What's In a Name?

Posted on Mon Oct 28th, 2019 @ 5:46pm by Lieutenant Commander Magnus Grey & Lieutenant JG Liliane Olivier

1,456 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 7 - Aenerth for an Earth
Location: XO Office
Timeline: 2296/02/20 - 1215

Finally finished with the Aenerthan ship and the America once again on course for Aenerth, Magnus Grey was free to return to his office to catch up on paperwork. When he was promoted, he hadn't been told how much of command was staff schedules and crew performance reviews.

He also needed to prepare an after-action report for their rescue of the Aenerthans. Over the next day or two he would meet with Shri, Iona, Brian, and Liliane. Iona and Brian were still very busy, and he knew he would see Shri later, so he made arrangements for their helm officer to come to his office.

"Meeting after god damn meeting," Liliane muttered. "This must be what command is like. They have nothing better to do so let's have a meeting."

"Sorry?" A crewman glanced sideways at her as both rode the turbolift upwards. "Were you talking to me?

Lil glanced over at him before she did a longer, second take. Hmm. "That depends," she said, a bit louder and with a wink. She gave him another wink as she moved out of the turbolift, making a note to herself to keep an eye out for him later. She pressed the door chime to the XO's office. She threw her head back with a long drawn-out sigh, staring up at the ceiling while she waited for an answer.

“Come,” called Magnus to the door. He stood and faced the door. When it opened, he smiled at the woman on the other side. “Lieutenant, please, come in, take a seat. I’ve had the steward bring coffee, would you like some?” He gestured to a coffee pot, two cups, and some cream and sugar.

"We have to stop meeting like this, Maggie," she said, straightening her head to look at her superior officer. "People are gonna start gossiping." Liliane laughed. It was a rumor she'd probably start herself. She casually walked into the office and took a seat. "Coffee? Sure. But offering wine would have been better. It's too bad I finished off that bottle of ours. If I'd known I'd be making another stop here, I would have saved some for you."

“Well, thankfully there’s plenty more wine on board,” Magnus remarked, “not that we could drink it right now anyway. Some other time.” He poured coffee into two cups and gestured to the cream and sugar. “How do you take it?”

"Well, that's a shame," she said, "About the wine. As for the coffee, I like it how I like my men. Hot. Strong. And just a little bit sweet." She laughed and gave him a wink.

Magnus smirked at her and passed her the coffee with a small amount of sugar. “Well, I asked you here to discuss the mission to the Aenerthan ship. But also to ask about the shuttle. I was a bit shocked to see the proud shuttle name Invictus blacked out with what looked like spraypaint and replaced with Maggie. I need to ask. Why?”

She took a few quick sips of her coffee before she cradled it in her right hand, resting on her crossed leg. "What can I say," Liliane said, tilting her head and giving him a smirk of her own. "I was inspired. Besides. It's the only Maggie that's going to be giving me a ride anytime soon."

Magnus had been sipping his own coffee and practically choked on it. He managed to clear his throat and wipe his chin with a nearby napkin. “You do enjoy getting a rise out of me, don’t you Liliane?”

"I could help with that too," Liliane answered automatically, the words out her unfiltered mouth before she realized it and she bit her lip. Mostly to keep herself from laughing at his reaction. She shook her head, wisps of brown hair coming loose from her ponytail. There was a pause before she added, "Just make it harder for me." Damn it, she cursed inwardly, her green eyes widening ever so slightly.

Magnus chuckled as he tried to get his mind back on track. Though part of him refused to focus. Come on, Magnus. You know she’d be yours if you said the word. Hell, order her to undress, see what happens. He shook the thoughts from his head. “Inspired though it was, there are procedures for this sort of thing. And I would actually wager the Captain would approve, if only to annoy me just a bit.”

She let out a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. "Of course there is. Invictus is just so...boring. Like who came up with that one? You?" Liliane snorted as she laughed then crossed her arms, coffee cup still in hand. The movement caused some of it to spill on the floor, missing her uniform but she didn't seem to notice. "Well, maybe I should go have a meeting with her."

Magnus gave Liliane a wry smile. "On most of the ships I've served on, there's been some leniency to the naming of auxiliary craft. Normally the flight control department has ownership over this, with the CO usually approving the suggestions. If you're that keen to have our primary ship be named Maggie, then submit a proposal. I promise the Captain will see it. And you should sit down with her at some point." He sipped his coffee again. "Just be sure to keep wanting to ride something named Maggie out of your proposal," he added with a smirk.

"Well, think I'll go see her right after this," she said. "And no guarantees as to what I put in my proposal."

Magnus let out a sigh. “Is there anything else, Lieutenant?”

"Anything else?" she scoffed. "You called me here, after all." She gulped down the rest of the coffee and set the cup on the desk. "But now that you say that," she said, giving him a grin, "My offer still stands."

Magnus coughed on his coffee awkwardly, set his cup down, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “I, um, appreciate the offer, Mademoiselle Olivier,” he said, his French accent sounding almost Parisian. Take her up on it, Magnus. Do it. Shri can wait. Liliane wants it now. He took a deep breath. “But this meeting was just to discuss the shuttle name. Explain the process after giving you a tongue lashing.” Give her the tongue lashing you want. Make her squirm. He took another breath. “That will be all, Lieutenant. Dismissed.” Make her leave before you do something you’ll regret.

Liliane rose from her chair, but made no noticeable move to leave the office yet. She tilted her head, a lopsided smile still on her face and green eyes that eyed him mischievously. She placed both hands in the middle of the desk and leaned over, staring intently into his eyes. She may be pushing it. She may get a reprimand. But it wouldn't be the first time. "I know what you want. I can see it in your eyes," she said in a low voice.

Magnus stood too, hands on his desk, looking back at her as fiercely. “You don’t know anything about me. So I’ll tell you what I want. I want you to leave, and resume your duties, Lieutenant.”

She raised an eyebrow, taking her hands off the desk and straightening her posture. "Yeah," she said. Her tone was no longer playful, taking on an air of seriousness and perhaps a little bit of anger. "That's what I thought." Liliane was never the least bit shy about speaking her mind and on more than one occasion, had crossed a line. This may be one of those times. Defiance towards authority, the left over remainder of her childhood and adolescent years.

"Yeah," she repeated, clenching her jaw. "You're just like the rest of them," Liliane said dryly, her eyes narrowed and focused intently on his. "The way they look at me. Afraid to play with a little fire because they might get burned. Don't worry, Maggie, you're perfectly safe from me." She tilted her head slightly, acknowledging his what she presumed was dismissal from his office. She quickly turned on her heel and left, not even bothering with a backwards glance. God damn it. I'm really going to get it.

Magnus collapsed back into his chair. What the hell is going on with that one? he thought. It was something he would need to deal with. But for right now, he sighed and went back to his paperwork.

 

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