Posted by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) in From the Shadows Comes Hope

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in From the Shadows Comes Hope

(snip)

And she was correct. A yell of “Dinner! Set your butts down and get ready to eat!” came from the kitchen and Micah appeared carrying a large tray which he set in the middle of table. On it we’re all the vegetables Nadine and Daggum had gathered along with a sizable bowl of marinated and sauteed mushrooms and skewers of various fruits. “We’re vegetarian tonight. I’ll rustle us up some meat tomorrow.” Micah said and took his seat. He looked at Nadine as she and Daggum sat down and said “So whatcha two talkin’ about? Seemed pretty excitin’ judging from the looks an you two’s faces.”

Pikelsimer, FedSec Senior Agent

Nadine blew out a breath and nodded slowly. “So, I’ll explain why after, but I am looking at making a big change and Daggum gave me a great idea. But I need to have some details in order to fully wrap my head around the option. So, how does a civilian come to work on a Starfleet vessel. Like, is it the CO who makes the decision or does someone else have to weight in?”

Shara shot her hand up with a highly amused expression on her face. “Oh! I know this one since I’ve been buried in regulatory manuals lately,” she said with a laugh. Faye shot her an equally amused look.

“So, it depends on the reason for the assignment. The most common situation outside of being stationed with a family member, is that they are hired as an outside contractor on particular project and that assignment lasts as long as that project does. General staffing of civilians is less common but it can happen. But not everyone will meet the requirements. You have to have a needed skillset, pass all the background checks, and agree to be bound by the Uniform Code, which governs the behaviour of all personnel and outlines the consequences for its violation. Just because someone isn’t in uniform, doesn’t mean they don’t have to abide by most of the same rules. But in any case, a Commanding Officer usually is the one to say yes, whether they were approached directly, or personnel suggests. they have the right to say no in such a circumstance.”

Nadine swallowed and nodded again. “And a misdemeanour crime with community service as a sentence would be frowned upon?”

Shara smirked at her daughter. “People make mistakes and Starfleet does not expect perfect. If they will accept a former Maquis who was deemed a terrorist at one point, they won’t even bat an eye at a teacher who passes all the background checks to work with kids and has a tiny little blip in their record.” She winked. “You’ll be fine.”

Nadine flushed and Faye stared at her sister. “So… where are you thinking of getting assigned to?”

She explained the whole debacle with her ex getting remarried and about to have a baby and learning about all of this through a mutual friend rather than from him directly. “It’s just… too much. And Earth is starting to feel too small, claustrophobic. So Daggum suggested I could leave and work elsewhere, maybe say in the Deltaz Quadrant?” she said, looking at Faye directly.

Faye’s eyes lit up. “Awesome! Well, not about your ex, he’s a douche bag, but Alex will always take great people on his ship. I can ask for you!” She flicked her gaze to Micah. “I could even make the call after dinner on Vanessa? I’d use my special priority code, since it’ll mask my origin point.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

Micah shrugged and said “Or you can just use the terminal over there.” and he jerked his chin in the direction of the comm terminal by the piano. “It’s encrypted and bounces your transmission to around… ohhhh… I’d say roughly a few hundred thousand different nodes and labels all of them as the point of origin. It also assigned a totally random date and time stamp to all outgoing transmissions and messages after they are answered or read.” He smiled a wicked smile at Faye and said “You ain’t the only one with some technical skills, oh daughter of mine.” and he winked at her. He was very aware that he was nowhere near to being on the same level as Faye… but he had more than a couple of tricks up his sleeve.

Faye smirked and gave him two thumbs up. “I’m aware,” she said with a great deal of fondness for the man.

