[USS Juno] How to respond?

Posted on Tue Aug 28th, 2018 @ 6:01pm by Dan & Captain Harrold Anderson

1,361 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: [USS Shanghai] S1, E5: Countdown
Location: Captain's Private Mess
Timeline: 06/01/2394, 1200 Hours
Tags: a

Harry decided to hide in the Captain's mess alone. He wanted a few moments of clarity, but it appeared he was not going to going to be alone. He noticed Dan walking in. "Should have known you would come in." Said Harry half upset and half relief. Dan was not under his command, just a member of the crew. And married to his second officer. Harry had no doubt that Dan wanted to talk about Kerja, and how Harry was feeling.

Dan came in with a trolley cart of food. "Harry, I saw you come in here, so I brought some food and, you know, my ears." He smiled and started to set up the table. "And if you don't want to talk, that's fine too, then I will talk." He filled a bowl for Harry with soup. "It's French onion soup. And the french baquettes," He said baquette with an almost perfect French accent and then continued, "And this is herbal butter, my own recipe. A tuna salad and pesto. So as you humans say, dig in!"

He got himself a bowl and put some butter on a piece of bread. "So shall I start or you?" When Harry didn't say a thing he said, "I've never been through what you just been through. I watched my children grew up with my wife. I have grandchildren now even. But to be honest, I would go mad if something were to happen to T'Meela or one of my sons. Tons of books have been written about parenting, but none of them covered the fact about the emotional effect these children would have on us parents. Even Vulcans, though you might not say that, find it hard to hide those emotions from their children."

Harry was not really hungry, he grabbed a piece of the bagette and some butter, and spread it on lightly. He listened to Dan talk about his kids and grandkids. "I don't have the same luxuries as you. She was taken from me by Tera and now by pirates. I don't care what Starfleet, Tera or the pirates think. I'm getting her back Dan!" He said, as calmly as he could. But deep inside he was festering up, angry and scared inside.

"I know, Harry, I know," Said Dan. He took spoon of his soup. "And I am sure you will. Now, eat your soup. And don't say you're not hungry, that's just your head focused on your task, your body still need nourishment. And I know, I married a doctor."

"It looks good Dan, it really does. However, I am not a onion soup kind of guy." He said, as he took another bite from the baguette that was lightly layered with butter. Initially Harry came in here to be alone, but subconsciously he must have came down here to talk to Dan. He could have hid in his office. But he choose to come here.

Dan, not defeated, takes the onion soup away from him. "Alright, Onion soup isn't your thing. But you still have to eat." He reached in the cart. "I didn't have anything else but these chicken sandwiches. It's the crew's lunch." Puts the plate with the sandwiches on the table.

Harry took the sandwich, and took a big bite out of it. He slowly started to chew on it. His manners were lost at the moment, as he started to talk with his mouthful. "Am I wrong Dan, for being pissed off at Tera. If she was not in a big hurry to leave, or daughter would have not been taken." He said blaming Tera. Guilt and remorse where kicking in.

"Harry, you love your daughter, that much is obvious, and I hate to sound like most of my species," Dan said, "don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. I can understand your angry at Tera, but blaming her is not going to bring her back to you. Stay focused here."

"Did she not leave in hurry?" Harry asked rhetorically.

Dan nodded, "Yes, she did."

"Did she take the first flight out off the Juno?" Harry asked rhetorically.

"Yes," He continued calmly.

"Did she bother to see if any pirates were in the area?" Harry asked rhetorically.

"Ehm no she didn't." Said Dan.

"This is all her fault." Harry said, feeling pissed off and upset.

"But in her defense, no one bothers checking for pirates in Bajoran space. Transports are used to that risk. And it's not like the pirates hang a schedule at DS9 and Empok Nor telling when and where they will appear. It could have happened either way if she waited a bit longer," said Dan. "Your anger is not going to help you find your daughter." This time the tone in his voice was really that one would expect of a Vulcan. He got himself some more soup and then grabbed a sandwich himself. "Look, Harry, you are still Kerja's father, and you have every right to be angry, and right now the ones to blame are the pirates. They took her."

"Were getting her back, even if Bervag and his strike team have to strip every deck. We are getting her back, and her captain is going up on charges." Said Harry, he wanted to do more than charge him with crimes. But Starfleet did not believe in self imposed justice.

Dan ate his sandwich. He was in thought a moment. He hardly ever was this serious. Not sure if he liked it. He then turned to Harry again. "Yes, Harry, you will."

"How can another person, steal a child?" Asked Harry who was trying to make sense of this? Why did they take a child? Is there any money in the world great enough? It made no sense to him.

Dan shrugged. "I am a very emotional Vulcan, but even I don't see a rational reason for stealing a child, "He said. "If we were to look at it from an irrational perspective, some people just either don't care or have no conscious. There maybe a lot of reasons, we may never understand."

"I have a feeling it was this leader of theirs, Amila." Said Harry. He remembered Tera yelling last time they talked about Amila coming after them both, and this was backed up by Orson. So far he had not gone after Kerja, but he was not sure he trusted Orson.

Dan put his spoon down. "Ok, Harry, why would you think that? There is just too much distance between us and the Crescent. Even with the wormhole it is still quite a distance to their space." He thought a moment. "Unless you think Orson had anything to do with it?"

"Orson is a concern, until he proves his worth, he will remain a concern. Now as far as getting answers or proof, I plan on consulting with Starfleet intelligence. Later on today." He said, as he continued to slowly eat his chicken sandwich.

" Good place to start," said Dan as he finished his soup.

"I am going to get answers, and I am going to get her back." Harry said, trying to convince himself not Dan.

Dan just nodded as he took another sandwich himself. Then he said, "If you plan to get your answers from Orson, I wouldn't question him yourself. Just some advice."

"I'm the Captain, I know how to keep objectivity." Harry suggested as he continued to eat his sandwich.

Dan nodded. "Yes, Bervag and T'San told me about your objectivity."

"Then its settled." He started to say, noticing that Dan was not done.

"Look, Harry, I know you're the captain, and I think you know how to be objective, but your daughter is kidnapped, you're ready to go over dead bodies when it's about the Crescent, I am just saying, let Bervag interrogate Orson." Dan smiled.

"Lieutenant Xalanth will handle it. I appreciate the company, but I need to get going." He said, wanting to make a stop at the Translation Office.

"Sure, Harry, anytime," Dan said. "You just go when you're ready, I will clean up here." He smiled.

--------END

Captain Harrold Anderson
Commanding Officer

&

Dan
Ship's chef

 

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