Field Promotions

Posted on Wed Dec 18th, 2024 @ 2:42pm by Captain Lorut Vila & Lieutenant Commander Frasier Greene & Lieutenant T'Karnak & Lieutenant Aurora House of Kor & Captain Maxwell Culver

1,450 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Silver Rain
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD-15 ish??

Vila was feeling...trepidatious as she stepped onto the Bridge that morning. The day before had been a whirlwind-the announcements of the deaths of the Captain and several crew members, her own field promotion, and then having to inform families...she wasn't feeling her best. Still. She had to at least pretend for the sake of the others.

It wasn't always a glamorous job, being a command level officer. Ok. NEVER. It never was.

She arranged her face into a pleasant look (she hoped), and spoke as she stood in front of "the big seat."

"Ok, people. I have a few announcements. Today, Beta shift will take over for Alpha, and shore leave protocols will be enacted for 24 hours for a brief reprieve. Doctor Campbell is on hand if anyone needs her-I understand that we're all upset, and she's skilled in grief counseling. Please seek her out. That said, before I excuse you all, I need to make a couple of announcements. As you may be aware, yesterday, I took over as acting Captain," she said. The pips on her collar indicated this change. "Going forward, Commander Lyo will step in as Executive Officer, and everyone will move up from there," she said. "Make your people aware of it in each department, please."

She turned slightly towards the Helm.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade T'Karnak, please step forward," she said. She paused a moment.

Aurora was gulping back tears as she cleaned the whale tanks and listened to the new Captain's announcements.

Startled by his name being called. The tripedal Edosian spun in the chair at the helm. Glancing around the bridge briefly, he stood up and approached the acting Captain. "Yes Captain?"

Vila smiled lightly. "Congratulations," she said. "Lieutenant Junior Grade, you've achieved the rank of full Lieutenant, and will be moving up to Chief Helmsman beginning today," she said. She handed him a PADD, and then moved forward. She attached a shiny new PiP to his collar. She held out her hand for a handshake. "Good work. Now. Please get us into a holding pattern while Beta shift takes over," she said.

Shocked by the sudden promotion that he was not expecting, T'Karnak nodded his thank, "Thank you, Captain." With her orders, he moved quickly back to the helm station, "Moving the ship into a standard holding pattern." Fingers flying across the console in front of him, the controls being his second home.

Just over a week since Max’s disappearance and presumed death had passed. Rylen was barely holding it together on the simple thought that he alone knew Max wasn’t dead. He wasn’t on the planet either and his last DNA sample was discovered at the bottom of a crater. A crater that had once been the central plant for Xavier’s planet.

He might spit at the synth if they crossed paths anytime soon. Or ever.

With the barest of movement, Lyo summoned Lieutenant JG Aurora to the bridge via text, drumming her up from the aquatic center of the ship with the implication that speed would be in her best interest.

[Oh boy...this can't be good!] Aurora acknowledged the text and raced up to the Bridge, steadying her breathing and fixing her uniform before the Turbolift doors opened, quietly admitting her to the Bridge.

Lyo had decided to request his station at Ops as soon as the immediate results and responses could be made to find a replacement.

Too broken was he that taking up a position in command would do no one any good. And while he was sure that Max lived, he had no sense of when he might return. For all he knew, he could be long dead and Max would look barely a decade older. Imagine giving your entire life, adopting identity traits from someone, only to have them go missing in a sea of space and time.

It was sad and frustrating and infuriating; and not one person on the ship knew of their relationship in the first place. There was scuttlebutt and rumor and nothing more.

Aurora walked over to the new XO. "What can I do for you, sir?" Aurora asked quietly.

Rylen stood and adjusted his uniform. He preferred the one made for him by his House tailor, but the flow of new uniforms was far removed from possibility considering the State of Krios. Anyway, he clapped a hand on her shoulder and led her down the steps of the raised command deck. All the way to the front of the bridge, in front of the viewscreen.

“For service and dedication to this ship, and the former Triton Seabase, and in recognition of your assistance in the rescue and recovery of over two hundred crewmen, you are being summarily punished,” Lyo said with his harshest tone. The type the highest of Kriosian households taught their children to use with bad servants. He even bothered to look angry, or at least dismissive.

Aurora felt like she wanted to commit suicide!

[Wh...bu...huh!?] Aurora thought, unable to speak as all eyes remained trained on her and her heart stopped.

“With a promotion,” he finished, his tone softer, as much of a smile as he could muster. The fake kind used around families of power during his upbringing.

He turned slightly and pulled a full pip off of his own collar and placed it on Aurora’s tunic. It felt more personal to him and was a tradition he carried from his own previous promotions.

Aurora's heart restarted as if she'd been struck by lightning!

"Ththank yyou Ssir! Bbut ththis is YOUR Ppip?" Aurora sputtered. Not that she was going to refuse a gift this special, she was just so stunned she couldn't get any other thoughts to process!

Lyo remembered Aurora’s sacrifices to get the rescue team inserted. His thoughts turning to the one person they hadn’t saved; could find no proof of life. Just a crater and some DNA. I can’t feel that now,’ he scolded himself. ’That’s for later,’ he reminded himself.

With a genuinely wistful smile, he told Aurora. “It was my pip. Now it belongs to you. A small token from me to you - in recognition of your outstanding service in duty of care to your ship and your crew.” Lyo remembered that small bit of the speech he had heard when he had received his full rank of Lieutenant - at that time.

"Thank you, Sir. I shall wear it proudly," Aurora straightened even more, giving the Aquadian Salut: her right fist against her chest facing outward with her left hand balanced against it, then snapped both down to her sides with a sharp 'SLAP!'.

Again, opting to linger at the rear of the bridge Doctor Frasier Greene watched the two promotions of his peers without the normal smile upon his face.

He was worried for both Vila and Lyo as they shouldered this new unforeseen responsibilities. He'd heard of other Starfleet vessels being recalled following the death of the CO as Command believed a new face was required to take the helm in order to shake things up. He wondered what would happen to the crew should that happen to them. Naturally his eyes were drawn to Vila and his thoughts immediately turned to their relationship and how empty he'd feel if it was severed.

Vila smiled at Aurora. "Congratulations," she said, holding out her hand. "You've more than earned it," she said.

"Thank you, Captain," Aurora smiled and took her hand in a firm grip, making sure that both her grip and her eyes conveyed her trust in Vila as the new Captain and her condolences before again giving the Aquadian Salut.

Lyo shook Aurora’s hand, a very human tradition. As a Kriosian of a High House, they would have shared a salute and dismissal. This was definitely not Krios and he was reminded that he was no longer of a High House.

’Perhaps some time off,’ he considered. ’Time to take back all that I have lost.’ He was of two minds. The Intrepid would be the best place to expect Max’s return.

Vila turned to Lyo. "Anyone else?" she asked. "If the XO has nothing else, you're let’s get back to work," she said, trying to keep her tone light.

Lyo shook his head, indicating he had nothing left to say. “As you were,” he added to Lorut’s command.

Vila smiled. "Congrats, everyone. Feel free to go if you've been excused. Beta Shift, please assume your consoles," she said.

 

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