Fair Winds...

Posted on Wed Jan 15th, 2025 @ 5:47pm by Lieutenant Commander Aer Feshau-Patton & Colonel Jack Patton

2,491 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: History Speaks
Location: The Quarters of Aer and Jack Patton - Poseidon Station
Timeline: Four Months Before Their Arrival at Faltan Station

Jack had tried every which way that he could, but the orders stood. General Dakoda Lee's orders were clear and would not be rescinded. He was to order the complete evacuation of the Kingsmen and move the unit to the Delta Quadrant and Faltan Station. Additionally the Kingsmen would be downsized and made into a forward RECONN unit. Their secondary orders were to find a planet that would be suitable to create a base of operations for the Starfleet Marine Corps in the Delta Quadrant.

He sat at his desk in the quarters he shared with his wife as he finished the list of people who would remain with him. It would be the original Kingsmen with some additions. Brina, Hill, and the Gorn H'rar stood out to him and would stay. Brina keeping the role of his second in command. Jack knew it would be hard to find someone he could trust more than her. The good news was Jack had managed to find reassignment for some of the Kingsmen with Lieutenant Colonel Tremble's unit on the USS Pioneer. As for the rest they would be rehomed by the Corps.

A small indicator on his PADD blinked and when Jack responded to it he had another piece of good news. The strings he pulled with Starfleet Intelligence paid off. Aer was to be reassigned as the Chief Intelligence Officer for Faltan. He would be able to keep his family together, well most of them.

"You're very busy over there." Aer commented as she noticed the light noise and quite annoying blinking light on the PADD Jack had held up. She'd heard a lot about marine movements from the station. Nothing official had been said yet but she had a feeling Jack would be on the move soon and all the activity at the desk would indicate that.

Aer held her hands over her stomach subconsciously as she thought to herself. She still hadn't told Jack of the twins that were growing inside of her. She couldn't after the hard mission to retrieve Harrington, he needed time, and now with all the hustle and bustle of what's coming up she still wasn't sure.

"Indeed I am come her my love I have to show you something." Jack began and waited for her to come sit by him. "First some bad but good news at the same time. It seems that the Kingsmen are being downsized back to an expeditionary force. We are being reassigned to Faltan Station in the Delta Quadrant. Our mission is now two fold, one is to assist in securing the station and the sector. Secondly is to scout a planet where a SFMC base of operations can be created." Jack showed her the orders with a smile of excitement on his face. "The other piece of great news is that I have spoken with Admiral Cranford in Starfleet Intelligence. Faltan Station is in need of a Chief Intelligence Officer so you are coming with me. I love you and I am overjoyed that we get to this together." For a soldier Jack Patton was a little romantic at heart. This was going to be a great stepping stone on their path of life.

It was a lot of information to process in a short space of time. What Jack had just thrown at her felt like a tsunami hitting a beach front. His time on Poseidon was over, his marines being reduced in size, their life on the station changing so fast. Did he know about these orders for a while and just not tell her?

"You asked Admiral Cranford before you spoke to me about it?" Aer asked with annoyance in her voice. Beginning to pace back and forth in front of the desk her mind was spinning with questions. "Why do we have to go? Why can't someone else do it? Our life is here, our friends are here."

It was not the response he expected, but it was understood. Jack decided to address her second point first. "You know as much as I do that we are at the mercy of the Corps, and the Fleet respectively. I have to go where I am assigned as do you. The Kingsmen have to do it as we are the best of the best. Additionally and this is something that I am not sure you are aware of. But, Poseidon Station is being shut down by Starfleet. The Aquillans have asked us to leave and Starfleet is obliging. That is not common knowledge as of yet. I just thought it would be best to stay together. I know that there may come a time when our careers take us apart from one another, but that does not need to be now."

"Thank you, Jack. I don't really need a lecture on how things work." she huffed and sighed. "I didn't know Poseidon was being shut down... I'll need to shake my contacts up if they've missed something that big, something that affects our family." Aer hinted at the knowledge of something more without realizing. Jack didn't know yet she was pregnant with twins but already her mindset had them nearly here. "I don't have many contacts in the Delta Quadrant." she continued to moan. "I guess I'll need to start from scratch." Aer added before feeling a touch dizzy. Holding on to the desk for balance she closed her eyes and took some deep breaths.

Jack jumped to his feet and put his arms around her. "Are you okay?" Jack knew that Aer was very rarely if ever ill. This sudden loss of balance took him by surprise. "Let us get you in a chair and we can continue this discussion." He tried his hardest to not sound like he coddled her, for he knew she hated that. However, he could not keep the concern out of his voice.

He was fussing over her, something he often did. Aer was of small stature, not overly strong, and gave the appearance of someone who needed protecting. Sometimes it was to her advantage, sometimes not. As Jack helped her to a chair she didn't all mind that he was looking after her, she felt she needed it after he'd been away so long and given how she felt.

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy spell." Aer smiled and held onto him as he moved her. Unsure whether to tell him, or how, she continued their current discussion. "Do you want to go to Faltan?" she asked.

"There is the crux of it. In truth no, I love it here... The Kingsmen have built something here, we have built something here. But, the idea of being the first Marines in the Delta Quadrant and setting that up is an assignment that is too good to pass up. It is literally the best of both worlds as we do what Marines do best in a new and undiscovered area. What I do know is that I would not even think of going without you. That's why I did what I did." There was certain way that he smiled that Jack knew melted her heart. He gave her that smirk now, he tried to soften this blow.

