First offical duty

Posted on Sun Nov 23rd, 2025 @ 5:26am by Commander Aleshanee & Flight Officer Phelan Sabrehagen & Senior Technician Jaime Mallory

2,999 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: A New Dawn
Location: Quarters, Deep Space Nine

Aleshanee stepped out of the shower and, letting out a sigh, her body was covered in scars from battles and, unfortunately, torture. She just took a moment, allowing her eyes to remain on her scars, reliving all the horrible memories from every single one of them.

After the ritual was completed, she quickly dressed because she had a meeting with a new crew member. Since the Maquis did not have a personnel office, this was a brand new process being established between the colonel and the colonial parliament. The new officer was going to be their first pilot, which was good, but this meeting was going to be a bit weird for her.

Phelan had been Starfleet once upon a time. He had flown some of the best and fastest of their ships. The problem arose for him because he had a moral compass, and it seemed that Starfleet had buried theirs and forgotten where they had buried it. They had signed a shitty treaty with the Cardassian Union that ceded Federation worlds on the Federation border to Cardassia and vice versa. That, however, was not the ultimate problem for him -- oh, it was dumb as hell and just a coded prep for a later continuation of war. The problem for him arose when Starfleet abandoned the Federation citizens in the Demilitarized Zone. The Cardassians hadn't, but Starfleet had, citing treaty regulations. The Cardassians had already breached that contract, but Starfleet refused to see that and protect its own. Hell, that had been bad enough, but then he'd heard what Captain Sisko had done because he was pissed at Eddington. That was the last straw. Starfleet claimed the moral high ground, and yet he had poisoned a planet to get at the Maquis. Wrong!

Phelan had resigned, unable to keep serving an organization that could do such things. He had done the only thing his conscience would allow; he'd joined the Maquis. And during the Dominion War, he'd fought alongside members of three different cells -- somehow, he had survived each time. And now, here he was, reporting to a new leader. Only this time, they weren't leading a guerrilla cell. This time, they were... cooperating? He had decided to see what this new crew was all about.

So here he was, approaching an office that supposedly belonged to his new captain. When did Maquis leaders start having offices? Hell, it was very likely even weirder for her, he suspected. He tapped the chime and waited.

Aleshanee was sitting at the small kitchen table, sipping on some coffee, when she heard the chime. "Enter," she called out, also going back to look over his jacket. It was a mix of his Starfleet service and the records of his Maquis service.

Phelan keyed the door open and stepped in, giving the room and its single occupant the once-over before approaching where she sat. He had not sat down yet, though. That would have been rude, and while he was known to be irreverent and snarky on occasion, he was not disrespectful. Not knowing her, though, he wasn't quite sure of the correct approach. So, he opted to explain why he was there. He could see that she was reading his dossier, so introductions on his part would be... redundant. "I was told you're the one I'm supposed to report to."

"I am, Captain Aleshanee. Please take a seat. Anything to drink, Lieutenant Sabrehagen?" Aleshanee said, setting the PaDD down. "We are waiting for one more," she said again, finding this all a bit weird. "How many cells have you been a part of?"

Phelan smiled at her, taking the offered seat but resisting his normal impulse to put his feet up on the other chair. "Thank you. Good to meet you." He frowned to himself, having stopped short of the name because he didn't want to butcher it and start this assignment by insulting his superior. "Coffee, if you've got it? And three. Is it bad form to return the question?" he asked with a slight smile.

Aleshanee shook her head, "No, of course not, for me, one cream or sugar in your coffee?" She asked.

"Great. Nothing in it. Just straight up," he answered about the coffee. He was about to actually ask her about her service with the Maquis, but he was interrupted by the door chime.

On the other side of the door, Jaime, a petite blonde with a few scattered light brown Trill spots on her temple and neck, stood quietly, her expression poised yet curious. She could sense there was more than just Aleshanee inside; someone else was there too, and a sly, amused smile played at her lips.

The door slid open softly, and Jaime stepped into the room, her lavender eyes glinting with quiet confidence. She offered a slight, knowing smile as she took in the scene: Aleshanee sitting at the table, Phelan just settling into a seat. Despite her petite frame, there was an undeniable air of assurance about her, born from her time on the ship and her role as second pilot.

She had been passing by, intending only to stop for a quick visit, maybe a chat, or a cup of coffee, not realizing she’d walk into a formal meeting with a new crew member. Her expression softened with amusement as she realized the situation.

"Well, this is a surprise," Jaime said, her tone light but warm. "I stopped by to hang out, but it seems like I walked into something a bit more official," she said, glancing between Aleshanee and Phelan, a playful spark in her eyes. "Guess I’ll just have to stick around and see how this all goes?"

