Sins of the Mother - Part I

Posted on Thu Jul 10, 2025 @ 9:53am by Commodore T'mpest Michaels & Lieutenant Commander Curtis Thibideaux

1,330 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Things Past
Location: USS Ranger
Timeline: Three Years Ago

Captain T'mpest Michaels had been back on the ship for two days, but the Ranger was still docked at Starbase Typhon. She'd taken one of her periodic trips to Abydos while her crew was on shore leave. With her task was completed, she was eager to move on to their next assignment...but there was a delay.

She'd sent a message to Starfleet Command, but so far, she heard nothing. She was normally a patient person, but something felt...off. Normally, when there was a delay, she would have been given a reason. Not this time.

She walked over to the viewport in her ready room and looked out over the station.

Pacing the corridors of the Ranger, Curtis thought about his tasking and avoided making a face. He wasn't necessarily the hatchet man for Admiral Shy, but the needs of the service and all that. His aide-de-camps aiguillette caught most eyes but he ignored them. The timer running down on his contact HUD would get him to the ready room exactly on time.

Smiling to himself, he approached the door, his presence tripped the annunciator and he said, "Lieutenant Thibideaux to see Captain Michaels?"

Lieutenant Thibideaux? She didn't know a lieutenant by that name. "Enter." She turned to face the door.

As the door opened, Curtis stepped in, came to attention and said, "Thank you for seeing me ma'am. I'm here on behalf of Admiral Shy, Fleet Inspector General. Here are my credentials." Taking a flimsy from a thigh pocket and offered it to Michaels.

She took it with a nod and scanned through it, then handed it back. "How may I help you, Lieutenant Thibideaux?"

Touching one corner of the flimsy, the transparent plastic evaporated. "Admiral Shy sends her regards ma'am. As you may know, she's been assigned to review those candidates who have been put forward for flag rank. So, congratulations on that part, though the Admiral would appreciate you keeping the information to yourself and immediate trusted family." Smiling ruefully, he said, "It's to spare a host of angry messages flying at innocent admirals and their even more innocent staffs."

"I do not generally share information about work with my family. You can also tell the admiral that I thank her, but I am content being a captain." If the admiral or the lieutenant knew her mother, they'd understand why.

"Part of the review is a deep dive into your background. The board did have some questions..."

She chuckled. "I imagine they did. What do you want to ask about my mother?"

Keying a request into his contact, Curtis gestured toward a wall screen and data flowed. "We can start there. It's actually one of the Admiral’s favorites. Private and encrypted of course for your viewing, ma'am. That's roughly five terabytes of data on your mother." Once the handshakes went through and all of the links went secure, an image popped up of several dancers. With fans. "Were you aware of her most recent interest in dance?"

T'mpest raised both eyebrows. "No, but it does not surprise me. At least she is wearing clothing underneath the fans."

"Only in the first five minutes or so. That's about a day’s worth. Did you know she opted to teach a Health and Education class which morphed into a stint at some night clubs. Which is about the time she decided clothing was optional." Chuckling, Curtis said, "And likely was glad for tenure."

Now she rubbed her eyes. "No, but it has been a long time since I was surprised by anything she did." Well, maybe not a long time. She had been surprised when her mother brought her a book that came from a Romulan archive on Romulus. "What else do you have on my mother?"

Shuffling through files, Curtis brought up a street level picture showing T'mpest's mother and a host of others with signs. "Well, there were the protests against the eradication of Space Hamsters on Civitak III, where the population was basically dealing with an infestation introduced by the a Ferengi businessman who neglected to mention that they breed faster than Tribbles. I would have thought she would be too interested, but she was also seen in the company of the same Ferengi."

"I wonder what she is up to? My mother does not have a fondness for rodents. The only reason I can see for her to be part of the protest is if it because she wants to buy something from the Ferengi and that was part of the deal." She wondered why the admiral was so interested in her mother. Was it just to see if T'mpest would be a good fit for admiral, or did she really want to know what an 85-year-old woman was doing stripping in public? "I take it most of your report is about my mother? I can make it easy for you. Yes, my mother leads a colorful life. She has ever since she retired from teaching. My father does not wish to know the details as long as she is not too outrageous. If that makes me ineligible for promotion, so be it."

Grinning as he flipped through more still images, Curtis said, "Oh bravo, Captain. Not that easy to avoid flag rank when the Federation decides it needs you to do a job and that job needs rank. You're one of the rare ones that want to get things done, but want to avoid giving up their center seat where they think they can do the most good. Out there on the tip of the spear."

After a few thoughtful moments he continued, "But my Admiral assures me it's the Admiralty that keeps the Fleet and Federation churning. Bigger picture stuff. Gesturing toward the screen he said, "As to your mother? It's about security risks and deciding from what areas you may be vulnerable. Family is a vulnerability that Intel and Security look at first."

"If I wanted a desk job, I would still be a professor. At least then I could get into the field once in a while." There was more humor than heat in her voice. This was not the first time she'd dealt with this--but it was the first time she had someone actually come speak to her. "As a scientist, I am more valuable in space--as my record will attest." With a twinkle in her eye, she added, "As for my mother, she is a force of nature and has been for most of my life."

"With all due respect, Captain," Curtis said as flipped through a few more files. "When you take the center seat, you're not just a scientist anymore. And getting your flag is a goal a large percentage of Academy grads put at the top of their list." Rubbing the back of his neck, Curtis flipped through more frames and brought up a picture of Samuel Michaels. "Your father does seem fairly solid. Any skeletons there you know of that we might not?"

Even if she did, she wouldn't tell him. But she assumed it was an effective strategy for those who were incautious. "I am always a scientist, no matter what my position. I can be multiple things," she informed him. "As for my father, the only thing close to a skeleton in his closet is my mother."

Grinning, Curtis stopped the data flow and asked, "There is a rumor that your mother talked him into being the back half of a Unicorn costume at a faculty costume mixer. It seems very un-Vulcan like, though it's thought she was able to persuade him since none were ever supposed to know he was there."

T'mpest paused, raising an eyebrow. "That I do not know, but I can see mother doing that." She shook her head. "She is mostly harmless."


(To be continued...)

Lieutenant Commander Curtis Thibideaux
(then) Flag Aide to Admiral Teresa Shy,
Fleet Inspector General

Captain T’mpest Michaels
Commander
USS Ranger

 

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