A Little Early

Posted on Fri Jun 20th, 2025 @ 12:33am by Lieutenant Irril Sharvo

710 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: 84 Years Young
Location: Runabout Rufus

Lieutenant Sharvo Irril sat quietly in one of the many passenger seats aboard the Runabout Rufus just staring out the window at the stars as they streaked by. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind for him, and he had barely had a moment to catch his breath as his world came crashing down around him. It wasn't the first time, but that didn't make it any easier for him to cope with all that had happened to him.

Checking their current course and speed on the datapad that he'd been given, he was at least gratified that they were nearly at the shipyards. Originally, Irril was supposed to be detained aboard the Cairo for at least another week before they could complete his transfer, but Captain Leslie Wong had practically pushed him out of the airlock. He still didn't quite understand why his father's actions had devastated his career so much as the Cairo had a very small Bajoran population. It was true that Captain Jellico had little patience for the Cardassians, which may've played a part in the whole ordeal, but very few who had remained in the Senior Staff had served with him. It had only messed with his head, perhaps too much. He couldn't help but wonder how his history would affect him now though with his new position on The Sullivans. All he could now do was be the best Operations Officer he could be and let the chips fall where they may.

Glancing out the window, Irril watched as the warp streaks slowed to a crawl and became stars once more. Seconds passed when he heard the pilot of the Rufus come across the comm, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Algonquin Shipyards. The local time is 17:47. For your safety and the safety of those around you, please remain seated and keep the aisle clear until we are docked. The flight crew will indicate when it is safe to stand. Please use caution when opening the overhead compartments and removing items, since articles may have shifted during flight."

Still watching the windows, Irril was excited to see so many starships getting prepared for launch, but he also knew how dangerous that meant the entire galaxy had become. Many of these ships had been powered down for over a generation and, while spaceworthy, were behind the times. The young Bajoran could only hope that they were all prepared for what was about to come as the runabout docked.

Receiving the all clear, Irril was about to leave his seat when he watched the person in front of him get up and open the overhead a bit too fast. Watching as a small case fell, Irril was able to jump up and grab it before it hit the other person. Smiling politely, he handed off the luggage, "Happens all the time."

"Thanks," the Ensign answered as she took her duffel. "Thought if I packed light I wouldn't have to deal with stuff falling on me."

"Things never seem to go the way we want them to these days," Irril explained. "I'm Lieutenant Sharvo, or Irril if you like."

"I'm Mik," she said as she started down the aisle.

Quickly grabbing his own bag, he followed, "So, where you heading?"

Making her way through the crowd, Mik answered, "I'm assigned to the Farragut."

"Impressive! I'm assigned to The Sullivans. Guess we're cousins," Irril teased.

"Do you always do this, or am I a special case?" Mik asked pointedly.

The Bajoran was taken aback, "Beg pardon?"

Exiting the runabout, Mik continued, "Strike up conversations like this? Trying to feel the mood to see if I'm interested?"

"I was just being friendly," Irril explained.

"I'll take your word for it," Mik answered as she checked in at the reception desk. Picking up the datapad that was handed to her, she glanced down as Irril did the same. "Looks like this is where we part company."

Irril shrugged, "Up to you, but feels like we may have already done that."

"And here I thought you may've liked a challenge. Catch you later, Sullivans," Mik started to walk away.

The Bajoran excused himself, "See ya, Farragut!" Irril walked toward the airlock, ready to get aboard The Sullivans after striking out.

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