[Galaxy] 2161.10.22-JL Morgan/ Ca'daar-Passing the Torch

Sat Oct 22 10:20:45 PDT 2011

~~StarFleet Medical Earth~~ 

The sun shown through the  open window. The curtains moving in the light 
breeze. The warmth of the  sunlight glinting off the face of the woman lying 
in the bed. Eyes flickered  open and slowly she turned her head, the light 
shining in her face. Her muscles  where sore and as she stretched there was 
pulling in her abdomen but the sun  felt warm and welcoming. 

As she lay there in the bed the door slid open.  "Good afternoon Captain 
Morgan. I see that you are awake. I'm nurse Chapel, how  are you feeling?" 
"Where am I?" Rece said as she looked over and the  nurse.

"Starfleet medical." Nurse Chapel said as she read the  chart.

"Earth?"

"Yes ma'am. You've been under medical sedation for  quite awhile. You had 
some serious injuries. Your crew took good care of you  but---" the nurse 
pause briefly and looked directly at her, "it may be awhile  before your body 
can handle the riggers of space."

At this announcement  Rece felt the floor drop out from beneath her and if 
she hadn't been lying on  the bio bed she would have a hard time at doing 
anything at all. 

"The  doctor will be in shortly but if you feel up to it, you have a  
visitor."

At that moment Rece didn't want to see anyone, she wanted to  digest the 
fact that she was on Earth and would not be returning to the Lady. "I  d---" 
She stopped before she said no. "Sure."

Nurse Chapel nodded and  walked to the door.

Outside, Da'nak stood, a bouquet of multicolored  roses in his hand. He 
still wore his starfleet uniform. To be honest with  himself, he was beginning 
to feel comfortable in it. His antennae shot straight  up as he saw the 
young nurse emerge from the Captain's room.

"Captain  Morgan is improving but it will be some time before she can 
return to command.  You may go on in."

Nodding, Da'nak walked through the door and let it  slide shut behind him. 
"Hello Captain... I'm glad you've come around. It was  touch and go there 
for quite a while." He held out the flowers for her to see.  "I brought you 
some flowers." He twisted them in his hand, looking at them for a  long 
moment. "They're roses I'm told. Very pretty. I was led to understand that  they 
are a very expressive plant, the different colors symbolizing different  
sentiments... I couldn't really decide on just one." He handed her the bouquet. 

Rece took the roses and brought them up to her face to smell them. "Thank  
you Da'nak they're lovely. Could you put them in there?" She said handing 
them  back and pointed at the vase by the window. "How is everyone? How are  
you?"

Da'nak did as he was asked, unwrapping the flowers and placing them  in the 
vase. "We're... surviving. We lost some good people in the battle of  
Xantia." He paused, pouring a little water into the vase from a pitcher nearby.  
"They're 'upgrading' the Yorktown now, leaving her pretty much gutted and 
open  to space while they upgrade her technology. It's left the crew a bit... 
uneasy.  A lot of them are wondering about the future."

The big Andorian turned and smiled at his commanding officer. "Now that  
you're in better shape, I was hoping that you might address them, put some 
fears  to rest."

"I think I can do that. Wouldn't want them to thing I'm dead." Rece  
adjusted her position in the bed and groaned a bit as she felt her injuries  pull. 
"I see that you're wearing a new uniform."

The blue helmsman gave her a muted smirk. "Yes, my Imperial guard uniform  
was destroyed yet again..."
Something else to thank his brother for he thought. " Besides, since the  
signing of the treaty this just somehow seemed more... right."

"Yes. Yes it does look right on you. Something you should wear more  often. 
I---" Rece stopped. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go with the  
conversation. There were things that she wanted say but didn't know how, which  
wasn't the norm for her but then again having been injured and just told that 
it  would be some time before she could go back to space wasn't the norm 
either. Her  life had been all about culture and language, Starfleet and space 
and now it  appeared that it would have to change. 

Da'nak's antennae swished back  and forth, again betraying his agitation. 
This was not an easy conversation to  have, but he knew it was needed. 
"Captain, I've just come from the Admiral's  office. I had a meeting with Admiral 
Garroway and Commodore Sheppard...They..."  The Andorian swallowed hard. 
"Given your current condition... they want me to  continue in command of 
Yorktown." He lowered his head. "I know how much
The Fighting Lady means to you Captain... So many times I thought of you  
and her as one in the same I..."
He paused, his head still hung low. "I'm sorry."

Rece sighed. She had known this, the moment the nurse had said something  
and had not wanted to accept it until now. "There is nothing for you to be 
sorry  about. The Lady will always be my ship. My first assignment and first 
command.  Nothing can take that way, but like all---" She paused trying to 
remain in  control of her emotions. "Like all things my time as her captain 
must pass way."  She wasn't doing a very good job. "I'm angry and frustrated 
with my injuries.  I'm ticked off at the Admiral for just giving away my ship 
without telling me.  But Da'nak don't you apologizes I'm glad that you're 
the one that's getting  her."

The azure man stepped closer to the bed, gently taking Rece's hand  in his. 
In his time aboard the Yorktown, the little woman had demonstrated more  
integrity, grit, and fight than any Andorian he knew. "It's an honor to have  
served under you Captain. If there were any other way... I would step aside, 
but  the crew... the ship needs me, and I have to see her through." Da'nak 
gave her  hand a little squeeze. "Besides," He added, a light smirk playing 
across his  lips. "The Admiral says that once you get better, he'll see 
about another  command." He sat on the bed, still holding Rece's hand, willing 
his strength  through is into her. "And if I know anything about the 'famous' 
Captain Morgan,  I know she never runs from a challenge and she never stays 
down for long." He  leaned forward, touching the center of her chest with 
one finger. "The real  Fighting Lady is in there... and she's you."

Rece touched Da'nak's hand. "Thank you. That means a lot to me and if I  
have any say in it, when next we meet in space I will be in command  again."

Da'nak smiled sadly. It was hard for him to see his former  commander in 
this state. "I know you will, Captain... I know you will." He gave  Rece's 
hand a final squeeze before rising to leave. "I-I have to go Captain.  They've 
torn the Yorktown right down to her bones and somebody needs to be there  to 
see that they put her back together right."

"If you need anything, anything at all, you call. I am here for you as you  
have always been there for me my friend." Rece said.

The Andorian moved for the door, pausing a moment before leaving. "The  
Lady will keep in touch Captain. We'll be keeping track of your recovery." A  
soft smile began to play about his turquoise lips. "Don't worry,  she'll 
still be around when you've healed, at least if I have anything to say  about 
it."

"I'm not your captain anymore Da'nak, Yorktown your ship now.  Rece is 
quite acceptable."

Da'nak smiled again, the same sad smile. He had no more words to express  
how he felt. He simply drew in a deep breath and stood in the door, giving 
Rece  a long salute before finally whispering shu'lu tha. (thank you) in his  
own language before finally turning and making his way out.

----
Captain Rece Morgan
Former Commanding Officer
NX-05  Yorktown
The Fighting Lady

&

Force Commander Da'nak Ca'daar
Commanding Officer
NX-05 Yorktown
The Fighting Lady

The  future's not set and the end is always near...
-The  Doors
-Roadhouse Blues
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