Micah looked at Nadine and said “Hun, I know how ya must feel… trust me… but I wantcha to keep in mind that the Delta Quadrant is new and unexplored. It’s dangerous… we’ve all seen that. But if I was to just jump in both feet and say ‘Screw it, Im a’goin’?’ Well, there are a hell of a lot worse places to go than the Manhattan. It’s a great ship, great crew. And their Skipper is one of the best in the Fleet. He’d take care of ya, for certain.” He looked around the table and then said “And I think we’d all trust him to look after you. He’s a good man. Not as good as me by any means… maybe close to Daggum, here. But a good man nonetheless.” Daggum chuckled and looked at Nadine. “Again… Captain Cochrane is one of the best officers I have served with. You’ll be in good hands.” He looked at Faye and snickered. “Isn’t that right, oh wife of mine?”

Pikelsimer, FedSec Senior Agent

Faye laughed. “Alex is my brother, and you’ve at least met him and spent a few minutes around him. Though not everyone knows he dances a mean jive,” she said with a smirk.

Nadine couldn’t help but smile and for a moment she just let herself feel the love they were all giving her. “Thank you,” she murmured and took a steadying breath. “I know I really have no idea what I’m getting in to, but…” She shook her head. “I don’t know that I want to wander aimlessly. At least going to a place I’ve been feels like I’ll have steady ground under me, so to speak. I just…” Tears pooled in her eyes and she slid her fork into a vegetable. “I just know that if I simply change locations, it won’t be enough. Ever since I moved back to Portland my life has bene exactly the same, predictable. I would never have thought of the Manhattan, but now that the idea has come out, I can’t get it out of my head.”

“You’re an explorer, love,” Shara said. “In your core, like the rest of us. It’s in your DNA.”

Nadine nodded slowly, wiping at an errant tear. “And I know that there is still a part of me that wants to be a mom, so I’m considering adoption, which is crazy given I’m opting for a semi-nomadic life, but I figure if it’s meant to be, the right opportunity will present itself when it’s meant to.” She let out a sigh, but it was followed by a soft smile, rather than sadness.

Meanwhile, Faye was giving her mother an expectant look. “What?” Shara said.

“Don’t think I didn’t miss your little comment, Madame Regulations…”

Shara smirked and glanced at Micah. It was time for her bit of news.

She set down her fork and folded her arms on the edge of the table. “Well, that last mission was a btch. It was really hard, not going to lie. If it hadn’t been for Micah I don’t now how I would have made it through,” she said, her voice dropping. “But, a lot changed, and a lot of people chose to go elsewhere. It was too much for them. Captain Kiernan suddenly found herself without a first officer, and she asked me to replace them, because of my experience and because I know the ship and the ins and outs of our mission profile so well. It took a lot of convincing from Sara and Micah, but… I said yes. I’m the new Executive Officer of the Asimov*.” She rolled her hand in Faye’s direction. “Go on, you’re allowed. I was the same.”

Faye burst out laughing, but it wasn’t at Shara. Instead she wore a beaming smile. “Oh my Gods, that is Amazing! And I can’t believe I’m envious of my own mother, but there we go.” She chuckled some more, amused her mother made a command role before she did, despite the fact that Faye had been studying her ass off for months now. She wasn’t upset though, which amazed Faye.

“Congrats!” Nadine said. “That’s a big step.” She flicked her gaze to Micah. “Does that make things simpler or more complicated for you on that ship?” she asked, suppressing a smirk.

~Shara Calloway, XO

Micah grinned. “I’m a civilian. If I decide I wanna get frisky with the XO, and she agrees a’course, then ain’t nothing for anyone to say. ‘Sides… they’re almost as scared of me as they are her, so it works out just fine.”

Pikelsimer, FedSec Senior Agent

Faye and Nadine laughed and Shara just shook her head. “Alright, you’ve had your fun, let’s eat before this lovely looking meal gets cold, because we all know I ‘ain’t making anything and I want to enjoy it,” she said simply and dug into her meal.

After a little bit of everyone eating, Nadine glanced around the table. “Anyone else got something for show and tell?” she asked with a knowing gleam. With this bunch, there was always something.

Faye surreptitiously glanced at Dag for a moment, wondering if how much of their honeymoon they wanted to share, or it was the time and place to talk about her increased ‘spaciness’. Knowing it might not just be her dissociation escalating changed how she was viewing the episodes.

~Shara & Co.