hand rested over the impossible swell of her belly in subconscious desire to protect her child, even from the simplest threat, even a thought or memory, however benign. Now before her, though, separated by large glass and the open cradle of the bay, Rochelle watched sparks fly as worker bees and engineers alike worshiped about the space frame of a new God.

Not nearly as large as her ancestor, the new Vindicator was a beast in her own right. Her design concept promised greater agility that would have left her doomed forebearer writhing in avarice - completely pea green with envy. It would never be the aforementioned Discovery class, however, nor would she be able to replace the countless memories that had been destroyed along with her. It burnt the little Commodore, singed her to her very core, to think of it... To remember it - but the infantile ship, once raised, was proof of Starfleet's unyielding spirit in the face of terrible adversity... Of Rochelle's own brutal and vibrant tenacity.

"She's glorious, isn't she," Almar spoke softly as he walked up behind the heavily pregnant form of Rochelle and laid a scaled hand delicately on her shoulder, his gaze matching hers out of the window of the design bay, he'd been responsible for every step along the process and had watched it grow from a design on the screen to the space frame and guts that were laid out before them.

"The Vindicator Class, NX78213 - F," he added with a slight chuckle, "I petitioned the Admiral to retain the full designation when she first approached me about leading this project." the Cardassian continued as he waved his free hand across the console below the window, "Fast, strong, agile and designed to withstand anything that a certain Romulan might be able to throw at us."

Tired and uncomfortable as she was, Rochelle found herself leaning into the softness of the Cardassian's touch. It helped to bring her back to reality, back to the bare facts that stated she was safe, they were safe, and that new beginnings were soon coming. "She is," she finally replied with a nod, toying with the soft fabric of her maxi dress's skirt. While the attire was incredibly improper down in the belly of the shipyard, it was comfortable and allowed her to keep up the ruse of taking the Admiral's ordered respite seriously. "I'm glad to see her coming along. I know that creating an actual Vindicator class was a dream of yours," turning to face him, her fingers soon found themselves leaving the fabric of her skirt in exchange for plucking bits of tritanium shavings off the Commander's shoulder, even if it had her raising herself on tip toe to accomplish such a task. Once captured in the open palms of her small hand, the shine of it, and weight when compared to the size of the pieces, seemed so very foreign when compared to the finished product of the ship they were supposed to cover, Still. They were a part of the new Vindicator build and something tangible for her to toy with when no one in their right mind would have allowed her a chance to touch the actual ship. "Tr'Bak will be around again, and when he comes calling we'll be sure to be ready. I insist upon it."

"The Vindicator will be ready," the Cardassian replied with a soft smile as he regarded the woman toying with a shaving that she had plucked from him, "Tr'Bak can come as often as he likes, he will not find us unprepared. He made enemies of the Vanguard this time too, I doubt they will take the loss of one of their commanders lightly."

"I don't think he cares who he's made an enemy out of, Almar." Her head shook as her eyes narrowed in scrutiny of the shard, letting it roll across her palm. "He has no regard for our lives or those he's taken. What his end game is, nobody knows," She huffed in indignant response, lifting her hand to the Cardassian, "All I care about at this point is that the sister product to this piece is strong enough to keep him at bay and away from everyone she holds." Rochelle's gaze finally found their way to the grit smudged face of her friend and the oil black depths of his eyes, searching for answers and absolution within their ink dark fathoms, "promise me that." It didn't take a philosopher or counselor to decipher the point the diminutive little Phoenix was trying to make or the fodder that fueled her fire. Tr'Bak had come close to stealing away the final little bits of her emotional sanity; Landon and now Javaan were still undeniable targets that the ship beyond the glass would be charged with protecting. Failure wasn't an option and the only living soul that could guarantee the ship's integrity from an engineering stand point stood squarely before her.

Almar could feel the weight in the words that were being spoken to him and he knew all too well the pain that had been caused at the hands of the Romulan they spoke of. "You have my word that the Vindicator will be more than up to the task, she will be stronger and faster than ever."

A slow, shaky breath filled the fire bird's lungs as she nodded once, twice, and pulled her lower lip between her teeth. "I trust you. I trust your abilities." What she was really saying, begging, was for him not to fail her. Not now when there was so much at stake and she so very vulnerable to every element.

