Lt. Cmdr. Lhandon Nilsen - Thrust Upon Him
Lhandon Nilsen
((Nilsen’s Quarters, Deck 4, USS Octavia E Butler))
It turned out the message he received in the turbo lift was not something dramatic, but rather just an overly long-winded request for a subspace call that went on and on and on for nearly six hours. At one point, there was an in-depth discussion about sub-sector zoning laws, or something about self-sealing stem bolts, he couldn't remember, and the Bajoran read out the entire slide word for word and then used an iceberg model, and Lhandon wondered why everyone uses the iceberg model.
But that was fine, even if he was feeling the fatigue from the last mission. At least for those six hours, he was not fighting for his very life against the code benevolent AI that could kill off his crew at a moment's notice. At least the presenter gave them three minutes back.
When he woke up that morning, he completely missed the PADD that was left for him. It was a PADD that he lent to Toxin a while ago, and it had found its way back to him.
He had written the PADD off but chuckled just a little as he picked it up. Tox actually returned it. He reached out, his thumb hitting the sensor out of habit. It then powered on to show a message just for him as he took the final sip of the protein shake that he had been nursing for the past few hours. He expected a report. He expected a joke. He expected a "Thanks for the loan.” or something else written down.
Lhandon,
He saw his full name and the first word and immediately sat down on his sofa, elbows on knees, to read it.
I’m sorry to leave without saying goodbye, but I couldn’t risk you disobeying orders and coming with me. If this was before we were in command, I wouldn’t have stopped you, but the OEB needs you and you need the OEB…For now, my last order as your senior officer is to stay put. I programmed this message to deliver to you once I was at least 3 hours away at Warp 9. I'll also mask my departure and I've disabled the transponder on the shuttle I'll be using—please don't try to follow.
Lhandon immediately looked at the timestamp and leaned forward as if he was going to launch off the chair. The message hit the PADD during the meeting.
I've enclosed a letter I received from the Zet resistance. The best thing you can do to help is continue your work on diplomatic relations with the Zet, find a way for them to become allies. That will help me and my mother the most. I need you to do this, Lhandon. I need you to be the diplomat I know you are, the one who can turn enemies into friends. It might be the only thing that saves her.
The Second Officer saw the attachment and downloaded it immediately.
I've spoken with the captain and we've agreed that you are ready for the executive officer role, and I have no intention of taking that back when I return. You've earned it, brother. You've grown into someone I'm so proud to serve alongside. The OEB will be better because you're in that chair. Lia is expecting you in the ready room at your earliest time, go show them what I already know.
The attachment had barely registered with Lhandon before he read the words that bumped him up to executive officer. A quiet word escaped his mouth.
Nilsen: What?
I have no intention of dying out there. I will be back, that's a promise. I've removed my belongings from the executive officer quarters, they're yours now. I put my stuff in storage until I return. When I do, we'll laugh about this over drinks.
o0 No intention of dying? Laugh over drinks? What do you mean? 0o
Don't worry, I won't be alone. Miash is coming with me, the captain authorized her to take leave, since she has so much time available. Maybe when I'm back, the three of us finally take that vacation we've been talking about. I'm already looking forward to it.
He stood up and started to pace around the room o0 The captain authorised? Miash was with him? 0o
I love you, little brother. Don't be angry at yourself for not coming, be angry at me if you need to. But know this: you staying is the right call. You have a ship to help heal, a crew that needs you, and a future that's brighter than you realize. And hey, brother, you got this. You're going to be an amazing Executive Officer. I believe in you more than I've ever believed in anything.
Take care of them for me. Take care of yourself.
Love always, Tox
Lhandon did not move. He did not breathe. His eyes reached the end of the text, and he let out a breathy, short laugh.
Nilsen: Okay… okay, this one's good, Tox? =/\= Nilsen to Arlill =/\=
No sooner had he tapped his comm badge than the computer responded.
Computer: =/\= Lieutenant Commander is no longer on board this vessel. =/\=
Again, Lhandon called out.
Nilsen: Oh, that's a good one, yep, masking your comms signature, tricking the computer… yep, but I can get around that.
He thought hard and reached out, not with the comm badge but with what he knew Tox couldn't counter: his upper hand. He let the room fall away and focused inward. He thought of an audience laughing and applauding. The image came to mind, the details of the people vague: different skin colours, number of limbs, and different species were left by the wayside.
He sent the image, as he always would, thinking of the person and reaching out.
It didn't land. It did not find purchase; there was nothing.
Nilsen swallowed, eyes stinging, and tried again anyway, pouring everything he had into the void.
And again, nothing.
Nilsen: No… no, no, no….
Lhandon sat back down, elbows on knees, hands in a fist up to his mouth, his right foot started tapping. The silence in his mind was louder than the ship's engines. He stayed like that for a count of ten. He was doing the math again. The Zet resistance. The Captain's authorisation. The empty XO quarters. Tox had set the message to get to Lhandon when he was at least three hours away. Lhandon hadn't received the message until just that moment, which added another three hours.
He stood up, breathed a huge sigh of breath in.
Nilsen: Okay, so six hours, he wouldn’t have gone through the wormhole…what did that sodding letter say?
Lhandon picked up the PADD again and switched to the attachment. It was a snippet of the letter that presumably was what sent Tox on this o0 stupid mission 0o
“… Your mother asked me to reach out to you, only if she ever was in extreme danger. I pray to the gods this message finds you in time, Toxin. Recently, Fritea was part of a critical task force collecting intelligence on the Zet, intelligence that could save thousands of lives. She volunteered to be our eyes, to keep watch for Zet security while our operators retrieved vital deployment information. It was supposed to be routine. She's done this a hundred times before.
But when we returned to the meeting point, she was gone. Vanished. And what we found there… Toxin, I'm so sorry. There was Bolian blood, a lot of it, smeared across the ground, still warm. Signs of a struggle. Scorch marks from phaser fire. Your mother fought back, that much is clear. But they took her.
The Zet don't take prisoners for negotiation. They take them for interrogation, for leverage, for profit. Every hour that passes, the danger grows exponentially. If there's any chance of getting her back alive, it has to be soon. I wouldn't have reached out if this wasn't dire. Your mother made me promise, only in her darkest hour. Well, we think that hour has come…”
Nilsen: Your papa sent the message?
Again, Lhandon spoke aloud as if there was someone in the room. He read the final paragraph. He knew enough about Toxin's father to know how serious this was, and how much the father loathed reaching out to his son with this news.
The PADD was briefly tossed to the side, landing on the sofa. Lhandon stood up again, paced a number of lengths of his living room back and forth and repeatedly hit his own palm with the fist of the other hand as if he was willing some kind of thought to occur.
Nilsen: Zet resistance…of course, you’re running off to join them, just finding ways to make my life difficult.
He reread the paragraph "The best thing you can do to help is continue your work on diplomatic relations with the Zet, find a way for them to become allies," and then spoke aloud with a sarcasm that could melt a bulkhead
Nilsen: Oh yeah, I'll just do that. I'll just achieve intergalactic peace.
Lhandon's next goal had been achieved; he was to be the first officer. In one fell swoop, it had been thrust upon him by Arlill's departure, and all he could do was call out in frustration.
Nilsen: Argh, Damn you Toxin!
TBC
Lieutenant Commander Lhandon Joseph Nilsen
Executive Officer & Senior Diplomatic Officer
USS Octavia E Butler
O240007LN1
He/Him/His (Both player and character)