"....and we're taking Reaent with us."

[DrDMatthews 0]

Brought to you by Debbie Matthews and Aidan Ridire

 

The call was not totally unexpected. Debbie and Ensign Xavier had been preparing for this moment for several hours. So Dr. Matthews wasn't that surprised when Commander Ridire announced that the USS Hawking was about to go to warp for the first time in at least four years. Unfortunately, that wasn't all he announced.

 

       "....and we're taking Reaent with us."

 

       Ridire's last five words threw Debbie for a loop. For a nanosecond, she thought he was joking.   She glanced at Crispin Xavier who was standing just a few feet away. He heard the comm as well and from the expression on his face, he didn't believe the Commander either. But then reality set in.

 

       Debbie knew the Hawking was running on impulse. She wasn't sure of their course but she assumed they were working their way out of the junkyard. She also knew the Reaent had recently returned to the area and was at station keeping just outside the yard. So far, so good....

 

       Then came the bad news. Something had gone terribly wrong aboard Reaent. They'd lost warp power. Ridire didn't know why but the cause was irrelevant. The Reaent was now a sitting duck. As incredible as it seemed, the hotwired Hawking now had a better chance to escape their cloaked assailants than the Reaent.

 

       And that's why Debbie knew that Commander Ridire wasn't joking. Hawking had more power available than Reaent. But.....did Hawking have enough power to tow their mother ship....at warp speed?  Debbie wasn't sure about that....no sir, she wasn't sure about that at all. As a matter of fact, she had very serious doubts about it.

 

       "Sir," she blurted out, her tone a bit too defensive. "I'm not sure we should do that. Heck, I'm not sure this ship will tolerate warp speeds flying solo, much less towing Reaent."     

 

       There was dead silence from Aidan Ridire.....but only for a moment.

 

       Aidan fumes at the Doctor's words as he says coldly "I am well aware of the risk, Doctor, but at this moment in time we have no other choice.   If you haven't been paying attention, we're in a battle situation with an unknown cloaked ship that keeps on dancing around us and we've done no better then to graze it.   We already had to get in the way of it attacking and taking out the Reaent.   Since I doubt that we can go toe to toe with the thing on our own and the Reaent is unable to even maneuver sufficiently to dodge and help is too far away that leaves us with two options.   We retreat from the area with the Reant under tow...or we stay here and die.   Which would you have?  Or would you have us leave the Reaent here and escape on our own?  I don't know about you, Doctor, but the Reaent is my home and I'm not about to abandon it.   I've lost too damn much that I love over the last year and I'm not about to stand for losing another thing that I love.   If I die trying then so be it."

 

       Aidan pauses momentarily then continues with his voice dropping several more degrees "If you want there may be an operational escape pod still left on this ship.   If you use it is unlikely that the unknown ship will notice as they're attention will be here.   You have three seconds to decide, Doctor."

 

       Ridire might as well have slapped Debbie across the face. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so hurt. But the hurt was quickly replaced by sheer, unadulterated anger. She wanted to lash out at him but caught herself before any words escaped. She had to remember that despite his scurrilous remarks, Aidan Ridire was still her commanding officer.

      

       Then again, it was unlikely any of them would survive this absurd maneuver. She might not have another opportunity to tell Ridire exactly what he could do with his "escape pod."  Debbie decided she didn't want to die with an insubordination charge pending against her so she swallowed hard and bit her tongue.

 

       The three seconds had already past by the time Debbie responded. She forced herself to speak slowly and distinctly. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Ridire. I'll take my chances here." She drew another deep breath and continued icily.  "And I will also remind you that it's my job to point out the flaws in your plans....even...if...you...don't...like...it"

 

       Debbie closed the comm. There was no time to continue their war of words. She whirled around to find Ensign Xavier standing a discreet distance away. He undoubtedly overheard the Commander's insulting remarks but his face remained expressionless. "We're going to warp....and we're taking the Reaent with us," quipped Debbie as she returned to the master display station. "I don't know if this ship can handle it but we're about to find out." She continued in a low whisper, "And I sure hope we live through this so...I can personally wring Adian Ridire's neck."

 

       Aidan growls under his breath "And I appreciate your advice, Doctor.  But we're a little pressed for time."  He knows she won't hear it as she had closed the comm but it made him feel better...a little.  As his fingers dance across the console sending the Hawking and the Reaent into warp, Aidan knows that he hasn't heard the last of this.