Introductions over drinks

Posted on Wed Jul 10th, 2019 @ 10:41pm by Captain Abigail Laurens & Lieutenant Jack Carver

Mission: Getting To Know You
Location: USS Astraea
Timeline: The evening prior to launch

Abigail was standing in the transporter room as Lieutenant Carver materialised, her back to the transporter pad as she spoke to the transporter technician who was in charge for the shift. With the transport complete, Abigail laughed softly at something that the technician had said before she turned, reaching up to tuck her dark hair back behind her ear as she cast a gaze over the new arrival standing on front of her.

"Lieutenant Jack Carver?" she asked with a smile, closing the gap between them. "I'm Commander Abigail Laurens. Welcome to the Astraea."

As Abigail turned and caught Jack's gaze, she would see a series of events unfolding on his face, purely by subtle expressions. At first, surprise, eyes widening, then a strong longing, but only for a fleeting moment, before disappointment took over. A deep, strong, crushing disappointment, itself replaced by resolve, the sense of duty that comes with meeting one's new direct commanding officer.

"Ah ... My apologies, Commander. You just - ... reminded me of someone. A ghost from the past, you might say." his voice was warm, and a soft smile formed on rugged features, though it did not extend to his eyes just quite. He stepped down from the transporter pad and offered a strong hand in greet. "I didn't quite catch what you said. Lieutenant Jack Carver, commander air group."

Taking his hand, Abigail smiled again. "Commander Abigail Laurens," she repeated gently. "Welcome to the Astraea. Are you quite alright Lieutenant? Do you need a moment?" Abigail, while clearly confused was also somewhat concerned.

"I'm fine, Captain. Promise." his smile broadened a bit reaching his eyes as well now, though he turned more serious again. "Why don't we go somewhere more comfortable, talk a bit, get a sense of each other, maybe over a drink. I'm sure you have questions for me, and I'd like to learn more about who I am going to work for as well."

Abigail was about to decline but instead she took a deep breath and smiled. "You know what, that sounds like a fabulous idea. How about the lounge? It's been rather quiet with the crew still having ready access to the starbase and I know the new bar manager has some very impressive offerings."

"Lead the way, captain." he offered, motioning towards the exit. As they walked he smiled, looking around. "I've always like the Akira class. She just has a sleek, predatory look about her."

As they headed into the corridor, Abigail found herself laughing softly at his comment. "Astraea is my kismet," she said with a smile. "They've been pushing me to take my first command for a while, and I always turned them down, but then when Astraea came along, Akira class, I knew I couldn't say no. The Akira is kind of a lucky thing for me, so I knew I had to take this one, and now, here I am with my Star Maiden." She trailed her fingers lightly along the bulkhead as they walked toward the turbolift. "Just between you and I, I very nearly cartwheeled down the corridors when I first came on board," she said with a grin.

"I think I know what you mean. I felt the same when I got No Mercy. She's my Gryphon. Heavy multirole fighter. You'll see her when she's onboard." He traced his fingers across a bulkhead like she did, knowing what it was like to feel a bond with a ship. "So what kept you from cartwheeling? I would've."

Colour rose in Abigail's cheeks as she grinned sheepishly, looking up at him. "Honestly? I was about to, I skipped into it and then two operations officers came around the corner and I stopped so suddenly I kind of stumbled, so instead of them thinking I'm a raving loon who cartwheels down corridors, they think I'm some kind of unco twit who can't even walk straight."

"Should've gone for the cartwheels." He smirked at her, folding his arms over each other. "Better to be thought of as happy and exuberant than clumsy. Better to let people know you're honest and not afraid to show your true feelings."

His smirk widened into a grin as he motioned ahead of them. "Go ahead. I'll join you. Who cares if someone sees us. Life isn't about crossing the finish line safe and sound, it's about sliding across it sideways, pumping a fist in the air and letting out a loud cheer, leaving everything on fire behind you. It's about regretting what you did, rather than what you didn't do"

Abigail stopped and looked at him, eyes wide until she laughed suddenly. "You'd cartwheel with me?" she grinned. "I mean actually cartwheel with me, not stand back and wait to hack the internal surveillance footage and send it to the entire crew!"

"I'll cartwheel with you." He smiled. "You only live once. Best to just enjoy it while you can." he winked, the launched into a quick jog and let himself fall forward, turning sideways, placing a hand down and throwing his legs up and over, letting momentum carry his body and landing on his feet again, grinning at her and motioning to the floor.

Throwing her head back, Abigail laughed openly before she followed suit, skipping and then cartwheeling, rounding off and landing near him, managing to keep her balance as she burst into a fit of giggles.

He offered her a hand to steady herself on should she need, smiling. "There. Now I have something to blackmail you with." he chuckled, though his expression fell a bit as he seemed to remember something, and once more he traced fingers across a bulkhead. "You know, the River Plate was an Akira." he spoke quietly.

