Followup to a Federation Win

Posted on Wed Mar 11th, 2026 @ 11:45pm by Major Marcus Ming & Rear Admiral Rebecca Talon

1,700 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 9: When the Stars Went Silent
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: 39 Hours after SNAFU

Ming was rather pleased with the mission. He got singed, but they got the data thanks to their Efrosian computer wiz. On the way out, a Glinn woke up before the rest and got throat punched by Ming for the effort. Oddly satisfying he admitted to himself. It debilitated the Cardassian to the point where they could restrain and frog march him back to the warhammer, and he was knocked out by a strong sedative once they got to the runabout.

The trip home was largely uneventful. They had to duck for a few minutes behind a planetoid to avoid a patrol, but it worked as desired, and they got home safe. They had the computer data and a fairly high-ranked prisoner to interrogate. Lt (JG) Nix Doa-Harain thought the data was promising. Hopefully, both sources bore the fruit he'd hoped for. As it was....

He had the same uniform and long coat on that he wore during the mission...including the phaser burned right sleeve. He pretty much ensured the prisoner was taken care of and the data went on its way for analysis, then beeline it to Adm. Talon's Ready Room. He hit the door chime and waited with a small, satisfied smile on his lips.

"Enter."

Major Ming entered the ready room and moved closer to the Admiral's desk. He said with a smile, "Well, we scored....Hopefully, it was as big as we hoped, but we scored."

"Welcome back," Rebecca said, looking up from her coffee. She lifted it to her lips and let it bite her tongue.

"Thank you, boss. The mission seems to have yielded what seems to be promising information. We hit the Cardassian ship with an EMP device we cobbled together for the mission. Worked like a charm. We docked, and my team was able to board the Hediki class without much resistance. We captured the key member of the crew....A 1st Glin. He and another of the crew needed to be subdued. Most were rather fixated on Lt Blake. She's an impressive-looking woman without the cybernetic enhancements. Sergeant Burkette and I were able to subdue the roudies. I regret that it took a little longer than it might've been, but the throat punch I employed to get the Glin to settle down delayed our finding out that he was the asset we needed, along with the data. We were able to depart once we had the data and our POW. Lt. Doa-Harain seemed very thorough in scouring the computer and data devices for information. Between you and me, he seemed a bit giddy while he worked," Marcus reported. That last sentence carried a small smile as he said it.

"He's working on decrypting and analyzing as we speak. I'm sure Starfleet Intel will want to discuss things with our prisoner, but I wanted to leave the next steps with you, being the senior officer and all," Ming added a little apologetically.

"I'm sure Intelligence is buzzing. I hope it helps," she replied gravely. She swivels her chair to face the window, and the silence fills the office. The blue glow of Earth filtered in her expression, long hidden from Marcus. "I'm glad you all returned," she added her voice flat and measured.

Ming smiled slightly, “That’s a cardinal rule for me. Bringing everyone home every time. It couldn’t help McPherson at Vulcan, but it’s worked well for us otherwise. We still made out better than pretty much everyone else. Benefits of training the hell out of my team. In this case, everyone made it back, and I took the only injury. Slight singe, but that’s the worst of it. I’m just regretful we weren’t able to capture the whole crew of the Hideki, but the one POW was what we were reasonably able to do. As it is, the ship and the remaining crew are out of play. They tried to attack us on the way out. Their ship wasn’t close to recovered from the EMP. There wasn’t any choice but to return fire. At the risk of sounding heartless, they did us a favor.”

"They brought us this war, and a bloody nose seems only fair."

"Truth. I am thinking of putting Lt. Doa-Harain in for a Medal of Commendation. I'll also be submitting letters of commendation to the rest of the team as well. They did exemplary work and executed the mission beyond my expectations. Efficient, brief, and beyond expectations without a doubt," Ming said with obvious pride.

"I look forward to reading the citations. This is one of the few things about this war that isn't completely terrible."

