EXETERRPG: (1 - 1536) ACEO Lieutenant Ethan & Miner, Backwater & CFO Lieutenant Trinity Frost

[Mark Howard]

Nrpg : I think it's safe to assume that hey made it aboard the cheron. I'm
jumping ahead a few minutes to show that they are making their way back to
the Exeter




RPG:

Mission: Space was cool before it mattered

 Day: 1


Stardate: 2446.04.25



(Cheron - Interior- ACEO Lieutenant Ethan & Miner, Backwater & CFO
Lieutenant Trinity Frost- 1536)

After everyone boarded the Cheron, Ethan removed his EV suit in the
specified area. The Cheron promptly started its return trip.

Ethan made his back to the common area of the interior of the vessel and
took a seat on one of the benches along the wall.

Seeing the continued evaluations of the miners he was amazed and thankful
that they were fine. Ethan had noticed that the miner referred to as
backwater by his fellow miner's seemed to have their respect. Backwater was
a man who seemed years of hard work hadn't treated him too kindly .
Something about him seemed strange and familiar though, but Ethan couldn't
put his finger on it.

Backwater nodded to the newcomer as he took another sip from the
rehydration fluids that had been handed to all of them on their arrival. "I
owe you thanks, for my team and myself."

" No problem, it's what starfleet is supposed to do right? " Ethan said
with a slight laugh.

" I'm just glad you are all OK. If you want to thank anyone you should go
thank our pilot, but I should warn you, she gets a little hot-tempered when
people approach her at the helm.  " Ethan remarked and pointed towards the
cockpit.

"I know the type, believe me." He said distantly. "Highly strung and thinks
they're all that."

Ethan smiled and shook his head as he looked at the floor then up towards
the cockpit.

" Nah this one is in a league of her own. She's put a few senior officers
in check, a time or two. I tread carefully myself and always come prepared
with a snack she likes." He said jokingly.

Backwater laughed, "My wife is the same. If I know I'm going to be late
back I always make sure to be armed with something that she likes."


" So what you're saying is our suffering never ends ?" Ethan asked with a
laugh.

"'Fraid not son." He chuckled gently. "And then when there's children
involved, it gets even more complicated."

" Well we haven't…I haven't even thought that far ahead, but if that time
comes. I'll look you up for some advice. " He laughed nervously.

" By the way I'm Ethan, most people just call me Miller." He said and
extended his hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Ethan. Everyone calls me Backwater, on
account I'm from a mining colony in the middle of nowhere." He smiled at
his own joke. "I'd be careful about following my advice. Made more than a
few mistakes."

Ethan kinda felt like Backwater was referring to children with his
statement.

" Well at least you can admit that you've made mistakes. My old man blames
the entire alpha quadrant for his, maybe even some of the beta quadrant too
depending on how drunk he is."

"Again, I know the type, seen it all too often." He sighed. Pulling a small
projector from his pocket, and flipped it on. "This was about a decade ago.
My wife, and my daughter. She left home just after this. We never saw her
again."

Ethan squinted at the image.

" She looks…" Just then Ethan felt like he was struck by lightning in the
pit of stomach. The young girl looked just like Trinity…it was Trinity. It
all made sense to him at that moment. Backwater, from a mining colony in
the middle of nowhere…the man he was talking to was Trinity’s father.

" Umm that reminds me. I have to go check on something in the cockpit, just
engineering stuff, nothing bad…" Ethan shot up and entered the cockpit.

Trinity was mid task, bringing the Cheron around out of the stations
gravitational influence as Ethan entered the cockpit.


" Umm hey, how are things going?" He asked nervously as he crouched down
beside Trinity at the helm.

"I'll be happier in a moment or two why?" Trin asked, altering the
thrusters in preparation for a jump to warp.

" This thing can practically pilot itself back to the Exeter right?" Ethan
asked.

"Is there a point to your questions or is this a retest of piloting for
annoying boyfriends 101?"

" Ok OK! " He exclaimed.

" Do me a favor and just remain calm." Ethan pleaded.

"Get to the point babe, if there's anything that will stop me being calm
it's someone telling me to be calm."

" You know how we always joked about who would be the unlucky one to meet
whose family first ? Well I kinda beat you in that race."

Ethan said with a face that mimicked the face of someone hearing nails on a
chalkboard.

A dread feeling of cold ran down her spine. Holding up her index finger she
turned to him, "logically there is only one way that could have happened
since an hour ago."

" Yeah…he's one of the miners. He showed me a holo-image of your him and
your mother."  Ethan said.

"You have to be kidding me. Fraks sake." Her face blushed as red as her
hair with annoyance.

" I wish I was but I know better to mess with you about something so
serious" He remarked trying to keep the volume of his voice down

"Options?" She corrected course.

