Preparation For The End [BACK POST]

Posted on Fri Nov 1st, 2019 @ 8:20pm by Fleet Admiral Donatella Figueroa & Lieutenant Junior Grade Ethan O'Donoghue

Mission: S01E04 The Outpost Has Eyes
Location: Commanders Ready Room

EJ had a lot to prepare for, but the first port of call was speaking to the executive officer about the funeral, So many emotions were running through the young ensigns head. Walking the halls, he knew paddy would be here soon enough, but first off he had to speak to the only peson who could help in this situation. Walking up to the door he pressed the buzzer and awaited being ushered in.

Christopher Samuels was having a bad day, or at least it was one of those days. It was one of those days where he just wanted it to end and then crawl into bed and just sleep the rest of it away. But he had a job to do, and as second in command of the Musashi his day only ended when things were settled and the problems of the day had been solved. Right now, however, he was trying to work on a sermon for his Sunday worship service. Normally he would read the bible from the lectionary and something would come to him rather quickly, but this time he struggled. At the sound of the chime, he looked and stared daggers at blue tinted door and then took a calming breath. "Come in," he called out. He would never turn anyone away, no matter what his mood was. When the doors parted and he saw who was standing there, he managed a small smile. "Ah Ensign O'Donoghue, please come on in."

EJ Entered, His eyes still read from all the tears "I wondered if i could trouble you for a few minutes Commander" he said coming into the office "i've had some bad news and need your help with ummm some preperations"he said gulping down the tears "Can i make a cup of tea,Sir?" he asked he needed something to steady the nerves.

Tea? With how the ensign looked, Christopher was sure the young man needed something much harder to calm himself. Maybe he had hit the bottle already and was just being polite, he mused to himself. "How about you sit, and I will get you that tea," Christopher said as he rose from behind his desk. He moved around the desk and went to a table that sat against the opposite bulkhead. On it sat two carafe's on warmers, one had coffee and the other had hot water. He picked up a mug, poured the hot water and brought over the mug with a container of tea bags for the ensign to choose from. He didn't bother sitting back behind his desk, instead, he sat down in one of the guest chairs. "Have a seat, Ethan," he said, his voice soft and kind. After the young man took a seat, he continued with, "What happened?"

EJ took a seat emotions were swirling round his little irish head, some would say almost like a bottle of whiskey. It took EJ a few seconds to compose himself, Choking back a few tears "Ummm My Brother was lost in a klingon attack sir" he said sat there wide eyed, he hadent even touched a drop of whiskey, but he wished he had " I was wondering if you could help me with a funeral arrangements" He said gulping again " The Captain has okayed it for me use to mushai as the ceremony, i wondered if you'd do me the biggest honor and precede over my brothers funeral" he said asking in a low cooing tone.

Christopher nodded without even thinking about it. He hated that these things were still happening with the Klingons, the four year war had taken so much away from both sides... yet the Klingons weren't satisfied with that. They were using any excuse to pick off Starfleet and Federation vessels along the borders. He reached out and laid a hand on Ethan's forearm and squeezed ever so gently. "I'm so terribly sorry for your loss, Ethan," Christopher said, his tone soft and sympathetic, "I'd be honored to help with the arrangements and preside over your brother's funeral." Over the years, especially during the war, he had done so many of these funerals, and honestly it never got easier... especially if they were young like Ethan's brother no doubt was.

EJ felt the softness of the touch "Thank you sir, its all abit fresh right now" he said trying to gather his thoughts. Much like a bottle of whiskey, he was distilling in a stew of his own emotions right now.This war had taken so much from the people of earth and the Klingons, But Craig was a good man and didn't deserve that death "Luckily we have time to prepare sir, so time is indeed on our side" he said wiping away a loose tear "I just feel so hollow and helpless" he said drinking from his cup of tea.

