"Command Decision"
Previous Post: "Distraction"
/\/\/\
Setting: USS ANUBIS, CO's Ready Room
Following her entrance into the room the
Romulan/Terran hybrid approached the CO who seemed to
be deeply lost in her thoughts and sat down in the
chair directly face the thinking woman. "I ran into
Commodore Simmons a few minutes ago and he said
something that didn't make that much sense to me.
When I asked him to explain he only said that I needed
to speak to you and that you would explain everything.
So if you don't mind my asking, what's going on?"
Looking up from the PADD that she had been intensely
reading since well before the XO had been granted
access to the CO's Ready Room Rikar handed over a
duplicate PADD to the Romulan/Terran hybrid without
showing any outward emotions. Thinking that the
information on the PADD might have something to do
with David, not that what the Commodore had said
remotely dealt with the issue of the CEO, Serenna took
hold of the device and rapidly perused its content.
While waiting for the XO's reaction, the CO leaned
back in her chair still wondering if this new mission
was a good an idea as Simmons had made it out to be.
Not having to take care of any of the administrative
duties and responsibilities did sound like something
nice and it would give her the chance to spend more
time with her daughter, something that as a CO Rikar
had very little opportunity to do. Watching the
expression change on the face of the Romulan/Terran
hybrid, Capt. Rikar saw that the idea had been
received with even more enthusiasm than the CO had
expected.
Taking a few seconds to process all that she had
read, the XO of the ANUBIS lowered the PADD back onto
the desk and turned her attention to the woman sitting
directly in front of her. "Sounds like a simple
enough mission with a simple enough ship, so what's
the catch, aside of course from us being
transplanted onto another ship while our ship gets
repaired?"
Having kept the best part for last Capt. Rikar took
her time before answering her XO's question as if
enjoying making the Romulan/Terran hybrid wait through
a self-created storm of suspicions and conspiracy
theories. "The catch, if you want to call it that, is
that *you* will be commanding the ship and mission."
Sceptically looking back at the CO, the XO tried to
ascertain if this had been an attempt at a joke by the
captain but the look on Rikar's face pointed to the
woman being as serious as could be. Glancing back
down at the PADD the Romulan/Terran hybrid reviewed
all that she had read but this time picturing her in
the big chair instead of the ANUBIS' CO. "Why me?"
Having anticipated the question and rehearsed the
reply a few times, the CO had no problems given an
answer which had not been one that entirely explained
the true reasons for the woman's decision to step away
from the big chair for a little while. "The ANUBIS is
*my* ship and I would not feel it appropriate if I
just took on another command while she is being
repaired. Also I think this will be a valuable
learning experience for both you and Lt. Cmdr. Maya."
Responding to the name of the ANUBIS' CSciO with much
more surprise than the CO had ever expected to see
coming from her XO, the Romulan/Terran hybrid
immediately confronted the captain with her concerns.
"With all due respect, *Maya* is going to be the
Acting XO?"
Imagining the overly talkative scientist taking on
the role and duties of an XO had been something of a
stretch for the ANUBIS' CO, but after having given the
situation a great deal of thought Rikar had judged the
move to be the best for everyone involved. "Maya is
the next highest-ranking officer on the ANUBIS and as
Second Officer the task of taking over your position
is hers should you be required to take over mine
because of some unforeseen problem. Look at things on
the bright side, this will give you both the chance to
deal with something different which will lead to
making you both better officers. Maya will need to
learn to temper her scientific explanations with
command level discipline while you will get to see
what kind of patience a CO is sometimes required to
show."
Appearing less than reassured by the words of her CO,
the Romulan/Terran hybrid gently shook her head
displaying her disbelief and imagining that *this*
would likely be the 'catch' that the XO had been
expecting all along. "So I guess my locking her in
her quarters is not a valid option?"
Grinning at the sound of the joke, which she actually
hoped had been meant as a joke; Capt. Rikar stood from
her chair and asked her XO to join her as they
returned to the Bridge. "That would not be a good
idea since the HATHOR is a small ship and many of the
Senior Staff positions will need to be *doubled up*.
Maya will be your XO and CSciO at the same time and
you will also need to find someone to take on the
responsibilities of COO since that position was
Annie's and she will be staying on the ANUBIS to help
coordinate the repairs."
Thinking about the positions that would need to be
filled and the personnel at her disposal to do so, the
Romulan/Terran hybrid quickly came across a potential
problem in regards to the Engineering staff of the
HATHOR. "What about a CEO? I doubt that David will
be ready or even enthusiastic about the idea of giving
a new ship its shakedown cruise."
Remembering what Commodore Simmons had said about the
HATHOR still needing at least five days before being
ready for departure, the ANUBIS' CO thought of several
possible alternatives to seeing Lt. Dawson assigned to
the HATHOR for this mission but instead of voicing her
opinion Rikar said, "Part of being a CO is to make
difficult decisions. The HATHOR will be your ship for
the duration of that mission, so I leave it up to you
to figure out who would be best suited for that role."
Hearing in the words of her CO that she had not
considered David as being a valid choice for the role
of CEO for the HATHOR the Romulan/Terran hybrid
decided to make the assigning of that position her top
priority.
/\/\/\
Walking into Sickbay the Romulan/Terran hybrid found
both the Cns and CMO hovering over David's resting
form. Reacting as the ANUBIS' XO the Hybrid
approached Ens. Summers and inquired as to the
condition of their CEO. "How is he?"
Looking exhausted from her recent work on the CEO,
the CMO stretched her neck before giving the XO the
report that she had asked for. "David's condition has
stabilized and everything seems to be well on its way
to being back to normal, at least physically speaking.
Susan has already planned a series to tests for David
when he will be stronger to see if Richard is out and
if so what kind of lasting impact this will have on
him."
Glancing over at the resting CEO, the XO slowly
approached the biobed as she tried to picture the man
on it onboard *her* ship and the kind of problems he
would be able to cause should the influence of Richard
still dictated his actions and most important his
temper. Hoping that the answer that the CMO would
give might force her decision onto someone else, the
Romulan/Terran hybrid decided to be blunt. "Doctor,
will David be able to return to duty within the next
five days?"
Appearing stunned by the directness of the question,
Doctor Summers took a while to formulate her reply as
she looked to the CEO and Cns before returning her
eyes onto the XO. "Physically David will not be 100%
by then, but I guess he should be ready and likely
anxious to get busy as he hates to be stuck in
Sickbay. Mentally though I am not the one to declare
him fit for duty."
Knowing that this had been her cue, the Cns stepped
forward and tried her best to explain her concerns to
the XO. "David has gone through a very traumatic
experience and until I can speak to him a little more
there is no way to know what kind of effect all of
this has had on him. Getting him back working could
be very therapeutically or it could prove to be more
than he could handle."
Looking at David, Susan and Lea, the Romulan/Terran
hybrid realized that this would not be as easy as she
might have hoped, but it was something that needed to
be done and something that she would do, one way or
another.
/\/\/\
Lieutenant Commander Serenna
Acting Commanding Officer 2005 post #470
Stardate: 60327.1830
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 60327.1845
/\/\/\
Serena Switt {serena1141@yahoo.com.au}
Executive Officer
USS ANUBIS
USS HATHOR
