Epilogue to Mission 6 - Crystal Clear

[Amanda Rose]

The Kelvans helped to restore the citizens of Farsha and then returned safely back to their planet. All Kelvan technology was removed from the America except for one belt that was left with Captain O'Connor to turn over to the Federation should there be another incident with Kelvan children misbehaving. Starfleet would be sending counselors to the Kelvan's planet to assist in parenting teenagers. And, all of the information would be given the highest security level possible.

However, the America had damage done. Like on nearly every mission O'Connor had captained thus far, someone had died. Though none of it was directly her fault, she felt the burden of those who had given their lives for her - for America. On the mission to Betazed, it was the Romulan, Macenta Serentis. On this mission, the Chief Engineer, Laura Wells. Those deaths certainly put a damper on morale. Already she had transfer requests from her former Chief Engineer, Ridika Myers. T'Pani, the Vulcan/Romulan/Betazoid hybrid was going to be placed under further observation in Starfleet. And the list continued, ad nauseum. She selfishly wondered if she would ever get an Excelsior under these circumstances.

She was heartened by the fact that Jessie and Tegau were staying. They had personalities as different as night and day but they were two of her closest confidantes and two of the only people that really knew her. She gave a look over at Jessie, whose pregnancy was starting to show and asked, "Think we'll get a real mission? Maybe battle it out with some Romulans? You know, we never did catch that Romulan and rogue Betazoid over at Betazed...."

tag - Jessie

O'Connor furrowed her brows and pounded her chair. "I think I am going to see the Doctor. I'm quite sure that she has something to take care of my migraine that I feel coming." Jessie knew by now that this was code for O'Connor needing to drink some of her sorrows away with Tegau.

tag - Jessie

"You've got the bridge, Jess." With that, O'Connor rose to her full five feet in height, walked out of the Captain's chair and headed to sickbay to visit with Delaney.

tag - Delaney

[Quamie]

"You've got the bridge, Jess." With that, O'Connor rose to her full five feet in height, walked out of the Captain's chair and headed to sickbay to visit with Delaney.

When the Captain entered, SickBay was pretty well empty. Tegau herself was in her office tapping at her console, but turned, hearing someone enter. She put on a smile, though her eyes were red.

"Captain. What can I do for you?"

tag - O'Connor

Tegau looked around the quiet SickBay. "I gave most of Medical a mandatory mental health day. It's nice to have a little peace and quiet for once, and I thought they deserved it."

tag - O'Connor

[Amanda Rose]

[Brian Pendragon]

Plasma manifolds.

Darned things always needed scrubbing. Why on earth did everything else on this ship manage to stay shiny and polished with so little effort, except for the plasma manifolds? It wasn't as if plasma was mucky. Far from it. It didn't give off soot, or leave ashes and yet for some reason, there they were.

And here he was. Scrubbing. Not that Brian really had any cause for complaint. He'd asked for it. Quite literally as a matter of fact. Wretched though it was, it was one place he could be useful that didn't involve having to be in Main Engineering. Normally, that was one of his favourite places on the ship - the background hum was so familiar, so comfortable, he really was starting to feel like he'd got to the point where he could hear a problem with the warp core before the instruments picked it up - something in the tone, or maybe the timbre. The problem was that Main Engineering contained that ledge - the one that had fatally injured Wells. It wasn't a bad ledge, per se. It certainly hadn't been broken, or improperly fitted, or been the subject of some sort of neglect. No - it was just right where it was, no hazard to health and safety at all. It had been pure bad luck - the wrong angle, the wrong speed - a few millimeters could have made all the difference, or a few seconds, or a few degrees.

At some point, hopefully in the not too distant future, maybe Brian could even bring himself to perch on it like he used to. Or at least look at it. Or maybe manage to be in the same room as it without seeing it happening all over again. Maybe. Until then...

Plasma manifolds.

[Quamie]

"Captain. What can I do for you?"

O'Connor looked around and sighed. "Tell me that I'm not a jinx?"

"You're not a jinx," she said with a little smile. "Although Science could probably tell you there's only anecdotal evidence for the existence of 'luck'."

tag - Captain

Tegau looked around the quiet SickBay. "I gave most of Medical a mandatory mental health day. It's nice to have a little peace and quiet for once, and I thought they deserved it."

"I think more than your staff deserves it," O'Connor stated, noting Delaney's red eyes. "You're not going to make me order you to have a day off, are you? Your eyes are as red as my hair. The last thing that I need is you too tired to perform. With our luck, we'll get a Romulan war bird attacking us when you collapse."

Shaking her head, Tegau rejected the advice. "I'm fine. There's work to do. Some of the crew need updated physicals, there are reports to file, and I think it'd probably be prudent to have mental health evaluations all around." She nodded to herself. "Probably be prudent."

tags

[T'Pruk]

T'Pruk sat crosslegged in hers and Pendragon's quarters. Before her was a flame from a candle. She wriggled slightly, attempting to get more comfortable with her posture. The discomfort passed and she tried concentrating again.

Thoughts came to her unbidden. She was satisfied that she had been a contributing member of the crew. She could not understand why much of the crew was unable to think logically. The Kelvan problem was so easy to see. Only Myers seemed to grasp it nearly as quickly as T'Pruk and now, she was leaving.

July was coming, which meant that she would experience pon farr. Already, T'Pruk could feel raw emotions trying to surface. However, with some effort, she was able to quash them and focus on the flame. She only hoped that she would be able to avoid the embarrassment of pon farr by scheduling shore leave for then.

Silently she debated whether she should inform Pendragon of this. Roommates shared. Did they not? She was teaching him to meditate. Would it not be equitable to share something with him? T'Pruk shook her head of the thoughts. They reeked of emotional overtones. This was a private matter and only embarrassing. Maybe the Doctor would require the information for the safety of the crew but not a simple roommate. After all, he did not share all of his romantic dalliances with her. Again, she checked her thoughts as that one almost smelled of jealousy.

Focusing again on the flame, T'Pruk let the thoughts leave her. She could only hope that pon farr came and went quickly.

[Amanda Rose]

[Quamie]

"You're not a jinx," she said with a little smile. "Although Science could probably tell you there's only anecdotal evidence for the existence of 'luck'."

"Then perhaps you can explain my entire history of people I allow to get close."

Tegau didn't answer, instead looking around the quiet SickBay. "I gave most of Medical a mandatory mental health day. It's nice to have a little peace and quiet for once, and I thought they deserved it."

"I think more than your staff deserves it," O'Connor stated, noting Delaney's red eyes. "You're not going to make me order you to have a day off, are you? Your eyes are as red as my hair. The last thing that I need is you too tired to perform. With our luck, we'll get a Romulan war bird attacking us when you collapse."

Shaking her head, Tegau rejected the advice. "I'm fine. There's work to do. Some of the crew need updated physicals, there are reports to file, and I think it'd probably be prudent to have mental health evaluations all around." She nodded to herself. "Probably be prudent."

O'Connor furrowed her brows. "You are becoming too much like me. That is not wise, Tegau."

Now she got a wicked grin. "We wouldn't want that, now would we. You run a good ship, but you as a doctor?" She shook her head, mirth again lighting those multicolored eyes.

<tag>

[Amanda Rose]

[Quamie]

O'Connor laughed. "No, we would not. I do not have any bedside manner. So, you are going to take some shore leave, spend some time with your family, including that lummox of a brother of yours." A slight grimace crossed O'Connor's face as she referred to Cian. "Are we clear?"

Tegau laughed. "Which lummox of a brother? They'd all qualify." She grinned though and nodded. "Yes, Captain. You should take some of that advice yourself, you know."