What just happened?
Posted on Wed Feb 27th, 2019 @ 2:12pm by Commander Abigail Prescott & Captain M'Mira
Edited on on Mon Mar 11th, 2019 @ 2:29pm
1,877 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Mission 2: Into The Breach
Location: M'Mira's Office or quarters?
Timeline: MD05 - 2130
After leaving Harry in her office, Mint had started to head back to her quarters but didn't want to be alone. She was running the gamut of emotions and needed someone to talk to. Her first thought was to go to M'Mira, so that is where she headed. By the time she reached the door, tears were streaming down her face. She pressed the chime and stood there like a lost child, waiting for the door to open.
M’Mira was curious as to who would be at her door at this hour. She doubted that the Caitian she met at the party was brave enough to approach her again and all things being told, he was pretty dull, despite his early promise. She sighed. Nonetheless, protocol had to be observed. She stretched laboriously. “I will be rrright therrre!” Stretching her back claws backwards for further good measure, she strutted forward lazily in her plain pink pajamas.
When M’Mira got to the door, she was horrified at the sight of her best friend in tears. Immediately she wrapped Mint up in her arms and hugged her. Protectively, she growled, “What did he do to you?!”
"He's leaving... going with Pete and Paloma back to Earth," Mint said, barely above a whisper, into M'Mira's shoulder. She tried to say more, but the anger was washing away and now she just felt despondent. How was she supposed to do this on her own? She barely even spent time as an executive officer and now she was going to be commanding officer while staring down first time motherhood.
"That cad!" M'Mira growled. She ushered Mint into her quarters and sat her in a comfy beanie chair. "Now, now. I will help you thrrrough this, Mint. Would you like me to get you some milk? White Rrrrusian with extrrra crrream? Rrreal alcohol." She paused and said, "No. Can't do that. You have to take carrre oft the wee one. "Um, soup? Tea? Just tell me. I will get you everrrything you need."
"A coffee, extra cream, please. And he's not a cad," Mint said settling into the beanie chair. "He's taking a personal leave of absence to help Paloma. M'Mira, Pete may die... they're preparing for the worst. He was one of the worst injured on the Medway," she sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "But his departure leaves the station in a lurch. He went ahead and talked to Banda. They're making me commanding officer.... they didn't even ask me if I wanted it..."
M'Mira paused for a few moments, while she replicated the coffee with extra cream. She took all the information in and her eyes grew wide. "You'rrre in charrrge, now? And he is a cad! Not only did he leave you with a bun in the oven but he's choosing his other family overrr what he just starrrted. Paloma is a nice woman but she could have handled herrr husband. He could have checked in and stayed with you." She growled angrily as she handed Mint the coffee.
Plopping down in a beanie chair of her own, she squished it several times until she found just the right distribution of weight and beanies. She then grabbed a nail file and started working on her nails in a brusk manner. "I shall have to change this colorrr and design now. These are clearrrly bad luck."
Taking the coffee, Mint sipped it silently for a moment. Her eyes focused on M'Mira's nails and the file working back and forth. "I don't know, M'Mira. I literally just left him standing in my office and walked straight here. But you do realize that me going up, means you're going up too? No more operations for you... you're going to be executive officer...."
The nail file dropped out of M'Mira's hands. "What? Me?" Her eyes got large as she looked at Mint and she blinked several times. "But...But... What about ops?" she asked nervously. Then, with a small chuckle she told Mint, "Well, at least we have a little prrractice at this frrrom when the cad was shot."
"We will get someone to replace you," Mint said shaking her head. She took another sip of the coffee and sighed. "Yes, that 'practice' will come in handy. I'd rather it not, I was just getting into my element with being executive officer and not being in Engineering. But now... ugh... I have to deal with the Falteans more... and there will be more reports." She frowned. "And I don't think Harry was completely honest with Banda about my current state...."
"Oh, therrre's a shock," M'Mira said, now firmly set against Refelian. She gave a sigh and asked, "So, what can I do to help? What do you need from me?" After a small pause she added, "Will either of us get cat naps?"
"No, if he'd told her I wouldn't have been promoted and someone else would be swooping in to fill his spot," Mint shook her head. "Well, I need you to do what you've always done, support me. And for the cat naps? We'll just pretend we're having a meeting and take a nap in my new office," she grinned at that one.
M'Mira giggled at that. "I like that! Not terrrribly rrresponsible, though." She sighed. "At least the cad had enough decency to prrrotect you that way." She moved off her beanie chair and gave Mint a large, comforting hug. "We'rrre going to be grrreat. I know that we will."
Chuckling, Mint leaned into the hug. "Not responsible, but totally going to be worth it," she said cheekily. "Especially later in my pregnancy..."
“Well, Auntie M’Mirrra is herrre forrr you and yourrr cub. Tell me what it is that you need and I will get it forrr you.”
