Seize the Day! Part I

Posted on Fri Feb 3rd, 2023 @ 4:14am by Lieutenant Thraxina & Lieutenant Commander John Stryker II

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 2: Rendezvous At Starbase 10
Location: USS Talon
Timeline: During Midway's sojourn at SB10

Fleet Captain Manolis Chiotis was not a man to show emotion or sentiment, so this was not one last chance for some tearful goodbye to his 3rd Officer and Head of Navigation. He just thought the man deserved some explanation for the, apparently, sideways move to the same position on a (certainly in Chiotis' opinion) lesser ship and under a (definitely in Chiotis' opinion) lesser Captain.

The door to the briefing room swished open and Chiotis didn't even bother to look up. It would be Stryker. Stryker would be on time and Chiotis would be on time. That's how it worked on this ship: everything was ship shape and everything was Fleet.

"Ready to go, Lieutenant Commander?" he asked, and looked up at Stryker. There was everything to admire about the man: tough, experienced, an expert in his field... and disciplined. Above all disciplined.

"Yes sir, as ready as one can be, I suppose," Stryker said a bit confused as to why the transfer.

"Would you like to know why I agreed to your transfer to the..." the name seemed to form a bitter taste on the old skipper's tongue "... the Midway?" he asked.

He expected an explanation from the man, he was the type not to do something without a good reason, "Shoot, an explanation would answer the question for me, not that it would change things all that much, other than I'd know the why of it."

The Midway? He knew nothing of the ship itself, except for the name. It had been around for eons. An old and honored name in Naval lore as well as Starfleet history. This would just be one more transfer in a series that makes most officers careers, he would make the best of it.

"Indeed" agreed Chiotis as he adjusted his wraparound green tunic. "The fact is, that it's about time you moved up the chain of command: it's unlikely that will happen on this ship. I'm too good a Captain!" he said with a little tongue in cheek bravado "I run a tight ship, follow all the regulations and never get us into trouble. The opportunities for you to show your mettle are minimal"

He leaned back.

"The ship you are joining, from what I can see in the reports, is a little more... well, shall we say, ramshackle. The Captain, Faust, has been promoted very young, very recently. The ship's counsellor has been removed pending disciplinary measures and as soon as the vessel started its maiden voyage it became embroiled in some farrago with Orion pirates that involved a great loss of life and damage to property."

He looked to see if Stryker was getting his drift.

Stryker was nodding as the Captain spoke about the ship he was headed for.

"In other words, it is what some might term 'a hot mess'. Just the sort of an environment where a disciplined, experienced officer like yourself can shine. Mark my words, Mr Stryker, the next time we meet, I expect to see a Full Commander's braid upon that uniform!"

"Interesting, Sir. That it would be assumed I was looking at adding another stripe on my sleeve. Quite honestly heading into a 'hot mess' as you call it, does little to foster thoughts of promotion. And Captain, remember, what I'm really excellent at is, 'Laying in the course now, Sir.' Not much of a shine there."

"Ah yes... but who plotted that course, eh? You Stryker, you! One of the finest navigators in the Fleet, the apotheosis of stellar cartography!" the man said, jumping up.

Stryker started to say something when Captain Chiotis cut him off.

"Anyway, don't argue with a superior officer. If I say you want promotion and will find it in the... [ugh].. Midway, then so you shall!"

He flipped a button on his computer.

"Hangar Bay, is the shuttle from the Midway here yet?"

There was a slightly distorted voice from the other end.

"Yes Sir, their Chief Helm's just brought her in and she's on her way up to you now Captain!"

"She?!" Chiotis beady eyes narrowed as he frowned at Stryker "Another vapid female, probably promoted for all the wrong reasons!" he growled: the old school Fleet Captain was not enamoured of drippy women on his ship.

"Well Mr Stryker, this is it, good luck." he said tersely as the door to the room swished open and an attractive young women in command gold minidress strode in on her black jackboots, brand new lieutenant's stripes upon her wrist.

"Lieutenant Thraxina, Midway, reporting to transport Commander Stryker" she announced, coming to attention before the old space mariner, staring forward and looking at neither of them directly, like an illustration from the Academy drill book.

"That would be me, Lieutenant. Captain, fair winds and following seas. I have enjoyed my time here. But as you say, time to move on. Adios, Sir." He turned and looked at the Lieutenant, "Ready when you are LT. Hopefully, my gear was below and found its way aboard your shuttle?"

"Crewmen are storing it now, Sir!"

"All right, dismissed!" Captain Chiotis announced tersely, ever his way. It was only after the two other command officers had left the room did he look up and think, wistfully, of his ancient Greek ancestors on their triremes, ploughing the Mediterranean sea of old, where there were no science officers, engineering officers, medical doctors, communications... but even then, there was a captain, a man at the helm and someone who knew how to read the stars and the planets to plot their way on the dangerous waves.

That was a sacred golden triangle on any starship in the eyes of Manolis Chiotis: the travel, the travel in space, was managed by the Captain, the navigator and the Helmsman: when those three were in harmony, the whole ship was in harmony.

 

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