Tick The Box

Posted on Sat Oct 5th, 2024 @ 12:37pm by Commander Cynfor Rees & Commander Siora Carberos
Edited on on Wed Nov 6th, 2024 @ 3:42pm

1,498 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Interlude 1 Gamma Quadrant
Location: XO's Office, USS Firebird

[ON]

Now that Siora's transfer had seemingly been authorised quite quickly she thought she had better settle in as swiftly as she could. She knew nothing of the crew, Hells she'd only just met Captain Llwyedd and here she was saying yes to something she probably should have given more thought to.

She scoffed at the thought. She always jumped in with two feet, eyes closed, and hoped for the best.

XO was next on the check list and she found herself having already pressed the door chime before she'd realized it. Still she daydreamt about what she could do here losing all track of time.

Cynfor sat at his desk and went over the crew transfers. He was exceptionally pleased to see his old friend joining them as Chief Engineer. It had been some time since he had seen Siora and the old Chief was overjoyed that she had agreed to join the crew. The door chime brought him out of his thoughts. "Enter..."

When the doors opened the very person that he had been thinking of stood there. He jumped up from behind his desk and rushed to her. Rees took her into a great bear hug. "Siora my dear girl welcome to the Firebird."

All Siora had seen was a red blur as she came out of her daydream. The sound of the voice was familiar and she had just caught sight of him as she was squished in a bear hug and lifted from the ground. "Cyn, you are crushing me!" she muffled as she turned her head to the side out of his chest.

As Rees put her down she straightened her uniform then began to fix her hair. He was much taller than her so the drop the ground was significant as she steadied herself. "Thank you for the warm welcome." Siora smiled warmly at Rees.

"Your captain is lucky I was between assignments and, well, stuck here as much as the rest of you." Siora chuckled, the transfer had only been made 'official' today. There was no way to send it to Starfleet at the moment so it was almost like being in limbo with one hand on the job and one hand not. "He's also made me project manager for the repairs on DS18." she rolled her eyes. "But that's neither here nor there. How's the kids?" she asked knowing his love for them was deeper than any distance in between.

"Oh you know them, each and every one of them are over achievers. Tom is painting in Montana with a family of his own. Ben is playing Javert in a production of Les Miserables set to open in San Francisco. As for Maia she is in the JAG office now, an Ensign." The proud father moment was mentally interrupted as the thought of his daughter coming to his defense not that long ago forced its way into his memory.

"But now all that can wait. Come come sit. Can I get you anything? Tell me all about your family, any projects you are working on." Cyn and Siora had last worked together when he was designing weapons. Rees said as he motioned toward the couch. He made his way toward the replicator and put in an order for himself a greyhound it was called, sythehol vodka and grapefruit juice.

"Just a water please, and if I start telling you about my family we will be here all day Cyn." Siora chuckled. "Zolkeam still commands the Sun Tzu, Martil still in his beloved freighter, Navum is still running our engineering/tech company, and that's just my brothers." she shrugged. "Toali is Governor of a province on Kaitos, Rietna has been promoted to Brigadier General at Starfleet Marine Academy, Niotro is still a Commodore at Starfleet Intelligence... something she won't stop telling me about... and Luindal still slaves away in that kitchen of hers back on Earth. Oh, and mums just being mum." she accepted the water and took a sip. "As for projects, none sadly. I want to take apart Dr Kataxes suit and see how it works. Does that count?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Yes our Doctor has a lot of mysteries for us all to learn. You know I bet if you asked the Doctor to make a suit for you on the holodeck to study they would. I mean after all if something happened to the suit it would be up to you to repair it would it not." Cynfor took a sip of his drink and smiled as he swallowed it down. "Seems everyone is still living life to the fullest. I am so glad to see you, it is like reuniting with a long lost sister. It seems you have done quite well for yourself according to your service record. Your own command that is one up you have on me. And to think I used to boss you around." He said with broad smile and sipped his drink again.

"Well, you still can boss me around." Siora chuckled. "I mean you are first officer on this ship so I can't really deny you. Not that I ever could." she teased. "As for the doctor, I suppose you're right as always. I may have to give them a shake and see if they rattle inside." she placed a hand on her chin as if to make it look like she was giving it serious consideration.

"Anyway, I'll always have one up on you. Would you love me any other way? Someone of my age has to have something to hold on to." she grinned.

"Come now you don't look a day over a hundred. Besides, you would not be yourself if it were any other way. Now, I do hope that you plan on sticking around the Firebird for some time. I believe this ship can be a good place for you. She is little but formidable." Rees said with a large smile.

"Please!" Siora cocked her head. "A day over 20 thank you." she grinned at him and flicked her pink highlighted hair over her shoulder. "And about staying, he has made me your chief engineer." she stated with a cocked eyebrow. "So, I guess I could make the effort and keep this ship running... and trying to fix DS18."

Cynfor smiled. "Well that is great news. I am sure with your knowhow DS18 will be running in tip top shape in no time. Once the station is up and running we can get back to the business of exploring."

"It's a mountainous task." Siora sighed. "That station took a beating from the Coalition. It's almost like they knew exactly where to hit it for maximum effect. I'll do my best to get it back into a fit state so that it wouldn't need my constant attention. It'll be hard enough keeping the Firebird going without having a diverting eye on a station lightyears away."

"And yet as the old saying goes, this is the business we've chosen. Is there anything that I can do help you get settled?" So much had happened since he last saw Siora. The trial, the Maquis all of it. He wanted to tell her and yet the time did not seem right for him to share that burden with anyone.

"I've always had the feeling that this business picked me out of a lineup," Siora mused, nibbling on her lip as Cyn's words echoed in her mind. "It's like the cosmos has a knack for dropping us right where we're supposed to be, exactly when we're supposed to be there," she added with a nonchalant shrug. "But hey, I'm perfectly capable of getting cozy on my own, thanks. Though, if you're feeling generous, feel free to sneak a clandestine bottle of Romulan ale into my quarters while I'm gone," she suggested with a playful wink.

"I will see what I can do. But, I will tell you what. Let me take you to dinner. The crew lounge on deck 2 is a fairly relaxed place. I can tell you what the rest of the Rees clan has been up to. I am sure everyone will be overjoyed to hear that you are here. You know I am a granddad now." Rees sensed that Siora wanted to get moving and finish settling in. But there was so much more that he needed to tell his oldest friend.

"It's a date," Siora declared with a grin, springing to her feet. "Have your minions call my minions," she quipped, puffing herself up as if she were a lady of grand stature. "Catch you later, sir," she added with a playful wink, and just like that, she vanished out the door.

---

[OFF]
Commander Cynfor Rees
Executive Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298


Commander Siora Carberos
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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