The weight of command [backpost]

Posted on Sun Mar 15th, 2026 @ 1:54pm by Captain Taliserra Tigran & Lieutenant Magnus Volsung
Edited on on Sun Mar 15th, 2026 @ 3:37pm

1,181 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: A marathon not a sprint
Location: Lounge
Timeline: Md10

The dead had been mourned, the prisoners transferred to the London, sufficient repairs made and the journey resumed. Now Taliserra could relax a little. She sat at a table in the lounge watching the stars go past out of the large main window; a popular spot amongst many of the crew. The small form of the Marathon could just be seen slightly ahead off the port bow.

She thought about how her ship had been the one to encounter the dead skull privateers several times now, was it pure luck or was something directing things from behind the scenes. Once or twice could be considered luck but the Wolff being right there at the third target of their attentions couldn't be a coincidence.

Magnus Volsung watched her, taking in how she looked. Thoughtful. A little sad. He gave a small smile, but it didn't light his eyes as it usually did. No, he was...he felt for her. It hadn't been an easy time, he still felt the bruises from the Marathon, but hadn't bothered doing anything with it. He took his hot tea and walked over to her, the sound of his boots on the floor loud enough to warn her that he was approaching. He did it on purpose. Sometimes, you had to be louder to allow someone to prepare for you. "Captain," he said, and then decided that they had been informal before. He had after all been Acting Chief Security Officer not that long ago. "Taliserra. Do you mind if I join you?"

Hearing the sound of boots on the floor definitely getting closer compared to the other footsteps in the room Taliserra's head perked up slightly. She liked to be seen around the ship's communal areas, barely ever dining in her own personal mess and had made it clear after taking full command that anyone even the lowliest crewman could approach her to talk. It seemed someone was about to do just that. As said someone began to speak she recognised the voice quite quickly. "Magnus, no, go ahead."

He nodded as he sat down, watching her. The sweet and herby scent of his tea rose in the space between them. "Are you okay?" he asked, the blunt question softened just by his tone. There was concern in his eyes, a gentleness there that never seemed to sit right with someone wearing the uniform of a security officer.

"Maybe." Taliserra replied only somewhat bluntly. "No Co likes to hear that some of their crew have died fulfilling your orders."

He nodded, taking a slow and deep breath. "It never gets easier," he said, honest in his tone as he watched her. "And it is okay for you...not be be alright. You are allowed to show yourself as a person, not just a Captain."

"Fourty five of them, in less than a year Magnus." Taliserra told him, "I feel bad as a person not just as a Captain."

He searched her eyes before he nodded. He understood. "Sometimes...it happens. It doesn't make it easier. You did all you could. At times it doesn't feel like it is enough."

"This Dokken... his attack against us felt personal. Like he expected us to be there and had prepared for just that but didn't seem to tell the other ships to expect a starfleet cruiser to be escorting the Marathon."

Magnus nodded as he looked at her before he looked away. "Maybe it was," he said, his voice quiet. "Personal, I mean. But we got through it."

"Four different encounters with them, this last one we were just as much the target as the Marathon was, he had a definite interest in seeing us taken apart piece by piece, only being in the middle of federation space saved us here Magnus." Taliserra remarked. "Two starfleet ships close enough to help."

"Then next time, we will be ready," Magnus said as he watched her, his face serious. "Have Security look more into their tactics. Find...counterpoints. Ways we can more easily get an upper hand should we encounter them again. Every house needs strong walls."

Taliserra nodded slightly. "Now we have the time to breathe that is the plan, I'll be updating fleet intel about this latest encounter with them, hopefully they might let us help them take Tikhar down now."

Magnus nodded as he watched her, considering it for a moment. "And if not...maybe talk to the Chief," he said, his voice soft. "He has a good head for things. He would be able to offer solid advice on how to best....prepare."

"Preparing for a ship that can cloak and has shields strong enough to stand up against quantum torpedoes is not easy Magnus." Taliserra said, though as a security officer he would certainly know that. "All our detection grids are on the borders. we've no idea where he might show up next."

"Just because you don't know if the bear is going to show up doesn't mean you don't carry your bow," Magnus said softly as he gave a shrug. "You can...be prey. Or the hunter. Maybe with time, we can find a way of hunting him down."

"Oh we'll be the hunter all right, as soon as fleet intel lets us." Taliserra paused to sip her own tea. "Three times we've been right there just after they attack, next time I want to be there waiting for them.. but they won't let us go after him directly."

Magnus nodded, looking at her for a long moment, before he gave a small smile. "Directly, no...but a good hunter puts down traps and then checks them," he said lightly, raising an eyebrow.

"We don't have the knowledge where to place our traps yet, intel are keeping everything close to their chests for some reason despite 4 straight up attacks on federation assets." Taliserra shook her head slightly. "It doesn't make sense."

"I know you won't...want to officially put resources on this," Magnus said, and he watched her with calm but serious eyes. "But unofficially...I can do some digging. See if there is a pattern out there that we might have missed. Intelligence always forgets that other people have...skills too."

Taliserra pondered for a moment, "Maybe, just be careful Magnus, don't dig too deep you can't get back out."

He looked at her before he bowed his head in acceptance of her words. And the meaning behind them. "I'll beware the wolf," he said, his voice soft as he met her eyes and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I'll do it...off the books. Quiet."

"Very quiet, and very carefully." Taliserra reaffirmed. "I don't want an angry call from from fleet intel saying you're damaging their investigation."

"Noted," Magnus said with a small smile, raising an eyebrow. "As quiet and still as the summer's breeze..." he vowed, knowing that this...would need to be done quietly. But one way or another, he'd have answers. For all of their sakes.

END:




Captain Taliserra Tigran
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Magnus Volsung
Security Officer
[pnpc Slattery]

 

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