Lt Chen & PNPC Cpt Greir Reinard - Head Hunted (part 1) (nt)

[Varachen ch'Dara]

((Deep Space 6: Greir Reinard & Chen’s Quarters))

::To say that the last few days had been pleasant would have been an understatement. After celebrating their anniversary in the Heaven and Earth restaurant, Greir and Chen had set up their routine so that they would have time to eat breakfast out on the promenade before they went to work for alpha shift each morning. Greir had been able to clear out some extra time so that they could spend the evenings enjoying each other’s company and talking about the wedding planning and, inevitably, there had been some more discussion about their encounter with the representatives of the Federation Terraform Command. Chen had found Greir’s initial response to the work they did to be interesting, but not as interesting as seeing how his stance had changed once he had heard their viewpoint on what their jobs entailed. Quickly getting over his reservations, Greir had listened to what they had to say and seemed to have taken it to heart. Their outlook on ecology, far from jarring with Greir’s, was actually in line with it, and their work to ensure that habitats were created to preserve endangered species had really seemed to capture his imagination.::

::After the alarm had sounded, along with the associated energy impulses that were set up for Greir to register with his fielding (his reliance on his auditory inducers to hear meant that he would sleep through the traditional automated alarm as he did not sleep with the devices connected) both Greir and Chen had risen. Chen had taken second shift in the washroom after replicating some fruit juice for Greir and some katheka for himself.::

::Greir yawned as he plodded past his Andorian partner, ruffling his bed hair affectionately. The smell of fruit juice and Andorian coffee was a familiar one. While he wouldn’t necessarily choose the caffeinated beverage to give his day a kick start, he found the smell appealing, and it was one he was rapidly starting to associate with a sense of home. Serving aboard the starbase was different to commanding the Darwin; since the departure of his best friend, Fleet Captain Diego Herrera under tragic circumstances, his professional life had changed. He still felt like he was doing important work, but the station commander, an admiral, had clearly decided that his talents were best used from behind a desk rather than out on the frontier. He worked hard, and he worked as efficiently as he could, but he did miss the thrill of exploring and meeting new species. He acknowledged that he was still making a difference in his current role, but it was more difficult to see the immediate effects.::

::He hadn’t really talked any of this over with Chen, because he felt like it might pass. He knew that his Andorian fiancé was sensitive to his needs, though; the chan knew him better than anyone and could probably tell that he would have been happier out in the great black yonder. Still, he was no stranger to life on a starbase. He had worked for a number of years on Starbase 6, and it had been a pleasant time. The upside to being posted to a facility rather than a starship was the stability it offered. There was much less chance that he might end up on the front lines in a battle, for example, or risking his neck on a dangerous away mission. The plans he and Chen had finalised for their wedding might not have been possible without this assignment either, so there were more than a few things he was grateful for.::

::When the comm panel chimed, the Laudean’s feet were carrying him towards it before he had even consciously registered that there was a message. With his auditory inducers attached, Greir could hear just as well as he had before he had been robbed of the use of his ears during the Bluegill invasion of his homeworld. Accessing the panel’s menu quickly revealed a text-only message, priority two, addressed to Chen. He turned towards the washroom and called out to attract his partner’s attention.::

Reinard: Hey Chen, a message just came through for you. Priority Two. It looks like it needs your access code to open.

::Even if it hadn’t required Chen’s code, Greir would still have left it for him. He was a curious soul but he and Chen both respected each other’s privacy in that regard; it had come from an early mutual understanding in the opening days of their relationship. As a counsellor and an intelligence officer, both were aware that the other would need to keep some information need-to-know, and there was no telling what could be in a personal message until it was open and it was too late. Once you had read something, it was impossible to un-read it, after all.::

Chen: I’ll be right out!

::A couple of seconds later, Chen appeared, hair combed and dressed in his uniform. The smell of his katheka tugged at his nostrils, but his mind dismissed it in favour of the message.::

Reinard: Are you expecting anything?

Chen: ::Shaking his head:: No… nothing that would warrant a priority two anyway.

::That kind of message was usually reserved for reassignments or, in some cases, special operations. There was a chance they might be sending him into the field. With a glance to Greir, who had headed back towards the table in an effort to resist the urge of looking over Chen’s shoulder, the Andorian keyed in his code and opened the message.::

::His eyes widened as he read it and saw what had been sent.::

Chen: Thirishar’s word! They want me to be Chief of Intelligence at the Black Tower, with a promotion to Lieutenant Commander!

