A View of the Stars
Posted on Tue Dec 7th, 2021 @ 4:55am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Skye Malbrooke
Edited on on Tue Dec 7th, 2021 @ 5:01am
2,100 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Episode 12 - Risin' To Risa
Location: Upper Promenade - Central Core Deck 5 - Empok Nor
Timeline: MD001 1200 hrs
Mickey had let her go early today. He'd expected it to be busier given the arrival of a few ships but sadly his expectation had not been met and all Skye had done was twiddle her thumbs and play 20 Questions with a few of those that were in the White Stag.
She'd grabbed some lunch to go and decided to sit and watch the stars from one part of the observation deck whilst she ate. There was something comforting about watching all those lights twinkling away, almost washed over her like a wave.
Skye had seen the Pioneer on an upper pylon and got lost in thought, her brother was in. It had been so long since they'd seen each other she could almost forget what he looked like, almost. He was busy living his own life, as was her big sister, albeit they kept in touch a bit more. Maybe he wouldn't recognize her either.
Tyler had a lot on his plate between the regular business of the Pioneer, and Empok Nor. Now he had to worry about the Romulans and this race the Jutrai as well. He had just finished a briefing with Captain Hood, Commodore Rice attended remotely. Added to this soup of stress is the worry and stress that comes with new fatherhood. He kept this news from his crew, his family. But Tyler was unsure how long he would be able to keep it from them. A brief constitutional around the Promenade would do him good. Besides he missed Mickey and the White Stag.
As he walked the Promenade with his head down Tyler noticed a young woman who looked out the window and ate. He noticed the woman in his peripheral vision and did not get too hard of a look. However, he did almost kick her as he had not been paying attention to where he was walking. "Pardon me miss..." he said absentmindedly.
"That's okay." Skye said looking up. There was a moment of familiarity that crossed her face but it was fleeting as she returned to look out the window. She'd noticed his uniform but not the rank so she assumed he'd came off one of the ships... most wore red it seemed these days. "You from one of those?" she asked nodding to the window.
He stopped and smiled for a moment. "Aye you can say that... That beautiful girl up there is mine." Tyler pointed toward upper pylon seven where you can the forward port side of the Pioneer. Her deflector dish and the underside of the saucer. But one could not miss the letters USS Pioneer NCC 74757 "Seeing her never ceases to amaze me." Although Tyler had no idea who this woman was he was suddenly glad that she made him stop and take in the sight of his ship. Something he had not done in some time.
"Yours? I'm not sure my brother would like to hear you say that." Skye scoffed into her food. "He loves that ship a little too much I think." she added not looking up at him. There was something in his voice that resonated with her but she was too busy trying to shake it off.
Tyler almost choked when she said brother. Everything flooded into his head with that one word. This must be Skye, he had not seen her since god knows when. "I can tell you with due certainty that there is one lady he loves more than that ship, and that is his wife. Also I think he would rather be fond of me calling that ship mine..." Tyler turned and looked down at her. "...The authority that I have it on is so good because I happen to be Captain Tyler Malbrooke..."
Skye's eyes widened as she looked at her food. "Shit." she muttered in the same direction. She now noticed the Captain pips and the recognition she had earlier came into focus, he looked older now. She placed her food down next to her left hand side and looked up at him. "Hi?" she half asked innocently.
"Hey sis... How have you been? And more importantly what the hell are you doing on the other side of the galaxy, and the edge of nowhere?" Tyler's voice trailed off as he embraced her heartily. He had not taken to her too well. However, recent events and recent conversations had put things in perspective for him. That and a swift whack on the head from his wife made him want to make sure that he got to know her.
The embrace was awkward and unexpected to say the least. They had hardly been the closest of siblings and sometimes she felt that Tyler was simply following the behavior of their father. They all got time with their mother and she did not. Something she has always regretted and felt terrible for. Some part of her blamed herself as the rumour of a pregnancy related infection spun from time to time.
"I'm fine." she almost defended herself. "I'm working with Mickey, he gave me a place to stay. Some weird aliens were looking at me funny and he stepped in. Think he said they wanted to steal me." she shrugged not fully caring, or understanding the scope of what would have happened. "And I'm here to get away from Dad." she added simply.
"He is getting on your nerves... What is the ole man doing now?" Despite the comparison Tyler felt that he was nothing like his dad. Whatever happened must have been big to cause Skye to venture out on her own. Although he did not know her that well, Tyler presumed that she would not want to be this far out without reason. "I must say that I am curious what brought you out this far. I am not a big believer in coincidences and you just happened to find yourself in the same place as me."