As the door opened, Phelan looked over the back of his chair to see who was entering. She was, he reflected inwardly, rather lovely. So far, he was surrounded by stunning ladies. He could so live with that! "Well, hello there," he greeted pleasantly, offering a hand. "I'm Phelan Sabrehagen. Apparently, I'm going to be flying this bird."

With a mutual feeling of attraction, and she caught his, Jaime confidently shook his hand with a knowing smile. "I'm Jaime Mallory, your underling."

"Jaime! Is everything okay?" Aleshanee asked, looking concerned when she saw who it was, as she had been serving under her for a while now. Aleshanee knew her crew well enough to realize that just showing up like this meant something must've happened.

Oh yeah. I know it's been a long time," Jaime replied with an understanding look, "but like I said, I was just stopping by." She then smiled and added, "I can come back later, or..." Raising a brow, she thought to herself, stay. Her smile turned pixie-ish, tempted to throw it into Aleshanee's head.

Aleshanee chuckled, "No, please stay, and get to know our newest member, and then you and I can catch up," Aleshanee said with a grin.

Phelan watched the byplay between the two ladies with a smile. This revealed a great deal not only about the two individuals before him but also about the captain's management style. Relaxed. He could definitely appreciate this. "Oh, please do stay," he encouraged.

Well, since both of you insist," Jaime replied, clearly pretending to be innocent. "Where should I sit?"

Aleshanee looked around her quarters, "Let's all move to the small living room and get comfortable."

Phelan grinned. Relaxed. He liked this captain already. "Sure." Standing, he made a motion for them to precede him. "After you, Ladies." Chivalry was not dead, after all.

The couches were Starfleet-standard, comfortable, but that was about it. "...so again, like I said, this is new to me, so for right now, let's continue to get to know each other," Aleshanee said as she worked on getting comfortable on the couch.

Jaime’s gaze had drifted toward the other end of the couch, where she imagined her place would be. Sitting there, she could see the whole room and the interaction between Aleshanee and Phelan. So she eased into the space quietly, smiling softly as she observed her captain’s new crew member, who was also her department lead.

"So, I believe we were just getting to know each other a little bit, so Phelan, if you don't mind, just talk about yourself," Aleshanee said with a soft chuckle, "anything you want, this is just for us to get to know each other," she added again.

Phelan chuckled softly. "Well, don't put me on the spot or anything!" he joked good-naturedly. Then he leaned back into the chair he was sitting in and sipped his coffee, thinking. What would they want to know about him? The lady likely already knew his 'service record', so that was not in the list. "Hm, well, I'm a Natural Pilot. I haven't met the flying beastie that I couldn't fly yet." It was not a brag or arrogance, merely the truth. "I love to fly, and the faster it goes, the happier I am," he admitted with a smile. That was true, too; he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie when not working. "During my Starfleet days, I even participated in a couple of races, off duty, of course." That last was added with a smirk. Of course, they would have guessed that, but he had added it just to be cheeky. "Won one. Came in third in the other. Would've come in second, but the guy who did cheated, and the refs ignored it. So what can ya do?" He shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee and glancing over their expressions. He wasn't sure what else to tell them without prodding, so he let it stand at that for now. "What about you two? You guys seem to know each other, but as the new guy here, I'm kinda out of the loop," he admitted with that customary smile, inviting them to share as well.

Jaime leaned back slightly, one leg crossed over the other as she listened, the corners of her mouth lifting in quiet amusement. There was something about the new pilot’s energy that she found interesting; the easy confidence, the honesty in the way he spoke. "I’ve been with the crew for a while now," she said, her tone light but sincere. "Aleshanee and I sort of clicked early on; two pilots with very different styles but the same stubborn streak about how a ship should move." Her eyes flicked toward her captain, the smile softening with quiet fondness. "Over time, that connection turned into something more than just duty. We’ve been through enough that… ‘family’ feels about right."

There was a brief pause before she added, almost offhandedly, "She’s got a way of reading a ship’s rhythm that’s hard to teach. You’ll see what I mean once you’re on the bridge with her." The comment came out casual, but the respect in her tone was unmistakable.

Jaime turned her attention back to Phelan, one brow lifting slightly, her smile returning. "You seem like you’ll fit in just fine," she said, the words carrying an easy confidence that made it sound more like a quiet assurance than a compliment. Then she wrapped her hands around her coffee cup, letting the warmth seep through her fingers. She wasn’t one to say much when the room felt balanced, and right now, it did. Phelan’s presence carried a kind of grounded energy that she respected, and Aleshanee seemed more at ease than she had in days. Jaime took a slow sip, her eyes drifting between them with a faint, content smile.

