Spare parts and new beginnings

Posted on Mon Feb 28th, 2022 @ 9:56am by Captain David Hawkins & Lieutenant Josey Wales
Edited on on Wed Jul 5th, 2023 @ 10:17pm

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Bridge
Timeline: Back Post
3330 words - 6.7 OF Standard Post Measure

/// ON ///

The supply ship USS Zukov was the only ship that was heading in the direction of the Arcadia and sent the following message. ==^== USS Arcadia, This is the USS Zukov. We have one personal to transfer to your ship. Please hold position and we can rendezvous with you in two hours. we are on a tight schedule and must beam him aboard and continue on to Davos IV to deliver relief supplies, Please acknowledge. ==^==

"Captain," the operations specialist on duty spoke up from his station. In his voice was a slight studder as he had not really known the Captain enough to feel as confident enough to talk to. But it also didn't help that the crewman had had that much bridge time either.

David looked up from the center chair where he had taken over for Commander Ziyal over an hour ago. They were still a day out from the last location of the Gladiator from what information he had received from Memphis Island. So the crew were getting a little anxious and the captain was no exception.

"What is it, crewman?"

"We have a data burst transmission from the Zukov. They are requesting for us to hold position so they can transfer personal before continuing onto Davos IV for their relief effort."

"Seriously?" the captain looked up almost irritated but then sighed to ease his nerves for a moment. "How far out are they?"

"They are crossing our path in a matter of minutes."

"Very well. Helm drop us out of warp but keep the engines warm. Once we receive the new arrival, take us back to warp," David ordered as he stood up and started up around the bridge to the transporter padd at the rear of the command center. "As he made his way up, the massive odyssey class starship dropped out of warp. the slight humming eased and sat in the open darkness of space.

"The Zukov has dropped and requested to transport over the member."

"The member?" the captain paused as he heard that statement before speaking up. "Rog. Energize, when ready."

Josey stepped onto the transporter pad. " Energize. " He felt the familiar tingle of the beam and closed his eyes, When he opened them again he was no longer aboard the Zukov. He heard the transporter specialist key up the Com. " Zukov, Confirmed we have the passenger. "

" Roger that Arcadia. " Came the response. " We wish you a safe voyage Arcadia. Zukov out. " With that the Zukov moved off at impulse speed and then jumped to warp.

Josey set his gear down and looked to the transporter specialist. " Could you have them stow my gear please? " The specialist nodded. " Of course sir. "
With that said he left the transporter room and went to the turbolift. " Bridge. " The lift whisked him to his destination. And he stepped off onto the bridge.

Josey spotted the Captain. " Permission to come onto the bridge Sir? " He waited until permission was granted and approached. He held out the PADD that had been tucked under his arm. " Lieutenant Josey Wales reporting for duty sir. I apologize for the lateness of my arrival, But the Sun Tzu suffered a warp coil failure that put us two days behind schedule and made us unable to rendezvous with the Arcadia at the Starbase Sir. But I am here now and I am here to serve. "

Had walked back to the center of the missive bridge of the Arcadia and taking his seat after being told that he was transported to one of the other transporter rooms instead of directly to the bridge's transporter, David had ignored the mix up and relaxed till he saw the new officer walk up to him a couple minutes later. He looked at the strapping younger man for a moment before standing and offering his hand out to shake. "Already hear, no need for permission, Lieutenant. Besides, we changed course away from the starbase. So no need to apologize, we have these things happen all the time. I will say this, welcome aboard the Arcadia, Lieutenant. Good to have ya aboard."

Josey nodded. " Thank you Sir. It's good to be aboard. " He accepted the extended hand and gave a firm handshake. " I look forward to meeting the crew and the security staff. I will do everything I can to keep all of your security concerns minimal and smooth and well run operation Sir. Are there any orders that you have for me at this present time Sir? "

"Ease up with the sir, Lieutenant," the captain remarked as he waved the man to his ready room. as the two walked, they continued to talk. What I need from you, is get settled in. We are on our way to check out the Gladiator, and why she has gone dark. We don't know all the details, but there is concern that we are dealing with an old threat.' The two made their way into the ready room, and Hawkins took a moment to pour a bottle of whiskey two glasses. "Two fingers?"

" Understood Captain. " He said with a grin. " Easing up on the Sir. " He watched as the Captain pulled out a bottle of whiskey and nodded. "Two fingers should about wet the whistle Captain, It was a long and dusty trip on that cargo ship and my throat is a bit dry. " Josey picked up the glass and smelled the aroma that it gave off and took a small sip." Now that's what I call a smooth whiskey, Irish? "

"Better be smooth. It's aged 18 years irish whiskey," David answered as he nodded took a sip of the liquor. He allowed the warmth slid down his thought before taking a seat behind his desk and leaned back. Most commanding officers quickly hold standards of no drinking while on duty. Hell he completely understood and knew those types of officers as well. But he was a marine at heart, even if he wore the red command uniform. He knew sometimes a good drink would ease the nerves and loosen the tongues as well. "Before we get straight into the work load, and trust me I would love to, we have time. So I prefer to keep ourselves a little relaxed and not wound up worried or stressed out." With that he raised his glass and nodded before taking another sip. "There will be more than enough time for that."

