Moving Up (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 23 Aug 2016 @ 7:26pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Langdale Wiggins & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Commander Luke Wyatt & Lieutenant Benice Gyce Ph.D. & Lieutenant JG Lenaris Marika & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Greg Mitchell

1,592 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 12 - Recluse
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 7, Observation Lounge
Timeline: MD -07 - 2015 hrs

[ON]

The lights inside Galileo's expansive observation lounge were dimmed, much to Lirha's relief. She'd been enduring a bout of recurring headaches over the past 24 hours which had made her light green eyes somewhat sensitive to the brightness. She didn't feel that the matter was serious enough to report to sickbay for, but that'd also left her with simply the hope that the pains would subside in the coming hours.

For all intents and purposes, however, she was down on Deck 7 not as a self-medication therapy, but rather to promote several of her crew who had served sufficiently in both time-in-grade as well as profession conduct during the past three months. Her list was short but ample, and she tapped her commbadge to summon the awaiting recipients.

"Mister Wyatt and Mitchell, Miss Gyce, Warraquim, and Lenaris...please report to the observation lounge," she instructed.

Commander Wiggins smiled at the Admiral. They'd been talking for the past few minutes about each of the crewmembers that were being promoted. Moments earlier he had confided in her that he loved seeing people promoted, or awarded something. The excitement and the enthusiasm that one felt was nearly palpable.

Luke was on the bridge covering a shift he had offered to do to make room for his training sessions with Miraj, clicking his comm badge and standing in one motion he spoke "On my way admiral" Nodding to the science ensign signalling she had the bridge, he made his way out off the bridge and towards the observation deck. It wasn't unusual for him, Gyce and Allyndra to be called but the other crewman made it obvious it wasn't just a routine get together.

He soon walked into the observation deck and quickly scanned the room to see Lirha "Admiral" He greeted her before taking his place next to the Orion Admiral and after all this time friend. Admiring the view "I don't think i'll ever get bored of this scene and to think before space travel humanoids like us would look up from their respective planets and dream of what we do today."

She agreed with him wholeheartedly. The average Federation citizen would never get a chance to view the cosmos as she and her crew did, and it was something to never be taken for granted. "Can you imagine what it must have been like on Earth in the early 21st century? Knowing that space travel was only a hundred years away but still stuck on their homeworld?"

Turning to face her briefly "I don't think back then they even thought what we do was even possible, money and greed took over the need to space travel, imagine if they had put their differences aside! We may have been the ones to land on a Vulcan planet making first contact with them instead of how it actually happened" he sighed "alas we chose war and it took us years to finally be where we are today. Maybe we can time travel one day." Luke joked before adding "Accidentally of course"

The Orion shot him a coy sideways glance before suppressing a chuckle. "Yes...accidentally, of course." Time travel mechanics were certainly not her strong-suit at the Academy, and though the occasional Federation starship did encounter such phenomena, Lirha preferred to steer as far clear from it as possible.

Gyce found herself dressing quickly. Her leg like normal, ached after a long shift so she took another pain pill before she traversed from her quarters, to the observation deck.

Her entry into the room was typical. A dutiful nod, a slight limp, and a quick sit into the closest chair to the door.

Having only woken up a few minutes before the call, Marika had jumped into the sonic shower immidietly. One could not expect expediency when calling unanounced. Besides, best be clean when one met an admiral. It was with a bright smile and a jump in her gait, that she walked into the lounge and promptly took place besides her fellow Bajoran.

Allyndra had left the bridge in charge of Wyatt. It was for his own training and she had gone down to sickbay to check how everything was going there. They seemed a bit short staffed again but luckily nothing but some routine check ups and medical record updates. Exploration and science research while mentally exciting seemed to come with its own fair share of bumps and scrapes. She put things away and then headed toward the observation room.

Entering she saw that many had already arrived and she said, "Reporting Admiral." She waited to take a seat until the Admiral indicated that it was alright.

The last to arrive was Mitchell. Having been preoccupied with assisting other crew members at the moment, he was caught unawares of the meeting and took off to the observation deck. His footsteps could be heard as he sprinted into the Observation Lounge. As he entered, he stopped and put his hand on the frame to catch his breath.

"....sorry I'm late....I was just helping maintenance. They wanted me to fix the transfluxer.....transf....the..." Unable to remember what the technical name for what he had been helping with was, he summed it up. "Just, avoid using the disposal units on deck 8. I think I may have turned the wrong dial." Only then did he realize he wasn't the first to arrive. Quickly he stepped inside and stood at attention. "I mean, CWO2 Mitchell, reporting as ordered ma'am."

Luke turned from his conversation with Lirha to see the Chief enter the room and hid a smile, he could remember just yesterday when he to would enter the room in the same fashion now he was more relaxed. Turning to Lirha as if to silently say everyone was here he turned his back from the observation window and looked st the others waiting of the admiral to say what she had summoned them for.

Lirha looked over all of the new arrivals one by one as they entered. "Thank you for coming. Now stand at attention," she instructed while slowly beginning to pace back and forth in front of them. On the edge of the large observation lounge's center table was a small mahogany box -- a time-honored traditional case that every Federation captain used during such circumstances as the present.

"Isnt this all a bit formal" he though before moving from his place next to Lirha. Luke started the line even though he wasn't most senior but for ease he took the furthest right position and awaited was was about to be addressed.

Gyce fell in-line without hesitation and remained at attention. The faster the meeting was over the faster she could go back to her place and decompress. Outwardly not was amiss, but inwardly, it still hurt at moments to look upon Lirha...

Greg, having caught his breath, jumped in at the end of the line and stood immediately at attention. He was fairly nervous, however, about what this could possibly be about. He was about to apologize for the self destruct incident on the bridge when the Admiral began again.

"The last several months have been a busy time for all of us. Our assignment at Celes III was not an easy one despite the deceptive appearance...and our adventures in the Mirror Universe did not go as expected," she began, recalling the violence and lost lives which had resulted from contact with the Terran Empire. "That we are all still here -- in one piece, and together again, is a testament to the resiliency of this crew. And you are all individuals who helped make that possible for us. Every action, however prudent or heroic or mundane, is always performed in the best interests of our crew. You have all contributed to that and have done your jobs to an extent beyond what was ever expected."

Lirha turned back towards the table and procured the small box before walking down to the beginning of the line. "Lieutenant Wyatt. Step forward."

Having been in this situation before Luke knew now what was happening but he couldnt help the smile that crept across his face "Sir" He said stepping forward slamming his heels in and saluting. Moments like this he wished he had his daughter back again.

"Based on your time served in grade, your resilience under pressure and devotion to this crew...you are hereby promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander with all the rights and privileges therein," Lirha stated. She opened the small box and retrieved a new hollow pip for him to add to his collar, then extended her green hand for him to shake.

Feeling the cool sharpness of the new pin he met Lirha's green hand with his own slightly tanned one which seemed to engulf hers. "Thank you Admiral" He then saluted once more before stepping back into position pride beaming from his smile. He definitely deserved a drink after this, whisky on the rocks he though his mind wondering a little.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

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RADM Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Junior Grade Lenaris Marika
Archaeologist/Anthropologist
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Commander Luke Wyatt
Chief Strategic Operations Office
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Benice Gyce
Chief of Security/Tactical
USS Galileo

Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical and Second Officer
USS Galileo

Commander Langdale Wiggins
First Officer
USS Galileo

CWO3 Greg Mitchell
Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

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