A Passing Storm

Posted on Fri Apr 26th, 2024 @ 5:17am by Captain Rylan Gray & Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox

1,320 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Opening Moves
Location: Captain's Ready Room, Deck 1, USS Thunderbird
Timeline: MD022 - 1400

That could have gone better thought Harrison Knox after delegating the task of seeing the uproarious tempest of Bajor off the ship to the dependable and more than willing Chief Petty Officer Gildran Trusk. The added security escort seemed a bit over the top, but given what Knox had witnessed in front of Captain Gray, he was not about to argue with Trusk's request of security personnel; however, Knox fully believed Trusk capable of handling the belligerent lieutenant without security present. Undoubtedly, Trusk had requested security's presence to make a spectacle out of Vila's grand departure. At least I was prepared for things to go south in a devil's heart beat he thought as he made his way back to the Captain's Ready Room with a PaDD in hand. He was sure that Trusk would inform him of the very moment both of Vila's feet were off the Thunderbird. Knox pressed the Captain's door chime. "It's just me. I'm alone," Knox announced to reassure Rylan that Lieutenant Vila was not returning for another round.

"Enter," Rylan said with a tired sigh. The emotional storm that was Lorut Vila had left it's mark on him and it had taken a minute or two to shrug off the worst of it. Later, he told himself. I'll deal with it later. In my quarters. Preferably with a drink in hand.

"Bourbon?" Knox offered teasingly. "After having witnessed whatever the hell that was, I think we could be forgiven for drinking on the job. You have the patience of a saint, Ry," added Knox. "Don't worry, she's on her way out of here. I handed that chore over to Trusk. He seemed very pleased to assist." Knox did not feel the need to disclose the small security escort.

"Later," Rylan answered. "I'll make dinner, you bring the bourbon. I cannot imagine what possessed Starfleet to send someone like that. The emotions coming off of her. Disdain. Hostility. A bit of hatred. She could never have fit in. At least not before we're due on patrol." He sighed, a tired wisp of sound, and continued. "And now, we're that much more short-staffed."

Knox plopped a PaDD with a personnel file already pulled up. The name displayed: Stormy Knight. He met Rylan's curious looking gaze. "A good First Officer always has a back up plan. She's in between assignments. You say the word and we can probably snatch her up. I have already vetted her. She comes highly recommended, and no, despite the name, she does not nor has she ever been a Dabo girl," explained Knox.

Rylan accepted the PaDD and began reading as he listened. He trusted Possum's judgement on such things but, being the kind of man he was, he read her file anyways. "She's got the education and experience we need," he said at last as he passed the PaDD back. "You say we can get her, say within the next twenty-four hours?"

"If we act now, yes" replied Knox. "She checks all the boxes. If it isn't us that makes the play to snag her, then one of the other ships in the area needing a science officer will. We act now and we act swiftly" he said with a small smile.

The whole Vila experience was a fresh wound. "I don't know what they were thinking. Honestly, they probably saw a Bajoran in a Starfleet uniform and thought that would be beneficial in dealing with her people. That sort of tokenism mentality with staffing is going to cripple us. If we had her along to work cooperatively with the Cardassians, we would of had a diplomatic nightmare on our hands."

"Agreed," Rylan said. "She couldn't contain her animosity against Starfleet long enough to report in, I doubt that she would have had the restraint to deal diplomatically with the Cardassians and we will have to deal with them." He sighed. "Not that I'm without sympathy, you understand, its just that our job, our mission, requires us to put our personal feelings aside. I won't have someone in a department head position who is so clearly incapable of doing that. I sincerely hope she gets the counseling she needs but that's not something that can be done while we're on patrol. Not where we're going."

Knox nodded. "She does need counseling, not the kind you get aboard a starship either" he noted. "I am not sure Starfleet is meant for her. There's so much anger and frustration, animosity towards the uniform."

"I"ll speak with Captain Ardyn as soon as we're done here and make the request. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, we'll have her on board." He shook his head slightly. "It's the departure date that's causing the problems, you know. Starfleet wants us to keep to the schedule, all five ships, and will not accept delays -- even if that means we end up missing key personnel. Shortsighted but they won't be moved on this point."

"Quite frankly, we are running behind schedule, Ry," Possum said with an apologetic glance. "We need to go on time as scheduled. That may mean leaving without finding department heads for certain departments. I think we may have to look at pulling up from within each remaining department if push comes to shove. It might mean a junior officer stepping into bigger shoes."

"I agree on the departure date. As I said, Starfleet wants to keep to schedule and is unwilling to compromise on this point; however, from the reports I've seen, other than filling out some essential positions, we are on target for departure." Rylan cocked his head to one side, looking at his friend with a quizzical expression. "What do you know that I don't? About us being behind schedule?"

"No, no secrets," Knox replied shaking his head. He knew what at least somewhat that they were on schedule but from a personnel matter, Knox viewed it differently. "Flight Control and Operations, Ry. We haven't found department heads for those. I am uncertain if we will find anyone not currently aboard or in the general vicinity."

'As I alluded to earlier," Rylan said nodding as he spoke. "We're short and they're not going to wait. We can promote from within and then provide oversight." He gave Possum one of those significant looks, a sly grin on his face. "Guess who is going to oversee Operations?"

Knox shrugged "I do not know, but at this point, you might need to sit at the flight control console" he said noting Rylan's past service record. "You still know how to fly one of these starships, right?"

Rylan shook his head. "I'm not talking about running the department, just overseeing the person who is running the department. You take Operations and, heaven help them, I'll take Flight Control. And in the interim, I'll keep on Starfleet for sending someone to us."

"Hey, we'll do what we need to" said Knox. He was already going to have to oversee each department head as First Officer, but this would mean a little extra care of Operations. "And I'll start looking at the junior officers we have aboard in those departments."

"And I'll talk with the Captain. See what I can work out. Feels like we're owed," Rylan said, grinning, as he considered the happy prospect of negotiating what they needed. "You know what they say, don't take no for an answer."

Knox laughed. "I have never known you to ever take no for answer" he stated. "I'll be around later with the bourbon. Your quarters?"

"Indeed," Rylan said. "I think there's a Rugby game we can watch as well."

Two buds with bourbon and Rugby. After the day they just had, that was something Possum could get behind. "Rugby and bourbon it is then. I'll catch you then" added Knox as he excused himself to head out.

 

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