Aboard the Eclipse

Posted on Sun Jul 29th, 2018 @ 9:26am by Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Liselle Qwyyn & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor

Mission: Season 2: Mission 2: Just Breath
Location: Eclipse Ready Room
Timeline: Current
1508 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

After the announcement for the Elysium crew to report to the Eclipse, Gary and Lia boarded the ship and once there, Gary had his command codes transferred and himself recognized as being in command of the ship. That done they went to the Captain's Ready Room and waited for the Elysium crew to board and Liselle to meet them. Because of the Eclipse's smaller size, only the command/senior staff, department heads and key personnel were being allowed to board.

As they waited, Gary had taken a seat behind the desk and motioned Lia to take a seat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. He then began talking without any preamble. "One thing Lia before Liselle gets here. When we're on the bridge, we present a united front to the crew. You disagree with me, that's fine but do it in here." He looked at her, "Can you do that?"

She shook her head, "No I can't, and as a First Officer you should know that". Lia remained standing, "If your wrong its my job to tell you that, if the crew need a voice you'll listen to. I supply that voice, with respect of course. And most important, if there's another way I'm supposed tell you and advise you". She placed her hands on the desk, "If you want a puppet for a First Officer, its not me you'll want. If you want a First Officer that will do the job of a First Officer, then I can and will do that job". She looked straight at Gary, "You know what I'm like, if I have a job to do. I do it right!" Lia straightened up and took a deep breath, "In here anything can be said between just we two, that doesn't instill confidence to the rest of the crew. The first thing that will be said, she's letting him fuck her so she's not interested in doing her job". Do you want that? I know I don't, so don't ask me to be something I'm not". She smiled weakly, "I'm sorry if this isn't what you want to hear, but it's my answer".

Gary didn't say anything for several seconds, he just looked at Lia. His face betraying no emotion, his eyes boring into her like twin phasers, Finally he nodded and spoke, "I see." Then slowly a grin spread over his face. "Congratulations Lia, you passed your first test as Executive Officer. Never hold back your feelings or thoughts. Not to me, Phoenix or any Admirals you may encounter. You voice your opinion with confidence and you stick to it. Don't ever waffle. You want to destroy a crew's confidence in you flip flop on your opinion. Your not mad at me for putting you on the spot are you? I do know how you think and feel but I wanted to hear you say it. Your exactly what I want in my Number One."

Lia gave Gary a sideways look, "You sir are a cad, but I suppose you were only doing your job. No I'm not mad at you, YET". She now grinned at Gary, "Ok now I've passed the test, just how are we going to handle this dog of a mission?" Lia walked back to the chairs in front of the desk and sat down, "I hope Liselle hurries up, we need to sort out duty rota's".

"A cad?" Gary feigned a hurt look. "I suppose that's better than being a bastard." He leaned back in his chair and voiced his thoughts on the mission. "We let the Elysium get 'stolen' we proceed at a safe distance to follow them. Not too close where they could track us with a tachyon beam but close enough. We stay cloaked. I don't want to tip our hand in this deal. We mask as much of our engine emission as possible. I don't want these guys to be able to have any chance of discovering us."

The door to the ready room chimed. Once. Twice. And again.

At the sound of the chime, Gary looked at Lia, "That should be Liselle. Good now we can plan." Turning his gaze toward the door, he spoke "Enter." With Liselle here, they could get down to business.

On the contrary, Liselle was anything but serious. "Guys!" she announced as she strode into the room, hands spread wide to the stars behind Gary's shoulder. "I've had an amazing idea. Let's just leave. We'll start our own crew. Become space pirates. Leather outfits and scary eye patches. You in?"

Gary laughed heartily at Liselle's suggestion, "You had me at the scary eye patches. Definitely count me in." He bantered while looking at Lia. "What about you Lia? You in? We're talking leather outfits and scary eye patches. Chances like this don't come along often."

Lia smiled weakly, as visions of Liselle and Gary on the parallel planet filled her mind. She shook her head and grinned, "I already have the leather outfit, remember my Warrior Princess outfit? But I'll pass on the eye patch, me in that mini skirt is more than frightening". Lia stood up and went and hugged Liselle, "Don't ever change, stay just as you are".

Qwyyn was taken aback by the apparent compliment. "I'll take that as an order," she promised. Truth be told, she had been incredibly nervous to face Lia again in private. She had been dreading a moment like this since they had first learned of their mirror lives -- and deaths. She pushed the feelings aside, turning to Taylor instead. Her eyes belied her teasing tone as she regarded him sitting in his chair, built for a captain. "Comfortable?"

Gary nodded at Liselle, a grin on his face, "Very much so. I could get use to this very quickly. In fact I'm already use to it." The thoughts of his other self and the other Liselle on the parallel planet along with Lia's death out of his mind for the moment as he enjoyed this special moment with Lia and Liselle.

"Now we'll have time later for eye patches and leather outfits but first we have a mission to complete." His tone switching from teasing to serious. His eyes took in both Lia and Liselle. "Ladies please take a seat and we can get started."

Sitting down Lia looked at Gary, "Has the crew finally boarded?" She glanced at Liselle, "Do you want to run Security?".

Before Liselle could answer, Gary spoke. "Yes the crew is aboard. Just received final notification of that." He then turned his gaze to Liselle," For this mission Lia is going to be my XO and you will be second officer. I know you can handle it, so I don't want to hear any objections." The last said with a smile on his face.

Lia gave Gary a withering look, "Excuse me Captain Bligh, I may not be Fletcher Christian. But will you kindly allow the poor girl a chance to answer, she may NOT wish to be the second Officer". She then turned to Liselle, "Now before we both end up walking the plank, will you please be the second Officer and do you want to run security?" She suddenly faced Gary and put her finger to her lips, "Button it Bligh, this is girls talk". Lia then blew him a kiss and smiled.

Qwyyn felt an unexpected smile bloom on her lips. Gods, but she was coming to adore Lia's fire. "Yes," the Trill answered with a confident nod. "To both questions. Honestly, thanks to the support you two have shown me, I think I'm ready to show that I'm capable of doing more. I want to do more." She rolled her eyes at her own words. "Ugh. I sound like something out of a self-help book. Please make me sound really suave when you talk about this in your logs tonight."

"Oh, by all means Liselle by the time I'm done, you'll be known as the queen of suave." Gary assured with a boyish smile.

Grinning Lia looked at Liselle, "Suave? Do my ears deceive me? Our little Liselle wants to be suave?" She started to giggle, "Oh all right, I'll try and make you as suave as I can". She then fell into fits of laughter, as the other two seemed not to find things quite as funny as she.

Gary looked at Liselle and shrugged his shoulders, "See what I have to put up with?" The last said with a broad grin on face, "We have the Laughing XO." he went on to tell Liselle.

"Watch out," Liselle warned. "She reminds me a lot of another woman I know. Of course that particular woman is now the captain of the Elysium. But I can already see Lia eyeing your chair with great interest."

Commander Lia Holmes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Elysium/USS Eclipse

Commander Gary Taylor
Executive Officer/Captain
USS Elysium/USS Eclipse

Commander Liselle Qwyyn
Chief Flight Control
USS Elysium/USS Eclipse