Unexpected Company

Posted on Monday 31 May 2021 @ 19:24 by Major David Scarlet

Mission: A Cry from the Darkness
Location: Mathias's Quarters
Timeline: MD 7 2100
1765 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Scarlet moved through the passageway with single minded determination. The look on his face was stern and angry, sending a few junior crewmen scurrying out of his way.

He stopped suddenly in front of the door to McPhee's quarters and did a sharp right turn. Pressing the chime, he stood promptly and crisply at attention. Waiting.

Mathias was startled to hear the chime and walked over to open the door for whomever was there. He was surprised to see Scarlet.


Even as the door was opening, Scarlet's hand shot out. In it was a bottle of Andorian Ale. His eyes met with McPhee's. "We need a drink." The statement was presented as a matter of fact with no room for argument.

"Hey Scarlet, sure come on in." Mathias looking rather rough around the edges, and far more tense than he usually is. "A drink sounds really good right now." stepping out of the way to let Scarlet in, he moved several piles of paper to one side making a place for them to sit. "I'll get the glasses." walking over and retrieving two.

Scarlet took a seat and wrenched the cork from the neck of the bottle. As soon as Mathias sat down and set the glasses, he filled both of them with a generous amount of the blue liquid.

Taking the glass nearest him, Scarlet raised it up before him. "To those who survived and those who did not." He spoke solemnly, a tinge of regret on his voice. "And at the end of the day... a mission accomplished."

Mathias looked at Scarlet for a long moment, then raised the glass, "I agree, and to those who have been taken away by trickery may they survive." Slugging back the ale. He knew the drink was strong, but he didn't care. That image of what happened to Ransa still in his mind. He saw the recording.

Without missing a beat, Scarlet refilled both glasses. "Now that the toasts are done, we drink for ourselves." He took a swig of the liquid and clicked his teeth. "I should have made friends with that doctor a while ago. She knows her ale."

"Dr. Khyl? Yes, she does know her stuff." giving a slight smile then it faded away. "What's this about?" motioning towards the bottle and the glasses and Scarlet. "I'm surprised you're not raking me over the coals for leaving the planet and going to the ship?" Taking another drink of the ale.

Scarlet shook his head. "Not in the least. You did what you had to do in the situation."

Finishing his second glass in a few chugs, Scarlet continued. "You weren't much good to us during combat because of your arm, we had lost contact with the ship, the situation was chaos. You took the initiative to get to the ship yourself and figure out what was going on."

Scarlet shrugged. "Were you supposed to sit there with your thumb up your ass and wait for permission that might never come?"

"Miles probably thought so and well.. If it was in another time and another day I would have been shot for dereliction of duty. As it stands, not sure what will happen. I told them my reasoning, but would the reason of I had a feeling I needed to get up to the ship stand up in a trial?" he tossed back the rest of his drink in his glass, gasping somewhat as the liquid hit the back of his throat and burned down to his stomach. When it cleared he looked at Scarlet. "I arrived just barely in time to say goodbye to Caroline, and now I find once again I am the unwitting participant of something happening. Something's happened to Caroline. I thought she was going home to spend the last remaining days with her dying Grandmother and its all a sham. I received a Help, SOS from her. She was duped! And she is out there somewhere, experiencing who knows what! I do know she is made of strong stuff though. She's not fragile." he set his glass back down.

Scarlet sighed. "You're not able to fix the world by yourself McPhee." He leaned forward in his seat. "Miller would have gone regardless of if you had been here or not. The difference is that you were here and you handled being thrust into a command position well."

He poured out the rest of the bottle into the two glasses. "As for the mission, that was a clusterfuck. We went in with unreliable intel, not prepared for what was actually going on. We're lucky we made it out mostly intact. Your actions, the deals you made, gave us an edge. It allowed us to get in with a small group and get the Captain. That is a win in my books McPhee. You should be damn proud you did what you had to do when the time came. I can list off a dozen high ranking officers who couldn't handle a crunch time situation nearly as well as you did."

