Denied Dominion

Posted on Thu May 15th, 2025 @ 1:59pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Lieutenant Commander Elias Ford

657 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Shore Leave 1
Location: Earth Spacedock

[ON]

Ford moved rapidly through the station. Responding to an invitation that came with a particularly inflammatory memo. The writer definitely wanted to gloat, in person.

The doors slid open, and the sun hit his eyes. At this time of day, this was the best spot on the station to observe Sol. He nervously scanned the room and moved towards her table.

''I really should have known it was you,'' he exclaimed.

A ship, moving between the Sun and the station, let Ford see her clearly for the first time in years. Lysandra Tern, once a rising star in Federation diplomacy, and an old shipmate from the USS Dominion. His first post as a medical ensign.

There are very few things Ford wouldn't give in order to forget that ship and everyone involved with it. But she wouldn't let him forget. Even after she was kicked out of the fleet, her influence still ran deep. And there she was, dressed in civilian clothes, slowly sipping tea as if she had nothing to do with it.

Tern didn’t look up. "You’re going to have to be more specific, Elias. I influence many things."

"You cost me the Ventari transfer. And the Solus review." It was only after saying it out loud that he realized how petty that sounded. This was not about the Ventatri or Solus. This was not about promotions. In every room, there was always someone who knew what he did. Every missed opportunity, every side glance from superiors. All had her fingerprints on it.

She smiled, as if savoring Ford's increasing frustration. "I didn’t cost you anything. I simply shared my professional concerns with a few trusted colleagues. What they did with that information, that’s bureaucracy for you."

He activated the PADD to display the memo "risk-averse tendencies, questionable crisis judgement, gross incompetence. You ruined my career over a grudge?''

Her smile faded. "And yet your post-incident report was remarkably… ambiguous. You didn’t defend me. You didn’t clarify key timelines. You didn’t do much of anything, did you?"

Didn't do much? What was the ensign on duty supposed to do? What did she expect him to do? It took a lot to resist slamming the PADD on the table. She was not always like that. Her nails were bitten to the quick. The Tern he knew would rather die than let her hands look like that. ''I told the truth''

Her answer was so quick that she almost interrupted him. ''You told your truth, making me look like a fool. And I didn't cost you the Ventari transfer, I saved the Ventari from you!''

He was starting to see red. His vision tunneled until all that remained was Tern’s throat, the way her carotid pulsed. Just like it had when Mnanjict held a knife to it on the Dominion’s bridge. ‘’You self righteous bitch, this is the thanks I get for carrying you shaking to sickbay?’’

He remembered it like it was yesterday. Including his report. Lt. Tern, L. Acute stress collapse. Administered sedatives. Patient repeated: I gave him the codes.

“Tell me, doctor, do you ever dream of the Alck’i’r? Or have you convinced yourself they weren’t your patients, too?”

She shouldn't have said that. Ford felt something cold and sharp twist in his chest, He let the PADD go and clenched the table. He leaned in. Blocking the Sun from reaching her. He saw her eyes flicker.

It was not his good manners or the Hippocratic oath that held him back. It was the memory of a young girl who believed in the mission more than anyone on the fleet. Who quoted Alck'i'r poetry during the briefings? Who spoke of the Alck'i'r like they were family.

[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Elias Ford
Chief Medical Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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