A fresh start?

Posted on 20 Sep 2020 @ 12:42am by Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Xu Chang Lau

Mission: R&R - after facing the Planet Killer
Location: Captain's ready room
Timeline: After Planet killer is neutralised
1361 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

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Happy with the outcome of his meeting with Hawkins, Jon had given some thought as to who could be a replacement for ops. Even in a temporary capacity. And going by some of the feedback he had been sent on her, he thought he had the right lady to give that chance too.

"Lieutenant Lau," he pressed the comms. button on his console. "Please come join me in my ready room."

Xu blanched at the idea of being called to the ready room, had she done something wrong? She honestly felt like a naughty school girl being called to the headmasters office. Still, as she rose from the science station at the back of the bridge she smoothed off her uniform before setting off across the bridge. She pressed the chime and waited for admittance.

"Come," Jon said towards the door. "Ah Lieutenant take a seat please. Don't look so worried."

"Thank you." She navigated the small room and planted herself on the edge of the small chair just across from the Captain. She was at a loss. If she need not be worried then what was it the Captain wanting to see her about?

"So I have been doing some thinking. A lot of thinking actually as to senior crew at the moment. And I have received some interesting references for yourself - a little late in looking them over properly. I apologise about that but with all the planet killer fun ......" Jon said.

"Please relax Lieutenant," he added. Her nervousness prickling off him. "So Gul V'Dar ... he states, "Jon found the appropiate PADD. "Xu Chang Lau worked with me on Cardassia. You would be a fool to only give her an assistant position. She is highly organised, of excellent systems mind and efficient. Almost as efficient as a Cardassian."

"Despite his abrupt and adversarial nature Gul D'Var is a sweet man, very much the patriot to Cardassia... I helped to identify his wife and seven month old son. Hi son would have been the spitting image of D'Var!"

She lost herself again, this time in the memory of the strong, confident man breaking down in her arms as she reintroduced him to his lost family. His gratitude was overwhelming to her at the time and she cried with him, shared more than a few drinks with him as well.

"But if I may sir, I'm a science officer and you already have a Chief Science Officer!"

"I do indeed. What I currently don't have is someone who is chief of ops," he said watching her closely to see how she processed that. "And ops needs someone who is organised, of excellent systems mind and efficient. And Gul D'Var states I would be a fool to leave you in an assistant role."

"What about Ensign Hawkins?" She asked trying to hide her confusion and worry over something having happened to Hawkins, or had he been transferred... Either way she needed to find out either from the Captain or directly from Hawkins once she was free of this meeting.

"Lieutenant Hawkins will be the new chief of engineering. Hes going no where and if you decide to take a leap here will be overseeing supporting you in ops," Jon stated simply feeling the curiosity at mention of Hawkins coming off her.

"Lieutenant Hawkins?" she smiled warmly at the thought. "Well deserved if you ask me Captain... As for Ops... Its so far distant to my field of expertise... I'm not convinced I'm the women for the job... if you will excuse the phrase".

She could hear the words coming from her mouth and her brain supported what she was saying, there was a but. Her heart however was interested. Her time on Cardassia had been a strain on her, maybe Ops could be a fresh start and it didn't mean she couldn't still make use of her current profession.

"I'm going to talk freely Xu," Jon said getting up and ordering a pitcher of water and two glasses. He placed them on his desk, sat down and poured them pushing hers towards her.

"You have been through the wringer. And you need something to really get your teeth into. Assistant chief your worth more than that. I've seen your record and I really don't need a cardassian, actually 3 cardassians telling me things along those lines as I'm smart enough to recognise if given the chance you would smash being in a chief position.

There's overlap of skills there, Usually overlap of work and there's more people responsibility. You have a good rapport going with Hawkins so I have no reasons to believe you won't pick it up and take to it like a duck to water. Do you believe in yourself?" Jon asked simply.

"At the moment sir, I don't know the answer to that question".

She locked eyes with him, finally finding a confidence that she had not had for many months now and decided to level with him. "I'm lost sir. I thought I knew my own mind, who I was but my time on Cardassia has... damaged me and destroyed my marriage. I still feel like I need time to rediscover who I am and if I'm completely honest with myself, your offer is appealing. It would be a fresh start, a new challenge. My fear is that my career has been all that has held me together through Cardassia and without it I don't know who I am" she took a sip at the water, noticing her hands were shaking. "I'm adrift Captain and I feel like I need someone to put me back on track".

Her eyes locked with his once again, her eyes becoming watery as she pleaded with him silently to be the voice of authority, the one to put her back on her path even if that path was something completely new.

"I know your lost and I really do want you to go speak with Counselor Keading about what you have been through. I'm not good ... with the feelings stuff. But I can tell you I have excellent gut intuition on things and this is the right call. I think it will help in the healing process and for you to find out exactly who you are again.

What if we try it on a temporary basis and if you really do not settle in anyway I put you back to assistant science?" he suggested.

He had an idea who he could steal temporarily for that role actually. Someone who Vern struggled with and him with Vern. It was certainly a shake up of crew but he was the captain and it was his prerogative.

She blinked back the tears but could hear his words and his intention clearly and that was what she needed, more than he could possibly know.

"Thank you sir. If you feel this is the right move then I will give it a go"

She once again took the glass into her still shaking hands and took another sip, trying to steel herself ready to step back out onto the bridge... Then something dawned on her.

"I never completed the bridge officer examination sir... I'm not qualified on any kind of handheld weapons... I know they are requirements for any senior officer position".

"Your scheduled in for the bridge exam next week and I have already requested security give you a crash course on handheld weapons," Jon stated. "Ensign Leighton will have you whipped into shape. Don't worry there."

This really was happening. Stepping from a niche field of expertise to a system administrator and senior officer and it terrified and exhilarated her all in one. It felt like a make of break moment in her life.

"I won't let you down sir... And if its not right for either of us then I will happily step aside."

"I know," Jon said confidently. "Right you have some studying to do for the Bridge exam and I have to steal Mr Bumble off Captain Keading now to do your previous job," he winked at her. "I will have the XO send you through your new rotas.

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