Dinner Without Strings (Part 2)

Posted on 11/25/2020 @ 1:08pm by Captain Cian D'Anvers

Mission: S3E1: Time of Change
Location: Serenity - A Yacht, Earth
Timeline: Day 89 at 2030

"Naturally," Jodon responded a bit taken aback by all the information being delivered. A new ship, a new everything, and Cian was going over to the EC. "I do not know too much about the Exploratory Corps. I've always fancied myself a fleeter. I imagine they will be presenting you with several candidates for XO. If you are leaving the Crazy Horse, then we must be getting a new CO soon. Do you know anything about that?"

"Part of the agreement is that I pick my senior staff," Cian said. He noted the 'we' and made the second of what would no doubt be many steps in the path away from what he had known. His old life. "They'll provide candidates but I have final say. I'm not going to have a repeat of the personnel situation on the Crazy Horse." He paused for a moment to take a few bites and hummed his appreciation of the food. "The EC. They're separate from Starfleet and while they do maintain a rank structure, its a composite of ex-Starfleet, ex-Marine, and civilian. The idea is to create a ship that will provide more than just beds for the crew, more of a community with a whole lot of amenities. You should see the plans. And then send them out to explore this new area of space. A lot of mapping and launching buoys because what I hear, the area of space isn't the easiest to navigate. But also, a lot of being the first to see what's there. And being given the time and resources to do the work ourselves rather than find it and pass it off to someone else. But I digress."

Cian took a sip of wine and continued. "To answer your question, yes, the Crazy Horse is getting a new commanding officer. Newly minted Captain Ronan Channe. First command but he's got a solid reputation."

Jodon shrugged "I do not know how I feel about a newly minted Captain taking on a starship with the name Crazy Horse on its bow," quipped the First Officer. "I mean if I am to still be their First Officer, my inexperience mixed with a freshly minted CO aboard a starship that carries such a namesake? That is a bit questionable" he admitted. "They may make a fine Captain. They would not be you though" J.J. added quickly. "I may be biased, but you have been integral to my service aboard the Crazy Horse."

He moved closer to Cian. "If you've accepted this offer, does that mean you aren't technically my Commanding Officer, I mean we are not in uniform, on shore leave and such. So, does that mean I can be a bit blunter with things?"

"Yes, you can," Intrigued, Cian set his wine glass down. "Be blunter, I mean."

Jodon remembered the anchor to home, not an actual anchor, but a metaphorical one, a symbol of all his responsibilities: the communicator. Cian had flashed it earlier in the evening having pulled it from his pocket to reassure J.J. that if trouble were to happen that the Crazy Horse crew could beam them out in a heartbeat.

So, he approached Cian and reached down into the man's pocket, felt the combadge and retrieved it from the pocket, keeping his eyes locked into Cian as he tossed the combadge overboard. "So that we aren't interrupted," Jodon explained. His actions, however, were a bit extreme. There wasn't really a need to throw the combadge overboard, but it was more about symbolism than anything else.

He took a shallow and shaky breath in and his body quivered a bit as he pushed his dark bangs aside. He had gotten a bit shaggy as of late. "Wh-what if I don't want you to leave?" asked Jodon who moved in and gently pressed his lips softly again Cian's, just a brief fleeting moment of being unbounded from the shackles of Starfleet and allowing the world to roll off his shoulders and down his spine.

He felt his ears become small heaters against his skull, his chest fluttering inside with a reaction he had not felt in several years. This was risky, far riskier of an avenue than a disciplined scientist would normally pursue, but he was driven to test a hypothesis that he had been sitting on for sometime now, and he did not want to let the possibilities escape his experimentation. The formula was simple, the equation was there, but the results were variable.

The longed-for feel of lips against his own. Tendrils of emotion long denied unfurled within him as he leaned in, breathing in the scent of the man, his own breath, a warm stroke against J.J.'s ear. "What if we did it together," he whispered and then, his heartbeat picking up as though infused with the wonder he felt, Cian did the riskiest thing he had ever done. Riskier than parachuting, bungee jumping, and that time he faced down a drunk Klingon who was all but mauling a young ensign. Screw caution and protocol and every kind of fear that chained him.

Cian kissed him back.

"Shouldn't you treat a Trill to a drink first?" Jodon shot back making a bit of a teasing joke, turning what Cian had said into a double entendre. Though J.J. flashed a reassuring smile. "Don't mind me, Bema Joral always had a vixen side to her, especially in her younger years," he added clearing his throat. "Together? As in you'd like me to be part of your crew aboard the new ship you've been offered, Cian?" asked Jodon, his eyes like tempered chocolate.

"Yes, I do," Cian said, "think of the exploring we could do ..." He turned Jodon gently toward the wine bottle standing sentinel over their forgotten dinner as he added, a mischievous twinkle lighting the depths of his blue-gray eyes, "and for the record, I did."

"I'm a scientist," replied Jodon with a smile. "I guess that you can say that I will always be a scientist. Cian, if you want me on your new command, I'll come with you. This is an opportunity to explore and I will love to explore the stars."

"I want you as my first officer," Cian said. "Course, wait till you see the entrance exam."

"I accept," replied Jodon. "There's nowhere I'd rather be right now, but if possible, I'd like to keep as much of our core crew together. I know that may not be entirely possible, but I've gotten to build a good working relationship with them."

"I made it clear that I wanted some say in the appointments for department heads." He gestured toward the table they'd recently vacated and waited for J.J. to resume his seat before taking his own. "I didn't want a repeat of past disasters and they agreed readily enough. I have no objection to that; in fact, I was going to suggest much the same thing myself." He grinned mischievously as he speared a piece of lobster with his fork. "Those I would have objected to are no longer on the ship, thank goodness."

J.J. took a glass of wine and consumed. He chuckled afterwards. "I think it is fair to say that things have gotten better with some of those personnel changes."

"Definitely," Cian said as he forked up another bit of lobster. Conversation quieted for a moment as they ate. Only once he'd taken another sip of wine did he continue the conversation. "Once I put your name in, you'll be asked in to the EC offices and then we'll be scheduled for the survival test which calls back memories of my Academy days." He shuddered delicately. "Fun in a sort of grim, haven't washed in a little short of forever, sort of way. One of the cadets in my group cooked insects for dinner. Thought he was going to shock everyone."

Jodon smiled. "Sounds good to me. Until then, I guess that we enjoy the evening on the water," noted the Trill. "This is a lot of new things and dynamics to take in, but I'm excited for change for once in my life."

Cian smiled over the brim of his wine glass and in the depths of that smile, was his own excitement for what lay ahead.

A Post by:

Captain Cian D'Anvers
Commanding Officer
USS Crazy Horse

and

Lieutenant Jodon Joral
First Officer
USS Crazy Horse