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| - He hated siting outside offices, he always had, and it didn't help that Lieutenant Commander Colin Davis was now sitting outside the office of Vice Admiral Ron Tae-Won on Starbase 142. He thought to himself, What have I done this time? I've done everything I was supposed to, I made sure Astrophysics delivered all their reports, I compiled the duty roster for Security, and I didn't flirt with Ensign sh'Rhokrot. He kept going back over his activities of the past week, trying to think of anything that might have led to hime being called to the Admiral's office first thing in the morning. While he was waiting, he tried to calm himself down, Look at you, you're panicking like some cadet, there's nothing to worry about. It's been three weeks since the last time I was called down here. They probably just want to tell me that I'm doing a fine job and to keep up the good work. After several minutes of waiting, he had managed to convince himself that he was not in trouble, and it was probably just some courier mission to deliver some equipment or file to another part of the starbase. While he was lost in thought, Captain Monette Gleyre walked out and stared angrily at him for a moment before talking in a quiet, but very aggressive tone, "Davis, the Admiral will see you now." She then turned and walked off and Colin swore he could see the smoke coming out of her ears. This worried him again, Captain Gleyre was rarely mad, and the fact that she was mad at him didn't help. He took a deep breathe as he stood up and walked through the sliding doors into the Admiral's office, doing his best to appear calm and professional. As he approached the desk, Admiral Tae-Won looked up from his computer, "Sit down, Lieutenant Commander, please." Colin glanced at the chair before sitting on it, "You sent for me, sir?" "I did. I'm going to cut straight to the chase, we haven't always gotten along with each other and you know that." "Yes, sir, but I've been trying to improve my conduct, as I've demonstrated over the past we-," he was cut off as the Admiral raised a hand, signaling him to stop. "That being said, I am greatly impressed with your performance these last few weeks. You've demonstrated that you can be a great officer when you put forward the initiative. I'd hate to see you ruin your career by goofing around, and it has become clear to me that you have messed around because you don't have enough responsibility to keep you busy." Colin was yelling in his head, Oh no, he's going to give me three times the PT as I've already got, isn't he? "Captain Gleyre and I had a lengthy discussion about what I'm about to do next, you probably saw how she felt about my decision before you came in. I believe it's time you step up in the world and take on more responsibility." "Sir, I'm not sure I understand, what are you trying to say?" The admiral didn't say a word as he opened one of the drawers in his desk and took out a small box, sliding it across the table to him. Colin took it and slowly opened it, inside were three gold rectangles, one right next to the other, the rank pips of a Commander. He stared at it breathlessly for a moment before looking up at Admiral Tae-Won, "Sir, I'm being promoted?" "Not just that, take a look out the window at dockyard #12." He stood up and walked over to the large window, remembering that the admiral chose this office specifically because of the view. He looked to where the Admiral instructed, dockyard #12, one of the starbase's in-house shipyard facilities. There he saw a small ship, similar in design to the venerable Miranda-class that has been in use for over a century but something was different, it was more angular in design, which he eventually recognized as a Shi'Kahr-class, a much more recent design, "It's the Pershing sir, what about it?" "You seem pretty emotionless about your new ship." He stood there for a moment, not sure if he truly registered the admiral's words, his mind wandering, He didn't say what I think he just said, there's no way, not me. I'm not command material, I'm surprised I made it as far as Lieutenant Commander, and now starship commander? He managed to get all his thoughts together into a coherent sentence, "My ship, sir?" Tae-Won smiled, "She's staffed and ready, she just needs her captain. Congratulations, Commander. Don't let me down." Even though he was smiling, his last words told Colin everything he needed to know, Don't screw up. He replaced his old rank pips with the new ones and saluted the admiral before turning and walking out of the room. As he left, he could have sworn he was smiling from ear to ear like a Denobulan. He walked at a speed that he wasn't used to as he made his way to the shuttlepad, a PADD in hand. When he arrived, he smiled at his pilot, Lieutenat T'len who, in her characteristic Vulcan behavior, simply followed him into the shuttle, taking the pilot seat, "Where will you be heading to today, Lieutenant Commander?" He pointed to his new pips, "Actually, it's Commander now. I need you to fly to dockyard #12, the USS John J. Pershing." Without so much as a nod, she adjusted the shuttle's course and piloted it towards the dockyard and his new command. As they flew, a thought entered his mind, "So, I've been reviewing the personnel roster and it turns out that I don't have a flight chief yet." She simply stared ahead, "A most unfortunate situation, sir." He rolled his eyes, "You know I think you're a very talented shuttle pilot, don't you?" "Actually, while I am fully confident in my abilities, you have never made any such attempt to convey your admiration, sir." "Well I do, and despite what you might think, I enjoy your company." "Due to your constant attempts at "flirting" with me, I had no doubt as to your enjoyment of my presence. Now, may I ask why this conversation is relevant to our current task?" Colin frowned, "Do you like making things difficult for me? Actually, don't answer that. What I'm trying to say is that, as a ship's CO, I can requisition a limited number of officers to serve with me, and I want you to serve as my Flight Chief onboard the Pershing." She finally turned to face him, "Yes sir." Then she turned back to face the control panel. He groaned, "Great talk, Lieutenant, glad we had it." "I am... glad you enjoyed it, sir." He decided the best course of action was to simply not talk for the rest of the trip to the Pershing. As he stepped out of the shuttle in the small shuttle bay of the Pershing, he saw the cadre of officers gathered around, waiting for him. They stared at each other for a moment before he spoke up, "I, Commander Colin Davis, as of 1347 hours, February 12, 2397, am required to take command of the USS John J. Pershing. List it in the ship's log." As he finished the mandatory rhetoric all Starfleet captains are required to say upon taking command of a vessel, a group of officers stepped out of group, whom he guessed were to be his senior officers, two Humans, two Andorians, a Saurian, and a Trill. When he saw the Andorian woman, he paused, thinking he had recognized her, but it could not be the same person, she was deployed on the USS Hirohito last time he checked. She stepped forward and introduced herself and his heart sank. 'I'm Lieutenant Commander R'shee sh'Chare, I've been assigned as your First Officer. The other Andorian is Thinra ch'Rothi, Chief Engineer. The dark skinned Human is Sal Schoell, Chief of Security, while the blonde human is Lieutenant Whitney Valasco, Chief of Operations."
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