Old Post

< The time is 05:30 hours> The computerised alarm went off waking Jake from a sound sleep. He had been dreaming of his days back on earth when he was a young child clean and innocent from the ugliness he would see as an adult.

"Lights 78%" Jake said as he threw his blankets off of him. He sat up and then walked into the head to clean up. Once finished with his morning rituals, Grafton put on a new clean uniform. His stomach grumbled relentlessly so he approached the replicator in his quarters and ordered some breakfast, a cup of black coffee and a order of eggs and bacon, the breakfast of champions. He read a PADD while eating his breakfast. It contained the tactical data on the Akira class starship. He found it quite interesting, and very informative. All the information a new officer would need would be in that small PADD.

Around 06:12, he decided to make his journey to the Bridge and get himself friendly with his old station. He stepped into the turbo lift. "Deck one." He said. After a few moments the turbolift stopped and Grafton stepped out on to the Bridge where he saw the officer on duty. He, however, didn't bother to say hello and went to work at his station.

Jake started to read the weapons inventory and he saw the ship was armed with quantum and proton torpedoes. The Leviathan was also equipped with a single Decrum torpedo, something that he had never heard of before. He then read the test diagnostic reports for the phaser banks and pulse phaser cannons. "Well no wonder Starfleet Command requested a lot of these babies in the war." Grafton didn't realise he wasn't alone.

"Ensign Grafton right ?" A voice came from behind him.

*I hope it's not Lieutenant MacLeod.* He thought shutting his eyes tightly. *I hope I didn't offend him.* Jake looked up and saw a red uniform with four gold pips. A middle aged man, mid 30's, was standing in front of him it was Captain Devore and was now feeling stupid.

"Yes sir. I'm Ensign Grafton. What can I do for you sir ?"

"Come. Lets speak in my ready room. It's a bit more private."

The two walked in and Devore directed him to sit while he walked to the replicator and "made" two cups of coffee, and then Captain Devore started to get to the heart of the matter.

"I usually don't see many men Ensigns in their forties, but I see from your service record you're a good officer. Unlike the twenty-something Ensigns that come on a ship so excited they screw up. I am also shocked that you have twenty-seven years and earned twenty-one commendations but after the war they assigned you on a Starbase as a transporter operator. As I read further on, I see that you requested it. Why ?"

Jake was quiet and had a hard time putting his feelings into words. His mouthed rose and fell as he tried to form the words, but nothing emerged. "Sir. I have survived Setlik III, Borg, Cardassians and the Dominion, and I was tired of seeing ships fall with their crews, young men and women dying. I wanted to get away from that and spend time with my family. The longer I stayed away, the longer I longed for space, so I realised that this is the family that keeps calling me back."

It was very quiet and Devore respected Ensign Grafton. He knew he had seen a great deal and knew a lot more then anyone onboard, so to him his answer made a lot of sense. " You know that this will not be easy, this Barien campaign, and people will die."

"Sir trust me, the only thing that will be seeing death is the Barien fleet I know every battle tactic and then some that isn't in the books. The only people that will die are those opposing us."

*I like him. He may be old but it's at the age where one gets better with age, * Devore said to himself. "Very well, if you do well Ensign I will make you Chief Tactical officer."

"I'll hold you to that sir."