Coffee Time
Posted on Sun Dec 26th, 2021 @ 6:42pm by Captain Thomas Ward & Chief Petty Officer Kayla Ross
Mission:
The Story of a First Contact Launch Day
Location: USS Titan
Timeline: 2411.03.22 0700 Hours
A Starfleet Command Division officer with four captain pips appeared in transporter room three. After confirming that the transport was a success, he stepped off of the transporter pad and nodded to the transporter chief on shift. The man left the room shortly after that to start yet another long day.
Kayla Ross sat in her small office, which had finally been cleansed of the clutter that had been her various other possessions that had needed unpacking in her new office. This was one of her first administrative roles ever in Starfleet. But this was due to the fact that her previous postings were in the field, and not sat in some office replicating drinks or reading over various reports. Even so, this new posting as the Captain's yeoman would be much more simple for her. Much more simple. She only had one PADD on her desk, which was her daily agenda. She only had one event for the day, which was to meet Captain Ward. She wasn't sure how the meeting would go however. Unlike previous CO's she had only served with once, and had only met them upon their first meeting. But this was different, as Captain Ward had been a previous CO to Kayla. This was both a disadvantage, and an advantage to her. The advantage was that she knew him better than most, even if she hadn't seen him in years. The disadvantage is the two left off with less than desirable terms, so, there was a chance that this meeting, and quite possibly her general assignment to the Titan, would be more or less awkward.
The officer entered his ready room to begin work for the day. There wasn't much on his own agenda, except for the fact that the ship still had a lot of work to be done on it, with little time to accomplish it. He picked up his PADD of events for the day and began looking at what he had planned when he saw an event and almost choked when he read the name of his new yeoman, who he would be meeting later that day. He hadn't seen her in years. Not to mention, they left on negative terms when Thomas left the agent life. He began to prepare for their meeting, which he had time to do. Or so he thought.
The door chime to his door rang. Thomas took a deep breath and spoke out. "Enter."
Ross entered the ready room and stood at attention. Maybe he wouldn't recognize her after all of these years? "Chief Petty Officer Kayla Ross reporting as ordered sir."
"As you were Chief," Thomas said as he recognized her. "Contrary to most of these types of meetings, I usually don't know who is coming through those doors for the first time. I look at my information, and I see a name, rank, and a little history of them. But this is different. It's been a long time."
Kayla winced internally, but not visibly. "It sure has sir."
"Can I get you anything to drink Chief?"
"I guess I'll take one. Do you still remember?" she cut herself off.
"Coffee, black, no cream or sugar," he chuckled. "Just like Admiral Janeway. I still don't know how you people drink coffee like this." He said as he replicated Kayla's drink and then set it down in front of her. He then went back to the replicator and made his own coffee, but with cream and sugar.
"It's just how some of us are. To us, you're the wildcard," she chuckled.
"By the way, congratulations on your promotion. I had gotten the news during the Klingon War but I never got the chance to congratulate you. I got busy, especially when I got command of the previous Titan and all," Thomas sighed.
"As far as I know, the last time we had an actual conversation was when you-" she stopped herself so she wouldn't open old wounds. One of them being Thomas leaving the agent life. And the two didn't leave off on the best of terms.
"I never should have left like that. But the mission was getting too personal, and with my father already captured, my, I mean our work was done.
"The mission was already personal when you began to look for him. Rollins and I kept trying to remind you of that. But you never listened," Kayla said. "When you did leave, Rollins and I had a mess of things to clean up. You should have waited until we were all ready to leave that life. I understand why you left, but not how," her eyes became cloudy but she put her emotions in check.
Thomas didn't respond right away. He knew there would be repercussions for his sudden departure way back then. He ruined his relationship with his friend, and his old partner in crime. He didn't know how, but he would repay her for his debt that he himself caused.
"But that was back then," she continued. "This is the here and now. I can't ignore your actions, but I can cope with them. Besides that was a decade ago," She then changed the subject. "Anyways, Captain, I know my position doesn't require you to tell me anything, but do you happen to know our orders?"
Thomas didn't want to end that conversation like that. He wanted to repair his relationship with Kayla. But he needed to give her some space and time as well, even if he was her CO. "Well, there is nothing yet from command. But our launch is still slated for First Contact Day, and we are still behind schedule."
"Understood. Is there anything else?"
"There isn't Chief. You are dismissed."
Kayla exited the ready room. As he watched her leave, he thought back to those days. He truly felt like he should have done more. He felt he should have stayed but in those days he was too emotionally compromised, and too close to the mission, hence why he left, even if it was at the end of his mission anyways. All he could do was to redeem himself to Kayla.
