Chance Of A Lifetime

Posted on Sun Oct 22nd, 2023 @ 4:32pm by Lieutenant Alisha Reno & Captain Maho Takahashi

1,058 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Operation Tokyo Return

Alisha was still on limited duty, but she'd made sure that she had put on her uniform for this particular meeting. She'd even checked ahead to make sure that the Captain would be available before she made her way up to the bridge and the Ready Room. Sometimes, there was only one thing to do and that was to jump in with both feet. As she arrived on the bridge and skirted the edge of the bridge, she went over the news she'd heard only a few hours before in her head one last time, then pressed the chime to request entry.

Maho was preparing to wrap up her work when the ready room chime went off. As the desk was already cleaned off as she was preparing to leave, Maho simply sat back down in the chair.

"Enter!" She called out.

Exhaling deeply, Alisha walked in with a bright smile on her face, "Good afternoon, Captain, I do apologize about the lateness of my arrival, I just wanted to catch you while you were still here instead of at a less convenient time." She stopped in front of the the desk.

"Your timing is impeccable as always, Lieutenant." Maho gestured to the open seats in front of the desk. "Have a seat."

"Thank you, ma'am." Alisha sat down and leaned back in the chair. That in its own way set the mood for what she wanted to say... No, ask for. It wasn't actually duty related, it was personal. "First off, I wanted to report that I expect to be cleared for full duty in the next couple of days, but... I'm here to ask for a leave of absence from Myogi, though I'm not sure how long it's going to be for, exactly."

"A leave of absence?" Maho asked. "How unfortunate. I was going to speak with you once you were cleared for duty about expanding the Intelligence department, and this development certainly throws a wrench into things..."

"I can certainly see how this is bad timing. The good news is that we really don't need a huge Intelligence section on Myogi, but, you see..." Alisha took a deep breath, "As you know, I used to be an actress, and with the recent publicity from the races we had with the crew of the Haruna, I've been offered a part on a movie they're set to start filming in a bit over a week. Given what happened before with that part of my life, I never expected anything like this to happen again and before I accept the role, I wanted to get your permission."

Maho sighed.

"Wouldn't it be easier for you to resign your commission, Lieutenant?" She asked. "I can see you're excited to work on this film, and without Starfleet looming over you wondering when you'll be back, you might be able to enjoy working on it more than you otherwise would."

Maho could tell Alisha's loyalty to Starfleet was wavering. In light of the battles against the crew of the Haruna, Maho and Keisuke had both received several offers from professional racing teams. Offers both of them had turned down, because they felt their duty to Starfleet was more important. So, Maho was curious to hear Alisha's reasoning as to why she wanted a leave of absence instead of handing over her combadge.

“Easier? Absolutely ma’am, but I don’t want to leave the Fleet.” Alisha exhaled fully as her eyes went down to the ground, then came back up, “In part it’s because of Jane, but I like being in Starfleet, I like being in a place where I can do more than just playing a part that’s fictional. I believe that I am a valuable member of the Myogi family and that’s what I consider everyone on board: Family. You have all kept my secret and my privacy about that other life. I won’t abandon you, any of you, and if you deny my request, I’ll just tell the producers that I can’t. Maho,” She used the Captain’s name for perhaps the first time, “You and Myogi are more important to me. “ She gave a weak smile, “But if it helps, this is truly the chance of a lifetime. They’re re-doing Voltron, Defender of the Universe and this is a run-up film for it. I can’t go into much detail, but as a spoiler, you’re looking at who would be cast as Princess Allura.”

Maho sighed and tapped her fingers on the desk several times.

"Lieutenant, it shouldn't come off as much of a surprise, but in the aftermath of the violence at Starfleet Headquarters, morale in Starfleet has tanked to the lowest its been since the Dominion War. Ships from the newest Odyssey class to the oldest Miranda class are having officers resign or take indefinite LOAs left and right, and it's creating a logistical headache for Command level officers such as myself that's growing by the day." She explained. "If I were to approve your LOA, I would need your word that you would be willing to be recalled at the drop of a hat if we were to need you."

"If you were to require my presence, ma'am, I'd be on the first direct flight to Myogi's position." Alisha stated definitively, "I can probably even arrange for another officer to temporarily fill my position so that you're not shorthanded during my absence either. With morale being so low, I think making something like this could only improve it. This is not an indefinite LOA, as soon as the filming wraps up, I'll be back aboard and doing my duties, Captain. You have my promise on that."

"Very well." Maho nodded. "I shall have your LOA request processed before we leave Spacedock, if that is adequate enough?"

"Thank you." Alisha said softly, "I don't know how to tell you just how much this does mean to me, ma'am, I'll do Myogi proud with my performance and then I'll come back to her."

"Sounds good to me, Lieutenant." Maho nodded. "Dismissed."

Alisha bounced to her feet, "Yes, ma'am, I'll make all of the arrangements immediately, ma'am." She threw a quick salute and bounced away.

Posting by

Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer

and

Lieutenant Alisha Reno
Chief Intelligence Officer

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