[Galaxy] War Stories: Wu, Killburn, Hawke

[Robert]

[ NCL-12 Nautilus, Personal Quarters ]

It'd been a long day. He'd pulled a double shift, one at Armoury and 
then another as officers of the watch. He volunteered for it, trying to 
get as much time on the bridge out in space as he could. Before he knew 
it, he'd be back behind some blasted desk again, analyzing and reporting 
instead of being out here, *in* it.

After a quick shower, he'd tried to calm down again and get some rest. 
The narrow bunk wasn't exactly a king sized picture of perfection, but 
he'd never had trouble sleeping on it before. He did tonight.

Maybe he didn't want to waste it. As if even the time he spent here, 
laying on a cramped bunk without a window was still better than the 
hours he was about to spend bent over a table or giving status reports 
and presentations to Captains and Admirals.

Wu sighed heavily as he rolled again, uncomfortable, before staring at 
the grey metal above his head. Maybe he should take this as a sign. 
Sure, he was happiest out here, but maybe it just wasn't to be. 
Apparently the universe, in all it's perverted wisdom, granted him the 
desire and passion to be out here... only to realize he was better 
riding a desk than commanding a ship.

Closing his eyes, Wu tried to empty his mind. As the world around him 
faded to a deeper, richer black, one by one the stars started to come 
out. How many nights had he spent outside, looking up, dreaming about 
some other life away from his world? Even during the days, he'd dream 
and fantasize about living and working on ships. Sometimes he was the 
heroic captain. Sometimes he was the relentless wolf. Sometimes he was 
the noble pirate. But he was always out there, on a boat, off to meet 
the world.

And how many times had he come so close, only to have it snatched away? 
Fate was a cruel mistress. He thought this time, it'd work. That this 
time, he'd paid his dues, and he'd be allowed to stay for good. Forever.

Scowling, Wu turned over again.

'Stop being such a cry baby,' he told himself bitterly, 'your desires 
and requests are childish and stupid. What happened to service, and 
duty? Subject to the needs of the service, David, subject to the needs 
of the bloody service.'

"Commander Wu, this is the bridge. Come in, please."

Half sitting up and slapping at the comm panel, Wu mumbled a 
half-intelligent reply, more out of annoyance than fatigue.

"Sorry to wake you sir, but the Captain would like to see you in his 
ready room immediately."

Acknowledging, Wu told them he'd be there in five minutes or less. He 
couldn't wait to hear what nasty sadistic joke fate was playing on him 
this time.


~~~~~


[ NCL-04 Mir, Bridge ]

Robert Hedgar Killburn-Collins had come full circle in his career.  He'd 
worked his 60+ years up through Starfleet before there even /was/ a 
Starfleet, and became commanding officer of Mir several years ago.  He 
was a Commander, then.

But an old request to transfer to Exploratory Division came to sudden 
fruition when an NX needed a captain, and quickly.  He felt a little 
guilt at leaving his first command, but he was heading into a promotion 
to Captain and command of NX-07 Intrepid.  Several of his Mir crew at 
the time called him a "stubborn old man" for thinking it was anything 
but a good deal.  And he had to admit, the Intrepid crew were certainly 
on their toes.

But events transpired to pull him off Intrepid and into the limbo of 
near-retirement.  When Meridian and her squadron attacked a Romulan 
waystation, however, Starfleet had second thoughts about letting go of 
an old war-horse.  So here he was, back in the saddle of Mir, back in 
the thick of Starfleet insisting it's not the military while calling 
ships for an armada.

"Where's the rendezvous point?" the white haired captain asked his XO. 
His original XO had already been tapped for command of one of the brand 
new destroyers, but /this/ XO was actually his old Armory Chief, and one 
of the last of his original Mir crew.

"Gamma Sagittari, Sir," the XO replied.  "Somewhere near the orbit of 
New Darwin."

"Are we up for it?" Killburn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Repairs are complete," the red piped officer nodded.  "We could use a 
few more torpedoes, but there will be a resupply waiting."

Killburn slapped a hand on the XO's shoulder and sighed.  "'Once more 
unto the breach', huh Mike?" came the battle-weary words.  He sat in the 
Captain's Chair and gestured to the stars on screen.  "Best speed."


~~~~~


[ ECL-02 Shenandoah, Captain's Ready Room ]

L. Horatio Hawke had refused promotion after promotion, because he knew 
it would only lead to a desk and a pension.  He'd been a Fleet Captain 
longer than some Admirals had even been in Starfleet, but it didn't 
matter.  He was right where he wanted to be.  /And all I ask is a tall 
ship and a star to steer her by./

Even though he was commanding officer of what was once called an 
NX-class starship, the Enterprise-class Shenandoah was where he 
conducted the strategic operations of the Sol Defense Division.  It was 
an "exploratory cruiser", but for the longest time it had been the 
heaviest thing Starfleet could throw at the enemy.  Now that the 
Freedom-class were rolling out, however, he couldn't help but feel a 
little obsolete, the desk in his ready room looking more and more like 
an actual desk.

Until, that is, the call came out for all ships.  It was a familiar 
call; one he even issued himself on behalf of Admiral Starr when the 
Eridani Campaign came to it's ferocious finale.  And as they got closer 
to the rendezvous, the feel of a desk got pushed away just a little.  He 
wouldn't be a strategic commander, there, he would be a squadron leader. 
  The sting of battle was old and familiar, like a wicked mistress 
slipping back into his bed for one more go.  It felt wrong, but God help 
him, he did love her so.

"Coming up on New Darwin, Sir," the intercom interrupted.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Hawke called.  He stood as the stars out his 
viewing window snapped back from bars to pinpricks against the 
blackness.  "Contact Admiral Garroway," he added.  "Shenandoah is 
reporting in."

-----
Cmdr David Wu
First Officer
NCL-12 Nautilus
(apb Rick)

Capt Bob Killburn
Commanding Officer
NCL-04 Mir
(apb Robert)

FCapt Horatio Hawke
Commanding Officer
ECL-02 Shanendoah
(apb Robert)