755: Settling Back In

90119.0956
by TC Blane and Paxton Briggs
Time: Current

-=USS Serendipity=-


The doors to TC’s quarters slid open before him, allowing access. It felt like it had been years since he last stepped into his this room. It almost felt foreign to him until he was promptly greeted buy his favorite furry friend.

Sunshine greeted her adopted master with whines of joy, lots of slobber, and frantic tail wagging. TC grinned ear to ear as he dropped to one knee to return the enthusiastic welcome with a robust hug and praise.

“All right there. That’s enough.” He stood. “I missed you too.”

He strode into his quarters with Sunshine still hopping about with joy.

“Lights to seventy percent.”

The ambient lighting slowly rose to the requested level of brightness and TC looked around. He was a simplistic man and his quarters showed it. Sparsely decorated and simply furnished it hinted of a man who did not expect to be staying long.

Very few items were on display mostly extremely personal mementos such as old photos and items they he had collected during his life from those who he had been fortunate enough to call friends.

He sighed heavily as he picked up a shattered picture frame, displaying the image of his mother, from the floor. In fact there were several items that had been knocked from their traditional locations, evidence of the Sera’s violent clash with the Romulans.

“Well I do not see any doggy land mines about so I guess Ensign Landers did his job and took care of you.”

A squeak was his only answer as Sunshine had retrieved her favorite toy and sat staring at TC, her tail wagging expectantly.

TC grinned as her reached down and grabbed the other half of the toy. Sunshine responded with a low playful growl and the game of tug-of-war began.

-Later-

TC walked out of Sickbay having completed his last breathing treatment of the day. He felt a hundred times better, even with the occasion shortness of breath. Still, McKay had returned him to duty mostly because the doctor knew asking TC to take a day off and relax would be would be worse then allowing him to continue with duty.

Blane's off duty workout routines would make a Klingon break a sweat so the doctor thought the ship's Second Officer would get more rest lingering around on the bridge.

He made his way to the Afterthought Cafe' to grab a bite to eat before heading to the bridge. As he gathered up a donut and cup of coffee he notice a large figure seated at one of the tables looking out the large aft windows.

TC walked over. “Commander Briggs.”

Paxton jumped. “Yikes!” Some hot coffee spilled onto his lap. “Ouch! Hot!”

“I’m sorry I did not mean to startle you.”

Paxton wiped his lap off with a napkin. “No, no. I just did not hear you coming.”

TC nodded. “I get that a lot.”

Paxton motioned toward the other chair at the small table. “Care to join me?”

“Sure, thanks.” TC pulled out the other chair with his foot and sat down. “I thought you had a conference to attend?”

Paxton tossed the napkin onto the table. “Ah, we missed it. Besides I hear there is an Admiral on her way who wants to speak to me about everything that happened.”

“Lassiter.” TC explained. The news of Salvek’s suspension had already reached him. The fact the Lassiter was coming here was not a shock. It was fairly standard to investigate issues such as these. After all a Romulan ship had been destroyed, and the entirety of her crew killed; either during the direct conflict or when, as prisoners, the rest had tried and failed to hijack the Polaris.

The Romulans were bound to have questions and Starfleet had better have answers for them.

“What can I expect?” Paxton asked plainly.

TC thought before speaking. “Lassiter is T.I. so whatever she asks chances are it comes with a hidden agenda.” He took a sip of coffee. “Just be honest to the events as you perceived them to have happened.”

Paxton nodded. “I won’t give them anything to hang Commander Salvek with.”

TC simply nodded glad that his fellow Second Officer from Border Station Indigo understood him so well.

“When are you supposed to meet with her?” TC asked.

“Soon after she arrives, I get the feeling she wants to get this investigation over with quickly.” Paxton took another sip of his coffee. “I do not know if that is a good or bad thing.”

TC simply shrugged his shoulders in response. He had given up long ago trying to figure out the motivations of admirals. Their actions never made much sense to him anyway.

“So where is the good doctor? Still on Bajor?” TC changed the subject feeling no need to discuss it further.

Paxton nodded. “That is my assumption since I have not heard anything otherwise.”

[Commander Briggs please report to the Captain's ready room.] Zanh Liis’ voice chirped over Briggs’ badge.

Paxton quickly tapped his badge. “I’m on my way.” He stood to leave, gathering up his trash in the process.

“Good luck.”

Paxton nodded to Blane in reply as he turned to leave, tossing the garbage into the reclamation unit as he passed.

TC watched him go before turning his attention out the large aft windows that overlooked the stars as they streaked by.

Commander Briggs was a good man and the Sera had been fortunate to have had him aboard during the recent crisis. A man of lesser training or understanding might have cost Salvek his only child. But Briggs had found a way to keep the Sera and her crew safe while allowing the ship's first officer to save his daughter.

He was an honorable man, and TC hoped that Lassiter would treat him as such.

Commander TC Blane
Second Officer
USS Serendipity NCC 2012

and

Commander Paxton Briggs
Second Officer
Border Station Indigo