Change of Command (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 20 Dec 2013 @ 9:15pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Commander Scarlet Blake & Rear Admiral James Hurin

2,307 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: Starbase 001 - Task Force 72 HQ
Timeline: MD 02 - 1452 hrs

Previously, on Change of Command (Part 1)...

"Sir - if I may? Our...future in the Fleet? Are we to be reassigned?"

James sat down and pulled close to the desk as he opened an unseen drawer. "Yes." Once settled he placed three small mahogany boxes with gold accents on top of the desk. "Captain Lirha Saalm," he slid the box with the contents within it across his desk towards Lirha. "you are being relieved of command effective immediately and stripped of your rank as Captain... "

He allowed a dramatic pause, "I am hereby promoting you to the rank of Commodore and reassigning you as Deputy Commanding Officer of Task Force Seventy-Two and my Mission Operations Adviser. Congratulations, Commodore Saalm."

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

Lirha's head spun as she tried to process everything the admiral had just said to her. The words 'relieved of command' echoed painfully inside her skull, and she felt herself beginning to feel sick to her stomach. Her green eyes looked down to the box on the desk in front of her which she assumed contained her new rank pip, but it was barely any comfort for the feelings she was starting to experience. She didn't want to leave Galileo, and while a new rank and senior task force position had just been handed to her, in her mind it was no substitute for being a commanding officer. Over the past year, she had grown very fond of and attached to the little Nova Class, and it had been her pride and joy to command her through her adventures. Now...that was all coming to an end. She swallowed a lump in her throat and did her best to keep from clinching her fists in anger. The admiral was taking her ship away from her and it wasn't fair.

"Thank you for your confidence in me, admiral, but I must respectfully decline reassignment. Galileo is my ship and would like to remain in command," she somewhat-politely protested.

Hurin proceeded, seemingly in deep thought about his duty.

"Now, that leaves the Galileo without a Commanding Officer." said Hurin as he then slid the remaining boxes towards John and Scarlett.

"Effective immediately, Jonathan Holliday you are hereby given command of the USS Galileo and promoted to the rank of Captain with all the rights and privileges therein. " said Hurin. "Congratulations Captain Holliday.

John stood motionless as the extra pip was attached to his uniform collar. In less than ten seconds, Galileo had lost it's CO, gained a new one, and the same again for it's XO. Not to mention John was losing his mentor in the command of a starship and a woman that he had come to view as more than just a colleague, but a friend.

"T....thank you sir?"

"Scarlett Blake, you are immediately reassigned as the Executive Officer of the USS Galileo and promoted to the rank of Full Commander." he stated. "Congratulations Commander Blake. It's well earned."

Scarlet was in an equal state of shock as her colleagues. She looked to Holliday, speechless for a long moment. First Officer? She had...? When she had come aboard the Galileo, she had just been a counsellor. Now, after a long and hard bout of service on the ship, she was being trusted with the position of First Officer? Her throat tightened and her heart thumped inside of her chest, so much it almost hurt.

"Cap...I mean Commodore Saalm....I....congratulations ma'am?" John fell over his words as he tried to give praise to his recently departed CO - he was unsure as to how he should feel. On the one side he had attained the rank that he had always wanted to hold, but on the other he knew the sorrow that Saalm would be feeling at the loss of her command. Whilst John had gained the big chair, she had lost hers.

Lirha snapped out of her thoughts when John spoke to her, and she looked up at him and forced a smile on her face. Her eyes, however, betrayed her true feelings of remorse and sadness that she had just lost her command. "Thank you," she replied in a whisper, then cleared her throat and attempted not to sulk in the admiral's office. "Congratulations to you as well," she added, "I can not think of anyone better suited to command Galileo." She looked over at Scarlet and smiled at her too, "And congratulations to you, commander. You will make a fine first officer."

"Ma'am...with respect - she's still your ship. Is it not the right of any flag officer to hold a personal flagship for their use?"

John replied with a stern look on his face, whilst he had always wanted to attain the rank that most Starfleet officers aimed for, he had the overwhelming feeling of disgust with himself that he was replacing his own CO so quickly with only a year as an XO under his belt.

"I would step aside more than happily if that was your wish...Commodore?"

The Admiral looked at Lirha then to John. "Captain Holliday? You have been just handed command of a Nova-Class vessel. This class of ship is extremely hard to come into possession of as a CO. Are you sure?"

"Sir - with respect, my loyalty is to my Captain - simply because she is a Commodore now doesn't change the fact she is my mentor... and my friend. Should she wish to hold command of the Galileo I would be a fool to stop her."

John knew how rare the Nova-class starships were, and how few of them existed in the fleet, let alone how few CO posts came up onboard. His sentiment was exactly as he had said however - his captain was still his captain, no matter what the rank pip on her collar said.

Sighing with hidden dejection, Lirha shook her head and forced another smile on her gold lips as she looked back to John. "No...she is your ship now." At that moment, she realized she was being selfish by insisting on remaining in command. John had earned his rank and the opportunity for command through many months of great service and loyalty, and it would be purely self-serving for her to stand in the way of his career goals. She remembered that he had already been offered another command position while they were away near the Rojar system, and she didn't want to risk losing him from her crew due to her insistence. What was it her Academy friends had always told her? 'Can't have your cake and eat it too, Lirha'.

