"A Changing Of The Guard"
(Previous Post: Tiffany's 'The Good, The Bad And The Insane')
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Stardate: 60323.1110
Setting, USS ANUBIS, Turbolift
As the lift sped towards the bridge, David had mixed emotions from what he had heard. The one person he trusted more than anyone in the universe had achieved her dream. A dream that the two of them had spoken much about in the past. So… why was the former CEO of the ANUBIS not happy? Too much had transpired since then for it to be a happy occasion for him. The lift stopped and when the doors opened, their eyes met. She made her way into the lift and the doors closed.
"Captain" David said with a nod of his head, "congratulations."
Sabrina smiled, "Thank you Lieutenant" she said with a small curtsy, "I can't believe it. I… I'm a captain."
"Not *a* captain Sabrina, *the* captain." David reminded her.
It warmed her heart to hear him say that, but the look in his eyes suggested something else.
"Since Commodore Simmons isn't here to officially sign off on this, I guess its up to you..." and his comm badge bleeped.
=/\= Lieutenant Dawson, report to my office immediately, =/\= came the voice of NEW ALEXANDRIA's commanding officer.
Sabrina could see the sinews in his arms tighten through his sleeves. She took his hand in both of hers.
"David, would you like me to go with you" she inquired. As much as her duties as CO required her to place the well-being of the entire ship and its crew above all else, the young woman could not help but act and react as she had been trained… as a Cns and an ExO.
"Why?" the former CEO asked, "Sabrina… I think it'll be..."
"I'm sure that the ship can manage without me for a little while," she pointed out in her most assured of tones.
David frowned. "It won't be necessary… you should go back to your new job. I'll be fine."
"Very well… but don't think for a moment that this is over." Sabrina warned with a strange smile gracing her pink lips.
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Stardate: 60323.1115
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section A, Level 6, Administrative Wing Waiting Room
Lieutenant David Dawson entered the admin wing and
Allyson greeted him in her usual cheerfulness.
"Good morning Lieutenant. Admiral Koneki will be with you shortly."
No sooner than she said that, the doors to the flag officer's office opened. David jumped to his feet and was ready to enter the office but the NEW ALEXANDRIA's flag officer raised a cautionary finger.
"You came alone?" The Admiral questioned, looking surprised.
"Why wouldn't I?" David countered dryly.
"No reason." Koneki said before returning to his office and shutting the door behind him without inviting the former CEO to follow which only infuriated the engineer. The next 20 minutes or so felt like an eternity to David as he wondered why he had been made to wait and why the Admiral had asked such a strange question about the CEO having responded to the call alone. Something was not right, and just as David had been ready to demand an explanation of Allyson, the door to the Admiral's office once again opened.
Wasting no time, David walked in feeling rather relieved that he would finally be able to get this over and done with.
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Stardate: 60323.1140
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Admiral Koneki's Office
"Mr. Dawson, have a seat." Koneki said, shifting his attention onto the ANUBIS' former CEO as soon as he had entered the room.
David didn't say a word, but continued standing. James, who had also been in the room cleared his throat and pointed to the chair in front of the Admiral's desk but the CEO didn't move.
"OK… fine…" Koneki said, "I have read your report Lieutenant and I have a few questions for you."
David nodded.
"First, your attempt to gain the trust of this… Zulot character… did you think of the ramifications it might have caused to the mission?"
David delayed giving an answer, taking a moment to glance up at the man who had been not so long ago the CO of the ANUBIS and wondering as to why he had been involved in this meeting.
"Well?" the flag officer said as the engineer took a breath.
"It crossed my mind sir. I wouldn't have done anything to jeopardize the mission or the crew. Besides, I was instructed by Cap... *Commodore* Simmons to make use of my alter ego."
"And?" Koneki asked.
"I was successful. I mean… this *was* a fact finding mission was it not?"
"It was… until botched information corrupted the mission. Now… to answer another question in your report, Commander Enaii did the right thing…"
"Never fails" David chuckled under his breath.
"I beg your pardon?" Koneli said.
"*Anything* to save face of the great and mighty Lieutenant Commander Enaii. Not to mention that she let *my* brother's murderers escape."
Just as he was saying this, the door to the office opened once again, this time letting the ANUBIS' new CO entered the room. That is when David figured out what she had meant back in the turbolift about this not having been over.
As she moved next to David, Sabrina exchanged glances with James, the expression on her face making it clear that she had heard the engineer's last comment if not more. After a few seconds, Sabrina turned to David and spoke up. "David… it was for the best…"
"Don't…" David hissed, "defend her. I'm sick of people defending what she did but in the end, they escaped and another Dawson is murdered by a Cardassian" and David changed gears, "you never found out which ship it was that destroyed the STONE MOUNTAIN did you Admiral."
Koneki frowned. "We did not."
David looked at James, then Sabrina, "Your honors, the defense rest. But it doesn't matter. I've submitted my report and that leaves one thing to do."
"I know, and I've heard" Koneki said, "and at this present time, your request is denied."
David removed his pips and dropped then on the flag officer's desk. "Denied or not, I no longer work for you Admiral." and with that, David turned to leave.
