Family Matters

Posted on Sun Apr 6th, 2025 @ 8:14pm by Lieutenant JG Sung Jin-Woo & Captain T’Kal

1,168 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X01: Bound for Cold Frontier
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: Before departure from Earth Spacedock

ON

Refits were continuing aboard the starship Ark Royal, and one thing her Captain did not want to do was disrupt their progress. The timing was tight but she was assured they would make their launch window. So Captain T’Kal took the opportunity to work in her office, a most unpleasant working space that she would definitely upgrade after launch. Somehow.

Crew who could be spared their duties came to meet her, including the arriving senior officers.

The comm panel on her desk chirped, and she activated it. “Lieutenant junior grade Sung to see you, Captain,” said the Yeoman.

“Send him in,” she ordered.

It didn't take long from T'Kal's orders for the doors to the office to open, revealing a rather tall Korean man dressed in Operations Gold who stepped through before stopping at attention as the doors snapped shut behind him.

"Lieutenant JG Sung Jin-Woo, reporting for duty as ordered, ma'am." He said.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” T’Kal ordered from her seat. “Take a seat, Before we begin, can my Yeoman get you something?” She was making an effort to be welcoming to new crew, if only to break the stereotype of the cold Vulcan Captain.

"Oh, uh..." Jin-Woo muttered as he sat down. "Sure, how about some Milkis-Uh, I mean, Calpico."

Even though Milkis was his favorite beverage, Jin-Woo had found it inappropriate to ask for it from a female superior officer, and as such, he had discovered Calpico- a Japanese beverage that was similar enough (minus the carbonation) in taste, but didn't sound like he was asking for a drink from a woman's breasts.

The Captain had lived on Earth for much of her adult life and had made a point to discover food and drink from different cultures. She was familiar with Calpico, and Milkis too (Strange, why would he seem embarrassed to ask for that? To investigate further.) They were not something she wanted all the time, but occasionally a different food or drink helped break routine and monotony. “Not a drink we will be stocking for our journey, but we can access a store of it while in Spacedock.” She opened her comm channel. “Yeoman, requisition two bottles of Calpico and bring them in. One Lychee, and one…” she looked to her helmsman to prompt him for which flavour he wanted.

"Original, please." Jin-Woo responded.

She closed the channel and studied her new helmsman. “Tell me, Lieutenant, do you know why I requested you for this assignment?”

Before he could answer, the Yeoman entered with a tray and holding two bottles labeled ‘Calpico’. She set the tray down and left quietly.

Taking the bottle marked "original," Jin-Woo quickly cracked it open and took a sip, the crisp, citrusy flavor that he couldn't quite pinpoint meeting his taste buds as the milky liquid flowed down his throat.

"I've got a few ideas:" Jin-Woo admitted. "For one, the Lexington was on a patrol of the Klingon Neutral Zone, which leads me to believe that we'll be operating in that same sector."

“We are,” T’Kal confirmed. “Your experience in the region will be useful. I also heard very good things about your work ethic from a trustworthy source. Tell me, Lieutenant, how is Commodore Sung doing these days?”

"Not too well..." Jin-Woo admitted, surprised that his new Commanding Officer knew of his father, but decided best to roll with it. "My little sister is insistent that we're not blood related, and started yapping that she was the child of an affair. I'm not sure how it reached journalists, but the media went crazy and created a very big headache for him, essentially flushing his career down the toilet..."

The Captain nodded as she listened. She had crossed paths with his father years earlier, and met him again at a reception last year. He did seem different. More subdued. "Nevertheless, he spoke positively of his son when we spoke. When I saw your name on the list of Flight Control Officers available for my Chief position, I decided to take a chance with you. Have I made a wise decision in that regard, Mr. Sung?"

"Well, that depends." Jin-Woo sat back and folded his arms. "If the rumors I've heard that my sister has also been assigned to this ship are false, then you will have made a wise decision. However, if those same rumors are true, then you may have just made the mistake of your career."

That prompted the Captain to raise a single eyebrow. “Lieutenant I do not believe we are familiar enough with each other for you to speak to me that way. Please try again.”

Jin-Woo blinked.

"I... Don't know what else you want me to say." He said. "Do you just want confirmation of your own judgement?"

She shook her head. “In brief, I will tell you that there is an Ensign Sung Jin-Ah, recent Academy graduate, in my Communications department. She was one of more than two hundred assigned automatically by Starfleet Operations, and while it’s true I did not select her by hand I observed that there were no warnings in her file serious enough to disqualify her from service aboard a starship. You are telling me it is a mistake to have her aboard. I will take that under advisement, and thank you formally for the warning, but so far she has not said a word to me while her brother, recommended as he might be, has told me to my face that I’ve ruined my career.”

"Well, let me put it this way." Jin-Woo said. "My sister has an... Unhealthy obsession with me, to put it politely. My concern is that having us on the same ship together will negatively impact both of our work. Does that make sense?"

The Captain pondered that a moment and then nodded. "That was a constructive way of putting it. Thank you. We will monitor the situation closely. I will not permit interpersonal conflict to disrupt starship operations. I trust that, as a senior officer, you can be a model for good behavior in that regard. If she cannot follow your example of professionalism, then she will leave. Understood?"

"I'm sure she'll have her own boss over in Communications too." Jin-Woo said. "That should be an adequate safety net. Thank you."

“It is important that my crew feel safe,” T’Kal affirmed. “Come to me or Commander Novis if ever you have concerns, about this or anything else. Now, I recommend you get settled properly and read what briefing material we have on Sector 262, as well as combat strategies against Klingon starships.”

"Very well." Jin-Woo nodded, standing. "If there's nothing else you require me for, I'll go ahead and get started on that."

“Dismissed,” the Captain said with a nod.

Nodding, the helmsman silently took his leave.

END


Captain T’Kal
Commanding Officer, USS Ark Royal

Lieutenant JG Sung Jin-Woo
Chief Helmsman, USS Ark Royal

 

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