Bun Hair Day

Posted on 02 Dec 2017 @ 11:51pm by Rear Admiral Nathan West & Edward Bauer
Edited on on 03 Dec 2017 @ 2:10pm

1,878 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Earth - Starfleet HQ, Admiral West's Office
Timeline: MD 79, 0630 hrs

[ON]

West was looking out the windows of his office with a cup of spiced tea in his hands. The view was magnificent, San Francisco in the early morning. The way the sun played over the buildings, first fighting to cut through the fog then cutting through and painting a new image each day it was beautiful. He liked to get in early to watch and see what kind of painting nature would gift him with. He moved to sit at the small table which was nestled into a nich of his office where he could watch the view outside and the door to his office. He placed the tea down, half missing the warmth the hot liquid provided as he picked up a piece of bread and slathered on some butter and jam. He took a bite and heard the alarm that went off when a member of the Admiralty entered his building. He half knew who it would be as he had not had any blow-back from her yet and he knew he would have to weather that storm sooner rather than later. He breathed in and composed himself, determined to enjoy his breakfast and the view while he could. He reconsidered and stood to move to the replicator.

"Computer, one, tea earl grey hot, and three eggs over easy and three pieces of bacon with a croissant." he said picking them up after they had materialized and moved to place them on the table across from where he would be sitting.

"If I must take a tongue lashing there's no reason why it cant be a civil one." he said aloud knowing full well that it would likely not be enough to defuse the woman that was making her way through his building to him now.

"Captain Freeman, please allow the Admiral to enter uninterrupted and clear my schedule for the next few hours." he said after pressing the button that would open a comm link to his aide de camp.

"Yes Admiral." was the quick reply before the link was broken. Now all he had to do was wait. He took a bit of his croissant and sipped his tea.

The coming storm came in the form of Vice Admiral Alexandra Vance. Dressed in her standard duty uniform with white collar, the imposing woman marched purposefully to the office of Admiral Nathan West. Her face wore a permanent scowl as she strode through the sparse crowds of people making their way to their duties. The warm glow of the orange sun glistening upon her did nothing to disguise the cold sapphire color of her artificial eye. As for the other eye, all the glinting sunlight accomplished was to exasperate the red fury that would soon be unleashed upon West. Her hair was tied back tightly in a bun, pulling upon her forehead, illustrating the image that she was held to a higher standard then those around here.

As she stepped through the main entrance and made her way towards West's office, she was met by his aide de camp. "Take me to Admiral West now, Captain." she ordered coldly keeping her focus on the doors ahead of her.

"He is in his office Ma'am and he is waiting for you." the Captain said simply as he stood and extended his hand to the doors for West's office.

Alexandra did not make any further comment briskly making her way past the aide as she marched into West's office. "Does Starfleet Intelligence have strategy meetings on ways to piss me off or are you all naturals at it now?" Vance stated angrily as she entered the room.

West ignored the jib and simply motioned to the seat across from him and said.

"Computer turn off surveillance and erect a counter-intelligence field around this office." this had the effect of turning the windows black and a soft popping of energy could be felt as the counter-intelligence field was erected.

"Admiral please, take a seat I would hate for your breakfast to get cold." he stood and again motioned to the seat across from her.

Vance scoffed as she placed her hands on her hip. "It will take more then a mere breakfast to turn my attention from your latest personnel change. Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice? You DO remember my father was once in your position or has the brass on your collar drawn your brain cells from your skull?"

He snorted "Firstly I am not trying to get you off topic I simply wish to eat while you lash me and my sense of hospitality demands I offer you refreshment as well. Secondly the brass on my collar has no more drawn my brain cells from my skull any more than your have you. Thirdly I am not your father, nor am I any other head of SFI that you worked under, now please sit and eat and lets discuss this rationally." he paused and modulated his face into an expression of earnest pleading "Seriously Alexandra, I'm still the same Nathan you knew when we were in the field together."

She could not argue with the man's logic, and she was hungry. She reluctantly took a seat at the table, across from West. "If you are the same Nathan I knew, then why did you not forewarn me before you decided to recruit one of the most high profile traitors of our time? Do you even understand the backlash that will follow if anyone finds out? Not to mention the precedence this sets to other Captains? Why even have laws if they can be broken at the whims of those sworn to uphold them?"