"Agreed. It's tough to find the good among this much bad....I guess that is part of why I've been a bit more of a partier -- spreading good cheer and all. Obviously, that is going to be evolving a bit with my command duties expanding as they are. I actually do not mind that idea. Especially with a certain hope developing in my personal life," Ming said with a bit of a wistful smile.

Reecca grinned and leaned over her desk. "Oh? Who's the lucky girl... or guy?"

Marcus paused for a moment but opted to spill the beans. He said with lowered volume, "Well, I haven't broached the subject with her yet, but I've noticed that I have had a growing attraction to Dr. Reyes. I've never been drawn to a medical professional before. Other pilots, sure. A tactical or security officer or two. I find that I am starting to feel slightly intoxicated when around her, no alcohol or other outside chemicals needed."

"Hmmm... well, I wish you the best, Major. I don't know the good doctor as well as I'd like, so I don't have any insight for you."

"Well, I appreciate that. She seems like a great lady so far. But that's part of why people date, assuming I get past the first date. You never know with love, but life's too short to wonder, especially with this damned war on. If I have a beautiful woman waiting for me shipside, that'll be an even better reason for me to get my hide back here in one piece. Well, that and not pissing off my favorite admiral in the fleet," Ming said with a smile toward the end.

"Major, love is the folly of every relationship, a fantasy cooked up by romance authors and poets. The puppy love fades. That heart-skipping thrill that makes you want to rip his clothes off? Yeah, that fades too. After a few years, the masks come off, the bellies bulge, and the farts fill your quarters."

She smirked, giving Ming a sly look.

"At that point, you’d better have built a foundation of respect, familiarity, friendship, and familial love, or you’ll be divorced so fast he’ll be on Risa getting his next wife while the ink from the gel pen is still wet."

Ming chuckled. He replied, "This isn't my first rodeo, Rebecca. I aim to take time with this and not rush into anything. What's the comment again? The biggest hurdle is when your signifigent other drops a dookie in your 'fresher? I always figured that love is a journey more than the destination. I plan on taking it one step at a time like much everything else.....Otherwise it's a home built on shifting sand as the ancient saying goes."

Marcus shrugged, "It can be hard to plan things like this with this war on. Lives get snuffed out pretty quick out there...Fighter pilots especially so. But working towards a goal, especially like building a life with someone as a long term goal is one of the things that makes this war worth fighting.

“I understand,” Rebecca said with a small smirk, her gaze drifting out the window. In the distance, she could make out the form of the USS Texarkana. Somewhere aboard that ship, her husband was overseeing the conversion of an aging workhorse into a mobile factory and refinery. The Denver wasn’t as powerful as a Sovereign—God, she wished she had one—or as tough as a Defiant, but she had to work with what she had. Still, the old Excelsior made the Denver look invincible. And the father of her children was on that ship.

She sighed and shook her head. “It’s the risk we take when we put on the uniform. Cliché, I know, but no less true.”

“So many clechés have taken a foothold in reality, sadly. Most were founded ON reality, sadly enough. It sucks that we’re reminded of it. Either way, I knew there was a real chance I’d die in this uniform. I’d rather die as an old man on a small homestead, but if I die, I want to do so making sure it was a worthwhile death. I’m one of those romantics who wants to die either for that damned good reason or else knowing that my life meant something. That’s a large part of why I am involved with this whole shindig,” Marcus said with a lopsided grin.

"Well, Mr. Ming, you might get that homestead if we're lucky. As for me... I hope they don't pull a George Washington on me when we get to the Delta Quadrant and make me president. I'm looking forward to that homestead myself."

"I hope too... Fake wooden teeth would be so unflattering," Ming said with an impish smile on his face.

"Indeed, they would be," she said with a grin. "And uncomfortable."

Marcus grinned lopsidedly, He said, "I am glad we agree."

"Is there anything else Major?"

"That's all I have for now. My report will be in shortly and should included everything. If not I expect I'll hear about it," Ming said with an easy smile.

Rebecca stood and gave Marcus a curt nod. "Dismissed."

Marcus gavie Rebecca a mostly formal nod before extracating himself from the Admiral's office. He made a b-line for his own office to prep and submit his report so he can get back to training with his team.

 

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