A Social Call

Posted on Thu Mar 7th, 2019 @ 8:48am by
Edited on on Thu Mar 7th, 2019 @ 8:48am

1,672 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: What Stalks The Night
Location: Temp Quarters, Earth

Pacing around in circles around the Academy complex, Anika couldn't really get rid of the stomach twisting anxiety that she was feeling. Touching a panel she inquired "Location of quarters, Captain Will Hood?"

The reply came back with an address, it was the officers building closest to the medical wing where Vash had been staying. He didn't want to be far from her. He knew the future would be a difficult one, but he wasn't going to rush her, let he go at her own pace, as and when Vash was ready.

Her flight to rid herself of her anxiety took her to his door in about 10 minutes since shed been on the other side of the complex. Annika rang the bell, and waited for a response.

Will sighed, half expecting security or another assistant to come and collect him for another gruelling round of questions and interviews with the Brass. "Yes, come." Will tried to look friendly but he was tired, sleep had not found him deserving of late.

Anika stepped into the house and smiled at the bright decor. "I see your quarters are just as festive as mine are."

"Thrilling isn't it?" The first obvious difference is the Captains uniform, not the flag officers one. That was going to take some getting used to. "So, what brings you this way Anika?"

"Youre not the only one being hauled before the brass." She threw back at him and settled into the seat beside him.

"The pains of being a First Officer." He'd been dragged a few times during his stint as a Commander himself. "So, what did they want with you?"

"To be a CI and rat out the crew of the Dreadnought, but mostly to rat on you. They used the admiral Ive known since i was 15 to try to appeal to my....I dont know. " she covered her eyes with her hand and heaved a deep sigh.

"Oh, nice." Will spoke, good to know the cogs of the military turned behind his back in a machine against him. "I suppose I should be lucky I got the Dreadnought back then."

"I dont know. I was led to believe that its a small number of the admiralty that arent in agreement with Admiral Matthews"

"If one day the Admiralty could actually agree, that...is when we should worry." Will replied. "Too many back room politics and bickering."

A chuckle escaped her and then she sobered and looked at him. "They offered my own command to turn on my crewmates."

"What class?" Will asked, simply out of curiosity.

"Oberth." She replied bitterly and then snorted in amusement. "Can you imagine?"

"An Oberth....You are kidding right?" An old ship remodeled to modern specs but a small, aged design, tiny, hardly be called decent or honourable. "Think you made the right call bailing on that one."

"Not kidding, they clearly didnt want to buy my loyalty. An Oberth for the love of all things....i think I called it a garbage scow masquerading as a Starfleet vessel."

"Sounds about right." Will replied. "So they send you to escort me back to them or you here for a socal?"

"Oh social. I figure since both our careers have come to a screeching halt...we could comisserate. I am sure Admiral Hague has already made note of how I spoke to him."

"Should have seen my replies to the board, but I can't talk about that...confidential." He put his finger to his lip, smirked, winked. "I am surprised they let you stay as my Exec. figured they would want to move you so you don't fall with me."

"Ive earned the right to make my own decisions about my career." The indian woman smiled wryly as she spoke "Im no snitch. But Im betting there are others aboard who they could make that offer to that would take it."

"Do you know if they has spoken to that rather large fellow of yours, whats his name again?" Will asked, he'd not met the man himself but rumour had it he was rather well built.

"Ediras, i doubt it because hes a civilian." Shrugging one shoulder she smiled a bit.

"So what is going on there?" Will boldly asked. "He keep to himself much? I've not seen him around."

"Hes a quiet soul, but i think because hes betazoid the presence of others is painful for him. Most people are fearful of him and he hates that."

"You doing anything while we are Earth, I don't know when we will be back?" Will asked, encouraging any of his crew to take the time now, because he didn't know when it would come again.

"Maybe I will. It would be nice to have a vacation not ruined by my family. Im assuming you're not to stay near to Vash?"

"I have no idea whats happening there. Operations wants a debrief, she needs time to heal, its all up in the air at the moment." Will replied with a sigh, wishing, hoping that he knew something.

"She might need someone to talk to, that wont hurt her. I know shes powerful and strong, but even the most powerful of women can be broken."

"Thats, why Im waiting." Will spoke, hoping that he would hear something soon about Vash, this silence was killing him.

Reaching out she rested her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "You're allowed to go and ask about her "

"Not yet, I've been told to wait for word and considering the meeting this morning I'm on thin ice as it is." Will didn't want to push his luck, he'd done that enough and was lucky to walk away with skin left on his teeth.

"I heard something about that." Her wry head shake told her emotions about the whole debacle. "What a mess."

"News travels fast, I expect nothing short of a front page spread about it in the morning about the disgrace of the Federation and the joke of a starship." Will mused, knowing that work would filter out at some point.

"I dont think so actually. I think judging by the hush hush reaction of the disapproving admirals that your slap on the wrist will not be splashed around because it makes one of their own look bad. "

"Yeah, well I got my ship back finally." Will remarked noting with a hint of distaste that he didn't think fondly of the Indefatigable, or the backlash he got for returning it in a condition less than what they gave it to him in. "They are doing final systems checks now. Bradshaw is going to have a fit, they reset all his tinkering when they put the new nacelle on."

She chuckled, playing with the end of her thick braid. "itll be fun to watch the show when we get back aboard."

"I don't think the ships armoured enough for the internal devastation that he would bring, he was making good progress in fine tuning such a large ship." Will spoke as he considered Anika's words. "Then again, that will be up to you to sort out if he does explode, you know how passionate engineers can be with their engines."

"He had to know what would happen when he handed a ship with one nacelle over to the shipyards. I can however keep him well plied in alcohol if that will help."

"Yeah, but expectation seldom meets reality." Will answered as he ran his hands through his hair. "Want a bite, or a drink?" Then as soon as he said that considered. "Unless you have plans with Ediras, wouldn't want to meet him down a dark alley shaking me up for my lunch money."

"Something to nibble? Ill dial up a bottle of my homemade stress relief. You look like you could use it as much as I."

"Should I be worried?" Will asked. "In or out?" Wondering if they wanted to order in or go out themselves

"How sensitive are you to the real stuff?"

"Im in enough trouble as it is, so lets go easy. Only just got my ship back, don't need to lose it again." Will played with a smile.

Laughing she nodded and walked to his replicator. "I have just the thing if you trust me."

"I suppose I can muster up the courage to do that much." Will said then pulled up a menu on the monitor of a popular delivery place. "What do you think of this?"

Glancing over her shoulder she smiled "Ive heard good things about that place. By all means." Her eyes drifted back to her storage area.

"Ok, so what tickles your fancy?" Will spoke looking at a menu of the dishes that were available.

"I don't actually know." she answered shrugging absently. "I've yet to meet an Earth food I didn't like so...surprise me."

Will ordered some honey mustard chicken, curried chicken and fried rice and four curry rolls. "I hope you don't eat healthy." What he had ordered was far from it.

"I do sometimes, but not today" her laughter drifted across the room to him.

It didnt take long for the order to arrive. "Thanks." Will spoke taking the meals from the delivery man. "Food, has arrived. Grab some plates and lets eat." Will walked to the table in the centre of the lounge area and placed the meals upon it.

Anika crossed the room with two small bottles, each was corked and had a label drawn on it with a date. One of them was a deep golden brown and the other was a deep almost scarlet red. Poring the red one out into two small glasses she handed one to him. "Sip it, until you get used to it."

Will sipped the drink, not an unpleasant taste, different for sure. "Not bad." He pulled the lids off the containers. "Ok, foods up, lets dig in." Then started to load his plate hoping that good food would help distract him from the day he'd had.

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