Date: 10 Nov 2009 04:16 Title: Coordinates are Laid in and Ready...Captain
Awwww, what a sweet story! I love how he's still trying to come to grips with a) his command and b) the fact that he's 100% in love with Beth. I thought that was really funny to watch him space out at the critical moment, and he'll probably also find it amusing afterwards, but I have to bet he's going to really be embarrassed about that in the immediate aftermath. ;-)
So, random question. Has he still got a lot of the same crew, like the lucky charm Dr. Lio? (Hey, just how far DOES Lio's lucky charm power extend? Does he just "protect" the ships he's on, or the captains as well? ;-) )
Author's Response: Lio's "luck" extends to the physical ship only I'm afraid. In my timeline McGregor is the 5th commander of the vessel. If you recall my other work Retribution, Steele was her first CO (but only for a matter of weeks. It was Malek after her and it was under his command that Lio came to the Panther. After Malek it was Gallegos and he was killed at the battle of Isla Deneb. Due to the crew's continuing rotation Lio ended up being one of its consistent members and Malek tagged him as the good luck charm of the vessel. So for the Panther - Her COs were Antoinette Steele, Malek, Estevan Gallegos, Elizabeth Riker and Tristan McGregor. McGregor inherited the same crew with the exception of Chief Carlos Vega and Lt. Commander Mike Llewellyn whom Beth took with her to the Enterprise.
[Report This]Date: 08 Jun 2009 19:24 Title: Coordinates are Laid in and Ready...Captain
One love gained, another lost.
A terrific angle for a command story which makes our new captain's proudest day also one of regret. Very nice touch.
Also, a hint of a future love story, perhpas? After all, now that she's not his superior any longer, anything's possible, right?
Author's Response: Hi CeJay! Thanks so much for the review! McGregor is indeed - the love interest for my main character of Beth Riker in my Heritage series...
Date: 07 Jun 2009 04:07 Title: Coordinates are Laid in and Ready...Captain
Ah, so bittersweet, but so good. I don't know if Tristan and Beth will ever retire, but I sure hope they get to spend lots of time together in the future. Because boy, they earned it.
Date: 06 Jun 2009 11:15 Title: Coordinates are Laid in and Ready...Captain
Neat Terilynn. McGregor obviously had a burning hole in his heart and waiting like he did must have been torture. Even gaining a captaincy, doesn't resolve his problems, in part it will compound as their commands will send them in seperate directions all too often. A long and difficult relationship it will make.
But an interesting twist on taking command for the first time. Is he by chance also taking command of his heart. As he can now take fruitful steps with Beth.
As for his crew, it might have been a troubling moment there for a bit when it appeared to have zoned out. 'Yikes our new captain has wigged out!' Luckily not so. Heh heh!
Author's Response: A Trek theme has been that Captains are unattached - loners. When I first started writing the Heritage stuff I FULLY intended to stick with that theme and have Beth suffer the same kind of sacrifice in love to remain CO of the Enterprise. At the time I felt it was especially important as she was a woman - I didn't want her to fall into some kind of "stereotypical" Trek female role. But as I moved on with the tale, I was struck by the fact that having loner Captains WAS stereotypical and a real exploration of the difficulties of having love and marriage between Starfleet officers had never really been dealt with. Kirk, Picard and Janeway sacrificed love for duty. Sisko lost his wife and although he had a relationship - that went the way of the Dodo. We only got to see the faintest hint of a real love life with Archer. So I decided to cave when it came to Beth and McGregor...She was the product of a healthy loving parental relationship - I relented when I realized she would have demanded nothing less for herself.
Date: 05 Jun 2009 19:34 Title: Coordinates are Laid in and Ready...Captain
Ah, a mixed moment at best. Well, he gets her later, right?
Author's Response: :)
Date: 05 Jun 2009 05:40 Title: Coordinates are Laid in and Ready...Captain
Part of me wants to grab McGregor and shake him while shouting, "Go get her, you dolt!"
The other part of me realizes that he had to wait. To have begun a relationship with Beth while her XO would have cast both of them in an unfavorable light, and caused people to doubt the validity of Tristan's eventual promotion after Beth moved on to the Enterprise.
Besides... some things are worth waiting for. :) Great story!
Author's Response: Thanks Gibraltar! I was just commenting that I've been in a real "fluff" mood when it comes to McGregor lately. *shrugs* Don't know why really. But after writing Beth's move into The Chair of the Panther and Cassidy's' move up to the command of the Anthek being due to the deaths of their respective commanders, it was nice to write a more lighthearted (if not melancholy) piece about Tristan. Thanks for reading and reviewing!