[Galaxy] FW: [Yorktown] 2161.10.20- JL Garroway/Sheppard/Ca'daar- A question of a Captain

[Kate Nicholson]

MEMORANDUM

TO: Commander Da¹nak Ca¹daar, ESS Yorktown
FROM: Starfleet Command
REGARDING: Report to Briefing

Commander Ca¹daar:

An appointment has been arranged for you to meet with Admiral Garroway
at 1000 hours on October 16, 2161. Please confirm by return email to
this office.

For the Commodore:

Lieutenant Amanda Hankins
Assistant to Commodore Sheppard
Office of Fleet Operations

~~~~~

// 1000 hours, Admiral Thomas Garroway¹s Offices //

The offices were very elegant. Dove grey walls complimented both the
rich jewel tones and the contrasting creamy white accents of the
furnishings. All metallic surfaces were a burnished pewter color, subtle
and elegant. Windows featured etched geometric line work around the
edges, with the Starfleet Emblem boldly raised in bas relief in the
center of each large pane of glass.

The hallway walls were a mixture of minimally patterned tone-on-tone
dove gray wallpaper. The floors in the halls were an attractive pattern
of marbled shades of Fleet Blue ceramic time and slate blue stone. The
halls were punctuated with occasional seating arrangements, each color
specific, chairs upholstered in the tones of the various divisions:
gold, teal blue, and scarlet. The occasional tables were a combination
of pewter metal work and hand-polished ebony wood. Genuine, hand painted
artwork hung on the walls, displaying in semi-abstracted terms, the
beauty of outer space.

Within the etched glass The office suite floors were covered in a darker
blue carpet with jewel tone flecks. The back wall of the suite, behind
the reception¹s desk, was again hand polished ebony paneling. The tables
and credenzas echoed the same pewter and ebony theme. The seating
consisted of leather chairs and two love-seat sized sofas.

There was no question when Cmdr Ca¹daar entered the suite of Command
Officers. He was the only Andorian Commander in the Fleet. The Commodore
stood from the plush scarlet red leather sofa in the reception area.

³Cmdr Ca¹daar. I¹m Commodore Adrienne Sheppard, Commander of Fleet
Operations. Thank you for coming.² She turned to the receptionist, a
pretty red-head who stood and opened the door behind her. Sheppard
waved the Commander to precede her through the doorway.

"Pleased to meet you Commodore." Da'nak said, saluting crisply then
bowing at the waist. His antennae drifted back and forth on his forehead
slowly, betraying his agitation. Why had he been called here? Did it
have something to do with his brother? His budding relationship with
Yearly? The Captain? Were they going to discontinue the officer exchange
program and send him back to Andoria. He drew in a deep breath. How
could he go back there now, after all that had happened. It would be as
alien to him as he was to this world.

Nevertheless, the blue helmsman did as he was asked and entered where he
was bidden.

Garroway adjusted his tie for the tenth time since putting it on. Why a
jumpsuit needed lapels and a tie, he didn't know, but that's what they
decided was an appropriate uniform for a flag officer, and so as the
'officer of officers' he felt obliged to comply. He looked up as
Sheppard and an Andorian entered. "Adrienne," Garroway acknowledged.
"And you must be Da'nak Ca'daar." He moved around the desk to better
greet them. "Good to meet you, Commander."

The Andorian saluted again, then shook the man's hand briskly. "Yes,
sir. I'm glad to meet you as well." Da'nak suddenly felt very warm.

"Please," Garroway continued and gestured to the chairs in front of the
desk, "have a seat. I'll try not to keep you long, but we do have a few
things to discuss." He leaned back to sit on the edge of the desk.

Da'nak nodded, then held out a chair for the Commodore, finally taking
one himself. He shifted uneasily, his antennae continuing to sway. He
knew better than anyone else that in the presence of one's higher ups
to speak as little as possible. No point in affording them more
ammunition than they already had.

"Thank you Ma'am, Sir... If this is about the battle of the Xantia
system, I don't know how much more I can offer outside my report."

"The report was fine, Commander," Garroway reassured. "That's not why
we're here. We're here to talk about some personnel changes on
Yorktown." He shifted in his seat, but it could have legitimately been
the fact that he was sitting on the hard edge of a desk. "If there's
one thing I've learned in my years of service, it's that our people are
the highest cost that can be asked of us. And this battle -- this War
-- exacted a toll higher than any conflict Starfleet has been involved
in to date. Now we need to make sure the right people are put in the
right places to get things back in order. Would you agree?"

"Yes sir," Da'nak said uncomfortably. "If this is about Xantia Sir, the
Captain was incapacitated during our encounter with the Kumat," and
my brother, he added silently. "I know it's not exactly protocol for a
non-Terran to take command of a starfleet vessel, especially under the
circumstances, but I felt that I was the best qualified at the time."

The big Andorian looked up at the Admiral. The man's face didn't
