Updates in Life, Pt 3
Posted on Sat Apr 6th, 2024 @ 1:31am by Lieutenant JG Aubrey Miller & Lieutenant JG Dustin Reynolds
1,772 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 119 - "Shattered Mirror"
Location: Starbase 400, Aubrey's Quarters
Timeline: MD01, 1745 hrs
Starbase 400, Aubrey's Quarters
“Can you believe it, she's almost in pristine condition.” Dustin said with a big smile on his face, referring to the fact that the USS Falcon was almost ready to launch again. Aubrey and her team along with the Corps of engineers have been working hard to get her back in tip top shape. Dustin and Aubrey had recently decided to move in together, even though he was still getting used to the fact that this was their place he felt like it was very much her place. And the reason they chose her place is because she had a better view than he did. His quarters didn't have a window like hers did.
“I am so excited.” Aubrey’s eyes lit up. “She is better than ever. I sent a message to Zeke and Anna to see if they wanted a tour.” She paused. “I asked the captain first, I just thought they might want to see if she is bad in one piece.”
“I don't think I've seen you this happy in months, but I'm glad I can see that smile once again on your face.” Dustin said with loving eyes. It had been too long since he had seen her smile.
“The ship is fixed.” Aubrey said with a smile. “Which helped but what is making me really smile is you and me, sharing quarters together.”
“That is very sweet of you to say, but I'm pretty sure part of that small thing has to do with the Falcon.” Dustin said, knowing that the Falcon meant a lot to her.
“It does.” Aubrey nodded. “But being together and taking this step is important to me as well.” She didn’t say any more because she knew he wanted baby steps.
“I'm glad we're at this point in our relationship, if we're being honest I wanted to get here months ago. But things happen for a reason.” Dustin said, knowing darn well that this was the time they were meant to live together.
“I think this is exactly where we should be.” Aubrey said with a smile. “We do things in our time and when we are ready.”
“Don't think this doesn't mean I'm not ready to get married, but I'm willing to wait till you're ready.” Dustin said with a big grin on his face.
“I am ready.” Aubrey grinned back at him. “You know this. I just want both of us to be sure we want to take that next step. You mean everything to me and you know that.”
“Not to sound cheesy, you mean everything to me as well. I am so glad to have met you, and to be a part of your life.” Dustin pointed out to him.
“We were put in the right place.” Aubrey smiled. “At the right time. When I first met you, I knew you would mean something to me. I didn’t guess, however, how much. I can’t imagine living this life without you in it.”
“That is very sweet of you to say, and I'll be asleep. I care just as much for you as you do for me. I'll listen to this to sound like a bunch of cheesy romantics.” Dustin said with a big grin on his face.
“We do.” Aubrey smiled. “But it’s okay because there isn’t anyone else around to hear us and I am proud of how I feel.”
“I don't care if the whole world knows how much I love you, hell even the universe.” Dustin said with the big cheesy grin on his face. He wasn't going to hide that fact from anyone.
“I have a feeling those close to us already do.” Aubrey said with a grin. “And also, the ring on my finger says a lot but not one person has asked me about our engagement.” She looked at Dustin. “Are they waiting for us to say something?”
“Or maybe they're afraid to ask, I mean this with all the love in my heart but you've been pretty focused on getting the Falcon operational.” Dustin said with a calm tone, he was basically saying she was almost unapproachable for personal matters.
“I have been a little testy.” Aubrey admitted and smiled at the look on his face. “Oh, I haven’t been all that bad since Captain Rodgers and I had our little talk. You know how hard it was for me to let strangers work on the Falcon.”
“You never told me how that went?” Dustin asked, he was being a little nosy. He wanted to know before but he didn't want to upset her.
“She let me have it over working too long of hours.” Aubrey said quietly. “And that I need to have faith and trust in the Corp of engineers.” She smiled slightly. “I didn’t like it or agree with her but I conceded to her terms.”
“Trust the core of engineers, I wouldn't trust them to build a footbridge let alone repair My Starship.” Dustin said with the big grit on his face, he had very little faith in them all they did was cheaply assemble ships and the ship cruise actually had to fix all their errors.
