The runabout careened through space as Henry sat alone.  They had started off with ten passengers as they’d left Bravo.  Each of them had found a place to go as they’d traveled.  Now it was just down to him and the impending arrival at Starbase Eos.  The application had been summarily ignored by the ships and stations he’d applied to until Eos had picked him up.

He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he was relieved to be away from Bravo and the memories that had nearly broken him. Now he was finding his way to a station that, by all reports, was at the back end of the line where no one wanted to be.  Henry had considered trying for other assignments after being rejected, but he’d recognized that his hands were in need of something to do.  Eos station represented the best chance for him to get to work and find his mind time to process the loss through work.

“Lieutenant, we’re dropping out of warp.” The pilot slammed the runabout into impulse and aimed for the station.  Longfellow glanced out the front window from his seat.  The station was old, but he chuckled to himself – sometimes, he felt old too.  They’d be a good pairing, the station and him.  He fiddled with his PADD as the pilot slipped the runabout into a docking port with a thump.  “Last stop, Eos Station.”

Henry stood wearily from his seat and waved to the pilot as he walked through the runabout to the dock and onto the station.  It was what he had expected.  No shiny corridors.  It even had an old aroma, as if the dead and dying spirits were hanging about, waiting to see if this new command would even last the night.  Glancing at his chrono he decided he wasn’t going to attempt to see what lay ahead in sickbay.  That was a morning job, and he needed to find his quarters and rest. The new start on an old station was going to be his most interesting posting yet.

Four years prior, late 2396

“Robert,” Drew called out after the man as he darted down the hall, “wait up.” Drew knew it was a stretch hoping that the former Captain would stop. He also knew that up the corridor, to the left, was a somewhat populated lounge. He didn’t want to have this conversation in front of more people than needed. “Robert,” Drew caught up, placing a hand on the man’s left shoulder, “stop.”

Abernathy spun around and, with a slight shove, put some distance between the two. “Tell me something,” he sneered, “Drew was that a complete setup, or did you just cook that up at the end?”

Drew should have expected that he was instrumental in getting the man demoted. “You were there,” he added, “I knew they were planning something, but I had no idea. You can’t pin this all on me, Robert.” Drew got in front of the man and looked at him, “you were bull-headed, temperamental, stubborn, and refused to answer their questions professionally. What did you expect them to do, write it off, and smile as they left?”

“I don’t have to be…” he growled as he pushed Drew out of the way. “Excuse me, Admiral,” his tone dripping with sarcasm. I need to take care of a few things. Unknown to Abernathy several Security Officers were turning the corner, and the Commander was seen shoving a Flag Officer.

However, Drew waved them off. This was why he wanted to avoid this area. “You are not dismissed, Commander,” Drew stated firmly, “you will follow me to Ops, where we will discuss your future in the ready room.

In the history of turbolift rides, the trip to the Ops Center had to be one of the longest either man had seen. The tension between the two was thick and severely uncomfortable. Many passengers left the lift before their stops rather than stand between them. They traveled the main lift, through the center of the station, in complete silence. Drew wanted to say several things but knew that the occasional passenger would interrupt things.

The two walked across the main floor of Ops to the large office Drew had been occupying for the last three months. It was a lovely space, but it didn’t have the same feel as his old one. It was too big. “Robert,” he stated as the door closed behind him. “I am sorry about the demotion, I truly am,” the Admiral added, “you can be pissed at the world, angry at the entire Federation, and me… but that doesn’t change the fact that a part of you brought this on yourself.”

Drew raised a hand, refusing to allow the man to speak, “you are correct, none of us were there, and we don’t know how we would have acted if we were. Star Fleet can take their models, reports, and holographic outcomes and shove them up their asses. We weren’t there.” He could see Abernathy briefly relax but still maintain his defiant posture. “I can’t say I would have done anything differently; hell, I might have done the same thing faced with that outcome. But that is not important, now.”

Drew walked to a nearby cabinet and poured the two men a drink. “I can say that I know Commodore Patton; she wouldn’t have come here with that intention. She meant it when she says she was trying to find another solution.”

Abernathy took the drink as he downed the entire glass all at once. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I wish I had never answered that call from you on Risa.”

“And I wish I hadn’t called you,” Drew stated, “I should have commanded that mission myself.”

Abernathy was still distraught, and he wanted to lash out, scream at the man, or at the very least tell him what he thought of him. But the simple fact was his career was in the man’s hands. He had to play the part until something worked out. “I can’t say that I trust this whole thing wasn’t a setup,” Abernathy replied, “something doesn’t add up for me, but it’s too late now. Everything I’ve built and established is gone. So now I am stuck on this rock with you, Sir….”

Drew nodded; he wanted to tell the man his attitude tanked his career. His inability to work with others and his refusal to listen to reason. But the man wasn’t yelling or shoving, so perhaps this wasn’t a good time. Clearly, the two had a lot to work out, and the tension was still just as thick. “Your career is still fixable if you are willing to do the work?”

“I’m listening,” he folded his arms in a defensive posture.

Drew sighed, more of that Abernathy determination. He was going to have to work on that. “To be honest, my command here needs help. I can’t give each piece the attention it needs. I am the Sector Commander, the Regional Diplomat, the Commanding Officer of this station, a father, and a problem solver all wrapped into one. The locals below are unhappy; Starfleet hasn’t met the conditions for keeping this station in their planet’s orbit. The Breen are popping up all over the border, and pirates are attacking our transports faster than we can keep up.”

“So, where do you see me fitting into this,” Abernathy again demanded, with his arms still folded.

“Starfleet isn’t going to let me give you command of the station,” Drew raised a hand before the man could continue his previous rant. “But your position here is at my discretion, so I want you to take over as my Adjutant and assume the duties of Officer in Charge of the station. You’d handle all the station’s day-to-day operations while I focus on the other side of my job. Officially the station’s Executive Officer but with a bit more power.”

“Sure, and have you looking over my shoulder questioning my every move,” Abernathy retorted, “as it would still be your command, right?”

