Once And Again

Posted on Sat Mar 27th, 2010 @ 7:28pm by

Mission: Commissioned
Location: Temporary Quarters En Route USS Jackal
Timeline: Morning Before Launch

“It wasn’t my fault this time! Really!” The sound of her own voice, grating even to herself made Mara flinch. She hated sounding like a child, she was 31 years old, but somehow whenever her mother gave her that look . . . that look, the one she was giving her right now, she regressed into a five year old who didn't want to eat her asparagus.

Her mother’s lips thinned into the fine line between what she took from her children and what she did not. “Mara, you know the strings I had to pull to get you that position on the Taurus.”

Mara twisted her lips, fingers fumbling together on the desk surface and, try as she might, she just could not bring herself to move her eyes up to the screen. Her mother’s sigh was almost metallic as it echoed over the comm line.

“I just don’t know what we’re going to do with you.” The woman sighed again, her grey, ear-length hair dancing as she shook her head. “If you’re planning on pissing off every CO in the fleet then you’re going to have a very brief career, my dear.”

Mara didn’t answer, praying to the gods she didn’t believe in that they would send a particularly large ion storm their way so this conversation could be cut short. That or a quick phaser-pistol to the head, but really, she wasn’t picky.

Her mothers’ admiral’s pips chose that moment to glint against the San Fransisco sun. “Your father wonders if maybe you should resign your commission. The private sector always needs experienced engineers.”

“Yeah, he mentioned that.”

“Maybe . . . maybe it’s a good idea, Mara.”

She shrugged as her intestines slowly began to tie themselves into Gordian knots. Starfleet was all she had ever known and her mother knew that. How could she choose to give all that up?

She blinked and gulped down a breath. “I don’t give up, mother. I won’t.”

The older woman couldn’t hold the small smile from touching her lips and she nodded. “I know.”

“I’ve been re-assigned . . . the Jackal.” They both seemed to greet the change in topic with a notable break in tension.

“I haven’t met her Captain but it’s shaping up to be a good ship.” Her mother smiled and Mara felt her eyes shy from contact. She had never told her mother about her relationship with Alex and she wasn’t about to start now.

Instead she took hold of the only straw of annoyance she could find. “It’s an insult!” Mara flinched as soon as she began. “Mother, the damned thing is barely in one piece!” She crossed her arms and her eyes focused on the mirror that was winking at her across her temporary quarters. “What do they expect me to do? Get out and push it through space? I'm the best damned engineer they've got and they have me cleaning up after the incompetence of others.”

“Mara, Commander Gunning requested you. Probably the only Captain in the fleet who didn’t need a phaser-canon held to his head for him to do so.” The older woman shook her own head. “Take the compliment!” There was a beep, distant and coming from her mother’s end of the line. “Oh, that’s Admiral Stone. I’ve gotta take this.”

“I know.” This particular conversation-ender was one they had been running through since she was learning her A-B-Cs and they repeated it without thinking.

“Please, TRY to play nice, Mara.”

“Goodnight.” Her mother’s image disappeared from the screen and Mara turned the console off. With a sigh she rocked to her feet and rubbed her palms over her closed eyes. He’d requested her, huh? Well, at least the man had guts. Even if the ship was barely worth the parts she was made in, that was something. Still, the idea of serving with him made her stomach tense and it took all her effort not to wonder what Maxit would have said if he were alive. He would have laughed at her probably. She scowled. Well, it was no different than what the entire universe seemed to be doing right about now, so he would be in good company.

[OFF]

Lt. Allein Mara
Chief Engineer
USS Jackal