"He has been getting on my nerves since the day I was born, Tyler." Skye confessed with a little annoyance. "All we have done over the past 15 years is butt heads, you know he's not been the same since mom died. Apparently I look just like she did, or close to it. Final fight... and I'm not going to lie, I did manage to find out the area your ship was in. Rachel may have helped a little." she said scuffing her shoes.
Tyler laughed at the mention of his other sister. He had not seen Rachel since she came aboard to prosecute a member of his crew. The laughter calmed down and he reverted back to the serious tone. "You know he just wants the best for you and is worried that he is a failure as a father. I mean no offense, but you were a twilight baby. Do you plan on going home when things cool off or is this it then?"
"I don't know yet." Skye admitted. "Was a pretty big fight." she added as she thought a bit more. "You know he was fine at the start, but as I grew up we grew further apart. I mean I don't even think he knows I graduated high school early..."
Now that was a surprise for Tyler. He talked to his father fairly regularly and the old man did not mention that at all, which led Tyler to believe that Skye is most likely right. His eyes widened and he whistled. "Early you say... How early? I mean you're not already graduated are you?" He did the math quickly and if she were already out of school that would mean she graduated three to four years ahead of everyone. That is near genius level intelligence.
"Like I am done now early." she said thinking nothing of it. "I have a photographic memory Tyler, and I like to read." Skye shrugged. "I can see you looking at me trying to figure out how old I am now, I'm 15... almost 16, but all I have is a really good memory."
Tyler whistled again, she was a prodigy why did his dad not tell him. "You know, I didn't know. But congratulations... That is great news. With your brains you can do just about anything you want. Where are you going to go now? College? The Academy?"
"I don't know. I haven't really thought that far ahead." Skye admitted. "Kind of just winging it." she shrugged. "The Academy is a bit of a mad thought I think... I can't see myself with a pin on my chest."
Tyler looked at her as the Captain part of his brain turned on. He saw an opportunity to kill not one, not two, but three birds with one stone. One he could keep an eye on her, two Starfleet could gain access to a prodigy, and three he would have a genius input on his crew. He sat down next to her. "You know a lot of people believe that the pin is not for them. That is until they see what the life is actually like. Why don't you come aboard the Pioneer? You can work for Chloe, in After 11. I think she is going to love you. Then you can see what life is like. We can get to know a little about each other as brother and sister. Then in a few months to a year, if yo still do not like it we can drop you where you will." Tyler said and then his smile broadened as he nudged her shoulder. "Besides don't you want to be there when you become an aunt?"
"Chloe?" Skye asked rherotically. "She's not some old grumpy woman who's 'going to set me straight', is she? Could do without lectures about how I should be in college, or at home..." Skye trailed off as the next words hit her like a tonne of bricks. "I'm going to be a what? An Auntie?" there was almost excitement in her voice but she tried to play the cool collected teenager.
Tyler laughed uncontrollably at the thought of Chloe being a grumpy old woman. "No Chloe is definitely not any of that. In fact I am probably going to regret placing you with her, if that means anything to you. And yeah you are going to be an Aunt. Kat is pregnant with our first. So you can babysit too while on board." He ribbed her with his elbow. "So how bout it. Or would you rather stay here with Mickey and his toasts."
"Oh God no!" Skye exclaimed. "He toasts so much! I mean yesterday he toasted that he'd found a bottle of whiskey he'd lost... last week." she rolled her eyes. "I think he's going a little mad... but I don't judge, much and if you think Chloe is good then I'll need to come on your ship and see for myself." she smiled softly.
"I will tell her to expect you..." Tyler's voice trailed off as he held a finger to Skye to indicate she should wait a moment. He tapped his comm badge. "Malbrooke to Pioneer...."
The Ensign manning the Ops station answered. "Ptak here in Security
sir. Go ahead Captain."
"Please take a note in the security log. A young woman named Skye will be coming aboard to see Chloe at After 11. Permission for Skye to come aboard is granted." Tyler winked toward Skye as if to say it's good to be the king. "Aye sir, it is noted and we will be expecting her." Ptak replied. "Excellent, Malbrooke out." and the channel closed. "Now there you go Skye. You are all set just board when you want. Also, no need to tell anyone that you are my sister if you don't want to. But I am the big brother so..." He drew her in for a brotherly squeeze and tussled her hair in the way that only a brother could to annoy his sister.
Through her ruffled hair her eyes peered through with utter annoyance. "I actually hate you." she said through the tight squeeze Tyler had her in. "If I could move my arms I'd hit you." she added, albeit with a light tone. As much as she'd not seen him for a long time it was still nice to get some affection from a family member.
A Joint Post By
Skye Malbrooke
Child, USS Pioneer
Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
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