Angel of the House

[Angel Ryder]

"That's the tricky part... you know as well as I do, that few can do what we can do." Angel said with a sigh. "Buuuut I suppose Commodore Keyes can pick up the slack. He's been part of the 382nd Civil Engineering team but he's used to dealing with over ambitious engineers and he fought in the Borg War with me in his younger days. I'm almost more worried about what Nathan will say. I kind of pushed him into the Kitea and promised him we'd do an exploration tour together. But an extended mission in deep space on a ship... with the way I've been feeling lately... although even he's noticed how short tempered and more aggressive I've been."

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca shrugged, "No one, and I mean no one is irreplaceable. If you have made it so, then you didn't learn a thing from me, and you haven't done your job in building up the officers and NCOs below you. This is the military. Anything can happen. If you fail at your mission, and get relived there has to be someone to step in. If you are killed or promoted, someone has to be ready to step up and into your role. Never make yourself invaluable to the sucess of the mission. You wouldn't go through a transporter without backups would you? Or leave out on a ship that didn't have redundancy in antimatter containment? You wouldn't sign off on a ship that couldn't eject the warp core or didn't have escape pods would you?"

[Angel Ryder]

"No I suppose not." Angel chuckled lightly. "I suppose, although I suppose all of us want to think we're irreplaceable. Course I can do things so much faster... but you know, that was one thing that always drove me nuts when I was a trainee or a rookie anywhere, the old timers would push us younger or newer officers aside 'I can do it faster' and it drove me crazy. I have to remind myself not to do that too." she sighed. "I just worry... that when I am ready to go back, That I won't be able to. Or at least, I'll have to start from scratch with regaining the rep I've gotten for myself. It took me a long time to live down the 'Admiral's little girl' rep. That 'daddy would be there to save me'. And he usually was there, always the hero. Even if he tried to stay back or not let on it was him. I knew he was. Of course, that's how he shows his love, how much he cares about someone, by being there. Although I have seen his records and logs and bills from when he was 'dead' he loved a lot of people. People I never even knew he knew, but he would divert resources, send decommissioned equipment, raw materials, credits, even personnel to people and places that just asked him for a hand. A lot of the time, without any formal request. He'd just do it." she stood up and looked out the window. "Maybe that's the lesson, I need to do more. Maybe that's what we're both being called to do. Sure we can do a lot in the service or in your order. Or... maybe we can do more... meaningful work, on our own. Without anyone over or under us per se."

Angel took one of the small photos off the shelf near the sink. "Both of us have lost that fire." she placed the photo of her own graduation class and her father and Becca's class in front of her. "Time and rank and war have dulled it, but it's still in both of us. Just need to find out what drives us again. I might add... you look better now than you did back then. Healthier. Even if you are a little thinner than I have ever seen you."

[Rebecca Talon]

"I am not that girl in that picture, and neither are you. At eighteen all I wanted was the center seat. I was going to be the youngest captain in Starfleet, by whatever means nessicary. And, it cost me. That blind ambition. I saw Aimee, without her father, and she was just an obstacle. An anchor pulling me back keeping me from that fourth pip. Now.... well, now none of that matters does it? I'm not in uniform, and I have turned my back on the Order. And, you know what? It doesn't bother me. Those kids over there are all that matter. Dominus, Bartym, Bellatrix, and even Raven are just something abstract. Something that just don't seem that inportand."

She sighed letting her arms fall to her sides as if they had become too heavy to hold up. "At least that's what I keep telling myself. I want to tell you to run off. Take the kids and forget all of this. Focus on what's important. Rank, command, notoriety it all doesn't matter to me, and I suspect neither to you. Family is all that matters. But, if we do nothing there stands a chance that we will lose those families."

[Angel Ryder]

"Guess we can sleep on it and Becca, you're welcome to stay here whenever you need to. " Angel said as she put the picture back in its place. "I suppose when Nathan gets home tomorrow we can hash a few things out, not that I need his 'permission' but I want his feed back. This isn't something I just do a whim, there is transition to worry about. Upside, he's cool with it, downside... we have a fight and I remind him why he married me." she winced. "Ultimate downside, we separate and we kill numerous bottles of wine and cry about our men."

[Rebecca Talon]

"I'm not one to cry into a bottle over a man," she said dryly. "I'm more of a burn all your photos, toss your crap out on the lawn, and move on type of gal. But, if you need a wing woman I'll be there at your side."

[Angel Ryder]

"Sounds entirely like a plan." Angel chuckled. "Still, I married Nathan for his intelligence as much as for his companionship. He should understand. We both lived this life for as long as we could walk, part of what attracted me to him. We both grew up in our parent's shadows and have served on a starship since we were children. Am I just as guilty though with Trinity? Clearly her adult counterpart knew the risks, but did I ever give her an 'out'?"

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca smiled, "She did exactly what she thought was best. And, I suspect my son had a lot to do with that. Look at me. I'm the daughter of an artist. My father did everything to push me into his line of work. We have free will."

[Angel Ryder]

"I still think you should explore your artistic side more." Angel suggested. "I've got a fully stocked craft room, I've got enough musical instruments for at least a few bands. Whatever you need, you've got it."

[Rebecca Talon]

"I have zero musical talent," Rebecca said with a smile, and honesty not much of an artist either. I guess I take after my mom. That desire to explore the stars, and we haven't done that in for ever."