Abigail took his hand, even though she didn't really need it. "I've heard about the River Plate," she said quietly. "I don't know details..." She drew in a deep breath and looked up at him. "Did you know someone on the ship?"

Jack resumed walking, he still knew the way to the lounge. They were almost there. Fortunately nobody had interrupted them during their cartwheel shenanigans. "I suppose you'll read about it in my file anyways, so no sense keeping secrets." he spoke in a quiet voice. "My wife was onboard. I - ... took a break for a year after the incident. You reminded me of her. That's why I was distracted after I beamed onboard."

She squeezed his hand gently as they continued walking. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I had no idea. I didn't get a jacket or anything with your transfer, just a call from an admiral to take you all on. If I had known I wouldn't have said anything..."

"Don't worry about it, you're fine." He squeezed back, though he let go of her hand when they reached the lounge. Wouldn't do to have people start talking. "It was six years ago. I've done my grieving, went through the stages, all done and done." he mused, offering a smile again.

"So, let's talk shop." he said. "What can I expect from you in how you run the ship, and what do you expect from me and my flight wings."

Casting a gracious smile his way, Abigail headed directly for the bar, ordering a glass of spring wine before she turned to face Jack. "What do you want?" she asked with a smile. "Ashe here can give you pretty much anything."

"Oh, just an orange juice, please. From Admiral Flanagan's briefing, it looks like I have a long work day ahead of me." Jack mused. "I'll save the stronger stuff for when my crew and equipment is onboard and squared away."

Drinks in hand, Abigail headed across the almost empty lounge to the table in the rearmost corner. "I've asked Operations to put together a team to help you," she said softly. "All I can do is apologize, we were set for departure before I found out you were coming."

A nod. "We would have arrived two days ago but there were some complications. I'm just glad we caught you before it was too late."

Abigail laughed and shook her head. "I think I've heard that about a dozen times today," she said with an easy smile. "There are a few crew who will be meeting their belongings enroute somewhere. This command is proving to be..." she paused, tilting her head slightly as she thought. "Interesting? And we haven't even left the Starbase yet."

"As long as the 'interesting' remains inside the ship and doesn't follow me outside." Jack took a sip of his drink. "' Interesting' has a different ring to it when you're outside there hurtling through space in a tin can strapped to an engine and some guns." A pause. "Have you ever had a fighter wing under your command?"

"Honestly, I've never had anything under my command until now," Abigail replied quietly. "Astraea is my first command, so, I'm guessing that makes it a firm no," she smiled warmly. "But as with all things, we learn best when we're thrown in the deep end, right?"

"This is true." he gave a nod, raising his glass to her with a warm smile. "Well, congratulations on your first command, Abigail." he ventured her first name, since he wasn't officially part of the crew yet. "I'll be sure to try and make things as comfortable on you as I can." he added, taking a sip of his drink.

"Allow me a moment to try and explain to you what I can do for you, what my fighters can do for you." he turned a little bit more serious. "If you need something surveyed or scanned, but for some reason can't send the ship itself, you ask me, I'll get it done." Jack continued. "You need something bombed or otherwise leveled with the ground, you send me. Ship under attack? Send me. Need something escorted? Found and rescued? You send me."

"I am your eyes and ears. I am your shield and your sword. I project your force, I am the means for you to reach out beyond the immediate area around the ship." he said, entirely serious. "My squadrons are the extension of your, and the Federation's, will."

Abigail paused, listening and taking in everything he had just said. "I can see how that would be beneficial," she said quietly. "We never had Fighters on the Bastion, actually, I don't know that I've ever been on a ship where we've had a full fighter complement. I think there were maybe two fighters on the Gettysburg?"

"Those are the ships you served on before?" Jack asked. "Tell me about yourself? How'd you get here? What makes you tick? A man is curious."

"Curious huh?" she asked with a smile. "Haven't you ever heard the expression curiosity killed the cat?" She took a sip of her wine and set the glass on the table, her hands resting around the base of the stem. "The Gettysburg was my first assignment when I graduated from the Academy. I was there for a bit less than a year before I transferred to the Rawlings. I stayed on the Rawlings for nearly ten years and then transferred to the Bastion, and now I'm here. I came up through security but I decided to get into command after I was assigned to the Rawlings. How about you?"

"I have heard of that saying. What people tend to leave off is the second half of it, 'but satisfaction brought it back'." he smiled. "As for me, I was stationed on the River Plate after my graduation and served on her until her loss. I then took a break for a year before reactivating, and served on the Thermopylae, until being transferred here." he explained, respecting her choice to talk about her service life rather than more personal things.

