Moving Up

Posted on Sat May 11th, 2024 @ 1:55am by Captain Remy Johansen

2,230 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Mission Interlude Starbase 76 & Serenity
Location: Diplomatic Affairs Suite
Timeline: MD 09, 1739 Hours

Captain Johansen had a few items of interest to discuss with Officer Kayto, and it seemed like as good of an opportunity as any to see how things were operating in the Diplomatic Affairs Division. She walked through the doors to the suite on Deck 2 to find....

Nevan sat out in his teams common area, stacks of PADDs on the table and up on the large display screen on the far wall he had begun a list of clues and ideas as to what the Atarans may have been hiding. But since he had no clue where to begin he was almost spitballing ideas. He had a mug of raktajino and was scouring through a stack when the Captain walked in, not noticing as he tried to remember which report he'd seen a previous note about something with the orphans that he'd felt was a bit out of place.

"Knock, knock," Remy said announcing her entry. "How are things going in Diplomatic Affairs?" She asked. Remy thought she would try to get some general information first before diving into anything specific that had been brought to her attention.

Looking up startled, he knocked over a few of the PADDs as they slid across the table "Apologies Captain, I'm just working on something that it appears the Away Team had some concerns on. Please come in." Sliding some of the mess over to the far side of the table, Kayto grinned as he went and picked up his drink "Would you care for something from the replicator?"

"No, thank you," Remy said shaking her head at the offer. "What's the away team concerned about?" Remy walked toward the table to get a closer look.

"Well, they are thinking that there's something the Atarans are hiding, something big. It's enough that the whole team over there is combing through reports apparently, Grexx and Cormus have made everything available. And they sent the message in a format that's undetectable and shows up as background radiation at best. I almost missed it myself but fortunately remembered to get my teams monitoring station online before they left. So their secrecy gives cause for concern as well. I've been trying to look for either a pattern or something out of place, but so far all I have is what's up on the screen here/ The computer has been pretty helpful in filtering out alot of erroneous data but there's still alot to comb through." Nevan stepped away from the table and over to the screen, zooming in on the clues he'd been focusing on so far.

"Lieutenant Spello didn't say much because we were on comms, but I got the message something is going on. Lieutenant Cyn is doing some digging here. What have you been able to glean from this so far?" Remy asked?

"Well so far it's all stuff that sticks out like a sore thumb. Their distrust of us, issues with the Romulans and Vulcans which have yet to be explained, an extreme desire from privacy which while not too far out of place, they are much less forthcoming than one would expect with their rescuers. Even in our meetings with them the ones that wanted to reach out and communicate more, that wanted help, seemed to hide a deeper fear of repercussions. As a whole everyone in their society appears to be generally treated equal but I had felt as if something was off with the teenager's, more specifically with the orphans that we woke up. Take for example Jheva, she seems like a nice enough young lady and is very intelligent, but it's almost as if she's been treated as more of an outcast within her own society. She's working to find her own place more outside of it than within, even thousands of years later. Part of me wants to ask her directly but I also am worried about the threats she faces as a result of saying something. Has anyone come to you with anything by chance?" Kayto took a sip of his coffee and leaned back against the table.

Remy nodded with concern as she listened. "Initially the distrust wasn't concerning. They didn't know anything about us, or the political climate of the galaxy. It would be wise to not align with the wrong side unwittingly, but Lieutenant Spello has now experienced what you have. Someone wants to speak but hasn't been able to. And a younger orphan, Brunel has asked for asylum. He told Lieutenant Cyn he will be killed if made to go back to his own people."

"I feel like that places us between a rock and a hard place. They aren't Federation members and to an extent the Prime Directive would stop us from interfering in their societal processes. His asylum request could be very tough to get approved all things considered." He took a moment and ponded what he knew, although asylum requests were certainly not his area of expertise. But there was someone that had vastly more experience in the realm of diplomacy and government than he did. "I think we need to kick this over to Ensign Amano. As much as I hate to say it."

"The fact that they aren't Federation members shouldn't affect his request. His age is a complication. And if his allegations are true, it certainly complications things for them. Tell me though, What's the issue between you and Amano?" Remy asked.

"Amano? Well considering she decided she needed to sign for my runabout and on top of it also within five minutes of meeting me also decided to begin schooling me on Federation protocol and respect for officers and chain of command when I asked her for her assignment orders. When she refused to provide them I went about my business. That of course didn't stop her from continuing to speak her mind but I didn't respond further. The dockmaster was fit to be tied, to say the least. She finally shut up when he told her he'd have her removed from the area if she didn't have any business there and continued to interfere with those of us that did. I've seen here around getting settled in but there's been no communication with her since." Discussing the woman hadn't been at the top of his list but he wasn't going to avoid the Captain's question either. "To be frank, she's not the first officer I've dealt with that had such a mindset."

