Meeting the New Boss

Posted on Wed May 8th, 2019 @ 12:48am by Commodore Wilkan Targaryen & Captain Nathan Bishop
Edited on on Thu Jan 2nd, 2020 @ 5:40pm

1,689 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Atlantis
Location: Ready Room, Starfleet One
Timeline: 2429-12-02, 09:45

Admiral William Teagarden finished unpacking the box of mementos from previous missions and placing them on the shelves near the oak table in the corner of his office. He had kept items from each of their previous missions, well the more memorable missions at least, and he always looked back at them when he needed a reminder of what this ship and its crew could accomplish. This ship had been on so many Kobayashi Maru type missions it could make someone's head spin. This just proved that there wasn't always a no win scenario.

It had gotten smaller though as time went on - both due to space and the reality that the original museum didn't survive the Battle of the Foundry for obvious reasons. Not much did survive that battle in reality. He looked at the replica of the alien station - now discovered to have been part of the Jenolan Dyson Sphere - and placed it atop the shelf. He placed a small replica of the Odyssey Class Enterprise next to it as a reminder of where he'd come from. Opposite he placed a model of Starfleet One in its original configuration prior to its most recent refit.

The door chime pulled him back to his reality. Checking the chronometer he hoped that this was Commander Bishop because - if it was - he was right on time. The Admiral appreciated punctuality in his XO's and he hoped that the Commander shared that belief.

On the other side of the door Bishop waited. He picked invisible dust off his uniform and straightened his tunic again. He wondered if the Admiral would remember him. He had served briefly on the Enterprise as assistant chief of security before being reassigned to the Vigilance and now Admiral Kor in what seemed a lifetime ago. Now here he was again to meet Admiral Teagarden, this time as his XO. At least he hoped he remained XO. It was of course the Admiral's decision. He pushed the thought aside. Whatever would be would be. He straightened his shoulders and awaited admittance for his meeting with the Admiral.

"Enter," the Admiral ordered from inside the room.

Hearing the command to enter Bishop did so. "You wanted to see me Admiral?"

"Welcome, Commander," William greeted, "Or should I say welcome back?" He repositioned the model of the Enterprise slightly on the display. "I am just putting back together the museum of mementos from previous missions. I believe you should recognize the replica of the Foundry from the middle. If I remember you were aboard this ship back then when it functioned under its old name."

"Thank you sir." Bishop replied honestly even as he looked at the model of the Enterprise. "Yes sir I was. The Enterprise." He said fondly. "I hadn't been on long before you arrived on board. I do remember the mission involving the Foundry and the crew back then. You, Captain Stevens, Admiral Kor, Dr. Thane. Counselor Rush and all the rest. It was a heck of crew Admiral but I'm biased. Nothing against this crew, they remind of that crew in many ways."

The Admiral nodded, "They are a good crew. A credit to the name. Unfortunately we're now officially Starfleet One and Starfleet is about to build a new ship to carry on that name." He motioned toward the chairs around the oak table, "Have a seat, Commander."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir." Bishop answered pulling out one of the chairs and sitting down and finding the chair surprisingly comfortable.

"It must have been quite a shock to find out you were higher in the ship's hierarchy than your former CO," William said walking over to the replicator. He pressed a control and a glass of water appeared on the grid. "Can I get you anything?"

"To be honest sir it was a shock. I fully expected Captain Hawkins to be the XO." Bishop still referred to his friend as captain. I thought I was being recruited to be a security officer, perhaps Chief of Security but never did I think as Executive Officer." He nodded at the offer, "Yes sir. May I have a glass of water?"

William picked the glass of water requested and walked over to the Commander with it. He set the glass before him, "I have been reviewing some of the decisions of Admiral Coulson while he was aboard the ship and I will admit some surprise at his selections, but yours is one that I continue to support. I would like for you to remain aboard the ship as my XO and continue to serve dual responsibility as my Operations Manager. Up to it?"

