LtCmdr Connor Dewitt - Shifting Grounds

[Tim]

((Shuttle to Dangan Prime))

The shuttle’s interior felt smaller than it should have. Connor had not noticed it when they boarded, but now every vibration from the thrusters seemed louder than it should have, any movement made the cabin feel smaller.

He kept his posture straight.

C. Dewitt: Sir, if I may. Commander Hobart is the current First Officer. ::pause:: Why wouldn’t he remain in that role?

Naxell: A very good question. I had the same. It turns out Commander Hobart has been reassigned to Deep Space 33 command staff.

The words landed cleanly.

Connor felt something give way inside him, like a deckplate unbolting without warning. He had suspected. Of course he had. If the position was vacant, he went somewhere. And somewhere was not back to the Khitomer’s engine room. If it had been his decision, he would have told Connor. Wouldn’t he?

Reassigned. Gone.

He lowered himself into the shuttle seat with careful control, fingers tightening briefly against the edge before releasing.

Ayemet’s voice cut gently through the shift in gravity.

A.Dewitt: Does Talia I mean  Lieutenant Commander Ohnari know?

Connor blinked as he realised that the universe did not revolve around his calamity. If this tore at him, it would tear at Talia too.

He thought of the last time when he had seen Nolen in the observation lounge. His PADD was chiming. The way he had silenced it. The way he had left. He had left to look at the message and for a dinner with Talia.

Connor exhaled quietly.

C. Dewitt: She knows.

His voice was steady. He stared at the floor between his boots.

C. Dewitt: I’m sorry, Sir. It’s just… a lot to take in for one shuttle flight.

He lifted his gaze again, meeting Naxell’s calmly.

C. Dewitt: I didn’t expect the topic to come up this early in my career.

That was the truth of it. He was still carrying the Siege. Still replaying broken corridors of Deep Space 33 in his sleep. He hadn’t even finished digesting what leadership had cost there.

And now this.

He forced his shoulders to settle.

C. Dewitt: I’ll do what’s required.

Naxell: I see no reason to doubt you, Mr. Dewitt. You're Khitomer’s Chief Engineer. No one knows the ship better than you do, and you're Second Officer. Surely you must have known this day was coming.

The shuttle’s thrusters came to life, but Connor barely noticed.

A.Dewitt:  Captain I’ve discovered that knowing and experiencing are two very different things.

Connor glanced at her, grateful for the words he hadn’t quite shaped himself.

Naxell: And what do you say, Mrs. Dewitt? Anything I should worry about?

A.Dewitt: Oh SO much!

Despite himself, Connor’s mouth twitched.

C. Dewitt: She keeps a running list.

His tone was dry but light.

Naxell: Response

Ayemet squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back before she addressed Naxell again.

A.Dewitt: The galaxy is a dangerous place, the Lattice Alliance have tasted defeat but they are still out there :pause as she smiles directly at Naxell: But you have a good crew who will follow your orders :glancing at Connor and back at Naxell: and a good First Officer who will help acclimatise you to your ship and your crew.

When she finished, Connor felt a flicker of something he hadn’t allowed himself yet.

Pride.

He tried to straighten up in his seat.

Naxell: Response.

C. Dewitt: When are you planning to make the announcement to the crew?

The question wasn’t about protocol.

Naxell/A. Dewitt: Response

He chose his next words carefully. Not because he feared overstepping, but because he was about to describe the state of something he considered his. The Khitomer was not just an assignment. It was his family. And he was speaking about its fractures to a man who, minutes ago, had been a stranger. And he would do anything to protect that.

C. Dewitt: The crew’s been through a lot this past year.

The shuttle dipped gently as it entered the upper atmosphere.

C. Dewitt: Open warfare. The Lattice Alliance. Deep Space 33. Decisions that didn’t have clean answers.

A. Dewitt: Response

He kept it measured, controlled. Connor’s eyes briefly met Ayemet’s.

C. Dewitt: It’s taken a toll. People are holding themselves together with routine and momentum. A change in command…

A. Dewitt/Naxell: Response

A slight pause. Connor nodded.

C. Dewitt: It could have come at a better time. ::looking at Naxell:: I’d recommend we handle it with care, sir. Give them clarity. Stability. ::pause:: They’ll adapt. They always do.

A. Dewitt/Naxell: Response

TAG/TBC

LtCmdr Connor Dewitt
First Officer
USS Khitomer
A239901CD3