Comings And Goings

Posted on Oct 17, 2015 @ 4:58pm by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane

Mission: Civil War

"COMINGS AND GOINGS"

(Continued from "Inauguration Day")

**************************************
**************************************

Captain's Log, supplemental - with the swearing-in our a new President and Vice-President of the Federation complete, it's time to get busy. I have a mountain of administrative work to do, as the ship prepares to take on over nine hundred new souls....

***************************************

Location: USS Phoenix, orbiting Elandipole IV
Stardate: [2.15]1017.2100
Scene: Deck 12, saucer section - primary sickbay


Michael Turlogh Kane walked into sickbay, PADD in hand, to find it a hive of activity. There were dozens of people spread across its rooms, mostly new medical staff lugging supplies around, gathering in groups to learn their duty assignments, or simply familiarising themselves with where everything was. It was the same all over the ship - hundreds of new crew members were coming aboard. By shuttle and transporter, they were being disgorged onto the decks of the Phoenix by the dozen, filling up all the empty spaces on the ship, moving into quarters, meeting their superiors, and doing the hundred other things that need doing when one moves house.

Cade was standing alone in the middle of the sickbay, watching the hubbub ebb and flow around him, tidal in its coming and going. He looked a little bewildered by the whole thing, and his jaw dropped when a Saurian crewman walked past him carrying two heavy crates, one in each arm.

Kane caught Cade's eye and crossed the floor to him, holding up his PADD. "Doctor Foster, I need to talk to you."

Cade shrugged. "Go ahead, but if you're going to ask what's going on around here, forget it. I don't know who any of these people are."

Kane glanced around. "Most of them are your new staff, Doctor." He thrust the PADD at Cade. "There are important transfer orders on this PADD."

Cade sighed. "Do I have to read it or can you summarise it?"

Kane's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but then he remembered what was on the PADD, and softened his voice. "Your two patients, Phia and Storm Bomba, are being transferred to the hospital ship USS Jenner. You need to make contact with Doctor Kagan on the Jenner and arrange it."

Cade looked shocked. "What?" he snapped. "No, I'm not permitting this! Phia stays here! Bomba too! I'm their doctor, and I'll be the one to look after them! This is one of the biggest starships in the fleet, Captain, it's not like we don't have the space!"

Kane put his hands behind his back. "I know that, Doctor. But consider - we are likely to be moving against the Neo-Essentialists soon. The Jenner will staying behind at Elandipole, out of harm's way. She's a a state-of-the-art vessel, fully capable of caring for people with long-term injuries. The Phoenix might end up needing those biobeds if we run into any Neo-Essentialists."

Cade looked like he wanted to say more. Kane could see the conflicting emotions on his face, but eventually Cade nodded. "I know," he said quietly. "They can't stay here. I guess it's finally time to say goodbye." He looked up into Kane's eyes. "I'll take care of it, Captain. You have my word."

Kane looked past Cade to where the insensate forms of Phia and Bomba lay still, blanketed by stasis fields on their biobeds. He had never had to speak to either of them - they had both come aboard the Phoenix already injured, more victims of Edgerton's mad rise to power. He looked back at Cade. "Thank you, Doctor. We have so many transfers going on right now that I'm only just managing to keep track of them all."

"Who else is leaving?" Cade asked.

Kane frowned as he tried to remember. Most were just names on a PADD, but some stood out. "Sylvia Warren from Engineering. Dido Loftus, a civilian. Assorted others."

Cade shrugged. "Their lovers are dead. Figures."

The conversation was rapidly getting more awkward. Kane decided to back out of it. "well, I'll leave you to it," he said, turning to leave.

Behind him, he heard a deep sigh as Cade turned to the biobeds of Storm Bomba and Phia.

**************************************************

EXECUTIVE ORDER 14352 STARDATE 2.151017


THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW SECRETARY OF STARFLEET


WHEREAS, the President of the United Federation of Planets, being Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet, being desirous of fulfilling the office of Secretary of Starfleet;

and

WHEREAS, the office of Secretary of Starfleet being currently vacant;

IT IS HEREBY DECLARED that MARIE-CLAIRE MARTINE is appointed to the office of Secretary of Starfleet, effective immediately, and that this appointment shall bypass normal verification by committee.


SIGNED
Thoris P'Trell

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS

*******************************************************

Location: USS Phoenix, as before
Scene: Deck 1, saucer section - captain's ready room


Kane stood up to attention as Marie-Claire Martine entered the room. Saluting was outmoded in Starfleet now, but it was important to always be respectful, if not deferential, to someone of a higher rank whenever they were around, and they didn't come much higher than the Secretary of Starfleet.

She was wearing a dark blue business suit, and seemed to have recaptured a little of her authoritative air. Kane indicated the seat before him. "Welcome aboard the Phoenix, Madam Secretary."

"I'm still getting used to people calling me that," she said in her richly accented voice, sitting down. Her face was a little more lined than Kane remembered, her hair a little more grey.

Kane threw a thumb at the mountain of PADDs on his desk. "I'm mired down in admin work," he said sourly. "The Phoenix is taking on hundreds of new crew, so I - "

"Yes, that's why I'm here," Martine said. "I wanted to tell you this in person, Captain Kane. As of today, I am reinstating and reactivating the commissions of all your officers. No longer will you have to operate unofficially. You are all Starfleet officers again."

