#55 A Surprise Visit

Posted on Tue Jul 2nd, 2024 @ 3:13pm by Taavis {SF Capt. Ret.} {UFP Intel Agent} & Captain Rogue "Ro" Green

Mission: TALES FROM THE MIDDLE STARS
Location: M-69
Timeline: Current

ON:

Captain Taavis was sitting at her desk going over the daily reports, something she was not fond of, but she knew it had to be done. The higher the rank and position the larger the mountain of 'paperwork'. It seemed it was all she did every day but, that was the cost for aiding Sureth and Callaghan with the day-to-day hustle of a starbase and the amount of vessels they had at their disposal. The small communication panel on her desk bleeped and the voice of her assistant/secretary came through. "Captain Taavis, you have a guest. Shall I send them in?" Ensign Jessica Cavender asked.

"A guest, Jess?" Taavis was curious. Guests were not common at her office, it was usually someone needing to discuss duty business. "Do they have a name or do I start guessing?"

The grin that appeared on Jess's face could be heard through the speakers as she responded. "It is a Captain, Captain. However, they request that they be allowed to enter and they assure me you won't be disappointed."

Taavis, while Cavender spoke, tapped her keyboard that was molded into her desk top, then paused the program and closed down. "Very well, Jess. Send them in."

Acknowledging that, Jessica closed the channel. A few moments later the office door slid open to reveal a female officer who carried herself with a straight spine, squared shoulders, and a stern countenance. The apparent Human was able to carry herself this way, but also with an air of casual confidence. Taavis saw that she could stand tall and be casual all at the same time. When her eyes got to the face and her gaze was kept there that was when Taavis realized who it was. Immediately, Taavis got up and came around her desk even as a rotund little automaton rolled in beside the Captain who had entered.

"Rogue Green!" Taavis said with a smile, the two coming together and embracing warmly, as only old friends would. "So good to see you, girl." She stepped back to admire her guest.

"You too," Green responded as she returned the embrace and now wore a smile. "Fleet Captain? Who's ass did you kiss to get that?" Ro giggled.

"The list is long, but distinguished," Taavis laughed out. Her eyes went to the robot beside Green. "And, who is this?"

The droid, if it were possible with his rotund body, actually seemed to sit up straighter in stance, his small domed head and single 'eye' looking up at the Vulcan. "This is Cosmo. He is, by far, the greatest creation I have come up with. He is his own being." Ro looked down at him. "Say hello, Cosmo."

Cosmo gave a warbling that sounded very much like 'hello' in its inflection, which caused Taavis to smile. "He's amazing." Which elicited another warble that sounded very much like 'thank you'.

Green laughed. "I think you made his day. He is my constant companion these days when not off working on some project I have going. Others have dogs, cats, targs, whatever. I have a superhero." She gave another grin, then angled her face to wink at Cosmo.

Taavis saw how much Green cared for the little machine. But, she had lost her twins not too long ago so it stood to reason that Cosmo was now an alternate to aid with that pain. "I'm happy for you both."

"I did notice that." Green said.

"Notice what?"

"The stiff-ass Vulcan is gone," Ro answered. "Going through another experiment phase?"

Taavis gave a crooked grin. "Something like that, yeah. Come, let's sit and catch up." Taavis had motioned to the small lounge area in one section of her office. They both went and got a beverage of their choice and then sat on opposite ends of the sofa. Cosmo, for his part, rolled around and scanned everything, examining every nook and cranny of the office. "He's quite tenacious, isn't he?"

"You have no idea," Green said. "But, it's who he is. As a CosmoMech droid, and the prototype, it's his duty and programming to take in all and learn from it. I give him maybe ten minutes and he will have a plan for you to escape this office by unconventional means if that ever became an issue. His exploring has saved my hide a few times."

"If you make another one keep me on the list for interested parties." Taking the offramp for that conversation, Taavis changed the subject. "I see you finally made captain. Congratulations. Noting that leads to my next query. What brings you to M-69?"

"Boredom," Green said with a grin. "I'm on extended leave right now. So, I figured I would just bounce around the quadrant and see things I've never seen. This sector is new and, from what I've read, quite interesting. Being on the frontier is always a mix of chaos and control. Kinda like my career."

"Mine too," Taavis admitted. "I took command of the USS Nazgul for a bit, then moved to fleet captain and gave the conn to Captain Tore Bjorgo. Starfleet approved it since they saw it as a way to test how far they could trust the Augments in command positions."

Green gave a serious nod. "I don't blame them. Handing a starship to an Augment who could flip out and become the next Khan Singh, with all that power at their fingertips, could be devastating."

Taavis gave a few nods to that as her friend spoke. "Your dad, Admiral Stone, decided to take a chance with it and he was allowed the command. From the reports I've read he was well received by his crew and they trust him. Cannot ask for more than that."

When Taavis had mentioned her dad, Green had grinned. "Since my own...changes, dad is a bit more lax than most about all the Augment business. It scares him deep down, I can tell, but he also feels that all the negativity over them due to Khan's empire on Earth is what drives them to hate in return. Just because someone is extraordinary does not make them inherently dangerous. Yes, one of the creators said that superior ability breeds superior ambition, and that is true to a point. But, like our justice system, everyone should be treated as innocent until they prove otherwise."

"Agreed." Taavis said. They both took sips of their drinks. "Club Bliss has a spot here on the Promenade. Manny is my partner and manager for the club and is usually there doing whatever it is he does all day."

"I'll keep that in mind," Green said. "I can still jam with the best of 'em but, these days, it's more about quiet and meditation." Ro would breach the subject of The Core at a later time, and not in an official office environment.

They sat for over an hour and caught up, discussing various topics. With their beverages finished they carried their empties over and put them in the replicator refuse. "I should get going and let you get back to work. Perhaps I'll stop by Bliss later."

"You should," Taavis said. "I'll be there after shift." The two of them hugged again, with Cosmo saying goodbye before he got in beside his beloved master and rolled along beside her out the door. As Taavis went back to her desk and sat down she finished her paperwork and then began to examine her own pond, to see if there was somewhere she could fit in Captain Rogue Green. If nothing else, Ro was a big fan of the runabouts, especially the newest versions. And, since runabouts were listed as small starships in their own right with USS and serial numbers, it might be a good fit for a new captain in Starfleet.

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