The Quiet Time Ends Here
Posted on Mon Mar 9th, 2026 @ 9:48pm by Captain Emily Janeway
570 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
A Fondness For
Location: Marine Ready Room, Deck 10, USS Albion
Timeline: Twenty minutes after transporter arrival
Previously on A Fondness For:
Captain Emily Janeway beamed to return back aboard the USS Albion, resumed commanding officer of the Marines, ordered a sweep on Charles Star, and called a muster in the Marine Ready room.
:ON:
{USS Albion – Marine Ready Room, Deck 10}
::The doors hissed open. Captain Emily Jones Janeway stepped in, combat armor still sealed, rucksack striking the deck with a muted thud. The room was unchanged — matte gray bulkheads, tactical display pulsing with Cumulonimbus V’s storm patterns, faint gun oil scent. Home. She felt the weight of absence, but the space hadn’t changed. Neither had she.::
#SNIP#
::The detachment mustered swiftly. XO 1st Lt. Slr’el stood at the head of the table, antennae tilted in silent recognition. 2nd Lt. Takila-Bahkray and SSgt. Valentino flanked the flanks, NCOs filling the gaps. Three empty chairs stood out like missing teeth. Epeyi, Eldridge, Zh’raallir — gone. The roster blinked red in silent accusation. Emily felt the absence like a missing heartbeat, but she didn’t let it show.::
Janeway ::raised a hand:: “At ease. Sit if you want them. This won’t take long.”
::She moved to the console, pulling up the detachment roster. Red names stared back. She tapped the display, voice steady but lower than usual.::
Janeway: “Captain Sprague’s update ship newsletter says it all. We’ve lost three good Marines. Epeyi reassigned. Eldridge and Zh’raallir cited personal reasons. It’s a hit. More than a hit. But Starfleet doesn’t stop for loss. Neither do we. We adapt. We remember them in the way we carry on — with precision, with purpose, with each other.”
::She let the silence settle — long enough to honor it, short enough to keep moving.::
Janeway: “We’re orbiting Cumulonimbus V. Civilian Charles Star beamed up from shuttle Alpha Three — Hawaiian shirt included. Captain Sprague cleared him personally, so he’s cleared for guest status. That doesn’t mean we drop protocol. Security sweep once he clears sickbay. Full sensor scan on his gear. Escort if he leaves quarters. Non-negotiable.”
::She swept her gaze across the room — steady, not harsh. Slr’el’s antennae tilted once in approval. Takila-Bahkray gave a small nod. Valentino’s jaw tightened — good, he was still sharp.::
Janeway: “I’ve been gone too long. I know that. I feel it. But I’m back, and the detachment is mine again. We don’t speculate on why people leave. We gear up for what’s coming. Questions?”
::Slr’el spoke first, voice calm but clear.::
Slr’el: “Ma’am, with three down, do we request reinforcements from security or stick to current strength?”
Janeway ::nodded:: “Good question. We stick for now. We’re lean, not broken. If the situation escalates, we’ll request. Until then, we make do with what we have — and we do it better than anyone expects.”
::She allowed a small, hard smile — the kind that said more than words could.::
Janeway: “Gear check in ten. Dismissed.”
::The room emptied. She stayed behind, staring at the storm-swirled planet on the screen. Fingers brushed dog tags — engraving still there. Albion hadn’t questioned it then. Wasn’t questioning it now.::
Janeway ::quietly, to the empty room:: “Mom said command was ninety percent waiting for the other shoe to drop. Guess we’re about to find out if she was right.”
:OFF:
Captain Emily Jones Janeway
Marine Commanding Officer
USS Albion NCC-3020
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