New Assignment

Posted on Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 @ 12:13pm by Vice Admiral Iluvar & Commander Christopher McNeil

Mission: Episode 1.1 - "Now Boarding"
Location: Admiral Meyer's Office, Starbase 386
Timeline: MD01, 0800

ON: [[Admiral Meyer’s Office, Starbase 386, MD01, 0800]]

The lift slowed to a halt, allowing Iluvar to step out into the quiet corridor. He glanced to his left, then to his right, and then to his left again. After a moment, he turned right and started down the hall at a casual pace. Ever since receiving the summons from Admiral Meyer, he had been wondering what it could have been that the admiral wanted to meet with him about. The most likely thing was that it was an update on the Elyshan situation and Starfleet’s position on the matter. Being that Iluvar was the leading field officer, it was only logical that the information would be passed to him. Still, that was something that could have been discussed over subspace rather than in person. Then again, Admiral Meyer wasn’t always traditional in his methods and meeting in person just for the sake of doing so definitely seemed like something he would do.

Iluvar rounded a corner and paused before the doors of the admiral’s office. Taking a brief moment, he tugged slightly at his uniform jacket to make it sit straight. He recalled a comment that the admiral had made upon Iluvar’s promotion to commodore about the flag uniforms. It was odd that such a trivial matter was the bane of so many officers’ existence. Reaching out, Iluvar pressed the door chime and waited for a response.

Meyer glanced at his antique clock and smiled. Right on time. He set the last piece on the board and then sat back in his chair. "Come in."

The door slid open and Iluvar crossed the threshold to see Horizon Fleet's Deputy Chief of Staff smiling from behind his desk. Some might have interpreted it as a sign that the meeting was off to a good start, but with Admiral Meyer, Iluvar knew better than to make any assumptions. The last time he had been in this office, the admiral had surprised him with a promotion to Rear Admiral and an appointment as the lead field officer in the response to Elyshan operations along the border.

"Come in, Admiral. Tell me, do you play chess?" Meyer asked as Iluvar stepped into the office.

"Occasionally, sir," Iluvar replied, choosing to wait for the admiral to reveal the purpose in his own time rather than inquiring too early.

"Have a seat," Meyer said, gesturing to the chair across from him. He slid the chess board over to be between himself and Iluvar. "I don't get the chance to play very often, would you mind indulging me while we talk?"

Iluvar had come to expect the unexpected when dealing with the admiral, though that didn't mean he still wasn't surprised from time to time. With a small smile, he took a seat. "It has been some time since I played, myself, sir," Iluvar admitted as he set up his pieces on the board. Pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, a queen, and a king...all the essentials for a game of chess. The figures were traditionally white and black, though they could come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

"So," Meyer said as Iluvar finished placing his pieces, "I understand Temporal Investigations paid you a little visit."

Word certainly did seem to get around fast. Then again, it would be hard not to notice the arrival of Temporal Investigations, especially at the headquarters for Horizon Fleet and especially during a high profile summit. "Just as cryptic and elusive as the last time," Iluvar remarked, moving one of his knights forward in his initial move. The most recent visit had been the second he had received from the department, the first being shortly after the temporary disappearance of the USS Orlando while escorting the Elyshans to the Quadrant Powers Summit. While he knew that the agents meant well, their visits always turned out to be very mysterious and somber affairs.

Meyer considered the board, then selected one of his pawns and moved it forward a space. "So," he said after another moment, "We have a bit of a conundrum to work out, Admiral. You are aware, I presume, that the Tethys is due for a refit?"

"Has it been that long already," Iluvar asked, surveying the board as he spoke. He was, of course, fully aware that the Tethys was getting close to needing a routine maintenance and refit. After two years of taking a beating, it was possible that she needed it more than ever. The problem was that now, more than ever, his ship and crew needed to be out in the field so that he could be overseeing the task force and their operations along the border. Having selected a pawn, Iluvar moved it forward two spaces.

Meyer quirked an eyebrow and quickly moved another pawn forward. "Of course, given the current situation, we also can't have you sitting behind a desk waiting for the Tethys to be ready for duty again. And we also can't afford to skip the refit; some of the planned upgrades are intended to help defense against Elyshan weapons."

"That is understandable," Iluvar agreed, extrapolating a few possible moves and the consequences they might bring. Reaching to the left, he brought another pawn forward only one space to cover the first pawn.

"So you see my dilemma," Meyer said as he considered the board. After considering a couple of options he moved the Queen's Knight out.

It was Iluvar's turn to quirk an eyebrow as he moved his opposite knight into position. "I suppose, then, that the question would be...what are you going to do about it, sir," he asked, keeping his eyes on the board this time. Usually, he tried to keep a few moves ahead in the game, but the different possibilities made it difficult to go much further out than three or four at a time.

"What would you suggest, Admiral?" Meyer asked as he moved yet another pawn.

Iluvar paused in his study of the board and glanced up at the admiral across from himself. "If we cannot remain aboard the Tethys and she cannot remain active without a refit, I must assume that you have an alternative assignment already planned," he reasoned, watching Meyer for any indications that he was on the right track.

