Advancing

Posted on Thu Apr 15th, 2021 @ 10:24am by Commodore Keiben Haistro & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant JG Sher'ra Verona

1,370 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: Deck 1 - Ready Room
Timeline: Mission Day 11 @ 0900 Hours

ON

Keiben had managed to drag himself through to his ready room, the furthest he had moved in a few days thanks to the machine and how he had been feeling because of it. He was also please that Starfleet had read the reports and realised that Copernicus needed some extra weapons against the T'Kon technology and found one more Telepath to assist, his own brother Osil. Tam was already on the way to the ready room, sporting her own bruises after the planet fiasco, but in much better shape than he was.

Tam arrived, still a little bit stiff, "Hi, you look rather worse for the wear Captain but also looking better too."

Mel didn't feel it appropriate to step through Keiben's magic door to his ready room, so went the long way round. She was still concerned what had been injected in her and what the effects of that was going to be. It seemed she could hear Keiben more now in this Imzadi link but he said the closer they were the stronger that was. She had taken some detailed scans and intended to take some more if she still felt off and try work out what that machine had done to her.

"Morning Captain, Commander." she said as she entered the ready room for this meeting.

"Good morning both" he replied verbally. "You should have just come through the side door, Tam already knows as do most of the crew by now!" he added telepathically.

"I thought I should have the two of you here for this... We are just waiting on Ensign Verona. She has hit her third year as Ensign and her work since she beamed over to assist us has been exemplary... Starfleet has given us leave to promote her!"

Walking into the ready room, Sher’ra froze for a moment after seeing the gathered officers, “um, did I do something wrong? I swear the smell in the mess hall wasn’t from me”

"Ensign, come in, take a seat!"
Keiben stood and moved around his desk until he could perk on the desk itself and crossed his arms across his chest. He was about to dismiss her worry when he decided that perhaps it would be fun to tease her a little. "So Ensign... We are all waiting to hear and explanation... Now is as good a time as any!"

Mel knew that tone off Keiben and played along. She folded her arms and looked at the Klingon very sternly. "Yes I would certainly like to know what happened," she said.

"Yes, I would like an explanation as well and were you alone in the plan to do what you did?" hiding her smile, but it was showing in her eyes.

Sher’ra looked between the officers, “I don’t know what you’re talking about sir. If it’s about shooting you during the away missions, I’m sorry but there wasn’t any other way of getting you away from that thing” she said, starting to feel a little paranoid. What could she have done to be called before three senior officers. Although she was also a senior officer, she was still just an ensign and her Klingon temper could get the better of her at times.

"Shooting a senior officer... I forget what the penalties are for that... Do either of you two know?"

His face remained like granite, not letting anything on as he turned to both Mel and Tam, he just hoped they could keep as steely silent as he.

"Court marshall, a spell in the brig," Mel offered.

"Scrubbing the decks with a toothbrush?" Tamaska added, "Or the latrines?"

"Additional counselling," Mel said casually completely in character.

Sher'ra looked around at the three of them in disbelief, this couldn’t be happening, “are you serious? What else was I supposed to do?” She said, turning to the Captain, “I couldn’t have let anyone else touch you while that machine had control and For all I know disabling the machine while you were touching it could’ve killed you. I didn’t have any other choice” she said, almost starting to panic. Her first away mission on a new ship and by the sound of it she was about to be railed for saving her Captain.

Keiben casually tossed a small case, no bigger than the palm of her hand towards the agitated security chief as he stood and moved back around his desk, He had to turn away for a moment so he could smile before stifling it once again and took his seat. "Ensign, you did superb work, so much so you have just been promoted!"

Sher’ra was left speechless. All she could do was look at the box in her hands. Had she heard him correctly? She was being Promoted? Looking up at Keiben, Sher’ra found her tongue, “promoted?” She said as it finally clicked. They had been playing around with her. Giving a sigh, she turned to the other two officers, “you know, you two are a pair of QeyHa‘s” she said, taking the black pip out of the box before throwing it at the XO. “So, who does the honours?”

"Seems to me your the one who needs to loosen up," Mel translated the Klingon in her head. "Smile. Your getting promoted."

"And with promotion comes more responsibility... We need someone to stand in on Command of the night shift for a few days, until Adams is back on his feet... I was hoping you might volunteer Lieutenant!"

Sher'ra nodded, “ofcourse, I’m sure I can handle it”

Keiben flashed her a wolfish grin, allowing the new rank to settle on not just himself but the others around him.

Tamaska deftly caught the pip in her hand. "If you want I'll do the honor, Lieutenant. Especially since you are my successor in the Security Department." she said tongue in cheek. "And you didn't have to do rights of succession." a broad grin going from ear to ear.

Sher’ra spun around to face Temaska, “I’ll do whatever rights you want, I am part Klingon after all”

"Speaking on behalf of myself and I'm sure Medical... No Klingon pain sticks if you please!"
Keiben was pleased to see his Security chief relaxing somewhat. So far she had been very monosyllabic, stoic and reserved up until this moment.

"There is a right of passage of walking over hot coals. A friend of mine had me do that awhile back. It is life changing." Tamaska stated, walking over to place the pip on Sher'ra's collar. "Congrats, you have earned this."

"Well done," Mel said. It was nice to see other officers get a deserved promotion but she still wasn't budging on hers. "You know Althur did that too. He had to put his feet in ice and then cream afterwards. Those coals were seriously hot," she chuckled.

"And life changing" then turned to Verona, "I have faith you will do well." Tam giving a smile.

Sher’ra smiled, “can I put steaks on my feet before hand?”

Tam laughed, "Sure, sounds good to me. Just make sure it doesn't become well done."

"Congratulations Lieutenant. Now, I know you have duties so we will let you get back to them!"
Keiben announced, starting to feel weary again from his ordeal with the machine and wanted nothing more than to go back to his quarters and sprawl on the sofa with a good book.

Sher’ra nodded, “thank you sir. I won’t let you down”

"We should however," Mel said. "Toast this with some proper blood wine when there's a good time."

"Agreed, but we have other duties to perform first" he was of course referring to the funeral for Chief Yelena Sidarov... something he had been avoiding for a day or so now.
"If you will excuse us Lieutenant, I have a very uncomfortable call to make to a family!"

Keiben disliked ending this kind of meeting on such a sour note but it was simply a sign of the times. What must it have been like for the Captains serving during the Dominion War he wondered.

END

 

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