I know that feeling all too well, Christopher thought to himself. In their line of work, loss was inevitable, but yet it was always a surprise when it happened. "I know it is tough, Ethan. I also won't sugar coat it and tell you things will be okay in a week. Life won't seem normal for a while, and it will be an adjustment but as the days go by you will begin to realize what your new normal is. Life will get easier, and one day you will wake up and realize you don't feel so hollow anymore." In a way, he was speaking from his own experience with loss. However, he still was feeling his loss, and he was feeling just as hollow these days. "My door is open to you, day or night, if you need to talk or just someone to yell and scream at that's fine too. Whatever you need, I'll try to help." He stood up from his chair and placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder before allowing his hand to slip off as he walked to the side table. He picked up the carafe of hot water from the warmer and brought it back to his desk and added hot water to the young ensign's mug.

EJ was not coping with this well at all, his mind was swimming in a turgid force of emotion.Loss was inevtable in war, but for it to be craig it hit home harder than a freight train.Ej Slightly laughed "Id Be shit outta luck if i thought this was going to be getting better over night" He said moving in his chair a little to make him self a little more comfortable. Ethan listened as the commander talked "Its all a bit fresh and it hurts, like a gaping wound in my chest" he said a single tear rolling down his face "Thank you commander i feel i'll be needing that in the coming days" He said as he saw the commander get up and pour water into his mug.

Christopher nodded and as he did so, settled back into his own chair. He reached for a notebook and a pen, the same notebook his sermon was on, and flipped the page over. He knew writing things out was old school, and things like his sermon ended up in his own personal database, but this was how he liked to still do things. He crossed one leg over the other and poised the tip of the pen on the paper. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about your brother, Ethan?"

Ethan cast his mind back as he sipped from his tea "Craig was great, painfully optimistic and always there for me" he said choking back a tear or two"He was the only person who understood me, sometimes better than i knew myself" he looking around "He was this massive moutain of protection, but it was him who needed the most protection he always wore his heart on his sleeve" He said smiling "Craig was a wolf, fiercely protective of those he loved, but first and foremost he was teacher" he said rubbing his knuckles over the back of his hand "He taught me some of the harshest lessons, he went through hell with his ex wife" he said as he closed his eyes "He taught me compassion, taught me to compassionate to those who wished me harm, Taught me that my best weapon wasent my fists but my mind, taught me that my heart needs to be protected" he said smirking again "But most of all he taught me that loyalty is the only thing that holds brothers togther because come hell or high water i'd of died for him and he would have for me" he said sitting forward "Craig should be remmbered for his heart, not for the deeds he was dealt because his heart was his most defining attribute" He said wiping his eyes to rid him self of the tears "Even throughout all of the abuse he faced, his heart still shined brighter than any star ever could" he said holding onto his chest.

"Craig O'Donnaghue was a fighter, He was my brother and my best friend" EJ said as he felt another tear stain his cheek "The last thing we ever said to each other is i got you brother, we touched foreheads and we went to our assignments" he said as he felt the lump in his throat come back "He was the man i hope to be" He said as his face hit his hands, his hands rubbing over his hair "I feel paralysed, like im going to be stuck in this moment forever" he said trying to compose himself "i should have tried harder, i should have made those final moments mean somthing" he said slumping back into his chair.

Christopher's hand moved quickly as he took down the notes he needed to form his eulogy. As a pastor, he had learned how to listen intently while writing the information that he needed, it just came part of the job. However, as Ethan spoke of his brother, Craig, he began to think of his own brother, Corrigan. The two weren't close and a lot of that had to do with the fact they were ten years apart. Christopher loved his brother, would do anything for him, but he wondered if he could say such beautiful and loving words about his sibling? I barely know him, I suppose, Christopher thought. By the time he left home, his baby brother had only been 8 years old, and since that moment, Christopher had hardly returned to the family home. In hindsight, he couldn't imagine his life without Corrigan then again, he couldn't imagine his life without Dylan, and yet...

