In Search of Explorers
Posted on Tue May 23rd, 2017 @ 2:37pm by Vice Admiral Diana Francsizka & Commander Leah Sullivan & Lieutenant Kari Burke & Lieutenant JG Vagho & Master Chief Petty Officer Tommie McDaniel
Edited on on Tue Jun 20th, 2017 @ 10:53am
Mission:
Overhaul
Location: Starbase 343
Japori Sector - Beta Quadrant
USS Protean
Approaching SB 343
Just after departing Obrora, a communique from Starfleet had changed the Protean's destination. They were no longer due to endure the almost month-long trip back to Earth Spacedock. Instead, they would only take about ten days to Starbase 343. Leah wasn't given any further information than that and, not wanting to irk the higher-ups, she dutifully changed course right away and made best speed to the Japori Sector of space.
For the crew, those seven days were when the deaths of their Captain and First Officer, along with several others, really struck home. Following the wishes of those who requested a standard funeral service, Leah held a memorial in one of the large cargo bays. A skeleton crew ran the ship while everyone else attended, and the service was broadcast throughout the Protean for those still on duty. All but one of the crew were launched in a modified torpedo into space. The other will be transported back to his family on Earth, as is their custom. The memorial had helped, somewhat. Leah refused to make it an entirely somber affair solely based on Dwight and Valeri's attitude towards life. She directed music to be played, drinks served, and funny stories told to remember those who had passed, all while encircled with large portraits of those who had passed.
It took a few days but the crew seemed to be relieved after the events of the memorial service. And despite desperately wanting to remain in her quarters, or secluded in the ready room, Leah decided that she would be better served by going from department to department, visiting as many people as possible, to make sure the crew morale hadn't suffered to the point of no return. She felt pride when the crew smiled or made small jokes with her, or were just happy to see her enter their area at all. Occasionally someone would call her captain and she wasn't quite sure how to handle that. The moniker always made her feel uneasy due to the way she received it.
Time had passed quickly while enroute to 343, and commanding a starship, at least in peaceful situations, came easy to Leah. She could still feel a bit of a cold shoulder from Lieutenant Thoveh, but it hadn't been her decision to make Tommie the acting XO instead of Torn. She knew it had to sting but it was out of her hands. She also wondered who would become her replacement as CO and, if she were assigned as first officer, how Torn would handle that? Being Andorian, he was always a bit brusque and sometimes downright belligerent. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle him being passed over as XO with her taking the spot. It would likely be battle after battle if that happened.
"Captain, we're being hailed by flight ops, audio only," Lt. (j.g.) Vagho announced from his console to her left.
She stiffened slightly at being addressed as captain. Master Chief McDaniel noticed but didn't comment as he heard her state, "Let's hear it."
"USS Protean, this is Starbase 343 flight control. You are cleared to dock at mooring twelve. Commander Sullivan, Vice Admiral Franciszka requires your presence as soon as the ship is docked. Flight control out."
"Not very chatty, are they?" Tommie muttured. Of course, being on a bridge as small as the Protean's, a mutter was still easy to hear.
"Lieutenant Burke, begin the docking procedure."
"Aye, Captain," Kari replied. She enjoyed being front and center on the bridge, especially now that her best friend was in charge, or at least while she had been in charge. She'd had dinner a few times with Leah on the trip but she noticed an attitude change the closer the ship got to the base. Kari could tell Leah was getting nervous, maybe about what would happen next, but Kari was determined to go out of her way to keep Leah relaxed and happy. Right now, though, the edge she heard in Leah's voice was troubling. Kari had known Leah since day one on the Protean and had never heard that tone of voice.
Starbase 343
Deck 4
Vice Admiral Diana Franciszka's offices
Standing in the anteroom, the place was a hive of activity with people going here and there and none of them paying her any attention. The Admiral's Aide, a lieutenant, assured Leah that it wouldn't be long before the Admiral saw her. It had been four and a half minutes. Four and a half agonizingly slow minutes.
