Rura Penthe #39"
By: Jonathan Wright, XO
, [PC]
Ian Hunter, CO
, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.08 1900

58205.8 1900=BR= =BR= Hunter watched Alyssa leave his ready room. He stood up and set his=BR= empty tea cup in the replicator and turned to face the portal looking=BR= out. His thoughts drifted back to Miriam. He thought back to his days at=BR= the Academy. 'Twenty years...where'd they go?' he thought to himself,=BR= shaking his head in dismay. He dropped into his chair and punched up his=BR= personal logs. Images graced the screen of fellow cadets and shipmates=BR= from days gone by.=BR= =BR= 'Long time friends, brother against brother, father against son, this was=BR= the war.' his mind re-played his personal tragedies and loses. Even=BR= though he had come to terms with them, he still found himself angered by=BR= the waste. He relented his thoughts and dismissed them.=BR= =BR= Hunter stood up and walked back onto the bridge. He sat down in the=BR= command chair.=BR= =BR= Wright observed the sullen look on the captain's face.  "Everything okay=BR= Sir?"=BR= =BR= A long paused answered Wright's question. Then Hunter spoke up. "A=BR= twentieth-century writer once said, '..that to win a war is as=BR= disastrous as to lose one.'" Hunter paused, "I think I know what she=BR= meant Number One."=BR= =BR= "That is very true Captain." Wright watched the captain for a few moments.=BR= "Perhaps it would be best to just work towards ending the war."=BR= =BR= "And the sooner the better." replied Hunter.=BR= =BR= "Yes Sir, there will be no winners in this war except perhaps the=BR= Ferengi."=BR= =BR= Hunter cracked a smile and looked to see who was at the security station=BR= at the moment.=BR= =BR= "I don't have many people left." said Hunter. "I know the war has taken=BR= you down this road too." He said in a quiet voice to Wright.=BR= =BR= Wright sighed, "The only thing left for this war to claim from me captain,=BR= is me."  He lifted his damaged arm. "It looks like it is trying hard to get=BR= that too."=BR=             =BR= Hunter sat back nodded, he admired Wright's fowardness. He was alway=BR= blunt and to the point.       =BR= =BR= Hunter looked at the chronometer on his console, it was 1900 hours. The=BR= night watch commander had not arrived yet. He punched up the duty=BR= roster. "You are taking a night shift Number One?"=BR= =BR= "Yes sir."=BR= =BR= Hunter left the bridge and returned to his quarters. He sat down at his=BR= desk. Chester sat near by trying to be nonchalant, licking his paw. =BR= =BR= Hunter smiled. "I know you want it, come on up here."=BR= =BR= He pondered how simple the Cat's needs were. Eat, sleep. Drink and play.=BR= =BR= Chester walked around the chair and then hopped up on his lap. He purred=BR= lightly as Ian scratched him lightly behind his ears. He couldn't resist=BR= that for all the mice in the universe.=BR= =BR=