Post 413: Unplanned

Stardate:70825.0300
Title: Unplanned
Author: Dabin Reece
Scene: Conference Room One
Time: The morning after "What Has To Be; Part Two" and Immediately following "As Planned"
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Salvek nodded and left. Zanh sighed to the empty room once she was finally alone. "This is going to get messy, I can feel it."

She moved toward the replicator, and ordered a cup of coffee. She took one sip, then heard the door chime again. She rolled her eyes *Now, what?*

The person on the other side of the door was obviously very anxious to talk to her- they were leaning on the bell.

"Okay, okay," She said, at last. "Come in."
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The doors slid open and Dabin Reece stepped into the conference room.

"Dabin! Come to say goodbye? Well, it has been a pleasure as always. Let me show you the way to the transporter room."

Reece waved her off, "Captain, I have a request to make." The seriousness of his voice caught her off guard. She set her coffee down, and pulled up a chair at the end of the table. Dabin sat down next to her.

"Go ahead."

"Well, um, Captain Zanh, you see, things have changed, a lot, in the last few days and... I would like to request a transfer to the USS Independence."

"Oh, now wait just a second. Time out." Zanh sat back in her chair. "Dabin, what is going on? Isn't the station expecting you back?"

"I've already contacted the station as well as Admiral Kelly, and they have given their consent, pending your approval, Captain."

"I checked the departure logs and saw Dr. Hood had already requested permission to leave the ship. I assumed you were with her."

"Jaine and I are no longer together. She chose to pursue other interests. She's resigning her Starfleet commission, as well."

"Oh, Dabin I am sorry," she thought about Hood and Reece's on again, off again history. "I'm just surprised because, well, ever since you go there, it was 'my fiancée this, and my fiancée that,"

Dabin shrugged. "Haven't you ever heard of a couple who planned to split keeping up appearances at a big family function, just to avoid uncomfortable questions?" he asked, "We knew we were going to be seeing you here, and Salvek and Kellyn, and Jariel. Jaine especially just. . .didn't want to try to explain to anyone. But, it's ok, Captain, it really is. This was a long time coming."

He paused, "What I didn't expect was what would happen to me here, and that is why I'm requesting the transfer."

Zanh Liis studied him a few moments, and took a sip of her coffee. She had known Dabin Reece a long time, and had never known him to take something so seriously.

He had been here several minutes now and had only referred to her in a respectful manner as "Captain". No "crinkle nose", and no "Liisy baby". Whatever reason he had for requesting the transfer had obviously effected him profoundly.

Liis tapped her fingers on the table a few seconds more, trying to deduce his intentions. "February Grace."

"Yes, Captain." *Am I really that transparent?* Thought Dabin.

"Dabin Reece, my little speckled pup. I'm not going to pry into your personal life. I've known you and Jaine a long time, and if you two have parted ways, and you have developed feelings for February then I know they must be sincere. You are many things but I have never known you to be insincere or anything less then honorable, deep down inside."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Please. After all these years, Reece, Liis."

"Thank you. Liis, this isn't just a passing fancy I assure you. I wouldn't be here requesting a transfer if I wasn't completely sure this is what I wanted. I realize I've just approved Lily T'Ana to be your Chief of Sciences, and I'm willing to serve under her. I don't expect to be given her job."

"I understand, and your request for transfer is granted, Dabin. But that brings me to a matter I have to mention before you go. Starfleet needed someone to take the fall for everything that happened back there on Trill. Diplomatic bull, to smooth things over with their government,"

She paused, hating what she had to say to him next.

"The Trill insisted that since you are a Trill and a Starfleet officer, and because the Hiawatha had been assigned to you and was used to facilitate the mission, that punishment should fall on you. Starfleet has ordered you reduced in rank to Lieutenant. I tried to talk to them, even Captain Gilmore wrote something up. . .but they're having none of it. I'm sorry."

Dabin smiled, and stood up from the table. He removed the third gold pip from his collar, placed it in Liis's hand, and folded her hand closed around it.

"None of that matters now, Liis. I have no regrets for anything I did to help February. I know what kind of officer I am, and what I am capable of doing to help this ship. Losing one pip doesn't change my knowledge or abilities."

She stood, and offered her hand. "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant Reece."

Dabin smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "Besides Liisy, we all knew you couldn't bear to see me go."

"Uh, yeah, whatever you say. Just please, go easy on Nemo jokes around Gilmore, he doesn't have the years of tolerance built up against you that I do."

"Hmmm, I'll try I guess."

"Dabin, one more thing." He paused and turned back. "Your people. The rules on Reassociation. Are you both entirely certain that this is what you want?"

"I know. Grace and Reece will never be joined to new hosts again. Don't forget Captain, I have things on the Symbiosis Commission that I've agreed to keep secret for now. If they ever to try to pull that Reassociation crap on me, I'll blow the lid off what they did to Grace. February and I both believe that the Reassociation rules are an antiquated code anyway, and there are already rumblings on Trill that they are not necessary. The people may force the Symbiosis Commission's hand on that soon, and this will all be a moot point. But, even if despite all that, they still refuse to join Reece and Grace to new hosts, we are still happy with the way things are now. Reece and Grace want to be together. But more than that, February and Dabin do."

Liis hugged her old friend. "It'll be good to have another familiar face here with me. You are going to love this crew."

"If you need me Captain, I'll be on the bridge, checking out the ship. After recent events," they both thought now of all he'd done for the ship already, during the holodeck crisis and the aftermath of the Bajoran computer virus,
". . .it'll feel like getting reacquainted with an old friend."

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Lieutenant (sg) Dabin Reece
Science Officer
USS Independence