::He gaped as he read through the transfer papers. It would be a considerable step forward in his career. On Deep Space 6, he was a member of quite a large intelligence department and had moved from the intel chief position on the Darwin into something that was much more rank and file. This, though, was a chance to really make a difference. Starbase 118 was positioned on the border or three different sectors, near to Romulan space, which would mean his expertise and contacts would come right back into play, and its intelligence tower was prestigious to say the least.::

::Greir was similarly surprised.::

Reinard: Do you mind if I take a look?

Chen: Not at all!

::The Laudean’s gold eyes ran over the communiqué. The transfer was on a short time frame as well. Chen would have just a few days to pack his things and board a starship to travel to his new assignment.::

Chen: I can’t believe it! I mean, I’ve been trying to work as hard as I can, but someone has to have put in a good word for me somewhere! This is unbelievable!

::Greir smiled wistfully at his partner. He was very happy for him indeed but the consequences of what this transfer might mean had popped into his head very quickly. Just two days ago, they had set the date for their wedding. Now Chen had been given transfer orders and an excellent opportunity to advance his career. If anything was going to come through to indicate that Greir would be moving with him, there would have been another message by now. There was no real reason for Greir to go to Starbase 118; it was unlikely they needed another command officer in a bureaucratic role over there, and so it seemed that he and Chen were destined to be apart.::

::Despite that, he was determined to show his fiancé some support, and he made a conscious effort to change the wistful smile for a broader one.::

Reinard: Congratulations, Chen! Believe me when I tell you that you do work exceptionally hard and it was only a matter of time before someone in Starfleet Intelligence put in a recommendation on your behalf. You are an excellent officer. You’re conscientious, intelligent, your work ethic is always impressive and I’m surprised that Starfleet Command themselves aren’t trying to snap up such a wonderfully talented officer.

::He gave Chen’s arm a proud squeeze. He meant every word he said. Chen had always worked exceptionally hard under his command and he’d made a good name for himself on the Vigilant, too.::

Chen: Thanks! That means a lot and I really appreciate it.

::He caught his partner’s eyes and came back to reality at warp speed. He’d been so caught up in the excitement of being offered such a great opportunity that he’d started gushing about it without thinking anything through. It had been a few months now since Diego had left, so there was no-one to pull strings and keep them together. If Chen accepted the assignment, he would be moving quite some distance away - to the opposite side of Romulan space, in fact. He’d told Greir on a number of occasions that he valued him more than his career and it had never been an empty sentiment. The excitement on his face drained away to be replaced by a wistful smile of his own; he reached out and took his partner’s hand, looking into his beautiful golden eyes.::

Chen: I guess I knew this day would come eventually.

::Greir’s mouth ran dry. He licked his lips and tried to steel himself for what was to come. How could he keep Chen from taking the assignment? He had been loyal to him from the moment they had met. He had followed him to the Darwin and then to Deep Space 6. When Greir had been considering resigning from the fleet following the loss of his hearing, Chen had made it clear that he would also leave if that happened, so that they could stay together. Greir was going to have to look into a way to wield some of his own influence and try to find a way to work things out, although he wasn’t sure what, if anything, he would be able to pull that off. Long-distance relationships were not something that tended to work out all too well and the idea of losing Chen was very difficult to swallow indeed.::

Reinard: I suppose it would have been naive of us to think that Starfleet would let us both serve in the same place forever.

::In that moment, Greir wished he was still in command of the Darwin. He would have been the officer authorising the transfers if that were so. Chen’s message wasn’t a request. He was being ordered to report for duty. It was only a question of how long they had left together.::

Chen: I guess it was. That’s why I’m going to resign my commission this afternoon.

::Greir blinked. Had he heard Chen correctly? Or was his brain just telling him what he wanted to hear?::

Reinard: I’m sorry, Chen, did you just say you are going to resign?

::Chen nodded, taking in a slow, deep breath.::

Chen: I did. I have a meeting with my department head to report back on some data analysis late this afternoon. I’ll finish that job, turn in the report, and then I can notify him that I’m tendering my resignation.

TBC

Lieutenant Chen

Intelligence Officer

Deep Space 6

&

PNPC Captain Greir Reinard

Administrative Officer

Deep Space 6