A New Start

Posted on 06 Dec 2012 @ 9:46am by Captain Jonathan Holliday & Lieutenant Commander Evelyn Coleman

2,122 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: Sol System - Mars - Utopia Colony
Timeline: MD06 0900hrs

[ON]

Since speaking with his father during the small hours of the morning, John had managed to get several hours of solid sleep, awakening feeling refreshed and fully recharged. Whilst he might have wanted to stay longer to explore this new relationship with his father, the XO was also anxious to return to the Galileo and restablish himself within the repair procedures that would soon return his little ship to the stars.

Fully dressed for duty and with his overnight duffel bag packed and carried slung low over his shoulder, the Commander headed into the living room to meet up with his shipmate before leaving for the shuttlebay. As he rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of the Lieutenant, Holliday could not help but smile in appreciation for her assistance in his argument the previous night.

"Good morning Lieutenant - I trust you slept well?"

Evelyn shifted on her feet and turned towards Holliday, "For the most part." She replied. In fact she hardly slept last night. She had snuck out of her guests home and met up with a friend on Earth. Eve looked him over, "you seem well rested. I take it the late night chat with the old man went well?"

John froze midstep - he had thought that nobody had heard the conversation last night, in fact he had deliberately tried to keep his voice as low as possible to avoid anyone, especially his mother, from being able to listen in. He had however, forgotten that the El-Aurian race weren't called a race of listeners for nothing.

"It was...interesting....I think you must have struck a nerve in that scientist soul of his...I hope we didn't keep you awake?"

Evelyn shook her head, "Don't you worry, I only heard bits and pieces when I tried to sneak out from the front door, but since that wasn't an option I did what had to be done." Evelyn shrugged, "Accessed the transporter at Utopia Planitia, through the console in the bedroom and transported myself to Earth."

"And all without your supposed XO even having a clue....nice touch Lieutenant. Although I assume I'm not going to have Starfleet Security bashing the door down to catch whoever hacked into one of our facilities?"

John had to admire the creativeness of the Lieutenant given the situation; whilst it might not have been strictly regulation, it was certainly effective, and given her reasons for wanting to vist Earth, the Commander could not really begrudge her a slight bending of protocol.

Evelyn blinked, "You're assuming they're going to detect an illegal hacking in the first place." She commented shaking her head, "don't you worry Commander, everything I did was legal, no one will face a court martial."

"That's all I'm worried about in that case." John replied, before dropping his bag to the floor at the side of the door before looking back up to his colleague.

"So....eager to get back to Galileo? I don't know about you but I'm itching to get back into space - being planetside only satisfies me for so long."

Evelyn thought it over for a second, "I don't know. It was nice walking in the fresh open air, feeling a breeze against my skin. Makes me almost wish to retire and settle." She mused at the thought, "maybe even return to the Academy to teach."

The mere mention of the Academy was almost enough to make John visibly flinch. He had been through that period of his life, and it certainly wasn't something he would ever be looking to return to - especially without a significant change of leadership at the top of the Academy pecking order.

"The Academy? Trust me, there are far better places to spend retirement - I'm sure somewhere like Risa would be far more enjoyable...you won't catch me stepping back into a classroom any time soon."

"Well then, considering I did taught there and some point, and enrolled there more than once in my long career, forgive me if I don't plan to grow old on Risa. I still have a good eight hundred years to go before thinking about that kind of retirement."

"I however, don't quite have the luxury of eight centuries to come up with my retirement plans...might need to give me some time on that one...either that or I'll have to go to work on some new age-related jokes for nearer the time."

John laughed as he tried to encapsulate the idea of having almost another millennium worth of life left to enjoy into a single thought, it was virtually impossible, and at the risk of giving himself a headache, he quickly abandoned his plan.

"I..appreciate the company Lieutenant. Off the record."

Evelyn met many individuals in her long lifespan, and numerous different lifeforms and various cultures that made her seem prepared for a many things in her present life, however Johnathan's sense of humor is one she never encountered before. She looked into his green eyes and questioned, "I wasn't aware I had a report I had to file that would have things on the record." She smirked, "but compliment is appreciated, regardless of record."

"I think this once we'll call this a non-recorded away mission Miss Coleman - if that's alright with you? Last thing I want is to be hauled in front of an Admiralty review board because I didn't file the correct paperwork and a certain Intelligence officer reported back?" He replied with a joke. Regardless of how this meeting might have started out, John was glad that the El-Aurian had had his back during the argument with his father, and admittedly in probably more than a small way, helped steer things round for him later on that night.

Evelyn chuckled, "Drop the rank, Jonathan." she said looking at him, "you are a Starfleet officer, but that uniform does come off." she replied, "so stop acting like it's the sum of your being." Evelyn knew the tone was harsh but it seems all his words came with a "For the Uniform" filter. "Besides we're on shore-leave. No reports required."

