Kicking and Screaming

Posted on Thu Jan 4th, 2024 @ 4:21am by Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan & Lieutenant Calliope Ito

1,904 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Lacertae Mortis
Location: USS Sakura | Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: Current

ON:

Captain Rogers sat at his desk reviewing reports. It was the one he was looking at now that caused his brow to furrow. Suddenly he had a headache because he knew this was going to be a battle of epic proportions. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Swiveling back to face the desk again he tapped the coms button. Rogers to Thompson.

He waited while his personnel officer chirped back. "Yes sir?"

"Has Lieutenant Ito checked in?"

"Indeed sir. She is in engineering we're about to bring up her stuff."

There was a pause. "Stuff? She never had stuff."

"Apparently during her medical leave she's accumulated Two casts and a crate of stuff."

"Hmm. Would you look at that. Anyway hold off on the stuff. Keep the cats and stuff in the shuttle bay. We may be re-directing it."

"Sir?"

"Someone has applied to poach our Chief, Thompson."

"Without her knowledge?"

"Yup."

There was a long pause. "Shall I alert medical?"

Rogers laughed. "No just hold the stuff and get me Commander Kerrigan. Have him come to my ready room. Get Ito here too but give me a bit of time with Kerrigan."

"Aye sir."


Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan did not have the luxury of postponing decisions any longer than he had, waiting for Captain Morelli to return at this point was as a Vulcan would say 'illogical' especially given Fleet Admiral April could not provide Kelly with an update on his Captain's whereabouts which left him with lingering thoughts that she could be in trouble, if not worse; however, he had to stay optimistic otherwise the thought of loss would be crippling. The Arcadia had several positions left vacant with recent promotions, transfers, and personnel reassignments. A starship undergoing refitting, the USS Arcadia was painfully without a Chief Engineer.

He had done what he needed to in order to find a Chief Engineer externally for the USS Arcadia, but it had meant swiftly sticking a fork into a tender piece of the USS Sakura and he was not sure how Captain Rogers of the Sakura would take it. Fortunately or unfortunately, it did not take very long for Kelly to receive word that Rogers wanted to see him, in person, and aboard the Sakura.

The journey over to the USS Sakura was a quick one, convenient that the Sakura and the Arcadia were both there, and yet not a coincidence. Lieutenant Commander Kerrigan had set his sights on any starship in the vicinity of the star base to begin to fill out the Arcadia's blank spaces on the manifest. When he arrived on the Sakura, he found her to be a good looking ship and was politely escorted to the Captain's office. He knew very little about Captain Rogers, a disadvantage, but he suspected that the man knew little of him as well.

"Captain Rogers?" Kelly said as he entered the room and quickly caught sight of the man. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan of the USS Arcadia, Captain Rhoda Morelli's new First Officer" Kelly said introducing himself to the man. He sent a small pleasant and compact smile in Rogers' direction. This was business, nothing personal. That was how Kelly felt he should approach the matter.

“Ahh Commander. Please have a seat.” He stood and stretched out his hand.

"Thank you, Sir" he said as he did just as offered. He took a seat. "The Sakura seems like a fine starship." he added kindly. He did want this to go smoothly after all.

Rogers, waited until the Commander was seated and then he folded his six food three frame into the chair. Stroking his greying mustache he studied the man, his eyes twinkling blue. "So I hear you are interested in acquiring my second XO and Chief Engineer.

Straight to the point thought Kelly which was fine to him. "The Arcadia is in a tough situation right now, Captain. We're without a Chief Engineer and nearing completion of refitting several key systems. We were looking to promote within, but our candidate took a position aboard the Excalibur. You can see the predicament we're in."

"I can and I commend you on going after one of the best. Now, that being said, there are some things you should know."


"She looked like a strong candidate, but I admittedly was brief in going through her personnel file. She has rank and experience which places her towards the top of my short list. Anything you wanted to say that I should know, please share."

"She is top, one of the best Engineers in the fleet, at least by my estimation. Now then. She's...very much an introvert but has leadership skills which she's proven during the Klingon war. She is also...not big on changes so this will come as a shock to her."

Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan listened to what Captain Rogers had to say about the woman in question. "The war brought out a lot in all of us that served during it" stated Kelly. "I'm not big on changes either, but this is necessary. Believe me, I would not be here trying to pull her from the Sakura if we had other options, but the next best I have is far less experienced."

"Indeed. I have approved the transfer you are merely here to ensure she doesn't airlock me when she hears it....to think she used to be such a people pleaser." He sighed. "Now I don't put it past her to invent a machine to put herself in my dreams and strangle me." He laughed. "Alright. Shall we brave your new Engineer's wrath together?" He stood walking over to a cart filled with drinks. "Coffee...whiskey?"

