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<TITLE>FW: [Yorktown] 2161.10.20- JL Garroway/Sheppard/Ca'daar- A question of a Captain</TITLE>
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</FONT></SPAN><FONT FACE="Arial"><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>MEMORANDUM<BR>
<BR>
TO: Commander Da’nak Ca’daar, ESS Yorktown<BR>
FROM: Starfleet Command<BR>
REGARDING: Report to Briefing<BR>
<BR>
Commander Ca’daar:<BR>
<BR>
An appointment has been arranged for you to meet with Admiral Garroway<BR>
at 1000 hours on October 16, 2161. Please confirm by return email to<BR>
this office.<BR>
<BR>
For the Commodore:<BR>
<BR>
Lieutenant Amanda Hankins<BR>
Assistant to Commodore Sheppard<BR>
Office of Fleet Operations<BR>
<BR>
~~~~~<BR>
<BR>
// 1000 hours, Admiral Thomas Garroway’s Offices //<BR>
<BR>
The offices were very elegant. Dove grey walls complimented both the<BR>
rich jewel tones and the contrasting creamy white accents of the<BR>
furnishings. All metallic surfaces were a burnished pewter color, subtle<BR>
and elegant. Windows featured etched geometric line work around the<BR>
edges, with the Starfleet Emblem boldly raised in bas relief in the<BR>
center of each large pane of glass.<BR>
<BR>
The hallway walls were a mixture of minimally patterned tone-on-tone<BR>
dove gray wallpaper. The floors in the halls were an attractive pattern<BR>
of marbled shades of Fleet Blue ceramic time and slate blue stone. The<BR>
halls were punctuated with occasional seating arrangements, each color<BR>
specific, chairs upholstered in the tones of the various divisions:<BR>
gold, teal blue, and scarlet. The occasional tables were a combination<BR>
of pewter metal work and hand-polished ebony wood. Genuine, hand painted<BR>
artwork hung on the walls, displaying in semi-abstracted terms, the<BR>
beauty of outer space.<BR>
<BR>
Within the etched glass The office suite floors were covered in a darker<BR>
blue carpet with jewel tone flecks. The back wall of the suite, behind<BR>
the reception’s desk, was again hand polished ebony paneling. The tables<BR>
and credenzas echoed the same pewter and ebony theme. The seating<BR>
consisted of leather chairs and two love-seat sized sofas.<BR>
<BR>
There was no question when Cmdr Ca’daar entered the suite of Command<BR>
Officers. He was the only Andorian Commander in the Fleet. The Commodore<BR>
stood from the plush scarlet red leather sofa in the reception area.<BR>
<BR>
“Cmdr Ca’daar. I’m Commodore Adrienne Sheppard, Commander of Fleet<BR>
Operations. Thank you for coming.” She turned to the receptionist, a<BR>
pretty red-head who stood and opened the door behind her. Sheppard<BR>
waved the Commander to precede her through the doorway.<BR>
<BR>
"Pleased to meet you Commodore." Da'nak said, saluting crisply then<BR>
bowing at the waist. His antennae drifted back and forth on his forehead<BR>
slowly, betraying his agitation. Why had he been called here? Did it<BR>
have something to do with his brother? His budding relationship with<BR>
Yearly? The Captain? Were they going to discontinue the officer exchange<BR>
program and send him back to Andoria. He drew in a deep breath. How<BR>
could he go back there now, after all that had happened. It would be as<BR>
alien to him as he was to this world.<BR>
<BR>
Nevertheless, the blue helmsman did as he was asked and entered where he<BR>
was bidden.<BR>
<BR>
Garroway adjusted his tie for the tenth time since putting it on. Why a<BR>
jumpsuit needed lapels and a tie, he didn't know, but that's what they<BR>
decided was an appropriate uniform for a flag officer, and so as the<BR>
'officer of officers' he felt obliged to comply. He looked up as<BR>
Sheppard and an Andorian entered. "Adrienne," Garroway acknowledged.<BR>
"And you must be Da'nak Ca'daar." He moved around the desk to better<BR>
greet them. "Good to meet you, Commander."<BR>
<BR>