"Commander Sullivan?" the lieutenant said, now standing directly in front of Leah. More correctly, directly under her nose. He was a very short man. "The Admiral will see you now. Through those doors, hall to the left and into her offices."
She began walking on autopilot. "How big are her offices?" she thought to herself. "Through the doors, down the hall then into the office? How big is this damn starbase for that matter? Please tell me I'm not going to a dungeon."
Leah froze in her tracks when she heard a cackle coming from around the corner. She didn't want to intrude if the admiral was with someone, but she was told to go in. She took a bracing breath and walked on in.
Entering the office proper she found a striking woman, tall with beautiful black hair, and black eyes. She was standing in front of her desk with a glass in her hand.
"As you can see, Commander, it is not a dungeon. And the base is the same size as Earth Spacedock," she said, hopefully breaking the ice with Leah. "And, yes, I'm Betazoid. Sorry for intruding on your thoughts like that, but they were pretty strong and it was a bit hard to avoid." She patted one of the chairs in front of her desk for Leah to sit in.
"I apologize if I offended you with the sizeable office thought," Leah said, sitting and feeling somewhat sheepish.
"No offense taken, Commander. I should probably apologize for laughing at your expense." She smiled and seated herself. "I don't bite, Leah--can I call you Leah?" The Admiral didn't wait for a reply. "I believe we have sufficiently broken the ice, but I don't have to be a mind reader to realize that you're still a bit stressed. Would you like something to drink? Tea? Wine? Straight-up booze?" She winked and raised her own glass. "I'm partial to the hard stuff myself. What would you like?"
Silence fell on the room as Leah sat wide-eyed, trying to figure this woman out. After Diana tinkled the ice in her glass, Leah snapped out of it and offered, "Uh...what you're having?"
"Oh, no, no, no, honey. I need you conscious for this meeting. How about a nice honey liqueur?" She asked as she began pouring it anyway. "Ice? No? No. Okay."
Leah sat for a moment, a glass of honey liqueur in her face. She took it, then spoke slowly. "Admiral, I really don't know what's going on or what I'm supposed to do now." She placed the glass on a small table beside her chair, placed her hands in her lap, and began to cry. "I realize this will probably look bad for me--crying like this. But this is just so much to take in. It should be Dwight or Valeri sitting here, not me."
"I am sorry for the loss of your friends and crew, Leah. I truly am. I didn't know Commander Clayton, but I met Valeri several times. She was impressive."
Leah picked up the glass and downed it all in one gulp. She'd never had the drink before, and expected it to be as harsh as bourbon or whiskey, but instead it was smooth and tasted amazing. Still, it wasn't really socially acceptable to down your liquor like that.
"Sorry, ma'am. That was--"
"Good stuff, right?" the admiral cut in. "I love this stuff! Here, have some more." She was quick on her feet and back with the bottle pouring more into the emptied glass. "But go easy, dear. We're going to need to do some planning here. You know, figure out who you're getting as XO, who you want as your chief science officer, there were some already-pending transfer requests and--"
"But, Admiral...I'm the science chief. Do I have to leave the ship?"
Diana had seated herself beside Leah and was close enough to swat at her leg while she laughed. "Oh, Leah! You're a hoot! You know you can't captain a starship and be a department head--well, technically you were for a while there out of necessity, but no longer."
The admiral stood and walked around to her own side of the desk and opened up her personal terminal. "Yesterday evening the Protean was assigned to my task force. About three minutes before you walked into my dungeon," she stopped to smirk, "you were made her commanding officer and will be keeping that third rank pip on your collar. Congratulations."
Fumbling the glass in her hands, almost spilling its contents, Leah was able to compose herself to say, "Are you sure?"
Another cackle. "See? You're hilarious! And yes I'm sure. I have it on the authority of someone I trust implicitly that there could be no one better to take command of the Protean than you. Add that to your stellar reviews, scientific achievements, and seemingly amazing diplomatic skills, you are the person I am looking for. Besides, there are plenty of warriors," she accentuated with air quotes, "driving ships out there. I don't need more warriors, I have enough of them. I want more explorers. I want more like you."
