A Captain And His Sheppard

Posted on Sun Jun 30th, 2019 @ 4:46pm by Captain Remas McDonald

1,642 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: S1:4: A Murder Of Crows
Location: Counsellor's Office
Timeline: MD63 14.15PM

Remas unhooked the belt from around his waist and eased the sword and its scabbard free of the tooled leather. A simple thing it was, machined metal with a simple black grip. But it was old, from a time before matter replicators. Mined from an unnamed comet shard orbiting so far from its parent star that it was just one more star in the grey sky. It had been forged by the hands of the Rish who chose to shun so-called civilised society, the ones who chose zero gee and long cold silence for all the trappings of gravity and atmosphere.

Perfectly balanced, and as sharp as the day it had been forged. His fathers boarding sword, a Rish homesteader's last line of defence.

"You did me proud," Remas tells the sword as he hangs it back on the hook beside his desk. He then leaves his office, passing through the bridge to the turbolift. The crew was working hard, as he knew they would. But he could see the stress in them, the tightness in their shoulders. Stress fractures.

Peeph continued to sit in his chair as he called out to the door, "Enter." Peeph had long learned not to rise because often times his height was off putting to clients. Thus, he remained sitting as he gestured to a chair in front of him, which was raised slightly so that clients would not feel "lower" than the counselor. "Tell me, Captain, what brings you to my office today?"

"I was under the impression you wanted the meeting Counsellor," Remas said, taking the seat offered. "Though I'd have come if you'd asked, not had much of a reason to get to know you. A failing on my part, I assure you."

"I did want to meet, that is true, Captain. As to getting to know me, you have had your hands full. If you think you need to meet each individual crew member before launch, well, that is a rather grandiose undertaking. Do not fault yourself for being, well, human."

"I entrusted the fate of this ship to a crew I knew, might not have met as many of you as I'd have liked to, but I handpicked as many as I could. Where we were going, where we are now, knowing the sort of fellow who'd be up for this challenge is I sometimes wager the only thing keeping the ship in one piece," Remas leaned back into his seat. "And a captain is no more human than anyone else, but a great deal more is expected. That is true on a starship or a homestader."

"That is true. And in being human (or anything else for that matter), you make mistakes. However, not everything is on your shoulders. That is why you have department heads and delegate. You cannot be everything to everyone. And yet, you are the person that everyone seeks guidance. It is quite the dilemma, don't you think?"

Peeph paused for a meaningful moment and asked, "So what do you intend to do about your crew, now? You don't have to be a counselor or a Betazoid to get a sense of this crew's morale."

"People have a right to think what they think, but mine is to see the larger picture. Did Ari truly turn traitor? That I can see with a clear consciousness was never the case. I've met people like Abborax, the folk with sweet honeyed words that soothe bruised egos of them do not fit with their fellows. Who turns them against kin. Hell, I'm kin to a few of them," Remas chuckled ruefully. "But when folks are set to a lynching mood, it is hard enough to break them of it unless they get close enough to see the reflection of themselves in others. What thoughts do you have, oh sage?"

"There is an old saying about perception becoming reality," Peeph responded simply. "I do not know that you could call me sage but I believe that there was an old saying from one of your ancient Terran cultures, 'United we stand, divided we fall.' How do we manage to get everyone back on the same page? I do not believe that mutiny is likely, but neither is cooperation at this juncture. I'm afraid this might be more your arena than mine, especially under these hazardous circumstances. It has been a long time since I had to fight, Captain."

"We Rish, in our archaic Terran ways, are not immune to fighting. We avoid where we can, but we do not wholly run from it when it is offered. It is not our place to run within the starry halls and stately manors that we inherited from the cosmos," Remas thought for a moment. "Reminds me of a time from my childhood, back on the Voids Home my parent's homesteader. There was this pair, pilot and engineer, totally at odd's. If there were two choices they'd fortify either one as their hill to die on, if there was fault it must be assigned to the other no matter how convoluted the chain of ownership."

He smiled.

"I somewhat doubt dumping Commander Zatra and Chief Ari onto an airless rock with a fault tri-oxy generator will do me any favours. But I need to bring them to an accord before I find out my ship can be split in two."

"I agree that is not the solution," Peeph replied, nodding sagely. "But now there is the issue with Tsabina and those she went with. Not to mention that Lieutenant Kohnar was already on a very tenuous string when she came out here...." He let his voice trail off, waiting for the Captain to fill in more blanks.

"You must have been an archer in a past life, for you have hit upon every target set you before you," Remas chuckled. "Tsabina was...huum. There is a Rish term for it. 'Alfin glato', the forgotten arm. Boxing term, the hit you don't see coming. And now the medic's tell me that there was cause for concern with the freezer pod malfunctions in the CryoCrypts. Tolkath and the other's who deaths were not wholly of natural causes. I did not see it coming, not from her."

He shook his head.

"And as for Jolani, this place, this ship, it is a thing for which she is desperate need. A place to belong, to be needed once more. Her loss is deep, and whilst it is shared with many back homes it is a deeper pit for her. Here she has a purpose. I will not lose more friends to the darkness within their own minds than I have already," Remas said stoically.

Peeph nodded to the Captain's acknowledgment of his noting the issues facing Traveller. "Is it not my job to counsel the crew and the Captain on the issues the I can see. I am pleased to know that you are aware of them. However hopeful, though, Captain, empty declarations do little. What is that you can do to help all these souls? I realize that Tsabina may be a lost cause but there is an old Terran saying about bad news comes in threes, no?"

"As of now, we're on the run, being chased by at least seven other vessels, heading back to the only space we know well here. Our odds are low enough to give me thought to dumping every lifeboat out of the Traveller when we exit FTL. Carpathia is a hell hole of a world, but there are Federation citizens there and at least a fighting chance for survival," he shook his head. "Should the coming battle be fought to our satisfaction, then I'll sit Shadi and Ari down and get them to see eye to eye or beat them until they see things the right way. But until that mythical time of 'after', I just want them working."

"Should we even head back to Carpathia, seeing as we are being chased? It may bring them more trouble." Peeph's antennae drooped slightly. "I am not a strategist, Captain. I merely ask because I am concerned for the crew and Carpathia. My job is for the mental health of all our citizens."

"At least on Carpathia, we'd have allies, the crew could fortify their position, help them, colonists. I'm all out of good options here," Remas sighed. "We signed up to this mission to explore the unknown. I fear we may have bitten off more than we can chew by ourselves."

"If you feel that way, Captain, then we all may be lost. This crew needs faith in you and our mission. All the negative experiences are taking their tolls. The last thing we need, though I do not think we're even remotely close now, is a mutiny."

"A mutiny? I think myself well versed in the practice, a knowledgeable in the signs," he chuckled. "I just see the next fight we have to pass through. Once through, maybe, just maybe, we will find the time to see to the wounds of our souls if not our bodies? But until then, I appreciate your counsel. If nothing else, a captain is well thought of when his conscience is as vocal as you are."

Peeph bowed his head respectfully; his antennae kept steady. "The unseen wounds tend to last longer. I will continue to monitor the crew. Is there anything else that you require from me?"

"Never relent in being a voice of sober second thought," Remas said with a mile. "Now, alas, I must return to keeping this show on the road."

"As you wish, Captain. I will look forward to getting on the other side of this skirmish. Thank you for your time." The Andorian rose to his full height indicating time was up.

 

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