An Untidy Ending
Posted on Thu Jun 21st, 2012 @ 12:16pm by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Captain T'mpest Michaels & Lieutenant Jimmy Cooper
1,483 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Location: Bridge, USS Ranger
Timeline: Current
ON:
Elsie stepped out onto the bridge, the sliding doors to her ready room closing softly behind her with a breath. She looked tired, and as the trilling of the instruments around her sang cheerily in her ears, she couldn't help but notice that the bridge crew was also suffering with the same fatigue. She halted and then surveyed her kingdom for a quiet moment before stepping up and onto the round level in front of her chair and Commander Michaels.
Her look was wandering and as she met the Vulcan's eyes they widened into an expression of contentment. She then drew in a breath and released it with ease. "Admiral Singh anticipated the need for a specialised First Contact team," she then said quietly to her surrounding officers. "Mr. Edsell. Keep a look out on long range sensors for their arrival in the system. They shouldn't be much longer."
The ensign nodded and then looked down instinctively to his sensor readouts as Elsie glided over to her chair and plumped down next to T'mpest.
"It's been a long mission, hasn't it?" she asked quietly, resting her little chin in her left hand as she leaned in. "And somewhat unsatisfyingly. The Romulans are yet to answer why they are here and we haven't tied everything off in a little bow. Just merely handed it over to the 'authorities'."
"Yes it has," T'mpest agreed. "The crew is ready to move on." She looked intently at the Captain for a moment. "Not everything can be tied up in a neat little bow. What we've uncovered indicates the Romulans weren't involved in the near-destruction of the Taylforthians. Starfleet will deal with the illegal mining later. Sometimes all you can do is unearth a problem and pass it on to the people who can resolve it. This one will take time." Then she smiled, her voice still low. "You did well."
Elsie doubted the sentiment and replied merely by pursing her lips. She nodded silently, unhappiness written across her face for all to see.
No longer held back, Lieutenant Jimmy Cooper was working on one of the bridge's science stations. He'd be glad to leave this place; it had indeed been a long mission. Not to mention enough scientific data to last one a lifetime. "Captain," he reported dutifully, "we're compiling a science report of Taylforth to send to the First Contact team. Should be finished any moment now."
Elsie looked up to her Chief Science Officer from across the bridge and nodded. She turned to the central display between her and T'mpest, opened it and checked the sensor readouts for herself. "Once the commanding officer of the team checks in with us, Lieutenant, send them what we have. I guess there's nothing further we can do here once that's done."
"Not so fast, Captain," Ensign Walker announced from Ops. "Pelican's hailing us."
"On screen, Ensign," Elsie replied, looking up as the screen blipped in the image of Tomas. "Captain?" she questioned, sitting back in her chair more comfortably.
The addressee in turn resorted to a slight smile and nod.
"An update may soon be coming your way, as we've just received orders to leave. So this is where we must bid you adios."
Elsie regarded the familiar captain in a moment of silence before nodding back and smiling widely. "We're currently awaiting the First Contact team as we are ourselves are soon to be heading out of the system." She widened her eyes in a glaring fashion and shot Tomas a knowing stare. "I can see how turning up to this situation at the eleventh hour, shoehorning in a few choice comments concerning how ineffectually I run my ship and then leaving me to then hand this entire mess over to the 'experts' warrants poaching my Engineering staff but then what do I know about the bureaucracy of Starfleet these days anyway? I'm just a mere captain struggling to get through a day's work without breaching the Prime Directive. Old habits die harder than those of healthy Academy competition." She winked, loading the last line with recognisable affection.
"I'd throw him back if I had a say, Elsie," Tomas returned with facetious contention. "Getting Mister Hane to his destination effectively commits us to Starbase 514." He then rubbed his face from the brow down in a manner implying some undesirable aspect within the fact, though his smile persisted. "Dull port to spend another fortnight in deep space just traveling to, but it might be just what Engineering needs to regroup from Lieutenant Stensrud's eleventh-and-a-half hour decision to abandon us for your vacancy."
"Your loss is our gain," she quipped, holding up her hands in a mock defensive, apologetic action. "But I'm sure she'll be happy here. I'll make sure of that."
Tomas met Elsie's avowal with another nod. "I have little doubt of it. Ranger is a fine ship and you two in particular have similar ethics. She's a bit rawer exuding them, but most kids are," he asserted, his gaze narrowed and knowing. "You've been to many of the same places. She'll respect that."
"Transporter room to bridge," interjected a new voice from the Pelican's end, its intercom origins further alluded to by a slightly airier quality. "We're in range."
"So is the First Contact team," Ensign Walker added in spite of the Ops console needily chiming away. "USS Luxor has entered the system and is sending a Priority One transmission."
"Pick it up," Elsie said, turning to Walker and then training her attention to the screen. "Luxor, this is Captain Elsie Halliwell of the Ranger. Welcome to the Taylforth system."
Presented by only half the viewer, a floating multi-systems display, a decentralized arrangement of its station, and a soft palette dominated by amethyst accent lighting still made it evident that Luxor's bridge was a more avant-garde, expansive venue. At its center, a lean, goldenrod-furred Caitian peered intently at the recipients of his ship's hail.
"Captain Halliwell, I'm Captain F'r'san Kivaari." Low and throaty, his voice was nonetheless very precise in its enunciation. "Luxor is prepared to relieve you of Taylforth system-keeping as ordered."
"Captain," Jimmy chimed in to both his own and Luxor's captain, "We're sending a complete scientific report about Taylforth and its people, for your leisure."
"Make sure that it's encoded, Lieutenant. I don't want prying eyes intercepting it."
"Of course, Captain, already done." Jimmy added confidently. He wanted to say 'Way ahead of you', but captains usually don't care much for such talk.
"I wouldn't fret too much over the miners," Kivaari murmured anew. "The Romulans don't have hard guidelines against exploitive enterprise, but I've been made to understand that the Senate has been persuaded to consider this instance. . .a potential security concern. If it has been quiet there lately, it's likely because the miners have been recalled, and the S'Task, one of our joint task force vessels, is en route to ensure their compliance."
"That," Elsie replied, standing to face her contemporary on equal footing, "is a relief to mine and my crew's ears." She briskly turned to Lieutenant Shepherd behind her and nodded the relapse into Condition Green. "Once you have downloaded the data we provide, we shall be on our way."
"Very well, Captain Halliwell. We'll leave you to your departure preparations. Godspeed."
"And to you, Captain," she replied with a subtle smile. "And good luck with this. I'm glad to pass this tense situation on to you." The lie was small and unnecessary but she thought there little point in prolonging the unhappiness she felt about leaving situations unprocessed and passing that on also. "Halliwell out."
A listener for the entirety of the discourse between Ranger and Luxor, Tomas, whose setting reclaimed the viewscreen, clasped and rubbed his hands together. "We're standing by to transport Lieutenant Stensrud to you. In the meantime, I hope our next rendezvous leaves us time to do something other than posting watch for Warbirds."
Elsie smiled and indicated her humour by affording Tomas a little, barely noticable wink. "You're on, Captain," she said, turning around and now sitting back in her bucket-chair. "First drink's on you. I'll be in touch." And with that, the screen darkened and was replaced with the vacant expanse beyond the Ranger's hull.
T'mpest gave Elsie a half-smile. She knew how hard that had been. The Captain hated leaving things unfinished. "Your orders, Captain?"
Elsie inhaled for a brief moment and held the air in her lungs before exhaling with a confident yet warm demeanour. "Onwards, Commander," was her simple reply as she sat back into her chair and watched the stars on the viewscreen swish sideways as a new heading was executed.
OFF:
THE END
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