Family, Duty & Honor

Posted on Thu Nov 1st, 2018 @ 9:56pm by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Edited on on Thu Nov 1st, 2018 @ 10:07pm

2,713 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 5 - It Would Be Their Pleasure
Location: Bairds Tavern - Casperia Prime
Timeline: MD008 1820 hrs

Quinn watch his family leave with Kat, Quinn was walking away with Tyler. He was not properly for a formal function with the captain. He was on vacation. Still he felt under dressed to be talking business with the captain. But clearly Tyler wanted to talk, so they were going to get beer. Quinn wondered what happened during that year, and if it affected his Captain. As first officer, his first duty was to the crew, but he also had a duty to his captain and well.

Both men walked over a bar stand. And Quinn ordered a beer, and with a concerned look on his face he asked, "What would you like you know Captain?" He asked, wondering if this was a briefing or a friendly conversation? He was not sure, but the captain would have to show his hand at this moment.

Tyler chuckled and sipped the beer that he had. He already signaled the barkeep to set up another one for himself and one for Quinn. "First off you can drop the Captain we are on shore leave. So here I am just plain ole Tyler, or Ty if you'd like. Quinn, I want to apologize for what happened back there. The truth is, in the past week or so that we have been back, it has been nothing but a whirlwind of debriefings and meetings. On top of all of that it seems that the Admiralty is deciding about my ship without consultation of me. It is all just weighing down on me at the moment. So perhaps this is the best time for us to get to know about each other. Tell me a little about yourself?"

Quinn studied the demeanor of the Captain changing from serious to mellow and relaxed. It was not a change he was expecting. But relieved. He was not sure at first what to think of his captain. He read the service file on Tyler Malbrooke, but all it told him was, he was a capable officer and a captain. Quinn was now studying what was he trying to do. Was this a test, or was he really letting his guard down? Quinn took a nice long swig from his beer. The cup was almost downed. He had to stop himself from hammering it down. He could drink like a fish. And the night was still young. "Commander, Starfleet been a first officer for the past five years on the Nantucket, gave her up to be with my wife. She gave up a lot to help raise our daughter, thought it was the least I can do. And when I heard about Commander Krackden, not returning. I knew you could probably use a seasoned first officer." Started off Quinn, as he finished his beer, and started to work on the second one.

Tyler cocked an eyebrow when Quinn mentioned that he came to the Pioneer to be with his wife. He did not know how to tell the man, but a ship of war was no place for a child. Tyler sipped his beer contemplatively as he decided how to breach this delicate subject. Well, the best way for us to get to know each other is to simply delve into our first command discussion. he thought. "Quinn, there is something that you need to know about the Pioneer. As of now this is a ship of war. Well, more accurately a ship caught in the middle of battle line. This is something I can brief you on officially later. I bring it up now because as a ship of war, it is simply too risky to have a child on the ship. The rest of the crew, myself included, has spouses or spouses and children who reside or serve on Empok Nor. If you wish to discuss this with Ameri, I am sure that I could get either one of you transferred over to Empok Nor. This way you, for example, would see your wife and daughter whenever we put back into the station." He paused as he sipped his beer again. "Once again I am sorry that no one told you. Consider this our first command discussion." Tyler added with a chuckle.

"Were a package deal Captain, and if Janeway can have little Naomi Wildman on an intrepid class starship, I am pretty sure Enya, will be able to survive as well." Suggested Quinn, trying not to get a little defensive. "Admiral Lancaster approved the transfer, but if your abandonment about no children on the Pioneer, we can request a transfer with the Admiral." Said Quinn, wondering what Admiral Lancaster was doing to him. He was not going to abandon his wife, he wanted to support her, and they were stronger together, than apart. They both knew it. They survived the Omega Crisis and the Gilan Pirate Guild Wars. Quinn, took another long swig, and downed his second class, motioning the bartender, to give him a third drink.

Tyler scoffed to himself, was this going to lecture him on Janeway. Clearly Quinn did not know that he sat with the leading expert on Janeway and her crew, but that was beside the point. "Janeway had no choice. What was she going to do send a woman, and her newborn baby off the ship in the middle of the Delta Quadrant. We on the Pioneer have a luxury that she did not have. That luxury is not putting our children into the line of fire. The other thing to consider is the facilities on the Pioneer. We simply do not have the space for a school, and or a nursery. The Intrepid Class was originally designed for long range space exploration. Not families..." Tyler's voice trailed off as he took a gulp of his beer. Truth was if it came down to it he would call Lancaster and get a new XO assigned, but he wanted to see if Quinn would be open to a discussion. On top of everything Tyler wanted to see if Quinn could convince Tyler to allow families on board. If he could, Tyler would know then and there that Quinn was the perfect XO.

"We can not fear the unknown. Time is to precious, to live in fear and over protect the ones we love. We are only given one chance to make a difference, to be an influence of good. I know you understand this Captain, Children are the future." He said as he took a moment to think of what to say next. "You better than most, you have a ship full of children, and every man and woman on the Pioneer, are your responsibility. I get that, but in a sense they are children, that you are raising to be the next Starfleet Captain. I would not be a good father, if I sent my wife and child to live on station with strangers. What kind of psychological affect will that have on them. Starfleet allows families to be together on ships, despite the risk." Pointed out Quinn in his strong Irish accent. He waited to hear, how Tyler was going to combat his statement. He could tell, that he was in a verbal joust to keep his family on the ship.

