First Mate resignation

Posted on Sun Sep 20th, 2020 @ 5:39pm by Alden Loxley & Alison Bliss

Mission: The Milk Run
Location: Bridge
Timeline: Day 15 Early Evening

Alison found Alden on the bridge. It wasn’t hard to do so. When she wasn’t there, he usually was there. It usually was like that, them taking turns in flying. And even if they weren't flying they tend to keep an eye on things from there. Stepping on the bridge she gave him a modest grin while placing hands on her hips.

“I think, with the recent events, that there is no other way for me than to resign from the first mate position.” She started going right to the business. “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay as the pilot, but as I see it, you no longer need me as the XO, so saving myself frustration, we can make it official.”

His blood ran cold for a moment, and Alden frowned. "What did I do?" He asked. But he kinda knew, really. "It's Jonas?" He asked, looking down at his boots then back up at Alison. They'd been through a lot, and the Echo belonged to them both, but he'd been making a lot of decisions lately. Decisions Alison disagreed with, apparently. He sat still and listened to his friend talk, letting her vent whatever was on her mind.

"It's Jonas... but also renting Niamh the shuttle or letting Chloe in without discussion with me first. Your secret mission with Tristan. Your shutting me with Sibyl..." She raised her hand and showed two fingers. "Twice. And you never talked to me about including Daiyu or Tristan as the crew." Alison replied calmly and without any emotions.

"No Alden. Enough is enough. Especially that you are incapable of learning from your mistakes." She turned the fingers and pointed at him in a pistol-like gesture. "You are lucky and you blinded yourself with relying on it. But that luck does not extend on others. How lucky was Noah-Jade? How lucky you were with Drake? Just to pick two the biggest ones." She shook her head. "You are the captain now. You have to take care of the crew."

"But.." said Alden, about to defend Niamh's shuttle rental and then Chloe as being a joint decision after their discussion with Noah's sister. He closed his mouth again though as Alison mentioned the 'secret mission'. Yeah, that was fair. He should have told Ali about that one, admittedly. He hadn't, as far as he was aware though, taken Daiyu on as crew. She was still a mystery to be solved.

As Alison continued on to call him out on his choices, his reliance on his natural good fortune and Noah's death, Alden's head lowered miserably. Drake was an even lower blow, that comment brought the captain's palm to his forehead and a sinking feeling in his gut. He didn't speak, he wallowed in that misery silently.

Taking the copilot seat, Alison leaned against its back, stretched her legs and crossed them at ankles.

"No, Alden. I have it enough. I tried to talk to you. I tried to warn you. But the more I do, the faster you shut me down. Yes, Jonas - you cut me off in front of others. Chloe, didn't even bother to inform me before you announced it." She sighed. "So, I am happy to stay as the pilot. Or security. But pick someone else to keep you straight as your first mate."

"I'm sorry," he stated, head still lowered. It hurt, to be called out on his judgements, the daily to and fro of being Captain, being responsible. For everything. Life, death. Good choices. Bad calls. People. Alden steeled his gaze and tensed his shoulders as he finally looked up and faced Ali. His friend. His trusted friend who he seemed to have stopped trusting. Or at least that was how she was taking it.

"You're right," Alden admitted. "I got Noah killed. But I don't think the Drake Situation is all my fault." A frown lined his forehead, deepening as he considered Alison's point of view. "Niamh's just renting the shuttle, she's not crew. Daiyu either. Chloe..." He hadn't even considered that hire a solo decision. "You were with me when we took on Chloe?"

"Yes, until we finish fixing the ship. Ship is fixed. She was to go back. That was the arrangement. And as for Daiyu... then who the fuck is she on the ship? Another of your pet project like Tristan? This supposed to be the ship not an orphanage, with people adding useful skills to it. What is Tristan adding? What is Daiyu?" Alison asked and waved her hand in frustration.

"Ali," Alden frowned. "Ship'll never be fixed. We need to run with an engineer, and you know it. C'mon, we both knew Chloe was gonna stick around. Sibyl didn't loan her to us out of the pure goodness of her heart."

"Daiyu..." He subconsciously rubbed his left arm where, under the shirt, the fresh bite mark remained. "She's lost. Someone threw her away, and I don't know what happened, but she needs somewhere to be, and..." Alden looked guilty, but he stuck to his guns on this one. "We found her. We're - I'm - responsible for her now." He frowned. "I'm not dumping her on Hera and walking away."

Then there was Tristan... and the skills thing was fair comment, he had to admit.

"I don't know why I didn't include you with the Tristan thing," Alden admitted. He'd meant to tell her, but he hadn't. Things had escalated quickly... But that was no excuse. The kid did have skills though, sneaky ones. "Ali... You're right. I'm sorry."

"Yeah...? And what? Like I said. I am done as your first mate. Take it as a wake up call." Alison said. "I was under impression I had some kind of influence over decisions on board of this ship but I do not. You don't need a first mate." She stood up. "Do you want me as a pilot? Or security?"

"Tristan's a natural thief," Alden defended. "Daiyu's under our protection. And Chloe's working. Don't give up me," he stated rather than asked. "I don't want to do this all on my own."

"Why do we have a thief among us? Since when Daiyu is under our protection?" Alison asked quietly. "These are your decisions and yours alone. You never included me in them other than informing me about them. You are doing this all by your own by now. You don't need me as a first mate."

Alden shrugged. "Honestly," he answered, feeling like he was failing on all fronts here. "Seemed like a good idea at the time, he stole something back from those evil folks who took it from us." He exhaled noisily. "Daiyu's under my protection then," he continued. "We scooped her out of the black after all, and I ain't throwing her back." Even, he added in his mind, if she is a biter.

She was right though, Alison. He had been making a ton of decisions all on his own lately. It had, kinda felt right, and Alden didn't want to give it up. It had been a long time since he'd really felt... Captainy...

"Pilot gets less of a profit share than First Mate," Alden said, in an attempt to sway Ali's mind back towards where he wanted her to be.

"It also gets less of a frustration share than First Mate." Alison countered and stood up. She approached Alden and put hand on his shoulder. "Consider this a warning from a friend. I feel I have no other ways to get to you at this point." She stepped back pulling her hand and putting it on her hip. "I am worried. I am not going to leave you but I need you back on the top of your game."

She was serious then, he noted and Alden let another sigh pollute the air above the console he leant upon. Her hand on his shoulder was a strangely comforting gesture in a world of confusion, because he knew he'd upset Ali and he didn't entirely understand all the reasons why. Hopefully he'd prove to her that he could make good decisions, that these were good people...

"Warning duly noted," Alden said out loud. "And don't worry," he said with a wry smile. "Whatever happens, you can at least put all the blame on me, right?" His frown suggested he was more worried than he seemed though, and his gaze as he locked eyes with Ali definitely promised that Alden was eternally grateful for her not abandoning him right now. "Top game? You got it."

A sigh. "To Priam, then. Let's check she flies good, make our delivery, and see if I can not screw anything else up for a couple days...."

Alison nodded.

"Do you want to take her off? Or should I?" She nodded toward the pilot's console.

Another sigh, followed by a lingering look just to check she was really serious, then Alden stood. He opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it and closed it again. As he turned away, then moved to walk off the bridge, Alden closed his eyes just before he reached the exit.

"You take her up," he said, and he didn't turn around.

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