" Options ? What do you mean options?" Ethan asked.

" This isn't a briefing or a mission op. This is your father we're talking
about. "

"Yeah, I know." She sighed.

" He doesn't know you're here. I didn't mention you by name. But if you
want a suggestion, You should go let him know that it was you who is flying
this thing and you helped rescue his ass." Ethan smirked.

Laughing gently, she turned the chair around and leaned forward, resting
her head on Ethan's abdomen as she sighed deeply. "I can't avoid this, can
I…" It wasn't a question.

" Not you, we. We can't avoid this " Hensaid as he rubbed her back.

Tapping a course to the Exeter and hitting full auto, Trinity drew herself
tall and proud. "Let's do this."

Ethan popped his head out of the cockpit.

" Hey Backwater. Can you come here for a second ?"

Standing, up, sipping at the remains of his drink, the older man came
through to the cockpit. “You need something Lieu…” He didn’t finish his
sentence. “Tr…Trinity?”


Ethan stood back as her father entered the cockpit.

" If you two need a minute I'll leave."

Trinity double checked the systems, and then stood up, locking herself out
of direct control of the systems. “Dad?” She turned to Ethan. “Thank you
Ethan, you can stay though. It’s okay.”

Ethan remained , but backed off to the side as much as possible.

Sighing gently, She shook her head. “If you’re hoping that I’m going to be
cross and yell at you, I was passed that years ago.”

“For what it’s worth it pained me that you left,”

“Lost control of me did you?” Trinity sneered.

Gawain, Trinity’s father, shook his head. “No no.” He sighed. “Look, I
admit I held you back, tried to put you off the whole piloting thing, not
because I didn’t believe in your ability, but more correctly because I did.”

“Oh spare me the BS.” Trinity flared, “you never wanted me flying, every
chance you had you tried to stop me, even after I flew into that storm to
rescue those miners when I was what 15?”

“Yes. and I admit it.” He held his hands up, but his irritation and mouth
were running away. “I could see your talent, your dream, and selfish,
stupid man that I was wanted to keep you away from that. Keep you safe. But
you were too much like your Aunt, I couldn’t lose you the way I lost her.”

“Neither of you has a sister, what are you…Ethan honey, get him out my
cockpit.” She snapped. “I’ve got a ship to fly.”


" Alright Alright. " Ethan said putting his hands up.

" Mr. Backwater, maybe it's better you two talk on the Exeter where we have
things like counselors, forcefields, and security personnel."

“You’re probably correct.” He said as they stepped out of the cockpit area.
“That didn’t go too badly. I didn’t think. Look, for what little this is
worth, I  wasn’t lying. I had a sister, she was killed in a training flight
just not long after Trin was born. Neither myself nor my wife ever spoke
her name again, out of pain. I’d imagine there’s records. Just a thought.”

Ethan didn't know what to say.

" It's probably best if you two keep your distance for a little bit
longer."


He nodded and moved back to his seat, when a thought crossed his mind.
“Wait a moment”

" What?" Ethan asked.

“She called you honey. You and her…?”

" Umm " Ethan scratched the top of his head nervously.

" Yeah , we are. I mean yeah, we live in separate quarters, I mea…" Ethan
stopped himself from rambling , his nerves were getting to him.

" I'm sorry Sir."

“Hey, I’m not judging. It’s okay.”

" I care about your daughter alot. I think I may even love her. I don't
know. I've never been in a relationship before, but what I do know is your
daughter has spent years thinking you didn't accept her or even care about
who she was, I think had you told her about your sister,  maybe she would
have understood and I'm pretty sure she would have flown regardless, but at
least she would have known your objections were out of concern and love
rather than you just coming across to her as dismissive of her dreams."
Ethan said.


“I own my mistakes, like I said, would I do things differently of course.

" She's never said it outright Sir, but you broke her." Ethan said with a
sigh.

" I may not understand the dynamics of a parent and child relationship,
but I know that broken things can still be fixed, even by the people who
broke them." Ethan said with a half smile.

“I take the point, but be wary casting the first stone. When you have a
daughter, who reminds you of the closest person that you ever had, who you
lost, and your daughter shows every scrap of being cut from the same bolt
of cloth, then, and only then, can you look me dead in the eye and tell me
that the temptation not to do it is indescribable”

Ethan looked towards the cockpit at Trinity as she sat in her chair at the
helm and then looked back at her father.

" If I am fortunate enough to

have a daughter that is even half as amazing as yours, maybe then I will be
able to agree with you Sir…if you'll excuse me." Ethan said.

“Of course.” He half smiled, and nodded. “Of course.”


Ethan nodded and walked to the back of the Cheron towards its small
engineering section.

( reply any on the Cheron if you wish)
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