Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in Holosuite 2- Processing New Paths

Posted by Lieutenant Patrick ‘Paddy’ McMillan (CNS) in Holosuite 2- Processing New Paths

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in Holosuite 2- Processing New Paths
Posted by… suppressed (30) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Shara started up a program and stepped into the holosuite, waiting for McMillan to join them for their scheduled appointment. She suggested this space because she spent far too much time in offices lately and she wanted to talk to him somewhere with more space.

She was in her uniform and Shara sat on top of a small rocky hill, that was covered in tall grasses and mosses. Her guitar case lay open beside her and she was strumming softly on the treasured instrument as she looked over the familiar vista.

The city below was busy and vibrant. Bright signage illuminated the dusky sky, and small vessels flew in carefully coordinated paths. Buildings of all sizes evoked a modern setting, though the signs of industrial processing were just as obvious. All this metal and transparent surfaces were dotted with green parks.

She had never been back. Maybe she had missed her opportunity but Shara still felt sick to her stomach over the idea of actually setting foot on this colony ever again.

~Shara Calloway, XO

A few moments later, a voice called from the bottom of the hill, rising slowly, “Quite the view.” Patrick McMillan climbed to the top of the hill and took to a knee when he reached the top, looking at the city below and having to hide his awe at the sight that beheld him. “You don’t mind if I sit here with you do you?”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counsellor-

“Not at all,” Shara said as she gently plucked a tune that had a sweet and gentle vibe to it. “I thought the setting might be a nice change from your office.”

Her hands became still but Shara still held the guitar as if it might protect her. “So here we are again, but things are different now. I really didn’t see that promotion coming and I’m still a bit overwhelmed by it.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

“It shows how hard you have worked on yourself,” Paddy said with a grin, “Even if I wasn’t exactly the most helpful to you at times.”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counsellor-

Shara frowned. She didn’t see the promotion as connected to her troubles at all, but therein lay Shara’s own blindness to her progress. Taking a deep breath, the new XO looked out over the setting, the place where so many things began and ended. “I have done a lot of work. I wanted to be as whole as I could do to be a part of Faye’s life again. And in doing so I ended up with a new husband and reuniting with my first-born I gave up for adoption. But this last mission, Paddy…” she shook her head. “I tore me apart in a way I’m still trying to fully understand. I’m scared. I’m responsible for a lot of lives now. Some days, my own is a challenge enough. It was hard for me to yes to Keirnan, but it came down to one fact: being XO means I’m no longer strictly Intelligence, even though we’re an Intelligence-based ship. And that means that I can finally keep my promise to my girls. I don’t know if that’s the best reason to agree to a command position but there you go.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Well there’s nothing stopping us continuing our regular sessions as you continue to transition into your new role. Wanting to bond with your family is a perfectly understandable reason to want out of the Intelligence branch of Starfleet, not least for the fact that you haven’t seen them in so long. Have you managed to have some personal time with Faye yet?”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counsellor-

OOC: The thread(s) from her and Micah’s R&R are still going on but I know enough for her to comment loosely. Some stuff might have to come up later and we’ll ahve to roll with it.
IC:
Shara nodded. “Micah and I spent some time with both our daughters when we were on R&R. Nadine was there as well.” Oh how she loved saying our daughters. Micah certainly felt that way. “Faye’s husband came with her too, so it really was a reunion. And it was good, but there was a lot to work through. A lot of feelings all around that we had to start working through together. And we still are.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

“I’d love to meet the rest of the family one day, if you’ll allow me?”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counsellor-

She drew in a deep breath. “If they are ever here, of course. I just don’t see how they would be, though in my life much stranger things have happened, so I won’t discount the possibility.”

“I’m…” Calloway pause, frowned, and tried to gather her thoughts in some sort of cohesive way. “I would love to feel more at ease about this new role. I promised the captain that if my mental health struggles increased, I would let her know, but at the end of the day it’s hard to not see my PTSD as a liability, even if it’s more manageable now than it was during our last mission.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Have you had much time to process the events of our last mission since you got promoted?”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

“Some, yes,” Shara said. “It was complicated because that mission brought up a lot of stuff for us a family to deal with and we still are working through it all. There are some things that happened that I’m not quite ready yo share yet, but I will soon,” she said. It was not an idle promise, and she meant it.

“Having Micah there with me through it all helped. I can’t imagine I’d have come out of it an intact person if he hadn’t been there on the ship with me the entire time.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Well, more sessions does afford me the opportunity to look at another beautiful vista like this,” Paddy said, gesturing at the holographic environment around them.

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

She wanted to smile but it came out as a forced half-smile. “This is Midos, the colony I was born and raised on. I have very complicated feelings about this place. I usually avoid the holodeck but for some reason I was compelled to see it here in this way. Maybe doing so from the safety of the Asimov helps somehow.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

“I don’t think I’m familiar,” Paddy said, itching his arm as if in deep thought, “Anything of interest you can tell me?”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

“About Midos?” Shara shrugged. “It was busy. Lots of cities, lots of trading. It had resources to export and so it fared better than some places. My mother was a part of the administration and so I heard a lot of how things worked inside the colonial government. But I dunno, the place itself was… average, as far as colonies away from core worlds is concerned. Nobody cares much about it unless you live there and invested in it.” The surface details were far easier to talk about and for the moment that is where she leaned towards.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Can’t be that average if it gave us an officer of your calibre,” Paddy grinned goodnaturedly.

