A Singular Opportunity

Posted on 23 May 2012 @ 6:59pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Ensign Rhett Brubwick

2,532 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 1, Ready Room
Timeline: MD07 - 1900 hrs

[ON]

The last three weeks had been a beast. Rhett had gotten to Starbase 152 and been stuck there without any word of what was going on. He'd ridden on a cargo-hauler on its way to 152 for a week through Klingon space. It had gone without a hitch. Then he was supposed to wait for two weeks for the USS Petersham which would take him back across Klingon space to Starbase 234 where he would meet up with the Galileo.

Needless to say, it hadn't happened. When the Petersham never showed up, the entire station began to worry. Combined with complete silence on the part of Starfleet, it added up to a nerve wracking ordeal. Now, a week after he was supposed to have been on his way to 234, what ship but the Galileo shows up.

It seemed that fate wanted the young diplomat aboard the Galileo. After the ship had docked, and his paperwork had been processed, he had gone aboard. He hit sickbay immediately after he dropped his bag of in his quarters. That had been fun. Both the checkup and dinner were made much more enjoyable by the company of an incredibly attractive Irish doctor.

The dreaded visit to the ship's counselor had gone surprisingly well. Although the diplomat still held a bad opinion of shrinks in general, maybe Brayden White wasn't as bad as the rest. Since there were really only a few things for a new officer to do, and Rhett had already accomplished the other two, he had decided to stop in on the bridge.

Military life had always intrigued Rhett, but he had yet to have any truly real-world experience. So when he pressed the chime outside the captain's ready room, he had no idea what to expect.

Inside her ready room, Lirha tapped away at her desk's console as she quickly read through and approved several last-minute crew transfers. With Project Sienna safely loaded into the main cargo bays and its development personnel finally on board, there were only a few final administrative tasks which remained before Galileo could depart.

The familiar sound of the door chime echoed softly throughout the room and Lirha glanced up from the monitor towards the door. "Enter." she called out, then leaned back and stretched her neck from side to side as she waited to see who was outside.

When the new officer entered, his only thought was, Not what I expected. He hadn't known he'd had any expectations, but a vivacious Orion was definitely out of his realm of expectations. He expected it showed. He tried to contain his shock, but clearly failed. "Uh, Ensign Rhett Brubwick reporting for duty" he finally managed to stammer.

The Orion captain watched as a blonde, bluish-eyed man with a purple collar walked into her office. He seemed somewhat startled as he laid eyes on her, and his voice wavered as he spoke. It was not the first time that Lirha had elicited a similar response from someone, and she had become used to the awkwardness which sometimes developed. Putting a friendly smile on her face, she stood to introduce herself and smoothed her hands down the front of her uniform to press out the wrinkles. "Ensign Brubwick, I'm Commander Saalm. It's nice to meet you." she said in a light voice and extended her green hand across the desk in greeting. "Please, have a seat." she added as she motioned to a nearby chair.

Rhett sketched out a tiny bow. "Thank you." As he sat he shook his head. "Sorry for the gawking. I guess I was expecting a grizzled old man, or a severe woman who looked like she never laughed a day in her life." The blond shrugged, "Can't say this isn't a pleasant surprise." He finished speaking before what he had said registered. "Oh, uh, sorry ma'am. I didn't mean to be informal."

Lirha smirked slightly, then sat back down in her chair and leaned back, hands folded in her lap. "It's alright, Ensign, I'm rather used to it by now." she replied with a glint to her green eyes. "I apologize, I've been rather busy since we arrived and haven't had the chance to look over your file." she admitted, "What brings you to Galileo?" she asked, wondering if had been transferred or requested the assignment. If needed, she could always pull his service record from the LCARS library, but she wanted to hear his own version of his career first.

"Well," he began, "I just graduated OCS about a month ago, and I took a cargo-carrier out here to one-five-two. I was supposed to catch a ride on the Petersham back to where the Galileo was docked, but they never showed. Then you arrived, and it seems that it's worked out relatively well."

