It's About Time
Posted on Mon Sep 30th, 2019 @ 10:29pm by Fleet Admiral Gregory Maddock & Rear Admiral Lucas Thorton & Senior Captain Sharrina Blackstone
Mission:
Ready For The Weekend!
Location: Main Briefing Room, Starbase Magellan
Timeline: 2388/08/31 1700 (Sun. Aug. 31 2388 5:00pm)
Serene had started to feel the effects of the shakeup happening at Starfleet Headquarters. New decisions, such as the next steps to be taken for a growing colony, were there too.
Among them, the miners and founding Colonist had decided on who they wanted to nominate as the Colony's first civilian Administrator: Ambassador Geminik Odar. Starfleet Command agreed there was no better choice, yet they had other plans for the Ambassador. The order came down that if the Ambassador agreed, he would be an interim Administrator, getting things set up and organized, for the time being, and he would begin immediately.
Commander Jae-Hwa Kwan would take over as Cultural Studies Sub-Dept Head, taking over Gem's former position, and both he and the Ambassador would handle the Station's Diplomatic matters until a new Diplomatic Chief arrived.
Much to Greg's surprise, another decision had been made, which was a major change for him, and lead him to make a few important decisions regarding his senior staff too.
It was Sunday afternoon, and he had been pulled away from the Ambassador's wedding reception, to find himself sitting at his desk waiting for the station's tactical chief to enter. Sitting in a chair on the opposite side of his desk was Lucas Thorton, by far, not a man easy to read. But Greg felt he could read him now as he watched Lucas still process his promotion. It was still sinking in for the both of them.
The door swished opened and Greg turned his attention to the person walking in. "Captain Blackstone, thank you for coming in at such a late notice." He gestured with his head towards another chair facing his desk. "Please take a seat."
Sharrina had no idea why she was here, but that had never stopped her from coming when a superior called. Given the timing of it, that there was no scheduled meeting and it was the weekend, she suspected it must be important. Arriving and seeing that she was not the only one summoned only confirmed that. She took the indicated chair and cast a sidelong look to Lucas then returned her eyes to the admiral.
Lucas' eyes had gone over to Sharrina just as she had looked away. He continued to look between her and the admiral, as the admiral continued to speak.
Greg leaned back a moment than leaned forward a little and placed his folded hands on his desk. "As you know, Captain, there has been a great deal of change as of late. It’s been decided that I’ll be taking up the fleet Admiral post for the Delta quadrant. Which means, I’ll be leaving Serene."
Sharrina blinked a few times, digesting this. "Then... who will be filling your old role here?" she asked after a few moments to process. And there was the Klingon half of her heritage, demonstrated in the bluntness of the question.
Although unphased by that, Greg decided not to answer her question. He looked over to Lucas, wanting him to, instead.
Catching Greg's expectant expression, Lucas said, "I will." One corner of his mouth lifted as he looked over to her.
Another short bout of blinking followed that. She shouldn't have been completely surprised, though, she realized. Only as she fully processed all of it did she realize she had been rude to Admiral Maddock. She had the decency to look at least slightly ashamed of herself. "I apologize, Admiral. It wasn't my intention to be disrespectful or appear to disregard you. I was just... shocked. Unfortunately, in that state, my Klingon nature tends to assert itself and ask the first thing that pops into my head. I apologize."
She then glanced toward Lucas and smiled. "Congratulations." she offered. She did wonder, though, if he truly wanted the job. It would be... stressful to say the least. With great power came, well, everyone knew how that sentence ended.
He slightly nodded. "Thank you. I have been told to choose my first officer." There was a gleam in his eyes as they fixed on hers. "I would like that to be you."
And there was the blinking again. But as before, it only lasted a second. Again, she reflected that this should not have been completely surprising given that they were the only three in this meeting. And if he had wanted someone else, they would have been summoned rather than her. Still, she had not expected it.
Her Klingon half asserted itself again in the phrasing of her next question. "Why do you want me?" There were so many he could choose, some likely more qualified than she, or at least with more experience. Though her question was blunt, her tone was respectful and reflected only a desire to know his answer to that.
"Why would I not?" he replied, not having taken his eyes away from hers. There was a near challenging tone in his voice. "I believe we would make a great command team." There was a pause. "Or do you not agree?"
Sharrina saw this for what it was and smiled slightly. She liked that he could challenge her. "Oh, no, I agree with you. I just realize that I am not the only one here with those potentials," she answered easily. "Of course I accept the position... and the challenge." Her eyes glittered with an emotion between pleasure and mischief.
Greg watched them, and with Lucas returning Sharrina's expression, pulled something out of a drawer. "Then you'll be needing this," he said to Sharrina, pushing a small clear box, with a hollow pip inside, towards her. "You now hold the rank of Fleet captain."
At the Fleet Admiral's statement, and the sound of something sliding across the desk, Sharrina took her eyes from Lucas' and looked to the object on the desk. Picking it up, she flipped the box open and removed the hollow pip. She was not as modest as her father -- in this way, she was more like her mother -- and she knew her own worth. "Thank you, Admiral," she said, her tone having become deadly serious as her eyes met Maddock's. "I will endeavor to never make you regret your decision."
"That's good to hear, although I hadn't doubted it," he smiled, and then just as quickly, the smile lessened to a firm, yet not unkind, expression. "Now this office is still mine until tomorrow morning. So if you two will leave, I can start packing. And," his smile nearly returned, "I'll see you both in the Main Briefing Room at zero seven hundred hours for the change of command." He waved his hand at them, "That means you're dismissed."
Lucas nodded, and with his own amused smile, as he started rising out of his seat. "Will your chair be staying, Sir?"
The admiral's chair was a lovely executive style, made out of a leather-like material, where the fibers were produced by an Andorian insect. He'd been made aware that it was a gift Greg had received from the UFP president, and had brought with him from his last assignment.
Greg smirked, "What do you think?"
"No," Lucas sighed. "but one can only hope."
Sharrina chuckled. "Guess you'll just have to envy him, Lucas." she teased. She couldn't resist. She also rose, preparing to leave, but had stopped to watch the interplay between the men.
Greg looked up between them and inwardly chuckled, not so much at what she had said, but at how her usage of Lucas’ first name had given him pause. "Bye now," Greg said as he picked up a box off the floor, then pulled out a drawer. Unable to help it, he gave another half smile as they went out the door.