"Right now? This is all I need... a friend and a hot cup of coffee..." Mint said softly before yawning. "Maybe some sleep too..."
"Do you want to stay the night herrre?" M'Mira offered. "And I'm yourrr BFF for life, so that's not an issue." M'Mira smiled showing all of her canines.
"If it's alright with you," Mint said feeling exhausted and too comfortable to move. "I don't think I could move right now," she smiled at M'Mira. "And thank you, for being my friend. It's been a long time since I had such a good friend."
"My quarrrterrrs arrre yourrr quarrrterrrs." She looked at the comfortable Mint and asked, "Do you wish to stay therrre? I could prrreparre you another bed. Maybe some warrrm milk?"
"I'm good here for now," Mint said. "Warm milk... I don't think I've ever had that before... will it help with heartburn?"
"Warrrm milk helps with everrrything, so my motherrr always told me." She went to the replicator and told it, "Milk. Warrrm, not hot." A small mug appeared and M'Mira brought it over to Mint. "Sip it. Don't want to overdo it. Besides, it may help you sleep, too."
Mint wrapped her hands around the warm mug and smiled. "Thanks, M'Mira..." she said before taking a sip. "You know, you would make a great mother one day... all this caring attitude," she chuckled.
"Thank you," M'Mira replied, her eyes growing large with pride and awe. "One day I hope to have my own cubs but, well, I would have to find someone worrrthy to procrrreate with and I have not rrrreally succeeded therrre. Most men are duds."
Mint nearly spit out the milk. "Oh come now," she said pretending to be surprised. "Surely you of all people would have suitors falling over themselves," she teased. "But aren't there other Caitians on the station? Have you met any of them? I thought I saw at least one male..."
"I saw one at the parrrty," M'Mira admitted. "I had some hopes forrr him. Cute but shy. His fatherrr has a good bloodline but, like most engineerrrrs, he was borrring. He excited me as much as melting snow. He was like one of those Terran felines that some humans like to bow down to. Tiny things. Cats, rrrright?"
"Yes, we have felines we call cats, domesticated little fuzzballs," Mint said with a grin. "They're adorable and fiercely independent. I used to have one, but my sister about died when I suggested taking him to the Academy with me. So he stayed with my parents. Died a little bit after my mom did...I kind of miss having that fuzzball around. Maybe I'll see if I can get another one..."
"Fiercely independent? Yet they rrremain with Terrrrrans? Seems a contrrradiction." She shook her head. "At least everrrything was not brrred out of them, like those canines that the Captain had. Disgusting crrreaturrre."
"We who are owned by a terran cat are slaves to the cat," Mint laughed. "I mean, would you rather someone handed you a meal on a plate or in a bowl and allowed you to have a safe and warm place to sleep or have to hunt for your meal, hope your chosen den was warm and water proof and have to keep an eye out for predators?"
She yawned again. "And for the record, canines are not completely dumb. There are many very intelligent breeds. They were used mostly to aid humans in hunting, though they have become lazier in the generations since hunting was no longer necessary for daily sustenance. But you being a feline, I can see how you wouldn't like canines."
M'Mira sniffed her disdain. "They arrre pointless. A trrribble has as much function and rrrequirrres less maintenance."
"We'll agree to disagree on canines," Mint laughed and finished off her warm milk. "But for now... I think it's sleep time..." As though to emphasize this, she yawned and stretched. "There will be a lot of work to do tomorrow."
"Yes. I am tirrred too. I forrrgot to tell you something, though. Have you seen the counselorrr? She was by to see me a few hourrrs ago, looking forrr you."
"Hmmm.. no, I haven't seen her," Mint shook her head. "I was in my office all day though, since I got back from the Minotaur actually....errr... except when I went to meet that witch of a governor," she said sheepishly. "I'm sure she'll find me tomorrow because I'll forget to go looking for her."
"Maybe," M'Mira replied unknowing. "So, the meeting with the Falteans was that difficult?"
"Well, lets just say the highlight was that no one got shot this time," Mint grumbled. "And that Counselor slash diplomat, Kincaid didn't make things any better.... should have known Candy had ulterior motives. She shmoozed it up with the Governor. Made me sick..." Mint yawned again.
"Candy?! And schmoozing with the Goverrrnor? Why?!! Is she a trrraitor?" M'Mira's hackles raised.
"No she's a reporter," Mint rolled her eyes at how quickly M'Mira jumped to conclusions. "Then again, not far off of being a traitor..." She yawned again. "But I think we should get some sleep and worry about this stuff in the morning."
"Not far off?" M'Mira wondered what Mint meant by that. "But, you'rrrre rrright. Plenty of time to worrry tomorrrrrrow," M'Mira agreed. "If you need anything, just let me know." With that, M'Mira headed towards her bedroom.