“It’s not the perfect setup. Yes, it is still my command, but I don’t have time,” Drew was honest, “I don’t care how many plasma injectors we have or if the cargo in cargobay one was searched. I don’t have time to deal with all the repairs, crew staffing, duty reports, and incoming traffic. You will run the station with all the authority you need, acting on my behalf. If I have a problem, I will come to you. This,” he gestured to the sizeable Ready Room, “is now your office. There is still some empty office space on deck7, far from here,” he added, “I’ll have operations work on converting that into the space I need.”

“Look, I know it’s not perfect, but it’s the best I can do now,” Drew stated, “in time after the dust has settled, who knows….”

“Your people won’t like this,” Abernathy replied.

“Our people,” Drew stressed, “can get over it; they will adapt.”

Abernathy knew it was true; this was a good outcome. Drew could have moved him to a Department Head; he could have assigned him to one of the garrison ships babysitting the sector. This was not what he expected. Abernathy wasn’t going to give in too fast; he had to keep the upper hand.

“I believe the correct reply is yes, Sir,” Drew added, “besides, it was already assigned; you start now, Commander..”

Abernathy growled; Drew was already two steps ahead of him.

Looking out the door, Drew saw Miller entering Ops. “I will be back in a bit; your first order of business is to talk to your Operations staff and loop them in,” Drew ordered, “I will meet up with you later.”

Before Abernathy could reply, Drew turned and left. He wanted to run after the man, drag him back into here, and finish this talk. But he knew that wouldn’t go over well. Assaulting a Flag Officer twice in one day wasn’t going to look good on his record. He’d continue this talk later. He still didn’t like this, but who knows what could happen over time?

Abernathy stormed out of the Ready Room, “I want a report from Station Operations,” he demanded. He looked around the room. He was sure this was the end of his career. There was no way that Starfleet would ever move him back into command after this.  

His entire career ended with one little word, guilty. There was no one left, no one to help him. No one to save him. And, indeed, no one to help him get back on track. If anything, he had to make this work to regain the trust that was once bestowed upon him. He walked over to the nearest replicator and ordered a coffee.  He sipped his coffee, “no,” he said, looking around to make sure no one was there. This station would not be the end of his career; he was determined to fix this, to show Michaels he could move past this.

~fin

Granth stood up from his seat as the runabout neared Eos Station, his case of tools in one hand, his personal belongings in the other. He peered quietly over the pilot’s shoulders at the controls. The pilot gave him a cautious warning glare. Granth smiled sheepishly and stepped back. He wasn’t surprised the little incident of him crashing a runabout into a station was known. Heck, it was likely used as a teaching example in the academy now. 

He studied the profile of the station as it came closer. He pursed his lips with a small frown. Already he could just tell he had a lot of work to do. Engineer’s gut feeling and all. 

A lot of younger folks would apply to more central stations and Eos was far from ideal for them. It wasn’t glamorous or luxurious and quite remote. It was tun down and old, barely funtional. Which is exactly what Granth wanted. A little remote, a bit quite and constantly busy for some time.

The runabout slowed to impulse and started the docking procedure. Granth waved at and thanked the pilot, stepped out into the station.

He immediately winced at disrepair he saw. Engineer’s gut was right. This was home for the next forseeable future. He liked it.

Longfellow had walked the hallways of the Eos station, his thermos of tea in one hand and his PADD in the other.  It had been confirmed that the station was in abject disrepair.  Every corner he had turned had found additional layers of the dysfunction that the station was exhibiting.  Henry wondered if this had truly been the best choice he could have made or if he had made the decision in the heat of the emotions of loss.

He had walked slower down the corridor towards sickbay.  The truth was much harder to face for Henry, he realized.  They’d taken to space together and in agreement that they needed something different…something bigger.  Now he looked around the large station, wondering if he’d come too far into the black.  Maybe if they had stayed on Earth, Thea would be alive.

It was impossible to know.  He knew this in his mind.  But his heart was the bigger of the two in this moment.  He would need to get to work and put his hands on something he could control and manage.  Henry stepped in front of the doors to sickbay and waited.  And waited.

And waited.  There was a spark and hiss from the door mechanics as Longfellow stepped back slowly, muttering a “What the hell?”.  He glanced at the door frame for a moment, looking for an errant sensor or something.  Seeing none, he stepped to the door again.  This time it shuddered halfway open, giving the doctor cause to curse quietly under his breath.  Grumbling, he pushed and pulled the doors open with significant effort trying to get into his sick bay.  Ten minutes later, he had the doors opened.  They had tried to close, but the mechanics within the door had given a groan and a shriek before grinding to a painful halt.  He sighed and tapped his communications badge, “Chief Longfellow to engineering.”

Granth was on his hands and knees; the side panels of a console and various wires and tools lay in a disarray around him. He had his head in the console, shining a light around. His commbadge going off startled him. He shot up and banged the back of his head on the console, emitting a few expletives. He crawled out and sat on the floor, tapping his commbadge, “Krajj here. How may I be of assistance to you, Longfellow?”

Henry explained that his door troubles allowing, “Given the state of the station, your list is probably longer than the trip to the Moon and back again…but I wanted to put it on your list.  I don’t think I’ll be getting any patients anytime soon…but a functional door would be nice in a few days or so.”

Krajj emitted a small snort, his tone a bit sarcastic, “Which moon? Considering I just hit my head, you may be getting some soon.” He spoke as he stood and gathered his tools up, “That’s high priority, actually. Especially for medical. I’ll head over right now, Longfellow.” He double-checked his tools to make sure he had them, already headed towards Medical.

Henry chuckled to himself as the channel closed and went about getting sickbay ready for the chief engineer’s arrival.  He noted the lights were starting to flicker, and the consoles were not fully powered.  The dust and disrepair were a constant observation.  He quickly wiped down one biobed and snagged one of the working medical tricorders as the CEO stepped through the door.

Granth strode into Medical and lets out a low whistle, “You have just as much work as I do… Ah.” He stopped and pulled out his PADD, making a list, “Doors, lighting, consoles, looks like wiring issues…”

Longfellow gave him a nod and gestured to the room, “Welcome to the continuing story of the station of mess.”  He slipped out the aging medical tricorder, “I’m going to need to get me some more modern equipment.”  He completed the scan.