"The Delta Quadrant is where my people come from..." Aer mused aloud. "It's bound to be an adventure," she conceded, embracing the idea of starting anew there. "Given that this is all fresh news, I presume you haven't arranged quarters for us yet?" she inquired, seeing it as an opportune moment to reveal her pregnancy to Jack.

"Not as of yet. There is plenty of time for that. Between assisting with Kingsmen reassignments and packing up what is needed to go and who is going to go. Combine that with transport time. We most likely won't get to Faltan for about five or so months." Jack smiled devilishly, for what he was about to say he knew would get his wife fully on board with this assignment. "I have obtained authorization to take the Caliban to Faltan. She is being refitted with a slipstream drive as we speak."

"Oh, so you're bringing me along and commandeering my ship?" Aer jested. "Really, Jack, isn't anything off-limits these days? I understand the whole 'what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine' concept, but this is pushing it," she remarked, punctuating her statement with an unexpected sneeze. "But five months? That's quite a stretch to be confined to a tiny ship... Do we at least get the largest quarters? The most comfortable?"

"Indeed we do. The Captain's quarters for the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer. Besides I knew you liked the ship so much so I had to make sure it would come with us. I would hate to see you have to part with it. I promise that once we arrive I will turn over command to you and she will be all yours. Then of course I will be relegated back to pushing papers for the unit." Jack was not happy with all of the paperwork that came with his rank. In fact what he looked forward to most about this move was the five months in the field doing something. He hoped that there would be something along the way.

"Well, maybe your 'paper pushing,' as you put it, will turn out to be a blessing. At least you'll be around more," Aer remarked, almost without thinking. His frequent absences had been hard, and while the closure of Poseidon was unfortunate and their abrupt relocation was still settling in, the idea of him being more present was comforting. "Being home is going to matter," she added with a hint of mystery. She was still figuring out how to break the news of her pregnancy; she didn't want to just drop it on him.

"Yes I would agree. That is perhaps the only good thing about this promotion of mine. The fact that we will be able to spend more time together, as more of the field operations will be turned over to Brina..." Jack snapped his fingers as if he had forgotten something. "...Crap I have to ask her if she and her family wants to come along, or I will have to find another XO." He turned back to Aer. "Sorry... I got side-tracked. But yes... You and I will have a new home to get to know and explore."

Aer rolled her eyes. Jack's mind appeared to be entirely consumed with work and the satisfaction of his marines. Not that she undervalued the importance of family; indeed, the marines had become a surrogate family to her, one for which she would do nearly anything, much like Jack. "We won't be exploring that home alone..." she hinted once more, hoping he would catch on. She was aware that men weren't always quick to pick up on subtle hints, but if he misunderstood, she was prepared to state it plainly this time.

For a moment Jack was going to respond without thinking. Almost on autopilot as it were. He looked at a few of the transfer requests he had sent out for some of the Kingsmen. He opened his mouth to speak and then paused. Jack looked at his wife with his head cocked to the side. Then his eyes widened as it all dawned on him. "Wait... You're... wait... I am going to be... wait... We are having a baby?" It was said as both a statement and a question.

"For a smart man you take a long time to pick things up, Colonel." Aer teased. "No, we're having twins. The start of your own little platoon or whatever you call it!" she added, she was slightly ignorant of some more militaristic terms.

Jack jumped to his feet and swept Aer into his arms. "We are having kids. My gods this is the best news anyone could hear ever." He spun her around in the embrace and then it hit him. The second part of her statement that is. "We are having twins!" Jack put her down and fell back into his chair. "Oy! That is going to be a lot. Twins... Wow!"

"Careful!" Aer giggled. "I'm dizzy enough." she reminded him. His sheer delight was wonderful to see. Aer knew he had always wanted kids and in truth so did she, she just didn't think it would be so soon. Still, she was happy to be bringing life into the galaxy with the man she loved. "Yes, it's going to be a lot. You sound worried... you know you have been in charge of a station before right? Like the whole thing?"

Jack ran his hand through his hair and smiled. "Yes but in that case people follow orders. When was the last time any child followed an order. Does your old man know?" Jack was not fond of Crailo but he thought the old man would enjoy being a grand dad.

Aer always found the phrase 'old man' to be a strange one. Most of her people were 'old' men, quite considerably so. She knew that most of the time it was used affectionately but the empath in her did sense Jack's distaste of her father when asking the question. "I've told my family." Aer replied. "He sent a card..." she shrugged as if it wasn't a surprise. "He won't be the one decorating their room, or replicating their beds... unless you like building things like cribs?"

Jack had always thought he would be a hands on kind of father. What better way to start and to prove that a reality than now. "We will build everything they need, together. It can be a bonding experience. These children are going to be the most well protected children anywhere." He added with laughter.

"We? I think I'll stick to biologically constructing life inside my own body." Aer laughed. "And I hope they are..." her voice waivered. "The Unseen have painted me a target my love. They know I'm after them, and I will take them down. We just now have a smaller marine family than I'd have liked..."

Jack waxed sentimental about those Kingsmen that he had to transfer. He knew that they would be a benefit to Colonel Tremble and his unit. But, he agreed with Aer. "I know my love. Me as well. But the Kingsmen will make sure that nothing happens to anyone. As time goes on I will expand the unit and in no time at all we will have the large family again. As soon as my meetings with Captain M'Mira and the rest of the Senior Staff are complete I will get started on the construction projects."

"I can bring you drinks." Aer grinned.

The conversation faded but continued in it's excitement. If this were a movie the camera would pan out here and the voices would dull to that of a muffled whisper.

 

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