A Pleasant Surprise

Posted on Fri Nov 4th, 2011 @ 11:50am by Commander Michael Evans M.D. & Vice Admiral Iluvar

Mission: Episode 2.3 - "Hippocratic Oath"
Location: Commanding Officer's Quarters, USS Pandora
Timeline: Mission Day 02, 1120

::BACKPOST::

ON: [[Commanding Officer's Quarters, USS Pandora, Mission Day 02, 1120]]

Standing before the mirror in his own quarters, Iluvar examined himself in his new uniform, adjusting the hem of his jacket for what seemed to be the tenth time. He turned around once before looking back in the mirror as his reflection turned on a three-second delay. The freshly replicated fabric was still stiff enough it did not seem to want to sit straight no matter what he tried to do. Close enough was going to be the best he could hope for until the jacket became a bit more flexible with use.

It had been nearly thirteen months since he had last donned the uniform of a Starfleet flag officer and there was a part of him which was surprised to find himself in the gold trim of the admiralty again. An oval buckle displaying the Starfleet Command emblem served to further distinguish his new uniform from the one he had been wearing only moments before. Even the combadge which had been replicated with the uniform was slightly different from the one he had worn previously in that it was comprised of the Starfleet delta backed by two vertical gold quadrangles. The only thing missing was his rank insignia.

He looked again at the two identical rectangles containing the three golden pips of a Vice Admiral which lay side-by-side on the small countertop beneath the mirror. Reaching out with one hand, he carefully lifted the first and pinned it to one side of the collar before repeating the same action with the remaining insignia. It seemed oddly poetic that he should be doing so in orbit of the same station upon which a Board of Inquiry had reduced him in rank from Rear Admiral to Captain.

Michael Evans pressed the chime outside his captain's quarters. After a pause that seemed to him a little longer than normal, he gained permission and entered. He began speaking right away, "Sorry to bother you, Sir. I just wanted to run a few thoughts about some personnel changes with..." but stopped immediately when he saw Iluvar in the gold-trimmed admirals' uniform. 'Well, that's it,' he thought, 'he's gone off his nut.' He must've been taking his discipline over the past year harder than Michael thought. Good thing they had a counselor on board. Mike cleared he throat as he recomposed himself.

"Good afternoon to you as well, doctor," Iluvar said, catching sight of the young physician's bewildered face in the reflection of his mirror, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Er, I was just," Mike said, "wanting to bounce some personnel ideas off you regarding the medical department before I put them in to the First Officer, Sir, are you feeling all right?" he finished in a run-on, with a very concerned left eyebrow scrunched up. He gestured at Iluvar's uniform as he took a step forward.

A wry smile spread slowly across Iluvar's face at the younger man's question. "Fear not, doctor," he assured Evans, "I haven't lost my mind...not yet anyway." He paused to make yet another attempt of straightening his jacket, which stretched slightly before returning to its former position, and chuckled softly as he shook his head back and forth. "I had planned on making an announcement to the crew at an appropriate time, but I don't see why you wouldn't have a right to know now," he continued, turning to face Evans directly, "I received a rather interesting communique from Vice Admiral Hawkins (PNPC) who informed me the decision which was handed down over a year ago has just been overturned by judicial review."

Michael paused a moment as he mulled that over in his mind. "That's good news," he said, then looked up as a grin spread across his face. "That's really good news... 'Admiral.'" But then the grin melted as suspicions ran through his mind. "But why the sudden overturn?" he wondered aloud. "Not that I'm not pleased about it," he hedged with a half-smile.

The smile faded slightly from Iluvar's face as he thought about what the Eighth Fleet's former Judge Advocate-General had told him about his own inquiry and the judicial review which had overturned it. "It is likely recent events within the Romulan and Elyshan Empires played a significant role in, at the very least, the timing of this review," he answered slowly.

Mike nodded. Internal politics and macrosociopolitical influences made little sense to him at the best, raised his hackles at the least when he did understand them, and as such was usually generally ignored by him. He just shook his head. "Well, congratulations anyways, sir," he said sincerely.