"Yes ma'am" he replied with a joking salute. He was not used to taking shore leave, especially amongst other officers, and was far more at home with rank and protocol to give him an idea of how to act.

"Reports huh? Damn you Starfleet types never cease." A voice called from behind the pair. Stopping his conversation for a moment, John turned on his heels to see the outline of his father stepping into the room without a moment's hesitation, dressed and ready for another day of studying...whatever it was he was studying.

"Yes dad...some of us still have to do reports from time to time - I know...not your idea of a career."

"Maybe not...but it's yours....that's good enough for me."

"Just remember that next time you decide that Starfleet doesn't do enough for you, understood?"

"Aye Aye Commander Sir!" The older Holliday replied with a mocking salute that was strangely identical to the one that his son had performed in jest to his colleague only moments ago. Lowering his hand back to his side, Robert approached his son, and slowly, but with a definite determination, embraced him. John stood silently for a second, not knowing exactly how to react, before his own arms reached up and returned the gesture of his father, holding him tightly across his shoulders in quiet contemplation.

After a second, the two men separated, taking a few paces back from each other so as to separate themselves from the show of emotion that had happened only a few seconds ago.

"So....you're heading back to that ship of yours I assume? Try not to get her blown up again this time...second chances aren't that common, you hear me?"

"Understood Dad....yeah we better be heading off...before Starfleet Security come looking for an AWOL officer....say....is Mom around?"

With a shake of his head, Robert could only smile at the thought of his son returning to his post, something that only 48 hours ago would have offended him and driven the scientist to sever all ties with his boy.

"She's gone over to the University at the Academy for something or another, god knows what she sees over there...loads of Starfleet cadets roaming around thinking they know better than....I mean....well you know what I mean."

"Close enough." John replied with a smile. It seemed that no matter the change of heart that their conversation might have brought about, it took far more effort to change the habits that had shaped a relationship for the past decade at the very least.

"Well, Miss Coleman, you keep an eye on my boy here ok? He doesn't have the wisdom of your years to remember which button is the self destruct and which is the warp drive....don't let him tell you any different."

The older man reached out a hand to the Lieutenant as a parting gesture, waiting for her reply before moving on.

Evelyn took his hand, "Don't you worry about that, Mr. Holliday. Starfleet removed the self destruct button hundred years ago, that's why we no longer carry post-it notes." She chuckled.

"That's good to hear....nice to see you boy...now get outta my house."

With one last smile, John picked up the duffel bag that he had rested against the door only moments ago and stepped through, watching as the Lieutenant followed him, and began the short walk towards the shuttlebay that had felt so very long only the day before.

Utopia Colony - Shuttlebay

Galileo's shuttle had remained exactly where the Commander had parked it, suitably monitored by security that generally wasn't required in such a small facility, but was maintained even so. Approaching the shuttle, the XO tapped in his authorisation code and watched as the rear doors opened to welcome them aboard.

"Sure you're ready to go back?" John looked over his shoulder to Eve before stepping inside and beginning to stow his baggage accordingly.

"You've asked me that three times already." Evelyn replied following John inside the shuttle and storing her own baggage. "This isn't my home, it's yours. If you want to stay longer, I can easily go back to the Galileo and cover for you."

"No - no need for that. I want to get back as much as anyone else....you wanna drive or do you mind if this young'un takes the helm again?"

John smirked as he moved towards the forward compartment, slapping the command panel to close the shuttle hatch as he did so, before waiting and offering up the main chair to the Lieutenant to either accept or reject.

"You're trusting grandma to drive, how sweet." She smirked, as she took the main chair. "So how long were you expecting this trip to take?" She asked, as she began the pre-flight checklist, and began warming up the engines.

"What can I say? Equal rights for the elderly." John replied as he climbed into the co-pilot seat and began running his own set of checks prior to departure, feeling a sense of satisfaction as the engines began to hum underneath the deckplates.

"I don't know, a few days? I didn't expect the old man to come around quite so quickly....I guess people can change when they put their mind to it."

Evelyn turned to look at him, "It helps when you actually listen to people. He took your rejection of his career choice as a rejection of him as a father."

"Yeah, didn't take me long to figure that one out." John said as he finalised their departure checklists, watching as the authorisation from orbital command came through clearing them to leave the Utopia Colony docks.

"At least now I can do my job knowing that he actually cares about what I do...ahh, Command clears us for departure - shall we go and see if Vega is still where we left it?"

She smirked as she engaged the shuttle's thrusters and took them out of the hanger bay and began the ascension. "I think it's more of he now cares about you, and be proud of your achievement in what you do." She grinned, and Evelyn chuckled at the image she flashed through her head. "Just, when you finally get assigned a ship of your own, and invite them over for a visit. Let your father sit in that chair. He'll then finally understand the thrill of Starfleet."

[OFF]

Cmdr Jonathan Holliday
Executive Officer
USS Galileo

Lt Evelyn Coleman
Chief Intelligence Officer/Second Officer
USS Galileo

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