There's news, and there's good news

Posted on Mon Apr 14th, 2025 @ 4:21pm by Commodore Finchley Kerr & Commander Shr'Nesh Karadis & Lieutenant Commander Kevin Kilbane

670 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Voices of the past
Location: Commodore Kerr's quarters.
Timeline: Current.

Karadis walked along the corridor, PADD in hand. Reaching the Commodore's quarters, she pressed the chime on the wall and waited to see if there was a reply.

Inside his quarters, Finchley awoke from his light snooze as the chime sounded. Clearing his throat, he called out, "Come in."

The doors opened and Karadis walked in, "Still lazing around then?" she asked.

"Well, you know, I've been asked to put my feet up for a few days, so I'm taking advantage of it while I can" Finchley replied.

Karadis nodded, not furthering her normal repartee of berating Finchley for...well, for just about anything.

"You seem sombre Karadis, that's not like you" he said.

"Yeah, I'm just not feeling quite myself at the moment" Karadis replied.

"And why's that?" Finchley asked.

Karadis held out the PADD she had in her hand for Finchley to take and read, "I got a message from Finnigan, it's actually more for you, but it also involves myself and Kilbane."

"From Finnigan?" Finchley queried, a little louder than he'd meant to, "What does that old buzzard want?"

"Read it for yourself" Karadis replied, waving the PADD for Finchley to take.

He reached out and took it, laying it on the table beside him. Then standing up, he walked across to the shelf by the replicator and took a bottle and two glasses from it, "Drink?" he asked.

"A large measure" Karadis answered, flopping down into the seat across from where Finchley had been seated.

Finchley raised and lowered his eyebrows, he'd never seen Karadis this sombre before, something was amiss. Pouring two large measures, he returned to his seat and passed one of the glasses to Karadis, who then took a large gulp.

Finchley took a sip from his own glass, then picked up the PADD and began reading. A minute later he put the PADD back down and looked at Karadis, "Well, that's a surprise, does Kilbane know?"

"Not yet, I wanted to show you this first, I'll find him afterwards and show it to him then" Karadis replied.

"You know he's going to freak out, don't you" Finchley answered, suppressing the urge to smile.

"I don't know about him freaking out" Karadis replied, "going mildly bonkers yes, letting off steam, perhaps, but he'll be fine, he always is...eventually."

"You do realise he hates me more than he did before, because Shon and I are making another go of things" Finchley said.

"That's a personal issue, this is about doing our duty, he knows the difference" Karadis answered.

"Does he?" Finchley, "I'm glad you have that confidence in him, I hope you're right."

"Oh, there's something else, news I have for the both of you" he carried on, standing up and walking across to his personal console. Bringing up a message on the screen, he gestured for Karadis to come and take a look. She put her drink down and walked across and read what was on the screen. Once she'd finished reading it, she looked at Finchley and said, "Now that's something I suppose, can't say I saw it coming, more like the opposite if I'm honest."

"Well, I for one am happy for you both" Finchley replied, "I think you both deserve it. Want me to tell Kilbane?"

"No no, I'll let him know when I show him the message from Finnigan" Karadis answered. She walked across and picked up her glass and drained it.

"Nice" she said, placing the glass back down. "I'll let you get back to your lazing around, I'll go and find Kilbane and give him the news. Look after yourself Bird, remember, you're not as young and spritely as you once were."

"Don't I know it..." Finchley replied, touching his lower back, "Thank you for dropping by Shr'Nesh, it's appreciated."

Karadis nodded, and thought briefly about him using her first name, that very rarely happened. She turned and left his quarters, thinking about how she would break the double news to Kilbane.

 

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