Trouble Brewing

Posted on Friday, 23 July 2021 - 11:44am by Captain Barret Stillwater & Commander Soral

Mission: Operation: Lazarus
Location: USS Standing Bear | Observation Deck
Timeline: 2394 (Just after breifing post)

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Soral stood in the shuttle bay observation platform overlooking some shuttle refits. He'd walked out of the meeting with Adrianna and he knew that Stillwater would be looking for him. He didn't know that the Captain would be along quite so quickly.

"What do you have for me, Commander?' inquired Stillwater immediately upon walking into the shuttle bay. Captain Stillwater was getting used to the idea of retirement once again fast approaching. This lit a fire under him, but also was making him not have a cloud of frustration over him. It was all lifted. He felt more in the groove than ever before.

Soral looked up. "Perhaps an apology for walking out of the meeting with Biacami."

"I will take it," Stillwater replied. "That was not very...well Vulcan or you for that matter, but when you do things like that, it gets me antsy. What was that about?"

"I … do not know. I felt... uncomfortable. Perhaps memories of my time on Jerin five when I served on a previous ship. We were captured and it was a good four months before our team was rescued. Perhaps it is some recent news that I learned."

"News?" inquired the Captain. He was not aware of anything too concerning, but everything had become background to the instabilities of the Federation. He looked at Soral. "Something problematic by the looks of it?"

"Perhaps." He turned. "Permission to speak freely."

Stillwater nodded. "Always granted, Soral. You know I like blunt honesty. What is it?"

"I wish you were not leaving. I wish you were staying because Starfleet is failing fast."

Stillwater looked at Soral. "You know that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," replied the Captain. "I still believe in that. I still believe in the cause, but this whole situation is much bigger than me. This crew knows what's at stake and each of you will contribute to the good fight, but my time leading that fight had long since passed...a fool's errand for me to try and stoke the flames of change. No. No, this is where I must rescind and retreat into the background. Someone else must pick up the mantle."

"Indeed. I must admit that I do envy you and your husband. A peaceful life. It is something I may never have."

"You're not even 40 my friend, that's what? Toddler age for a Vulcan?" teased Stillwater. "You have plenty of time."

Soral smiled softly. "Perhaps..." He turned and looked at Stillwater and raised an eyebrow, "Shall we call this a toddler tantrum?"

"Perhaps," Stillwater replied. "There's a period on Earth with Human kids...at about two years of age, we call it terrible twos." The Captain smiled briefly. "Age aside, what has you so worked up? Aside from missing me."

He sighed. "Romulus, or rather the Romulan empire."

Stillwater looked intrigued. "That there isn't an empire anymore or something more to it?"

"My ex-girlfriend, the mother of my children I thought to be...well she's alive and I spoke with her again last night. The Empire is...trying to revive. They have Vulcan help."

"That's not going to be an easy task " Stillwater replied. "There are a few minor factions forming from the ashes of the Romulan Star Empire including the Romulan Free State. I don't know how they will deal with one another. I'd surmise, larger ones would absorb the ideologies of the smaller ones."

"It is a complicated matter. We shall see how things pan out. What is frightening is that in a way I am....hoping to see the Romulans and the Vulcans united." He looked at Stillwater. "Is that wrong?"

Stillwater shook his head. "No, not at all. Ambassador Spock spent many years trying to unify the Vulcan and Romulan people. The Federation in my day would have relished seeing that happen."

He studied Stillwater. "Perhaps the Federation will one day return to former glory."

"Much like the reunification of Romulans and Vulcans, that will take a lot of time and effort, but I do believe it possible" replied Stillwater.

"Indeed. There is another matter..."

Stillwater gestured for him to continue. "Don't keep me guessing, what is it?"

"Vulcan, the V'shar, specifically, have requested several of us to return for a briefing. I will … need leave if possible."

The Captain hesitated to respond. "How soon? We have a mission to meet with the Bynars. Then, I am going to be stepping down from command as my replacement will ideally be assigned by then."

"It...will be after the Bynars...I understand we may be having a few day's leave."

"Probably. I imagine my replacement will need a few days to settle in."

"I will go then but...can I ask a favour?"

"Name it," replied Stillwater.

"Keep Alexandra busy until I return....she will ask questions and I am afraid I cannot, on this, provide responses."

"What would you like me to tell her? That you are away on official business or that you were visiting an orphanage? You had better be back before the Standing Bear's new Captain sets out on their next mission."

"It will take a short time. The orphanage comment might be interesting reaction wise."

"I'll keep her distracted while you are away."

"Thank you, Sir." Soral inclined his head.

Stillwater nodded. "If that's everything?'

"Indeed." He sighed. "I should return to the bridge...but that damned turbo lift music is.... perhaps I shall take the J-tubes."

"Take the jerffies tubes then the stairwell if you want to avoid the turbolift music, and see about getting that disabled."

"The majority of the crew seem to... enjoy it. It serves moral."

"It makes me want to take a phaser to it."

"Perhaps Hamura can arrange...a glitch?"

"Or just get rid of it," said Stillwater.

"I shall do my best." He gave a nod. "Thank you, Captain."

Captain Stillwater nodded. "You're welcome, dismissed," he said with a small chuckle. Soral always waited for the formal dismissal.


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