"Here's something I bet you didn't know David" Koneki said as the CEO made his way to the door, "the MERCURY had survivors."
David stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder, "Was one of them Jordan Ryan Dawson?"
Koneki looked at James and Sabrina, "When did he get to be so cynical?"
James moved away from the statue he had been standing next to and moved to the CEOs side. "David, here's a chance to enact some real justice. The ANUBIS is scheduled to go and retrieve the MERCURY survivors…"
"And?!" David replied dryly.
"Admiral… Commodore, excuse the lieutenant and myself."
David faced the red headed CO of the ANUBIS. "Don't excuse me Captain. As far as I'm concerned, I'm done."
"*Outside,*" Sabrina said as she took David by the sleeve. In the interior office, she nodded to Allyson.
"Could you excuse us please?"
"Certainly Captain" she said and entered the Admiral's office.
"David" Sabrina said running her hands through her hair, "there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. With this promotion, my new responsibilities… this is a trying time for us all."
"Not like the past few weeks *hasn't* been for me? None of you cared. None of you not *once* came and said we'd do what we have to do… to right this wrong."
Sabrina's emerald green eyes narrowed. "How can you say such a thing?"
"Its truth Sabrina and you know it. We've done wonders for everyone else in this god damned universe but when we had a chance to put Jordan's killers away… well… I hope you can stand to sleep with her because right now I wanna choke the hell out of her."
"*First* and foremost that's my wife you're talking about you arrogant, selfish, son-of-a... Secondly… *all* of us feel your pain David. The loss of a loved one doesn't end with you. It involves us all. *Everyone* who Jordan touched is on *that* ship," Sabrina said pointing to the ANUBIS, "and *we* want his killers brought to justice as well. But look at the other side of the coin. What about Captain Arlington? Commander Wellers? Lieutenant Commander Saunders. You remember her from SB 515 don't you? She was 9 months pregnant when we saw her last. You think Tommy *isn't* fretting about the whereabouts of his wife, let alone the mother of his twins? You do remember little David and Jordan don't you? We cannot allow revenge to govern our thoughts nor our actions or we not only doom ourselves but everyone around us as well."
David frowned. For one of his specialties being boxing, Sabrina had him in the corner and was working him over good. He thought back to the day he and Jordan help deliver Lieutenant Commander Alexis Saunders twins, a boy and a girl, on a shuttle David had taken to pick up the MERCURYs new second officer and new deputy marine commander. She went into labor after they hit a small pocket of disturbance. David smiled inwardly that she named her children after the Dawson brothers. He turned his attention back to the ANUBIS' CO.
"So… what good does it do me? We rescue them. Return them to their families… their lives. *MY* brother is *still* dead!"
"Think of his memory David. Him knowing that his big brother helped saved the lives of his crew… his extended family. Think of how they would want to think of him… and you. Not saying that to make you to be a hero, but think of what you'd be loosing. Them… us… and by us I mean Starfleet… and us meaning your extended family. The ANUBIS…" and she took his hand in
hers again, "She's a big ship David and I want the best damned engineer Starfleet put out working on her."
David frowned, "*I'm* no longer the CEO of the ANUBIS Captain. And its time that I leave…" and he sighed, "this place is like a virus. Koneki is a parasite and it *reeks* of disease. I can't stay here any longer. I refuse to stay here another second. So if you hate the fact that I want out, or hate me even I'm sorry."
David turned and headed for the exit. Sorrow welled up in Sabrina's heart, she held David in the highest of regards and as the new CO of the ANUBIS she realized that his presence on the ship would be a powerful asset given the mission that they were about to go on. As she watched the towering man walk away from her, the young woman decided to use the last ace she still hadn't played, one that she had hoped she would not have to.
"But *I* need you Lance" the newly promoted CO of the ANUBIS said and David froze in his tracks.
"Yes… you heard me" she said wiping her eyes, "if I never, ever said it, let me say it now. I need Lancelot more than ever."
David frowned and by him frowning she knew she had reached him.
"So what am I gonna tell Koneki?" she asked.
David turned and headed back to the Admiral's office but before entering she stepped into his path and wrapped her arms around him as far as they could go.
"Thank you Dave" she said, "you don't how much this means to me."
David returned the gesture. He hated the fact that she had this effect on him after all this time.
"Don't thank me yet" David said as they entered the Admiral's office. Koneki and James stood.
"So Captain" the flag officer said, "what's the verdict?"
Before Sabrina could reply David got right in Koneki's face. The Admiral wasn't a short man, but he looked like a child compared to David.
"One mission. That's all you have Admiral. And if I am to stay after that, it *better* be damned worth my while."
After that, David turned to leave before James stopped him.
"I think you'll need these Lieutenant." as he placed the two gold pips back in David's hand.
David placed the pips back on his collar and he looked at all three command officers.
"Captain. Admirals" he said.
"Dismissed Lieutenant." Koneki said as David turned to leave. As he approached the door, he paused and looked over his shoulder. Sabrina winked as the former CEO exited.
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Julian Knight(d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #254
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
