The Captain’s Table – Scott Ammora
Posted on August 7th, 2022 by Kathryn Harper and Scott Ammora

The night was winding down. Ten-Forward was usually packed in the later hours of the evening as the day shift transitioned into relaxation mode. However, with the upgrades and repairs underway, and the crew off gallivanting wherever they chose, the lounge was considerably less crowded than normal. A couple of people here and there scattered throughout engaging in quiet conversation or meals in solitude.

Scott had elected to stay onboard the Atlantis and sort of run the security department. A majority of the teams had taken advantage of their shore leave time, but Weston was at a conference at a station above the Bolian homeworld. Science talk, seminars, and strangers weren’t really his thing.

It was okay, though. He got to engage in daytime work as opposed to the overnights. And he got to play more piano and enjoy the holodeck. That was more his speed at present. Not to mention with so few patrons present he didn’t feel so bad messing up on the songs he was playing. Beethoven he was not.

After completing, almost flawlessly, another slow number that he knew very well the silence was almost deafening. Then, from across the room, he heard the bartender: “Scott, for the love of everything right in the universe, would you play something that isn’t going to put me to sleep? I’ve got another six hours and I won’t make it with the lullabies you’re playing.”

Scott smirked, “Sorry.” He flexed his fingers, his knuckles popping slightly. Truth be told, the slow songs were the easiest to get right. He knew a few upbeat songs, but they were nowhere near as practiced as the rest of his minimally-sized repertoire. But, he’d try. Taking a breath, he began playing the jazz version of ‘That Old Black Magic’, with his fingers dancing as nimbly as possible across the ivories.

When the intro had finished and he moved into the first verse he heard a voice singing along. His eyes were glued to the keys, not wanting to make any errors, but he heard a vocal accompaniment from nearby growing louder. Scott glanced up quickly and immediately hit a sour note. His heart leapt into his throat.

Commodore Kathryn Harper.

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

He swallowed hard, focusing on the music, the time, the rhythm. His hands trembled, but he kept them on the piano, pushing down harder to keep from catching two notes at once. Focus, Scott, that’s the god damn Captain coming your way. Her voice was in the alto range, one which he would describe as smooth and elegant. And good. On the bridge, under her command, he felt that he could do his job well and hold his own. This was different – very different.

When Kate arrived at the piano, she rested a hand on its top and, picking up on his sudden nervousness, offered Scott an encouraging nod while she continued to sing. Eyes of the few people there started to find them; while it was not unheard of for the Captain to sing in Ten-Forward, it was still a rare enough occurrence to generate some buzz from those who witnessed it. Catching Scott’s eyes during a pause in the lyrics, Kate smiled and nodded again before breaking into the next verse, singing out now that her entrance had been made.

The acknowledgment was reassuring, mostly. There was a unique feeling in it, but it still wasn’t the same as playing for a large crowd where half of the group wasn’t paying attention and those that were didn’t really care about anything other than having a good time. This was intimate and borderline unsettling, if Scott was honest.

Don’t forget the key change at the bridge. Scott was more acutely aware of the music in his head than he ever had been before, even when playing for Weston the first time. The key change came and went flawlessly and the Captain continued to follow his melodic course. His confidence grew, his nerves eased, and he settled into the pace and comfort of the tune. During the last reprise he hit a glaringly wrong note and his eyes bolted to Harper’s. He mouthed the word ‘Sorry’ and continued to the end presenting the same awkwardness he had when she had first stepped up to the piano.

Once the number concluded, the audience applauded enthusiastically; Kate never knew if they did just to be polite, or because she’s the Captain, but at least some of them must have actually been entertained by it, so she swept the room with a wide smile and bowed, having enjoyed performing regardless of what they truly thought. With a grand gesture to Scott, she announced, “Please, a round of applause for our talented pianist, Scott Ammora!” The patrons obliged, and once the clapping started to die down, she bowed once more and then faced Scott to ask, “Care to join me for a drink?”

Applause was always nice, but he figured it was more the Captain’s talent than his own. Either way, he nodded and smiled his appreciation to the crowd and then blinked a couple of times when the invitation landed. “I-I, of-of-of course, sure, I’d l-love to. I mean, yes, Captain, it would be my pleasure.” Get it together, man, would you please? Scott chided himself internally.

