Following the Red Queen

Posted on Fri Mar 31st, 2017 @ 4:24am by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Commander Alora Knight

1,521 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Caught in the Cracks

ON

Alora tracked down the Captain to talk about the briefing. She found her in the first place she looked, the Captain's Ready Room.

"Could you please explain to me what happened?" Alora asked.

Taiga sighed as she looked at the woman. "I lost my cool again. Why does Starfleet always send me the worst officers in the whole bloody fleet?!" she asked holding her arms in the air.

"That is my question," Alora said. "You said this was a misfit ship, but you didn't tell me you were the chief misfit."

Taiga shot a rather scary look at her new XO. "What do you mean by that?" she asked simply.

Alora folded her arms across her chest and met the Captain's gaze, her expression stern. "How many Captains do you know throw a temper tantrum, dismiss the meeting and tell everyone to get their own information?"

"Me," Taiga said simply in response. "Some people need a good kick up the backside half of the time. Plus, I've been through a hell of a lot recently" she added. "But no removing me from duty, this ship wouldn't run if I wasn't as abrupt!".

"So you're telling me my job is to babysit you and your temper tantrums?" Alora asked, shaking her head. "And don't start comparing your life to mine. Mine has been as bad if not worse than yours recently. And," she emphasized, "Your crew will live up--or down--to your expectations. If you want them to behave better, set the proper example."

"Set a better example?" Taiga asked her voice becoming a little more angry. "Starfleet hasn't set the best example for us either!" she snapped. "We've been sent behind Enemy lines, sacrificed to the Borg and then one of our very own precious Starfleet Admirals told us it would have been better if we were all drones!" she explained. "I saw most of my crew either assimilated or slaughtered right before my eyes. That bastard even held back the USS Yamato to prevent help coming to us. On top of that because of that I lost my baby and miscarried! Do you know how long we had been trying for that to happen? And guess what, that selfish son of a bitch took that away from us and then laughed at us. So yeah, why doesn't Starfleet set a better example!" she demanded.

"When you became a Starfleet officer you promised to uphold the rules of the Federation, to help those in need and to seek out and explore new frontiers. You weren't promised that it would be easy." Alora paused. "I'm sorry you lost your child. I won't try to compete with that, but I lost the man I love." Without thinking, she touched the ring she wore on a chain.

"My last assignment was to lead an away team to explore a small moon. We found an odd plant that had psychedelic properties. The entire away team was put under quarantine. When the ship finally found a cure, the shuttle was gone, along with Alex and his "twin," Lex. I won't go into details because it's a convoluted story, but Alex is from the Mirror Universe. He worked for the resistance there and was under cover, trying to stop his Captain Johanson. Several people from the Niagara were killed by her, others were tortured--including me. She also kidnapped my Captain and replaced her. Alex and Simlar, another of the ISS Niagara's crew, helped us find out what was going on and rescue our Captain. We thought everything would be okay then, but Starfleet decided to hold an inquiry. They wanted to blame me, but there was no evidence to support it. Then they wanted to blame Alex, but there was no evidence for that, either. Since I championed Alex, I was demoted and assigned here. I have not let it turn me into a bitter woman." She started harder at Taiga. "I won't let you do it, either."

"I'm not bitter" Taiga said. "I've just got a short temper" she explained. "I have no idea what happened on your last ship, no one ever tells me the backgrounds of my officers. The only one I know about is Soren!" she added. "And frankly, the very fact that he is wearing that uniform disgusts me. Why should Starfleet be a way out for criminals? Not everyone in this universe gets a second chance, and I have to make him understand that! I have to turn him into some sort of respectable officer. Now how the hell am I going to do that when he won't come down off of his own high horse?!"

"But he has been given a second chance," Alora said. "And how can you get him off his high horse if you don't explain anything? All you did was yell at him and storm out. He can learn, but it'll take some time. And it'll take patience."

Taiga just sighed. "Patience is something I don't have a lot of nowadays" she replied. "I suppose it comes with the stress of the job. People like him push my buttons and get me wound up tighter than a slinky!"

One side of Alora's mouth quirked up in a half smile. "I know someone like that. I threw him half way across the lounge once."

Taiga smiled. "Same here" she replied.

"So, where does that leave us?" Alora asked.

"No idea" Taiga replied simply. "I snap sometimes. Its stressful being a CO" she explained with a sigh.

"And what happens if you snap like you did today and someone gets hurt because of it?" Alora asked.

Taiga pondered on the question for a few seconds. "I would never be that stupid" she said simply. "We're out here dealing with stuff that other Captains wouldn't even dream of in a nightmare" she explained. "We've got to be tough out here, some of the people on this part of space won't listen to a Starfleet Captain quoting regulations and being all diplomatic, sometimes you have to threaten them with all the power you have to make them back off!"

"Is that honestly the type of crew you want? One that won't obey you until you threaten them?" Alora asked. "I've been in the middle of nowhere where you have to be tough. Respect goes a lot farther than fear--especially when those threats leave your crew vulnerable because you fail to give them the information they need to do their jobs."

Taiga paused for a few seconds. "This crew have been through a lot together. I know they will obey me. I'm just hot headed from time to time" she explained. "He started to wind me up like a coiled spring from the moment he stepped on the hangar deck" she told her. She looked away out the window at the passing stars. "I need someone to watch Soren like a hawk for me that has a cool head. He needs guidance, he's cocky and arrogant and frankly all those seem to end up on my ship"

"He reminds me of the helmsman on the NIagara," Alora said, a wry smile crossing her face. "He's the one I threw across the lounge. But only once." She shrugged. "He wouldn't take no for an answer." And then she'd fallen in love with his mirror opposite. "We got along better after that. I don't think Mr. Dillinger will be much worse."

She turned more serious as she considered the Captain. "It is your behavior that concerns me."

Taiga just sighed. "There's no need to worry about me" she replied simply. "I run this ship in its own unique way" she explained.

"If your behavior in the briefing is an indication of your unique way, then I request a transfer because I will not work with someone who puts her crew's safety second to those unique ways."

Taiga turned away from Alora. "I would never put the safety of my crew at risk!" she said simply. "I've been through far too much protecting them" she explained. "Is there anything else Commander? We're going around in circles here and right now I just want to get on with my work"

"However" she said stopping Alora. "I will take what you have told me under advisement" she said in a slightly softer tone. "I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I would appreciate it if you would... help me from losing my temper in the future..."

Alora had been about to leave and send in her letter of resignation to Starfleet when Taiga spoke. "Thank you for your apology. I do not expect perfection from you any more than you should expect perfection from me. But I do ask that you try, as will I. And, I will endeavor to help you with your temper."

Taiga nodded as Alora left. She let out a sigh as she sat down in her chair and leant back. It was going to be an interesting time on the Tokyo, thats for sure.

Posting by

Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer

COmmander Alora Tau'Ri
Executive Officer

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