Sins Of The Past

Posted on Wed Jan 25th, 2017 @ 8:15pm by Ensign Jonathan Forrest
Edited on on Wed Jan 25th, 2017 @ 8:59pm

Episode: Out of Sequence
Location: Obsidian Command Space Station XO's Office
Timeline: Current

"You're here early Jon, " Lieutenant Commander Moreau said as he entered the reception office of his spacious office.

"I'm always here early, " the Senior Cadet replied dryly, "I've prioritized the daily Security and Intel reports and they're on your desk. There's nothing urgent, or that can't wait until after you've had your morning coffee, which I also put there. I reviewed and signed off the duty roster for you. Ensign Romano is sick again. She always seems to get sick right after one of T'sano's poker games. Especially when she loses."

"And my schedule?" the Executive Officer asked.


I've kept your morning pretty light because you're going to have a busy afternoon. You've got a 0900 with Angela and the rest of the steering committee to discuss the graduation ceremony and after party. Then you have an 1130 with the Ops Chief. That one you'll have to keep brief, you've got lunch with the CO at 1200 sharp at the Broken Earring.

"You can take an early lunch, I know you and Anatoly don't exactly see eye to eye, " the Lieutenant Commander told him.

"He's a pompous as..."

"He's also a very competent one. So what's going on this afternoon?"

"Mac is sending over four candidates to replace me," the yeoman replied.

"You know Captain Knight isn't a big fan of cadets calling him that don't you?"

"He's not here now. And besides, after next Thursday I won't be a cadet anymore," Jonathan returned.

"Well, there is that," Moreau said, "but you're wrong about one thing. I'm going to have the afternoon off. You're going to be interviewing the candidates not me. I trust your judgment Jon and you know the kind of person I need to fill your shoes."

"Thank you, Tobias, I'll do my best," the cadet said.

"Anything else Jon?"

"One last thing, sir, the final assignment postings for all the cadets is on your desk too It's the red PAdD."

"Did you peek, even a little?"

"You must be confusing me with my sister, she's the one that always tried to cheat and figure out we were getting for Christmas and our birthdays. I love surprises."

The Executive Officer retreated into his inner office.

.........................................................
About fifteen minutes later Jonathan heard him say, "Forrest, I need to see in my office. Now!"

Jonathan who had been studying for his stellar cartography final looked up a bit startled. That was his boss's poker voice the one that he used when didn't want someone to know if he was angry or only bluffing. He sat the PAaD down and headed into Commander Moreau's office.

"Sit down Cadet, " Tobias said in the same tone he had used to call Jonathan in. Giving the other man a wary glance he sat down.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Almost every other cadet or junior officer would have had deer in the headlights look by now, given the Commander's gruffness. But Jonathan knew him too well for that. "What are you trying to do boss man, send me to sickbay with a cardiac arrest? What's going on?"

Tobias' stern expression soften into a smile, "I just wanted to give you, your assignment Jon. You're going to the Highlander as their Helm officer."

"She's an Intrepid class isn't she?"

"Yes," the XO replied, "and that's not all the good news. You're going to be their Chief Helm's officer. Congratulations."

"Chief? Department Head? Did my mothers have anything to do with this? They don't generally make Ensigns Department Heads you know."

"You're a bit paranoid aren't you son?"

"Not paranoid, just realistic. I am maybe in the top twenty-five percent of my class, that is good, but not good enough to warrant that."

Tobias shook his head."You are in the top twenty-five percent, barely, but that's the whole class. Out of the Command cadets, you're number six and out of the Helm cadets, you're number ten. And I was the one that recommended you. Mac and Atticus agreed to Jon. You did this all on your own, just like you wanted. The only thing Marcie did was to pull a few strings to get you assigned to the Highlander. I can't tell you why right now, it's classified, but it was the most prestigious of the postings."

Jonathan started to say something, but the Executive Officer stopped him with a raised hand. Tobias knew him as well as he knew Tobias. "Don't say something stupid, and don't let your pride get in the way. You're still going to have to prove yourself and Captain Williams is going to judge you based on what you do on his ship. Nothing else."

"How about Angela and Loren?"

"They'll be together Starfleet isn't going to separate an almost married couple."

"AJ?"

"AJ is staying here, I'm sorry, I need him here."

"But..."

"Jonathan, I'm sorry, but that's the way it has to be. Mac warned you the first day you were here and so did I about romantic entanglements Look, I know you two love each other, but that's just the way things work. Why don't you go take the rest of the morning off, go see him, I know he's off today"

"Yes sir," Jonathan said standing quickly with a sharp salute, he was out of the office in a heartbeat, not needing a second invitation.

Jonathan found AJ in their room and after a rather enjoyable morning with lots of action and very little dialog and after a quick shower that turned into a rather lengthy one, the Command Cadet was on his way back to the Executive Officer's office.

He stepped into a turbolift and as the doors started to close someone, a civilian, looking vaguely familiar to him stepped inside. The cab hadn't begun to move when he heard a voice he'd never expected to hear again. "Well now little Johnny fancy meeting you here. How are you and your brother been getting along?"

Four years ago would have caused Jonathan to react with anger when someone talked about Angela like that. Now, it barely caused him to raise a brow.

"You're going to come with me," Xavier Cross said.


"News flash for you genius, "Jonathan replied with a hint of venom, "this is a Federation Station, and you're on camera right now. You shoot me or whatever, you think you're going to do and you won't get ten meters before you're a dead man."


"I'm not going to force you to do anything. You're going with me willingly because if you don't your precious little AJ and sister are dead. I have people in place to make sure of that. Now, I know you aren't going to believe me so I sent some pics to your PAaD. And that thing you two did, near the end, where you were kind of upside down. I'll have to have my girlfriend try it the next time. Now, are you going to cooperate and come along nicely or not."

Jonathan could tell Xavier wasn't bluffing.

"Yes," he said simply.


Ensign Jonathan Forrest
Chief Helm Officer
USS Highlander