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

Shara snorted and suppressed a shudder. “Midos nearly destroyed me. There were great things about it, but that’s where I became pregnant at 16 and fled for my own safety. I left and did my best to survive. And, as you know, I couldn’t raise that baby so I gave her up for adoption. The things that make me a good officer? It’s because I’ve been through a lot of terrible things and had to fight for the good stuff I did have at times.” She wanted so badly to get up adn leave, to know look at this place, but she stared down the horizon, as if daring the place (holographic that it was) to try something. Anything.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Do you mind if I try something?” Paddy asked, actively processing a new idea in his head.

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

His request took Shara by surprise. Would he explain it or did he want permission to just do whatever he had in mind? Shara preferred to know in advance but she did understand that that was, one, not always possible, and two, a defensive mechanism. She was always trying to protect herself. But despite their sometimes difficult interactions, Shara knew he didn’t mean her harm.

“Okay…” she said, not even notice mask the uncertainty in her voice, nor the wary gaze.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Computer,” Paddy called to the air, “End current programme and begin programme: McMillan: ‘The Green Grass of Home’.” Within seconds, the holographic vista of Midos vanished, to be replaced by a place that couldn’t help but make Paddy smile.

“Welcome to the McMillan family farm Commander,” Paddy said, extending his arms wide, “Just on the outskirts of Dublin. It’s quite a place to come when you need to destress and… relive yourself of any pent up emotions.” A small farmhouse in the centre of woodland area had a sign over the front porch that read, in Gaelic: ‘Rest, Relax, Heal’.

“So what do you think?”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

Shara spoke a lot of languages but she didn’t speak Gaelic, so the words were lost on her. But the sight of the house surrounded by forest reminded her a lot of Tracken, even if this setting was a bit more lush that the one she had Edward had raised Faye in. “It’s a nice looking place. Reminds me of Tracken. Actually, reminds me of mine and Micah’s house in Tennessee too.” How easily those words came out!

“I appreciate the gesture,” Shara said.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Come with me,” Paddy gestured towards what appeared to be a handful of barns at one end of the field, “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

“Alright,” Shara said, She was here and agreed to this, so at this point thee was nothing to do but just follow along and see what happened. That didn’t mean she wasn’t taking in every detail about this place wit her usual inensity.

~Shara Calloway, XO

The two officers crested over a small hill at the end of a brook just past the main farmhouse. Greenery surrounded both of them on all sides, the Holosuite clearly having no trouble with the vastness of this farmstead. Small choruses of birdsong could be heard in all directions around the two, the calming nature of the area could be felt in even the faint breeze crossing over the farm.

It was lovely here and she could see why he liked coming back to this place.

The lack of noise around Shara and Paddy was momentarily broken by the sound of a group of horses whinnying. Paddy grinned as he stepped forward so that he was between Shara and the barn area in front of them, “Commander Calloway, meet the girls.”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

“Oh,” she said softly, taking in the horses with curiosity. But she didn’t step closer. Shara wasn’t experienced with large animals and horses could certainly hurt you if you weren’t careful. Of all her many skills, riding horses never landed on the list. “They’re lovely,” she said, and she meant it.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Can I show you a trick?” Paddy asked, dropping to one knee and extending his right palm outwards towards the horse. “Easy Willow, he whispered, It’s Mac.” The horse trotted on the spot for a few seconds, before relaxing and nuzzling in to the young Irishman.

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

She watched with curiosity, but did not draw closer. “I know they are holographic, but I feel more comfortable here.” This was why she didn’t like the holodeck. The perception of danger was so skewed and it made it hard to work through and overcome some fears.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“They won’t hurt you Commander, Irishman’s honor!” Paddy winked and climbed into the saddle of Willow, the horse he had settled, “Yknow, I find riding to be quite the stress relief, care to join me?”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

BUMP

-Kieron-

She blew out a breath. ‘I don’t know how. Never bene on a horse before. Don’t you need to know how to ride before just hopping up on an unfamiliar horse?” Was she trying to talk herself out of it? Shara wasn’t sure.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“Jump on, I’ll guide you through it, you’ll be safe with me.”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-

“You’re not listening,” Shara said, rare impatience tinging her voice. “I told you I’ve never ridden before, and I’m not comfortable just winging this, even on the holodeck.” There were times she questioned the man’s therapy skills and right now she was doubly-so. Shara didn’t show uncertainty easily, so for her to be so uncomfortable was as obvious as a red alert.

~Shara Calloway, XO

Paddy sighed, “Commander Calloway,” he said with an unexpected bluntness, “I wish - I just wish for once you would trust me, I understand that you haven’t ridden before, but this whole experiment is to allow me to show you that facing your fears will help you, I’m not going to get anywhere if you keep closing off-” He caught himself, “Let’s just pretend I asked for permission to speak freely?”

-Lieutenant Patrick McMillan: Counselor-