The Paths We Take...

Posted on Tue Jan 3rd, 2023 @ 3:44pm by Fleet Admiral Mike K`Wor Bremer

1,538 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 114 - A Time and Place for Everything
Location: Starbase 400
Timeline: MD1 1600hrs

ON:

Mike was reading a PADD outlining the discoveries the R&D Team and their timeless help had made. K’Temoc was standing beside his brother as he read it.

“Coleman has all the data now. It’s up to the Science team and their help now.” K’Temoc said as Mike finished.

“Some of the brightest minds in the Federation’s history…and future as working on this, I know they’ll find a solution.” Mike replied, hopeful.

K’Temoc then broke a smile, “There’s more….Danielle is pregnant.”

Mike smiled and hugged his younger brother, “I am so happy for you both.”

“Yeah, it’s a surprise for sure.” K’Temoc replied, still smiling. “And there’s nothing like your future grandson telling you a surprise is coming just before you’re told.”

Mike raised an eyebrow but before he could say more a man stepped out of the turbolift that Mike never thought he’d see again. K’Temoc saw Mike stare, so he also looked. “Oh boy.”

The man stopped and looked around for a moment, then saw Mike and walked over to him.

“Mike K’Wor Bremer, a Fleet Admiral now.” He extended his hand.

Mike hadn’t let out a breath yet as he shook Fleet Admiral Mark Casey’s hand. “Admiral Casey.”

“Call me Mark, I think your rank allows it.” Casey said with a smile as he looked around. “You’ve done very well for yourself. A major Starbase, a Fleet…yeah I think I picked a good one for my new Executive Officer.”

Mike’s mind drifted for a moment. Casey was the commanding officer of 7th Fleet and the USS Pegasus NCC-1702-A, a Galaxy class vessel, in 2373 when a Lieutenant Commander Mike K’Wor Bremer was aboard DS9 in charge of the Starfleet Security personnel after the Michael Eddington incident. Casey had offered Mike the XO’s chair aboard the Pegasus but Mike requested time…and a few months later when the Pegasus returned Mike accepted. A few months after that, the Dominion War was burning and Starfleet was promoting people fast to try and fill positions. Casey took moved his flag to the Sovereign class USS Octavian and Mike took command of the Pegasus. After the war, a disgruntled Casey and the test crew of the USS Universal attempted to finish what the Jem’Hadar started attacked the Cardassian planet of Remu III. Bremer and the Pegasus-A were one of the ships that responded and after a vicious battle that saw the loss of the USS McArthur, the USS Universal was destroyed and Casey was dead. Sadly, Mike’s first wife Becky died aboard the Pegasus-A saving Mike’s life just prior to the Pegasus-A’s destruction. Mike remembered Casey did, in the end, try to end the fight and withdraw, only to be shot by his XO, Commander Daily as Mike watched on via an open comm-channel. The fact the Casey had become so blinded by hate by the war’s end was something Mike had always remembered and through the losses suffered, trials, and tribulation, he had always tried to keep at least a little joy and hope alive for her crew. It was hard, several losses were close and personal, but things like the ongoing Christmas festivities on the Promenade and even a Christmas tree in Ops helped and were good for everyone’s souls.

Mike finally took a deep breath as K’Temoc turned to look at tactical displays. “Mark, when did the Pegasus arrive?”

“Not long ago, I think we were the last ship through.” Casey replied.

Mike nodded as he glanced at the holo-display in the middle of Ops showing all of the ships within the Station’s parameter.

“We were on our way back to DS9 to see if you had accepted the Pegasus’s XO position when we were pulled here. I asked a few questions after beaming over and your Lieutenant Gilmore told me you were in command. I had to see for myself.” Casey smiled, “I’m proud of you Mister.” He patted Mike on the arm.

“Thank you, that means a lot. Truly.” Mike replied.

“Is that a sense of calm in your voice. What happened to the fiery half Klingon?” Casey asked, almost concerned.

Mike let a small smile cross his lips, “Oh he’s still here, just don’t piss him off.”