"Everyone in the division should be aware by now, that the Diplomatic Department will be under the direct supervision of First Officer Spello, until someone more permanent is in place," Remy said. "Speaking of, I'm going to need your attendance at his promotion ceremony tomorrow at 1800 hours."

"Of course Captain, I'll be there. I see it as vital to show support for the command and senior staff. Civil Operations will ensure we're showing that publicly and privately as well." Even if she hadn't asked, Nevan would've made it a point to attend either way. There was something about him that enjoyed attending promotion ceremonies.

"You don't need to give me an answer today, but I brought something up to you in passing a few days ago that I'd like you to at least consider," Remy said. "Chief of the Boat. I'm filling out my command table, and I think you'd be a good fit, and my thoughts on that have been recently supported by a fan of yours up the chain."

It was something that had weighed heavily on his mind the last number of days. He'd even placed a call to his father for some advice on top of everything else going on. He'd taken some time to look over the ships roster and was genuinely curios why someone else like Enam Nemec hadn't been offered the role instead, considering his rank and age. He'd likely have fit the bill better than him with more experience and wisdom in his years. At the same time, he knew better than to pass up such an opportunity. And on top of it he had an advantage in being able to read other peoples emotions, something that Enam didn't have.

Remember what I told you the day I pinned that first stripe on your collar son, things are no longer just about you now, and that you are responsible for the welfare of everyone above and below you as an NCO, to include laying down your life for theirs. That's the weight those stripes bring with them. While his own father never served, the man had known several good NCO's that had and fully understood the seriousness of their duties as well as everything that they had encompassed. He made sure his son was quite aware of that legacy he would be carrying forth in his Star Fleet career.

"I accept, Captain. I have a lot of questions and can honestly say I have no real clue what the hell I'll be getting myself into, especially as someone about half the appropriate age for the role. But if I want Grexx and Mr. Fletcher to begin to grow as well, I have to be able to start giving them more to do and trusting them as well. If I may ask, who else mentioned my name?" In truth, Officer Kayto had felt quite alone in trying to navigate his decision the last few days. Knowing there was someone outside to support him did make him feel a bit better.

"Commodore Shoros reached out today," Remy responded. "He had special orders for an early promotion for you. I was going to let it be a surprise tonight, but since you asked and were ready to accept my offer, we'll make the pronouncement alongside Lieutenant Spello's tonight. -- Unless you need more time. I don't want to make you two share the spotlight."

He stood there for a moment, shocked to say the least. "I uhm....I mean ya. I'm more than happy to share the time next to Commander Spello but, special orders? I haven't heard from the Commodore, wow he made Commodore?; good for him, in a long time. He was a great Captain. I'm not due to hit my secondary zone for review for like another five months, and even then chances are very slim to get picked up. So needless to say I'm pretty surprised. I now we're short on folks but wow. It makes me want to take a look at open billets for my guys again to see if I can get them promoted too. Is it really that bad?" He realized he'd trailed off into his own thoughts and caught himself, stopping. "I'm sorry Captain, thank you for bringing me such news. I'll be ready to step forward for you and the crew."

Remy looked at Nevan seriously. "No, it's not really that bad, Officer Kayto. Your name came up as part of a selective review for an early promotion. Your work has made you stand out. You should be proud."

"Sorry, I meant the shortage in Civil Ops. I'm more concerned at the potential lack of experience we'll be pulling up from the lower ranks and the potential lives it'll end up costing at the end of the day, that's all. I'm more worried about Grexx, Cormus, and their peers. But thank you Captain. Hopefully this business with the Atarans doesn't end up causing them any trouble we're out of range. I suppose too I'll end up having another office? Is it still on this floor I take it?" In truth Nevan had no idea where the Chief of Boats office was on a Galaxy class.

"The office is next to the XO's office on the other side of the Deck," Remy said. "You don't have to keep two offices, but you are welcome to both. If it were me, I'd like the separate space, but some might prefer to flow from one job to the other without taking a walk. I think you'd benefit from benefit from being on this floor since this is where the First and Second Officers offices are, but if you think Civil Ops needs to be less accessible to you when you are shifting gears, we do have space on Deck 5." The Captain had already thought through a few scenarios and how Nevan's promotion may impact his crew.

"I think it's best I keep a separate meeting place to reduce the foot traffic through here and not interrupt everyone else's work. Plus separating responsibilities and availability would probably be best. And I can get to know Mr. Spello a bit more. Deck 2 should suit me just fine." He took another sip of his coffee and pondered for a moment how he was going to start shifting his schedule around. And when he'd meet with each of the rest of the NCO's.

"Your keys should be ready in a couple of hours," Remy quipped. Remy gestured to the table of work that Nevan had been standing over. "I can leave you to this for now. Please don't hesitate to reach out if anything stands out to you."

"You'll be the first to know anything, thank you again Captain." Nevan turned back to his mountain of work, which now in reality seemed small in comparison to what truly lay before him.

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