Akabayshi Mark Three
Author's Note:
This is the third of my shorts done with the Akabayshi family for the Good in Red challenge on .creative from 2007. Unlike the others, this includes canon characters in actual speaking roles, and can be considered a side story to the Marrissa Story Not Indefatigable. As such, it has been classified as both that and part of the Trees in the Forrest Series. This is the idea that spawned the series of challenge shorts.
"At ease, Ensign," Captain Jean-Luc Picard said. The Captain of the Enterprise looked at the Ensign he'd called in to his Ready Room. Ichiro Akabayshi came from a long line of Star Fleet Officers, and had impressed the Captain in the four short months that he'd been aboard the Enterprise-E. Captain Picard's only problem with him was that he was in Operations, and wasn't on the Captaincy Candidate list.
"Do you know why you're here?" the Captain asked, keeping his gaze focused on the Ensign's face. It showed no sign of emotion.
"No sir!"
"I have here a letter from the new Commandant of Star Fleet's Essex Fighter School," Captain Picard said neutrally, barely catching a slight loosening of Akabasyshi's mouth and rise of his eyebrows in worry. "It seems that yesterday when various members of the Enterprise's crew were testing the new simulators for him, he was impressed. Especially when the dog fight broke out."
"I was just testing the simulator per orders, sir," Akabayshi inserted in the brief pause.
"And a through test, it was," Captain Picard said. "The Commandant wasn't the only one who noticed your actions. Tell me, Ensign, why are you in Operations, instead of on the Command Track?"
"Operations is where they placed me, sir!" Akabayshi returned.
"Judging from the actions of your ad-hoc wing of fighters that you organized, which included the Chief of Security, much to my surprise, I may have need to question the judgement of your Academy Advisor. If where they placed you is the sole reason that you're in Operations, then it is time that we change that."
"Yes sir."
"You will find that your uniform replication settings have been changed," Picard said, taking in one last view of the mustard colored uniform. "It is the judgement of myself, the Commandant, and several others that you look good in red. Commander Riker will have your new assignment. Dismissed."