Mitch stood up and tested his feet.

"Sir, do you mind if I go and change my clothes?"  

Mitch motioned to his jeans and tank top, which was soaked in sweat.  He grabbed his shirt from the stool next to the biobed.  

"Then could I see you in your ready room?"

Mitch enters from the turbolift, uniform shirt has been removed revealing the sleeveless shirt underneath.  His hair is a mess and he also looks unkepmt his usually smooth face is darkened with facial hair.  The young lieutenant looks haggard as though he has not slept in days.  He runs his fingers through his hair in an attempt to straighten it and walks up to the captain.  

"Sir, the navigational computers are set up to recieve the new connectors for the 3rd section.  I'm ready for my next assignment sir."

OFF:  I would like to apologize for not being around for several weeks.  I left for Christmas break and my parent's don't have a computer.  And I have a wedding to plan as I got engaged over the break and I will be getting married in May of this year.

"Aye sir, full impulse!"  The Rivendell burst from the Expansion nebula, into open space, heading for the Loxian fleet.

"Aye sir, engaging."  

A few taps on the console and the Rivendell veered towards the nebula.  Soon it disappeared into the whispy clouds.

Mitch stirred...he moaned and his eyes fluttered open.  Then he sat up.  

"What am I doing in Sickbay?"

**IN MITCH'S QUARTERS**
Mitch awoke feeling very rested.  The clock said that he had several hours until he had to report for a duty shift.  Mitch got up and showered.  Then he shaved.  
Mitch grabbed a pair of Wrangler jeans and a button up shirt.  Mitch slipped on his cowboy boots donned his cowboy hat and grabbed his saddle from its wooden stand as he headed to Holodeck 2 for a ride.

Outside the holodeck Mitch tapped a few of the controls.
"Computer activate program Walker Texas 3."

Computer:  Program activated, enter when ready.

**ON THE HOLODECK**
Mitch took a deep breath smiled and stepped into the holodeck.  An exact holographic replica of his uncle's barn in Texas stood all around him.  He walked up to his horse, Duke, and threw his saddle over the stall door.  He slid a piece of carrot from his shirt pocket.  "Here you go boy.  Let's get out of here shall we?"  Mitch soon had Duke tacked up and walked him out to the arena and trotted around a bit to get loosened up and then took off across the Texas countryside.      

"I was going to express my apologies for the destruction of the secondary stardrive section.  I suppose it can wait however."

Mitch glances over at the helm console.

"It looks as though I should start working on repairs until the captain gets back....Great Scott!"

"Aye Commander."  

The Rivendell hooks around the Venture taking some of the fire off of her.

**INSIDE MITCH'S MIND**
Mitch was fighting in his mind.  Struggling to stay concious, but it wasn't working.  He thought he had seen the captain.  He tried to call to him, but his mouth wouldn't move.  Suddenly sound exploded from his mouth.

"CAPTIAN!"  Mitch screamed and then started thrashing violently.

Mitch sees Taurik enter the bridge.  He rises from behind his console.

"Sir...I would like to apologize for the destruction of the secondary stardrive section.  I don't know what happened captain, one minute everything was fine, the next it was gone..."  The young lieuteant's voice trails off...he doesn't know what to say to his captian.

"Sweet mother!"  

A huge Loxian fleet looms on the viewscreen.

"Should I start with a standard attack pattern, Captain?

(OFF:  LOL!  I'm glad you had fun!  I enjoyed reading your posts.  About the destruction...that is entirely understandable, you make a very valid point, to be honest I would have done the same thing I think.  But I wasn't sure if I could do that.  Anyhow, thanks again for filling in, you actually protrayed my character quite well - in fact better than I, oh well, that what I get for letting a Vulcan with years of pent up emotions take the reigns of a complicated human with the ablity to express his own feelings!  http://expansionfleet.sparks.priorweb.be/ikonboard/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> )

**ON KAHLESS**  

With the Kahless heading back to Avalon Station for repairs, Mitch sat back and waited for arrival and docking procedures to be completed.

"Aye sir."  Mitch rises from his chair. And heads for the turbolift.  The lift deposits him on the secondary section.  The crew is already in place.  Mitch sits in the command chair.  He taps his combadge.

=/\=Captian, this is Lt. Walker, we are ready down here.=/\=

(Edited by Mitch Walker at 12:21 am on Nov. 22, 2004)

The ensign at the helm responded to the captian's request by sending a message to Ops for disengagement.  Mitch entered the bridge from the turbolift.  He relieved the ensign and slipped into the seat in front of the helm and began the disengagement from Avalon.

"Ops has cleared us for disengament...coming around 1/2 impulse....engaging thrusters sir."

The Rivendell slipped easily out into space into a defensive position in front of Avalon Station.

"We are in postion Captain."

Before Mitch can respond KHa'Var takes her leave and Mitch is left talking to open space.  

"Thank you Captian."  Mitch turns to the crew.

"Everyone report to your respective heads on the Rivendell, get checked out by Medical and get some rest.  Excellent work out there people."  

A murmur of thank you's and such were heard from the crew as they went about their business.

**ON the Rivendell**  
Mitch heads to the bridge.  As he exits the turbolift he is greeted by Starfleet's best engineers working on the ship.  He stops Freeman.  

"Commander, where is the captian?  I need to speak with him."