Bravo Fleet
“It’s so funny you say that–” Kellin was saying.
“Excuse me, captain,” Ensign Cellar Door bleated out.
Elbon Jakkelb said nothing. He simply watched and waited until he caught Taes’ eye. He was carrying a luggage case and he worked at untangling the strap where it had twisted on his shoulder.
Standing at the foot of the command platform, Elbon found himself competing for Taes’ attention between her work-son Kellin and her fastidious yeoman Cellar. He knew this wasn’t a labour he was going to win. Looking up at the trio of command chairs, Elbon felt an odd pang of mixed emotions. Watching Taes sitting with Kellin in Elbon’s usual seat, Kellin looked completely comfortable there. Natural. Beautiful even. Kellin had recently taken to slicking his curly hair back, as if that would make him look more serious as second officer. It looked terrible, and yet it looked good on him. Kellin’s whole body shook when he laughed at one of Taes’ humorous asides. And yet, in that moment, Elbon was struck by the stray thought that this could be the last time he ever looked upon the bridge of the USS Sarek. The Devore Imperium was no idle threat.
Elbon might have feared this to be his own blood dilithium-induced paranoia –if the Bajoran hadn’t failed all of his ESP tests at Starfleet Academy– which meant he had to chalk it up to homegrown paranoia instead. Reports from the USS Mackenzie had crossed his desk about Devore intruders boarding their ship, testing Starfleet’s security and making an attempt to seize control of the starship for their own uses.
The excomp floating by Elbon’s shoulder buzzed closer to the command platform. Cellar said, “Engineering reports the saucer section’s warp core has completed the power-up sequence. Warp core is considered to be at idle and they’re continuing to raise engine pressure.”
“Thank you, ensign,” Taes responded.
Kellin was the first to make eye contact with Elbon. He smiled shyly but he didn’t look away. Elbon always managed to feel twenty years younger when Kellin looked at him like that.
With good-humoured bravado, Elbon said, “Don’t get too comfortable in my seat.”
Almost immediately, Kellin jumped up from the executive officer’s chair.
“Oh!” Elbon blurted out, worried he had hurt Kellin’s feelings. “I didn’t mean now.”
“I don’t know,” Kellin said slyly, descending the stairs to join Elbon. “Don’t you ever want to captain a starship of your own some day?”
Meandering slowly, Elbon followed the ramp that would take him to the aft turbolift. Kellin chose to walk with him, shoulder to shoulder. Kellin only stepped aside briefly when Yuulik barged between them on a shortcut to the bridge’s science hub.
“I led my own flock in Hedrikspool as a Ranjen,” Elbon said, after pondering Kellin’s question for a spell. “Command isn’t what lured me to Starfleet.”
“I always felt you were that type,” Kellin said, tauntingly. “Not in it for the duty, you’re here for the adventure. But it’s a different kind of adventure out there.” –He poked Elbon in the chest twice– “Take care of yourself.”
“It’s not your job to worry about me anymore,” Elbon said softly.
Kellin just looked back at Elbon with big eyes. Elbon could safely bet that Kellin was too scared for Elbon’s safety to say anything but also too scared to admit it.
“It’s diplomacy, Kel,” Elbon said. “I put people at their ease. This is what I do. The Kadi homeworld is so safe, they’ll let me take home a souvenir for my cabin on Bajor.”
Elbon stepped away from Kellin to press the call button for the turbolift. Then, he said, “Now you keep watch over the captain for me while I’m gone. It’s your turn. I’m counting on you.”
Double doors slid apart as a turbolift car arrived for Elbon. Elbon leaned in close to kiss Kellin on the cheek and Kellin grabbed Elbon’s wrist. Elbon put a hand on the side of Kellin’s face and he briefly clutched at Kellin’s earlobe, appreciating the strength of his pagh. As soon as Elbon stepped away, and entered the turoblift, he turned back to wink at Kellin. In that short time, Flavia had inserted herself at Kellin’s side.
Far too loudly, Flavia declared, “Goodbye! Fly safely in your oddly shaped half-ship!”
Elbon winced at her and he said, “Thank you.” With more gusto, he ordered the turbolift to take him to the “Secondary bridge.”
Elbon took notice as Flavia tugged at the sleeve of Kellin’s uniform jacket. Kellin looked at her with a puzzled expression and she tugged at his sleeve again.
“I need to tell you something,” Flavia said.
Kellin hunched down to Flavia’s height and she cupped a hand over Kellin’s ear and she whispered something.
Then the turbolift doors closed and whisked Elbon to the stardrive’s bridge.
