You Should Know Before [Back Post]
Posted on Sat Mar 23rd, 2024 @ 2:05pm by Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Commander Vianola Paxidor
1,605 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Interlude
Location: USS Intrepid: Ready Room
Timeline: Interlude
Max sat back in his chair, his kept kicked up on the desk. He knew the Intrepid was heading to Kaitos, heading home. For him it had been more than twenty years. He was fairly sure it had been about the same for her. He dropped his feet off the desk and brought up the holo. A system with two suns, a planet with four moons. His home planet, but it felt more home-like here on the Intrepid.
Recent days had felt uneasy. The upheaval of the Shepherds, the destruction of the comet and all the came with it left a bad taste in Vi's mouth. She believed some of what happened on the bridge shouldn't have occurred but it did and the occasion passed by.
Pressing the chime for the door, she often felt like a student being summoned before a headmaster/headmistress. Still even now flurries in her stomach could be felt.
“Come,” Max called, knowing it was Vianola. He dropped his feet to the floor and tried to appear casually busy, even though he’d left the holo of Kaitos up on his desk. It would mean nothing except to an El-Aurian.
Ever the observer Vi noticed the holo as she walked in and up to the edge of Max's desk. His attempt at looking busy never came off in her presence, she knew what he was like for the most part. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked rather professionally standing at attention.
Max smiled broadly. “I guess you can drop the ‘sir’ bullshit as long as I pretend I wasn’t staring off into space…literally.” He laughed as he could sense her emotion and read her aura.
"You're still my boss, Max." Vi defended with a soft smile. "If I don't show you that proper respect then it feeds down to my team and encourages a lack of it towards me." she winked. "You know I won't have that... even if you were staring off at the endless horizon of space."
“Captain’s prerogative,” he answered. “Couldn’t help but see you catch a glance at our next destination. I assume you’re familiar?” Max asked, knowing full well she was. Kaitos was home to both of them.
"Okay MAAAAAXXXXXX." Vi drew his name out with a small chuckle and smirk. "And yes, I am familiar with home. I just came back from there from my detached assignment. They were looking to join the Federation, now they have taken a step back to think on it some more."
“It’s because they’ve missed the last four Starfleet supply drop offs. Starfleet has dropped them off and Kaitos hasn’t received them. They’ve even been snatched mid-transport between ships. We didn’t just get called back because they missed us, Vi. We got called back to figure out who, how and why.”
“Obviously, the Intrepid will be nearby, but the investigation won’t be run by the a symbol like this. It’s got to be done on a smaller basis. Any ideas?”
"Well, they didn't miss me... they just got rid of me," Vi grumbled to herself but listened as Max continued.
"Ideas as to where the supplies are going?" she asked almost rhetorically. "Could be anything...from a security perspective it could be pirates intercepting them, they could be getting hit by malfunctioning ships, space storms...maybe our people are getting them but are acting like they aren't? Wouldn't be unlike the council to play that card...they are not always the most forthcoming."
“Yeah, I might be having a conversation with the council. We can both probe a bit to see if any of them are hiding anything,” Max paused as he leaned back in his chair, “at least, anything important to this investigation.”
“As for your thoughts on how we proceed, I was thinking would it make more sense to bring out the McCall fighters? We do have that beat to hell Kaplan freighter that I’d bet Nyx could have operational in a day or two.”
“And since we’re tasked with supply delivery, and then appearing to leave the system, we could catch up with most anything out here. Without a slipstream drive, of course, but Starfleet has that technology on lockdown. Of course, we know Starfleet leaks like an old, tin boat. If that’s the case, we’re shit out of luck until Starfleet can assign a QSD enabled ship.”
"Good luck with that." Vi said in reference to the council meeting. "Grand Elder Hopki can be a right grumpasaurus." she commented having met him several times whilst on Kaitos on her detached assignment. "And they are some of the most powerful El Aurian's left. Their minds like steel traps, to use a Human phrase."
She thought for a moment. "We could use the freighter if we think its pirates. Might act as a lure if we place false supply signals on board and go for a scoot about the system. Fighters could potentially scare off anyone we hope to find and as we are still investigating, searching for the cause, then the optics would better suit the freighter.
"As for catching up, whatever, I'll leave that to you and the officer manning the conn." she smiled. "I just like to shoot things." she oversimplified her job.
“Point and shoot, the odds against you…it really gets the blood flowing and the cholines popping. Even with the Shepherds and the Helivans and a comet - it still wasn’t as exciting as that bar the first time we met,” Max admitted.
Vi uncharacteristically blushed as her mind cast back to the bar. The incident before the fight more so than the altercation. The fight she knew how to handle, sudden improv, not so much. "Yeah, that was a fun fight." She kept that part of the memory on theme. "Good way to introduce yourself to the locals for sure."
“And if not the locals, it’s one way to introduce yourself to your Chief of Security,” Max joked. Seeing VI’s reaction, Max changed topic fast. “Will you be seeing your…betrothed this visit? I have to admit, it’s not high on my list of things to get over with and done for me,” he mused, almost absently setting the box to be ticked to the bottom of his list. To be honest, it would be easier if she was REALLY ugly.” A broad smiled and a knowing look let Vi know he was only half joking.
Vianola scoffed a little. "I told my father I am not following that antiquated life. I choose who I want to be with, not them." she responded. Some families still followed the older ways but thankfully most were more modern in their beliefs about love and relationships. "The man they chose for me was not for me. He put his hands on me, and I, well... broke his nose..."
“The thing is, there’s nothing wrong with Adana. It’s just that my career is much different to her choice to live her life out on Kaitos. If I marry her, I’ll be bound to live here on Kaitos. My parents aren’t modern and are insistent the wedding goes ahead. I can only hope maybe she doesn’t want to marry me.”
"I'm sure there isn't anything wrong with her. The only thing is, she isn't exactly your type Max." Vi replied earnestly. "There is a possibility she isn't happy about this either. I guess the only thing you can do first is talk to her and see where her head is at." Vi placed a hand on his shoulder. "And if she does want it to go ahead then you need to make her understand that you being in space, part of Starfleet, furthers Kaitos in ways she cannot imagine. Maybe she'll want to come?" she shrugged in hope.
Max scoffed. “Since when does ‘my type’ matter? As far as our parents are concerned we are already married. We’re just waiting for the proper time to marry,” he responded.
“But you’re right, there are always variables. Maybe she has a consort of her own.” Max hated the word consort, but it really meant a lot in a marriage on Kaitos. A man or woman could have many consorts over the course of thousands of years. El-Aurians didn’t see it as a ‘dirty secret’ as long as the proper etiquette was observed.
Brightening up a bit, Max added, “You’re absolutely right, Vi. As much as I hate to fold to tradition, there are ways to make it work for me. Of course, I’ll need to talk to Dani again, but this time I can set him at ease a little. You’ve always got the right advice at the right time.”
Vi shook her head, "Type matters to a lot more of our people than is doesn't Max, you know that. Your parents, hers, are still stuck in the old ways but as long as people go along with it tradition of old will continue." she shrugged a little as her mind cast to Hevol, her partner who died on Mars.
"But yeah, I try Max. You often don't listen..." she gave him a small knock on his shoulder, "but if I don't try then you definitely will do something stupid." Vi couldn't help but smirk.
Max laughed. “That’s basically me in a nutshell. I guess it’s time to go home.”
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