Ad Astra :: Star Trek Fanfiction Archive ^{Beam me up, Scotty.}

Chapter Text

The Star Beagle Adventures                                                
Episode 1: Eye of the Beholder
Scene 6: Dutch Holland

1.6
Dutch Holland

Captain Yui Song put her hand on her science officer’s arm to prevent him from asking the same question she desperately wanted to ask: What was Captain Skip Howard planning to do to General Krank? She was intent on asking that question, but it could only be addressed captain-to-captain and only privately. And Lieutenant Commander Gregg Clark knew it. He chose to ask a different question:

“So who is Dutch Holland and why are you the only man who can give him an order?” It was phrased lightly and presented with a smile, but it went to the heart of Skip Howard’s strange career. 

It was Lt. Cmdr. Senek who responded. “The Captain’s father was instrumental in securing a commission for Commander Holland. And it was Skip’s idea to create a new division within Star Fleet just to accommodate the commander’s unorthodox uniform requirements. They have been close friends for a very long time.”

“Dad’s a lawyer,” Captain Howard added. “It was grandpa who asked him to come up with a way to allow Star Fleet to keep the most brilliant engineer of our age in the service, given his… frankly odd requirements. Dutch and I spent a lot of time together when I was a kid. He encouraged me to be me…” Howard added, gesturing with his hand, emphasizing his long, carefully manicured and polished fingernails. “And I encouraged him to be, well, him. I probably spent more time with Dutch than I did with dad.” 

“The answer to your question, Mr. Clark, is that anyone can give an order if they have the trust of those under their command,” Howard added as the party stepped into engineering, only to be flabbergasted first at the bizarre, mind-bending layout of the engineering department, then even more so at the giant, masked wrestler who was clearly running this operation - his entire body covered with a gold uniform embellished with flames - a uniform that covered every part of his body - even his face and hands. Subtle gold flames decorated his mask. Far less subtle was the Star Fleet engineering emblem on his forehead, identical to the communicator pin on his left breast.

“But it’s not just anyone who can win the loyalty of a 300-pound Mexican luchador named Dutch.”

1.6