Matters of the Heart

Posted on Thu Aug 26th, 2021 @ 8:01pm by Ensign Rene Rouen & Lieutenant Commander Tyler Driskill

Mission: The Boneyard Heist
Location: Lounge

Rene was nearing the end of an extremely long day of work. He had started at 0400 hours running diagnostics on all the bridge stations, spent nearly forty-five minutes trying to figure out what was wrong with the Science I station when Jenna had arrived early and discovered in two it was a software and not hardware issue, then a return to the bridge after a quick breakfast to check fire control calibration on the Tactical I station. He had gotten word of a shipment of photon torpedoes arriving and requiring immediate load up to the ship's magazine, which meant no lunch. His afternoon had been spent working in the security section repairing force field doors on three brig cells that were mostly trashed from overloaded ODN lines.

It was approaching nearly 1800 hours when it dawned on him he hadn't seen another soul in over an hour. He checked the time and realized he'd been at it for nearly fourteen hours minus the twenty minutes he'd taken for breakfast. He grunted as he tossed tools back into a portable tool cabinet and left the security area.

Tyler had made his way to the lounge for a bite to eat and after a quick stop at the replicator he found a table in the corner. He had several reports to read over and toss the PADD he had been working on down on the table before sitting down with his dinner.

Rene made it to deck three and was heading to his quarters when he passed the door to the lounge. He stopped and looked at the door for a moment. A strong drink that wasn't synthale suddenly sounded good. He entered the lounge and grabbed a glass of rum and rootbeer from the bar and looked around for a place to sit. He spotted his hand-to-hand combat instructor from the Academy and walked over. "Commander Driskill?"

"That's right" Tyler said looking up from his meal. "Cadet" he paused and noticed the rank pip on the man's collar "or Ensign Rouen" he was hoping he was remembering the name correctly.

Rene was somewhat surprised the man remembered him. He had been a good student, but certainly not one of the more outstanding students. Not that he wasn't a decent hand-to-hand fighter, he was just much better with a sword than his fists. ""Yes sir." He gestured to the seat across from the First Officer. "Would you mind if I sat with you sir?"

"By all means" Tyler gestured toward the empty chair across the table from him. "Assigned to the Chimera?" he asked, wondering what position the Ensign held.

Rene nodded as he took a seat. "Yes sir. Security and Tactical Branch. Sort of acting Chief of Department."

"Ah" Tyler said before taking a sip from his beverage, it was the department he made his way through the ranks in. "Well welcome aboard" the First Officer took the safety of the ship and crew very seriously.

Rene took a sip of his drink. He spotted a couple sitting at another table and he thought about Faith. He gave a wistful sigh.

"Something bothering you?" Tyler asked the Ensign.

Rene shrugged as he looked back to Tyler. "Just thinking about someone who...was very special to me a long time ago." He stared at his drink for a moment. "She is serving aboard the Chimera now and...it's kind of complicated."

After swallowing the bite of food he was chewing "complicated, as in it will interfere with your duty?" the First Officer asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rene shook his head. "Nothing like that sir." He felt a little melancholy as he sought out how to explain the situation. "We met in Paris and for me it was love at first sight. She was part of a prominent family though and...one of their retainers saw us kiss in the Tuileries Garden. We were going to meet that night at the Eifel Tower, but she was wisked away to boarding school that afternoon to keep us apart. I can't help but wonder...is she the one that got away."

"Well only you can answer that question" Tyler looked up from his meal with a smile on his face.

Rene nodded slowly. He had been thinking about Faith when not otherwise occupied with the extensive repairs needed to get the ship spaceworthy. "I don't know if she even feels the same way I do. I saw her expression when we spoke of Paris and for a moment it seemed like...I don't know. You ever find yourself in what is probably an overwhelmingly complicated relationship sir?" He regretted the question almost as quickly as he asked it. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to pry. I just...I don't know what to do about my situation."

There was no way Tyler could speak of the relationship, well relations he had had with Cally. "I have" he said reluctantly as he glanced away for a moment and then back to Rene "sometimes you just gotta grab the bull by the horns and ask the lady on a date." It might not have been the best advice he had ever given, but what could it hurt.

Rene sighed again. 'Why did matters of the heart have to be so complicated?', he thought to himself. "I really wish it was that simple. I suppose I have to try." He would talk to Faith tomorrow. "I appreciate the advice sir. Thank you." He tossed back the last few gulps of his drink before rising. "Have a good night sir."


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