"And the River Plate was where you lost your wife?" Abigail asked gently, recalling what he had said to her earlier. "I'm sorry, I can't even begin to imagine what that would have been like. No wonder you took leave..."

"Yeah." Jack nodded, heaving a sigh and taking another sip of his drink before continuing. "We met during my time in the academy. She was a year older than me. Scientist. Whatever the hell she saw in an adrenaline junkie of a flyboy I still haven't figured out. Had to move heaven and earth to get us both assigned to the same ship."

Another slight pause and a soft smile. "It was six years ago. I'm fine. I took my leave, did my mourning, moved on. I choose to remember the good things, rather than hold on to the pain and loss. I'm ok. Promise." a smile.

Abigail offered a smile and a slight nod. "I'll believe you," she said softly. "But only because you promised." She picked up her glass, taking a sip before setting it on the table again. "When Mark and I divorced I opted to run away instead. It was easier to just hide myself away, throw myself into my job and fixate on what I could do rather than what I couldn't."

"Mark?" Jack tilted his head a bit. "There's a story there. Though, if you don't want to talk about it that's perfectly fine."

"Oh, there's always a story, a true tale as old as time... girl goes on summer break, girl meets boy, girl falls in love, girl signs up to Starfleet Academy to follow him, they get married right out of the Academy, six months later, well, lets just call it irreconcilable differences." Abigail shrugged slightly.

"Looks like we all have our histories and experiences." Jack agreed. "So you're here because of him? Did you originally want to do something else with your life? Why did you stay in Starfleet?"

"Honestly, I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life, except travel. I wanted to travel, and Starfleet seemed as good a way as any to do it. I did my security training, and I've been 'travelling' ever since," she smiled as she looked across at him. "Did you always want to be a fighter pilot?"

Jack smiled again, a happier smile, that spread to his eyes. "I grew up a Louisiana farm boy, always got in trouble for grabbing my family's tractors and cars and taking them racing across home made race tracks. I was lucky that my parents saw my passion and talent and instead of holding me back, motivated me."

"As I grew up I realized that what I wanted to do was go fast, driving the most modern and technologically advanced things I could get my hands on. It was my mother who suggested I joined Starfleet and majored in piloting." he mused, explaining. "Fighters was the logical conclusion. And now I've got No Mercy, my baby. She's a Gryphon class multirole heavy fighter, brand spanking new. You'll be able to see her when I get her on board."

"Well, having never actually seen one up close and personal, I l shall look forward to it," Abigail said with a genuine smile. "No Mercy, it's an interesting name choice. Any particular meaning behind it? Or just as it stands? Show no mercy, take no prisoners kind of thing?"

"Definitely the latter. We fighter jocks tend to give our ships names that sound 'cool' and 'intimidating'." Jack laughed an infectuous laugh, actually doing the air quotes. "To compensate a bit for the fact that we're hurling ourselves through space and into danger in itty bitty tiny little tin cans, I suppose. So I'm No Mercy, some of the other ships in the 16th are 'Bad News', 'Animus', 'Reaper' ... You get the idea."

"So, in otherwords, you're all little boys playing a game of who can sound the scariest?" her voice took on a slightly teasing tone with her words, even her eyes seemed to light up as she laughed. "It's okay, I promise I won't tell anyone your secret."

Jack laughed again. "There's nothing secret about that. We're all just adrenaline junkies who never really quite grew up. You know that old saying? The only difference between men and boys is the size and price of their toys?"

"So, what you're saying is that size really is the measure of a man?" No sooner had she spoken the words than she realised what it actually was that she had said, colour staining her cheeks as she shook her head. "Well, that was inappropriately worded wasn't it?"

He reached out to rest his hand on hers for a moment, chuckling. "Maybe, but entertaining to be sure." Jack offered, moving to finish his drink. "Anyways. I should probably get to work. If I understand correctly, I've got a lot of it ahead of me before your launch tomorrow morning. Flanagan told me your through-deck hangar is currently a cargo space? I'll get my ground crew across and see to clearing it, then bring my ships, crew and equipment onboard."

He paused a moment. "It was very nice meeting you, Abigail. We'll have to do another drink when I'm all settled in, a proper one, if you're not opposed."

"I'd like that, very much Jack," she replied with a smile. "If you need anything, you can see Commander Gail or Mister König." She finished her own drink, leaving the empty glass on the table. "But my door is always open as well," she offered as she slid out of the seat.

Jack rose to his feet as well. "See you around, Abigail." he smiled, heading out with a wave, commenting quietly to himself. "Well, that was ... unexpected. Not a stuffy old guy."

Watching as he walked away, Abigail shook her head momentarily before she picked up the glasses and carried them across to the bar, setting them down and heading for the door herself.

=/\=

Commander Abigail Laurens
Commanding Officer
USS Astraea

&

Lieutenant Jack Carver
Group Commander
USS Astraea