"Your sentiments are most appreciated, doctor," Iluvar said, his smile returning, "You mentioned wanting to bounce some personnel ideas around..."

"Yes, sir," Mike said. He tried to outline succinctly his idea for shifting the medical crew's rotations so that they overlapped the rest of the ship's rotations, as a shift change usually meant an increase in the number of people coming to sickbay; people suffered a minor injury in the course of their duties, or woke up prior to their shift feeling ill, or whatever. The overlap would reduce some of the confusion and errors that occurred. The medical department would be on a slightly different shift rotation than the rest of the ship, but it wouldn't affect things greatly and the benefits could make things run a lot smoother.

Iluvar gave a slow nod. He could certainly see the merits of what Evans was suggesting, even if it did mean having to shuffle things around a little. Change was an inevitable constant in the universe which they all needed to adapt to...adapt or risk being left behind. "I appreciate the thought you have put into this, doctor," he told the younger man, "This is exactly the sort of foresight which made you an ideal candidate for second officer, a position you have taken to quite well, if I do say so myself."

Mike shuffled his feet a little and tried not to look too embarrassed. For him, a job well done was often its own reward. Still, it felt good to receive compliments, but he hadn't quite got the hang of receiving them well. "Thank you, sir," he tried to say sincerely.

"...and I see no reason why our new Executive Officer should not be able to put your suggestions into effect," Iluvar continued, "Given his experience in the medical field, I am sure he would agree with what you have just explained to me."

'Wow, another medical officer coming aboard. And as our XO!' mused Mike. 'I'll bet he'll have some good stories to swap.' Swapping stories about patients and diseases was as popular a pastime amongst medical professionals as swapping stories about battles and enemies was amongst klingons. "Who is he, sir," Mike asked. "Have I met him?"

"I should very well hope so, commander," Iluvar said with a chuckle. He reached over to the counter beneath his mirror and lifted a small, nondescript box from where it had been nestled in the corner before holding it out for the young physician to take.

Evans opened the box with some curiosity to find three solid pips lined up neatly inside. These weren't his since he was still a Lieutenant Commander, with one of his three pips being hollow. Likely he was to deliver them to some lucky person. As Second Officer Mike did have the pleasure of notifying ensigns and lieutenants of a new promotion, but usually the Command Officer or an admiral presented new command ranks such as Full Commander. 'Someone's going to be pleased,' he thought as he wondered who was going to receive the promotion. Perhaps someone else within the fleet, with Iluvar's reinstatement as admiral? He slipped the box of pips into a pocket. Likely he would soon enough receive his orders about who would receive them.

"So, when will our new XO be arriving," Mike asked.

"He is already here, doctor...in this very room, in fact," Iluvar said as he watched the younger man's face for a reaction, "It has taken quite a bit of deliberation on my part, but I have decided there can be no candidate better suited for this position than you."

Mike blinked once as his brain rapidly digested this new information. "Er, I..." he stammered. He permitted himself a half-smile. 'Oh, what the hell,' he thought, and broke into a full grin. "Thank you, sir!" Then it hit him who the pips were for that he'd thrust casually into his pocket. He took them out again and looked quickly. They were still Commander's pips; and they were his. He closed the box and stood a little straighter. "Thank you, sir," he said again.

"Thank you, doctor," Iluvar said with a smile, "I know you weren't exactly looking to step into world of command responsibility when I first approached you about becoming our Second Officer and it may not have been the easiest thing to take a command cadet under your wing, but you have been an invaluable member of this crew and I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate that."

"Thank you, sir," Mike said again, a little more modestly.

"Now," Iluvar continued, his voice taking on a slightly more business-like tone, "there are a few other items relating to personnel I've been wanting to go over..."

OFF

A Joint Mission Post by:

Vice Admiral Iluvar
Commanding Officer
USS Pandora

and

Commander Michael Evans
Executive Officer
USS Pandora