Posted by Captain Alex Becket (Commanding Officer) in The Arrival: USS Ark Angel (NCC-98729)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Dr. Charlotte Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (Medical Officer) in The Arrival: USS Ark Angel (NCC-98729)

Posted by Captain Alex Becket (Commanding Officer) in The Arrival: USS Ark Angel (NCC-98729)
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
[Snip]

“I am glad that your glad that I finally did. But what about you?” He asked. “How do you feel about me? I just honestly have thought about you for some time since after the academy.” He added.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Charlotte grew quieter after his admission, her expression softening more from understanding than romance. When she answered, her voice remained calm and measured—the voice of someone who had spent years learning discipline over impulse.
“You thought about me for that long?” she asked gently. “That’s… honestly flattering, Alex.”
She held his gaze for a moment before continuing.
“And I won’t pretend I didn’t remember you either. People like you tend to leave impressions behind.” A faint smile crossed her lips. “Especially loud, overconfident pilot-engineers who somehow end up becoming captains.”
The humor faded slightly into something more thoughtful.
“But I need to be honest with you too.” She folded her arms lightly. “My career has always come first for me. Probably because of how I was raised, probably because of Starfleet itself. I worked too hard to become the officer I am to lose focus now.”
Charlotte stepped a little closer—not intimate, but sincere.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you,” she clarified. “Because I do. I respect you deeply already, and I think there’s a reason this conversation feels easy despite how long it’s been.”
She glanced briefly down the corridor before looking back at him.
“But I’m not walking aboard this ship looking for a relationship. Especially not on my first day, and especially not with my commanding officer.” There was no harshness in her tone, only maturity. “That’s the sort of thing that can complicate careers, reputations, crew dynamics… all of it.”
A softer expression returned afterward.
“And honestly? I think part of why I respect you is because I know you’d understand that.”
She gave him a small smile.
“So maybe the timing still isn’t perfect.” A slight shrug followed. “But that doesn’t mean what we’re saying to each other isn’t real.”

Lieutenant Jr. Grade
Dr. Charlotte Fliehr- Medical
USS ARK ANGEL

He stood there hearing that. “I know. I do understand. It’s just I needed you to know how much I felt about you and how we should go on by taking care of it before hand. I don’t want things to complicate us.” Alex said with a nod.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Charlotte nodded slowly, appreciating the maturity in the way he handled it. Whatever tension had existed moments earlier eased into something steadier—two officers acknowledging complicated feelings without letting them control the situation.
“And that,” she said quietly, “is probably the smartest thing either of us has said tonight.”
A faint smile returned to her face.
“I’m glad you told me, Alex. Truly.” Her tone remained sincere. “Because unspoken feelings have a way of becoming distractions if people pretend they don’t exist.”
She leaned lightly against the nearby bulkhead, relaxed again now that the conversation had settled into clearer ground.
“But this?” She gestured lightly between them. “This doesn’t have to become messy or dramatic. We’re adults. We’re officers. We can acknowledge there’s something here without letting it interfere with the ship or the crew.”
Charlotte’s expression softened.
“And honestly, I’d rather build trust first anyway.” She looked at him carefully. “Not fantasies. Not ‘what ifs’ from the Academy. The real version of you.”
A teasing glint briefly returned to her eyes.
“Though I reserve the right to remind you that you were apparently impossible to miss as a cadet.”
Then her tone steadied again.
“We’ll figure things out one step at a time if we ever decide there’s something to figure out.” She gave a small shrug. “Right now, I think getting through my first week aboard the Ark Angel without embarrassing myself in front of the senior staff is probably the immediate mission priority.”
The corner of her mouth curved upward.
“And I suspect your chief medical officer would be very unhappy if his newest lieutenant immediately became corridor gossip on day one.”

