A Road Paved With Good Intentions

Posted on Wed Oct 18th, 2017 @ 11:26am by

1,400 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Unknown Life, Unknown Dangers
Location: Hood's Quarters

The day had not gone as William had hoped, the Admiral was less than happy of his solution to the crisis that befell the ship though ultimately the Admiral accepted it as the only realistic option. Still, it was clear that Hood had not endeared himself. He mentioned the damage to TPK club though he suspected the Admiral was still digesting the plan about the nacelle for it to fully sink in. He also didn't give an answer about it too.

William resigned himself to the upcoming questions that would be coming his way from Command. They generally took exception to large capital ships returning critically damaged and while he was thankful for keeping all the information to hand just for these kinds of questions he felt a little lost because the Admiral had also not given any definitive outcome on what would happen to Lt.Cmdr Reign. While is was fortunate that Lt.Bradshaw had declined to charge, it rested with the Admiral.

Will walked into his quarters and pulled off his jacket, draping it across the back of a chair. His console indicated messages awaiting his attention but he was not yet ready to give them such and sat down on his large sofa contemplating the future.

Vash heard the door open to the quarter she was now officially sharing with Will and got up from the bed wearing a red and gold Tholian silk robe. She tied the belt, then headed into the living room. "Hey," she said softly as she crossed over to him. "You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"Let's just say I'm wondering if I will have a command when we return to the yards." Will sighed. "The Admiral was not happy with my plan, accepted it but no Admiral would be pleased when the flagship is crippled. Then I told him about TPK and got no answer there and I'm expecting the Spanish inquisition when we get back to account for my actions." Will explained as he looked at Vash.

"I'll talk to him again later about TPK when he's cooled off."

"He better not give you any grief over what happened in my club," she snarled. "He'll find himself without a flagship and a flag rank if he tries it."

"Vash, its not him I'm worried about, its the Admiralty. They don't take kindly to flagships returning with pieces missing, especially ones as large as this class is." Some relief at least since I had all the information that I could give them to support my actions. "You're day been any better than mine?"

"The Admiralty can kiss my green ass, too," Vash said as she settled down on his lap. "I haven't heard anything since you were here last. I guess I'm hands off until Admiral Furball decides he's brave enough to come see me. As for the ship, it's not like you infected it with whatever that thing is."

"It's not about bravery Vash, it's about what I did to his ship. It's easy for you to stand there and act all tough but it's not your ass on the line, it's mine." Will replied. "I did what I felt I had to but it doesn't excuse what I've done, I'm still accountable for the lives lost, damage done and god knows the media backlash. Can't exactly hide this on the dark side of the moon."

She curled a lip at that. "Here, I may be just plain Vashkele, owner of The Pink Kitty but you know who I was and what I was. The Admiralty also knows this and my life was in danger on a Federation ship. The very ship I was sent to so I could start my new life and it almost ended? No. They will give you a new ship, shut up anyone who says otherwise by pointing out all that I gave the Federation for so very little in return and they will like it."

"Do you honestly believe the Admiralty cares Vash?" Will spoke in reply. "Yes I know who you were, I know what you were but that was then, this is now. To them you're just another number on a protected watch list, I'm pretty sure there were other alternatives considered than to put you here but this isn't about you, or who you were, it's about me and my choices, my orders that got us into this mess."

Vash got up from his lap and paced towards the replicator. "Then maybe I will just have them killed as an example."

"I'll draw up a list." William sighed rubbing his brow, the future looked very bleak and it didn't help that the Admiral was displeased with him. "Have you eaten yet?" Yet again Will had put off eating because of duty. Dr Patrovski would have firm words with him if he found out.

"No," she said. "I was waiting for you and nervous over what may happen when I do get called to the Admiral's office. I broke the law by bringing those weapons on the ship, Will."

Will remembered that. "Might I suggest a less adversarial approach, remember you are in the wrong on his ship. God knows what he's going to say to me about it." Will had yet to even consider that part and frankly, he didnt want to. "What do you feel like eating?"

"It doesn't matter," Vash said. "I'm not really hungry. What do you want?"

"Bacon, egg, hash brown, toast, chips and a nice drink." William spoke feeling the need for something horribly unhealthy and greasy.

She made the request and brought it over to him with a steaming mug of coffee. "Here's your grease, Will," she said.

Will sat staring at his food, his mind all over the place as he considered everything that had happened. "Do you think I made the wrong choice?" Will spoke. Before he doubted his future, now he began to doubt himself. "Do you blame me for what's happened?" The actions of a ship lay with the Captain, that also entailed the damage and the losses they had suffered at the hands of this organism.

"Why would I?" Vash asked with genuine curiosity. "Did you bring the thing aboard the ship?"

"Directly no, but did I through my action?" Will spoke. "By destroying the ship did I doom countless others to the same situation we find ourselves in?" He sat thinking, dreading what a civilian ship would go through without the superior technology or trained crew on board like he did.

"There was no way for you to know what would have or could have happened, Will," she told him. "You cannot be held accountable for the unexpected. You're doing everything you can to preserve the lives of your crew. What else can be expected of you?"

"That....is what I am afraid Command will ask." Will took a bite of his meal but the mood soured it. Will liked to be a man who commanded his own future, he had duties yes, orders to follow and a crew to protect but with this looming over him...what would come. "Also depends on the Admiral's input, this is his Flagship for the time being until he transfers his flag to another vessel."

"It's not technically his ship," Vash pointed out. "It isn't your ship, either. Starfleet merely assigned you and him to it. It's the property of Starfleet. Your job is to command it and his job is to sit on his furry ass and bark orders once in awhile. You did what you had to do. Nothing less."

Will smiled at her reply, sometimes a civilian outlook was often more accurate when it was not burdened by the duties and needs of starship command. "I guess." Will resigned himself to finishing his meal. "I could do with a shower, care to join me?" It was an offer, she didn't have to take it, but it was there none the less.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said as she got up and took the plate back to the replicator. "I'll give you a massage while we're there."

"Deal." Will spoke as he stood up and put his empty place in the replicator and started to pull off his tunic and shirt as he made his way to the Bedroom.

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