All Good Things...

Posted on Tue Jan 3rd, 2023 @ 11:46am by Commodore Jacob Kane & Lieutenant Commander Finnley Keating VII

Mission: Character Development
Location: Kane's Office
Timeline: Post-Avalon
1204 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Finn sat in her office, reading and rereading the letter she had just written. It only took three proofreads before she utilized the delete button. That was one more proofread than the last draft had gotten. Frustrated, the engineer sat back in her chair and mulled over another set of words to type into the device. Nothing seemed to flow correctly on the small PADD, yet she knew this was the right course of action.

Perhaps coffee will help, she thought as she reached for the empty cup on her sparsely decorated desk. Quickly realizing there was no liquid salvation in the mug, Finn punched the undo button on the PADD and hopped up from her chair with a grunt of dissatisfaction. The words weren't perfect. She wasn't even sure she liked them at all, but there was no more sense in lingering.

Finn wasted no time walking from engineering to Kane's office, but once outside she took a moment to straighten her uniform. The action brought back a flash of her first day onboard the Athena when she had done the exact same thing outside of this very room. She imagined herself, the then lieutenant junior grade Keating, a little more nervous than she was now straightening her uniform and hoping to make a good impression on her new commanding officer. The memory brought a small smile to her face, which then quickly faded as the realization of what was to come hit. Finn dwelled on the thought for only a moment before shaking her head and pressing the chime on the door. There was no turning back now.

"Yes?" His voice barked. "Come in." The second half was a little less gruff. His eyebrows lifted as he sighted his Chief Engineer arriving. "Ah. Lieutenant Commander Keating. I assume repairs are well in-hand? Nothing we'll need to worry about when we return to spacedock?"

"Repairs are going as planned," Finn nodded and then hesitated for just a moment before clearing her throat. "I actually stopped by for another matter. To turn this in," she slid the PADD, filled with words she knew she might regret later, across his desk. Her heavy heart only sank further as he reached for the device, yet Finn felt this was the only way forward. At least, the only way to keep everyone else safe from the worst person she knew. Finnley Quinn Keating the seventh. The traitor. The torturer. All nomenclatures she felt could replace the 'seventh' that once held a rich history of fine Starfleet personnel.

It took a minute of silence in the room for him to read the text. Then another minute for him to process the intent it conveyed. And then he looked up at her, studying the expression and body language she was giving off. He could see uncertainty and guilt behind those anxious eyes.

"You know that you'd be throwing away a promising career with this?" he said carefully. "Resignations tend to be pretty final. I'm...curious to understand your reasons."

Finn considered her words carefully before opening her mouth. "It seems the right course of action," she slowly, but more confidently confessed. "I've been responsible for a lot of suffering lately and not by chance. I had every opportunity to change the outcome to something more desirable, and in every instance, I didn't. I knew there were risks that came with being in Starfleet, I just wasn't prepared to be the cause of them. I joined Starfleet to make the universe a better place and it's clear I'm not up to that challenge. This ship deserves better of its CEO." She stopped there, a little more settled in her stance to leave and a little less anxious in conveying it to the Captain. Somehow speaking the words out loud just further cemented what she felt in her mind.

He put the PADD down. Harder than he intended, which probably made it seem like he was mad. Which he was, but not necessarily as mad as it maybe looked.

"If that's what you think of yourself, and your colleagues, then perhaps Athena is better off without you," he remarked. It came out harsh, but he didn't know any other way. "Do you remember the speech? You know, the one I give to every member of the crew that comes on board this ship? About how much I value loyalty, and commitment to those we serve with?" He motioned at the PADD with his finger. "This tells me you aren't up for that challenge either."

Her heart bounced out of her chest for a moment as the PADD hit the desk. His response in general was harsher than she had expected and for a moment she debated whether to just take it or attempt to defend her actions. "I'm doing this because I am loyal and committed to this crew. I've gotten at least one person killed, and I've nearly succeeded in killing a few others with my actions. Not to mention the fact that my clone almost murdered multiple officers and screwed with systems all over the ship. Furthermore, now I'm distracted and second-guessing my own judgment calls. You know as well as I do that's a dangerous disposition for any engineering officer to be in. I'm not the engineer I used to be and keeping me here would only be a disservice to the ship." Finn's jaw tightened in defiance, further attaching herself to the idea that this was the correct course of action, even though inside she felt guilty and torn.

"Second-guessing a judgement call isn't confined only to Engineers, you know. Captains do the same. Regularly." He shook his head. "Could the Avalon have been saved? Could we have gotten to the USS Pico before the Breen killed her entire crew?" He leaned back, regarding her for a few moments. She seemed so dead set on this that it surprised him somewhat. Either he'd misjudged Finn's personality, or she'd misjudged his. And he had been where she was standing before, after the Orions had almost murdered his Captain. He had second-guessed himself then, too.

Kane touched the PADD once more. "Ms Keating. Your resignation is formally rejected." He raised his hand before she could object. "We're returning to Earth at this moment, for an as-yet undetermined period of time. I am, however, mandating a formal leave of absence." He leaned forward, his hardened expression softening a shade. "Do what you need to do, Finnley. See family. Climb a mountain. Whatever this is...take some time to gain some perspective before you make any decisions. If you really want to leave, then we'll discuss that when you're actually ready. Understand?"

Rejected?! Finn grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes slightly, though it only took a quick glance at Kane's facial expression to realize he wasn't backing down. "Understood," she stated. "Am I dismissed to go climb my mountain, or whatever?" The salty response was only intended for her head, but the words managed to sneak out of her mouth before she could stop them.

His jaw tightened momentarily, but he understood the emotion. "You are," he nodded.