Best Laid Plans

Posted on Sat Jun 4th, 2022 @ 10:13am by Captain Garrett Lovejoy [ Taylor]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: After End Game
619 words - 1.2 OF Standard Post Measure

OOC: Just a silly little post.

Garrett sat in his ready room. The mission to capture Highlaw and his traitorous network had been successful. Thanks to Lily Kass and her team of highly skilled operatives. Only now upon the completion of the mission the crew of the Elysium knew Lily Kass was actually Phoenix Lalor, former captain of the Elysium and to mark that fact, already rumors were flying about the ship that Phoenix would be reinstated as captain (Which he didn't doubt) and he would be transferred to another assignment. He shook his head and wondered just how these rumors got started.

As he sat, he reflected on missed opportunities or things he would have done differently. Like his relationship with Phoenix and the Elysium crew. At least he had a chance to make up for his earlier arrogance and stubbornness. Then there was Samamtha, his partner for so many years. She has always stood beside him and supported him and never asked for anything in return. Well, that was about to change. He was going to give Sam the vacation of her dreams once he knew what it was. He just had to go about slyly. He tried to envision where she would want to go. Paris? London? Sydney? New York? The possibilities were endless. Or maybe she would want to go to Risa or Pacifica. He would see if he could coax the answer from her without being too obvious. Sam had a keen knack for when he was trying to surprise her.

He would start with a nice dinner and maybe some dancing or take Sam to a play or would that be too obvious that he was up to something? He thought about using Gavin, but their son would give it all away by just flat out asking his mother and Garrett wanted this to be a surprise. Maybe he could talk about some holovacations and see her reaction. Using Avalon was out as well. The AI had no guile it would just ask Sam like Gavin. So, no help there. He sat and he thought of different scenarios, but none suited his needs. How could something so simple be so hard? The answer was obvious, it was him. He wanted to surprise Sam, make it spontaneous. Asking her didn't fill the bill. He thought of asking Phoenix but no, she had already been through a lot, and he didn't want to ask for her help in a personal matter. Romulan ale would loosen Sam's tongue but that seemed decidedly underhanded. He didn't want to get Sam drunk. That would cheapen the whole affair. He got up and began pacing the floor. He would rather deal with Tholians over a diplomatic table than do this. He stopped his pacing, maybe he could pretend he had amnesia and he could ask Sam to tell him of past vacations. But then knowing Sam, she'd just wait until he snapped out of it and his memory 'returned'.

Maybe he could fix so it looked like she won a prize from the game show, Interstellar Wheel of Fortune and the prize she won was a dream vacation. She would have to say what it would be. He smiled and then it slowly melted like an ice cream cone on a summer day. Sam would point out she hadn't entered any contest. She just had to be so logical, dang nabit! He sighed and slumped into the chair in front of his desk. He was forced to admit defeat and that the best and easiest way to find Sam's dream vacation was just to ask her and save himself an ulcer.


Captain Garrett Lovejoy
Formerly CO of USS Elysium