"I must be getting predictable," Meyer replied. "I have a few ships in mind that are fresh out of the yard or coming off of a refit of their own. None of them have the tactical capabilities of the Tethys, but all of them are suitable for a flag officer's command."

"I thought you might," Iluvar said with a wry smile, "To be perfectly honest, admiral, I don't think an overtly tactical vessel is what we need out there right now. As much as I have come to trust and depend on the Tethys, I realize that I won't always have her. At any moment during our missions over the past two years, and there are a few specific ones I can recall, I could have lost her."

"What do you know," Meyer asked casually, "About Luna, Intrepid, and Excalibur class ships?"

"A fair amount," Iluvar replied, his curiosity kept in check by his knowledge that patience was the key to any situation, "Each has its strengths and its weaknesses. I've had the privilege of personally being aboard an Intrepid in the past, though the other two I know only by reputation and what I've garnered from status reports."

"And your thoughts based on those reports?" Meyer asked. He considered Iluvar's last move and decided that the best counter would be to move his bishop out.

"Impressive vessels, to say the least," Iluvar said, turning his attention back to the board. There was still no clear indication as to who might have the upper hand in the game yet, but the admiral had left one of his pawns exposed to attack. Another player might have immediately seized the opportunity, but Iluvar knew better than to jump headfirst into a situation without considering the consequences. "I can't say I find the thought of commanding such a large vessel as the Excalibur to be all that appealing," he continued, "though I think Starfleet's on the right track with the Luna-class starships. We've gotten too muddled down in politics and conflict."

Meyer nodded as he waited for Iluvar to make his next move. "Well then, Admiral, I think that narrows things down somewhat."

With a deft movement, Iluvar struck down the admiral's pawn with one of his two available rooks, a rather bold move, but one that he knew would prove to be quite valuable in the final outcome of the game. He set the black pawn to the side of the board before resuming his study of the scene before him.

Meyer nodded and then quickly moved a pawn up to challenge the rook, trusting the presence of his queen to deter an attack on any of his other pieces from that angle. "I'm issuing orders to transfer you to command of the USS Pandora, Luna class."

If Iluvar chose to withdraw the rook, he would cost himself the position as well one vital move. On the other hand, if he did not withdraw, he would lose that rook to the pawn. It was a decision that would dictate a sequence of events to follow. "What about my crew," Iluvar asked, still considering his options.

"They will be given the option to transfer with you," Meyer replied. "The Pandora is fresh out of the shipyard and has no crew at the moment."

Reaching out, Iluvar moved one of his bishops diagonally until it was in the proper position. "Check," he announced, glancing at Meyer to see what the admiral's reaction would be. The thought of leaving the Tethys was something that he was only just beginning to grasp and he knew that it would be a difficult decision for those who had served under him, especially those who had been with him longer.

Meyer looked at the positioning of his pieces. He didn't have many options to head off Iluvar's attack. As a stop-gap he moved a pawn into position to block the Bishop. What Iluvar did next would determine whether his queen or his knight moved next.

"What of the Tethys," Iluvar inquired out of curiosity. Admiral Meyer had said that the Tethys was due for a refit, but there was still a lot of life left in her. Iluvar wondered if anyone had thought as to what the future would hold for his first command. He could see a few possible moves, though each one had its pluses and minuses. With the pawn in the way, his bishop no longer directly threatened the admiral's king, but as Iluvar slowly moved his rook to the left, he opened up a new possibility for them both. "Check," Iluvar announced again.

"The Tethys will be refit and assigned a new crew once she comes back out of drydock in a year or so," Meyer replied as he looked at the board. The most obvious move was to bring his knight in to block the check and add to the defense of the blocking pawn... but it wasn't the only possible move. "I trust you'll be able to handle the Pandora."

"I'm sure we'll have her ready to go in the next few days, sir," Iluvar replied confidently, "My crew will just need a little time to get used to the change, if they decide to accept the transfer." It was coming down to only a few possible moves and Iluvar wasn't quite sure if the admiral had some trick move left up his sleeve or if the man was simply entertaining himself with the game.

"I'll send you a list of candidates to fill any open positions," Meyer said as he moved his king out of the Rook's path.

"That will be most appreciated, admiral," Iluvar said. A new starship with new opportunities was something that Iluvar had a hard time turning down, even if it did mean giving up his first command. It wasn't going to be easy for any of them to make the decision whether to go or to stay. Iluvar was reminded of a quote by Captain James T. Kirk, "Risk is part of the game...you want to sit in that chair." Accepting this assignment would be taking a risk, but so was being in Starfleet. After all, risk was part of the game.

With a final stroke, Iluvar moved his queen forward, cutting off all hope of escape. Taking only a moment to ensure that he had not overlooked anything, Iluvar stated confidently, "Checkmate."

OFF

A JP between

Admiral Antoine Meyer (NPC)
Deputy Chief of Staff
Horizon Fleet
Played by: Commander Christopher McNeil

and

Rear Admiral Iluvar
Commanding Officer
USS Pandora