[Report This]Date: 07 Jul 2020 16:38 Title: Paternal Instincts
I enjoy all of the admiral-level politicing and horse trading. Interesting that you put Necheyev in charge. I handed Star Fleet Intelligence to her. According to Memory Beta, she ended up going rogue, was eventually captured and tried for treason.
Also a nice reveal on the original Gene Edison since I got to know his somewhat unhinged doppelganger first.
The jumping back and forth in time was clear and easy to follow. Sequences that are out of chronological order can become very distracting when mishandled.
Nice ending focus on the pip, making this a good origin story.
Thanks!! rbs
Author's Response: Thanks for the review of what has almost become a Star Eagle classic, if that isn't too self-indulgent. I don't recall if I mentioned that here or not, but in the United Trek shared universe which Star Eagle is a part of, the role of the C-in-C is a one-year rotating post. This particular year it was Nechayev's turn. Glad you liked it. This is definitely my Michael Owens origin story, although, of course, there's much more to it and I'd love to explore those events in future stories some day.
Date: 12 Dec 2013 01:09 Title: Paternal Instincts
I liked this a lot. Great story of the complicated dynamics between family and work, when you're in the "family business," and a fun little exploration of the nepotism we so often see in Starfleet, without being an indictment. I really liked the callback to Voyager with Paris, and it's always great to see Nechayev being a total bitch. Terrific work.
Author's Response: Thanks, glad you enjoyed this. I don't usually do canon tie-ins very often but this was fun for me as well.
Date: 06 Jul 2013 15:00 Title: Paternal Instincts
Enjoy this story, I though the Admiral Board meeting was interesting way to show the various power plays.
The Owen family inter-personal relationships had a air of real family problems that added to the story, as did the flashback story.
Author's Response: I always strive for a certain amount of authenticity in my work. Good to see you felt it worked out here, thanks for reading and commenting.
Date: 05 Jul 2013 22:07 Title: Paternal Instincts
Oh, this is awfully troublesome, but it makes sense that, sometimes, decisions on ship assignments, etc. (and everything else) are made for political or personal or even nepotism-type reasons and not because it's what's best.
Well done and compelling; the characters leap out and are easy to follow and picture and understand, despite the relatively short length of the piece.
Author's Response: Glad you liked. I imagine there to be a lot of dynasties within Starfleet and sometimes for no other reason because of strings being pulled. Not to imply of course that Owens Junior didn't deserve to sit in that chair again.
Date: 05 Jul 2013 05:37 Title: Paternal Instincts
What a royal mess of emotions. Michael's heartache and deep frustration is tangible. His father's meddling is... irritating, to say the least, though I'm not sure if it's for the better or the worse in this particular case. I like the flashback to the Columbia, and the look at what all happened there, and I really loved the various and sundry little details you painted in -- Voyager, maybe finding Voyager, the palm-slicking that was going on, all behind the scenes.
Nice work, CeJay!
Author's Response: Thanks, Steff. And you're right to be unsure about interpreting Owens Senior's actions here. Michael will actually resent him for quite some time after this but perhaps he should have given his daddy a bit of slack after all.
Date: 28 Jun 2009 18:33 Title: Paternal Instincts
If I may be so bold, I think it worked it out quite well too, Cejay. Again, great job.
Date: 28 Jun 2009 17:14 Title: Paternal Instincts
Great insight into Owens' troubled relationship with his father and the turbulent path to his taking command. I hadn't realised it had been so difficult and it was an interesting read to discover the fate of Owens' first command.
It was also a dimension we don't normally attach to Owens, that of the rule breaker. He doesn't normally present that image. And yet if one considers his history, he actually does make a habit of defying orders or bending them at least.
Like others have commented over on TrekBBS, it was good reading in the meeting of the Admirals and their machinations and differing agendas and motivations. I do think there's an element of sour pussededness to Paris and how his son turned out after the Academy. A nice touch too, that Admiral Owens gave him the tools and access to the Pathfinder project.
And to add that I like the title as is: Paternal Instincts, as it sums up the differing reasons and motivations of our silver spoon handing out admirals. I don't think they sinful in doing so, just a little pushy and impatient, considering both Glover and Owens were primed for the centre chair from the off.
Liked the angst and ellaboration of Owens background. Also appreciate the filling out and further connections being made within the United Trek universe. - Amberjack, Cuffe, etc, all little signs to try and catch, adding a lnew layer to the stories. [So Dee was for the Farragut? Hmmm, wonder how she'd have fared out there.]
Neat story Cejay.
Author's Response: Thanks for the review. I usually don't like to overdo the fan service/continuity porn (what a term!) but I have to admit I had a blast trying to tie in other UT characters and events here and even include canon elements, something I usually stay away from. If I may be so bold, I think it worked out quite well. I'm glad you enjoyed it as well.
Date: 18 Jun 2009 22:25 Title: Paternal Instincts
That was a very thoughtful at thought provoking look at Michael's asencion to the captain's chair. Yes, his father is a meddling bastard, but his heart's in the right place, and it's not as though Owens wouldn't have achieved a captaincy on his own later on, nor that he wasn't qualified. I see his father's nudge as being just one of a number of factors that put him on the right ship at the right time.
Very well done, indeed.
Author's Response: Thanks Gibraltar. I too like to think that Owens would have gotten there on his own eventually. The dilemma for him of course is that he'll never really know. It is a theme I would like to explore some more at some point.
[Report This]Date: 14 Jun 2009 08:35 Title: Paternal Instincts
A very dramatic -- in a good way -- look into what it's like to be in the service that involves your family, too. Very well written indeed. I can't imagine Michael to be very happy to discover that his father did interfere after all, but on the other hand, sometimes it's just the way it works. Family isn't something that can be simply dismissed, and oftentimes it complicates matters but also eases them.
I enjoyed reading this very much, thank you for sharing!
Author's Response: Thanks for the review. Michael Owens' relationship with his father his defined by his fears that it is his father who is solely responsible for getting him into the big chair. True or not, you are right, your family is always something that is going to be part of you, for better or worse.
Thanks for reading.
[Report This]Date: 10 Jun 2009 20:07 Title: Paternal Instincts
Excellent! Conflict, angst and resolution all played out perfectly. Great story and a good entry too.
Author's Response: Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm glad you liked it.