Unspoken Agendas
Posted on Mon Oct 13th, 2025 @ 11:21am by Captain Mitsu Sato & Admiral Eleanor Shaw
826 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission: Respite
The admiral’s office was sleek, sterile, and impersonal. The walls were lined with holopanels streaming tactical updates, the faint hum of the starbase’s systems vibrating through the floor. Admiral Eleanor Shaw stood at the view port with her arms crossed behind her back, her reflection dark against the backdrop of ships drifting in dock. When the door hissed open, she didn’t turn immediately. “Captain Sato. Thank you for coming.”
Mitsu stepped inside, her posture straight, uniform immaculate despite the exhaustion she carried in her bones. “Admiral.” She came to a respectful stop before the desk, waiting for Shaw to take her seat.
The admiral finally turned, her expression unreadable. “I’ll be direct. Starfleet Command has decided that Commander Harrington and her research team are to be reassigned. Effective immediately they will transfer off the Eclipse.”
Mitsu’s eyes narrowed though her voice remained measured. “Reassigned? Admiral, Commander Harrington’s team has finally been integrated into my crew and has become an integral part of my ship’s operations. What exactly are they working on that requires such sudden secrecy?”
Shaw lowered herself into her chair, folding her hands atop the desk as she settled into her seat. “That information is classified. You are not cleared to know the scope of Commander Harrington’s research. Suffice it to say it has implications beyond the purview of the Eclipse’s current mission profile.”
Mitsu felt her jaw tightened. “With respect Admiral, if I’m expected to command this vessel and safeguard this crew then withholding information undermines my ability to do so. I don’t like sending people into danger without knowing what dangers they’re walking through.”
The admiral’s gaze hardened though her voice remained even. “This isn’t a negotiation, Captain. Harrington and her team will disembark within the next twenty four hours. I understand your concern but some projects are not meant for line captains to oversee. You will have to trust Command on this matter.”
The silence stretched only for a single heartbeat before Mitsu drew in a breath and then exhaled slowly. “Very well. But I’ll be blunt with my next point. The Eclipse has already been asked to shoulder burdens without clarity. I lost officers at Adelphous, and those deaths are tearing some of my crew apart. I won’t accept my ship being treated like a pawn in someone else’s chess game.”
Something softened in Shaw’s expression briefly before the admiral spoke. “Captain, I know what happened at Adelphous. I’ve read the reports. The losses weigh heavily on me as well, and I regret that my orders put your crew in that position.” She leaned back, her tone shifting. “That is why Starfleet Command has authorized the assignment of a ship’s counselor to the Eclipse. Someone who can help your crew process their trauma and rebuild. The assignment is already in motion.”
Mitsu blinked as the announcement catching her off guard. A counselor being assigned to the Eclipse was overdue. She thought of Zalla’s haunted expression, of Andala’s vacant grief, of Connor’s restless anger. A counselor could help. But the timing wasn't lost on her either. “I see,” she said carefully. Her voice sharpened again. “Then, Admiral, let me ask for one thing in return. Treat the Eclipse fairly. Don’t make us the vessel that’s sent where no one else will go simply because we can. We are a starship of the line, and my crew deserves to be trusted as such not as expendable officers being sent to check in on some personal agenda or classified project we're not trusted to know anything about.”
The admiral regarded her for a long moment, her lips pressed into a thin line. Finally she inclined her head. “I hear you, Captain. And I will take your words under advisement. The Eclipse will continue to serve with distinction, but I will ensure her assignments are not exceptional in their risk.”
Mitsu inclined her head, a gesture of both respect and resolve. “That’s all I ask, Admiral. Nothing more, nothing less.” She said before she straightened. “If that’s all, I’ll see to my crew and the transition of Commander Harrington’s team.”
“Yes.” Shaw’s tone softened just enough to carry a note of sincerity. “Take care of them, Captain. They’ve endured more than most.”
Mitsu gave a single, sharp nod before turning toward the doors, biting the reply that was dangerously close to being spoken. She knew what her crew had endured, and she didn't need Shaw's reminder. As the doors hissed shut behind her, she let her mask of formality slip, just slightly. The Eclipse would sail into its next chapter with fewer secrets aboard but perhaps not fewer burdens. And she would see to it that her crew survived, no matter how many shadows Starfleet Command and Admiral Shaw cast upon their path.
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