Change in the Air

Posted on Fri Oct 4th, 2024 @ 3:08pm by Lieutenant Calliope Ito & Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan

935 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Lacertae Mortis
Location: USS Arcadia Shuttle Bay
Timeline: Few Days after rescue post.

ON:

Fang, Ito, and Kerrigan waited for the bay to pressurize. The circle on the wall panel went from red to yellow to green and the doors hissed open.

Ito, carrying her bag entered first followed closely by Fang and Kerrigan. The shuttle doors were already opening and a man dressed in an Admiral's uniform came out followed by Fin. "Captain Kerrigan I assume?" The Admiral extended his hand to Kerrigan.

The young man was still unsettled by the formality of being addressed as Captain. He extended his own hand to accept that of the admiral's. "Sir," he said addressing the man. "Yes, Sir. It would be the case. At least until we find Captain Morelli."

"Hopefully soon, Until then I know you can handle this." He turned towards Fang and gave a nod. "Mr. Lee. Your father sends his best. Now then, you must be Ito."

She gave a nod. "Lieutenant Ito ready for re-assignment."

Admiral Hensing gave a nod and turned to Kerrigan again. "My apologies for taking your Chief Engineer Commander Kerrigan."

"Admiral, with all due respect, you can hold that apology up to the light and see my formal complaint underneath it" Kelly said still upset that Calliope was being reassigned.

Kelly Kerrigan was usually a pleasant young man, not the confrontational type nor one full of political aspirations. "I do not appreciate my best and brightest being taken out from underneath me with so much as a forewarning."

"Desperate times, son, call for desperate measures. You have some good people on your ship. Use the talent that you have. Complaint will be noted." He motioned to the shuttle. "We should get going. Ms. Ito please say your goodbyes."

Calliope turned to Fang. "Well Lee, this is as far as I go. Any requests while I'm on Capella?"

Fang smiled. "You know my one request right?"

She gave a nod. "Fin and I will do our best. If I get any information you'll be the first to know."

Fang bowed. "Thank you."

She then turned to Kerrigan. "Sir I'm sorry we did not get a chance to work together longer. I leave you with Fang Lee. I hope that you know you have a great officer there."

"He's a fine officer and will be a capable Chief Engineer," Kelly stated. He was still not pleased. "Desperate times... Our Captain is missing, I don't have a Chief Science Officer. You have taken me of my Chief Engineer and my top candidate for Acting First Officer. I hope that it works out."

Ito shook her head. "Now that's a reason to leave! Sorry sir, I don't think I'm cut out to be FO." She grinned for the first time. "But I know who is!" She looked at Fang. "Fangie it's up to you I dub thee my replacement."

Fang signed and shook his head. "Ito you are a child."

She grinned. "Takes one to know one." She winked and turned to the Admiral. "Ready to depart sir." She turned back to Kerrigan and gave a salute. "Good luck Sir. And while I never met your previous CO I know that she would feel the ship is in excellent hands. I hope our paths will cross again."

Admiral Hensing and Ito said their goodbyes and headed back onto the shuttle. Their trip would be long and there was much to go over.

Kelly and Lee stayed but a moment and then headed out to watch the shuttle depart from the control deck of the shuttle bay. Neither spoke both were lost in thoughts and plans and duties to come. They parted ways both a little sad that Ito was gone and perhaps not knowing how to navigate the spaces left by her departure.

Fang's duties took him back to engineering and his morning was spent in a contemplative silence. Zai, still suspended until tomorrow, was resting and recovering and the engineering team knew their tasks and what was expected. He had been officially promoted to Chief Engineer and the official appointment ceremony and re-assignment of department personnel was done. Zai would serve as Deputy Chief despite his flub up so with everything out of the way it was a quiet time for Fang where he could work and think and just feel the difference of his new post as Chief Engineer.


The ship would be on its way soon to the next mission and until that time Engineering was running diagnostics, preparing upgrades, retraining staff, and the usual to do that was essential on a ship of this size.

Fang's mind began to clear as the day floated away and by lunch time he had an idea forming, by the late afternoon he was trying to talk himself out of it and by evening he found himself walking towards the Captain's quarters with purpose. A nervous energy about him but a determination that he hadn't felt in a long time. A clean slate that he hadn't known that he'd been missing or wanting until perhaps Ito's departure and almost loosing Zai. He felt as if he was on the cusp of some realization he had yet to fully understand but it was there and maybe, just maybe this was the step that was needed for him to grasp it firmly.

He found himself by the Captain's quarters and he rang the chime. This was it, there was no turning back. He didn't want to turn back. Decisions were binary. No matter the number of possibilities each started with a choice between two things. He'd made his and wanted to see where it lead.

OFF:

 

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