"Yes, that seems rather convenient, wouldn't you say?" she mused with a small smile. Fate had seemed to play its hand and now the young Ensign in front of her had finally arrived at his intended destination. The mention of USS Petersham caused the captain to pause briefly as she recalled the intelligence briefing at SB-234. Privately, she pondered the fate of the vessel and her crew.

Shifting in her chair as a brief awkward silence developed, she turned her attention back towards the young man in front of her. "How do you feel about serving aboard Galileo?" she asked. "This must be your first time aboard a Nova Class starship with this being your first deployment." she added.

"It's strange. As a human, I think I got used to having ships designed to fit my own sensibilities." He shrugged, "This ship takes some getting used to. Most of the time I've just been able to assume where a door would be placed or the way a corridor would intersect. It's almost right, just slightly out of tune with my in-born assumptions." He'd begun to get used to the minor differences aboard the Galileo, but every once in a while he'd be thrown by a quirk in the design.

"To answer your question, however," he added a little late, "I'm excited for the opportunity, and a little dismayed to be the only diplomatic officer aboard."

"Yes, unfortunately a science vessel of our size does not have the luxury of a larger crew compliment. Many of our departments are small in size and we obviously lack any sort of Marine compliment." she replied with an understanding nod. "Have you had much training in additional fields besides diplomacy?" she asked with a curious look. Galileo was a small vessel, so much so that depending on the ensign's answer, she might utilize him in assisting another department.

Rhett shook his head, "No, not extensively. I keep up with new developments and research in a lot of different fields, as a kind of hobby. Is there anything specific I can help with?" Although it was true that the diplomat had no official training in any specific field other than his current occupation, he did have basic knowledge of almost all of them. Add that to his skill at finding information, and there wasn't much he couldn't figure out how to do given time and practice. The flip-side was that he wouldn't be able to repeat the task at will.

A smile spread across the captain's gold lips. "I can always use an extra hand, Mister Brubwick, thank you for asking." she said with bright green eyes. "Why don't you tell me more about your hobbies and interests, then we can narrow down a department for you." she suggested, happy that he seemed enthusiastic about a secondary occupation.

"Uh, well," he paused, frowning in concentrated thought, "I read voraciously. I try to read at least one article a month from a variety of journals. I study military history and tactics. I keep up with the newest technology, as well as possible anyway. I enjoy designing holonovels. I cook fairly well. Mostly, if I want to learn something I research it and practice it until I get it right." His nonverbals clearly communicated the breadth of his hobbies. "I guess the thing I'm best at is finding information."

"Well, as I stated previously, we are a science ship who specializes in planetary research and study." she began with a tilt of her head. "I think someone with your interests and skills would probably best be suited working in the Science department. It would give you the chance to assist in our studies and report on our biological and astronomical findings." she proposed with a raised eyebrow.

The diplomat rocked a little, a sign of uncertainty, "I'll do my utmost, if that's what you need." He didn't like the idea of being in a white coat and goggles, working in a lab with test tubes and samples of this and who-knows-what.

Lirha sighed then leaned back in her chair, watching the ensign who didn't appear to be too thrilled by the proposition. "Is there something else you would prefer?" she asked, "Perhaps the Security department? Your studies of military history could be of use to Lieutenant Orexil." she offered.

"Don't get me wrong," Rhett said, "I'm happy to work in whatever department needs me. I just don't want to give an exaggerated account of my abilities. Most of the things I mentioned are simply hobbies, I do them for fun. I don't have the expertise to practice them in the field, although I'm happy to help out however I can." He shrugged, "I guess I just don't see myself wearing a lab-coat."

"Well, a simple research assistant role within the Science department was what I had in mind...nothing too focused, and certainly no lab coat...unless you enjoy that type of dress, that is." she said with a wry grin. "I obviously don't expect you to have the knowledge of a trained science officer, but I'm sure Lieutenant Barel would appreciate any extra assistance you could provide." she added.