Krajj looked amused at Longfellow, “Lemme know what you need, and I can put in an order with my equipment. Wonder how off that thing is bout my head.”

Henry chuckled, “I’d say put some ice on it, but what this dinosaur can tell me is you’ll live.”  He tossed the scanner onto a table.

The Chief Engineer looked horribly confused, “I’m going to need you to elaborate on what a dinosaur is.”

“Old Earth history.  Massive beasts that roamed and ruled the earth millions of years ago.  It’s a metaphor for how old that tricorder is…old enough to be a museum.”

Granth nodded slowly as he listened, “I should look into that later; sounds interesting.” He turned to indicate toward the doors, “Do you know about the manual override? I should send out a notice informing about it, I think.”

Henry chuckled as he realized, “I hadn’t even thought about that, Chief.”  He moved to the doorway and, after some searching, found it on both sides beneath a rusting and dusty panel that opened with a creak and groan, “Well, it exists.”  He examined the unit on the inside of sickbay, “It looks like it still works.”  He glanced at the CEO.

Granth nodded firmly, “I would sure hope so. Its purpose is to open the doors in case of power failure.” He strode up to the door and did a scan with his tricorder, “You mean to say that you were wrenching on it to open it with your hands?”

The chief medical officer glanced at the door and then back to the CEO, “It took me some time…but eventually, I got it open enough to get in.”

Krajj looked quite amused, “I am impressed by your strength!” His eyes snapped make to his tricorder, scowling at it. He muttered a few expletives and whacked it on his palm several times. It gave a pathetic, warbled chirp. The Chief Engineer lifted his eyes to the ceiling; briefly, lips tightly pursed. He shook his head and strode to the panel that Henry had opened, “I suppose I will have to do this the old-fashioned way. I’ll place in order for up-to-date medical and engineering supplies, it seems!” 

Henry felt for the chief engineer.  There was no greater position on a ship or station that was harder than the one in charge of keeping it running.  The hardest part for this chief engineer was the station was woefully out of date and had come ‘as is,” which meant that to get it where it needed to be – there was significant work ahead.  “I’ll get you my wishlist shortly, Chief.”

Granth pulled out a little light and peered into the panel. He wrinkled his nose, “I’ll clean out the panel too. The circuitry is way out of date, and there’s damage to some of the wiring. Should be a pretty basic fix, no more than an hour unless I run into more issues. Wires and circuit boards well stocked.” He straightened up and looked at the CMO.

Longfellow was thankful for the man’s attention to detail, “I would have been happy with a Tuesday in the near future – an hour is well within ‘miracle’ territory.”  He gestured to the rest of the room, “I’m going to start my side of getting this place from ugly to beauty.”

Granth chuckled, “I consider medical to be top priority, especially with the shape this place is in. I’m happy to bump it higher on my worklist.” He paused, considering his next words. He gestured towards Henry, “Tell you what, make me a list of what is broken and needs fixing or replacing and send it to me; I’ll get fixing things. Sound good?”

Henry gave him a quiet and thankful nod, “Your a good Chief.  I’ll lend my hands where I can – I took some engineering training over the years.”

Granth gave the doctor a wide smile, “I’ll be back with those parts and get to work on that door….” He gave a firm nod and turned to head out.

Longfellow turned to the sickbay, giving it a long look, “Well, best get to work.”

The travel was bumpy, and the passenger area was basically empty, yet a woman was sitting there as she stroked her hair over her ear while reading something on her padd. She was catching up on all the personnel of this base. It was a bunch of troubled-minded people. People with various backgrounds, specific weights on their shoulders, and bad choices reflected on their day-to-day operational function. 

A soft smile appeared on her face as she laid down the padd and looked out the transport window, seeing how the ship was still in the warp. The Captain of the Kennedy could not quite understand why she accepted the call out for a Counselor in a remote location that was in the demise and despair of repairs and updates. But it was not so much the station condition that made it appealing for her to go there. It was the people that were so mixed that appealed to her. Finally, she admitted to her former Captain that Kennedy was in fine and stable condition. She did not worry about it. 

“Arrival at Eos Station, please bare for drop out of warp,” the announcement came as Arwa sat back in her chair as the transport vessel dropped out of warp. The ship slides into the controlled space of Eos Station as the station comes into view for Arwa. Her eyes looked at it and saw the station’s condition. “They were not joking about the demise condition of this place….” She muttered to herself.

The ship gained permission to dock as it made its landing approach. Arwa grabbed her bag and walked to the docking port waiting for the magical sound of approved docking. The green light lit up as the door slides open, making her move forward to the checking area. While walking, she observed the people around her, Starfleet Officers tense, agitated, or frustrated. She didn’t even arrive yet at the checking in and heard people already complaining about being sent to such a location as this “Name and position” a voice came up suddenly as Arwa snapped back to attention.

“Arwa el-Imam, Head Counselor,” She said with a soft smile to the Security Officer, that looked bored down at his console. She waits a few minutes until Arwa shrugs a bit. “There a problem, Ensign?” The man looked at her and ignored her, only to look back down at the console. Arwa started to tap her feet on the ground as she wanted to say something about it. “You are good to go, Lieutenant el-Imam. Enjoy your stay at Eos Station” The Security Officer waved her to the side so the next person could go to him. Taking a breather as she would deal with him at the last moment because, eventually, he had to report to her for an evaluation.

She entered the main area and stopped there, looking around and seeing how lively it was. It may not be fully operational by Starfleet, but locals had already made it their home, and she smiled, letting this be the cool down she needed from her earlier interaction. “Welcome to Eos Station Arwa…we got work to do,” She mutters to herself. 

Wandering around the Promenade, Arwa was trying to get a feel for the station, its people, and their situation. Since her quick arrival at the base, the Engineers were going to be trouble-minded. Not so much that they would be troubled, but the amount of work laid ahead for them was no easy task. This means that these poor souls would get into a state of burn-out if they were not careful. 

