An Unexpected Message

Posted on Mon Jan 6th, 2025 @ 9:00pm by 2nd Lieutenant Connor McQueen

Mission: Character Development
Location: USS Sunfire
Timeline: Present

It was the kind of message that he had wished he wasn’t receiving, but he did, just as the ship was preparing for departure. A communiqué from Marine Command, it was short, concise, and to the point:

“2nd Lieutenant Connor McQueen please be advised that Lieutenant Freya Score, Marine Commanding Officer, will be departing the USS Sunfire effective immediately. Her transfer orders for medical/personal leave have been approved. The Marine Detachment will be placed under your temporary leadership until further notice. Stand by for an upcoming briefing.”

The words felt like a punch in the gut.
Lieutenant Score had been a steady presence on the Sunfire, and now her departure left a palpable void. A professional, through and through. The thought of stepping into her shoes, even temporarily, was… interesting to say the least. Connor has just begun to get to know her personally and now she had been ripped from his life.
But there was no time for sentimentality—not with the mission ahead.

He straightened, shaking off the disquiet that had momentarily set in. The hum of the ship’s engines vibrated through the deck beneath him. The Sunfire was getting ready to leave DS9 and Connor had a job to do.
With a deep breath, he stood up from the desk in his quarters, the echo of the message still fresh in his mind. It would be a challenge, one that he was no stranger to. But one step at a time.
He sealed the message and turned toward the door.
"Alright, McQueen," he muttered to himself. "Time to make it count."

The turbolift doors slid open, and he stepped onto the bridge. The USS Starfire was already a few minutes past its scheduled departure. The quiet hum of a ship about to embark on another mission filled the air.

2nd Lieutenant Conner McQueen
Marine Executive Officer, USS Sunfire