Bishop picked up the glass and sipped it as the Admiral spoke. That changed as the Admiral said he wanted him to continue as XO as well as Operations Manager. Hearing what the Admiral wanted he almost choked on the water. "Y..Yes sir! I'd be honored to serve in the dual capacity you requested!" He managed to get out. "Thank you sir." He quickly added not bothering to hide his surprise.

"Good," the Admiral grabbed a PADD and handed it over to the Operations Manager. "This is the mission brief for our upcoming mission. The En... Starfleet One will be dropping off the President at Earth. Afterward he has asked that we investigate an unusual distress call coming from not too far from here."

Bishop took the offered PADD and began reading as the Admiral talked. "Sir. He said his eyes coming off the PADD. "Can't we call the ship the Enterprise? It's only Starfleet One when the President is aboard. I think the crew would like it as well. "Unusual in what way sir?"

"It has an almost Federation carrier frequency attached to it, but we don't have any ships as far out as it is," William said as he sat opposite the Operations Manager. "It's a mystery that we've been tasked with solving - once the President is safely back on Earth."

"And you are right, Commander, I would if I could. The President has ordered that so long as any of his personnel are aboard this ship it is to be addressed as Starfleet One," The Admiral rolled his eyes as he said it. "Truth is I designed this ship and to find out that Starfleet is building its replacement has been disheartening to say the very least. But technologies are changing and that name has to stay on a vessel at the pinnacle of Starfleet's abilities."

"Interesting to say the least sir." Bishop agreed about the distress signal. "Sir, are we sure it's a distress signal and not a warning to stay away?" he asked knowing that the Admiral had probably asked these very same questions himself. Changing the subject,"Politicians." He muttered the single word summing up his feelings perfectly

William took a drink, "We don't know the full nature of the message, Commander, that's one of the reasons we're going. With our Coaxial Drive we are one of the fastest vessels in the fleet - which is why we're dropping off the President before heading there. The nearest Starfleet vessel other than us is still almost a full day away. Let's prepare the ship for the trip. We should be arriving at Earth within the hour, after we get underway I want to have combat drills."

"Um. If we don't know the nature of the message are we sure it's a distress call?" Bishop didn't want to appear dense but he wanted as much information as possible. He didn't relish going into the situation blind. He nodded as the Admiral informed him he wanted to conduct combat drills after they arrived at Earth, dropped the President off and then departed. "Certainly sir." he added. It made sense to be prepared in case they did encounter something that involved requiring them to go to combat.

"Cryptology fully believes that the message is a distress call," he paused, "but we don't know the full nature of the call as I said. It won't take long for us to get there so let's make every moment count as we prepare just in case the cryptology department was wrong," he said with a smile. "If there is nothing else, Commander?"

"No, nothing else sir." Bishop replied feeling like a schoolboy being dismissed from the teacher's office. He felt he had disappointed the Admiral and it had only taken one meeting to do so. "I'll have the combat drills ready once we're on the way sir."

The Admiral nodded as he pulled away from the table, "Excellent. I think that we'll get along well, Commander, which is something that I will certainly appreciate. A good XO needs to be able to anticipate the needs of his Captain before the Captain even realizes what they are. From your record I have no doubt that you and I will get along well."

Bishop rose from his chair, "Yes sir. I certainly hope so." He added honestly wondering if his relationship with the Admiral would even come close to what he and Hawkins had. He mentally shrugged his shoulders. He knew one thing he would damn sure try.

"As do I," William answered. "I intend to meet with the remainder of the Senior Staff as the morning goes on. Would you head to Engineering to check in with Lieutenant Hererra? I would like someone to see how he is doing after our memorial earlier today. I would do it, but I have an appointment to meet with the Chief Engineer candidate we picked up on New Vulcan."

Bishop stopped and turned back to face the Admiral, "Certainly sir. I'll be glad to. I'll head down there once I leave here and check on Lt. Hererra. Will there be anything else sir?"

"Nothing else, Commander," William said taking the glasses to the replicator to be recycled. "Dismissed."

Looking back, Bishop answered, "No sir, nothing else. I'll head to Engineering to talk to Lt. Herrerra then once done there I'll implement combat drills." Then he was through the door and gone.

 

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