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Presim - Confessions to the Captain

Posted Aug. 8, 2019, 6:35 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander Stark Nightstalker (Chief Intelligence Officer) (Ian Kerby)

Posted by Fleet Captain Ghubari Koraia (Captain) in Presim - Confessions to the Captain

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Stark Nightstalker (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Presim - Confessions to the Captain

Posted by Fleet Captain Ghubari Koraia (Captain) in Presim - Confessions to the Captain
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“Don’t be so condescending, Stark,” Ghuabri said darkly. “You’re insulting my intelligence and my trust.”

Stark sobered, “I’d like to think I’m trying to circumvent them rather than insult them but either way I apologize”.

She rose moved away from the couch and her brother, feeling too angry to be in such close proximity. Nearing the side wall of her quarters, she slammed her palm into it, feeling the comforting sting that would probably later make her regret the action. There were so many times she could do nothing but watch as her crew and those she cared about were plunged deep into danger with no recourse but to dig themselves out of it. This time was different. This time they had a choice. “You’re making it very hard to do my job, you understand that, right?”

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

It was his turn to become angry but as always he balled it and contained it like a sun for further explosive power at another time. “I married her, I didn’t create her and I’m here now telling you because I’m the one who can dodge fast enough if you decide to punch something other than the wall. As for Michail and Temporal Investigations, I’ll admit I like the idea of tackling issues across time but if you think I’d do it without your say so then you’re insulting the word I gave you last time when I said I’d never do that again which of course is why I’m here trying to fill you in on a situation not of my own making”. His gaze was steady as he continued “You’re allergic to being out of control, I get that, I empathize, I share it, but no one makes your job harder to do than yourself and the expectations you put on yourself to control the uncontrollable”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Ghubari barked out a laugh that felt so very hollow. “Control? I haven’t had control over anything for a very long time. I was disabused of the notion that I ever had any when the Borg Queen beamed me off of my own ship.”

Stark nodded, now that had been a tense standoff.

She shook her head and began to pace. “What I’m trying to do is keep my ship intact and my crew alive. And that is proving to be a difficult task at times. We’re not just talking about normal risks here, Stark. And this isn’t about Laraan’s abilities and what she can or cannot do. This is about stopping people from using and abusing my crew in ways that are not appropriate and not apart of the job.” She stopped and looked at him directly. “And don’t you daresay this is just another part of it, because it’s not. And I say having been given suicide mission orders and the task of saving the Gods-be-damned galaxy.”

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

He sighed but his dark eyes still held a hint of mischief. “Our problem is that we seem to have a knack for surviving suicide and saving the galaxy. Perhaps if we were a little more inefficient and a little less successful we’d be left alone. It seems to me that having a Captain that gets the best out of her crew all the time is the root of the matter so I blame you”. He had moved forward in his chair to better give himself a chance to dodge if she threw a pillow at him or perhaps something more solid… like her fist.

Ghubari simply laughed, and it felt damned good to feel some of the tension slip out. “I’m the Captain. I’m responsible for everything on this ship, one way or another.”

Finally he relented and in a more mollifying tone continued “We beat that Borg Queen largely by the force of our love for each other. Michail doesn’t hold that pride of place in my heart so trust me when I say I’m not going to let him use us, or Laraan for that matter, in any way that you don’t agree to”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Half-smirking, Koraia shook her head. “We escaped the Borg because she let me go, but…”-Ghubari sighed-“we’ve survived time again because we fight the good fight, and yes, because the crew matters to each other. We trust each other and we have each other’s backs. I’m glad I’m not the only one that is wary of Michail.”

Moving back, she sat next to him, turned to face him. “Ground rules. I get final say anytime any of you are dragged into potential action. I don’t want to be finding out about it after the fact. And I will be going to see Michail to make sure that we’re on the same wavelength or else I won’t have him involved in anything to do with my crew. And Stark, let me be angry now and again. I’ve earned it. Our losses are still fresh, and I have a crew who is predominantly dealing with some level of post-traumatic stress disorder. Do not underestimate the need for us to have a break and maybe even be coddled a bit for a time. If we’ve won time and time again, it’s because I’ve never asked of them more than they were capable of giving. And right now they’re hurting, we’re all hurting. Sometimes the wisest course of action is to say no and step back. It’s not in either of our nature’s but we’re not the same people we once were. We know better.”

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

He nodded and his shoulders slumped a bit. “I barely recognize myself these days,” he said looking up and meeting her eyes, “Too many people to try to protect, no break from the ensuing fight, people like the Conclave and others dogging our every move. I’d suggest R and R but we both know that our enemy never rests and they’d come for us there. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m insufficient for the task ahead… I guess that was why I got excited about all this, Laraan’s ability felt like something that could finally swing the balance in our favor”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

She gazed at him and for the first time since she’d known him she realized that he was suddenly the more optimistic one. She blinked, almost hoping it would make things clearer, but that seemed to be folly. “To what point, and at what cost?” she said softly, forcing her voice to be above a whisper.

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

His eyes blazed fiercely, “Everyone out there seems to be dead set on killing, kidnapping, and chaos and sometimes I’d like to have an ace up my sleeve. Rather than the impossible odds we usually seem to be up against just once I’d like to look the enemy in the face and know that they’re going down for sure. Between the Conclave, Temporal Knights, Counterstrike and the Q Continuum just once I’d like to be the superpower”. He paused in his rant, sighed, and continued in more measured tones. “I miss the simplicity of the way things used to be… before I started caring…”

Stark Nightstalker CIO


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