Kerry nodded "Coffee, yes. Hold the whiskey, it feels like I'm on duty constantly. I doubt she will try to airlock you, and ultimately this is my fault. I can handle talking to her if she's displeased about this."

Rogers poured the coffee for the young man and then one for himself. He added a shot of whiskey. Just as the door chimed. He sighed and took a big sip of coffee wincing. "Good Whisoffee. Come in!"

The door hissed open to reveal a tall slender young woman with almond shaped eyes and hair pulled up into a severe bun. She walked in. "Captain I really do not have time for impromptu meetings. I honestly have a mess to fix in engineering because my assistant couldn't read my manual he forgot it as there and they messed up my engine modifications...." She stopped as she saw the man sitting in the chair. "My apologies...I should come back."

"No no no. Come in this is Commander Kerrigan and he needs your engineering expertise."

She sighed and entered. "Commander." She executed a salute. "How may I advise you?"

Kerry stood when the woman entered the room. "You can help by coming back to the USS Arcadia with me, Lieutenant. We need a new Chief Engineer, and that person is you. I don't know how to broach the subject with you, Lieutenant, but we need a Chief Engineer and you are qualified for it."

She stood frozen for a moment. Suddenly she could feel the coldness of her skin and how it beaded with sweat. No, she wouldn't jump to conclusions. "As you need to borrow me for a day or two?"

Rogers stepped in. "No, as in you've been transferred to the Arcadia."

Her eyes widened.

Rogers jumped in. "It's a constitution class, right Kerrigan?"

Kelly nodded simply enough and was ready to push his chips in and gamble on the engineer. "The Arcadia is a Constitution class with a good service record. Even more importantly, she's undergoing the latest in refits for several key systems including our engines. It would be a true test of an engineers skills to serve as Chief Engineer aboard the Arcadia, Lieutenant Ito. I understand this is a big ask for you to leave the comfort of a starship and crew that you know, but I need you as our Chief Engineer."

He did not feel the need to disclose the situation with Captain Morelli. "The Federation's push into the Beta Quadrant is crucial now more than ever, and the Arcadia is slated to be at the forefront of that. The Romulans, the Gorn, and the Klingons are all vying for more territory. If we get shut out of the Beta Quadrant, Lieutenant, the Federation will become nothing more than a footnote. We're just over a year shy of the centennial of the Federation, the question is will you help us reach it by seeking out new life and new civilizations?"

She snorted. "I have no wish to be a hero." She sighed. What was it that Counselor Blake had said. She must be like a tree in the wind, bend so that she didn't break. She sighed. "I have two kittens. They are non negotiable. Also I like to have a small kitchenette in my quarters...and is the ship carpeted? What are some shower options, here we have water...what about there?"

"We are still undergoing our refitting" stated Kelly. "I have no objections to the kittens and the kitchenette is no problem. We can tackle the other things before we disembark" noted Lieutenant Commander Kerrigan. "So, it sounds like we may have ourselves a deal?"

She studied him for a long time.

Rogers knew her, "Kerrigan has given his word on some of your demands and said that you all can chat about the others. Give it a try. If you are not happy there will always be a place for you here."

She sighed, "I will go, but a place for a bath in real water is non negatable." She turned. "I will go get my stuff."

Rogers grinned at Karrigan. "You're already packed and your stuff is in the cargo bay."

"It's an expression!" She headed out.

Rogers chuckled. "You survived!"

"For now" Kelly muttered and took a deep breath. "I hope getting the rest of the ship's vacancies filled is easier than this was."

Rogers studied the man. "Just keep at it, son. Things are ... difficult now but keep your confidence, even if you don't feel it. Take one task at a time and rely on your crew."

Lieutenant Commander Kerrigan absorbed the Rogers' words and let them sink in for a moment. "I'll take that advice to heart, Captain" he said and reflected in the your crew part. It made him think of Captain Morelli and the possibility that something had happened to her and until proven otherwise or until Fleet Admiral April or another admiral informed him otherwise, the USS Arcadia was his. It was his crew and that was something that Kelly was not sure he was ready for.

"Well then, how about a shot of whiskey, then? It settles the nerves."

"Another time perhaps?" Kelly tried to politely decline. He had several meetings to have and even an admiral or two to chat with. The last thing be needed was to appear even mildly intoxicated. "I'm afraid I still have a lot to do, Sir. Thank you for meeting with me and for your assistance with your Chief Engineer." Kelly made his way out of the Captain's office and soon would be back to his own starship.

 

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