Josey raised his glass and returned the salute to David. " Well Captain, part of my job is to make certain that you don't have to be stressed out or worried about certain aspects, at least where security is concerned. Nor do i have any objections about relaxing or unwinding a bit. " As he took another sip and smiled. " Maybe next time I can be the bartender, I have some twelve year old Kentucky whiskey that I've been saving for a rainy day, And I think it's beginning to look a little cloudy to me. Just say the word and I'll bring it with me, Off duty of course. " A question popped into Josey's mind. " Captain, You said that The Arcadia had changed it's course away from the Star Base. Where are we heading to if I may ask? Will security be needed? If so, what shall I need to prepare security for our part? " He asked.

"So much for a little relaxing. New Officer looking to get right into the deep end," David noted before nodding and smirking before taking another sip. "We changed course because of the Gladiator. She is our old ship, a Sovereign Class Starship which had other crew family ones were assigned to. Signs are inconclusive but it looks to be a threat we thought we cleared up a long time ago. Guess we were sorely wrong."

Josey looked at the amber glow reflecting off the whiskey in his glass. " Well if you tell me the name of the problem I could just look up the file and I can determine what we'll need. " He said. " So how about we get to know each other better then? I'm guessing that's what this meeting is about. Perhaps we have some common interest. As for me, I'm a second Dan in Koden Kan style Karate, I'm a fair hand at cooking and grilling meats. I practice the art of quick drawing and have a custom holster for my phaser, That and I'm a rather gifted in shuttle craft and speeder bike piloting. How about you Captain? What interest keep you going in your spare time if you don't mind me asking. "

"To be honest, fishing, hunting, out doors primarily," David answered in reverse as he spun his whiskey in his glass before downing the rest. 'i joined as a marine. Was a marine fighter pilot for the first five to six years of my career. Saw the impact a commanding officer role could cover. So I transferred branches and made quick work in making my way to the center chair. Been there ever sense, for the most part. Was a Commodore for a short time but came back down as it wasn't for me. Well I found myself back in the running for that again. All i honest care about is taking care of my people and others while in that center chair."

"I've never had much reason to go hunting. " Replied Josey. " But I am fond of Hiking, camping and fishing. Love hooking a large mouth bass or a channel cat, Of course grilling the bass makes it tender and flakey and goes great with a beer. But for a channel cat you want to deep fry it. Ever have a mustard fried catfish? It will melt in your mouth, and easy to make as well. Maybe one of these days we might get a chance to do some fishing together, If you'd like Captain. "

"Its more of a sport. Kind of like sharpening your skills. Nothing major, but its the attention to details, getting away from technology and seeing everything around you. But as far as fishing, Sounds like a deal. Just don't ask to go deep see fishing. I never have done that," David remarked as he stood and walked over to the glass of liquor. "Another before we venture out there and deal with whatever we find with the Gladiator?"

Josey got up and walked over and held out his glass. " Sure I'll have another. " He watched as the amber liquid poured into hs glass. " Thanks. " He sat back down. " As for the deep sea fishing, I've never done it either. I enjoy a good fish dinner as much as the next guy. But a fish that big would take up a lot of room in the freezer, Either that or I'd have to make a lot more caitian friends. Had a Caitian security officer under my last command, damn fine officer. But I'll tell you, He enjoyed his meat. No dinner conversation until he was done with his food, and he really loved tuna. Last I heard his wife was expecting a litter of kittens. "

"My word," the captain chuckled slightly as he returned back to his chair and took a sip. "You know I honestly hadn't had much connection with the Caitians. Hard to imagine the concept of a litter of kittens or kids. One is a hand full but to have a half a dozen or more, that's just got to be overwhelming. You married or kids or even thought of it?"

Josey chuckled. " No Captain, I'm not married. Nor do I have any prospects at this time. I guess I haven't met the right one yet. Ever since I've graduated from the academy, I've been focused on my career in Starfleet and I've had no regrets. I have dedicated myself to upholding the ideals of the federation and the protection of it's laws and citizens, In return Starfleet has given me opportunities that I could get nowhere else and a sense of purpose in life. I can't complain, It's been a good life and I'm enjoying everyday of it. " He said with a smile.

