08-09-2024, 05:25 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-09-2024, 05:25 PM by Tyra Crawford.)
== Kintla Lake, Montana, North America. ==
Even in the dead of summer, the water was ice cold. It had taken about 30 seconds for Tyra to register that after plunging headfirst into the crystal clear water but after the effort to get there, it had been sweet relief.
She'd pulled herself up onto one of the rocks on the shoreline to dry off, her feet still dangling into the cold water. The sun was warm on her skin, soothing an ache that seemed to have settled under her breastbone for the last few weeks.
Alex had tried to prepare her for the hearing but she wasn't sure anything could have prepared her for that gut punch. She'd been placed on administrative leave the moment she left Artemis but being placed on indefinite leave without pay had felt different. She could still hear the Admiral's droning voice as he handed down her punishment -- leave without pay for a term to be decided and refresher command course -- and she could still feel the way her stomach had dropped and knotted.
She'd immediately completed the demanded command refresher, finishing it in 3 days when it was scheduled for 5 days, and then, she'd been left to her own devices for 7 and a half weeks.
And those seven and half weeks had a mixed bag. There were days where she embraced the break, enjoying the time with the kids and Thomas as well as her family, but there were days where the listlessness and the lack of direction ate at her. On days like today, it felt like there were endless roads in front of her with each option as unknown as the next.
Oh, there were days when she knew, where her half written letter of resignation was pulled up and polished. It had been rewritten no less than ten times and it would probably be reworked another ten before she finalized it. Because there were also days where it felt like she needed that uniform like a piece of armor, where her soul told her it wasn't over yet, but there were just as many days where that uniform felt suffocating and impossible. Yet none of those feelings were consistent; they ebbed and flowed like the tide.
Her eyes were closed behind a pair of sunglasses when she heard the slightest crunch of rock under a boot.
"Oh, you finally decided to join me, hm?" She called out, her voice almost a purr as a content smile curled her lips. "I hope you--"
Her voice dropped off as the visitor stopped, their long shadow just barely falling over her. It was oddly hesitant for her husband and when she cracked an eye open and rolled over ever so slightly to look up, she quickly realized that it wasn't her husband at all.
She didn't scramble to her feet in embarrassment at the interruption or her current state of dress. Instead she rolled back over, watching over the top of her glasses as Bill Anderson tried to astutely keep his eyes on the mountains above her with a towel held loosely in hand.
"Bill..." she greeted, her tone informal as if they were peers or even friends.
"Kitty," he greeted, using her childhood nickname rather effortlessly though his expression lacked the easy smile it normally did. She supposed that was how he and her father referred to her when they spoke. It was definitely how he and Kat had referred to her years earlier.
She idly wondered what Bill saw when he looked at her. Did he still think of her as the young, precocious girl that used the shuttle bay as her personal jungle gym or the awkward young teenager that hung on his every word due to a misplaced crush? Or the grinning, proud young cadet he'd given a bear hug to at her graduation? Or did he see her as Kat's ghost? There were times when Bill, ever the faithful officer to her father from his years as at helm through his ascension to first officer, had been a more present figure in her life than her own father. He'd tried to bridge the gap when the two had been at their worst and while she wouldn't say he was the reason they'd since developed a strong bond, Bill was likely why the bond had survived at all, even at it's most tattered.
The towel hit her squarely in the chest when he tossed it and there was the slightest of petulant eye rolls as she grabbed it, rolling into an upright position and wrapping it around her shoulders to protect his delicate sensibility.
"Have you turned in your letter?" He asked, not even bothering to beat around any bush. No explanation for how he located her but she could only assume he'd gone through her father or Thomas to find her.
"No, not yet," she answered, her sunglasses likely hiding her eyebrow arch from his view but no doubt, he knew it was there.
"Good," he answered simply, his hand stretching out with a PADD that must have been hidden under the towel.
"Bill..." It was low, almost a warning.
"You're still commissioned so you're subject to orders just like everyone else, Tyra."
It was another simple statement, concise and true, but there had been an amusement just at the edge that caught her attention. He was playing at something, whether it was pleasure at giving a headstrong officer orders they couldn't refuse or something else she didn't know. Bill had never been much for games, though she did remember the mischievous young officer who had conspired with her regularly. However, she assumed years of wearing a box on his collar had likely killed that spark.
Her eyes flickered to the PADD with a wariness that suggested she thought it might bite her. "I'm tired of being used and abused. And if you're cutting my leave at 8 weeks and 2 days, I can only assume that PADD has an assignment that is a continuation of this Hell."
His shoulders shifted a little as he stepped forward, motioning for her to shift over so he could join her on the edge of the rock.
"Did I ever tell you how hard it was to give up my last command?" At her tiny shake of her head, he continued. "I never wanted to be chained to a desk, much less at HQ, but if I didn't, they'd just select another 'yes, man' incapable of independent thought. The kind of admiral I'd watched leave people high and dry for most of my career. So I gave it up with the hope I could make a difference somewhere. It's been hit and miss but I think I've done more good than harm."