Having her hands behind her, she looked around the living area. Her eyes were fixed on a man working on a generator. She stopped and looked at him, letting a soft smile appear as she walked to him and looked at what he was doing. “Quite fascinating to see such a fragile piece of technology being restored and maintained by such experienced hands.”

Granth was kneeling on the ground, an array of spanners, welders, wires and circuitry around him. He had his PADD in hand, looking at a schematic of the generator. He had to admit, he wasn’t familiar with technology this old. It was a learning curve for him. He looked up as he was spoken to and flashed the woman a bright smile, “You flatter me, miss. Its both a headache and a miracle I feel.” He studied her for a moment, then said, “Must be a new face around here. I haven’t seen you before– Granted we all are new I suppose.”

Nodding to his description of the problem, “Does sound like a miracle worth the headache” Arwa continued to smile at him. “That is a keen observation there; I believe you are the Chief Engineering of this station if my dossier is not outdated. I believe you have a famous nickname…that just stuck with me. What was it again” She tapped her shin and then nodded to herself, pointing at him. “Crash, right? I am Arwa, officially the station’s new Counselor.”

Granth’s cheeks flushed at the mention of his nickname, “Oh dear, that made it onto the dossier?! Likely with a warning to never let me pilot.” He pushed himself to his feet and brushed off his hands and offered her a handshake. He learned quickly that it was a proper greeting action for humans, “Granth, Crash, Krajj, Mister Fix-it… No preference what you call me. That would be me! Welcome aboard. Something tells me you may become just as busy as the Engineers.”

Seeing the dirty hand, she grinned to herself and just shook the man’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you. Yes, this station is a bunch of new challenges, that’s for sure. But of course, the amount of stress being put on your team builds up every time you guys fix something and somewhere else breaks it down. So I expect the visit rates from the engineering department to be rather high” She lets go of his hand “But it is good that I get to talk to their chief first. You left quite a …situation behind from your former home Commander. Every person that has endured something like what you did got a mental hit by it. Are you okay leaving it as it is?” Instead, she dove deep, seeing that no one was in the area. A light talk could be squeezed out.

Granth blinked rapidly a few times. He wasn’t expecting her to dive in so quickly, but he also half expected such from a counsellor. He nodded fitmly once, “Feel free to send me lists of what is broken when you find it, I’ll get to it when I can or send one of my engineers out… Ah.” He paused momentarily before continuing, “I suppose the definition of being ‘okay’ is subjective on who you ask and who is asking.”

Noticing that she hit a snare, she nods to the offer “I tend to be a sacrificing person as my needs for a perfect office can wait. Plus, I rarely stay in the office. I rather am in the field, only for private talks I stay there” She eyed the Commander as if she was giving him an open invite. “How is the morale under your men? Most newcomers like us will be shocked at the state of the base and knowing the situation we are in currently.”

He nodded at that, “I already did a walk through of medical, wouldn’t hurt to do a walk through of your office as well. There’s a bout of malfunctioning doors lately. Can also discuss my definition of ‘okay’, if you are so keen.” He caught on and looked faintly amused. At the question of how the other engineers under him were, he inhaled sharply through his teeth, “Broken, desolute, depressed, tired souls. I think that describes the Engineers but also most the station.”

She placed her hands behind her back and nodded at what he said. “Well, my doors are….malfunctioning open for you as I am keen on having your mental health as tiptoe as it can be” Hearing the information coming from the station chief acknowledged the dire situation of the station. An average person would ask why they would be here if it were such a dump, but Arwa’s eyes glitter at hearing it. “Well, it confirms my suspicion about the condition of this base and its people. There is a lot of work to do for us both” Hearing suddenly a light drop from behind them as she looked over her shoulder in the direction, “Well, the station is falling apart…”

Hearing that, Granth leaned to the side slightly to peer around Arwa. He gave a long suffering sigh and tapped his commbadge, “Commander Krajj to Engineering. Need two to the Promanade to fix a downed light on grid C-7… no, like actually downed. On the ground. Smashed. Thanks.” He closed the line. He looked back at her, “I suppose having the department heads with a clean bill makes things much easier? I am not opposed to it…”

Arwa was still surprised at the light when he finally looked back at him. “I think no one has a clean bill, or you wouldn’t have gained a special notation in your records being…crash, right?” Arwa laughs softly. “If your department is being like this, I am going to avoid my department” It was true that she had not visited the office yet, wondering how many requests were waiting on her and the pile of files. 

Granth chuckled and nodded slightly, “It might be safe to use Medical as a temporary office. I’m sure Longfellow won’t mind and would understand. At least till I can give a safety sweep.” Offering a bit of humour, he says, “No, you are right, I think my bill has engine grease on it. A few coffee stains maybe.” He waved a hand rather non-chalantly, “Crash was from crashing a shuttle into a base right out of the Academy. Not my best moment.”

Leaning carefully at the generator he was working on, “Do tell, how did you get into a situation by ….well crashing a shuttle into the Academy? It sounds like an impressive feat that should not be honored” She notices a single engineer walking to the broken light as if he found the danger and smiles at it. 

A bit of colour tinges Granth’s cheeks, “Distracted piloting. My at the time partner decided docking time was an opportune time for a kiss. I’d rather admit I fell asleep at the throttle.” He kept a side eye on the Engineer, ready to swoop in like some overprotective parent at the slightest hint of trouble.

She rose her hand to stop the idea of him barging in. “The bird needs to learn to fly by themself; making mistakes is sometimes a natural process of improving” She looked back from the Engineer to him. “So a kiss is all it takes to make you crash into the Academy and be a life lesson study material for future cadets?” Arwa laughs softly. “I wonder what you will crash into at this base, Commander.”

The blush from his admission did not fade, “I’ll scan and inspect it at a later time. The circuitry is annoyingly fiddly here. Strange mix of new and old.” Granth snorted and folded his arms, “I hope I don’t crash into anything. Command may not like that and I think I am getting a bit old for that.’

