Not Ours to Keep
Posted on 12 Jan 2026 @ 12:23am by Lieutenant Lelina Evans & Captain Sabrina Corbin
Edited on on 12 Jan 2026 @ 12:26am
1,541 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Lathira Shoreleave
Location: Captain's Ready Room
// USS Arawyn — Captain’s Ready Room //
The quiet after an intense mission always carried a particular weight.
Not exhaustion, but accumulation. The kind that gathered in unread reports, deferred personnel notes, flag-level communiqués that had waited patiently while first contact took priority over everything else.
Sabrina Corbin stood at the console near her desk, drinking a tall glass of cold water, eyes tracking down a cascading personnel summary; items Merrick had flagged for her attention first. Engineering readiness. Crew rotations. Temporary duty assignments formalized retroactively. All the small machinery that resumed motion once the universe stopped actively falling apart.
She paused.
Scrolled back.
Read it again.
The order was clean. Impersonal. Precisely worded.
Lieutenant Lelina Evans — Recall to Prior Command. Immediate Effect.
Sabrina’s jaw tightened, just slightly.
Evans had been transferred to the Arawyn under hurried circumstances at Starbase 369, a stopgap, yes, but a necessary one. Lieutenant Commander Blokpoel’s injury had left Engineering without senior leadership at the worst possible moment, and Evans had stepped in without hesitation, without complaint. She had stabilized a shaken department and done it while learning a new ship, a new crew, and a new command style at warp speed.
Corbin keyed into the attached justification.
Her previous captain was listed as Captain Joren Hale, commanding officer of the USS Khepri — an Akira-class heavy escort assigned to extended border patrol operations.
The justification was appended beneath in clipped, functional language:
USS Khepri experiencing ongoing propulsion and power regulation instability following recent overhaul. Commanding Officer has formally requested the immediate return of Lieutenant Lelina Evans to restore engineering continuity. Current Chief Engineer assignment remains unfilled.
Sabrina stared at the line longer than she meant to.
Not a loss.
Not an emergency.
A ship that hadn’t settled since its last refit, and a captain who knew exactly which officer had kept it running before.
Sabrina exhaled slowly through her nose.
Of course.
Sabrina went to her console. She routed the channel manually, bypassing the automated queue.
“Corbin to Fleet Personnel Operations, Starbase 369. Requesting subspace video.”
The response did not come quickly.
The console remained unchanged, the request pending while the signal found its way back through relays now well behind the Arawyn. Minutes passed, enough for the water to lose its chill, enough for the quiet to become something heavier.
The Fleet Personnel Operations officer appeared with a slight delay, posture precise, expression unreadable.
“Captain Corbin,” they said once the audio finally aligned. “We have you.”
Sabrina inclined her head. “You proceeded with a permanent Chief Engineer assignment while we were out of contact,” she said, not a question. “I want it noted that the Arawyn’s delay in response was the direct result of an active mission. One that required our full attention and took us beyond standard relay range.”
The officer listened, hands folded, the faint lag stretching the stillness between them.
“That is understood, Captain,” they replied after a moment. “The notation will be added to the record.”
“And Lieutenant Evans’ recall?”
Confirmed with a nod. Nothing more.
The officer hesitated, then continued. “For continuity, Fleet Engineering has identified a replacement for the Arawyn. Lieutenant Commander Elias Harlan. He is currently en route to Starbase 369 to await transfer.”
Sabrina’s expression did not change, but something in her posture went still.
“We have no plans to return to Starbase 369,” she said evenly. “Not in the near term.”
The delay stretched again, the officer glancing briefly to one side before responding. “Understood, Captain. The assignment was processed based on standard rendezvous assumptions.”
“Which do not apply in this case,” Sabrina replied. Not sharp. Just precise. “You’ll need to adjust your expectations accordingly.”
A beat.
“That will be noted as well,” the officer said at last.
Sabrina held their gaze through the imperfect projection.
“Very well,” she said quietly. “Thank you for your time.”
The channel closed a heartbeat later than it should have.
The ready room felt larger in its absence.
