JL | Commo Ivanova, Lt Ch'Valenvok - "Mister Fixit"

Posted on Sun Jun 12th, 2016 @ 11:43pm by Captain Kaleb Ch'Valenvok M.D. & Admiral Rochelle Ivanova

1,558 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Resurgere

So much had happened in the span of just a couple weeks. The Vindicator was nearly ready for launch, Javaan was born and thriving... She'd finally married Landon. Rochelle's life was more of a whirlwind than ever before, and still she'd somehow managed to find solace - a way-point in the eye of the storm, time to dedicate to introspection and the dotting of 'i's. One of those 'i's was her appointment of a Chief Medical Officer. The strange and awkward Andorian-hybrid was a good man and a talented doctor. He'd handled the birth of her son in stride, never batting an eyelash even when Rochelle herself had been less than charming before, during, or after the ordeal. Now sat across from her he sat poised to take on perhaps the biggest and most prestigious role of his career, and she was more than willing to hand it to him carte blanche. No hidden tricks. NO gimmicks. He'd already earned his keep and the fiery little Commodore wasn't about to let him skirt past taking the opportunity to advance. "I think you know why you're here," Rochelle finally broke the silence, lifting a cup of tea to her lips. In front of her sat a telltale PADD encrypted with Ch'Valenvok's new orders and quarters, "I also think you've been ready to fill this gap for quite awhile."

At first Kaleb hadn't known why he had been summoned to the Commodore's office. Initially he had assumed it was to perform a checkup on the Javaan as she still had not scheduled a follow-up appointment for the newborn. Now, however, he knew what she wanted and she was right and wrong about his being ready to fill the gap. In the past few weeks he had been busy reacquainting himself with skills he hadn't though about for the past few years and found that, as humans say, it was much like riding a bicycle. "The position you offered me before your son was born?" Kaleb asked.

He was a mixture of excitement and dread and many of the emotions in-between as he sat looking at her. The past month had been hard on him, bringing up memories of past events and causing him to bury himself in work to forget them. Now as best he could tell he was about to be offered the position of Chief Medical Officer aboard the Vindicator, a ship in name at least which, not so long ago, he had barely escaped from with his life. It had been no fault of the Commodore of course but it still left Kaleb uncertain as to what his future would hold aboard the new Vindicator.

"You're very astute." Rochelle nodded, setting her tea down and gathering up the PADD in its wake, "I told you it was coming, Lieutenant, and you haven't given me a reason to change my mind or find someone else to fill the role." she added, thumbing through the paperwork and files contained within the thin plastic tablet's programming. "It takes someone with a brass pair to put me in my place," the Commodore chuckled lightly with a slight shake of her head, "and I firmly believe that's what this crew needs down in sick bay. What do you think?" The PADD touched the desk with a soft snick and scraped across as she slid it using a single index finger.

Kaleb picked the PADD up as it stopped on his side of her desk. It took him only a few seconds to read his orders assigning him as Chief Medical Officer aboard the U.S.S. Vindicator. He scrolled back to the top and there he saw something that made his eyebrows raise and his antenna twitch. "Ma'am, your yeoman made a mistake when they entered these orders. They are for a Lieutenant Commander Ch'Valenvok not Lieutenant Ch'Valenvok. I'm not up for promotion for another year and three quarters." Kaleb sat down the PADD within reach of the Commodore and his antenna calmed down.

Kaleb had been promoted to Lieutenant as he was leaving the command before the Vindicator and had only served on the Vindi for the past thirteen months. There had been cases in that past with special circumstances that had allowed for the advancement of an officer pre-time in rank but they had been during times of war and only under extreme situations. Beyond that was the fact that the young half Andorian had been in a completely different department only a few months ago and he still felt more like a researcher than a doctor. Kaleb waited for the Commodore to pick up the PADD and have the mistake corrected.

Again the well manicured tip of Rochelle's right index finger pressed against the PADD, sliding it back as far as her arm could reach in his direction, "There's been no mistake, Commander." She responded with no hint of mirth nor amusement in her tone. She'd expected him to be surprised, intrigued, and confused... Prepared for it even. With that in mind she found herself taking flight from her chair, slowly coming around her spartan temporary desk, and followed the line of floor to ceiling windows that made her ready room what it was; an architectural phenomenon. While the furniture had obviously simply been sent in as place holders, Rochelle herself seemed perfectly synced with the over all design and feel of the room and still managed to hold such a commanding presence within it not unlike a roaring open flame within a magnificent stone fireplace.

"You see, my friend, we are so very far from Sol, so far from everything Starfleet and the Federation find to be comforting and just. For all intents and purposed Cheydinhall Sector is the final frontier, and it's a lawless frontier at that. A doctor with your skills and background in the sciences is invaluable... So much so that I had to fight Admiral Red for you. She wanted to keep you, you know." The blustery redhead smiled from over one of her shoulders, "Lucky for you, and for the Vindicator, staffing Starfleet's flag ship comes at a priority over staffing Cold Station Theta. Such a billing comes with top honors, the ship's name is a legend all unto itself, and this ship's class will pave the way for Starfleet's future. I would be remiss if I said I didn't think we needed you in order to complete our objective out in the black." Her head turned, bringing her eyes away from him and out to the sliver of star punctuated darkness she could see beyond the remaining scaffolds holding the great warhorse of a ship hostage during the final phases of construction. It was there that they'd blaze a path, helping Starfleet tame what had been lost to time and lack of fortitude. It represented an unknown, one that Rochelle neither feared nor underestimated. Her brow furrowed slightly at that thought, "I'll understand if you aren't interested, honestly. It's a tall order after all."

Kaleb's antenna twitched again as he mulled over the question at hand. It was not simply to accept orders or not it was to advance his career and his prospects at lightning pace or to stay stagnate and hope things progressed at the standard pace for which there was no guarantee. "Lieutenant Commander Kaleb Ch'Valenvok reporting for duty, Commodore." He said as he stood beside her and saluted. There had been no real question that he would take the position because of his Andorian upbringing and he suspected that was the main reason he had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander to sweeten the deal.

What ever her reasons, Kaleb had come to respect the woman who was only months older than he himself. If she had been an Andorian she would have the respect of all but the oldest and bravest of the warriors despite the fact that she was a woman. The differences in their cultures were immense but over the past two hundred years the gap had closed somewhat. Kaleb often wished he had been able to immerse himself in his mother's culture has he had his fathers but that had not been the case and now there was no use in worrying about it. Kaleb looked up, "Thank you, Ma'am for this opportunity. It means more than you know."

Rochelle smiled, both at the sound of his chair creaking as he left it and the sound of his acceptance. He was an intelligent man, though a touch socially awkward, and she couldn't help but take a shining to him. That alone was a bit of a miracle when her own personality quirks were taken into consideration. "A wise choice, Commander. She replied after returning his salute. Reaching into her uniform pocket, the redhead retrieved a telltale little oak box and opened it to reveal the appropriate pip changes within. "That's Not something you need to thank me for. I know all too well what this means to you, but I warn you that with great power comes great responsibility. I'm sure you can handle it. Positive of it, really." She smiled brightly, extending the box to him. "Welcome back aboard, Commander."

(End Log)

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR NX 78213-F

&

Lieutenant Commander Kaleb Ch'Valenvok
Chief Medical Officer
USS VINDICATOR NX 78213-F

 

RSS Feed