Departure

Posted on Fri Nov 9th, 2018 @ 1:20am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Avalon [ADMIN NPC] & Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Liselle Qwyyn & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Lieutenant Commander Matias Grronkil & Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant Tate Sullivan Ph.D. & Consul Toran - Son of Thopok House of Thopak & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Bridge
Timeline: 0445 MD 1
1436 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

IC

Alpha shift arrived early for their shift. Phoenix had been in her ready room working on paperwork, having been up early. When the notification came through, she smiled faintly, glanced at her office, nodded and headed out onto the bridge.

She carried with her a PADD and stepped up to the chair in the centre of the bridge.

"All stations report in." She said brightly.

Commander Qwyyn stroked the sides of her console with her fingertips, happy to be back at the helm of the Elysium once again. Home. "Smiling ear to ear and ready to set off on your orders."

Phoenix gave a soft laugh at Liselle's reply. "Very good Commander."

"Engineering is ready and waiting," said Matias.

Gary was seated in his customary spot, the XO's chair. He listened to Liselle's happy banter as well as Matias crisp and to the point reply. He nodded and smiled as Phoenix came on to the bridge.

Phoenix nodded at Gary as she took her seat.

" Medical is ready to go captain." Came the gorn's reply from his office.

Toran leaned forward over his desk, hitting the com buttons. "Captain I'm in my office and at your disposal? Care to have me on the bridge?"

"Of coirse Ambassador if you wish." Phoenix replied.

Toran pushed himself up out of the seat and made the short trip to the Turbo lift up one level and out onto the bridge. he found part of the extensive bridge not currently in use, and stood there, he didn't intend to get in anyone's way, and he had to admit that it pained him how uninvolved and useless his job felt some times, diplomacy was of coarse important, but it was also something that popes up only from time to time in some missions.

Arri spoke. "Science is ready, Captain."

"Counseling is clear," Tate answered. She appreciated her department being recognized in the readiness report, but she briefly mused what she could possibly say that would ever indicate the department wasn't prepared for departure. One of these days she might just joke about a member of the crew escaping from people wearing white coats. Even as she thought that, she realized the crew as a whole must be rubbing off on her to encourage such a mischievous impulse.

"We're good to go here, Sir." Anje chimed in from Ops, taking a moment to look around the bridge, ~This ship is amazing....~

Phoenix looked around at the crew assembled, her lips quirking in suppressed mirth as she did so. Inside she was dancing a happy little jig but on the outside she was as calm as ever, "Well we are just awaiting our Security Chief to get here...." She said calmly noting those at their stations. "Late as usual." She added with a smirk as she continued to turn in a circle on the bridge.

Gary looked up at that. He wasn't aware of any new security/tactical chief being added to the ship manifest. What was going on? He glanced at Phoenix for answers but she was conveniently turned away from him.

The doors to the ready room opened again.

Lia walked out and took her post, she began running her old Security program. "Security and Tactical showing clear and green, long range scans also show clear Captain. You can leave any time you like". She cast a quick glance around the bridge as her program continued to run, oO Oh it's great to be back Oo she thought.

"Thank you Commander Holmes. Welcome back." Phoenix replied. Then Phoenix hit the Ship Wide Comm. "Attention Crew of the Elysium, please be advised that Commander Holmes has returned to the Elysium and shall be retaking her previous role of Chief of Security/Tactical. Second Officer of this vessel remains Commander Liselle Qwyyn." Then she cut off the channel.

Phoenix turned to Liselle, sitting at Helm. "Commander Qwyyn, Take us out please."

For the first time in her memory, Liselle Qwyyn did not obey an order from Captain Lalor. She couldn't. Her brain hadn't processed the words. Instead, Qwyyn was wide-eyed, staring stupidly at Lia Holmes in utter disbelief. Her lips formed the words 'oh my gods' but she didn't have the wind in her lungs to speak them aloud.

Gary rose from his chair and stared at Lia, then at Phoenix and back at Lia. A stunned surprised look on his face, slowly replaced by an honest to goodness happy smile. "Lia!!!!!!" He boomed as he took a step in her direction, stopped and looked around sheepishly remembering where he was. "Um. Welcome Back Commander Holmes. You were greatly missed." His tone much more subdued and professional but the happy smile remained on his face. He looked at Phoenix. "You Captain are a sneak. But in this case it's allowed. This is a nice surprise." He looked at Lia again, his eyes conveying that they would talk and soon. He shook his head at the wonderful surprise

The Captain's response was a smirk as she settled into her seat.

Liselle shook the cobwebs from her brain. Only just deciding to believe her eyes, to believe that Lia really was here again, Qwyyn slowly turned back to her station. "Taking us out, sir."

As the ship moved off, Lia suddenly felt whole again. One month, that's all it had been. One lousy month, but thanks to Julian Bashir here she was. Back in her old job, with her old crewmates and ready to carry on where she left off. Just what would happen next was up to her, all she knew was this time she was hanging on with both hands. Gary's voice carried over to her, deep within her heart and head a little glow suddenly became a flame once again.

Anje wondered for a second what was going on here, but Ocham's Razor told her the two hopelessly attractive Commanders were a couple who had just been reunited, ~That's nice...~

Qwyyn was dying to talk to Lia, but her inner voice told her to wait. She knew that if she did start speaking, the questions would come tumbling out and she'd never be able to get control of herself again.

Walking slowly over towards Liselle, Lia wondered if her friend would even talk to her. She was still worried that Liselle would think she wanted her Second Officer post back, but that was not about to happen. "Hey there, you not talking to me? Oh congratulations on getting the Second Officer post, you deserve it". She tried to sound calm, but in truth she just wanted to hug Liselle as a friend to reassure her.

"Thank -- thank you," Liselle stammered. "I -- I don't --" she swallowed, and her eyes darted uncertainly. "I didn't mean to take the position. I didn't know you were coming back." Her eyes caught a flashing light on her console. "We should talk later?"

Lia placed her hand on Liselle's, "Why would you know? And you didn't take it, you earned it". She turned to return to her station but then replied, "Yeah lets talk later, how about we meet on the holodeck in the teahouse?"

~Or perhaps the two hopelessly attractive women are the couple?~ Anje wondered, then her mind shifted, ~Am I the only person here without anybody? Crap, I'm going to end up with cats...~

Arri managed to notice Anje's surface thoughts. "Ugh... Cats..." She muttered quietly. She could not forget the Talleyrand when Admiral Trogar made every cadet on the ship find his damnable Persian. That obstinate mammal had managed to sear a never-ending enmity towards those things into the Alindari.

Arri turned towards Lia when she heard her voice, she tried to suppress a smile, but sometimes even her emotional mastery slipped. "It is agreeable to see you again, Commander Holmes."

Arri's voice filtered through to Lia's brain, "Oh Lieutenant, thank you. And I must say it's very agreeable to see you to, we must get together some time and compare swords again".

Noting with a smug smile the long time crew's responses to the surprise, Phoenix cleared her throat. "Liselle take us to Warp 8 once we are clear please."

Matias turned to Lia. "Welcome back, Commander," he said.

Turning Lia replied, "Matias my friend, nice to see you again".


=/\=

Captain Phoenix Lalor
Commanding officer
USS Elysium

Commander Gary Taylor
Executive Officer
USS Elysium

Commander Liselle Qwyyn
Second Officer/Chief Flight Control
USS Elysium

Commander Lia Holmes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Elysium

Lt. Commander Matias Grronkil
Chief Engineer
USS Elysium

Lieutenant Commander Tate Sullivan, PhD
Chief Counselor
USS Elysium