“Dave, you have to talk to her,” Rob Cole said, his face red with emotion. The
Holmes’ XO and her Chief Ground Combat Officer were in Chief Lick’s tiny office in the ship’s armoury. Lieutenant Cole had been in the cramped room a few times which was now made even smaller by the plasteel crutch the Chief needed to move about. “I mean this is Star Fleet. Most of us never get a chance like this.”
The Chief shook his head. “If I try that it will just make her more adamant. You know she could have gone into Starfleet Academy if she had wanted to. She’s already turned them down once.”
“This time is different,” Cole protested. “She could just walk into the command chair of a Starship. No years of school, nothing. What’s the matter with her?”
“Do you know how many relatives she’s lost in Starfleet?” the Chief asked.
“She’s not afraid to take risks,” Cole countered. “We’ve both seen that many times. This is a good opportunity. I’ve already tried and she just won’t listen to me.” He banged on the wall in frustration and quickly reached up to stabilize a shelf that nearly dumped its contents. “Can you at least say something to her?”
The Chief took a deep breath, sighed. “We’ll be in the middle of a game of chess this evening. I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll try and sound her out.”
“Good man,” Rob said and clapped his hands together. With a nod, he turned and slipped through the narrow doorway out into the armoury.
“That was a box of grenades you nearly dumped on us, you know,” Lick called after him and was rewarded to see Lieutenant Cole pause and then pick up his pace. The Chief ran his hand through his hair, sighed again. As he stood up and resettled the boxes of emergency rations he muttered to himself, “If this keeps up, much longer I’m going to make myself bald.”
SHIP’S LOUNGE 2100 HRS
“You are not on your game at all, Dave,” Jessie said. “That’s two early blunders and two easy wins for me. What’s bothering you?” She gathered the dark pieces from the chessboards and set them in their starting positions.
“This is my last cruise, Jess,” he answered heavily and reached for his own chessmen. “Even with the best artificial legs, you can’t be on line duty in the marines. I’m not sure I can handle a desk job.”
“A desk?” she scoffed. “You’ll be training recruits back on Earth before I get my ship back from the repair yard. Seriously, Dave,” she said, leaning towards him, “I wish there was something I could do for you. You’re responsible for most of the reputation this ship has. You know I’ve already put you up for a medal for your work on this mission. You’ll get it too.”
Dave smiled tightly, started the king’s gambit. “Yeah, the force will take good care of me, I know. What about you? Why did you really turn Starfleet down? There’s not as much room for advancement for a Police Lieutenant as there is for a Commander in Starfleet.”
“Not you too?” Jessie let him push her into the Sivek variation. “I’m sick of trying to convince Rob that I’m fine with where I am.”
He raised his hands defensively. “I don’t want to change your mind; I just want to understand your reasons. Check.”
She gave him a hard look, moved her king up a level, and nodded. “I owe it to you. Him too, probably. After the Constellation was lost, I couldn’t face Starfleet. Everyone would know I was Matt Decker’s niece and all I would get was pity. I could never be sure that I made it on my own. Here I know that I got where I am because I’m good at my job.”
“Okay,” Lick admitted, “that explains why you’re in the Police Force, but I know it already.” He began to set up a bind, trying to cramp her pieces in a narrow defensive arrangement. “You don’t have to prove anything any more. Starfleet offered you a position just now based on your own merit, not your uncle’s reputation.”
Jessie pursed her lips, took a deep breath. “I’m not sure how to explain it. I’m not a Starfleet officer. I don’t want to be a Starfleet officer. I don’t want to find new civilizations, fight a powerful foe for the survival of the Federation, or go where no one has gone before. I like upholding the law.”
He had to admit that her reasons appeared sound. He weighed it in his mind for a moment, and then decided he owed Lieutenant Cole one last try. He changed his tactics. “I believe you. Under normal circumstances I’d drop it right here. But we’re at war. Without skilled leaders we could very well lose it too. You’re more than skilled. The Federation needs you.”
She nodded in agreement and Dave was sure he had her. Then he noticed she was looking at the chessboard where the pieces had sat untouched for several minutes. “Yes the Federation needs me. Just like it needs you, Rob Cole, and a million other people. If I join Starfleet and we defeat the Klingons, what good will it do us if we come home to a ruined infrastructure with shipping lanes all but closed by Orion Pirates? The Federation needs Police Lieutenants too.” Though the move order was unusual, the position on the chessboard was fairly common. Jessie started the Fischer freeing manoeuvre.
The Chief shook his head. “I was hoping you wouldn’t see that,” he said. "I'll let Mr. Cole know that everything is as it should be."
Jessie nodded in agreement. “I see everything Chief,” she said and grinned, her mood suddenly light again. “That’s why I’m the Captain.”
FINIS
Topic: Gremlins (Read 28285 times)