They stopped by the bar to place their drink orders, and after fielding a compliment from the bartender while he prepared their drinks, the Captain led Scott to a table off by itself. Once seated, she offered a smile and said, “You play well, Scott. They did not even notice the wrong notes, you know.”

“Thanks,” he took a sip of his scotch and sat it down on the table. He smiled a halfway-confident smile at his commanding officer, then dropped his head a bit, “It bodes well for me; there were several. Your voice covered most of it, too. I’m better with a phaser rifle than a piano.”

“Covering for each other is part of performing with someone, but do not dismiss your ability so easily. Just getting up there is the part most people never get past, and they have yet to run you out of Ten-Forward.” Kate chuckled and lifted her margarita to her lips before asking, “How long have you been playing?”

It had been a long time, but he couldn’t recall exactly how long. “Off and on since I was a kid. I never threw myself into it as much as I could have. I like it, but it wasn’t a career path. Well, it could’ve been if I had applied myself… maybe. I always wanted to be traveling the universe to find adventure and new challenges; no surprise to my parents, but a sticky spot with my boyfriend. If I had gone into the arts I guess I could have found that excitement too, I don’t know.” Scott was rambling, he knew it, and he shut himself up by taking yet another pull of the smoky liquor. “How long have you been singing?”

“I think it would be easier to say that I do not remember a time when I did not sing. I think I sang before I could talk.” With a sentimental smile at the pleasant memories now entering her mind, she placed her drink on the table before continuing, “As a little girl, I was always running around outside, climbing trees, swimming, playing sports, anything physical. My parents encouraged my interest in music as a way to make sure my mind kept up, I suppose. Singing came first, followed by the Risan flute, then Earth’s flute, and I have been dallying with the electric guitar lately for fun, but my love of music began and endures with singing. I even have a holodeck program set in a mid-twentieth century lounge on Earth where I perform songs like the one we just did; that is actually where I learned it.”

“My parents pushed us in many different directions. Music, sports, school… everything really. My mother was of the opinion that a well-rounded knowledge of multiple disciplines made for a well-rounded person.” He looked around the room for a minute, noting all the people from varying departments. “From there, she figured, we’d find something of interest and pursue it. My brother went to sports, Parisses Squares, and my sister went the knowledge route into the medical field. I guess I went down the middle with security and tactical. How’d you end up in Starfleet?” Scott gazed at her quizzically.

“All that time outside made me interested in the natural world, and the tourists would tell me about so many other places that I just had to see. So, I combined the two and applied to the Academy, starting in science and languages, though it took me a while to find my place when I got here.” Kate picked up her margarita and took a drink, eyeing his reaction over the salted rim.

Another smirk crossed his face, “I know the feeling.” His mind flashed back to the many arguments with fellow crewmen, his disagreements and discipline from Grey, and his awkward interactions with Rodney. Sitting across from his commanding officer also caused him to remember the time he tried to call out Harper and failed miserably. Not his finest hour. “I think I’m still trying to find my place here.”

“It can take time. I was only an average ensign, and it took a few years and a couple of transfers before I really started to thrive. Your start was a bit rough, but as much as we like to think that the Academy completely prepares cadets for what life in Starfleet will be, everyone handles the transition differently, and there is no way to account for that in preparation.” Kate leaned forward a bit and continued, “A troubled beginning is understandable and completely natural, but it is how you handle it and learn from your mistakes that defines the sort of officer you will become. From what I have seen so far, you are starting to find your way.”

Nodding absently, Scott downed the rest of the pungent liquid, “I appreciate the support, Captain, truly. You’re correct in that the Academy doesn’t set you up for immediate success. There’s that whole ‘personality’ thing that is the constant variable.” He leaned back in the chair, “I’m good at my job, I know that. But that only carries you so far when dealing with your colleagues. It’s like rolling a boulder up a hill for me sometimes. And patience isn’t a virtue I always possess in moments of conflict. It feels like conflict has been my middle name since I posted here.”