"I only did what I felt was necessary, hang whatever consequences that may or may not happen. I would do it in a heartbeat for anyone. And thank you. I... know I can't fix the world by myself, it takes a team, I just wish I could have been able to do more. However with the shape I was in... I guess I did the best I could." taking a drink, then placed the glass down. "The evil that poured out from her, I wanted to destroy her, especially now that I know what she did to Ransa. I would have strangled her and then taken the child from her." he growled out. "I had that thought...." he looked at Scarlet. "That scares me though, just that thought crossing through my mind. And her kidnapping Captain Jones."

Scarlet frowned, but nodded. "No need to explain yourself to me Mathias. Sometimes when we encounter great evil our baser instincts want to match it. Stomp out the vileness swift and brutally."

He leaned forward and locked eyes with Mathias. "But you didn't. You upheld your own morals against your basic instincts. The fact that you're appalled by those thoughts speak volumes."

Leaning back again, Scarlet let out a slow sigh before continuing. "Leave the dirty work to those who aren't appalled. Because knowing there are still good people like you helps them sleep at night despite the demons."

Mathias took another drink, this time just a sip. Lowering the glass, Mathias remarked. "That woman, that evil woman, she woke up something inside me, Scarlet, she had talked about an MU version of me, maybe there is a slight bit of a pirate hovering beneath the surface of my psyche. And honestly, I would move Heaven and Earth to find Caroline, I would set the stars on fire to bring down the curs who took her. Once I find out my fate with Melody and Miles, and cleared for more than what I am doing now, I want training. I can't stand or sit idly by."

"Training I can help with." Scarlet replied grimly. He didn't know much about this so called Mirror universe. Some sort of dark reflection of themselves. Part of him was curious, but he dismissed it. That was a bridge he might never cross. "And if you need, call on me in this discussion with the Captain. You did what needed to be done and she's back here safe and sound because of your actions."

Mathias grimly nodded, "So, do you think I can become a lean mean fighting machine? I think the way things stand I need to be better than I am now? I am no slouch. And yes I do remember we were talking about that earlier before all this happened, but do you believe that I can become stronger?"

Scarlet swirled the blue liquid in the glass before taking a sip. "You can be trained, but that's not an indicator or strength McPhee. You've already shown strength and resolve." He paused again and looked at Mathias McPhee. The man was hurting, that was obvious. And he needed a focus for that pain. "We'll make arrangements in the morning to start something after duty hours. Baseline you and see what needs improving first."

Mathias nodded, "Good and thank you. I am needing something, maybe I will turn into a warrior poet." cracking a smile." he took a sip of the drink, this time savoring it. Scarlet was certainly helping him get things more into focus. "Thanks my friend, you are good medicine."

Scarlet grimaced slightly and then raised his glass before sipping it in silent contemplation. He hoped McPhee was right. That he was a friend. Deep down though, where his own darkness dwelled, he wasn't so sure.

Mathias finished his drink, took a look at Scarlet, "You doubt that? I do indeed consider you a friend. One who's not afraid to tell me the hard truth, or if needed to give a smack" giving a lopsided grin. " And with you coming here, that is proof enough to me that you are a friend. If I wasn't , you'd not be here. Pure cold hard fact." locking eyes with him.

Scarlet shook his head and stared at his glass. "Let's leave it there McPhee. Already had one guy try to get in my head lately and it didn't go well for him." He half smirked at how he'd gotten that Ensign riled up. "Besides, I'm here for you. Not the other way around."

Scarlet took a sip before finally looking up at Mathias. "This mission opened a lot of eyes I think. We're all going to have to make some decisions about the future. Hopefully the right decisions." Scarlet clenched his jaw. "And you better or I WILL knock some sense into you."

Mathias retorted back, "Good and expect the same in return. And contrary to your belief you need, me as much as I need you, Ying and Yang my friend and I am not a counselor." Mathias's chin jutting out with a stubborn set to it, and a fire in his eyes.

"Fair enough McPhee." Scarlet held up his glass in a toast. "To good decisions." And downed the rest of the liquid.

OFF

| 1st Lieutenant David Scarlet
Marine Company Commander
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Mathias McPhee
Chief Operations Officer
USS Merlin