“You are never old to repeat former mistakes. So I guess that this base is a perfect fit then. A mix of old and new combined to function somehow,” She said, realizing that it made some sense in her head. “But I am not going to hold you off your work any longer as there is still a lot to do” She pushes off the generator. As it moves, it starts to function and purr like a little kitty cat. “Well, how about that.” 

Granth chuckled, “I’ll do a sweep of your office soo–” He stared at the generator, “How the heck did you do that!?” He looked at her, “Ever consider a transfer to engineering? Could get you to lean on everything to make it work!” He chuckled and shook his head in disbelief, “Been tinkering on that for hours.”

Walking at his side, pathing his shoulder “It’s a trait secret” She winked at him and had no clue how she did it as she walked away. “See you soon for that talk, Chief” Arwa was going to enjoy this station more than she expected, with new problems and challenges. 

Granth waved at her, “Till later!” He stooped to gather his tools and parts, puzzled by the generator’s sudden fix. A mystery to solve at a later time.

With her arrival at Eos Station, it was only respectful and logical to go towards the sick bay and get an evaluation on her medical dossier so that the Chief Medical was up to date on her condition, even though she had none. Though she admitted that Dr. Longfellow was an interesting person who had served medical for years, he had to endure some complex changes that were brought upon him.

Walking into the sick bay, she looked around as a nurse walked toward her. “Care to state your medical status?” The Vulcan spoke as Arwa smiled at her. “Here to see Dr. Longfellow for medical evaluation of Lieutenant el-Imam. I just arrived” The Vulcan nodded and moved to get him. “Please wait”

Longfellow tapped at the station at the biobed. Then stabbed at it with his finger. Then slammed it with the palm of his hand. The screen flickered, then died…, and then turned back on again in a reboot loop. It took a minute before the screen displayed the logo of Starfleet and welcomed input from a user. He sighed. It was day two of his sickbay clean-up process, and while the day had gotten started a few hours earlier, it wasn’t over, and neither were the needs of the ancient sickbay and archaic systems he was trying to force into working.

“Dr. Longfellow?”  His newly assigned Vulcan nurse moved into his peripheral vision.

He turned and accepted one of the few working PADDs from her, “A Lieutenant el-Imam…chief counselor.”  He looked around and settled on the one working bed in the room so far, “Have her come to bed five, Ensign Von.”  The officer nodded.

Von returned to Arwa “Dr. Longfellow will see you now, please make your way to bed five” 

Looking back at the woman, she nodded. “Thank you, Ensign,” She replied and walked towards the beds noticing the flickering displays on some of the beds and blinking her eyes a few times before stopping at the assigned bed where she was supposed to go. “Doctor,” She stated. 

Longfellow glanced up and gestured to the bed, “Sit on up, Lieutenant. Welcome to Eos station…or what’s left of it.”  He accepted a tricorder from Von and had to motivate the unit to work.

Hopping onto the bed, she heard a crack that made her look concerned at the doctor. “I swear I am on a diet” She joked a bit. “Thank you for the welcome. Welcome to yourself as well. If your dossier says it correctly, you are also new arrival, no?”

Henry ran the tricorder over her, “The beds are barely holding together…this one was the only one to pass the weight stress test.”  He glanced at the results, “So it’s not you, I assure you.  We’ve been putting this place through its paces.”  He handed the bulky device to Von to copy the results onto the PADD in her hands.  He returned his attention to the new head counselor as he began the physical examination, “You seem to be at least well informed, Lieutenant.”

“Well, I do tend to have a lot of fly time going through the files of my fellow senior officers, I am still going through the bulk of dossier of everyone on this base, and some are ….missing as in no one ever did them” Arwa shrugs at that as she lets the doctor continue his medical job.

A chuckle, “Counseling is hit or miss on some assignments.  Sometimes it’s a professional sitting in the chair…other times it’s a slouch who does the minimum.”  He accepted the PADD from Von as he recorded his findings, “I suppose the question is…which one are you?”

“It is kinda what I am here for, dear Doctor, one doing my medical check and two to see what your mental condition is. I …” Looking at the Vulcan who was occupied, “Tend to have read your dossier, and you had quite the experience before you came here. Is this place salvation or your place to progress your mourning period?” Making a flexing movement as the doctor requested.

Longfellow felt his heart speed up a little, and he nodded to Von to step away.  He completed his reading of her muscles and set the PADD down on the bed, and gave her a long look, “You don’t waste time getting to work, do you, Lieutenant el-Imam.”  He contemplated his next words and arrived on, “I’m not sure this place is anyone’s salvation…and I’m sure you’re aware of how long mourning someone close to you can take.”  He considered her a moment longer before finishing with, “I am willing to discuss my situation in the comforts of your office…not in mine.”

It was easier for him to open up than expected. Still, seeing that the area was entirely occupied by other personnel, respecting their privacy was in her patient’s best interest. “Understandable. I am still waiting for our Chief Engineer to come by my office to do a safety check. As you might have noticed, the base is out of date” Patching the bed softly as dust came off, it made her wipe her hand off her uniform. 

Henry chuckled at that, “They say there’s no school like the old school but in this case…I’d rather have some modern technology.”  He tapped at his PADD, “Everything looks good, Lieutenant el-Imam.  Far as my aging equipment can tell, you are cleared for duty.  Welcome aboard Eos Station.”

With that said, she hopped off the bed as it finally gave in and cracks down. Arwa looked back at it “Oh, I‘m sorry, doctor….” Arwa shrugs as she scratch behind her head “Welcome to you too, doc I guess we see each other soon?”

Longfellow gave a slight shrug, “It’s just another item to add to the engineering list.  We’ll see each other again for sure.”  He watched as she left.  Von stared at the bed and then back to him, a placid look of Vulcan annoyance on her face.  Henry handed her the PADD, “Let’s keep the list going, ensign.”  They both returned to work.