“Well, perhaps I can help with that. You are good at your job, Scott, and I see untapped potential in you that could make you even better at it. ” Kate took a drink of her margarita, making sure to get a section of the rim that was still salted, then licked her lips to clean them of salt. The Captain then leaned forward on the table and clasped her hands, making sure to meet his eyes before continuing to speak. “Captain Grey has transferred to Earth with her husband, so I would like to see how you fare as Acting Chief Tactical Officer.”

He suddenly wished he had another scotch in front of him. Scott looked around a bit, taking in what Harper had just said. He let out a bit of a surprised breath, “I’m honored, Captain. But, isn’t there someone with more experience and seniority that you should offer that to?” Hearing the words leave his mouth without being able to stop them he screamed internally: What the hell are you doing?! Say yes, you idiot, say yes! “I mean, of course I would love to have that position, but… uh… as a security officer, Atlantis’s integrity comes first.”

“You are absolutely correct that the ship’s security comes first, and that you presented that concern instead of immediately accepting is commendable. But, know that I would not have offered you the chance if I had any reservations along those lines; I would never set you up to fail, especially with our lives at risk. After all the recent transfers and promotions, getting someone more senior would require searching outside of this crew, and I prefer to first give my people a chance, if possible.” Once again finding his eyes with hers and holding them, Kate paused for a moment, then softened her tone as she concluded, “I believe that you can do this, and I believe in you, Scott. Prove me right.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Those words were reassuring. He had her confidence and support. As terrifying as it was, and would be, his background was munitions. Manning Tactical in previous encounters had been exhilarating. He felt comfortable at that console on the bridge – most of the time, anyway – and he was prepared for the next step in his career. Reservations aside, he felt pride in his skills. “I will do my best, ma’am.”

The Captain leaned back in her chair and smiled over the rim of her glass. “I know that you will. If I may offer a bit of advice going in, remember that running a department is just as much about the people in it as it is the station on the bridge, so be sure to look out for your people.” Kate took another sip, finishing the drink, and remembered something while in that process, raising a finger as she swallowed the last of her margarita. After once again licking salt from her lips as she placed the empty glass on the table, she resumed speaking.

“One more thing: my dear friend General McKnight — you met him at the party, yes? Mm, we served together here for almost ten years. He once told me something to the effect of, ‘Tactical unleashes fucking Ragnarok on whoever was dumb enough to deserve it. That’s their job, their training, usually their personality, and they’re always going to be the one suggesting we solve a problem by blowing it up. Which is why you need the most “Federation” person you can find at tactical, since the one who’s closest to disregarding the reason we’re out here has to be the one who most fiercely cherishes it.’” After letting that sink in for a moment, Kate added, “So just take a moment every morning when you are putting on your uniform to remember why you wear it and what it stands for.”

The statement was poignant and profound… basically perfect. He did think it was humorous about blowing stuff up. Scott didn’t think of himself as trigger-happy, by any means, but he knew when brute force was the best option. And, truthfully, he knew why he was putting on the uniform: it was to serve Starfleet and maintain the safety of the Federation and its citizenry. As far as running a department was concerned, well, that would be a new challenge. “I will, Captain,” he said, beaming proudly. “I’m going to be headed to Starbase 60 for a couple of days, but when I come back, I’ll hit the ground running. I’ll be ‘firing’ on all cylinders.”

Completely missing the intentional pun, Kate nodded and smiled, then noticed the time displayed on the wall clock. “I look forward to seeing whatever that means when you get back, but enjoy your trip, and I hope you get some time with your beau. But, now I must catch my slipstream flight back to Risa.” She scooted her chair back and stood, pausing with her fingertips lingering on the tabletop as a teasing grin spread across her face. “Let me know what song we will do for our next duet, and I will be sure to practice it.”

“I’ll give it some thought. Enjoy your time away too.” His mind immediately started racing, but he stopped and turned in his chair as she gave her farewell and walked away, and the words of Major Davison rang in his ears, “And, Captain, I won’t let you down.”

Commodore Harper paused to look back over her shoulder with a knowing smile as Lt. Ammora spoke and, after a moment of consideration, nodded and stated, “I know that, Lieutenant. See you on the bridge, Acting Chief.” Kate let the smile linger for a moment before turning away to exit Ten-Forward and begin her trip home to Risa, confident in her decision.