seem to hold any malice, but neither could he fully read him. He
would make a good poker player, Da'nak thought absently. He
wished he would have asked Emily more about her brother during
their shared shore leave.

"I did what I felt was right." He said at last, his eyes locked
defiantly on the Admiral's.

Adrienne shift her feet. Inside she felt a great deal of compassion for
the blue Commander. She herself would have been more direct and gotten
beyond the Commander¹s uncertainty in short order. But Garroway was a
master at dragging this out without loosing a shred of good diplomacy.
Still, she held her face neutral.

Garroway nodded. "We agree." He stood and walked back around the desk.
"I don't know if you're aware, but Captain Morgan's injuries will
prelude her from service for a while. It remains to be seen if it will
result in a medical discharge, but I'm pulling a few strings to try and
make that /her/ choice." He found the PADD he was looking for, then
seemed to drift off a moment. "You know," he shared, "I remember just a
few short years ago when I promoted her to Captain. It was just before
the Battle of Jupiter's Ghost when Yorktown was to rendezvous at New
Darwin with the rest of the fleet. We talked about losing good people
then, too."

"Yes sir." Da'nak said, his eyes shifting from the Admiral to the
Commodore. "I remember when the Captain was promoted." A muted smirk
played across the blue man's lips as the remembrance. "Apparently, your
history has another 'Captain Morgan'. The crew had good fun with it."

The smile slowly faded as the realization of what the Admiral was saying
dawned on Da'nak. Captain Rece Morgan, his commander and friend would
likely never walk another bridge, at least not for a while. "I'm sorry
sir." He said at last, his words heavy. "I wish we could have done more..."

Garroway nodded. "Well here's your chance, Commander Ca'daar. We're
giving you command of Yorktown. The Commodore here has already cleared
your promotion to Force Commander with the Andorian government. The
officer exchange program doesn't exactly cover an expatriate in this
high a command role, but given your performance and service on the
Fighting Lady I'm looking to promote the best /crewman/, regardless of
hometown." He waved a dismissive hand, "Besides, the politicians love
it. They think it'll usher in a new era of relations between Earth and
her Coalition allies."

"So I'm... I'm to be the first? Some sort of guinea pig in the wake of
the recent treaty?" Da'nak's antennae had stopped undulating now and
stood straight on his head. Ever since his posting to Yorktown he had
espoused the idea of unity between Andoria and her allies. Now they
wanted him to be the first embodiment of that ideal. A million thoughts
shot through his head at once. Could he handle the responsibility of
commanding the Yorktown full time? More to the point, did he want to?
In his blue heart, he knew the answer.

"Sir, Ma'am..." He said at last. "I...I accept. But what about Captain
Morgan?"

Garroway half smiled.  He was proud of the other officer's loyalty, but
disheartened at the answer he had to give.  "First she's got to get
better," he said.  "Then... we'll see.  I hope that she commands a ship
again someday, and you can be sure I'm going to make that happen if at
all possible.  But right now... First she's got to get better."

He handed Ca'daar a PADD with his promotion files and new orders to
report as CO of NX-05.  "You, on the other hand, have got a Starfleet
crew waiting, and I know you're up for it because you're an exemplary
officer by /any/ standards.  Just remember what you learned from Captain
Morgan, and honor her by taking care of the Yorktown and the crew.
That's an important job, and certainly more important than any politics
that may surround it.  In fact, forget the politics.  All I want from
you is to be the Captain that crew deserves, because they're /your/ crew
now.  And if you fail in that, I don't care what the politicians say,
I'll snatch you off the bridge so fast your antennae will spin.  Are we
clear, Force Commander Ca'daar?"

Da'nak's antennae raised as a fierce smile broadened across his face.
He felt bad about the Captain, but Garroway was right. Now at least
the Andorian knew where the Admiral's sister got her flashes of wisdom.
"Admiral," He said at last. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Rising, the big Andorian saluted first the Commodore, then Admiral
Garroway. "Thank you both, it is a great honor. Now if I may be
excused? I have ship out there that's been torn down to her rivets
and a crew that's in desperate need of some time off."

Garroway returned the salute.  "Dismissed," he said.  "And godspeed."

Da'nak gave a parting nod to both officers and headed for the door.


-----
Adm Garroway, Thomas R.
Commander, Starfleet

Commodore Adrienne Sheppard
Commander, Fleet Operations

Force Commander Da'nak Ca'daar
Commanding Officer
NX-05 Yorktown
The Fighting Lady
~~~

You ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light?
I always ask that of all my prey...
I just like the sound of it.....

Jack Nicholson- Batman

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