"Your life has been in my hands before," he replied, his hand giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze and a smile spreading across his lips, "You know I will stop at nothing to protect you, your child and the Vindicator, I can do this by making the latter as strong as possible."

Her head nodded yet again, willing herself to cast aside whatever doubts dared to niggle at the bag of her mind. Paranoia had never been part of the dynamic little woman's core, but now it seemed so ready to rear its ugly head in powerful, visceral imagery and memories. It was worse than what the Whydah had been - but instead of shrinking away and willing herself to hide, Rochelle found herself wanting to fight. The urge to protect that which was hers - Landon, their son, Almar, their crew, their ship, their way of life - grew stronger than the fathomless worry that tried to tamp down the fire within her. "Make it so," she finally felt the vibration of her voice roll through her larynx, "breathe life into a ship like no other. A ship that will send our enemies running with their tails tucked at the mere sight of her sensor signature."

"You'll find that the Vindicator F will be better than any of her predecessors, I will build her into an image of loyalty and composure that is at the core of Starfleet's philosophy." the Cardassian replied as he slid a padd out from one of the many hidden pockets in his uniform and handed it to the heavily pregnant woman with a slight flourish, "While it has been approved by the Admiral, she wanted me to get your authorization on the naming and designation of the ship, she said that this is to be your phoenix raising from the ashes and it would be fitting for you to give her the name, officially of course."

Drawing in a deep breath, Rochelle took the offered PADD from his hand and began to read and skim. It was the official order, the official choosing of the name of a new class of ship all in the likeness of the venerable Vindicator. "My phoenix," she smirked through the sadness such an action should never have brought about. It was cause for celebration, sure, but it was also yet another reminder of their failure to save the ship. A reminder of the brevity of their loss. Her thumb pressed against the screen, sealing the deal with a proverbial kiss and the dignified distinction of her very being. Rochelle's eyes lofted over her shoulder, catching a sidelong glance of the growing behemoth behind them. "Tell my aunt that I appreciate her sentiments and do me a favor? Ask her if my father is expected around anytime soon?"

"I shall be sure to pass along the message and inquire about his whereabouts." Almar replied with a slight nod as he retrieved the padd and slid it back into his uniform for delivery the next time he made his way up to the command deck, which seemed to be more and more often of late. "Last reports have him retiring and making his way towards this area of space as a private citizen."

"Thank you," she nodded, offering the Cardassian a small smile as a token of her appreciation, "That's what I'd heard," Sighing, she turned to face the ship again, pressing her hands against the coolness of the glass like a little girl staring in the window of a toy shop, eyes wide with wonder at the promise of what lay beyond that clean barrier. "I'm holding out hope that he'll choose to visit before Javaan is born. He missed my birth... Seems fitting he'd get to be among the first to see his grandson."

"I'm sure with the contacts that he's made in his lifetime, he'll find a way to be here." the Cardassian stated as he cast his gaze out over the ship he was in charge of building, the loss of the Vindicator E still burnt deep within him, his time spent at Utopia was not the best of his life, but the time spent in the belly of the beast they created had been. "You should make your way to something a little more... restful, before someone who doesn't know you as well as I do tries to make you return to your quarters."

"We'll see. He's a busy man, Almar. I'm not going to hold my breath, but I'm not going to hold it against him if he doesn't make it here either." The Phoenix's eyes closed briefly while a measure of turpitude took the liberty of worming itsway across the delicate features of her face. It was no use. No matter how hard to worked to steel herself against the knowledge that, in due time, a conversation with her father regarding the end of the Vindicator would, indeed, come. Commander in Chief, or not, he'd still been the one to entrust her with the Federation's shining flagship... And she'd failed him. Failed him in order covet and protect her lover; a man she knew her father openly didn't approve of from a madman that would undoubtedly return to swat at them again. The radio silence continuing on that front had only added to her budding anxiety around that topic - and added to the top of the pile sat her son's closely impending birth. "I don't do stagnant, Almar, you know that." She smiled wryly, reopening her eyes to a shower of sparks coruscating from the ship before her, "He'll be here when he gets here. Laying down and twiddling my thumbs isn't going to make him come any sooner. Trust me..." She groaned, "I've tried."

