Lt Commander Samantha Palmer Ship's Helmsman USS Chimera NCC 96899-A = SB Bragg = Samantha was probably the first person off the USS Thorn when she docked with the base. In transit to Bragg, she had received orders that she needed to see General Greer immediately upon her arrival. The heels of her shoes echoed on the hard floor panels as she walked briskly down a corridor to the conference room where she was to meet him. Nicolas had also been called to Bragg, but the reasons remained a mystery. Samantha knew better than to question Black Ops behaviour. The door to the large chamber slid open and Samantha stepped inside. It was the same room she had officially met General Bretam in. General Greer and Captain Peckinpaugh stood talking at the far end of the oval table, and when Samantha entered they stopped. Amanda Peckinpaugh nodded to the General and then left them via a side door. =93General,=94 Samantha nodded. He was, in truth, the last man she wanted to see. She had a lot of time to think about what had happened while the Gott limped back to SB 485. The Chimera's fatal mission was the second of its kind she had been present on=85 both of them bearing the personal mark of the General. After the loss of the Hyperion, it had taken Samantha a long time to come to terms with her anger towards him. She had done this in honour of Daniel, because he was the General's son. Now she felt that anger rising again, with the recent experiences fresh in her mind. =93Samantha,=94 he smiled, =93It's so good to see you again. Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?=94 =93No, thank you,=94 Samantha replied, pulling out a chair on the opposite end of the table and sitting down. =93All right,=94 the General replied. =93Let's get down to business then. I've read the report that you submitted, along with Commander Guzman's and Lieutenant Colonel Harker's. I am very impressed with the way you've handled the situation, Samantha. I had known from the start you were the best officer for the job and you did not disappoint me.=94 Samantha listened to him as he continued to go over details of the mission, occasionally praising her in the way one would a child. With each sentence, she felt herself getting more agitated, feeling as if she were in the same room with a deadly snake that would bite her at any second. =93I know this is very sudden, but I have a new assignment for you. An observatory in the Epsilon Vega system has detected temporal disturbances near the=85=94 =93No,=94 she replied, interrupting him mid-sentence. The word was spoken quietly, almost inaudible, but its meaning was loud and clear. =93Excuse me?=94 General Greer said, looking up at her, a puzzled frown on his face. =93No,=94 Samantha repeated herself, pushing back her chair and standing up. =93I'm through, Alan. I've had enough.=94 She wanted to say that she could never forgive him for Daniel's death, but that would be too hurtful. =93Please, grant me a transfer. I've had enough of this.=94 Greer was clearly surprised by her words. His son's former fianc=E9 had always been a very well composed officer, and the side he saw of her now was a side he'd never seen before. =93A transfer=85 to where?=94 =93To=85 the Chimera,=94 she said, suddenly recalling her earlier conversation with Commander Summers. =93I hear they'll need a new helmsman. I'm a qualified helm officer, and I'm familiar with slipstream navigation.=94 =93Samantha=85 you're not rated for the new design,=94 General Greer began to protest. =93Neither is anyone else on that ship! But I meet the minimum requirements, and I'll learn. She'll need a shakedown cruise, which will be more than enough time. I can give you recommendations for a replacement, if you want.=94 =93All right,=94 he sighed. =93I'll grant it=85 but only if you can get past Guzman.=94 Samantha nodded, knowing that would probably be the hardest part. Would he want her on his ship again=85 and would he be able to trust her after all that's happened? = Several hours later = The reply had come a lot quicker than she had expected. Samantha lay spread out on the bed of her temporary quarters on the base, half asleep with her covering her face and the covers pulled over her legs. She was awoken by the beeping sound of an incoming message, which took a few moments for her to register what it was. Getting up, she walked over to the computer terminal set into the wall. She entered her authorisation code, and the message appeared on the display screen. Surprised, she read it again just to make sure she had read it right. It was Guzman's reply to the transfer she'd sent in about two hours before. Her transfer had been granted, and she was to report to the Chimera-A as soon as possible. That was easy enough, she thought to herself. Especially since she denied General Greer's offer to put in a good word for her; she needed to do this herself. Still, it had caught her off-guard. Guzman's reply was also short and to the point, not offering any other details besides that she needed to be onboard within the next five hours. Samantha looked at the time display on the terminal, and the time the message arrived. Apparently it had been beeping for almost two hours before she had fully woken up and gotten out of bed. That left three hours=85 Running her hand through her messy hair, she walked back to the bed and started to put on her uniform. There was no need to change the colour, luckily; she'd still be wearing red. At least she'd gotten used to that. Walking to the mirror, she picked up the hairbrush that lay on the table next to it and began to brush out her hair. She twirled the lengths around her hand and was about to pin it up in her usual fashion when she stopped and let it fall down again. The curls fell down just below her shoulders and she looked at them carefully. She liked how it looked, and decided to keep it that way; the style and length was well within Starfleet's appearance guidelines. Smiling to herself, she placed her suitcase on the bed and packed in the few things that she'd taken out. When she closed it, Samantha stood looking at it for a few moments, realising that these were really the only material possessions she had (besides the ones stored at her mother's home). There was only one obstacle left: Nicolas. While putting on her commbadge, she walked to the computer terminal and put through a location request to find him. After waiting a few moments longer than it usually took, the computer displayed the results. According to it, Lieutenant Colonel Harker was no longer on the base, having departed at an unspecified time on an unspecified vessel. Probably towards an unspecified assignment, Samantha thought. But that was it; she wouldn't wait for him. She had just made the most major career change of her life and given up any rights and privileges she had as an SSF Agent. Now she was just another SSF Officer serving as a helmsman aboard a ship carrying out SSF orders, and the feeling was liberating; she knew that the realisation of it all was still to sink in. As for Nicolas=85 the little fling they had was nice, but that was all it had been and could ever be. Samantha wasn't willing to devote herself to a man full of mysteries and secrets again. And as time itself had proven to her many times over, the past should remain the past. The future, however, was another story altogether. =