Posted by Captain Johann Dvorak (CO) in Alt. Universe: Starfleet Command - Operation Bedlam

Posted by Lieutenant Siennadye Nox (Counselor) in Alt. Universe: Starfleet Command - Operation Bedlam

Posted by Captain Johann Dvorak (CO) in Alt. Universe: Starfleet Command - Operation Bedlam
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

SNIP

“I don’t think Admiral Seku would approve of that,” he said. “He gave me some rather explicit orders not to leave this planet. Something about a ‘diplomatic situation’ that ‘needs to blow over’. Like the Bolians are actually going to be mad that I blew up a private space station in their star system. It’s not like anyone died. I mean, any civilians. Law-abiding civilians.” The Johann Dvorak that Nox knew wouldn’t have been this casual about blowing people up… right?

Admiral Seku wasn’t going to be happy with the suggestion if he already had ordered Johann to remain planetside. She pressed her lips together contemplation the maneuvers she would need to achieve to get the needed permission. This was important. If any time was a time to call in the markers she had earned the last few years working in Star Fleet Intelligence, now might be that time.

“Anyway, if you can fix that problem, I’d love to leave within the hour. I don’t have much to do on this planet except visit empty houses and ponder how strange it is that you exist.”

– Johann Dvorak, CO Korolev

She looked at him and felt a pang of sadness. His wife had spoken of their earthside home. Sienna didn’t know exactly how she felt at knowing this future could have existed for her and Johann. “Well, I suppose that’s fair enough. I often ponder the strangeness of having married you… or rather, my counterpart having done so.”

Must have been in the timing, he thought. He met his wife at a particular time in his life, and in a particular context. Apparently this woman here and his counterpart met under different circumstances. Maybe after the whole incident with Captain Vars, instead of before. He started contemplating how his counterpart must have been a darker, drearier man for a number of years.

She shrugged and looked at him again for a long moment before standing and heading to the door. “Make the plan to leave in an hour. I have some tricks up my sleeve for Admiral Seku. I’ll send you a message with where as soon as I know. If you will excuse me, I have a lot to arrange.”

Nox

“Aye, aye, Captain, ma’am,” he said half-jokingly. It felt odd for him to be dragooned into her mission, but it was a way for him to get what he wanted. He stood up himself and also headed toward the door, planning to contact his own XO. But he did look at Captain Nox expectantly, allowing her to leave first.

– Johann Dvorak, CO

He might not have seen it but she was grinning as she left the conference room.

It took her all of the hour to get things prepped. She met up with the Admiral and the crew she had access to for intelligence missions. She organized supplies for a two week trip. She sent Johann the specs and location of the ship. Then she packed for the trip and made her way to the docks.

The Danube-Class Executive ship was docked next to large window. It was a large enough ship for a crew of 5 without being crowded. It had two decks with the crew quarters being on the lower deck. She had an engineer, a science officer that had been working with her for a few years and a security officer. They had been preparing the ship for much of the last hour.

She sighed. How would she handle a week with Johann? Sienna just didn’t know.

Nox

Captain Dvorak, for his part, had managed to quickly relay all necessary orders to his XO. Korolev was going to be just fine spending time on Earth Spacedock. He actually briefly considered whether or not it was irresponsible for him to go on this adventure that was likely to take more than a week. The realization came quickly that Korolev was probably going to be kept in a perpetual just-one-more-week-of-staying-docked until some bureaucrat in the Department of the Exterior decided that nobody was going to be offended anymore. Which would probably take at least a month. He left orders to cover those contingencies and get the ship refitted while he went on this hastily planned excursion.

He arrived at the docking bay with whatever he needed for the trip in a standard-issue duffel slung over his shoulder, and saw Nox staring out of it. She seemed… taller, than his wife, somehow. No, that wasn’t it, he thought. It was something.

“Small ship,” he commented. “Looks pretty low profile though, which will help. Are those people with the crates or whatever going with us?” He hadn’t dwelled on what the week in space at warp speed (and the week back?) would be like; it was better than sitting around at “home.”

– Johann Dvorak, CO

She could feel his presence long before either could see the other. How interesting that even though they were two different men, she had the same deep connection to them both. Siennadye had avoided this Johann for several reasons. Most could simply be chalked up to avoiding the idea that she could fall in love with him. It scared her. It scared her to her very soul.

Turning to see the man she both feared and cared for, she nodded to answer his question and then decided to elaborate. “Yes. Three officers to help us on our mission known for discretion and expertise. Supplies for the mission that while I hope it lasts only a week, I prepared for much longer. Admiral Seku wasn’t happy but he will take care of making sure your crew is given some leave if we take longer than the Korolev’s current engineering load requires.”

She shifted her own duffle and moved past Johann to enter the ship. “He owed me that and more.”

Nox, CNS