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Posted on 05 Aug 2023 @ 8:14pm by Admiral Zavareh Sepandiyar & Captain Corvus DeHavilland & Commander Thaddeus Zayne
Edited on on 05 Aug 2023 @ 9:13pm
Mission:
M3 - Into the Deep
Location: Captain's Ready Room - Obsidian Command
Timeline: Immediately Following Homecoming
1915 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure
It felt good to be home, but just as she’d expected it’d been right into the fire once more. After the pomp and circumstance of their arrival with Major Wallace et al, the Major General had taken Wallace’s crew off for whatever ‘reception’ he’d planned for them while the Admiral had asked Commander Zahn to give the Korinn delegation a tour of the station and to show them their reconfigured quarters similar to the one on the Pathfinder only much larger. The whole ceremonial show took a fair bit of time that ultimately saw the crew of the ship disembarking as well, meaning that Admiral Sepandiyar, Captain DeHavilland and Commander Zayne rode the turbolift up to the CIC with a collection of random officers and crew on their way to their own stations and quarters.
“What is Commander Quinn’s estimation on repair time?” Admiral Sepandiyar asked DeHavilland, arms folded across his chest.
Several of the others in the lift were bridge staff, but considering how light the crew was most knew the details of what had happened and what they weren’t allowed to say. To their credit no one blushed or otherwise betrayed that there was more to it. Corvus gave a simple shake of her head, “I should have an estimate of repair time in a few hours,” she replied, dodging the question as best as she could.
“Admiral, I didn’t see the Alexander,” she added, trying to divert the conversation.
“I asked Captain Hawthorne to take the Alexander out to serve as a way station for our deeper patrols,” Sepandiyar answered. “With you off station and an abundance of other fleet business to attend to, it didn’t make sense to let Alexander linger here under utilized.”
“I’m sure Commander Drake is up to the task,” she smiled back.
“I asked Captain Hawthorne to take command,” he replied as the lift stopped and all but one Ensign got off the lift. He was so engrossed in his data PaDD he didn’t feel the glare of three senior officers staring into the back of his head as if to suggest he get off and catch the next lift car. The doors hissed closed and they rode on with their singular guest.
“Any issues I need to be aware of?” Corvus asked Thad.
The man was always relatively cold but he seemed even more so now, staring at the deck as he tapped a data PaDD slowly against his thigh. He looked up to her as if having heard her distantly and just realized he was being addressed. “There is one,” he said quietly, clearing his throat as he spoke.
“Best discussed in private,” Admiral Sepandiyar added.
The lift finally drew to a halt on the CIC deck and the four of them disembarked, the Ensign up to the main level while Sepandiyar gestured down the corridor towards the Captain’s Ready Room. Corvus followed his lead into her sanctum santorum and heaved another sigh of relief to be in her own space with her own things. She instinctively walked to the desk, checking the plant on the corner as she walked behind it.
Admiral Sepandiyar took one of the seats facing her desk and Thad the other. Corvus had stood there, intending to make this a quick conversation and get on with settling in, but the look on both of their faces was enough to put her in the chair quickly but perched on the edge.
“What’s happened?” She asked quietly, feeling the current in the office change dramatically.
“Captain your mission was a priority, while administration of this command was not. I wish you to understand this, as it was my decision not to share this information with you until you returned. I did want there to be any distractions,” Sepandiyar offered calmly, gesturing now to Commander Zayne.
Corvus listened to the Admiral, but her eyes moved to Thad nervously, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rising in fear. What was so substantial that the Admiral didn’t want to ‘distract’ her with. “Commander?” She asked.
“Captain,” Commander Zayne said slowly, holding the data PaDD in his hand up as if it was something he didn’t want to give her. He set it on the end of the desk and pushed it towards her, but didn’t take his hand off of it. “Approximately five days ago, Major Mazur,” he paused, clearing his throat. “Major Mazur died… from complications during childbirth,” he finished, taking hand off the report.
Corvus just stared at Thad in disbelief. While she wasn’t a medical doctor by any stretch of the imagination the concept of dying in childbirth seemed almost unheard of especially for a woman that was a Doctor herself. Still staring at him in stunned silence, she drew the PaDD across and flipped it over to see it was a medical report by a Doctor Llwyd. She vaguely remembered the name from Calliope’s ordeal. Ears buzzing from the news, she read it as quickly as she could.
“The child?” Corvus asked finally, looking up between the two of them. “Is her family still here on station?”