Casey laughed. Mike realized he’d missed the sound, and wondered what had driven Casey so far to a darker side, besides the war itself.

“From what the science teams are saying, when we return to our time we won’t remember these events, so tell me, where’s the Pegasus now?” Casey asked, almost like a kid asking about his favorite toy.

Mike sighed, “The Pegasus.” Mike wanted to tell him everything, but quickly decided not to. “Walk with me.”

K’Temoc gave Mike a nod as he and Casey left Ops.

A few minutes later the two Fleet Admirals from different times were on Level 134, in one of the Upper Observation Lounges standing in front of one of the large windows that looked out into SB400’s internal docking bay.

“My God that’s a big ship.” Casey said as he looked at the Odyssey class starship. “Pegasus-C?”

Mike nodded, “It’s been an eventful twenty-five years.”

Casey nodded, “For you to make Fleet Admiral so fast, and go through so many Pegasuses, I bet so.” Casey looked at the Pegasus-C again for a minute, then looked back at Mike. “I shouldn’t ask, but…”

“Go ahead.” Mike replied.

“Starfleet ever find out about my…genetic engineering?” Casey asked. He knew Mike, of 2373, already knew about it through accident.

Mike took a breath, “No sir.”

Casey smiled, it was a shadow that always hung over him. “Then where am I in 2399? Did Misty and I marry?”

Mike hesitated to answer. “Well sir…?”

Casey was taken back a little by Mike’s hesitation, “Well that answers one of the questions in a not so good way.”

Mike didn’t say anything, but the look on his face probably told the tell. “I’d asked Misty Hamlin to marry me after just a few weeks of dating, but it felt right. However it turns out for me, at least the journey was worth it.”

Casey smiled and again Mike found he missed the man’s optimism even after all these years.

Mike escorted Casey back to the science lab where Coleman, his team, and the other experts were working to correct things. “Time’s changed you Mike. Don’t let it change you too much. You’re a fine young man and officer, fierce warrior, but you have a good soul. The little Christmas shindig you have in your Promenade is evident of that. Like I plan to tell you, or told you in your time, your crew is your biggest asset. Looking around, hearing things, you’ve taken that to heart. Never forget it.”

Mike nodded, “Thank you sir. And thank you for the opportunities you gave, or will give.”

The men shook hands again before Casey returned to the lap to help the team.

Once back in Ops, Mike took a moment to look up Misty Hamlin. Mike vaguely knew the name but couldn’t remember much. He looked up her Starfleet record and things started to click. Commander Misty Hamlin was a science officer aboard the Pegasus when Mike took over as XO. She had transferred to the Octavian with Casey and was wounded during the battle for the Benzite system when the Dominion drives Federation forces from the system and captures it in 2374. Later that year, she married Casey in a brief ceremony just before the Octavian joined the Enterprise-E and the 2nd Fleet in their attempt to liberate the Betazed system. She was wounded again and later died in Casey’s arms. Mike could early relate to how Casey must have felt. After the battle, while the Octavian was undergoing repairs, Casey took over the USS Universal project, and the rest was history as they say.

Both men went through similar loss and heat break, and while Casey ended up so grief stricken that he turned his back on his oath, stole a prototype ship and tried to finish genocide against the Cadassians…Mike had been able to stay true to himself…but not without struggles and hardships of his own.

Mike took a moment to makes some notes for himself using his new commbadge’s ‘holo-PADD’ function then he returned to the holo-display to see if anymore ships arrived, and hoped the science teams found a solution quickly…however Casey’s words kept ringing in his mind.

“Compute, play Christmas music from my personal play list.” While the computer beeped, Mike tapped in a few commands and holographic snow started to fall in Ops. Mike looked around at the crew whole were all looking at the ‘snow’, smiling. Even the non-Humans.

“Nice touch.” K’Temoc said has he walked up Mike.

Mike smiled seeing his crew just a little bit happier as the tension was eased just a little, even during this crisis.



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