A Brief Encounter

Posted on Wed 14th Nov, 2012 @ 4:31pm by Colonel Horatio Drake & Lieutenant Colonel Cara Karikkar

771 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Deck 12: Drake's Ready Room
Timeline: Post-Bretagne

Cara had been watching the turmoil Ash had been feeling since he came back and decided to see him about it before it ended up destructive to him and those around him. Knocking on his door she said "Sir?"

No sooner had he returned from the harrowing experience did he seem to be waist deep in admin work... once again! The interruption came as a welcome surprise.

"Ah, Major... please, come in" He gestured for her to enter the Ready Room and take a seat opposite him. "What can I do for you?".

Taking a seat she watched him before deciding to be open "Im hoping I can help you ... something is eating at you ... I dont know about anyone else but I can feel the hurt from 10 feet away."

He was taken aback by the frankness and directness of the officer in front of him. She could be hinting at one of two things; either his history or the incident which just occurred on the Bretagne. There was no chance that he would be discussing the former... so he decided to sway the conversation towards what he hoped she was trying to get at.

"Do you mean the incident that took place on the Bretagne?" He asked, smiling.

Cara nodded "I know it didnt go well ..."

"Indeed... " He looked down at his desk and deactivated the PADD that he was looking at... unsure as to how to continue.

"I wasn't old enough to join Starfleet during the Dominion War... but of all the thousands of officers that died in the conflict... you could justify it by saying that they died for a cause... their deaths had meaning and purpose... they were fighting for our ideals."

Again, he paused. "But... an entire ship's compliment died on the Bretagne... for nothing. Worse of all is, we don't even know how they came to be infected. I just can't help thinking that it must have been intentional... that someone must have infected them on purpose".

She nodded again knowing he needed to talk ... it was like lancing a wound. "Do we know who or what?"

"Well, we know what the bacteria was... but certainly don't know how it ended up on the Bretagne or why. A part of me is saying that if only we knew the reason behind it, then somehow we could justify it... we could rationale it..." He pondered it for a moment. As ludicrous as it sounded, it was just how the human mind worked.

"You did everything you could ... both you and Paul. I know you are beating yourself up about it but you literally COULDN'T do anything more than you did."

"Yea I know" Drake raised his eyebrows in agreement. "It's funny because the officers on the Bretagne died a long, long time ago... it's strange how guilt plays a part even if you're not the guilty party." He pondered on that for a few seconds, before deciding it was probably time to move on.

"Besides" he said, smiling "how did you know that, that was playing on my mind?"

She blushed "I uh ... I had an incident with a black ops group in starfleet three months out of training ... I cant help but feel what others do now ... A lot of my abilities got extended without my agreement."

"Oh, I see" he said, not really seeing or understanding anything at all by the rather cryptic sentence. It was clear enough that the topic was the subject of discussion for a different occasion. He decided it was probably best to change the subject.

"So, how are you settling into the new role?"

"Not bad ... It's kind of weird being behind a desk though ... Do you find yourself making excuses to get out from behind it like I do?"

"Oh yes!" He laughed. "Don't get me wrong, I haven't got a problem doing administrative work... I knew that would be what the job was when I took it. But, let's face it, there's a whole arena of others things that are just more fun!"

"Speaking of things that are boring... I should really get on now, Major. Unless there was anything else?" He felt a strong sense of appreciation towards the new Executive Officer for taking the time to come and see if he was well after his troubled time on the doomed Excelsior Class - many wouldn't have bothered.

She nodded and stood up "If you need someone to talk to sir ... my door is always open."

"Thank you, I'll remember that Major... and likewise"

OFF:

Major Cara Treia
Executive Officer

&

Lieutenant Colonel Ashton Drake
Commanding Officer

 

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