Kane nodded. He had been half-expecting, and full-on hoping, for this to happen ever since Thoris had been sworn in. He wondered if anyone aboard realised that it was a year this week since the Phoenix had fled Earth. For the past twelve months they been fugitives, outlaws from their own people, forced to keep to back trails that lay off the beaten track. First Limbo, then the Hyperion Expanse, and now Elandipole. It had been a long year, long enough to keep up the pretence of calling each other by defunct ranks, struggling to hold a semblance of order together. A ship of bruised and battered heroes, now finally returned to the fold. He absently touched the rank pips on his collar. Now, once again, they felt worth something. "My crew will be delighted," he said. "Thank you, Madam Secretary."

Martine smiled, and stood up. "I've got to get back to the Demeter," she said. "It's not San Francisco, but it'll have to do for now."

Kane got to his feet. "Wait!"

She turned in surprise. "Yes, Captain Kane?"

Kane felt uncomfortable. He owed this woman a lot. They all did, but it was always hard to put emotions into words. "I wanted to thank you," he said.

"You already did, Captain."

"Not for that." Kane came around his desk to stand in front of her. "A year ago, you activated Project Phoenix while Edgerton was making his move in the Federation Council. Do you remember?"

She nodded. "I remember. I also remember chairing the Board of Inquiry that nearly ended the career of your Chief Engineer, and you coming to me to tell me what really happened in system K-60. Blacks and whites, Captain."

"Not for us," said Kane evenly. "If you and Admiral Holloway had not gotten us the Phoenix, everyone aboard this ship would be dead or in a Neo-Essentialist prison camp. We all owe you our lives. On behalf of everyone on this ship that you saved, thank you."

Martine shrugged. "We all do what we can, Captain Kane. You'll be taking this new crew of yours into harm's way soon enough. Be ready."

Kane nodded. "The Phoenix will be first into action, Madam Secretary," he said fiercely. "We have scores to settle."

"Then I'll let you prepare." The new Secretary of Starfleet turned on her heel and left him alone.

********************************************************

Scene: Deck 6, saucer section - transporter room 1


Aerdan Jos watched the latest group of new transfers materialise on the transporter deck. He shot a glance down at Stiles Orion's transporter log - a group of people both science and medical departments, all Humans except one. As they all stepped down off the transporter pad and made for the door, Aerdan stepped forward and intercepted the one he was looking for - a black-haired, blue-eyed woman with skin tinged green.

"Ensign Samantha Perry?" Aerdan smiled. She was pretty in a disarming way, but on closer inspection she looked like a jumble of species - pointed ears, spots, skin colour - and was carrying a small box with holes in it.

"Yes?" Sam turned to see who was calling her, and snapped into attention when she saw the Andorian's rank pips. "Ensign Perry reporting for duty, Commander!"

"At ease," said Aerdan gently. "I'm Commander Jos, the ship's first officer. You're our new assistant chief medical officer?"

"Yes, sir."

Something made a high-pitched mewling sound. Aerdan looked down at the box. "What have you got there?" he asked, antennae shooting straight up.

"My kitten, sir. Well, cat. It's a year old."

"Ah. Well, I'll escort you to sickbay," said Aerdan, motioning her towards the door. "Along the way I'll brief you on your duties, as well as who you'll be working with. You've uh, not heard of Cade Foster before, have you?"

Sam looked at him in askance. "I graduated from ACT and got sent to the Demeter. I was only aboard a few days when I found out about the Neo-Essentialists. We had to jump out of the Sol system in a hurry."

Aerdan chuckled. "You're welcome aboard the Phoenix, Ensign. Follow me."

Sam did as she was bid, passing through the transporter doors to begin her new life.

********************************************************

Location: USS Pendragon, orbiting E-4 nearby
Scene: Transporter room


It was a day for welcomes. Peter Aspinall stood in dress uniform before his own transporter pad as a cobalt pillar of light shimmered into existence, depositing Thoris P'Trell onto his ship for the scheduled. The new President was dressed in his trademark black business suit, but he had added a sky-blue Federation flag pin to his left collar lapel.

Peter had been somewhat surprised when a message came from the new President's office on the USS Demeter, asking for a tour of the Pendragon. He supposed that it was only natural that Thoris was curious about the Pendragon - after all, she was the reason why everyone was here.

Peter inclined his head. "Welcome aboard the Pendragon, President P'Trell."

Thoris looked around in amazement. His eyes fixed on the wall-mounted holographic transporter controls and he shook his head slowly before fixing his gaze on Peter. "My thanks to you, Captain Aspinall." He stepped down from the transporter pad. "So this is the ship that changed history?"

Peter nodded. "Yes, sir. I regret being the catalyst that has triggered this conflict that the Federation finds itself engaged in, but - "

"Say no more about it, Captain," said Thoris. "We must all do what we think is best. But I am most interested in seeing the technology of nineteen years in the future." He held out a blue hand. "Please, lead on."

Peter shrugged. "As you wish." Politicians, he thought, wondering where to bring the President first.

***************************************************
***************************************************

NRPG: Moving things along. Big transfer is underway, and we now have our commissions back!


Jerome McKee
the Soul of Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Commanding Officer
USS PHOENIX


"He speaks an infinite deal of nothing!"
- Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", Act 1, Scene 1.117

****************************************************
****************************************************