Meeting The Brass

Posted on Sat Jul 17th, 2010 @ 9:17am by Captain Alexander Gunning

Mission: Welcome to Archa IV
Location: Commanding Officer's Office

[ON]

Captain Tae sat in silence, staring at the Admiral. Fifteen years aboard a massive Starbase had desensitised him to the notion of moving through the ranks. The pip which lay on the desk twinkled in its square surround.

"Are you sure, Admiral?" He said quietly. "I'd not expected anything like this. To be transferred away from my home is something I'd anticipated but to be reassigned to lead a Task Group on the Romulan Border seems to be a bit out of my skill set."

"Admiral Sanchez feels that your experiences here playing nanny to all of the CO's that pop through will serve you well in commanding such an... eclectic group of commanders as those in your new Task Group." Wellington's voice carried a tinge of humor amidst his usual seriousness, but he then forced himself to remember that an assignment on the Romulan Border was nothing to laugh about. "Have confidence in yourself, Commodore. We know you're the man for the job."

"I assume the CO of the Jackal is being made aware of his new assignment?" The newly promoted Commodore asked.

Wellington smiled. "Any moment now."

Gunning stood staring at the ceiling of the Turbolift. They were so much larger and seemed so much slower than anything he had been on before. He was sure it was due to nerves. He always felt hollow in the pit of his stomach when he had to meet with a flag officer and wrung his hands as the crowded lift shunted its way towards Ops.

He stepped out into the massive control room but took nothing in. He kept walking to the door marked "Commanding Officer" which had large glass doors allowing the CO to look out across the Operations Centre. He pressed the chime and awaited a response.

"Come in, Commander." Tae ordered. He looked the Commander of the Jackal up and down before turning to the Admiral. This man clearly had no idea that he was being reassigned to take control of this station. In a way, he pitied him. He'd walk out of this office a changed man; responsible for so much and so many fragile agreements. It was not a task he had come to terms with easily and he wondered how Gunning would manage.

"Good evening, sirs." The Commander said, snapping to attention. "You wanted to see me?"

"Commander, welcome," said Wellington, giving the man a keen, searching glance. Gunning was to be given a very important command, and though Wellington was confident in Admiral Sanchez's judgment, as well as his own, he always liked to see a person face-to-face to get real insight. "I'm sure we are stealing you from your many duties aboard the Jackal, and I apologize. This little meeting shouldn't take long."

"That's no problem, sir. I had some business up this way anyway. It's certainly never any trouble to see the inside of such a big office." Alex had almost forgotten what free space looked like and stared around the interior of the plush office space dumbstruck by the luxury that some officers were permitted to work in.

"Indeed," Wellington responded, a twinkle in his eye. He nodded toward Tae. "As you are here, you can be one of the first to know that Captain Tae has just been promoted to Commodore, and granted command of Task Group 55."

"Well, congratulations Commodore." Gunning offered, still blissfully ignorant to what was coming. "From what I've heard, your promotion is well deserved."

The Commodore took his eyes from the viewing port and the planet that was responsible for so much of his past. "Thank you, Commander. I wouldn't have said I deserved it but I certainly appreciate it. Dealing with the Romulans is going to be a challenge but one I look forward to."

"I'll get to the point, Commander," Wellington interjected, his tone turning all business. "We're pulling you off the Jackal."

Gunning stared widely at the Admiral. For a moment he was unable to speak. He was losing his ship before he'd even been able to put an indentation in the command chair. "Sir, with all due respect I followed procedure during the Utica incident. I don't think I should be punished for that."

Wellington nodded, mildly enjoying the shock he had induced in the man but immediately reprimanding himself for his bit of unintentional misdirection. He spoke quickly in an attempt to repair the damage. "And you would be correct. You handled the Utica situation quite well. Get used to this office, Commander. You're being assigned as the new commanding officer of Starbase 332."

Alex was beyond flabberghasted. The sheer size of the station had him in awe and he was stunned that he was being placed in command of it. "Thank you, sir. Thank you. What of the Jackal though? Is she to be reassigned to a new Commander?"

"No, she'll be attached to the starbase. You may not be on her bridge all the time, Commander, but she'll be here."

"That's reassuring, Admiral and I appreciate you giving me this command. She's quite a station."

Alex sat quietly while details of the command transfer and information on station operations were discussed and passed down the line. Yeomans were brought in and excused as requisitions were dispatched across subspace. He wasn't ready for all of this, but he would just have to be.

[OFF]

Rear Admiral Roger Wellington
Executive Flag Officer
Pegasus Fleet
(NPC played by MWO Maddux)

Captain Tae
Former Commanding Officer

Commander Alexander Gunning
Commanding Officer
Starbase 332