"The actual regulation is it is up to the commanding officer to decide whether or not families, especially children, should be allowed on a vessel. That said there is a bigger issue at hand here. This is the main reason that I have been against families on starships. That reason is emotion and orders, they do not mix. I shall give you an example. I know you are well versed in the fact that executive officers very often will be giving orders that will send people to their deaths, as are commanding officers. If you and your wife were both serving on the Pioneer you may find your self face to face with a situation where you would have to order your wife, the mother of your child to her death. For if you don't the safety of the entire ship is at risk. I cannot under good conscience ever ask someone to make that choice. It is an impossible choice duty vs love. So to avoid it entirely has always been the better answer. For you are correct when you state that the Pioneer is a family, and if I am one parent then my XO is the other. How can you or I make the choice between one family or the other." Tyler replied with passion, forgotten was the drink that sat at the bar. His speech was filled with so much emotion that people around the two Starfleet officers stopped what they were doing to listen in. The barkeep just stood there dumbfounded, and the only thing he could do was present Tyler with a fresh drink.

Tyler Malbrooke would have gone on longer, but his emotions got the better of him. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, as he thought about his wife and the family that they dreamed of. He refused to let Quinn see him emotional, to let anyone save for two women see him emotional. The tears and the emotions were choked back.

Quinn felt like he was talking in circles with Tyler, and he was not about to start this game. They just talked about this very topic, and now he tried to twist the words, to say the same thing, he bit his tongue as he said. "I am sorry you feel that way Captain, as I told you earlier we are a package deal, if you feel so strongly against having families on starships, I can put in for a transfer, but I will not abandon my family to a station. And as far as your other comment, about possibly ordering my wife to her death, since the day we were born, we have been dying. I rather order her to death, here by my side, instead of a station in some remote part of the galaxy. I will not abandon my wife and daughter, to be a lone on a station. We will transfer to another command. Sorry this did not work out for you, best of luck to you Captain, on your search for a first officer." Said Quinn, as he slammed his drink, and started to walk off.

Quinn stopped for a moment, he felt like he was not done saying his peace. He felt made his message got lost in his emotion. "I am not afraid to ask my wife to die in the line of duty, I rather it be here by my side. No man should ever ask another man, to allow his wife to die alone and on a station. I have made tough choices in the past, sent a few of my friends to their death, including my best friend." Quinn said, as he paused for a moment. His mind started to think about Robbie O’Mallary. A tear started to form around his eyes. He fought back his emotions.

Quinn took a deep breath before going on. "I can live with the fact she died to protect myself and our daughter, and the fact she died around the ones she loves. I can order her to death. I am a first officer, and pretty good one. I know where my loyalties lie Captain. To the crew and to the ship. To all members of the crew. Admiral Lancaster was alright with my wife and I deciding to make the call. Should I not be responsible for placing my wife into potential danger?" Asked Quinn, as he went on. He did not Tyler to speak just yet.

"I will not ask my wife, to die alone, and surrounded by strangers. You are a married man, surely you can see that? Wouldn't you want to spend time with your wife, everyday? Even if it meant putting her in harms way. Should that not be her decision, along with yours? Ameri has agreed to take the risk, I have agreed, why can't you? I would suggest, Captain you think about that one. I know I will be, all night." Said Quinn, as he waited to see if Tyler was going to respond. Or if he was going to Quinn go. It was clear both men were drawing lines in the sand, but who would cave in? Or would both men's ego get in the way of doing what is right for the USS Pioneer.

Tyler pounded his beer, not so much that he was thirsty but more that he did not have a response. Quinn had either done his research or was one of the most intuitive men that Tyler had ever met. All at once he liked the man and realized that Katherine and Quinn would become fast friends. He slouched in his chair as he relaxed and he hoped the change in his demeanor would allow Quinn to change as well. Tyler nodded as he spoke. "Quinn if you will treat the Pioneer and it's crew as passionately as you treat your family, then you may just be the best officer in the fleet. I will make a deal with you. If you as the XO and her father can keep your daughter out of all restricted areas, that is to say unless she is invited. If you can safeguard our ship, and our family as well as you safeguard your wife and daughter. And perhaps most importantly, if you can..." Tyler's voice trailed off as his eyes focused on Kat, Ameri and Enya in the distance. He sipped his beer to cover the silence, when he swallowed he spoke again.

When he looked at Quinn he looked at him not only as another man, but as the XO of the Pioneer. "...Teach me how to do balance the families. If you can do all of that for me, then I will without hesitation adapt the ship for the pitter patter of little feet." A knowing smile crawled across Tyler's face.
'
Quinn started off with a smile. "You make the time, Captain. you make every moment count. Enya knows there will be long days either or both of us." Said Quinn as he looked to Ameri. "And you are open as you possibly can be, without violating any regs of course, or in my case. Just use words, like. Daddy can't talk about work stuff, tell me how your day went sweetie." He said with a chuckle in his voice, he then went on. "Of course when she gets older that will not work but by then, she should understand what classified means. This has worked well for us, over the past five years, my last captain had no complaints, and Ameri and I will make sure, she stays out of restricted areas." Said Quinn, hoping this was the answer, he was looking for.

"Well said number one, well said indeed. Welcome aboard the Pioneer." Tyler said as he shook his new first officer's hand. "Now that work is over. What do you say we go grab the ladies and get down to some real fun." He added as he slapped Quinn on the back. Tyler knew that there would be a lot of work ahead, not just adjusting the ship for children. But with an all out war looming there are trying times out there. But for now in this Tavern all of that could wait Tyler had to reacquaint himself to family.

"Let's get that drink." Said Quinn, in a better mood. His spirits were suddenly lifted. He was not really going toe to toe with the Captain, but he knew he had to stick up for his morals, and values. And he was glad to see that the Captain, accepted his offer. The two men ordered a few more rounds, as the scene fades.

A Joint Post By

Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

Commander Quinn Ó Flannagáin
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer

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