When Pigs Fly

Posted on Sat Dec 14th, 2019 @ 12:33pm by Captain Henry Crow & Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova

Mission: Bless the Maker
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: 72 hours after Mediation

At 0500 hours sharp the com chirped in Millie's quarters.

Millie's head lifted from it's position on the floor. She unwound herself from the deep stretch and rolled into a seating position before walking to the com on the wall. "This is Millie."

"You're ordered to Holodeck 2."

Millie paused. She didn't entirely recognize the voice, and this was Day 3. "The holodeck?"

"Yes." The young man's voice paused. "Captain's orders."

Millie gave a quiet sigh, leaning her forehead against the console. "I'll...be there momentarily." She closed off the communications channel, and made her way to one of her chairs. Once seated, she unwound the ribbons holding her pointe shoes in place. Setting them aside, she slipped her sweatpants and Academy sweatshirt on over the leotard, and slipped on a pair of shoes.

The ride up to Deck 3 seemed to take longer than it actually was, and the corridor to the holodecks seemed twice as long. She paused outside of Holodeck 2, took a deep breath, and then stepped through the arch.

The scene that greeted her was a bright hot texas day with all the sights and smells of a ranch. Henry was outside of the barn already into his chore routine.

The view was a familiar one, as Millie had not only been at the actual ranch before, but had spent a few times in the program with both Henry and Edra. Millie closed most of the distance between them before pausing. "You...wanted to see me, sir?"

Henry nodded, not taking his eyes off the task at hand. "Here's the deal. Twice a week during this time you can stop by while I'm keeping up with what needs done around here and you can ask anything. Classified....personal....whatever. But we won't be doing this in your office or anywhere else and I expect that doctor-patient bullshit will be in full effect." He leaned the pitchfork against the barn. "And if you're wondering why I called you here it's because a little red headed bird told me she trusted you and if she's told you ten percent of the shit she's done in her life that's saying something. So do we have a deal?"

"On one condition." Millie stuck her hands in the pocket of her sweatshirt as she began to close the distance. "If I come to you with an urgent concern, I want to be able to talk with you then, like I'm a trusted officer on your crew. I don't..." Millie sighed, finally reaching where Henry was working. "I want to earn your trust."

That's fine but to do that...we have to discuss this..." he picked up a PADD off a box and held it out.

Millie took the PADD, and began to read. "What...what is this?"

"It's a formal permanent assignment to this ship, if you'll take it."

Millie slowly sat on one of the bales of hay, holding the PADD in her hand. She didn't speak.

He let her consider it without pushing her as he kept working in silence.

"You're serious about this?" she asked quietly.

"All it needs is a signature."

Millie stared at the PADD again, scrolling through and reading the words. She swallowed back the unexpected lump in her throat. "Nothing has ever been...permanent."

"Well it is now if you'll sign it." He put a few bags of feed into a wheelbarrow and began to push towards the hog pens.

The counselor took a deep breath, then quickly stood and jogged the distance to the Captain. "Are you doing this because Patrica asked you to? Or because you want me here?" She planted herself right in the path of his wheelbarrow. "Because I don't want to work for you if you don't want me as a part of this team."

"If I didn't want you to stay I wouldn't have put in for the placement."

Millie stared at the Captain for a moment, not moving from her place in front of the wheelbarrow. Finally, she gave a single nod, detached the stylus, and signed the PADD.

"Alright then." He began pouring feed into the trough. "So go ahead and ask."

Millie leaned up against one of the fence rails, watching the pigs wallow through the mud to get to the feed trough. "Why have you spent so much time avoiding me?"

"Because everyone, especially you, kept telling me I had to have these talks. I've never liked being forced into anything. Or forced out of anything, like when I took that center chair."

"I never wanted our talks to be forced. I had hoped that you would see that I was somebody you could trust and be open with." Millie set the PADD on the ground, climbing up to sit on the top rail.

"Well we're here in any case."

"Da." She paused. "Did you feel forced to take command of the ship?"

"Yes. I didn't think there was an option."

"And do you still feel this way?" Millie asked gently. "Do you still feel like it's forced on you?"

He nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I think we've done some good but....I miss being the one who charged into danger. It kills me to sit there and wait for others to report in."

"Especially your wife, da?"

"That's the worst one."

"Why do you think I've been trying so hard to get you to talk?" Millie pulled out one of the long blades of grass by the fence row, twisting it between her fingers. "I can see how much it eats away at you...how you over analyze every mission she goes on. How incredibly vigilant you become the moment her fate is out of your control."

"Because it ought to be me out there."

"Why you? Why not your officers?" Millie pulled two more strands of grass.

"It's what I'm made for, trained for."

"And what have I trained for?" Millie twisted the blades of grass back and forth.

"Talking, diplomacy, and in your own way interrogations." He filled the other trough. "I know you've been getting some...advice from my daughter in law but you have to understand she's trained half her life to do what she does so just because she shows you a few moves, I don't want you getting yourself in a bad spot."

Millie gave a sigh. "If you took a deep look at my file, you'd know that I've lived my whole life in a bad spot. Patricia got to see this first-hand, and she's helped me to realize that I am someone of value in this universe." She pulled a few more long blades of grass, working them between her fingers. "And it's not just Patricia that I'm working with. I've been training with Edruj as well. She wants me to be--" The counselor gave a soft chuckle, "--less of a 'doormat'."

He laughed. "I'd say breaking protocol with your CO is a good step in that direction."

Millie cracked a grin. "But it got your attention, da?"

"A bit. By the way next time you're going to want to wear some sturdy boots. It gets pretty messy out in the pasture."

"Next time, you should warn me that I'm walking into your bullshit." Millie's eyes twinkled in a rare moment of orneriness. "I would have been more prepared."

He just gave her a look but grinned as he turned away.




Lieutenant JG Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova
Chief Counselor, USS Mercutio




Captain Henry Crow
Commanding Officer, USS Mercutio