Private Conversation
Posted on Thu Jun 5th, 2025 @ 3:05am by Lieutenant Elias McEntyre & Captain M'Raz
742 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Resistance is Necessary
Location: Conference Room, Deck 1, USS Jane Addams
Timeline: MD002 - 1445
With Captain Thame waiting, Raz contacted the Bridge. "Bridge, send McEntyre in, please."
A moment later, the hulking Caitian stepped into the ready room. "Captain?"
Brevity, Raz thought as he gestured for his Chief of Security to enter. "Lieutenant, I have Captain Thane here. I thought you'd want to hear first-hand what happened aboard your father's ship." Raz turned his attention to the screen and added, "Captain, this is Lieutenant McEntyre. His father is on board your vessel."
“Elias” Thames greeted somberly yet with a familiarity that suggested that he knew the Caitian for longer than M’raz had realized.
“Xander. So…he’s?” Elias didn’t have to finish asking. The Caitian knew by seeing Xander that it was a certainty that his father was dead and he and Clay were the last of the McEntyre Line.
“I’m…I’m…Im so sorry” Xander looked like he was on the verge of tears himself. Nervous energy radiated through the viewscreen on the wall of M’raz’s office.
Elias face turned to a more…serious look, a furrow brow of anger.
“Elias…I…I know I can’t say anything to make this any more easier than it is. I know I don’t…” Thames started before Elias uncharacteristically interrupted him.
“What? He relied on you! He was grooming you to take over for Samuels. He thought…He thought…” Elias voice started to crack from the raw emotions. “He thought of you as a son. I thought of you as…” The words didn’t need to be spoken. It was clear these two had a lot of history together.
"Lieutenant," Raz said, his deep voice rumbling through the Ready Room, "we don't want to keep Captain Thane any longer than we have to. Did you have other questions for him about what happened to your father?"
“No, Sir! He has thoroughly answered my questions. Thank you sir,” Elias replied sternly, tersely, a layer of anger in his voice as he snapped a salute to the both of them. “Goodbye, Captain Thames.”
"You're dismissed, Lieutenant," Raz said. "Have someone relieve you on the Bridge."
“Sir!” Elias nods, turning on his heels in a prompt and efficient military fashion and departs the ready room.
Raz waited until his Chief of Security exited the Ready Room before returning his attention to the Captain. "Difficult way to take command of the ship," he said quietly. "How are you doing with all of this?"
Thames sighs, leaning back in his chair. “I didn’t want it like this.” He admitted. “In all fairness, Elias and I should be the same rank, both Lieutenant Commanders. We graduated the Academy together, roommates…more than roommates.” He sighed again. “I’m sorry you had to see that side of him. He usually has his emotions in check. Rigidly so.”
"You're apologizing for him," Raz asked. "As though you're the one who did something wrong?"
Thames let out a sigh. “Didn’t I though. We’re supposed to protect our captains. Mine was killed in the most inglorious way. Being sucked into space is not a way for someone to die.”
"Don't think there's any good way to die," Raz said with a slight shake of his head, "and while yes, I agree about the protecting our captains part, felt the same way when I was First Officer, I think we're all in an impossible situation right now. So much loss. It's overwhelming ... and it would be very easy to give way, let our emotions get out of hand, act out, the way my Chief of Security just did, but if you start down that path, where's the end of it? I feel the loss of every crew member who died under my command, every single one. I know their names. I know them as individuals. Knew them. But on the Bridge? My grief isn't something I share with them. There will be time for that later when the work is done."
Thames simply nods. Somberly. There was time to greave and time to heal later, when the world wasn’t ending.
“Unicorn stands ready to assist, Captain M’raz,” Thames said with an authoritative tone.
"Much appreciated, Captain," Raz answered. "I'll be in touch when I have a plan."
Captain M'Raz
Commanding Officer
USS Jane Addams
Lieutenant Elias McEntyre
Chief of Security
USS Jane Addams
Captain Alexander “Xander” Thames
Commanding Officer
USS Unicorn NCC-1234-A
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