Longfellow had closed sickbay and had limped to his quarters.  His uniform was caked in dirt, dust, and whatever else he had managed to scrape off the floors, walls, beds – everything from one end to the other…and he still wasn’t finished.  He had found ten broken medical tricorders and two mildly working ones.  PADDs were nonexistent, so he’d had to scrounge around to get at least one.  The list he had send to the Chief Engineer had started small and then he had simply given up trying to limit his needs, so the list filled ten pages of his PADD before he finally sent it off, knowing there would be more lists to come in time.

The sonic shower in his quarters did work, and he was thankful that it did.  He spent a half hour washing the grime and work off his body, slipping into an off-duty tunic and pants.  He’d heard a bar location had opened up with a legitimate Master Sommelier.  The place was called The Scottish Tap, and while Henry had never been a heavy drinker or a social drinker…he had always recognized the importance of rewarding oneself after doing a particularly long and heavy-filled day of duty on duty.

He walked in the doors and looked around.

Haggis had been busy from the beginning of his time on Eos. This station was old, and his business area was a complete mess, but with some hours of sweat, he had changed that around and made the brand that of his chain.

He had worked for hours transporting his alcohol into the area and getting his displays set. The job was easier, with some of his transport workers helping him get things set up. Haggis had been in this business for years, and with all his locations, somehow, people had heard of him. 

Finally, after the hard work, he opened officially for the first time. He lit a cigar and sat relaxed behind the bar with a glass of scotch. He heard a chime and stood up with a huge grin on his face. 

“Welcome tae th’ scottish tap friend! Is thare anyway ah kin hulp ye wit th’day?“ He said quite boisterously. 

Longfellow felt a small smile drift across his tired face as he walked to the bar and pushed himself up on a stool, “Something smooth and light…not strong enough to knock me out but even enough to sit and sip while I reflect on the day I had.”

Haggis nodded and immediately grabbed the bottle behind him of Baileys Irish Cream and poured it into a glass before handing it to the newcomer. “’ere ye go let me know whit ye think o’ this.” he said as he tossed his now unlit and spent cigar into the tray on the bar.

Henry accepted the glass and took a slow sip.  It warmed him and reminded him of days spent on ranches in Montana.  He lifted the glass in thanks, “This is what I needed.”  He gestured at the cigar, “You have any experience in those as well?  Been a while since I had myself a solid stogie.”

Haggis smirked and bent under the counter to return with a box of cigars. He opened the box and produced one of the cigars. A Padron 1964 Anniversary Series. “This be yin o’ th’ best.” He smiled and cut the tip of the cigar before handing it to the man and motioning for him to light it and try it out

The doctor accepted the cigar and deftly lit it as if he’d been doing it for years.  Which, in truth, he had.  His younger days had involved the things, and he’d drifted away as he’d become a medical practitioner.  He took a soft pull and enjoyed the aroma as the feelings of yesteryear floated in the back of his mind.  He knew he couldn’t make this a habit as he had in his younger days, but it felt good to sip on a drink and enjoy a smoke in the downtime.  “That is a beautiful thing.”  He gave the man a nod of thanks, “What brought you all the way out here with us misfit toys, anyway?”

Haggis smiled “Ah wis wanting tae mak’ sure  everybody gets th’ guid stuff” He motioned to his bar and all that was in it. He took another puff of the cigar and motioned to the man’s glass to fill it again. 

Henry was tempted to push the limits, but he was old enough to know that his grief would gladly have refilled the glass.  He gave a wave of thanks, “One was enough for tonight, I think.”  He held up the cigar, “This…this I might come back for every night.  Well worth it.”  He lay the cigar down, “I think I’d best retire for the night.  There’s much work to be done in sickbay still…and these tired bones need rest.”

Haggis nodded “Thay wull be ‘ere! hae a great nicht!” He said as he led the newfound customer back out the door handing him a cigar for the road. He prided himself in doing the best for his customers and this was one way he did just that.

The dim lights of the council’s office were nothing more but a rusty feature of an old station. Some junior councilors were busy with their session, but Arwa was in her office, sitting in her chair, leaning backward. Not talking, not moving, but staring at the PADD, she was holding in her right hand. An old rapport on the PADD spoke of an event in 2398 on the USS Kennedy. The ship had to endure the horrors of what wickedness could do, and it took months for Arwa to get it out of her crew system.

For months the USS Kennedy was near the Cardassian Union in conversations with various parties, representatives, and spokespeople to get the trade lines back between the Union and the Federation. But in 2398, Kennedy responded to a classic situation of a cry for help. The transport ship Victus was critically damaged and needed help very quickly. But when arriving at the scene, the enemy who assaulted the Victus was already gone, leaving the crippled ship afloat in space.

The Captain assembled an away team to move quickly to the Victus and begin medical and engineering operations to keep life support going. But what they saw on that ship when they beamed into it was not even for Arwa, something to be put in mere words. The transport ship had forged their transport papers from cargo transportation of goods to entire people transportation in the not-so-legal sense. Because of the unknown ship attack, the unlucky passengers of the Victus were on the receiving end of the brutality of space combat. 

Blown away from the mere mental shock that the away team had to endure, it was Arwa that requested immediate medical aid from the Kennedy. Then, the away team started to tag those critically injured, as the Captain of the Victus was arrested for illegal transportation without a proper license. Eventually, Starfleet sent in additional support for this operation.

The tension of the ship crew against the crew of the USS Kennedy was immense, as they both were gritting their teeth over what had happened at the Victus. Even though the records of spacial scans clearly showed that the Cardassian ship was the cause of the attack on the Victus, the situation on the ship itself made it a challenging case to deal with. The aftermath of that event made Arwa realize that not every soul can be saved from the own choices they produce over time and repeatedly fall into the same hole of temptation.  

Arwa shrugs as she places the PADD down. The PADD title stated, “Lieutenant el-Imam, you are at this moment requested to attend a holographic attention to the JAG case against the cargo ship Victus” The hatred built from within the crew of the Kennedy emotions against the crew of the Victus was immense. It was her responsibility to her Captain to keep them in line with a mental condition as good as possible. But the problem with this very case, with this same event, was that Arwa wanted to shove that Captain out of the airlock herself. It was unacceptable how that crew threatened these people, children were severely injured, and they were lucky that no lives were lost if they had occurred. 