"Why else do you think I haven't tried to get you to leave, little Phoenix," the Cardassian replied with a laugh as he turned and moved to one of the consoles behind them and placed a hand on it carefully, bringing up the detailed MSD they had been working on for the past few weeks, "Your quarters on the new ship is one area that we haven't got around to designing yet, have you got any requests before I send through the information to the Fabrication office?"

"You're a wise man." She grinned in return, slowly tearing herself away from the growing ship in order to study what it was he presented to her. The schematics sat there, waiting, poised for her perusal. "While I appreciated the room, having two formal sitting areas and a dining room was insane. Too many places for Helsa to get into, let alone a little boy..." She mused, tapping her lower lip with a slender finger, "Maybe forego one of the parlor rooms for a second sleeping area? More family friendly? Teak wood floors, sealed. Maybe pay design homage to Crown King." The woman thought out loud before looking towards her companion, quietly imploring his own feelings on the matter.

"What is there is just a placeholder, something they would simply throw into any other ship that were being created, part of the modular design process." Almar replied with a slight smile as he scanned in on the image and bought up the Captain's quarters. "I take your meaning about spaces for Helsa to get into and I am sure that your child will take from her lead and get into just as much trouble," he added as he tapped at the console and input a few changes that she had mentioned, "Wood throughout or do you want carpeted in some? Have you considered having kitchen put in or will you be relying on the replicator? Some people on our crew have already put in requests to the Quartermaster for fitted kitchens."

Rochelle scoffed lightly, "You've met his parents. We're not exactly good at playing by the rules. Landon's record is a good country mile long and mine..." She chuckled lightly, "It goes without saying... Fitted kitchen, carpet in the second sleeping area. Built in shelving in the living room. We don't have anything left from Vindicator, but I'm sure we'll restart our collections of things." The thought of everything that had been lost, especially the memories, stung. They sent pinpricks of heated emotion along the bridge of her nose, settling on into the space between her eyebrows in a mixture of pain and woe. Rochelle knew that the physical, tangible items meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, that they could widely be replaced - but memories were designed to fade when things weren't there to prompt them to remain. Places. Feelings. Gone and scattered to the four winds, ripe for the removal as time went on. A hand found its way subconsciously to her belly, smoothing along the fabric of her dress in an attempt to ease the budding discomfort such thoughts seemed to evoke. "I'll go over the details with Landon this evening, get his input."

"Both of you have quite interesting records to read through, they certainly must make for better reading than mine. I've had quite a conventional time of things." Almar replied as he pulled a blank padd from one of the many hidden pockets in his uniform and placed it down on the console, a few commands were tapped into both and he then picked it up and handed it Rochelle with a smile, "You and Landon take some time to review the options and put the design together yourself, once you're done, upload the specifications and forward them to me, I'll get them added to the construction schedule."

"We can't all be perfect like you, Almar." She quipped sharply in response, reaching to swat at the Cardassian's arm before taking the offered PADD. "We'll make it happen. Don't be surprised if there's a few suggestions for the bridge layout as well."

"Those may be a little harder to swing, however I think your word carries enough weight here that we can get this changed about a little bit." the Cardassian replied, completely ignoring the comment about his record and the swat to the arm.

"I know a guy. He'll do everything he can to make sure this ship has the perfect everything." Rochelle replied knowingly, toying with the edge of the PADD she now held, "He knows he has my gratitude and a lot more."

"If it can be done, it will be." Almar replied with a light chuckle as he cast a glance at the door that opened across the room, "It would appear that you have been located, Commodore," he added as he gestured with his chin towards the newcomer making her way over to them.

With a scowl, Rochelle was quick to hide the PADD as best she possibly could. Admiral Red was incorrigible. She'd likely read Ch'Valenvok's notes about Javaan's quickly impending arrival and taken wing down to the one place she knew her equally as stubborn niece would be. The smirk written across the raven haired woman's face said it all; she was gloating at the prospect of having captured her red handed in an act of contrition against her orders. "I'm not working. I'm strolling." The Phoenix was quick to leave the space she'd shared beside Almar, abandoning the schematics of the ship and waving her pained farewells to him before being swooped up by her aunt for yet another stroll along the station back to her quarters.

---

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NX 78213-F

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

 

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