A cup or a woman?

Posted on 21 Dec 2017 @ 7:19pm by Rear Admiral Azura Ashcart & Lieutenant Colonel Cassandra Blackburn

1,905 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Errand of Mercy
Location: Various
Timeline: ED7: 0645

ON:

-Sickbay-

Blackburn rested in the sickbay bed for a few hours, snatching a little sleep but never really disengaging her mind from the events of the past few days. Her body was physically exhausted - as it had been for the best part of year - and the pain didn't really bother her. She glanced at the dressing that Afton had put over her strange infection, before rolling her head back onto the pillow. The night shift had come on and the lights on the ward had been turned down; she could hear the chattering of the night nurses from their office at the end of the room.

They had washed and changed her from the remains of her field uniform earlier in the night into a ward gown and Afton had admitted her for observation. Knowing better than to take the good Doctor head on, Blackburn had complied with her instructions and waited for her to leave. Once she was certain she would be caught, Blackburn silently climbed out of the bed and slipped on a t-shirt and shorts, putting her worn feet into the horrible sickbay issue flip-flop sandals. She moved over to the locker at the end of the room and removed the rifle she had captured on the moon from the enemy - she wasn't going to loose her prize.

Timing herself on the movements of the sickbay night staff, she slipped out of the sickbay and into the labyrinth of corridors that made up the massive Starship. She made her way to her quarters, encountering few people in the early hours of the first watch. The crew were so used to her eccentricities by now that few were surprised at her dress. Entering her quarters she found them exactly how she had left them - unpack crates and a desk covered in unread PADDs. She locked the rifle in a locker and glimpsed herself in the mirror - her dark, short and messy hair covered her pale features - and she didn't give a damn.

"PALLAS." Blackburn said aloud. "I know you're there. Where's Captain Ashcart?"

The holographic projection appeared in front of her. "Captain Ashcart is currently located in his office."

"Good." Blackburn said, turning to leave her quarters.

"You are not appropriately dressed for a meeting with the Commanding Officer" Advised PALLAS.

Blackburn snorted as she left her quarters. "Pot, kettle, black, PALLAS. You've barely anything on at all".

PALLAS nodded "True, but I'm not the Commanding Officer of the Marine Division of an Excalibur class vessel."

Blackburn paused at the door. "And neither will I be, soon." She said under her breath, without looking back.

-Captain's Ready Room-

Azura was moving back to his desk after getting a cup of Vulcan herbal tea, a recipe suggested to him by an old, wise healer of the same planet. He sipped it and let the slightly biting smell of the earthy herbs help to relax him. The multifaceted taste profile of the herbs along with the softly sweet sting of the honey was pleasing to his senses and he allowed himself a few moments to relax as he contemplated their next move. He stopped at the floor to ceiling window that looked out over the vista of Hadronus with it's moon visible peeking out from behind the planet. His eyes scanned the vista and was able to pick out the orb that was Hadronus II. In a few moments the orbit of the Redemption would bring the sun into view from his window and bathe, if only in slices, his office in bright light.

Blackburn entered the bridge which was still on the first watch in the early hours. The duty officer turned to look at her from the chair and was visibly surprised by her appearance. He rose to challenge her but Blackburn shook her head and walked quickly over to the ready room, her flip-flops making a strange sounds on the deck plates as she did so. The duty officer thought better of it and with the eyes of the entire bridge crew on her she buzzed the door.

"Come." Azura said not moving to look over his shoulder at the door as it whooshed open. He brought the cup up to his mouth and took another sip watching the ball below them spin as the Redemption continued her orbit.

Blackburn entered the office and approached the desk, abandoning all protocol. "What the hell is going on here?" She said, directly to the back of the Captain's head.

He sighed he had just come from the quarters of Cadet Scott where Security and Medical were working to assist the survivor of the incident and lock down a very contagious and perfidious virus that Ensign Jon Marshall had left connected to the man's arm. Azura breathed in deeply.

"We are having to deal with Ensign Marshall. Apparently, he attacked Ambassador Sutherland in Cadet Scott's quarters an kidnapped the Cadet. My only assumption is that he did this to lure the hybrid out of hiding and bring her back to the ship." his voice was toneless as he forced himself to remain calm and not pull a phaser rifle and go after the Ensign himself. "You should be in sickbay Major, this mission is coming to a close and you need to be ready to disembark as soon as were back at Earth Space Dock."

