An Unusual Commander
Posted on Thu Sep 28th, 2023 @ 8:08am by Rear Admiral Yoshi Minawara
Mission:
TASK FORCE POSTS
1043 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure
Njessa resisted the urge to straighten her uniform again, it was a nervous habit and one she would not succumb to right now. She had the datapads containing the mission plan cradled in her arm. Miniwara was one of the Admirals whom she had not met before, his promotion to that rank being recent. She strode forward, “Lieutenant Commander Ajzure to see the Rear Admiral.”
Looking up from her work, the young Bolian Lieutenant yeoman addressed the woman for a solid second. The look was that of polite respect of rank, the kind that was required by position, but that also had a small note of disinterest. She straightened up, and a smile known to generations of customer service employees spread, one that failed to meet her eyes. “Of course ma’am. He’s just across the hall, I’ll let him know you’re here.” She pointed through the door towards the hallway and the door across from them. Letting the hand drop and pushed a few keys into the console. A moment later the door hissed open in sight.
Njessa nodded. “Thank you.” And moved swiftly towards the open door.
The expansive office was filled with the sound of soft music, offset by the sound of something scratching against the floor. Before Njessa had a chance to step in, a small bark greeted her, and a pair of brown eyes stared up at her. Kevin wagged his tail and dropped the slobber covered tennis ball, crouching low and tearing back into the office. “Come on in Lieutenant Commander,” a voice called, followed by the soft thud of boots against the floor. “Kevin, leave her alone,” he added, with Admiral Minawara extending a hand towards the waiting Andorian. “Welcome to Esquimalt Station.”
She nodded politely to the dog and stepped in. “Thank you, Admiral,” she took the hand with a firm grip. “It is good to be back on the frontier.”
“We’re about as much on the frontier as you can get.” Leading the way up the small set of stairs to his desk, Yoshi seated himself at his desk and gestured to the seat across from him. “I hear you’ll be taking the Tanjura out, with a bit of an odd mission profile. Excited?”
“Yes, I am,” she said taking the offered seat. “It may be odd but I am hoping it will be of use to Starfleet. We have managed to find ways to build ships faster than we can crew them and holographic crew are a stopgap at best. I know that you were a quiet supporter of this project, sir, and I wish to thank you. It . . . worries me that headquarters is less interested in innovation on the personnel side of things.” There, she said it, right out in the open.
Yoshi offered the most noncommittal shrug he could. “After the Nelson project, there were a lot of the kinks worked out to make something like this work. It’s been an element of the Fleet for a decade now. Emergency doctors, engineers, hell even security. Getting something like this out there and proven is key to ensuring the Fleet can continue to operate, all while meaning we can carry with our mandate of being explorers.” He paused, leaning into his chair to get more comfortable. “The original plan for this was to try it on a smaller ship, but there are no better ships than the Inquiry and Curiosity class ships, especially if we are building them enmass.” His smile stayed warm, but the slight shrinking of wrinkles on his face betrayed as some of that warmth slipped.
“It’s not an easy mission. I expect a host of odd issues and small problems to pop up. Not just with the ship. But I feel like getting something like this in the works is going to make sure that we see things move forward safely. It’s uncertain times, expect uncertain outcomes.”
Njessa nodded. “Indeed, I know, there are three ways of doing things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Starfleet way. I was hoping that Fleet would be a little more supportive but I should have seen the signs, even pushes to increase the number of Cadets at the Academy is routinely opposed. But the simple fact is we need more officers,” she sighed. “We cannot let the best be the enemy of the good.”
“The Tanjura will not disappoint you, sir,” she said. “I will make sure of it.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Yoshi replied the smile returning in earnest. “Take some time around Esquimalt. Get familiar with the space, and if you need anything the station crew will be happy to help. Did you already receive your shakedown checklist?”
Njessa nodded. “It sounds like the Nelson has had some interesting problems. I am expecting the Tanjura to have a few less, the Andorian yards have been building ships for Starfleet since the Romulan War. But I am sure we will find some problems all the same, it is always that way with a new ship.”
“Every keel has a little bit of spit and fight put in her by the hands that build. Every helm is just a little stubborn. Treat her right, and she’ll give you her all,” he said, paraphrasing something a university professor had once told him. “I won’t keep you too long Lieutenant Commander, unless there is anything you need specifically?”
“Not at this time, sir,” she said, “but I did wish to see you in person. View screens are all well and good but it is good to see the person behind the rank. And sometimes their loyal pet as well,” she added with a smile.
Kevin, who’d been flopped under the conference table looked up at the adjacent mention, and let out a quick yap, before returning to attempting to remove the skin from his tennis ball. “All good,” Yoshi said, standing to extend a hand, “Welcome to the team, and look forward to seeing you around.” After the shake, and the departure of the new Commanding Officer, Yoshi resettled himself into his chair, and sighed, as a soggy tennis ball was pressed into his right hand.