She stood there a moment longer, staring at the personnel record like it might rewrite itself if she gave it time.
Then she straightened, squared her shoulders, and tapped the comm again.
“Corbin to Evans. Lieutenant, would you join me in the ready room when you’re able.”
There was a beat before the reply came.
“On my way, Captain.”
Sabrina set the glass aside and sat back at her desk.
This was the part of command they never trained you for, the moment where the right thing for the Fleet collided head-on with the right thing for the people in front of you.
And no amount of paperwork ever softened the impact.
Lelina arrived promptly enough. The morning had gone smoothly so far. A full inspection of the deflector dish to ensure it did not suffer any lasting damage, followed by filing various reports. She nodded. "You wanted to see me, Captain?"
Corbin looked up and gestured to the chair across from her desk. “Please, Lieutenant. Have a seat.”
She inclined her head slightly. “I saw your report on the deflector dish inspection. Thank you for seeing to that so quickly.”
"Of course," Lelina said, but she suspected that wasn't the reason she had been summoned, based on the Captain's posture.
Corbin folded her hands on the cool surface of the desk. “I have received orders that came across my desk this morning,” she said evenly. “Before anything moves forward, I wanted to speak with you directly.”
She explained the situation. The Khepri’s need. The recall request. The timing of the orders being processed before the Arawyn had been able to respond from beyond relay range.
When she finished, Corbin met the engineer’s gaze.
“I am not pleased with how this unfolded,” she said quietly. “And I would hate to lose you.”
She paused.
“But I need to know what you think, Lieutenant.”
Oh.
Lelina took a seat in the opposite chair. She didn't respond for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "I...suppose I'm not surprised," she said. The Khepri's CEO had been there for decades, and seemed inclined to keep the role as long as he could. I could tell he was slipping. If the CO has recalled me back, then he must have finally seen it too." She sighed. "If the Khepri needs me, then it's better that this happens now, before I get too comfortable here. This...doesn't quite feel like home. I like it, and the people here, but it just doesn't feel that way, at least not yet. If that makes any sense."
Corbin nodded once, slowly. “It does,” she said. “Some ships take hold immediately. Others take time. And sometimes, no matter how capable the crew or how good the work, a ship simply never becomes home.”
She held Lelina’s gaze, her expression steady. “I am disappointed, yes. I would have liked the Arawyn to earn that place for you in time.” Her tone softened, just a fraction. “But I respect your honesty. And I respect a decision made with clear eyes.”
She leaned back slightly. “If the Khepri needs you, then it makes sense to answer that call before anything becomes harder for either of us.”
"I am concerned for my department, of course. Most ships only see a new CEO a few years apart. This one will see a third one in only a couple of months. It might cause some strain," she added.
Corbin inclined her head in acknowledgment. “You are not wrong,” she said. “Multiple leadership transitions in a short span can unsettle any department, particularly one as central as Engineering.”
She rested her hands together on the desk. “That concern is shared, and it has been considered. Commander Batenburg is fully aware of the situation and is already preparing to manage the transition. She has experience steadying departments through change, and I trust her to do so here.”
Her gaze remained level. “Engineering will be supported. Expectations will be clear. Stability will be reinforced, not assumed.”
She paused briefly. “Your work here gave the department a foundation. That will not be undone.”
"Thank you, Captain." She paused. "I'll start making notes for my replacement. Rumor has it that we are going on shore leave. Hopefully I can catch a few days of sun before I have to pack my bags," she added lightly, to ease any remaining tension.
A small smile touched Corbin’s expression. “I am not eager to send you anywhere,” she said honestly. “If it were entirely up to me, I would keep you right where you are.”
She inclined her head slightly. “You are welcome to remain with us for as long as it is feasible to do so. Nothing here needs to be rushed.”
Her smile softened. “And yes, shore leave is coming. If you can take a few days of sun before duty calls you elsewhere, I would consider that time well spent.”
"I look forward to that. Thank you, Captain. For everything." Lelina shook her hand, and left with her head held high.
Captain Sabrina Corbin
Commanding Officer
USS Arawyn
&
Lieutenant Lelina Evans
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Arawyn
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