[ussbansheec] In the Big Top Tonight...

In the Big Top Tonight...  
  by Captain Gabriel Wagner and Lt. Cmdr. Christina McCarthey-Kitson
  
     Shaking her head she headed to the captains office. I'm finally convinced 
to take my accumulated leave and visit the family and what happens? The 
over-grown blue imp lets things go to hell in a hand basket.      Her long 
copper-streaked black hair trailed behind her like a wake as she glided down 
the corridor. The station was crawling with Brass and they always had a habit 
of getting in the way. Christina smiled, I recall Grandma was particularly 
adept at it. She straightened her uniform jacket with a single tug as she 
entered the outer office.      Her blue eyes fell upon the Yeoman,"Is he in 
there, or have I got to go looking for him?"      Gordon looked up and 
immediately cringed. Bad enough to have officers about but cranky ones? I 
shoulda stood in bed. "Errrr...do you mean Captain Wagner, ma'am? Who should I 
say is calling?"      Her eyes narrowed slightly, "You're new are you? 
Lieutenant Commander Christina McCarthey-Kitson, the Executive Officer of this 
fine
 establishment."      Gordon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ah, no, ma'am, 
not new. I've been the captain's yeoman for a few months now but, begging the 
commander's pardon, I haven't seen you before so I had to ask."      "It's 
alright young man, I've been away for a while. So is the man in or isn't he?"   
   "Ah, he's in, Commander,but he asked not to be disturbed," Gordon said 
carefully. The captain was an intensely private man and, by now, he knew the 
man also got a bit irritated when he was interrupted in private time. "I could 
tell him you're here."      "Who's he more likely to bawl out? You or me?" she 
gave the lad a disarming smile.      "The way it's been around here lately, 
ma'am, I'd say the odds were even," Gordon said wryly. He shrugged 
expressively. "You can go in if you want but don't say I didn't warn you."      
"So noted Yeoman. You might want to part the infirmary on standby just in 
case....." She winked and breezed through to the inner office.      There 
 was no
 glaring red alert nor any alert from Gordon so Gabriel refused to move when he 
heard the doors open. He'd been sitting at his desk, rosary laced through his 
fingers. "Heiliger Michael das Archangel, verteidigen uns in der Schlacht; 
seien Sie unser Schutz gegen die Gemeinheit und die Schlingen des Teufels. Mai 
GottRüge er, beten wir bescheiden; und tun Sie Thou, O Prinzen des himmlischen 
Wirtes, durch die Energie des Gottes.." Bright yellow eyes flicked up to see 
who'd interrupted him and gotten past Gordon. Recognizing Christina, he went 
gback to his prayers. "der Form in Hölle Satan und alles schlechten Geistes, 
der über die Welt herumstreichen, welche die Ruine von Seelen sucht. Amen."     
 He looked up finally and said, "Don't you knock, Commander?"      "Hoping that 
a higher power will help you sort out this mess we seem to be in Captain?" She 
smiled.      "His will be done in all things," Gabriel told her. "That is all I 
ever ask. Have a seat and tell me which mess you 
 are
 referring to."      "The one that has your station crawling with Brass and JAG 
for starters."      "Ah that one, though, to be truthful, some of the brass are 
here for the other mess as well," he told her, long blue fingers tapping the 
surface of his desk. "Do you know Major Isobel Ecitsuj?"      "Know of her. Dad 
knows her parents, a Ninitchik and an ex-Borg. I believe someone told him once 
that was an anthropologists wet dream come true."      "Please, Commander, the 
mouth..." Gabriel said with a sigh. They'd had that conversation once before 
but it seemed to have been lost on her leave. "The major is accused, and 
falsely I might add, of disobeying orders and she's up on court martial."      
Her blue eyes danced mischieviously, "Rumour has it she also has ensorcelled a 
certain Station Commander?"      "We are engaged if that's what you mean," he 
said steadily, "not too unusual if you consider how long we've known each 
other. In any case, General Fitzwilliam tried to kill h
 er and