The Andorian saluted again, then shook the man's hand briskly. "Yes,<BR>
sir. I'm glad to meet you as well." Da'nak suddenly felt very warm.<BR>
<BR>
"Please," Garroway continued and gestured to the chairs in front of the<BR>
desk, "have a seat. I'll try not to keep you long, but we do have a few<BR>
things to discuss." He leaned back to sit on the edge of the desk.<BR>
<BR>
Da'nak nodded, then held out a chair for the Commodore, finally taking<BR>
one himself. He shifted uneasily, his antennae continuing to sway. He<BR>
knew better than anyone else that in the presence of one's higher ups<BR>
to speak as little as possible. No point in affording them more<BR>
ammunition than they already had.<BR>
<BR>
"Thank you Ma'am, Sir... If this is about the battle of the Xantia<BR>
system, I don't know how much more I can offer outside my report."<BR>
<BR>
"The report was fine, Commander," Garroway reassured. "That's not why<BR>
we're here. We're here to talk about some personnel changes on<BR>
Yorktown." He shifted in his seat, but it could have legitimately been<BR>
the fact that he was sitting on the hard edge of a desk. "If there's<BR>
one thing I've learned in my years of service, it's that our people are<BR>
the highest cost that can be asked of us. And this battle -- this War<BR>
-- exacted a toll higher than any conflict Starfleet has been involved<BR>
in to date. Now we need to make sure the right people are put in the<BR>
right places to get things back in order. Would you agree?"<BR>
<BR>
"Yes sir," Da'nak said uncomfortably. "If this is about Xantia Sir, the<BR>
Captain was incapacitated during our encounter with the Kumat," and<BR>
my brother, he added silently. "I know it's not exactly protocol for a<BR>
non-Terran to take command of a starfleet vessel, especially under the<BR>
circumstances, but I felt that I was the best qualified at the time."<BR>
<BR>
The big Andorian looked up at the Admiral. The man's face didn't<BR>
seem to hold any malice, but neither could he fully read him. He<BR>
would make a good poker player, Da'nak thought absently. He<BR>
wished he would have asked Emily more about her brother during<BR>
their shared shore leave.<BR>
<BR>
"I did what I felt was right." He said at last, his eyes locked<BR>
defiantly on the Admiral's.<BR>
<BR>
Adrienne shift her feet. Inside she felt a great deal of compassion for<BR>
the blue Commander. She herself would have been more direct and gotten<BR>
beyond the Commander’s uncertainty in short order. But Garroway was a<BR>
master at dragging this out without loosing a shred of good diplomacy.<BR>
Still, she held her face neutral.<BR>
<BR>
Garroway nodded. "We agree." He stood and walked back around the desk.<BR>
"I don't know if you're aware, but Captain Morgan's injuries will<BR>
prelude her from service for a while. It remains to be seen if it will<BR>
result in a medical discharge, but I'm pulling a few strings to try and<BR>
make that /her/ choice." He found the PADD he was looking for, then<BR>
seemed to drift off a moment. "You know," he shared, "I remember just a<BR>
few short years ago when I promoted her to Captain. It was just before<BR>
the Battle of Jupiter's Ghost when Yorktown was to rendezvous at New<BR>
Darwin with the rest of the fleet. We talked about losing good people<BR>
then, too."<BR>
<BR>
"Yes sir." Da'nak said, his eyes shifting from the Admiral to the<BR>
Commodore. "I remember when the Captain was promoted." A muted smirk<BR>
played across the blue man's lips as the remembrance. "Apparently, your<BR>
history has another 'Captain Morgan'. The crew had good fun with it."<BR>
<BR>
The smile slowly faded as the realization of what the Admiral was saying<BR>
dawned on Da'nak. Captain Rece Morgan, his commander and friend would<BR>
likely never walk another bridge, at least not for a while. "I'm sorry<BR>
sir." He said at last, his words heavy. "I wish we could have done more..."<BR>