She took a deep breath and rubbed her clammy hands together as she turned back to Hurin. "I would like to remain aboard Galileo. Perhaps as mission adviser? I cannot stand the thought of leaving the ship right now...and my sister is just beginning to acclimate herself to the crew and make friends...it would not be pleasant for us to be taken off of the manifest."

John nodded in agreement with the newly-minted Commodore. It would do good for Saalm to remain aboard Galileo to help with the transfer of Command, and above all, would be helpful to the new Captain.

"I second the Commodore's request Admiral. I would benefit from her advice during the transition period greatly."

Hurin listened to the arguments that were being presented and agreed. "Very well, Commodore. You can remain on the Galileo for as long as you deem necessary. You can handle any Task Force matters from there for now. I have to give you credit Commodore. This loyalty being displayed here...you don't usually find that on most ships. Speaks very highly of you and your command style. Effective immediately you are hereby appointed as the Task Force Mission Adviser to the USS Galileo."

"Thank you, both of you," Lirha replied to the admiral and John. It still felt like a consolation prize for her, but she was nonetheless relieved that she wouldn't be completely taken away from Galileo. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was not a terrible proposal. She would be able to stay on board with Nesh and Siren while performing her duties, and as her XO had mentioned, also provide him with some assistance for the inevitable growing pains which afflicted every new commanding officer. If only she had been so lucky as to have a mentor herself when she had first taken command...

"Yes ma'am" John replied, looking more reassured now that he knew his CO would be staying relatively nearby, at least in the short term. Now he turned his attention back to the Admiral ahead of him.

"Admiral, if I may? Do you require anything further of us?"

"Not at all, Captain." replied Hurin. "You are all dismissed, and congratulations."

The Orion commodore rose from her seat and stepped to attention for a short moment before giving Hurin a polite nod and turning to walk out of his office back into the lobby.

Blake smiled to the Admiral and nodded gently before moving out, following Saalm and Holliday in silence, recognising the strain in the situation and knowing enough to keep her mouth shut until spoken to.

In virtual silence, the XO turned Captain picked himself up from his own chair and marched back out into the lobby following his former CO. It was still yet to fully sink in the changes that were coming, and the impact it was going to have on his life aboard Galileo.

"Commodore Saalm....I'm sorry ma'am. You didn't deserve to be put in that position."

She gave him a weak smile and waved her hand dismissively. "It is alright. I suppose I should have seen this coming when I was first appointed task group commanding officer several months ago. Technically, the admiralty is within their rights to reassign any of us for whatever reasons they deem necessary...and Admiral Hurin was polite enough to let me remain aboard Galileo. I suppose it could have been worse, I could have been reassigned to desk duty back at Starfleet HQ for the foreseeable future." Lirha was trying her best to find the positives in the situation, and was beginning to realize it did her no good to continue to lament her career progression.

John shuddered at the mere mention of having a desk-bound position. The Captain was a born spacer, and had no intention of ever allowing himself to become anything other than a member of the Fleet actively working in space. Had he been given Saalm's promotion, and been unable to remain on a starship, his resignation would have been the next thing to cross the Admiral's desk.

"With respect Commodore - you'd never catch me working behind a desk. Too comfortable for my liking. I...suppose we need to inform the crew?"

"Yes, we should make the transfer of command official once we return to Starfleet HQ. Perhaps tomorrow morning we can assemble the crew in one of the meeting halls for a brief ceremony?" she proposed. "And I believe Galileo is now in need of a new second officer."

"I agree...I will have to make sure my dress uniform still fits...I hear nanoprobes play havoc with your waistline." The Captain replied jokingly, knowing that the ceremony would have to be done, even if he did not want it to happen.

"Any suggestions for the role?"

"Mialin served well when she had to step up to the First Officer position," Scarlet offered, folding her arms as she thought on it. In truth, she was still reeling from the sudden change. "And her position is a good match with the role."

"It seems my assimilation was good for one thing then." John replied, noting how he had very little idea how his crew had stepped up to the situation that had formed during his absence.

"Commodore your thoughts?"

Lirha shrugged, not knowing much about what had transpired while she had been fighting her own assimilation in sickbay aside from the reports she had read. "I suppose she is an acceptable choice. Not the most outgoing officer on the ship, but her dedication to her duties is strong. I think she would serve in the role well, but it is ultimately your choice, captain," she replied to John.

Smirking at the mention of his new rank, John pulled back his shoulders as if making some grand decision, and looked at his two compatriots.

"Very well - as Captain I authorise the assignment of Lieutenant Commander Mialin to the position of Second Officer."

Lirha returned his smirk with a grin of her own, then motioned for the three of them to head back out into the corridor to find the nearest transporter room. "A good decision," she commented with approval. "Now, unless there are other matters, shall we return to Earth?"

"Usually I'd be tempted to argue with the brass but in this case I'll agree. Lead the way Commodore."

Extending an arm, the Commander mockingly bowed slightly to allow his ex-CO to pass as they headed for the transporter room.

Scarlet watched them for a long moment, standing still, letting them walk ahead. She would need to get to know Holliday better, that was for sure. Lirha and Holliday were close. She took a soft breath, curious about what was ahead, and how it would go.

[OFF]

--

CDRE Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo

Rear Admiral James Hurin
Task Force-72 Commanding Officer
Task Force-72 Headquarters

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