Things You Never Want to Tell Your Captain

Posted on Tue Oct 29th, 2019 @ 4:04am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Edited on on Tue Oct 29th, 2019 @ 4:06am

1,521 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 8 - The Silence
Location: Captain's Ready Room - Deck 1 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD005 0800 hrs

Richard stood just outside the ready room. His eyes were closed for a moment as he gathered enough courage to go see the Captain. Although his uniform was pressed and he was as immaculate as always his countenance was anything but. The crying was over, thanks greatly to T'Rish, but the loss still was painful like a Klingon D'k tahg straight to the heart. Pressing the door chime he took in a deep breath and waited for a response.

Tyler sat at his desk and stared out at Wren IX as the ship hung above the planet. There was a might of things that hung heavy on the Captain's mind. The biggest being that all communications with Empok Nor have been lost with no exact reason known. It was believed for the time being that there was a technical issue. However, Tyler Malbrooke knew Peret and she kept that station in good working order. He could not shake the idea that communications were being jammed. On top of that there was the impending survey mission and the out of the ordinary sensor readings. Things just didn't feel right, if Tyler's mother were around she would say that he felt as if someone had stepped on his grave.

Tyler hadn't heard the chime and yet he found himself acknowledging it. "Come..." Dr Ballston walked in and appeared a little worse for wear. "Doc good morning. Have a seat. Can I get you anything?" Tyler said as he sipped his room temperature coffee with a smile.

Richard nodded and slid into a seat facing his friend and captain and for the moment said nothing. He drew in a breath and began, "Captain, I'm, I'm relieving myself from duty at least for now." He looked down for a moment then back again, "I don't know if Security has informed you yet but there has been a murder on Empok Nor, Adibah' is dead and my daughter is, missing, they believe she may have been kidnapped."

FRAK! Tyler's brain screamed. Why he was not informed he would never know and now that comm with the station was down. This did not bode well for anything. "Doc, calm down. I did see the reports and I am deeply sorry. If I am to understand your culture correctly, she was one of your wives. As for your daughter Captain Hood assures me that his people are searching the station from top to bottom." Now that he had said what was expected of him, Tyler took a moment to let the Doctor settle down.

"As for your request, take some time to relax and mourn. The ship is on mission at the moment. If an emergency rears its head I need my Chief Medical Officer in Sick Bay." Tyler hated this part of being a Captain, but duty always came first.

"Yes," Richard replied with a nod, "Understood sir." He drew in a deep breath, "I've been hovering around sickbay anyway, anything to keep from locking myself in my quarters."

The Azzian's eyes fluttered down but raised back up quickly, "Azzian's do not use the words wife or love Captain."

It had been quite a struggle for the physician and former counselor to grasp that concept as well because he was raised more like a Betazoid than anything else.

He shook his head, "Adibah' was Lei'hallah's sister as well and I believe she blames me for this." Taking another breath he added, "Fahli' decided to do her own investigation into what's going on with the Azzian Board of Health and had just left for Azzia hours before."

He began to stand giving the captain another nod, "it's Abigail I am most concerned about, just knowing she has been taken and not knowing why and by whom is eating me up inside."

Tyler leaned back in his chair for a moment and listened. He could tell that Richard needed a friend right now more than he needed a Captain. "I do not have children at the moment, but I can imagine what you are going through. I have faith that she will be found and found unharmed. It has always been my long held belief that someone never dies so long as people continue to talk of them. That is one of the reasons I bring up my mom so often. So why don't you tell me a little about Adibah'. Seeing as I never had the pleasure of meeting her."

Richard nodded and pressed his lips together, "met Adibah' on my first trip to Azzia. When her sister took me to see her family." The physician let a faint smile cross his face as he remembered the better times, "Adibah loved to laugh, she loved to go for long walks and she adored me." He drew in a deep breath, "she was amazing Captain and I don't know what I will l do without her."

"Sounds like she was a formidable woman. Have you been to see Counselor Ovaa? I am sure she can assist you in getting through this, as can I. May I ask how did she die? What makes you think that she was murdered?" Tyler sipped his coffee and tried to be as nonchalant as he could. But he could not shake that this was somehow connected to what was happening on the station.

"I plan to set an appointment to see the counselor but haven't as of yet Captain," Richard admitted, "to be honest I needed to get to a place where I could even do that."

Taking a deep breath the physician looked away for a moment then back at the Captain, "Adibah' had called to inform me Fahli' had just left on an Azzian ship, she was going back to Azzia to do her own investigation into what is going on at the Board of Health there." Richard tilted his head and continued on, "she used to work for the board but I don't think it was a wise decision. I was on the console in my quarters and Adibah' was in our family quarters on the base, we were about to finish when she evidently saw a person or persons enter the quarters. The next thing I saw was the screen turn up so all I could see was the ceiling and then it flickered and I lost connection. It was our Security that was able to find out that Le'hallah had just found her body and reported it to them."

Taking in another breath Richard added, "apparently there was a struggle but the exact cause of death had not yet been determined, seems we are having problems with communication with the station."

"You don't know the half of it Doc..." Tyler ran his hand through his hair. "I know K'Gunn he will not rest until the case is closed. He finds any crime committed on Empok Nor to be an affront to his honor. I am guessing that Abigail was abducted at the same time. Do you know of anyone who would want to do this to you or your family?"

Richard nodded his feeling that he did know, "I can think of three possibilities Captain, the first would be the Cardassians though I'm not sure what they are hoping to gain by kidnapping my daughter and killing Adibah'. The second would be an Azzian group that has been trying to get the Empire to be more militaristic, could be involved in the genetic research in the board of health." He drew in a deep breath and added, "then there is a group know has the HGP. Humans for Genetic Purity who have never truly accepted the fact that I am not a genetically altered human."

"My suggestion is contact K'Gunn give him what you have on the Azzian group, that seems to be the most logical suspect. Also have Myles look into what he can. We will try to finish this survey with all due haste and get back to the station. As soon as we are there we will find your daughter. I promise that." Tyler responded with as serious of a tone as he could muster.

Richard nodded as he he heard the Captain give his suggestions, "I will as soon as we can reestablish communication with them." He shook his head, "our ability to reach them seems worse than usual."

There was a small expression of worry that came across Tyler's face. "Indeed it is there seems to be a problem with the communications on their end. But we are working on it." Tyler did not want to worry Richard without need. He needed the Doctor to pay attention to the mission at hand.

Richard nodded and stood, "thank you Captain," he said giving a faint smile, "it will give me something else to think about."

A Joint Post By

Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

Lieutenant Commander Richard Ballston M.D. PsyD
Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer

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