“Which is why I have been sneaking behind them and correcting what I don’t like.” Aubrey grinned. “I just have to be stealth about it with our Captain watching me.”
“You know that Captain catches you, she's going to reprimand you for that. Don't worry though your secret is safe with me, my loyalties might be to the crew and the captain but if they don't ask I don't have to tell them.” Dustin said, trying to be funny.
“I’m doing better.” Aubrey said with a smile. “I gave myself a schedule and didn’t work day and night but I want to know that everything is in top condition and there isn’t any subpar work. They don’t care about our ship like we do.”
“Don't try to change the topic, you know if you find out you're in trouble.” Dustin said, wanted to focus on damage control at this point.
“I know Sarah will let me have it.” Aubrey nodded. “I am doing better, just probably not up to the standards she expects from me.” She shook her head. “I can’t help it, it is the engineer in me.”
“That's probably true, but someday you're going to be Captain. Are you going to want your chief engineer to follow your rules?” Dustin asked, playing devil's advocate.
“Yes.” Aubrey admitted. “I know it doesn’t make sense but you yourself said that the corps isn’t to be trusted.”
“They're necessary evil, they get the ships assembled, it's up to us to get them in working order.” Dustin said knowing he needed to trend on this conversation lightly.
“Well I’m sorry but I don’t trust them.” Audrey replied passionately. “And when we are in the middle of a battle you will agree with me.”
“I have no idea why the Corps of engineers would engage in battle with us; their job is to build not to fight.” Dustin stated whether she was going with that.
“They have a lot of work to do.” Aubrey explained. “They don’t always do things at the level I expect on this ship.” She paused. “They have nothing to gain or lose, this is my ship, not theirs.”
“When it comes to the Falcon, you're absolutely right.” Dustin said to her, stop and about her earlier comment. “Facilities answer the question why you'd want them to be by our side during a combat situation, unless I misunderstood you.” He said knowing that could be a rea lpossibility.
“I don’t want them there.” Aubrey smiled. “I meant that they are not the ones who have to fix their mistakes in a combat situation. It falls on me.”
“Now you see why I want them as far away from the battle as possible, unless we recognize them and put them on the enemy shift and have them fix the enemy ships.” Dustin said in a joking manner.
Aubrey laughed at his words, seeing his point. “They aren’t really that bad.” She paused. “I served on a ship once where the chief assumed that repairs were done properly and never checked for himself. It cost us four crew members. It was a lesson I haven’t forgotten.”
“His negligence isn't your fault.” Dustin pointed out to her. She wasn't in charge, and his carelessness led to their death not hers.
“You are right.” Aubrey smiled. “I need to just let it go, but it is something that has stuck with me all these years. Time to put it to rest and trust the training I have given my people.”
“For what it's worth, I believe you have trained your crew well.” Dustin said to her, believing everything that he had just said. He had been on the ship when she was trying to get it ready and she could see how much she cared about the ship and her crew, she was nothing like her first commanding officer.
“I expect the best out of everyone.” Aubrey said with a smile. “But I am fair as well. I understand that mistakes can be made, as long as they are owned up to, I will deal with them and help my people to not make the same one twice. The learning process is an important curve, as well as teaching them to value themselves and others.”
“Maybe someday you can value the corps of engineers, I'm teasing, I'm teasing.” Dustin said as he practically almost pissed his pants cuz he was laughing so hard.
“Don’t you sell out to the dark side.” Aubrey said with a laugh. “There is no comparison between them and a ship engineer.”
“Well I heard the dark side has cookies, and you know I love cookies.” Dustin said teasingly.
“My cookies are better.” Aubrey said with a laugh. “Nothing compares to these hands and the love I put into them.”
“Well I do love those hands, you'll have no complaints for me.” Dustin said with the big smile on his face.
Aubrey smiled back at him. “We are lucky to have each other.” She had never been as close to anyone as she was to him.
“I totally agree.” Dustin said with a warm smile. The scene starts to fade away.
Aubrey smiled back at him. They had taken some serious steps in their relationship and she was feeling so happy.
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