There was more to it, she knew. He'd taken that desk job three months before Kat had died and Tyra had no doubt he'd done so to be closer to her aunt, not knowing that clock was edging ever closer to midnight.
She was silent for a moment, her eyes shifting from the mountains to him before nodding at the PADD. "Is that what that is? I'm HQ bound?" She tried to keep her voice steady but she heard the barest crack on the last question.
He chuckled. "No, though I know there are definitely elements that want you to end up there under close supervision and if you don't take this lifeline, I don't think there will be much stopping them. For what it's worth, I think you could do good work in the ivory tower, she managed to."
She continued to stare at the PADD, which dangled loosely from where his hand folded over his knee. She just couldn't seem to bring herself to reach for it.
"I have known you since you were knee high to a grasshopper and I have watched you grow into a formidable officer willing to make the hard decisions and bear the consequences. That doesn't mean you should have to, not unreasonably. There's things I can control and things I can't but I can at least make sure you land on your feet, somewhere your experience matters. If you'll trust me," he answered her silent question, pausing a second before offering her the PADD again.
The PADD felt heavy in her hand even as she thumbed the screen on and looked at the orders on it. Her brow furrowed slight as she reread and then, looked up at him. "These are just transit orders. Where's the positional orders?"
"Baby steps. The USS Fairview leaves at 0700 tomorrow and you need to be on it. You'll get further orders closer to your arrival but it's an evolving situation. Just trust me, please."
"A scavenger hunt or ride a desk at HQ. Doesn't sound like I've got another option anyway..."
"I guess it's a good thing the Crawfords are known for their perpetual optimism," Bill teased as he stood up, brushing invisible dust from his pants. "I will leave you to your mountains but I would recommend bringing your old Sierra-Romeo gear. Might prove useful."
Her brows furrowed again as her head dipped to look at the orders again. Not only were they not positional but they also were not tied to a department. Based on his statement, she had to assume she was being assigned to a position that fell under Security HQ but there was no way to tell.
Tyra groaned before flopping back onto the sun tanning rock, just barely catching the tale end of Bill's chuckle before he disappeared. The rock was just as warm but it had lost its soothing ability as frustrating as that was.
No, it seemed her time on the mountain had come to an end. She needed to hike down and go home to talk this out with Thomas. For expediency, she briefly considered stealing Bill's method and beaming out but she needed the time and exertion to work through the situation before she had to explain it to her husband.
Even if I'm rid of my circus, I'm apart of someone else's circus...
>> DS9 - Docking Ring >>
Even in the dead of summer, the water was ice cold. It had taken about 30 seconds for Tyra to register that after plunging headfirst into the crystal clear water but after the effort to get there, it had been sweet relief.
She'd pulled herself up onto one of the rocks on the shoreline to dry off, her feet still dangling into the cold water. The sun was warm on her skin, soothing an ache that seemed to have settled under her breastbone for the last few weeks.
Alex had tried to prepare her for the hearing but she wasn't sure anything could have prepared her for that gut punch. She'd been placed on administrative leave the moment she left Artemis but being placed on indefinite leave without pay had felt different. She could still hear the Admiral's droning voice as he handed down her punishment -- leave without pay for a term to be decided and refresher command course -- and she could still feel the way her stomach had dropped and knotted.
She'd immediately completed the demanded command refresher, finishing it in 3 days when it was scheduled for 5 days, and then, she'd been left to her own devices for 7 and a half weeks.
And those seven and half weeks had a mixed bag. There were days where she embraced the break, enjoying the time with the kids and Thomas as well as her family, but there were days where the listlessness and the lack of direction ate at her. On days like today, it felt like there were endless roads in front of her with each option as unknown as the next.
Oh, there were days when she knew, where her half written letter of resignation was pulled up and polished. It had been rewritten no less than ten times and it would probably be reworked another ten before she finalized it. Because there were also days where it felt like she needed that uniform like a piece of armor, where her soul told her it wasn't over yet, but there were just as many days where that uniform felt suffocating and impossible. Yet none of those feelings were consistent; they ebbed and flowed like the tide.
Her eyes were closed behind a pair of sunglasses when she heard the slightest crunch of rock under a boot.
"Oh, you finally decided to join me, hm?" She called out, her voice almost a purr as a content smile curled her lips. "I hope you--"
Her voice dropped off as the visitor stopped, their long shadow just barely falling over her. It was oddly hesitant for her husband and when she cracked an eye open and rolled over ever so slightly to look up, she quickly realized that it wasn't her husband at all.
She didn't scramble to her feet in embarrassment at the interruption or her current state of dress. Instead she rolled back over, watching over the top of her glasses as Bill Anderson tried to astutely keep his eyes on the mountains above her with a towel held loosely in hand.
"Bill..." she greeted, her tone informal as if they were peers or even friends.
"Kitty," he greeted, using her childhood nickname rather effortlessly though his expression lacked the easy smile it normally did. She supposed that was how he and her father referred to her when they spoke. It was definitely how he and Kat had referred to her years earlier.