Leaning forward, she sighed and began typing a message to her Captain about the court date. She was obligated to show, but needed time to mentally prepare for the face-off against the Victus Captain in that room. Her emotions were her biggest enemy, her inner frustration her biggest fear. Her testimony would be biased if she couldn’t hold a stand. With a single swipe up, the letter of absence due to JAG’s appearance was sent to her new Captain. This was not something she wanted to bother her new Captain with, but formality overruled her in this situation. 

From near the back of the craft, Robert glanced up from his PADD. Sure there were better ways for the Commanding Officer to travel to his assignment, but this was the fastest. Or, so he told himself. Robert leaned back as far as he could in his chair; Eos wasn’t his first choice. Hell, Eos wasn’t even on his list. However, he’d spent the better part of four years attempting to get his Captain’s rank back. So if Starfleet gave him Eos, then he took it. 

He looked to the man traveling next to him, “business on the station, or traveling through?”

Haggis had been quiet for most of the trip, which was rare given his nature, but he had been traveling for days to get to his destination and was exhausted. Eos was not an easy place to get to. In fact, from any research, he could find it seemed to be a forgotten relic of a time long past. His thoughts were interrupted by the man next to him 

“Definitely nae buzz especially nae at eos. A’m heading thare fur business. Whit aboot yersel’?” He said in a thick Scottish accent, something he seemed to never be able to shake.

Robert listened for a bit, truthfully he was having trouble understanding the man. He hadn’t heard an accent that thick in some time. ”I would like to say traveling through however fate I am sure will keep me there longer than I would like it to.“ Robert chuckled, ”fate seems to get her way lately. I heard it said life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.“

He gestured out the window, I keep making plans, but life tends to get in the way.”

Haggis nodded “Life seems tae dae that tae even th’ best o’ us. Fate is a pure nasty mistress thay say, bit her lessons seem tae steer us oan th’ richt path.“ Haggis smiled trying to encourage the man next to him

Robert nodded, “four years ago I never could have thought that Eos was on the horizon but,” he nodded, “here we both are.” Robert couldn’t help but continue to think about the accent, and now he really wanted to know what the man’s business was on the station. How did this Scottish man fit into his future? Was he an Officer? A Civilian? Or worse, some sort of Ambassador? He wasn’t about to ask, not yet. 

Haggis just smiled at the comment. Though he wasn’t sure who the man was, he knew that if he were headed to Eos, he would probably deal with them if not in the selling of alcohol, but in the day-to-day operations of a space station. He knew, at times, it was best not to ask questions that could cause issues, and such a question could do just that. Haggis had put a lot into the starting of this store, and the amount of alcohol being shipped there would make most people have wide eyes. 

He looked back at the man and extended his hand “Th’ name is Haggis McCreery.”

Robert returned the gesture with a firm reply, “Robert Abernathy, most of my friends just call me Abe.”  As he snapped his fingers, Robert looked at the man for a bit, “The Scottish Tap.”  He smiled, “I remember seeing this face on the news a while back, something about a new location for your business. A branching out..” he stopped, “don’t tell me that is the adventure that awaits you on Eos?”

Haggis nodded “Yer gey observant indeed a’m setting up a freish business oan eos. Nae ferr sure whit th’ Captain o’ th’ station wull say.” He said seeing if his new friend knows anything about the Captain.

Robert took off his glasses as he rubbed his temples, “I don’t think the Captain will be much of a problem for ya. Robert wasn’t sure if he should tell the man who he was or just live in the moment and allow time to take its course. Robert was almost ready to reply when a voice from behind him interrupted his mental thoughts. 

“Excuse me, Sirs,” the young Officer nodded, “Captain, we are almost ready to begin our docking procedures with Eos Station. Chief of Operations Miller has already sent someone down to meet us and is ready to begin your tour.” 

Robert smiled, “like I said, the Captain shouldn’t have too much of a problem,” he looked to Haggis. “Tell Chief Miller to forgo his plans,” Robert looked to the Officer, “I’d like to get settled in and walk my new friend here to his establishment. I’ll get to Ops when I am ready.”

Haggis grinned as he had assumed there was more to this man than had been revealed. “Sae yer th’ captain, weel ah woul be honored tae hae yer escort.” He pulled out two cigars and offered the Captain one. 

“How aboot joining me captain?” he said grinning even bigger.

“Not sure it’s within the rules,” Robert took the offered item and grinned, “but I haven’t reported for duty yet either.”  He did enjoy a good cigar every now and then. Robert watched as the pilot docked with the station, and the all-clear was given to depart. Robert popped the cigar into his mouth and gestured to the door, “after you, my friend.”

Haggis smiled and exited the shuttle lighting up the cigar and handed the lighter to Robert as he took a long puff from the cigar. “Whit dae ye think mah friend?” 

“I think this will be an interesting assignment,” Rob looked around the station. It certainly wasn’t the best, nor the most modern but he had to call this one home. “As long as your establishment is open often, I think this will be a good station.”

Haggis grabbed the PADD with his schedule and gave it to his newfound friend. The schedule was for his regular hours, but it also included hours for senior officers only so they could spend time away from the others when they need a break.

“I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship,” Robert smiled, the cigar hanging out of his mouth. He looked at the schedule, “definitely going to have to check this out,” he made a mental note. “Sadly, I am afraid I can’t stay here too long. Someone is bound to come looking for me. Sort of required to check in immediately.”  He smiled. 

Haggis nodded and shook the Captain’s hand. He handed him another Cigar from his pocket and with a struggling breath from his accent, he tried to speak normally. “It’s ok Cap’n your always welcome at the Tap.” He smiled and pulled out another schedule giving it to the Captain “Also keep this one Cap it’s yours.”

Rob found the accent a bit thick, he was surprised the universal translator hadn’t filtered some of that out. It was perhaps the strongest accent he’d heard in some time. Nevertheless, Rob knew the kindhearted gesture and took the offer cigar, tucking it into a pocket. It was going to be hard to explain this to a Security Officer, but perhaps being the Commanding Officer had its perks. 

