Chapter Text
Chancellor Ake is just having her tea in the Franciscan evening, lying shoeless in her sofa under the orange sundown filtered through the window, while she quickly reviews the list of the cadet crew for their next in-space aptitude test.
The Venari Ral has faded, the furies have been weakened, so despite a few raids, easily taken care of as they’ve been left unorganized after the fall of Nus Braka, the window has opened to take back everything that had been previously delayed. Ok, this will be fun… She just moves the list on the PADD, on the table she faces, and « shit ! Wh… Ouch » She drops the cup and shakes her left hand after the tea spilled. Why…? » She stands, wipes her hand, her uniform… Ok… she’ll take another from the replicator.
Oh, and a jump to the Doctor for dermic regenerator.
Fifteen minutes later, she is in Lura Thok’s office. « Why did you put her on the list ?
- Who ?
- Her ! » She lifts her PADD, one finger points close to the screen, precisely at the issue. « She can’t do this! »? The Cadet Master approaches slowly.
- She has to, it’s not even my decision it’s the last space mission she can do before the end of the semester. The registration was automatic » growls Thok. Sit in her chair behind a desk.
The Captain lifts her arms up « but she can’t do this space mission, this is far beyond the limit I can keep her safe.
- I have no say on that, you must see Admiral Vance to get someone out of the mandatory program. As far as I’m concerned, she is in and we leave in two days. With you and her ». Lura keeps calm.
« Ok. I’m gonna see that. Thank you, Lura ». She turns her heels and runs off in a fury before even the number one could answer.
She must talk to Charles ? She already talked to Charles. But he is gonna hear again about that. She will make him listen, this time, that’s for sure.
Once back in her own quarters, she turns her screen on. « Admiral Vance ». She asks to the computer.
After 20 seconds, he appears. « Nahla ! Nice to see you! What can I do for you ? » he smiles widely while she looks at him angrily. « I just saw the cadets list for the next test in space in the Kora system. Are you crazy?
- What’s the problem with the list? What did you find that drives you in such a state? » He restrains a sigh.
- Cadet Pickford! » She points to her PADD that she keeps down. « I thought we talked about it! I thought we agreed».
He shakes his head : « We certainly didn’t agree. I told you I would talk with her father and I did, and nothing changed».
Her eyes widened to the extreme, nearly popping out of their sockets as she heard that.
« And when did you expect to tell me ? ».
He stands straight. « I don’t have to. There’s no reason to remove her. I talked with her father in goodwill. He refused my proposition, and I can certainly not blame him for that ».
She spreads her arms, hands open. « Come on, Charles, you can always blame a Pickford. They have been here for centuries, everywhere, in the fleet, climbing into admiralty with their cousins' network, that goes up to the Federation Council. My father, even my father I wasn’t even born, and he had some of them to deal with, he has a story with one of them almost putting the Federation at war with Cardassia because he signed an order of new battleship test in the badlands without looking it and left to play golf ». She exclaims louder « And their incompetence wouldn’t even be a problem, if it didn’t send other people or even members of their family to death.
- I can’t prevent a cadet from getting their cursus done because of your ancient grievances with a family that falls on a cadet. You’re not supposed to hold a grudge against any of your student ».
She keeps her open palms, moves them ahead while she leans slightly forward. « But I don’t! I love her! I’m just saying I won’t be able to keep her alive in environments she doesn’t fit with. I have to send her in a zone that is presumed to be safe… for competent and prepared people. She is neither ». She ends her sentence shaking her palms in front of herself.
Vance, keeps standing straight, and speaks slowly in a tone as calm as his posture is : « Nahla, use the resource you have to protect your weakest. No one is supposed to have to die ».
She straightens herself too. « I’m a teacher! I know no one is supposed to have to die! That’s the issue! I’m not Captain Kirk who repeatedly sent underprepared guys on missions and led them to die. I have to get everyone out of school after four years, … alive! There was a time the academy was able to protect their members because they didn’t send unfit people. She is unfit, Charles. We have to realize that! »
His arms drop. «We can’t afford to have students removed from programs; they have to complete the formation. We can’t afford to lose the trust of parents, who, for most of them, are members of the fleet or member worlds leaders.
- We can’t afford to have them dead either! We would lose their trust too.
- Listen, Nahla. We have to keep everyone at the academy, making them finish the teachings, graduate, and become Starfleet officers ».
She taps her waist. «Can’t there be a B cursus, with closer space missions for people whose fate is in administrative sections? She belongs in an office, here, in San Francisco. Even her dad would be happy, wouldn’t he?
- Nahla, I won’t reform the cursus two days before a space test. You have to get out there with her.
- Ok, but I’m telling you, each time she goes outside gets us closer to a disaster.
- So you agree? She is going? Then, Good evening, Nahla ».
She growls something unarticulated with a noise that makes Jay-Den ring the bell « Lieutenant-Commander Thok, are you here? »