This made Hawkins smirk but nod as he knew all to well how focusing on the career, the job, over a family as a noble and honorable thing. It was a blessing to have men and women focused on the safety and protection of those unable to do so for themself. "Well I will hold that to ya when that day, and it will come, that you find a lady that catches you off guard. And it isn't the one that you see before you. It's the one that walks by, the one that just for one split second, makes you freeze. The one that makes you have a second glimpse in her direction. And when that comes, you will know that that massive and unbreakable wall that you have spent decades to construct has a microfracture. That one little microfracture becomes a crack, and like a virus, it spreads, within. The crack spiders out and causes you to keep on thinking of her at random times. And in that moment, that very moment, you will remember this very day."

Josey stopped before he could take a sip of the warm amber liquid that was in his glass. " Sounds like you've got some experience there, Captain. And it doesn't sound like those symptoms can be cured by any doctor that I know of. I guess I'll find out one of these days. Whenever that happens," He said with a grin. " I'm the eldest of four and the only one that went to Starfleet as a career. My mother just recently retired from Starfleet. She was Colonel Rebecca Wales, JAG Officer. How she ever meet and married my father I'll never know. How a JAG Officer meets and falls in love with a director of the natural history museum in St. Lewis Missouri, I'll never know. It just seems so random that she was serving and taking care of court cases out amongst the stars, while he had his head down in books and studying over old tomes and artifacts. Two complete opposites that wound up together, She's outgoing and he's almost a recluse. Ain't love funny? "

"I learnt the hard way that love is too hot to handle until one fully decides to treat oneself and others with full respect always at all times," He paused as he mentally reached back to his past, before the Gladiator and even before the Resolute. The rare life changing moment that he had. A wife, and a child on the way. She had been on the defiant class command of his, and the lose of that ship, her and his future child. Now a days, his family was his crew, but then. It had taken a long time after the destruction of the Resolute, and some of those crew, along with his family, were lost. This over took him for over a year after that. He was lost, confused and in deep pain.

"No one deserves it," David started again after taking a long sip of his drink. "... and even with all the pain it can cause , but deep down, it's the thing to do to cure that virus. Being "Hurt" is an incredibly painful path to walk, since disrespecting yourself, and sometimes others, has become a deeply ingrained unconscious habit. At least, that is what I have heard. But what I have learned is that Love is not not an emotion, but an action. Acting through the hurt and pain to put your partner and others before yourself is fair more accurate then anything else." He paused and looked at the new officer. "Yeah I know. I went off on a tangent. I do that sometimes. I am a single child and was once married. But on my first command we had an accident. Lost her and our future child. After a while, I took command of the Gladiator, the very one we are hunting down to investigate. So she is as close to a home to me as anything else I have had. And the crew assigned to her and under me are my family."

Josey slowly set his glass on the desk. " I am so sorry that you lost your family like that. I can't imagine the pain you went through after they're loss. " He went silent for several moments. " I do understand the concept of the crew being your family. Hell they may not be the same color or even species as you but they are still family in the end, I've lost several good people on away missions and even though they weren't related by blood it still hurt to lose them. " He pondered for several seconds before he spoke again. " You said that love was an action and not an emotion. I think it's more then that myself, It is an action and a emotion yet it is far more then we can understand. Even as advanced as we are, love is still a mystery and the greatest power in the universe. I also believe that women are more attuned to it then males are, but they help us see it in a different light then we could on our own. " He picked up the glass once again an to a long sip from the glass. " Does that sound right to you or am I off the mark here? "

"Sounds about right to me. But who am I to argue when we all are just as confused as the rest. We all seem to be learning these things up until the day we take our last breath," David smirked slightly as he took another sip. "But look at us, got off topic. How about we get down to brass taxes. Shall we before we arrive at the Gladiator's last location?"

Josey nodded. " Sounds good Sir. Brief me on what I need to know and I'll get my people ready to move out when you need them. I'm assuming that we'll be needing boarding action and security sweeps? " Josey listened intently as the Captain briefed him and began planning how many teams would be needed to complete the task at hand. " Thank you Captain Hawkins, Security will be ready and standing by for your orders." With that he stood and turned to leave.

"David" the captain stated as he swirled his glass of whiskey. He took down the last gulp of the liquor before he sat it down and looked over at his new security officer. "When its just you and me. or a coupe of us. David is just fine. Unless I pull rank, or another pulls rank for a required issue, when we aren't on the bridge in front of junior officers or junior enlisted personal, rank is taken off as soon as you walk through my room where its just you an me. That is the same when its in a different room. Our crew are never going to be at their fullest if people are more worried about ranks and getting slapped for thinking for themselves. I want us to speak out as soon as possible. So never feel bad to ask to talk to me in private and correct me if needed. I am as flawed as the next. Deal? I need my Chief of security, out of everyone else, even my marine commander, to know and follow this."

" Understood David. I will keep that in mind, It is rather refreshing to have such a good working relationship with a commanding officer. And know you can count on me anytime day or night to help out where I can. Hell even if it's only to talk out a problem or something weighing on your mind, I'll be there for you. And thanks for the whiskey, it was mighty fine and damn smooth. " He said with a grin.