Lieutenant Jr. Grade
Dr. Charlotte Fliehr- Medical
USS ARK ANGEL

He chuckled a little. “Of course not. And between you and I. I don’t think we need the crew gossiping about us in general.” He had also mentioned. “Not to mention the fact we do have feelings for each other and the fact we want to take things slow and gain trust and stability between each other is key pro and let alone for you to get to know and familiarize yourself with the ship and crew.” He added.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Charlotte nodded in agreement almost immediately.
“Exactly,” she said. “The moment a crew starts speculating about command relationships, people begin second-guessing decisions that should remain professional. I’ve seen it happen before.”
Her tone wasn’t cold—just practical, grounded in experience.
“And honestly, I worked too hard to be recognized for my abilities to become known as ‘the captain’s lieutenant.’” A faint smirk followed to soften the statement. “I’d rather earn my reputation the old-fashioned way.”
She pushed herself lightly away from the bulkhead and resumed walking beside him down the corridor.
“But I think you’re right about the important part.” Her expression softened again. “Taking things slowly gives us the chance to figure out whether this is real compatibility or simply two people reconnecting over old feelings and timing.”
Charlotte glanced toward him briefly.
“And trust matters to me more than intensity ever will.”
There was quiet confidence in the way she said it, like someone who had already decided what kind of life and career she wanted.
“So for now?” she continued. “We get to know each other properly. You stay my captain. I become part of this crew. We see where things naturally settle instead of forcing them into something before either of us is ready.”
A teasing look returned afterward.
“Besides, I should probably survive meeting the senior staff before contemplating anything more complicated.”

Lieutenant Jr. Grade
Dr. Charlotte Fliehr- Medical
USS ARK ANGEL

He nodded as he acknowledged it. “Agreed. Honestly, I don’t think we need that right now. You being called the Captain’s Lieutenant. That would be a little weird don’t you think?” He asked.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Charlotte let out a short, quiet laugh at that, more genuine now than earlier.
“‘A little weird’ is a diplomatic way of putting it,” she said. “Try ‘career-limiting rumor’ and you’re closer to the truth.”
She adjusted her pace to match his as they continued through the corridor, tone steady and grounded again.
“But yes. I agree with you. It’s not something I want hanging over my first assignment here, and I’m fairly certain you don’t need that kind of distraction attached to your command either.”
Her expression softened slightly.
“What we’ve said stays between us. Not because it’s shameful—because it’s private. There’s a difference.”
A beat passed as they moved past a junction where two enlisted crew members stood aside to let the captain pass.
“And if anything develops beyond this point,” she added calmly, “it should be because it naturally survives distance, responsibility, and time—not because it started in a turbolift conversation on day one.”
A faint smirk returned.
“Starfleet tends to respect things that can survive all three of those.”

Lieutenant Jr. Grade
Dr. Charlotte Fliehr- Medical
USS ARK ANGEL

He smiled and nodded. “Of course Charlotte. However we are coming up to another turbolift to head up to Deck 43. However, I’d recommend that we get you situated at your quarters and allow you to get rest along with getting off your feet.” He would say and noted.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Charlotte slowed slightly as they approached the turbolift, taking in his suggestion without objection. The long walk through the lower decks had already given her a solid mental map of the ship—and a better sense of its captain.
“That might be wise,” she admitted. “Even Starfleet medical officers don’t argue with the value of sleep on day one aboard a new posting.”
A faint, appreciative smile followed.
“And before you say it—I know, I know. That includes me.”
She stepped into the turbolift beside him, posture still composed but noticeably more relaxed than when they had first met in the corridor. The formality had not disappeared, but it had shifted into something more natural.
“I will say this, though,” she added as the doors began to close. “If this is your idea of a standard ‘getting situated’ tour, I suspect the rest of this ship is going to be… extensive.”
Her eyes flicked toward him briefly, a hint of dry humor returning.
“And I’ll need to pace myself accordingly.”
A beat passed before her tone softened again.
“Still,” she said quietly, “it was a good first look at the Ark Angel. Better than any briefing package could’ve been.”
The doors slid shut fully as the lift began to rise.
Lieutenant Jr. Grade
Dr. Charlotte Fliehr- Medical
USS ARK ANGEL