" Debates "
(Previous Post was Serena's " Operational Rest ")
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Stardate: 60310.0555
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Quarters of the Draxx family
The young woman woke up alone and feeling the coldness of the sheets
hanging
against her bare skin… the warmth generated by the body of her
life-mate
having been absent for the last two weeks. As much as the redheaded
woman
had tried to reassure herself that this had only been a temporary
condition…
Sabrina felt the anguish and anxiety created by the vacancy next to her
only
grow with each passing day. Haunted by the tasks normally under the
responsibility of the ExO and the never ending undertaking of keeping
Talia
busy so that she would not feel her mother's absence too strongly,
Sabrina
closed her eyes and debated the pros and cons of getting out of bed.
The
emotional strain of all that had happened since their return to their
base
of operations had been demanding to say the least, but yet Rikar could
not
just shut herself off from the world around her… despite how she felt…
simply because that had not been her way.
At this point in time the redheaded woman had been ready to jump onto the first mission given to her and the rest of the crew if it meant being able to give something else for her adoptive daughter to focus on… even if only for a short time. Alas the silence from Koneki meant that there had been no mission planned for the ANUBIS and those who served on it… forcing the young woman to once again run through the routine that she had imposed on herself over the last several days. As soon as her duties would be done Sabrina would search the holodeck archives of NEW ALEXANDRIA to find something that would keep both Talia and herself from thinking too much about Enaii and the ordeal that she had been in the middle of.
Like the day before, and the 1 before that, the ExO got out of bed and hoped that this would be the last time that she would have to go through this charade of making the rest of the crew believe that everything had been as it had always been… normal and under control.
==========
Stardate: 60310.0600
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Admiral Koneki's Office
"Come in Elsie." The base's flag officer graciously offered to the ILO
of the HORUS as soon as the absolutely stoic looking woman appeared in the
doorway of his office.
"You wanted to see me Admiral?" The ILO who bared an uncanny resemblance to Enaii and Katie, the ILO of the ANUBIS and SEKMETH respectively, said in a cold and dry tone that would have given shivers to any Vulcan within earshot.
"I have read your report on the last mission of the HORUS… and I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done." Koneki announced as he offered the nearest empty chair to the woman who seemed neither thankful for the compliment she had just been given nor concerned about having been summoned here.
"Admiral… you and I both know that pleasantries are unnecessary, so may I suggest that we proceed with the reason why you have called me here." Elsie calmly said, her voice not betraying any emotions of any sort… not because the woman had achieved a level of mastery of her emotions that would have surpassed that of a Vulcan, but because the ILO of the HORUS had actually been incapable of experiencing *any* emotions making her the coldest and most ruthless Level 5 Field Agent working from NEW ALEXANDRIA.
"Here…" The Admiral countered with as he handed the ILO a PADD which contained the details of the next mission he intended to bestow to her and the crew of the HORUS. The advantage of Elsie not having any emotions meant that the most direct course of action had always been the most effective.
"Admiral… I suspect that you showing me this is your way to elicit some sort of a reaction from me… a futile endeavour that does not suit you." Elsie pointed out in her monotone voice as she handed the PADD back to the Admiral.
"This is no joke… the time for this routine follow-up mission is drawing near and I would like for you and the HORUS to take care of it." Koneki offered in return as he refused to take back the PADD containing the details of this newest mission.
"The HORUS took care of this the last time you dispatched a team there… and the time before that you had sent Katie and the SEKMETH. In order to avoid suspicions from being raised the next team to be sent there should be…" the HORUS' ILO offered as both a reason for her refusal and the most logical alternative before the base's CO jumped in and interrupted Elsie before she spoke either the name of the last ILO or that of her ship.
"The ANUBIS are her crew are… indisposed at the moment. You will have to take care of this as I doubt that Katie would be able to *not* be recognized after her performance the last time she was there." Koneki explained as he wondered if maybe it might not have been a better idea to simply give the mission profile to the HORUS' Captain without previously consulting the ILO.
"Admiral… I am aware of Enaii's debriefing. I am also aware that today is her last day and that she will begin reintegration process. The time frame set for the start of this mission is 8 days… this means that Enaii will have been returned to full status by the time the ANUBIS will be called upon to engage the assignment." The unemotional ILO offered, almost matching the tone of a computer as she listed the facts that had surrounded the status of her sister and ANUBIS' ILO.
Admiral Koneki stared at Elsie initially surprised that she had been so knowledgeable about the state of Enaii's debriefing… but after a few seconds of deliberation the base's flag officer figured that if anyone had been able to discover this would have had to be either Elsie or Katie. Related as they were, the 3 woman shared as many similarities and differences, the most prominent of the latter having been that the ANUBIS' ILO knew nothing about the existence of her 2 sisters.
"You seemed confident in Enaii's ability to be returned to full active status following her debriefing… there are no guarantees that I will reinstate her to her former position and rank after this." The Admiral offered with a hint of emotion in his voice despite his greatest effort to hide it from the other ILO.
"Admiral… everyone bases their decisions on emotions, regardless if they claim so or not. I only consider pure and unaltered facts, and knowing Enaii as I do, I *know* that she will come out of this as she has so many times before. Your asking me and the crew of the HORUS to take part in this mission is based on your fear of not being able to fully trust Enaii even after her debriefing. The facts surrounding her abilities to perform and the mission itself do not support your initial decision. The ANUBIS and her crew have been waiting for a new mission, and given all of the facts and timeframe they are the best selection." Elsie effortlessly detailed reminding the NEW ALEXANDRIA's CO that arguing with her once she had her mind set on something had been truly an exercise in futility.
As the Admiral considered the last words spoken by the ILO of the HORUS he glanced at the hidden panel he frequently used to consult the base's profilers… the 6 women having accurately predicted that Elsie would refuse the assignment and that he would, in the end, send the team most suitable to the mission.
"Return to the HORUS… I will consider your words and inform you of my final decision." Koneki offered through clenched teeth, not entirely happy about not having as much control as he cared for but at the same time finding it reassuring that once all had been said and done he could count of everyone around him to act and react in their own predictable ways.
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Stardate: 60310.1030
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
The young woman stepped into the office with her adoptive daughter in
tow…
responding to a call from James to report here ASAP.
An amused smile flashed over the CO's lips as he watched the mother and child making their way to his desk, the grass stains on their clothes being an indication of what his call had interrupted.
"Sorry for having interrupted your R&R… but Admiral Koneki has just contacted me with our new mission." James explained as he glanced at the young child hoping that she would never lose the innocence that her grass stained clothes demonstrated.
"Mission? But we can't leave… what about…" Rikar immediately jumped in with thinking that the ANUBIS had been ordered to depart right away without the services of its ILO.
"We have 1 full week to prepare for this mission… and I have been reassured by the Admiral himself that the IGC would be fully *manned*. I will call for a meeting of the senior staff to be held at 1300 to discuss our next assignment." The CO interrupted with wanting to reassure his ExO about the status of her wife as a member of the crew.
With Talia next to her, Sabrina had not been able to ask for details about Enaii's status so as to not worry her daughter, but the look in James' eyes said it all… the mixture of concern and certainty in James' eyes said that he believed the ILO would be back as she had left, all that needed to be done was to wait. At least now the crew would have something specific to focus on for the next week.
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Sabrina Jones {sabrina_sweet@hotmail.com}
Commander Sabrina Rikar
Executive Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
2005 post #105
"We are Grey, we stand between the Candle and the Star, between the
Darkness and the Light"
-Entilza Delenn, Babylon 5