 me and ticked off the President."      Christina growled, "Fitzwilliam? What 
is it about Flag Officers with 'F' names? Grandma used to talk about a Fishler 
who in her day was a nasty piece of work."      "I don't know but I do know the 
man's in the Marine brig. So we have this kangaroo court martial about to 
happen on my fiancee, attempted murder, a very angry Federation President, and 
a missing ship that my cousin is on. Not a bad piece of work, ja?"      "What 
do they say about not pissing off Andorians?" She bit her lip at the slip of 
language, "Sorry sir. So we're HQ for the Banshee search co-ordination then."   
   "That we are. Fleet being the huge family that it is, there are a lot of 
people with blood on that ship so out comes the brass. This in addition to some 
strangely behaving Marines...welcome back to the circus."      "The master of 
understatement as always sir," she laughed.      "My father would be very 
proud." He sat back only slightly. This was his first com
 mand but
 he'd seen enough COs to know that his approach to other officers was more 
business like than some. Still..."Did you miss this?"      "Of course, it was 
wonderful to catch up with everyone but after a while the peace and quiet 
begins to tire me out."      "You don't have family on Banshee, do you, 
Commander?" Gabriel asked.      "No sir, I have very little family at all." 
Christina stated.      "I don't know if that is a good thing or not. Isobel's 
sister is on the Banshee, my chosen cousin in there...half the brass that's 
here has family on there. I do hope the Fleet's gotten around to setting up a 
counselor for all this," he said softly.      "Hmmm... Don't know. Maybe we 
should contact Medical and make sure they're on it."      "Ach, no, we can ask 
Admiral Kaelyre and ask her first. She is the ring mistress of the project 
after all." Gabriel raised one pale indigo brow. "Congratulations, you have 
your first assignment back on station. Find out about that."      "RHIP, one 
 of which
 is delegating. I presume I'm going to be your liaison on the Banshee situation 
then?"   "Certainly. I owe it to my aunt and to Isobel to have my nose 
personally stuck in there," he said with a slight shrug.      "Anything I 
should know before tangling with this particular member of the Admiralty sir?"  
    "Ja, sure," Gabriel said with a smirk. "Dogs, a lot of little German dogs. 
They follow her like a little circus act."      "Hmmm, okay. Each to their own 
I'm sure."      "Especially if one is an admiral." He had to admit the 
creatures were, as the lady stated, well behaved but he still felt unnerved by 
the dogs. The species had been set after him more than once when he was 
younger. "One more thing, Commander. I have guests staying in my personal 
quarters and at least two very tough looking guards in front of the doors. If 
you need to get a hold of me, don't ask them. One of them will only answer to 
my guests, me, and Zha Thernavretha. The other is Field Marshal Quon's pers
 onal
 guard."      "Shit's not only hit the fan, but most the wall behind it then?"  
    Gabriel skewered her with a glare. "The mouth...please...." He shook his 
head. "Major Ecitsuj is on house arrest there and recent circumstances have 
forced the extra security. I have no doubt but that either Captain Pax or 
Sergeant Major Singh will shoot first and ask questions later."      
"Understood. Is there anything else going on that I should be aware of?" 
Christina enquired.      "Not that hasn't occurred yet but I am sure something 
will happen. It always has lately."      "Definitely. What is it they say, 'You 
don't have to be mad to work here....'" she chuckled.      "Willkommen zum 
Zirkus, Commander," Gabriel said with a small smile.      "It has the makings 
of a full three ring affair Captain."      "That it does." Gabriel shook his 
head. "Is there anything else, Commander?"      "Nope. Better go stir up the 
Brass then." She sighed.    
  "viel Glueck but I hope you don't need it." 


"If there's nothing wrong with me... maybe there's something wrong with the 
universe!" 
~ Dr Beverly Crusher (ST:TNG, Remember Me)



                
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