Catching Up
Posted on Wed May 27th, 2015 @ 4:34am by Commander Elliot Drake & Captain Julius Whitlam
Mission:
Prelude to War
Location: Cafe Cruizier, San Francisco
Timeline: Three Days Before the Non-Aggression Pact
Julius Whitlam sat enjoying the view offered by this quiet little cafe not far from Starfleet Command. He was out on a balcony that overlooked Horseshoe Bay and gave him an excellent view across the significantly larger San Francisco Bay. From his vantage point, he looked across the water, along the Golden Gate Bridge, to the grounds of Starfleet Academy. Looking left, the sunlight dazzling off the rippling water of the bay, he took in the view of Alcatraz Island and Oakland behind it. Further left, his view of Berkeley Hills, where his family now lived, was obscured by Point Cavallo.
Beyond the peace and serenity of the view, however, dark clouds were forming. It looked like San Francisco might be in for a storm later that day. And so may be the Federation, Julius thought as he watched those storm clouds massing.
He had been on leave for almost the last month, but he had never been good at allowing his mind to take a vacation. He kept one eye on the developing situation with the Dominion. The Cardassians had joined the Dominion and now fleets of Jem'Hadar warships were being transferred through the Bajoran Wormhole, ostensibly for "security purposes". But Julius, and just about everybody else in Starfleet who cared to pay attention, felt there was something else on the Founders' mind.
There was a growing sense of foreboding around Starfleet Command that Julius felt as soon as he came across the bay. They knew something was in the wind, but it was as if they refused to acknowledge it. Maybe because they didn't quite believe or, maybe because they held out hope of a peaceful resolution. Or maybe because they were just too damn scared to think about the consequences. Nobody wanted a full blown war with the Dominion, but sticking your head in the sand was a good way to get yourself killed. In Julius's opinion, Starfleet wasn't ready for a war.
But he was just one captain. One captain out of thousands and one who didn't, strictly speaking, have a ship. He was due to take command of the USS Manoora the day after tomorrow and then he'd be heading off to help set up a new colony on Lomax III. It would be an enjoyable mission, as Julius himself had chartered that planet some years before when he was captain of the Fairfax. He was looking forward to getting back there, but had a sneaking suspicion he never would get there.
He and his new first officer, Commander Elliot Drake, had been summoned to a briefing at Starfleet Command to get them up to speed on the Manoora's refit. It hadn't been a major overhaul, so Julius wasn't expecting the briefing to take very long at all. Drake had previously served with Julius as science officer on the USS Sutherland and the two had developed a decent rapport. So much so that when Julius was given the opportunity to select his own first officer, he immediately thought of Drake.
Drake too was looking forward to his new role on the Manoora. Science and exploration was always a passion of his, but he know that he would only be able to go so far as a science officer. One day he wanted his own command, one that would take him to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. But today was not that day. As long as that storm cloud was hanging over the Federation, he doubted that anyone was going to be able to live their dreams.
Captain Whitlam was gazing out over the bay when Elliot approached. He came around behind him and pulled the empty chair away from the table. "Is this seat taken, Captain?"
At the sound of the familiar voice, Julius snapped out of his reverie and looked up with a wry smile. He ignored the question and simply gestured openly to the chair into which Drake was already in the process of lowering himself. "Good to see you, Elliot," he said with a warm smile. "I have to say, red is a far better colour for you, Number One."
Elliot returned the smile as he sat down. "Thank you, sir. I do miss the blue, but the red does feel nice. How's San Francisco been treating you? Has your family settled in?"
Julius had worn red his entire career - as a pilot before taking on the higher duties of command - and he rather agreed that it felt nice. He gestured out to the view of the bay and said, "San Francisco's not bad if you prefer natural light and wide open spaces." He made a light grunt noise he made when another man might have chuckled, then continued. "The family's going very well; the kids seem happy with their new home and Zoe's starts at Berkeley next week. She says to say hello, by the way. Did you get to spend any time with your family?"
"Make sure you tell her I said hello. I had a very nice visit with my family. It's autumn at this time of year. If you've never been to Alpha Centauri in the fall, you should make it a goal. It's rather beautiful. Mom still somehow insists that I'm not eating enough, and tried to fatten me up over my visit. I suppose that's what mother's do. Michelle's doing great, though James and Julia are growing up way too fast. I almost can't keep up with them anymore."
"They do that," Julius replied with a fond smile. "My girls continue to amaze me every time I see them and little Joe seems to be changing by the day. It doesn't get any easier leaving them behind, I can tell you." He paused a moment, glancing over the bay as his mind turned to matters far from domestic, but certainly capable of impacting his family. "Have you had a chance to check up on the latest intelligence reports since you got to Earth?"
Elliot took a deep breath. He had hoped to avoid talking about it, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. "I have, and it doesn't look good. Five convoys in as many weeks. I don't know what the Cardassians and the Dominion are thinking, but I can't imagine that they are just preparing an elaborate feast. It makes me wonder if it's going to affect our mission."
The captain shuddered inwardly as his XO articulated the very question that had plagued his own thoughts. Julius was naturally pessimistic, so he felt it was more likely that something would spoil what was looking like a good mission. He sighed heavily and shifted in his seat, "I suppose it depends on how quickly events progress. These things have a dreadful habit of escalating rapidly. I feel like it will take just one major development and our mission profile will change completely." He took another sip of his coffee and shrugged. "We just need to be ready for whatever comes our way."
Captain Julius Whitlam
Commanding Officer
Commander Elliot Drake
Executive Officer
