<<Stardate: 47307.16- 11:10>>

<<Captains Ready Room>>

Epic Terrakian watched Captain Cochran exit to his office while the rest of the Command Staff exited to the bridge. Arda Kaje rose to go as well, but Epic delayed her with a conspiratorial nod. She sat again, waiting, as Epic was, for the others to go.

Corvette Hunt oscillated between leaving and staying for a moment, but decided to exit. The big man had a calm facade, but his ears and neck were flushed with repressed anger. Beside that, Epic could feel the anger radiating like heat. Epic sighed. He anticipated that the relationship between himself and Hunt was always going to be like that. Oh, well.

Arda was wearing her hair a little differently, but Epic made no mention of it. It looked nice. Instead, he sat in the chair vacated by Lt. Mallory and faced her, their knees practically touching. At that moment, Cochran re-entered the room. Oblivious to their presence, Cochran approached the wall monitor and tapped away at the console. Arda and Epic shared a comfortable silence while the older man worked.

Epic stared at the man for a while. `You're my father.', he thought almost telepathically, trying to reach the mans mind. `My father. And you haven't told me, yet. I wonder why? What are you waiting for?'

Cochran suddenly turned and looked right at him. Epic almost flinched in guilt, which seemed absurd when he considered it. But, Cochran smiled crookedly and approached the two.

"Lt. Kaje. Good morning.", Cochran shook her hand. "Good to know you. I have to say, I am rather envious. As a younger man, I would have fought you for the opportunity to Chief the Runabouts. I am not such a bad pilot myself.

"Not as good as you, according to my XO here.", Cochran said as he squeezed Epics shoulder. Epic just winked at her.

Arda opened her mouth to speak, but Cochran kept on talking.

"Anyway, as soon as we leave the solar system, you and your team can take the three of them out on maneuvers. That would be in less than two days. I've simulated those modified babies. They will be a very effective combative compliment to the Grail. Damn, am I jealous. Well, I am sure I've interrupted your `family conference', so I'll get back to

work."

Epic and Arda shared another aghast smile and watched the tall man turn away.

At that moment, Lt. Comm. Corvette Hunt returned. Cochran turned to the man and they exchanged salutations. Epic could still feel the mans repressed anger. Still. Corvette Hunt definitely needed some stress management advice. Too bad Epic was the last person in the galaxy qualified to give it to him.

Epic looked past Hunt at the pretty Admiral who stood silently observing the tableau. She noticed his notice and smiled. Epic smiled back, then forgot her. He turned back to Arda. He leaned toward her and kept his voice low.

"I was going to bring you down to the Shuttlebays after the meeting and go over all your departmental responsibilities and introduce you to your team. What we are going to be attempting here...."

At that moment, Corvette Hunt placed a hand on Epics shoulder and spoke in a low tone in his ear. Epic nodded with a tight grimace, but excused himself to Arda. She smiled perfunctorily and he went into the far corner with Hunt. They both stood close enough to the blond Admiral to touch her, but only Epic paid her any heed at all. He nodded in acknowledgement of her, then proceeded as if she were not there.

<<For the details of this interaction, read Corvette Hunts `Lunch Break-Discussions'>>

Epic watched Hunt go and sighed away his repressed anxieties. Hunt had certainly expressed his points well, and some of them had some validity. But, this was his second interaction with Corvette Hunt, and the second time the man tried to overpower him with his anger and presence. Epic shook his head as he considered both Hunt and his new assistant, John Parker.

Why the hell was Starfleet assigning only angry `spooks' to his Operations department? Epic always thought of the `accountants' as rather solid and quiet. Not these guys. At rest, they were both seething. And now, they shared responsibility for the same department. A half-Vulcan and a Jupiterean. Epic wouldn't want to stake his own money on that fight. And he hoped he would never have to.

Epic returned to Arda, but it was obvious to her that he had larger issues at the moment. She rose with a sympathetic smile. "We'll talk after the meeting.", Arda said as she stood. "I am going to feed Kaede. I'll see you soon."

Epic nodded with a tired smile as she left. Then, he approached the Captains Office.

<<The events that transpire in the Captains Office, which will be titled `The Origins of Epic' will occur before `Staff Meeting- Reports', but will be written after that post. I want to send `Reports' out ASAP, and the events in `The Origins of Epic' will have no bearing on `Reports'>>