"What?" Blackburn said sharply in disbelief, not knowing any of the evening's events. "I was talking about the two spooks in a stealth ship who pulled me off that God forsaken moon who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to do so. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. My second point, which appears to be all the more relevant now, is why the hell was Marshall left to run around on his own?"

Blackburn was starting to get angry - she had had no control of her destiny for over a year, and she despised espionage and the game playing it invited. The emotions of the past months were in danger of overwhelming her.

"Two spooks?" he asked almost to himself "I am guessing that SFI dispatched them to pick up our errant Ensign Marshall, but not before he exposes whether or not he's working with someone else."

He sighed as he sipped the tea again, his back straight and features stony. Only those truly familiar with him would know he was having an intense emotional battle raging inside him. "Please, Major, sit let's discuss what's on your mind."

"Bullshit." She retorted instantly. "You know. You know that those two were on us and that's why you and your intelligence queen have let Marshall run about, because you wanted to know what he's up to. And I know that the only reason why Ryan dragged me on board is because of my links with the Sixth. It's all bollocks, all of it!"

The swift movement of Azrua's arm was like a long held spring being released, the arc of his arm sent the cup slicing through the air to shatter against he window in a spray of china and tea. He pivoted on the ball of his foot and almost growled at the Major as he spat out with venomous hate.

"I wanted to kick him, personally, out in to the dead of space for what he's done to MY crew. It was NOT my idea to keep him on this ship and it certainly was not MY idea to give him free reign just to find out more about his mission." Azura straightened as the mask of stoic calm slammed back down over his face before a brief widening of his eyes expressed his mortification as allowing such an emotional outburst as that escape him.

He coughed to clear his throat and continued in a much more subdued tone. "I.. forgive me Major, that was uncalled for, I fear the stress of the current situation coupled with my imprisonment and interrogation by Star Fleet Intelligence before being released as taxed my reserves of emotional control." he coughed again, "I can assure you that I did not wish to leave Marshall on board the ship, I had actually requested that he be removed post haste but was rebuffed by the Chief of Star Fleet Intelligence himself. As for the Queen, she agreed with the Admiral. As for the two spooks I was not made aware of their appearance until you informed me just now. When I inquired as to how you made it back to the ship I was told only 'friends' dropped you off."

Blackburn wryly smiled to herself in realisation, moving to the other side of the room and gently pushing the broken china around with her flip-flop. "Well, Captain. It seems you're not the king piece in this game either." She paused in reflection. "Sutherland promised me a discharge after this mission and I intend to collect." She paused again, turning towards the Captain and fixing his eyes with hers. "Let me shoot Marshall. I'll pop him, then I'll be gone. Tell SFI whatever you want."

He shook his head "No, Major, I am not the king piece in this game. None of us are, we are but the knights, rooks, bishops and pawns that the Kings push around. Our job is to do our job and make sure the Federation continues. As for Marshall, do not shoot him, do not go near him. I will not have you jeopardize what we have already sacrificed to find out if he is acting alone or not. While I may not agree with their methods there are reasons behind them." he nodded "I think it would be wise for you to rest up. Even if you wern't discharged I would have put in to have you replaced. I suppose there are limits to everyone's abilities and you crossed yours a long time ago. Your dismissed Blackburn."

She shook her head. "I'd watch that intelligence chief of yours, you might not be the king but she is definitely the queen." She picked up a piece of the china and put it on his desk, turning to leave. She paused at the door. "And, if I see Marshall, I will kill him. The spooks be damned" She said, almost casually.

"You kill him and I'll see you placed under the penal colony Cassandra." his voice softened slightly "Take your discharge and fall into a bottle like you wanted don't run the risk of them not giving it to you." his eyes followed her as she headed to the door the sixth fleet had truly damaged her, he could see that now.

"Captain." She said in acknowledgement but without really answering him, before passing through the doors.

He picked up the pieces of the cup and returned them to the replicator where they vanished in a flash of light. He snorted to himself and thought about how the pieces of his cup were an almost perfect parallel to Blackburn. Both had been proud, both useful and now both were broken and didn't resemble their old selves. He sighed again and ordered another tea before he went to his desk and attempted to raise West and let him know what has transpired.

OFF

Azura Ashcart
Captain
Commanding Officer
USS Redemption

&

Cassandra Blackburn
Major
Detachment Commander
USS Redemption

 

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