<BR>
Garroway nodded. "Well here's your chance, Commander Ca'daar. We're<BR>
giving you command of Yorktown. The Commodore here has already cleared<BR>
your promotion to Force Commander with the Andorian government. The<BR>
officer exchange program doesn't exactly cover an expatriate in this<BR>
high a command role, but given your performance and service on the<BR>
Fighting Lady I'm looking to promote the best /crewman/, regardless of<BR>
hometown." He waved a dismissive hand, "Besides, the politicians love<BR>
it. They think it'll usher in a new era of relations between Earth and<BR>
her Coalition allies."<BR>
<BR>
"So I'm... I'm to be the first? Some sort of guinea pig in the wake of<BR>
the recent treaty?" Da'nak's antennae had stopped undulating now and<BR>
stood straight on his head. Ever since his posting to Yorktown he had<BR>
espoused the idea of unity between Andoria and her allies. Now they<BR>
wanted him to be the first embodiment of that ideal. A million thoughts<BR>
shot through his head at once. Could he handle the responsibility of<BR>
commanding the Yorktown full time? More to the point, did he want to?<BR>
In his blue heart, he knew the answer.<BR>
<BR>
"Sir, Ma'am..." He said at last. "I...I accept. But what about Captain<BR>
Morgan?"<BR>
<BR>
Garroway half smiled. He was proud of the other officer's loyalty, but<BR>
disheartened at the answer he had to give. "First she's got to get<BR>
better," he said. "Then... we'll see. I hope that she commands a ship<BR>
again someday, and you can be sure I'm going to make that happen if at<BR>
all possible. But right now... First she's got to get better."<BR>
<BR>
He handed Ca'daar a PADD with his promotion files and new orders to<BR>
report as CO of NX-05. "You, on the other hand, have got a Starfleet <BR>
crew waiting, and I know you're up for it because you're an exemplary <BR>
officer by /any/ standards. Just remember what you learned from Captain <BR>
Morgan, and honor her by taking care of the Yorktown and the crew. <BR>
That's an important job, and certainly more important than any politics <BR>
that may surround it. In fact, forget the politics. All I want from <BR>
you is to be the Captain that crew deserves, because they're /your/ crew <BR>
now. And if you fail in that, I don't care what the politicians say, <BR>
I'll snatch you off the bridge so fast your antennae will spin. Are we <BR>
clear, Force Commander Ca'daar?"<BR>
<BR>
Da'nak's antennae raised as a fierce smile broadened across his face.<BR>
He felt bad about the Captain, but Garroway was right. Now at least<BR>
the Andorian knew where the Admiral's sister got her flashes of wisdom. <BR>
"Admiral," He said at last. "I wouldn't have it any other way."<BR>
<BR>
Rising, the big Andorian saluted first the Commodore, then Admiral<BR>
Garroway. "Thank you both, it is a great honor. Now if I may be<BR>
excused? I have ship out there that's been torn down to her rivets<BR>
and a crew that's in desperate need of some time off."<BR>
<BR>
Garroway returned the salute. "Dismissed," he said. "And godspeed."<BR>
<BR>
Da'nak gave a parting nod to both officers and headed for the door.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
-----<BR>
Adm Garroway, Thomas R.<BR>
Commander, Starfleet<BR>
<BR>
Commodore Adrienne Sheppard<BR>
Commander, Fleet Operations<BR>
<BR>
Force Commander Da'nak Ca'daar<BR>
Commanding Officer<BR>
NX-05 Yorktown<BR>
The Fighting Lady<BR>
~~~<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><I>You ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light?<BR>
I always ask that of all my prey...<BR>
I just like the sound of it.....<BR>
<BR>
</I></FONT></SPAN><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Jack Nicholson- Batman</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR>
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