"Research assistant sounds great," the young man nodded and smiled, "I think I'll avoid the lab coat, but I'm always up for helping however I can."

The captain beamed a bright smile of approval and leaned back, rubbing her hands in more thought. "Excellent, I'll be sure to contact Miss Barel and let her know to expect you." she said, then activated her console and watched as the black screen rose vertically from a small slit in the desk. Tapping several commands into the LCARS software, she quickly accessed his file and enter a few notes. "Tell me about your cadet cruise." she asked casually, wondering which ship he had served on during his last year at the Academy.

Rhett smiled, "I actually went through OCS. Although it's a branch of the Academy, I never actually attended Starfleet Academy proper. Because it was an accelerated program, I didn't have a cadet cruise. Rather, we went through a number of simulations." He smiled, remembering the longest, "One actually lasted two months."

Lirha stopped typing and glanced over her monitor at the young ensign. "Simulations? You mean this will be your first prolonged assignment aboard a starship?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a slightly incredulous tone to her voice. Although different branches of Starfleet all had different training programs, the cadet cruise was almost universal and designed to help gradually ease new officers into the rigors of starship life. If her new diplomatic officer had merely participated in simulations, she would have to be sure to keep an eye on him over his first few months at space.

"Technically, yes." Rhett bobbed his head a bit, "Although I did spend a sum of several years aboard Starfleet vessels growing up. My father is in Starfleet, and I've lived aboard probably four different ships. Sometimes for a week or two. I did live on the Orlando for four years, though." He had read the concern so clearly evident in the Commander's expression, "I understand if you're concerned, but I'm no stranger to starships." He thought for half a second and added, "The simulations were also meant to test our reactions to stress and tedium. We spent nine months in simulations, without so much as a day's break. The point was to test our limits in an accelerated manner."

"I see." she replied simply, still holding his gaze for a moment before turning back to the monitor in front of her. Sitting quietly and typing for a long moment, she entered several notes into his file, then took a deep breath and turned back towards him, pushing a stray strand of dark hair back behind her ear. "Well, I don't have any other questions for you at the moment." she said in a rather hasty tone, then tapped a command into her keypad. "I've notified Commander Holliday of your arrival, he is Galileo's XO. Be sure to report to him at some point, and he can assign your duty shifts after you've checked in with the necessary personnel. Do you have any questions for me?" she asked, affording the purple-collared man an opportunity to inquire about his new assignment.

Rhett thought hard for a few moments. "Honestly, ma'am, I don't have anything for you right now. I'm sure I have questions, I just don't know which to ask." His lopsided smile appeared. "I do guess I have one. At some point in the future, regulations permitting, of course," his smile broadened at the thought, "I'd like to invite you to a small dinner party. I plan on doing the cooking."

Lirha's green eyes brightened at the mention of a get-together, and she raised her eyebrows in interest. "That sounds fun," she replied in a soft voice, "What kind of food do you cook?" she asked curiously. She had not seen or heard any mention of culinary skills in his file or during their brief conversation, and was now interested to know more. Culinary arts were one of her hobbies as well, and we always welcomed the chance to meet a fellow enthusiast.

"A lot of different stuff, I guess." He said noncommittally. "If I like something, I'll probably try to cook it. I do tend to stay away from Klingon foods though. Not enough actual cooking, if you ask me."

"Some would argue it adds to the flavor." she replied with a tiny grin. "I have several native Orion cuisines that I'm quite fond of if you would like something different...and delicious. Inform me the next time you're free and I'll be sure to make arrangements for us." she said with approval, then shifted herself in her chair. "Well, I suppose if you have no further questions for me, you're dismissed. Welcome aboard Galileo, Mister Brubwick."

He stood, went to attention quickly, and said, "Thank you, ma'am." He turned on his heel and left the room. He had one more meeting to add to his list, but that could likely wait until the next day.

--

OFF

Commander Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Rhett Brubwick
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Galileo

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