She idly wondered what Bill saw when he looked at her. Did he still think of her as the young, precocious girl that used the shuttle bay as her personal jungle gym or the awkward young teenager that hung on his every word due to a misplaced crush? Or the grinning, proud young cadet he'd given a bear hug to at her graduation? Or did he see her as Kat's ghost? There were times when Bill, ever the faithful officer to her father from his years as at helm through his ascension to first officer, had been a more present figure in her life than her own father. He'd tried to bridge the gap when the two had been at their worst and while she wouldn't say he was the reason they'd since developed a strong bond, Bill was likely why the bond had survived at all, even at it's most tattered.
The towel hit her squarely in the chest when he tossed it and there was the slightest of petulant eye rolls as she grabbed it, rolling into an upright position and wrapping it around her shoulders to protect his delicate sensibility.
"Have you turned in your letter?" He asked, not even bothering to beat around any bush. No explanation for how he located her but she could only assume he'd gone through her father or Thomas to find her.
"No, not yet," she answered, her sunglasses likely hiding her eyebrow arch from his view but no doubt, he knew it was there.
"Good," he answered simply, his hand stretching out with a PADD that must have been hidden under the towel.
"Bill..." It was low, almost a warning.
"You're still commissioned so you're subject to orders just like everyone else, Tyra."
It was another simple statement, concise and true, but there had been an amusement just at the edge that caught her attention. He was playing at something, whether it was pleasure at giving a headstrong officer orders they couldn't refuse or something else she didn't know. Bill had never been much for games, though she did remember the mischievous young officer who had conspired with her regularly. However, she assumed years of wearing a box on his collar had likely killed that spark.
Her eyes flickered to the PADD with a wariness that suggested she thought it might bite her. "I'm tired of being used and abused. And if you're cutting my leave at 8 weeks and 2 days, I can only assume that PADD has an assignment that is a continuation of this Hell."
His shoulders shifted a little as he stepped forward, motioning for her to shift over so he could join her on the edge of the rock.
"Did I ever tell you how hard it was to give up my last command?" At her tiny shake of her head, he continued. "I never wanted to be chained to a desk, much less at HQ, but if I didn't, they'd just select another 'yes, man' incapable of independent thought. The kind of admiral I'd watched leave people high and dry for most of my career. So I gave it up with the hope I could make a difference somewhere. It's been hit and miss but I think I've done more good than harm."
There was more to it, she knew. He'd taken that desk job three months before Kat had died and Tyra had no doubt he'd done so to be closer to her aunt, not knowing that clock was edging ever closer to midnight.
She was silent for a moment, her eyes shifting from the mountains to him before nodding at the PADD. "Is that what that is? I'm HQ bound?" She tried to keep her voice steady but she heard the barest crack on the last question.
He chuckled. "No, though I know there are definitely elements that want you to end up there under close supervision and if you don't take this lifeline, I don't think there will be much stopping them. For what it's worth, I think you could do good work in the ivory tower, she managed to."
She continued to stare at the PADD, which dangled loosely from where his hand folded over his knee. She just couldn't seem to bring herself to reach for it.
"I have known you since you were knee high to a grasshopper and I have watched you grow into a formidable officer willing to make the hard decisions and bear the consequences. That doesn't mean you should have to, not unreasonably. There's things I can control and things I can't but I can at least make sure you land on your feet, somewhere your experience matters. If you'll trust me," he answered her silent question, pausing a second before offering her the PADD again.
The PADD felt heavy in her hand even as she thumbed the screen on and looked at the orders on it. Her brow furrowed slight as she reread and then, looked up at him. "These are just transit orders. Where's the positional orders?"
"Baby steps. The USS Fairview leaves at 0700 tomorrow and you need to be on it. You'll get further orders closer to your arrival but it's an evolving situation. Just trust me, please."
"A scavenger hunt or ride a desk at HQ. Doesn't sound like I've got another option anyway..."
"I guess it's a good thing the Crawfords are known for their perpetual optimism," Bill teased as he stood up, brushing invisible dust from his pants. "I will leave you to your mountains but I would recommend bringing your old Sierra-Romeo gear. Might prove useful."
Her brows furrowed again as her head dipped to look at the orders again. Not only were they not positional but they also were not tied to a department. Based on his statement, she had to assume she was being assigned to a position that fell under Security HQ but there was no way to tell.
Tyra groaned before flopping back onto the sun tanning rock, just barely catching the tale end of Bill's chuckle before he disappeared. The rock was just as warm but it had lost its soothing ability as frustrating as that was.
No, it seemed her time on the mountain had come to an end. She needed to hike down and go home to talk this out with Thomas. For expediency, she briefly considered stealing Bill's method and beaming out but she needed the time and exertion to work through the situation before she had to explain it to her husband.
Even if I'm rid of my circus, I'm apart of someone else's circus...
>> DS9 - Docking Ring >>