Daughter of Invernia

Posted on 03/06/2020 @ 8:10pm by Captain Cian D'Anvers

Mission: S1E2: The Plomeek Soup Conundrum
Location: Captain's Ready Room - Deck 1
Timeline: Day 5 at 0810

The Crazy Horse was now en route to the Blackwell, safely away from Starbase 614 and Sidonie was back in the Ready Room having received an urgent message -- as it turned out, from her home world. She was a starship captain but she was also a daughter of Invernia and now, as unbelievable as it sounded, Invernia needed her to come home.

Invernian freighters were once again under attack with new fatalities reported, her father among them. A world that remembered its disastrous first contact and still mourned those who had been killed could not let it happen again. Those who had voiced concerns over losing their autonomy to the Federation gained a new audience and now, as unbelievable as it sounded, the last round of voting planet-wide had gone against joining.

As a daughter of Invernia, she was being recalled. Immediately.

Her father was dead. Killed in one of those attacks. She heard everything else but the grief that swamped her at the thought that she would never see him again, radiated along her scalp and down her neck. She held the tears back through force of will and nodded. Her response was formulaic, ancient as the world itself. "I am a daughter of Invernia. I will come."

To let go of one's own dreams was not an easy thing and yet, she could see no other path. Could she turn her back on her family, her world, when it needed her the most in the name of her personal ambition. She could not however much she wanted to remain in command of the Crazy Horse, she could not.

Just couldn't.

Wanted to ... couldn't.

Sighing, she contacted Starfleet Command. The conversation on her end was short and to the point; Commodore Murdock always seemed to be standing on one foot, even while sitting down. Short was the only kind of conversation he tolerated.

The Commodore frowned, his natural expression, nodding as he listened. "I understand, Commander. More than you know. I have already been briefed on the situation on your home world. Those few of your people who are serving have all been recalled. You're actually the last to contact me." He sighed quietly. "And ... I'm sorry for your loss. I liked your Father."

Sidonie nodded, grief swirled about her head in a nimbus of color, as she pressed her two shaking hands together. "I can't ... I can't not go," she said. "It was always in the agreement between my world and the Federation. If I were called, I'd have to go ... and my family ..."

Murdock nodded. "However hard this is, it's what needs to happen. We all see that. Now, between you and me, if the situation changes, we'll welcome you back with open arms. You're a good officer."

"Thank you, Commodore," Sidonie said quietly in a voice that did not betray the turmoil of emotions she felt inside though it cost her to hold it all in. In some respects, it felt like a betrayal of who she was and in some respects, it was.

"So, I'm sending your replacement out immediately," Murdock said. He consulted his records and nodded with satisfaction. "As luck would have it, I have an experienced captain who has been waiting for reassignment. His name is Commander Cian D'Anvers. I'll send along the particulars for your Operations staff; he'll need family quarters since his wife will be coming with him. The ship that brings him will take you back to Earth where you'll be met by an Invernian ship."

"So soon," Sidonie said softly, "but maybe for the best. I do not know the crew yet and I would rather do it quickly than prolong the inevitable."

"Safe journey, Commander," Murdock said. "I hope this won't be the last time we speak."

"And to you," Sidonie said. "I wish the same."

She closed the connection and there, in the safety of her Ready Room, she allowed herself five minutes to grieve.

A Post By

Cmdr. Sidonie Ysayne
Commanding Officer
USS Crazy Horse