A Departure

Posted on Sat Sep 28th, 2019 @ 3:07am by Rear Admiral Greg Coulson & Commander Ash Randall
Edited on on Thu Jan 2nd, 2020 @ 5:45pm

1,271 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Atlantis
Location: Ready Room, USS United States
Timeline: 2429-11-25, 08:00

Captain Daxus stood at the wall mounted workstation in his Ready Room looking over the most recent sensor sweeps of the nearby sectors. The United States was getting ready to leave its dock on a mission to reestablish contact with the missing Klingon Colony first encountered by Voyager during its brief sojourn through the Quadrant all those years ago. No one had heard from the Klingons in the interim and even the last Talaxian Survey Team that had been in the region found no evidence of them out there. Could they have been lost? Destroyed? Even conquered? He didn't know, but he was going to find out.

Tugging on his uniform the Talaxian Captain was going to order a fresh tea when he heard the door chime ring. Walking to the replicator he called out, "Come in." As he reached the replicator alcove. "Bergamot Tea," he ordered as he saw Commander Randall, "Make that two."

He picked up the cup and saucers when they shimmered into view and extended one toward the Chief Engineer of the ship, "Thank you for coming so quickly, Commander. Please have a seat," he said as he handed off the drink.

Commander Randall accepted the offered cup and saucer, with a slight nod of thanks, and took a seat with the saucer set on her knee. "My pleasure, Captain." She replied, and brought the cup and saucer up to take a sip of tea, "Bergamot..." She mused after taking a little sip and looked over the top of the cup at Daxus. "Very soothing and calming." She observed and then held the cup and saucer a bit lower in front of her. "Am I going to need this?" She asked, with a little smile.

"It's more for me actually," the Talaxian answered. He took a sip of the drink, "With both Captains Frost and Graecen on leave while Atlantis and Hippocrates are undergoing repairs I'm the senior officer in the region and am responsible for you and your actions." He picked up a datapad from the table, "or rather I was. I received notice from Starfleet that you are to return to Earth immediately for reassignment."

Ash leaned forward a little bit and tilted her head as if she hadn't heard Daxus correctly and then leaned back some and took a sip of tea while she considered this, unexpected, news for a second or two, and then stood up. "Thank you for the tea and for giving me this news in person, Captain. I appreciate it very much." She said, while she moved over to the replicator and recycled her cup and saucer. "Is there anything in that order about where I am to be reassigned?" Ash asked, as she crossed back to the Captain's desk to take receipt of her transfer orders from Daxus. Ash wasn't going to comment on how she felt about the reassignment but was getting the impression that it did not hurt the feelings of Captain Daxus at all.

"Apparently you have been specifically asked for to serve on the President's Flagship, Starfleet One," he answered with a smile. "I for one don't envy you the assignment, Commander. I have heard many things about Admiral Teagarden in the periphery of my responsibilities aboard the Atlantis and now the United States. I really don't know whether to congratulate you, or offer my condolences." He took a sip of his tea and continued, "I will say this though: I regret that I am not going to get the opportunity to know you better. You being returned to the Alpha Quadrant is a loss to this one, Commander, and I mean that."

Ash slowed her progress back to the Captains' desk at the mention of Starfleet One and then went very still for a few seconds while Daxus continued to speak of Admiral Teagarden. The Starfleet Engineer wasn't so much stunned as just, momentarily, overcome with disbelief to only just regain her composure while Daxus took a sip of his tea. Ash blinked a few time and, though she had not intended to before, now resumed her seat.

"Thank you, Captain Daxus." Ash replied, quietly. "I think you might be one of the very few with that sentiment though..." She added and then rubbed the bridge of her nose in apparent contemplation, for a second or two. "...I don't know. There are thousands of Engineering Officers who could be tapped for a position on Starfleet One who are IN the Alpha Quadrant and would, without question, march through hell to get there." She observed, suddenly shifting gears it seemed in mid-thought. Though Daxus didn't really know the Commander it was fairly obvious that she found the specifics of her reassignment to be, at the very least, a little disturbing by the way her tail was, suddenly, very still and her gaze was now fixed to the floor.

"Maybe they just realize how good you are at what you do?" The Talaxian suggested in response. "Admiral Teagarden may be many things from what I'm told, but he surrounds himself with those whom are considered the best in their fields of study. Plus, maybe there is more to the story than meets the eye?"

Ash lifted her gaze to look at Daxus but her eyes were focused on something beyond the Talaxian Officer for a couple seconds before they finally focused on him. "I KNOW Admiral Teagarden. I KNOW that ship. They might have re-christened her Starfleet One but it's still Enterprise and all that storied name embodies." Ash told him. "The man is not subject to bouts of whimsy or fits of nostalgia, has a reason for everything he does - short, middle and long game - and doesn't go to the can without a plan and a backup plan. So, he must have a very specific reason for dragging me from the Delta Quadrant for assignment to Starfleet One. A job, something he figures I'm the only one who can do it." She added, with a slow shake of her head. "Or not." She said, with a little laugh. "I might just be full of myself. However, I can tell you, it's never been a dull moment in my prior service on that ship with him in command. Terrifying at times, but never dull." She finished, quietly.

"Well then I'm going to wish you luck with your endeavor," Daxus said rising to his feet. "The courier vessel will be arriving in about an hour at Platform Station. I'm sorry you don't have more time to pack, but they were quite insistent. From what I'm told it'll take a couple of days or so to get you back to Earth."

Ash stood as well and bowed, slightly, as was the Talaxian custom when meeting or parting ways and then offered to shake hands. "Thank you again, Captain. I haven't managed to get around to unpacking my things yet so, I'm all set I suppose." She mused after the pair shook hands, briefly and began to head for the ready room door.

Daxus picked up the PADD and looked at it. He was about to speak up when he noticed the Engineer.

The Engineer stopped and slapped her hand to her forehead and hurriedly came back to confirmed receipt of the transfer order on the PADD and then briefly checked her own PADD to confirm the transfer order had been transmitted to her. "Okay...now, I think I'm all set." She stated, with a smile. "By your leave, Captain?" She asked as she headed out the ready room door.

The Talaxian smiled, "Good luck, Commander. Dismissed."

RSS Feed