“Mister Haggis, when I get settled in and things resemble a normal life, you and I will have to check out one of these establishments for a dinner,” Rob nodded. “In the mean time, I think my greeting party found me,” he gestured to the Officer standing just outside Haggis’ place.

There was quite some interesting conversation she already had to witness, but this one was one that she looked kind of forward to. The man himself, the troublemaker in his prime, Commander Abernathy, had quite the read on her latest records, and rather than waiting for him, Arwa was going to make a move to him. Arwa suspected from his profile that he would rather….well, never walk freely to her office, so it is best to confront the man, and now she is here for him.

Robert had set out to accomplish what he had started. He’d walked Haggis to his new shop, gotten a good look over the station without distraction, and hopefully made a friend along the way. Robert wasn’t overly social but having someone in one’s life was essential. Even more essential when that someone ran a local alcoholic established, “definitely comes in handy,” Robert muttered to himself as he left Haggis to his job.

Robert had taken notice of the Counselor and figured now was ok to start his official job, “I can see you, Counselor,” Robert gestured, “I assume you’re looking for me,” he nodded with a smile.

Hearing the man talk to her and then gesture would indicate he was in a hurry. “Yes, Captain, I am looking for you to welcome you to the base,” Arwa said while walking toward him. “I just arrived myself and trying to meet with everyone on the base to …get the lay of the land, so to say”

“I thought I had left orders I would report to Ops when I was ready,” he shrugged, “but I guess I am ready now.”  He motioned to the nearest lift, “after you.”  He regretted now that he hadn’t read more on the incoming Counselor. He was feeling a bit behind now, as it seemed the Counselor as least knew him. What exactly she knew would be determined?

Walking at his side, she nodded slightly, her hands behind her back, entering the lift and turning around, waiting for the Captain to enter. “I get the feeling you seem caught unguarded and not prepared for my surprise welcoming to this base,” Arwa said with a slight grin on her face. 

Robert nodded, “not prepared, never,” he looked at her, “I am always prepped, just don’t ask my ex-wife.”  He stepped into the lift, “Station Operations,” he ordered the lift. “I expected someone to come looking for me, eventually.” He turned to face the Officer, “alright, ask your questions; I am sure you have a few?”

“Your ex-wife, that could be an interesting topic by itself,” Arwa spoke with a grin on her face. “But we will do that another time. I believe it is more important to know how you are doing, Captain. How is your trip to this station, it is basically in the middle of nowhere, and station morale speaks chapters.”

Rob looked at the Counselor for a bit, then spoke. “I have to admit Eos wasn’t my first choice. In fact, if we are being honest here, Eos wasn’t even on the list. As I am sure you’ve read my file, you know my past. I am not exactly in a place to make demands on my assignment. So Eos it is. This station has been ignored, lacking upgrades, and from what I see, several sections are in serious need of maintenance repairs. So, we all rolled up our sleeves, and we pitch in picking up the pieces.”

“We work as a team to get this station to a semi-operational status, and we go from there,” Rob added, not really seeing that he had ventured far from the initial question. “First things first, it looks like Starfleet hasn’t assigned a First Officer, so that means extra hours for me,” he mocked a smiled. “Lucky me, right?”

As Arwa just listens to the Captain, “The station’s morale by itself is already quite some work. People tend to feel that they are being sent here because they are a burden in some way to Starfleet” She looked at the doors, “Do you feel you are that burden for Starfleet Captain?”

“Quite the opposite,” Robert looked at the Officer, “morale is a touchy subject, but that is a good place to start. We want people placed here because they want to be, not because they feel they are being punished somehow.”  He didn’t really answer the Counselor’s question and didn’t plan on going into his record, not in their first meeting. “Right now, as I see it, we have two major tasks here. The first, get things back to operational status and second, work on morale.”  He smiled, “wouldn’t you agree?”

The avoiding of her question didn’t bug her, but the optimistic mask that the Captain was putting up did. Arwa didn’t respond directly and just nodded away from his face. “Right, that does take priority. Just don’t forget your health in the bigger picture as well, Captain,” she points out as she blinks while the lights flicker. “Ahh, give it a second” The elevator stopped as an automatic message stated that there was a technical difficulty, and the engineers were alerted.

“This better not be an impromptu counseling session,” he smirked. “I wouldn’t have made it to your office in time.”  He leaned against the wall while he waited. “My health is something I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with over the last four years. You’ve read my file, I’m sure of it. You know what happened, and then you should know I worked on my issues. Enough said, right?”

He knew instantly that the Counselor wasn’t buying it. “I should never have taken that assignment aboard the Nogura, and I certainly didn’t handle things properly when I did. People died, and I have had to deal with the fallout for a long time,” he smiled, “I know my limits, and I am keenly aware that Starfleet is watching me. I will take care of  myself; there is too much at stake if I don’t.” 

Looking at the door and not directly at her Captain, Arwa simply nodded a bit. “That is why I picked you up, sir, to avoid you avoiding me because you would classically shove it off to your work schedule. Which can be hard to disproof seeing the condition of the base” Arwa looked at him now. “Knowing your limits doesn’t mean you know them, sir. So it is good to know you can take care of yourself, but also know you can rely on others like your Chief Medical and myself” The door opens she walks out. “I believe this our stop, sir.”

“Counselor,” Robert started to exit but stopped suddenly. He smiled, “why do I have a feeling I just got played?”   He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, “I trust these turbolift counseling sessions don’t happen too often?”  Before she could reply, he added, “let me guess, not as long as I see you periodically?”

Arwa crossed her arms and smiled at him. “It seems we are finally starting to understand each other, Captain. Feel free to contact me if you require assistance in diplomatic matters or personal matters” She nods to him, “Good day, Captain” With that said, she left him to resume his duties as she needed to find her next session. 

He shook his head as she walked away, “I like her,” he just smiled.  “She’s going to be a problem,” he laughed as he turned to face Operations.  He took in a long breath of air, this was going to be far worse than he was first led to believe.