The Follow Up

Posted on 21 Feb 2026 @ 4:59am by Lieutenant Aev Flammia & Lieutenant JG Ryan Collingway

1,267 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Silent Inheritance
Location: Multiple
Timeline: Current

//Engineering///

Ryan didn't want to talk to Lieutenant Flammia.

He really, really didn't want to talk to him.

As in, would gladly offer up a year's worth of pay not to. If Starfleet actually paid him. But since the Chief Security Officer had pretty much turned his life upside down, he might as well have the complete story. With a sigh he turned on the com. "Lieutenant Collingway to Lieutenant Flammia. Do you have a moment to talk?"

//Aev's quarters//

Lying on his couch with a kitten curled contentedly against his chest, Aev groaned inwardly at the sound of the lieutenant’s voice over his comm. He turned his head slightly toward Ignis, who responded with a light, almost impish shrug. Aev wasn’t certain he had the energy to endure another wave of the engineer’s emotional seepage. Still, he drew in a slow breath and glanced down at the device secured to his arm.

With a restrained shake of his head, he tapped his combadge. “I do,” he replied evenly. “Come to my quarters.”

"I'll be there in ten," Ryan said.

Ten minutes later he stood outside the door, data padd in hand. He was rarely one to make the same mistake twice. In the gym he had been tired. Caught off-guard. Now he was more grounded. He remembered the Commander's meditative lessons. He kept his emotions carefully guarded. He wasn't anxious, but he was wary. He didn't know how well the Lieutenant's ability could tell the nuances between emotion. He didn't really want to find out either.

He activated the chime and was granted entry. "Lieutenant. Thank you for seeing me." He couldn't help but glance around quickly to see if the cat was anywhere. Being pounced on or having an allergy attack was the last thing he needed.

Aev gave a casual wave of his hand. “It’s fine.” He gestured toward the recliner opposite the couch. “You can sit there. The kitten doesn’t use that one.” At the last moment, he had remembered the Engineer’s interaction with the cat and relocated the tiny creature, along with Ignis, to the back bedroom. It was probably best to spare both from a repeat encounter. He looked back at the lieutenant. “Would you like something to drink?”

"Sure. Water would be good," Ryan said. Lately he had too much coffee with the double shifts. "I spoke with the Captain about what happened. She has told me this matter is closed, so I won't discuss it further. There is, however, one lose end that I feel needs to be addressed. Seeing how you uprooted some very difficult memories in my life, I suppose it couldn't hurt for you to know this detail as well."

"Your witness," he continued. "Was deliberately trying to get me kicked out of Starfleet. She initially had tried to get me to talk to her at a bar, using Orion pheromones. But she was interrupted before she could get very far. So after that she simply followed me and overheard the conversation with Vel. Then she reported it to you."

Aev crossed to the replicator and produced a cold glass of water and a steaming cup of Vulcan mint tea. He returned and handed the water to Ryan before moving around the coffee table and settling onto the couch opposite him.

He lifted the tea, taking a measured sip, violet eyes studying the engineer over the rim of the glass. The emotional pressure from earlier was gone. “An interesting story,” he said at last, tone neutral. Aev lowered the cup to the table. “It would appear their efforts have failed.”

Leaning back slightly, Aev regarded Ryan more directly. “While you’re here,” he continued, a faint crease forming at his brow, “I owe you an apology. I should not have restrained you.”

Ryan winced. "Yeah, sorry-I may have mentioned that to the Captain a little. It's kind of hard to hide things from her. But I said that you were professional and that my emotions were probably causing you problems. Apology accepted," he said, taking a breath. "I'm sorry I overwhelmed you. Commander Batenburg has been helping me to contain my emotions. That all went out the window in the middle of the night."

Aev’s gaze flicked briefly to the communication device resting on the coffee table at the mention of hiding things. The movement was subtle, almost involuntary. He gave the engineer a small, understanding nod and a faint shrug. “No apology is necessary. We are each responsible for our own actions.” His eyes lingered on Ryan a moment longer. “And you seem… more emotionally stable.”

He leaned forward, retrieving his tea and taking a measured sip. “If you still wish to learn self-defense,” Aev continued, watching the lieutenant’s reaction carefully, “I am willing to instruct you.” A slight pause. “Provided you are able to maintain that stability. At present, I am not equipped to manage significant emotional volatility.”

"I can," Ryan confirmed, taking a sip as well. "I've been on three away missions. At some point or another I've felt completely defenseless on all three of them. I want to use every tool at my disposal, so to speak."

His mind was still on the encounter from earlier. He lifted a padd and put it on the side table. "Pheremones leave a trace, even after a few days. Medical confirmed it for me. But that witness is long gone. It's pointless to follow up. I thought you should know. For the record. And because I hate to see someone else being manipulated."

Aev’s eyes tracked the PADD thoughtfully. Was it truly manipulation if it was rooted in truth? He kept the question to himself, allowing it to pass without comment. Instead, he redirected his focus to the matter at hand. He had no desire to entangle himself further in the engineer’s personal complexities. He was already navigating enough of his own.

“Very well,” Aev said, though a quiet part of him wondered how the lieutenant had survived the Academy. “I think it would be best if we met on the holodeck,” he continued evenly. “You’ll benefit far more from immersive training scenarios.” He studied Ryan with measured focus. “I can instruct you in practical self-defense techniques you will useful on missions.”

"I would appreciate that," Ryan said. "There's no rush and I am on double-shifts right now anyway. Whenever you find time."

Aev finished the last of his tea and rose to his feet. “We’ll coordinate our schedules and find a mutually agreeable time,” he said. When Ryan stood as well, Aev walked him to the door. He paused there and offered a small, professional nod. “Have a good day, Lieutenant.”

He waited until Ryan disappeared down the corridor before stepping back inside, the door sliding shut with a soft hiss. A heavy sigh escaped him. That had gone better than expected. From the bedroom, Ignis emerged first, composed as ever, followed by the kitten padding curiously at his heels.

Ignis paused just inside the room, watching the door seal behind the departing lieutenant. The kitten wove once around his ankles before settling near the couch. He folded his hands behind his back and tilted his head slightly toward Aev. “Well,” he said lightly, “no emotional lightning storms, no unexpected confessions, and no physical grappling.”

A faint smirk curved his lips. “By our recent standards, I would classify that as a remarkably successful social engagement.”

// End //

Lieutenant Aev Flammia
Chief of Security
USS Arawyn

Lieutenant (JG) Ryan Collingway
Engineering Officer
USS Arawyn

 

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