Support for Support

Posted on 07 May 2015 @ 9:19pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm

1,019 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: USS Atlas/USS Aventia - Private Offices
Timeline: MD 02 - 1245 hrs

[ON]

Sitting in her ready room aboard the plush Sovereign-class USS Atlas, Lirha was in the process of finishing her lunch-time salad when she remembered she still had several calls to make in order to take care of the most recent administrative shake-ups which had occurred in a most untimely fashion. In particular, the ship's support department was in need of a new department head, and the assistant chief who Lirha currently hailed was next in line for the position. If she wanted it, of course.

Picking up a piece of bright green romaine lettuce and popping the crunch vegetable into her mouth, she tapped away at her LCARS terminal and initiated a comm link to USS Aventia in order to summon Ensign Murray.

Stuck in the office all morning, T'Vanna was just on her way out when suddenly a call was patched through to the console on her desk. She hurried back and accepted the call. Surprise flickered across her features when she recognized the caller. "Admiral!" she exclaimed, making no effort to compose herself. "What can I do for you ma'am?"

"Miss Murray," Lirha greeted through the screen with a pleasant-enough smile. In her right hand she held a large piece of salad, and waved it casually while she began to speak. "I wanted to touch base with you regarding a rather important matter which recent arised. Do you have a few minutes to spare?" she asked the young Vulcan hybrid.

"I was just about to head out but yes ma'am I have a few minutes." The younger woman shifted uncomfortably, her eyes unconsciously shifting to the salad. It made her painfully aware she hadn't eaten in a while, as well as that she had a personal matter to attend to because her breasts were aching, full as they were with milk. "How can I assist?"

The rear admiral paused for the briefest of moments, unsure if T'Vanna was aware of recent happening regarding the personnel restructure of the ship. "Are you...aware of the crew departures that took place yesterday? The group of senior officers including Lieutenant Commander Markos?" she asked.

"I noticed that there were departures but I wasn't told why," T'Vanna replied uncertainly, "and yes that included Lieutenant Commander Markos. What's going on ma'am, why the mass departure?"

"Orders from Starfleet Command," replied the Orion with a regretful half-smile and a light shrug of her shoulders. "Apparently there is a developing situation in the nearby sectors which was serious enough to warrant the recall of many available personnel in the vicinity...and because of our officers' experience in the field, we drew the short can." Or was it a short straw? Lirha could never remember the strange Human idioms for such types of things.

"I see." T'Vanna was an intelligent young woman but even she knew never to draw premature conclusions. "I regret to see Commander Markos go ma'am. But that still does not explain your call to me."

"Yes, well," Lirha began to explain while noting the pointed nature of the Vulcan's question, "with Lieutenant Commander Markos gone, there is a vacancy in the Support department which now needs a department head." Lirha paused to look into T'Vanna's attractive eyes before continuing. "I know you are still an ensign and rather young, but you know Galileo's personnel reasonably well by now and I would like to promote you. That is, if you have no objections?"

"No ma'am," T'Vanna answered, though she looked stunned at the offer, "I have no objections. I'll try to live up to the expectations Markos set of the department ma'am."

The Orion smiled at that, happy to see the chain of command was working well and the conduct ethos of one senior officer were being passed down to the next in line. "I am sure you will. And both Captain Holliday and I think you will do a fine job. It is not always easy to adjust to a senior officer role, especially at first, but after a few weeks, I think you will settle in."

"I'll do my best ma'am, and I know I have a solid team to rely on." T'Vanna smiled proudly. "Is this effective immediately, or after the games ma'am?"

"Immediately," she answered with a nod. "There is no sense in delaying the inevitable. And I would much prefer to promote from within as opposed to waiting for Starfleet Command to assign us a new chief from whatever corner of the quadrant they might come from."

"Efficiency above all," T'Vanna agreed. "Does this affect my position aboard the Aventia ma'am?"

Shaking her head lightly, the rear admiral dismissed that notion. "Not at all. Your position and assignment during our upcoming exercises will remain the same." Well, that wasn't entirely true, and Lirha now corrected herself. "Actually, for the time being while you are aboard Aventia, you will be promoted to first officer. Lieutenant Commander Mialin has also departed for Starbase 84 and Lieutenant Wyatt will be reassigned as your new commanding officer for the duration of the war games. I hope that does not present any problems?"

"No sir, Lieutenant Wyatt and I get along well enough. I am looking forward to working with him." She looked sideways to something that was just outside of the viewscreen angle. "Was that all ma'am?"

"Not quite, ensign," Lirha said while holding her green hand up. "Because of your new position and your past accomplishments aboard Galileo, I feel it is necessary to promote you. To lieutenant junior grade," she smiled. "Congratulations."

Eyes widening in surprise, T'Vanna just stared at her for several seconds, then nodded in a very Vulcan fashion. "Thank you ma'am." She cringed. "I really should get going ma'am, I'm sorry..."

Lirha simply nodded in acknowledgement, realizing that Murray probably needed some time to adjust to everything that had just been presented. "If you need anything, lieutenant, my comm is always open. Good luck."

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Atlas

Lieutenant j.g. T'Vanna Murray
First Officer
USS Aventia

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