"I have been informed of a great loss; my father has passed away," Jevor replied quietly as he sat heavily on the captain's couch.
Freeman gave Jevor a quizzical look as he sat down in a chair next to his Chief Engineer. "Jevor, forgive me, but I thought your father passed away two years ago," Freeman commented.
Jevor shook his head and rubbed the blue leathery skin of his face with his hands. "My patrarran passed away two years ago; it is my patra who has now passed away," Jevor said, looking up at Freeman. Since it was apparent Freeman didn't understand, Jevor sighed and explained in a soft voice, "Andorian marriages consist of four people; two men and two women. Two couples really, as they don't, uh, exchange partners."
Freeman put up his hand, "I seem to remember something about all this now. Please go on, however."
"When a child is born, it is born to one of the couples. Though both couples treat the child as their own, there is always a closer bond between the child and his natural parents, between a son and his natural father. The man that died two years ago was my father but not my natural father," Jevor replied. He then mused for a moment, "I'm not sure what it compares to in Human terms. Perhaps a god-father or a step-father."
"I think I understand, Commander. I'm very sorry for your loss," Freeman replied somberly. "Would you like leave to go home for awhile?"
"Well, there's still the problems with the ship, sir. I didn't want to ask; maybe after things are fixed, why..." Jevor started to reply.
"I think we can handle things while you're away, Jevor," Freeman replied. "Take the time and be with your family. I believe the shuttlecraft Vienna could get you to Andor from here without extensive delay."
"Thank you Captain," Jevor replied, as the two rose from their seated positions. "I'll leave immediately." Freeman patted Jevor on the back as both officers exited the Bridge; Jevor then departed via the forward-port turbolift while Freeman settled into his command chair.
Freeman popped open a flap on his chair while Yilaan watched him intently, waiting for some hint as to what had just happened. "Captain's Log, supplemental. Commander Jevor has been granted a leave of absence to attend to important matters of a personal nature. He is taking the shuttlecraft Vienna to Andor and is departing immediately." Freeman then tapped a couple of buttons and closed the flap on his chair.
"Captain?" Yilaan inquired as both Reiv and the navigations officer, Ensign Todd, turned around in their chairs to face Freeman.
Freeman turned and gave his First Officer a blank stare. "A family tragedy, Commander; I won't go into it further unless it is for some reason warranted. As far as his duties are concerned, it is enough that I know and have approved, in fact encouraged, his leave."
"As you say Captain," Yilaan said formally, straightening her uniform as she did so. Reiv and Todd exchanged looks as the two men turned about in their chairs to face their consoles once again.
"Status of the ship Lieutenant Reiv," Freeman inquired, getting back to business.
"Continuing at warp five to Starbase 123, Captain. ETA two hours, thirty-seven minutes," Reiv replied, turning his head to glance back at his Captain.
"When Jevor signals that he's ready to depart, slow to impulse, then punch it back up to warp five for the remainder of our journey," Freeman ordered.
"Aye sir," Reiv replied.
Within minutes, Jevor signaled his intention to depart and Reiv carried out his orders, slowing the Bristol to make the shuttle launch easier, then increasing speed back up to warp five once the shuttle was away.
The Bristol proceeded on course and arrived at Starbase 123 with little fanfare. After docking with the base, the majority of the crew opted to take the Captain up on his offer of optional shore leave on the base. An engineering team stayed behind, who, along with a team of engineers from the Starbase, continued work on the strange, unpredictable computer malfunctions. A quick discussion with the base before their arrival yielded the same opinion as Jevor's; if the problems couldn't be solved by the time they were ready to depart, they'd try rebooting the ship's computer and wiping her memory core. For the time being, however, work would progress; Freeman left one of his engineers, Lieutenant Tomlinson, in charge of that detail.
As Freeman and Yilaan departed the ship they were met by a runner with a message on a portable document holder. Freeman read the message and half-smiled. "Looks like we've been invited to dinner by the base's commander, one Commodore Adam McCovey, Cecilia," Freeman noted.
"The Commodore regrets not being able to greet you himself, as is his custom, but he was unavoidably detained," the runner, a young man in a Starfleet Cadet's uniform, informed the two officers.
"Tell your Commodore we'll be happy to accept his invitation and look forward to dining with him this evening," Freeman replied after a glance at Yilaan to receive her approval. The runner took the document holder back from Freeman and flashed him a quick smile before jogging off in the direction he'd come from.
"So where are you off to?" Freeman inquired of his First Officer as the two walked slowly together down one of the base's main thoroughfares.
Yilaan shrugged her shoulders, "Off to one of the rec rooms I guess; Doctor Giovanni's been pestering me for more games of darts, so I've decided to take her up on it. I seem to do better against her when I'm off the ship, so this should be fun. Care to watch?"
Freeman shook his head. "Lieutenant O'Shea and I have a Parisi Squares match in a few minutes."
"You sir? You play? I thought you were..." Yilaan replied, pausing.
"I was what? Too old? Not fast enough?" Freeman said, making a face.
"I thought you didn't like to play," Yilaan replied instead, giving him a broad grin.
"I used to play a long time ago. I figured I'd take it up again," Freeman noted with a shrug of his shoulders. He then touched Yilaan on the arm, "I have to go get changed; I'll see you for dinner." Freeman then jogged off down a side passage. Yilaan stood for a moment and watched him before proceeding to look up Doctor Giovanni.
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