Preparing For What Comes Next

Posted on Wed Jan 11th, 2023 @ 7:51pm by Captain Tristan Faust & Lieutenant Michael Amato & Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag & Lieutenant Commander Dimitri "Dima" Stoneking M.Eng.
Edited on on Mon Jan 16th, 2023 @ 8:31am

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Fool’s Errand
Location: Deck 7: Medical Section
Timeline: M1 MD09 (2268.24.05) 0500

As the ship's crew picked up the pieces and took role call after the battle, Captain Faust rousted Ensign Dienstag and the two officers walked into sickbay. In the triage area the Captain spotted Commander Stoneking sitting on the examination table. Dr. Amato was attending to his disruptor wound.

Dimitri had been feeling very angry, and like a failure since the boarding began. He didn't stop the EMP, they were boarded, he didn't stop the boarding and he got shot in the process. Torn between two important jobs he had chosen to stay with the engines rather than deal with the boarders and now... he had to stop or he'd doomspiral. Raising his eyes somewhat to look at the Captain he spoke. "Sorry skipper, guess I didn't make the right call."

"You made the right call Commander," Tristan responded, "We needed the mains back on the line as soon as possible."

"Have you eaten?" Dr. Amato asked. He already knew the answer based upon the tricorder readings from earlier.

Dima shook his head. "Not yet." He answered. "I'll grab something soon as I'm done here." He silently wondered if there would be a new addition to his collection of scars. "What about you, you're wounded yourself. You need to get that looked at properly." He had noticed the signs of pain, however well concealed, an altogether too familiar friend to warfigthers.

"Eh, it's just a scratch," Mike responded as he looked down at his arm. He was wearing his short sleeve scrub top so his scraped up arm was exposed. "How about I get a carafe of coffee or something," he said.

"That would be perfect doctor," Captain Faust responded.

"Thank you," Toby added giving Mike a smile.

As Dr. Amato headed off to the small canteen in the medical section, Captain Faust continued, "Again, you made the right choice," he said, "Overall the ship and crew is more important. We'll get the Commander and the rest of our people back." He didn't mean to sound numb to the entire affair, but it wasn't an easy decision to make. "We need to make sure we can take on the Orions this time," Tristan said, "We prepared last time and were still caught with our pants down."

"Yeah, well, last time we were unprepared. Next time we won't be, and next time I'll be ready for them." Dima said darkly, he had shifted to a war footing and was prepared to make the Orions pay in ways that no one else on the crew could or would.

"Commander, you are an engineer now, your first responsibility is for the ship to be ready for battle. Other people are responsible for direct combat," Tristan responded in an even tone, "You made the right choice by following orders and replacing the dilithium crystals and getting the mains back on the line."

"Yes sir, I know I am an engineer now. But that doesn't invalidate my skillset or experience, it would be foolish to not take advantage of it. With all due respect to you and your security team there's not a person on this ship better qualified, this kind of stuff is literally what I did for a living for twenty-three years. At the very least let me help prepare the teams you do send. I know Starfleet security training doesn't really cover this stuff, they don't really expect this situation... which is why people like me were used."

"You can certainly offer your services to security, but special operations is no longer your responsibility," Tristan responded, "The Orions were bound to take prisoners... They already did so... But fortunately we have prisoners of our own. We will get this sorted out even if we need to pull in reinforcements." The engineer was incredibly full of himself. Tristan has no doubts that he would have been useful in a fight, but it was doubtful he could have single handedly dealt with the situation. Stoneking had accepted a service change and this was the result.

Dimitri was nothing if not sure of his skills and abilities. He had two decades doing exactly this kind of work, he also knew that he was a mortal and that he could be killed just as easily as he could kill another. "Personally, I'd give me a little better than fifty-fifty odds of success if it was just me sent." He dropped off the exam table and pulled his shirt back on over his head. "You don't need to remind me of my duty, Captain... I just don't like feeling like I could be doing more."

It was becoming more and more clear to Dima that people were determined to only see him as an engineer when of his two careers that was the one he was the least experienced in. It was enough to make him consider resigning his commission... after his shipmates were safely back aboard and they had time to conduct repairs, of course... all the more time to think it over.

"I've got a repair list so long that it'll be days before we're back to full, and I'll help the security teams too. God help me I won't let them beam to their deaths if I can help it." He said that last bit quietly. The self doubt and introspection was totally gone, buried beneath a mask of duty.

The Captain nodded, "This isn't a punishment, it's just what you signed up for," he said, "I needed an engineer... I need an engineer." Despite Dimas' assurances he had to make this clear, "I hope you take it to heart Commander," he said.

"I didn't sign up, I was issued transfer orders. I didn't choose this, someone messed up some paperwork. I am an engineer, I know my trade and I'll do it as best I can." Dima replied. For him this was all a fresh wound, one he hadn't had a chance to start healing from.

The Captain nodded, "That is all I ask," he said. He would have to keep an eye on the Commander, hopefully things would work themselves out... Eventually.

 

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