Aleshanee blushed a little at the words Jaime said. "Jaime here is being too kind," Aleshanee said, giving Jaime a smirk. "The Ada Lovelace has seemed to produce some top pilots, especially for ones that have never received formal training," Aleshanee said with a small smile, taking a few sips of her coffee.

"And like Jaime said, the Ada Lovelace will become your family, and it is going to sneak up on you, and like with family, we are going to have some growing pains, but what I can promise is we'll work together to get through those growing pains," Aleshanee said with a smile.

As Phelan listened to both ladies, he also watched them. He watched their body language, their expressions, their eyes. It all spoke to him of truth, and he always appreciated honesty. He could sense that they didn't fully trust him yet, but that was okay. As his mother had always taught him, trust was earned, not given away. He did not feel shut out either, merely... observed. Earning their trust should not be too difficult, he thought privately.

"Thank you," he offered, eyes on Jaime. He had recognized the compliment for what it was, even semi-cloaked as it was in the costume of assurance. His eyes then flicked over to Aleshanee. "And thank you too." He was all seriousness for the moment as he continued. "I confess, I expected to be 'welcomed' aboard with a sort of distance. I have to say, though, I like this much better. It puts forth that air of family that both of you have talked about." The grin returned now, as did the playful tone. "I'm like the adopted kid who's getting introduced to the other kids and hoping they all like him," he commented with a chuckle.

"Honestly, three months ago, I would say this would be a bit different, but again, things change fast in this universe," Aleshanee said with a chuckle.

Phelan nodded, his expression shifting for a moment to something that suggested memory surfacing. "That's for sure." His own life was a testament to that. In an instant, he had gone from good Starfleet officer to Rebel with a cause. What his life had been before was now lost to him. He sometimes wondered if his mother approved of his decision. Even if she didn't, he felt it was the right one, and she had always taught him to follow his conscience. That was what he had done. He knew his brother would approve, though. Dylan was... darker than both he and his mother.

Phelan shook off the memory and heavy thoughts. Now was not the time for that. His expression became lighter once more, and he took a sip of his coffee. "So... what do you do around here for fun when you're off duty?" The question had seemed like a good one in his head. But now that he'd asked it, it felt like an abrupt change in direction. Well, too late now. Nothing to do but sit with it and hope they don't think you're a dipshit, his mind pointed out.

"A gym, we have a screen in our small mess for screening films, or any media content. Outside of that, there is not a lot," Aleshanee said with a chuckle, "as for Deep Space Nine, Quarks, holo-suite, and once we get back to the colonies, whatever they can provide," Aleshanee said with a soft smile, "this is the part we are gonna have to learn how to do," she added.

"I have a deck of playing cards," Jaime said, her smile returning over her coffee cup's rim. She took another sip and swallowed, "and of course, there's always charades."

"Sorry, no charades, especially not after the last game," Aleshanee said, giving Jaime a playful smirk.

"Are you sure?" Jaime teased. "We could do a reenactment for Phelan, let him decide." She was about to take another drink when she raised a brow.

Phelan chuckled at the byplay. Being a gamer when he had the opportunity to be, he understood how Charades could go wrong, and imagining these two ladies involved in a Charades: The Wrong Version amused him. "Hm... that could be interesting," he said with a smirk and a wink. He was playing with them, and he hoped that he hadn't presumed too much on the rapport they were forming.

Before Aleshanee could start again, her PaDD beeped, letting her know that the Starfleet engineers and operations officers had finished their updates and upgrades. "I am so sorry, but I am gonna need to end this, as our ship is ready, and requires some inspecting," Aleshanee said with a small smile.

Phelan would have been lying if he had said he was not disappointed, but he got it. He restrained his irreverent side this time and nodded. "No problem." Finishing his coffee, he stood and smiled at the ladies. "It was definitely a pleasure getting to know you both. I hope we have more chances to do that along the way." Giving a slight bow of the head toward each lady in respect, he turned and exited, depositing his cup in the Replicator for recycling on his way out. No need to be an inconsiderate guest, after all; that would not encourage future engagements.

Both women sat there quietly, watching him leave. As the door closed, Jaime sighed. "Well, that was fun while it lasted." She stood and said with a smile, "Thank you for the 'invite' and the coffee, Captain."

"It was, and how did I do, I mean, this was my first official duty," Aleshanee asked, knowing that she needed to get going, but she did need to know.

"Well," Jaime angled her head and studied the other woman before her. "No one else could have done it any better...I mean that."

"Thank you, I mean that, oh! Also, dinner at the Lovalace, myself, Decker, and Thalina, and Decker is cooking," Aleshanee said with a smirk.

"Oh, really?" Jaime looked quite pleased, in an amusing way. "I'll be there, and on time; you can count on that."

"Excellent! I'll send you the details," Aleshanee said, rushing out of the quarters, allowing Jaime to take her time to leave.

 

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