Placing the pad of paper on the desk, Christopher leaned in and gingerly placed a hand on Ethan's forearm. "I know you feel like that moment will never move onto the next one, but it will, with time, I promise. Craig died knowing you loved him, he died knowing you two shared a very special brotherly bond, that is an extraordinary gift to give someone, Ethan. You should never doubt yourself in that regard because I'm sure it meant something to him, just like it means something to you. A lot of people, myself included, would do anything to have a bond like that." He squeezed Ethan's forearm gently before pulling his hand away. "Do you think Craig would want you to feel any type of guilt over his death?"

Ethan watched as commander samuals placed the pad and paper down " It feels like it never will, but deep down i know this will come to pass like so much else" he said wiping his eyes from the tears that were threatening to arrive again "I hope he did commander, because when this funeral happens he will know he was loved" he said smiling "Our bond was unbreakable, when i find these klingons ill kill them self" He said with a steely look in his eye, that meant he was not skrewing around. he looked to the commander "Did you have no siblings commander?" he asked shakily "No i dont think he'd want me to feel guilt, i think he'd want me to do somthing about it" he said taking another sip from his tea.
though for a second on his last question

It alarmed him to hear that Ethan was willing to readily kill Klingons. He knew it was the anger talking, but still, that was a rather bold statement to be making concerning another humanoid life. Christopher wasn't fond of Klingons either, but he also had the good sense to know that not all Klingons were as hostile as those he had encountered during the war. There were those in Starfleet who were just as hostile as the Klingons... in any case, he just tried to keep an open mind. "I do have a younger brother," Christopher said, deciding at the moment it was easier to go with this question first. "However, he and I have a decade between us, and our lives are very different at this point. I would consider he and I close, but I was off to Starfleet before he even left elementary school. I haven't seen him in probably three years or so, though my ex-husband was fortunate enough to see Corrigan lately."

He let what he said to settle for a few moments before he continued. "I understand the anger, Ethan, I do," Christopher said, he reached up and tapped the stem of his glasses. "I was so angry after they took away my sight, I wanted to do what they did to me and then some. I wanted to blow every Klingon ship out of the sky and laugh as they all burned in hell..." Christopher cleared his throat as memories flooded the here and now, as all those emotions of hatred and anger came back, he had to take a breath and push those emotions back into the deep recesses of his mind from which they came. "I get it, but if you ever find that you are about to do something rash, you give me a shout and I will help you through it. I promise."

EJ was acustomed to being angry, but this was a deeper anger. A searing hatred taht wouldent go away, but he listened to commander samuals. EJ had never been there biggist fans, he hated klingons this was just the next road. EJ smiled "I understand" He said smiling again "I suppose thats kind of like me and my eldest sister isabella, shes ten years older than me and about 5 years older than craig, Paddy is the youngest and there 3 years between us" He said chirping back "Its not me i hurt for if that makes sense, its Paddy he grew up looking up to Craig seeing him as a hero" He said sipping from his tea again "The funeral will hit him hardest, i will have to be strong for both izzy and paddy, both dont do well with death" he looking at the commander "The klingons took your sight commander?" If the anger hadent bubbled over yet, it was about to.

"Thank you commander, I dont want to hurt anyone or myself i just want justice for craig and all of those who have lost there lives to this dirty war" He said looking at him "Most of all i want to protect the next generations of humans from this kind of agressive, war mongoerin, psychobable" He said as looked at the room "I want to make sure my children and my chldrens children will never have to face the sadness I am about to" he said slightly smiling at the commander.

Eavesdropping was a bad habit, one that had stuck with Captain Figueroa throughout her career, but her reason for doing so now was out of care and concern for her young ensign, her helmsmen. She had been outside the Commander's Ready Room for a while until she felt it was the right time. She used her command overrides to unlock the door and when it whooshed open she saw the two men. "Commander, I apologize for the intrusion. If you don't mind, I'd like to see to this personally" she said with a nodding exchanged between the two and Samuels left the two alone.