"I recruited her because having her waste away in a cell would be a poor use of Star Fleet resources. She belongs out on the front lines." he looked at her across the table "God knows if we had been court marshaled for the things WE did you wouldn't be sitting here now eating breakfast and I would be lost in some Romulan gulag or worse. You followed the letter of the law, 'justice' was served. I followed the spirit of the law and used what powers I'm vested with to pull a valuable asset out from the eternal fires of purgatory." he breathed in and then continued "As for the backlash, I've been fighting the backlash since I started working to get her released. I've spoken to the President, the Joint Chiefs, and everyone above my paygrade to get it to happen. I'm sorry this blindsided you but I knew you would fight me if I told you and I couldnt fight you and the other Admirals at the same time. You're just too good."

Alexandra took a sip from the Earl Grey tea. The warm liquid always found a way to calm down the tempest soul of the seasoned intelligence officer. "Do you think me so blinded by justice that I would not have seen your side of the story? My collar may be white, but they grey never goes away. How many more assets will be deemed too valuable to rot? Or is Lirha Saalm something special?" Vance replied hinting jealousy in her voice, as if West himself was responsible for the wrong that had been done to Alexandra.

"She is special," he caught her tone and responded to the unspoken question "dont you wish I had been in charge of SFI when you had gotten in hot water with the brass? To answer your question I will do my damndedst to make sure that any asset Star Fleet has isnt thrown to the wolves. You got a second chance, and a third if I remember properly." he pointed at her collar "You also to promoted ahead of me because you were the squeaky wheel that no one wanted to deal with. Would you have me sit back and let her ruling stand when you and I both know that the spirit of the law was not upheld?"

"I would hardly call this a promotion." Vance replied glibly. "I would have you and anyone else use the proper procedures as prescribed by law. You think she got a bad break, this is why we have appeals court. If you think for one second that I got off scot-free, then I'm afraid you don't know me as well as you think you do."

"I know you didnt get off scot-free, that's why I'm asking you if you would have rather I been the one that was over you when you had your issues. Also, I would point out, that Saalm didnt get off scot-free either. She's no longer a flag officer and she's having to rebuild a crew." he laughed "I would call that a promotion." he squinted at her collar "Yep, looks like three pips with a golden rectangle. That beats my two in gold... and remind me did you ever wear a Rear Admiral's insignia?" he asked with a smirk.

"I would gladly switch seats with you.." Vance replied simply as she began to eat her breakfast.

West nodded and his eyes for the briefest moment showed what all the lives lost under his stewardship of SFI had cost him, and the fact that their sacrifices for the Fleet had to stay in the shadows echoed in the darkness of his gaze. His voice dropped to a whisper "You wouldnt enjoy my seat Alexandra." A heartbeat passed before he looked up at her and smiled wiping the previous moment away with force of will as he spoke normally again.

"What can I do to help soothe the rustled feathers?"

"Nor would you enjoy mine." Alexandra retorted taking a sip from her tea. "It is far too late to soothe rustled feathers. My only hope is that you realize the gravity of the situation you have placed both yourself and Lirha Saalm in. She cannot be the Commanding Officer that she was on the Galileo anymore Nathan. Right now, the line is thick for her and if she should even think of crossing it, if she even comes close to crossing it the microscope that is bearing down upon both of you will undoubtedly bring forth her actions into the public eye."

A brief pause as Alexandra leaned forward as she looked West in the eye. "A rest assured Nathan, there will be no third chance for her, I will make absolutely certain she finds her way to a penal colony."

He laughed "I do not hold the proper paperwork from a university to hold your position." the smile and laughter died away as she continued he waited until she was done. "Rest assured, Alexandra, if she does cross the line with out my permission I will not only put her in the penal colony, I put her under it."

Alexandra smiled as she slowly lowered herself into her seat. "Then for the time being, this matter is settled. I'll leave it on you to keep it that way."

He nodded "My thanks."

[OFF]

--

Alexandra Vance
Vice Admiral
Senior Judicial Officer
Office of the Judge Advocate General, San Francisco, Earth
[PNPC Bauer]

Nathan West
Rear Admiral
Chief of Star Fleet Intelligence
Starfleet HQ, San Francisco, Earth

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