Bossing the Boss

Posted on Wed Aug 28th, 2024 @ 9:54pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd
Edited on on Wed Aug 28th, 2024 @ 9:56pm

1,229 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Interlude 1 Gamma Quadrant
Location: DS18

[ON]

Malcom couldn't believe that it had already been a month since he'd taken command of DS18. He'd learned a few things since then. First, managing the combined population of the Firebird, DS18, and all of the ships that were slowly building up at the station was exponentially harder than just commanding his own ship.

The incoming ships had come as a surprise but in retrospect, he should have thought of it before it happened. The first ship had been a damaged Bajoran freighter named the Star of Bajor. The ship had been attacked by an unknown alien ship that sounded suspiciously similar to the Lorcan vessel that had attacked the Firebird. His requests for more information had gone unanswered from the Coalition.

Malcom sighed and stood up, stretching and trying to ignore the cracking sound coming from his back. He walked across the massive room that belonged to the station commander and paused before the longest wall, which was made up entirely of glass. He could see the Firebird tucked into one of the docking ports. At least ten other ships, including Bajoran, Cardassian, Klingon, Vulcan, and a handful of others filled his view. He sighed again and closed his eyes, imagining himself back at home with Jenna, listening to the sound of the ocean from their deck.

The door chime sounded.

"Come in," he said, without opening his eyes. He heard the door slide open and a pair of footsteps walking in.

"What can I do for you, Kipp?" Malcom asked. They'd worked together for so many years that he knew how his yeoman walked.

"Sir, I've been reviewing your medical records and in my humble opinion, you need to take some time off," Kipp said.

Malcom opened his eyes and turned around. "So noted. But I can't. I have to manage all of this," Malcom said, waving a hand at the window. Just when I thought our power situation was solved, Truman and Harlan discovered some kind of leftover bomb and we had to shut down twenty percent of the grid. Our weapons system still isn't online, which means if the Coalition changes its mind, we are in a bad situation. And don't get me started..." Malcom said before Kipp broke in.

"Sir, I'm not denying that there is a lot to do. Too much, actually. What I am saying is that Commander Rees, Commander t'Aegis, and all the rest of your command staff can handle things for a bit while you take some time to rest," Kipp said.

Malcom walked past his yeoman to the massive desk he'd occupied. "I'll rest when I'm dead," Malcom said.

Kipp cleared his throat. "Sir, might I remind you of Condition Teal."

Malcom stopped short of the desk and turned on his heel. "Come on, Kipp. We're nowhere near Condition Teal."

Kipp crossed his arms. "I think we are well into Condition Teal."

"Ok. Prove it," Malcom said and crossed his arms too.

"Very well," Kipp said. "Computer, how many hours has Captain Llwyedd slept in the past twenty-four, forty-eight, and seventy-two hours?"

Malcom grimaced.

<=>Captain Llywedd has slept four hours in the last twenty-four hours, six point two hours in the last forty-eight, and twelve hours in the past seventy-two<=>

"I believe that you are well beyond regulations on healthy sleep cycles, sir. Or would you like me to contact Commander Kataxes and have an official examination done to determine if you are fit for duty?"

"Kipp, has anyone ever told you that you play dirty?" Malcom asked with a grin.

"I play to win, sir. Especially when it comes to your health," Kipp said and gave a half-bow.

"Alright, I'll take six..." Malcom started to say.

"Twelve," Kipp said.

"Twelve hours off. But just make sure that Commander Rees knows about the gravity issue on deck nine. And..."

Kipp held up a hand. "And about the problem with the food replicators near the docking hub. Yes, sir. I'm the one who gave you all of that information." The Yeoman gestured towards the door.

Malcom had no choice but to capitulate. He looked out the window one last time and then turned to leave.

"When do you sleep, Kipp?" Malcom asked.

"Yeomen are the exception to the rule, sir. We are trained in school how to go without sleep for days so that we can make sure none of our captains disrupt things," Kipp said with a smile. He watched Malcom walk out of the room and then went and sat down at the desk.

[Promenade]

Malcom hadn't visited the Promenade in a week or more and he was shocked to see how many people there were. It still wasn't more than a third of what the station construction plans indicated it would be but it felt alive. He appreciated the plants that were growing, thriving, and planted all along the sides of the promenade, framing the glass windows that gave an expansive view on the exterior edge.

He'd taken a seat at a small food shop serving something he thought of as rice and... some kind of meat. It smelled good and he thought it was an excellent idea to be seen visiting the shops. No doubt the owners had also suffered during the recent battle.
His meal came on a platter with an eating utensil. The owner, a Tellerite, smiled and bobbed his head until Malcom picked up his fork and began eating.
"Fantastic," Malcom said in between bites and he wasn't lying." That was enough for the Tellerite to shuffle off to the next table, leaving Malcom to devour his meal.

When he finished, he made sure to clear his plate, saving the owner a little work, and leaving a strip of latinum as payment. He smiled at those who recognized him, which was weird to him but he bore it with good grace. He eventually was approached by two men who were in disagreement over who had rights to a stall. They were clearly angry and Malcom heard them out before telling them that they could either split the stall in two or go into business together. He left before they could respond.

Eventually, he found himself in a distant part of the station where power had just been restored and nobody had returned to take up residence. He sat down on a bench, leaned back against the wall, and simply stared out the round window. The swath of space in front of him was littered with the light of a hundred stars. He felt a peace fall over him. His eyes fluttered and closed.

Two hallways away, Kipp sat down on the floor and began to eat his own Tellerite meal, while looking at the PADD that connected him to the Captain's computer. Some time later he heard footsteps approaching. It was a young engineer that Kipp didn't recognize. He frowned at them and waved them away.

The Captain slept and dreamed of home, of his wife, and of the sound of the ocean.

[OFF]

Captain Malcom Llwyedd
Commanding Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298/ DS18

Petty Officer 1st Class Kipp Lak (NPC by Llwyedd)
Yeoman
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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