Fig took a deep breath. The doors shut behind her and she was alone with EJ now. She looked at him with sympathetic eyes and warmth in her soul. "EJ, how about you tell me a little about your brother. I have looked over his service record...it's impressive, but a name, rank, serial number, and a service record can only tell me so much. I want to hear from his brother what he was like" she said smiling gently.

EJ was taken a back a little but he adjusted as best he could, tipping his head to Commander Samuels as he left. Adjusting his posture as took a deep breath " Sure Captain" he was will struggling so visably with his emotions "Sorry I just wasent expecting to see you again so soon" he said laughing out loud a little.

He closed his eyes and opened his Mouth, trembling as he did so a shakey breath escaped his mouth "Craig was the only person in my life who ever truelly understood me, my flaws, my tears, my sadness" he said as his hand gripped into his leg " He was the best big brother I could have ever asked for, he had the biggest heart, no one ever went without love if he was around" the tears started again " no one ever saw him at his weakest he was there to protect us when we had no one, i woudlent ever change him he was one in a million and he was my brother" he said wiping his tears " he never left us alone always kept us close, was a father when we needed one and brother when we didn't" he looked to fig " Why does it hurt so much captain? Why won't it just end?" He finally let the gates open and they flung open like hell it's self was rising.

"Because, he was your brother, EJ" she said softly coming close to her young helmsmen and took a seat right next to him. She put her arm around the young helmsmen and pulled him close to her chest and touched her head to his head. "It's going to be alright, EJ. It's going to be alright. Craig wouldn't want you crying over him for too much longer. He'd want you to remember the good times together and to tell stories to everyone about how great he was" she said coddling her helmsmen. EJ was a young man, a Starfleet officer, but right now all she could see was a kid who lost someone he loved and it pulled at her heart.

When his captain cuddled him, he cuddled into her. She was the mother he dident have here right now. The tears were still streaming "Craig would want me to stop crying and drink a whiskey in his name" he said choking through the tears and letting out a stifled laugh "there were so many good times" he said looking up at her with his tear stained eyes "I think I'm going to sing a song at the funeral" he said wiping his eyes he was still racked with so many emotions but the fact that his captain was here right now "is there any chance we can try to sort the running order out for it?" he asked trying to shake off the tears before they threatened to start again.

Fig nodded. "Whatever your brother would have wanted, EJ. I will ensure that Commander Samuels and I give you everything you will need. If you want whiskey, I will get you the best damn whiskey we can muster. I know a few Admirals who owe me favors. I'll get you the very best of everything to honor Craig and we will celebrate and honor his life with you."

He looked up like a small child, to his mother who just given him the warmest embrace. He hugged her "Anybody ever told you that motherhood is somthing you'd be very good at" he was more at ease now and the emotions had stopped swirling like a turgid storm inside his coconut of a brain "Irish funerals are worse than irish weddings capt or they are in my family" he said laughing "i would like to make a request though i know it may be fairly short notice but is there any chance Commander Colin Lightwood Could be invited he took all three of us for studies at the academy and i think it'd be a comfort to know that he was there?" he asked wiping his eyes once more.

The Captain took a deep breath and tried to fight back the emotions and memories that were knocking at her door internally. She had to stay firmly planted, keep herself grounded, and be here for EJ. "Yes, I have been told that in the past. It just has never been in the cards" she said biting on her bottom lip. You can get through this she thought to herself. "Of course now all that changed and I'm going to have to learn to adapt and be a mother to this child," she said though was she referring to the half Klingon she was carrying or to the young man she was consoling?

"Your personal request is a bit complex," she said honestly. "I grant it of course, but with the war going on and the Klingons keeping our forces scattered about the two quadrants, I'm not sure if the USS Hades can spare their Captain right now or not, but if he can make it....if he can make it then he will make it" said the Captain reassuringly. "I know what it's like to lose people, Ensign. I know the pain of losing family and what it feels like to have everything you had planned in your head ripped away from you."