“The child is alive, but in intensive care in the Infirmary. Ptolemy is preparing to leave as soon as the child’s clear to travel,” Thad explained, having spoken to his friend extensively on the matter of what they would be doing. Ptolemy wasn’t interested in raising his children alone in a place he didn’t really want to be without Minka. He only came with her because it was what she wanted to do more than anything and without a path of his own like that, he had simply followed. He’d followed his dreams years ago and was happy in retirement. But, with Minka gone, he wanted to go back to Earth. If the child hadn’t needed intensive medical care, he would have likely left within days.
“Has there been a funeral?” DeHavilland asked.
Sepandiyar nodded, “General MacTaryn has handled all the details,” he explained.
Corvus set the PaDD down and sat back in the chair, leaning onto her hand perched on the arm of her chair. As she sat there thinking about all her interactions with Doctor Mazur, from their first terse meeting to the ordeal with Commander Zahn she couldn’t help but feel guilty that she’d never actually cared for the woman. She had trusted her medical judgment and knew her to be one of the best there was (which was why she’d been assigned there) but she’d never truly cared for the woman. She found her personality grating and had no common ground to try and get past that. The only person she knew of that could crack that shell was her husband and Thad.
The thought hit her and she immediately looked back to him, sitting up once more. “Thad, I’m so sorry. You were close with Minka weren’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he nodded in reply.
“I’m very sorry for your loss, Thad. If there’s anything I can do,” she added genuinely. “If you want to take some time for yourself and leave me with whatever’s pressing, please do.”
Thad nodded slowly, “I have a few things to go over with you, Captain. Then, if it’s alright, I think I would like to take a day to help Ptolemy out.”
“Done,” Corvus replied with a wave of her hand.
“Doctor Llwyd has been assigned as the acting Chief Medical Officer for the time being. I understand that may be hard for some crew to accept, but this station and its Infirmary must remain fully functional,” Sepandiyar pressed on matter-of-factly, though just short of being brusque.
“And… who is Doctor Llwyd, again?” DeHavilland asked.
“Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the Alexander,” Sepandiyar supplied. “Though, Doctor Pembroke and I have both agreed that Alwyn is grossly over-qualified for the position. He is a recent Starfleet recruit after having served decades with the Federation Medical Corps. A competent physician as I’ve ever seen.”
“Doctor Mazur had a chance for survival, but she wouldn’t have had that at all without Doctor Llwyd’s care. When things have settled a bit, I have a recommendation from him that the attending resident be sent back to Starfleet Medical for remedial training,” Thad chimed in.
“It was that bad?” Corvus asked in disbelief. She’d never even heard of that happening. It’d have been like a serving Ensign being sent back to finish the last year at the Academy.
“I’ll… send the report,” Thad offered quietly.
A brief silence fell between them as the specter of Major Mazur’s untimely passing loomed over the room. Finally, the Admiral took off his glasses and placed them on his crossed legs. “Commander Zayne has clearance regarding the Pyrryx,” he said, gesturing to the man. “I wish to hear your explanation of this mission. From the beginning,” he requested.
“Was my report not thorough enough, Admiral?” She asked, having submitted it as soon as they’d hit comms range.
“It was,” he replied tersely, “I simply would like to hear it from you directly. Begin with the finding of the Korinn relay,” he waved.
Corvus adjusted in her seat, as if considering how best to start her recounting of the mission but in reality choosing her words carefully to avoid any commentary that would ask unwanted questions that might lead to the Alabama. She knew what they’d discussed and practiced and so with a steadying breath, she prepared to recite it just as they’d agreed.
“Following th-,” she started, interrupted by the chirp of a commbadge.
“Communications to Admiral Sepandiyar,” a man’s voice rent the pensive silence, cutting Corvus off before she could begin.
Sepandiyar tapped his chest and replied gruffly, “Go ahead.”
”Admiral, I have a priority one subspace call for you from Admiral Westerlark,”
Zavareh sighed, taking his glasses off his thigh and then standing up. “I’ll take it in the reserve office,” he said. “Sepandiyar, out,” he added, shaking his head. Vincente was insufferable and a notorious worrywart. This call was going to be nothing more than another wasted hour of his time trying to calm the man down regarding the Pyrryx and the Geuraani, the latter of which were very near and dear to his heart. To the point that Zavareh was about convinced that this was all a conflict of interest for him. But that wasn’t something he got to say to a senior officer. He might have been a four-pip Admiral but even he had a structure he had to report to.
“We can finish this conversation later. If you’ll excuse me,” he offered in departure.
Corvus and Thad both stood up as the Admiral had and nodded curtly as he made his way out. Once he was gone and the door closed, Corvus looked at Thad. “Should I be worried?”
Thad arched an eyebrow in an almost Vulcan fashion and sat back down. “The diplomatic corps is almost apoplectic. It’s my understanding that the President’s been informed and that he’s personally recalled the Geuraani Ambassador. It’s very likely to get worse here before it gets better.”
