On the Nature of Change

Posted on Thursday September 5th, 2019 @ 15:34 hours by Mayterial Droz & Clinton Westbrooke Jr

Mission: Hot Couture
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD02 - 2345 hours
893 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

"Hard to tell who's who around here anymore," Clint said as he wandered onto the bridge. He'd been planning on sitting up here alone, taking a few minutes to watch the stars and be quiet, but he realized he wasn't as alone as the middle of the night should have let him be. "Can't sleep either?" He asked.

"I hope you still recognise me." Mayterial didn't bother taking her bare feet off the console in front of her, the day had been long and arduous. This was just a moment of silent reflection she didn't want to spend in her quarters, near a bottle of booze. "What's keeping you up?"

"Me, most likely," Clint replied with a chuckle. "Wasn't exactly planning on getting on the wrong side of the law on purpose again so soon," He said, grinning a bit. He shrugged and took a sip of the black coffee in his hand, "Sounds fun though. You got a lot of new blood your trustin' with this... you okay with that?"

"I don't really have a choice. I can't do this alone." Mayterial knew that if there was any possibility at all of her pulling this off without involving anyone else she would've definitely done it, "We didn't do anything wrong yet, so if you want out, this is your chance."

Clint sniffed and looked out at the stars for a long moment, then shrugged, "Nah... I like you, Cap. I'm pretty good at readin' people. You got me at your back, you can count on that," He told her, taking another sip of his coffee.

"That's good to know." Mayterial sounded none too convinced, "sometimes I wonder how we got here, you know," She shrugged a bit "I don't believe in fate. I'm sure it's a result from choices I made in the past. Which is forcing me back into old habits." It wasn't sheer luck that someone from her crew got taken the first day she circled Rangalor V, "Makes you wonder whether one can truly change."

"I think we're all here for a reason," Clint replied, simply. "Some of us, those reasons are virtuous and good, some of us those reasons are not so virtuous and good, some of us are just plain bad," He said with a shrug. "I think we fit in that middle category... Not exactly virtuous, but we mean well. Gotta fill that purpose, can't get out of it. That's what we're here for, you know?" He said, shrugging. "Can't change who you are, only how you look at it."

There were many ways to look at May's life, very few of them would put her in a positive light, "Sometimes I think we're a ship full of lost children." She shook her head a bit, it was a stupid thought and it sounded even more stupid when spoken out loud, "Someone like Kari didn't sign up for stuff like this, she wanted to experience the universe, the galaxy, before settling down in some humdrum desk job back on Trill." She shrugged a bit, "But instead of some reputable core world trader she signed up for a stint on the Fawkes, under my command, and now she'll be scarred for life."

"Ain't scars, boss, they're lessons. Lessons leave a mark so you don't forget 'em," Clint said, knowing all to well how many lessons he had across his body. Some of them he was happy to remember... others he wished he could forget.

Mayterial shake her head, "I feel like she's paying for the lessons I should've learned way back when." She closed her eyes a moment and sighed, for all the talk about family and having each other's back the truth was she had always looked out for number one first, second and third before even considering anyone else. It had cost her a lot and now that she had turned a fresh leaf she was rewarded with dredge from her past regurgitating and punishing her and people that associated with her.

"You did the best you could at the time," Clint replied. "A lot of times, in the life we lead, you gotta take care of you before you can take care of anyone else... sometimes that means you get okay, and other people... don't. You just gotta do everything you can to make it right, y'know?" He offered, taking a sip of his coffee. "Like we're doin' now. We're going to do something real stupid to try and save her. That's how we work. Might not be able to keep it from happening, but we'll damn well fix it, yeah?"

It was stupid, she knew it was true, and all of it sounded like a cliché, but Mayterial nodded, listening to Clint she knew he was right. They were going to fix this, through whatever means necessary, "Yeah. Yeah. We'll get it done." Another firm nod as she got up from her seat at the conn, "Thanks Mr. Westbrooke."

"Clint Westbrooke, huh? Chief Counselor aboard the SS Fawkes," He said with a chuckle, and a grin, raising his coffee cup to her, "Sleep good, Skip. We got a lot of bad guy stuff to do in the morning," He said, giving her a boyish grin.

[OFF]

Mayterial Droz
Captain

&

Clinton Westbrooke Jr.
Quartermaster

S.S. Fawkes

"The only constant in life is change"