From: Joy Phillips (jkphillips82_at_googlemail.com)
Date: Wed Jan 16 2008 - 03:00:05 PST
"I'm going to install a rotating door." (Cont'd from "If angels cry") Location: USS MCINNIS Scene: XO's ready room Stardate: 2.71601.1104 Katlina Gorman was not an administrator, over a year as CO of the largest station in the fleet had taught her that; she'd left that place twice now both times that shining beacon of hope for the federation had been assaulted, the first time she'd left friends, crewmates and a commodore she'd come to respect as family, this time she'd left a husband. "Damn it." Kat muttered her attention moving back to the large pile of paperwork that had sparked the moment of thought. She'd spoken to Xana about all of this; the woman had calmly handed all the PADD's back to her, given her that same dead smile and said encouragingly. "Since you think I can't even look after myself maybe you should take care of all the crew." "I hate you." Kat muttered under her breath directing all her venom at the pile of PADD's and her best friend, and then the door chimed. "Come!" Eilean stepped through the doors and nodded. "Lieutenant Peri reporting for duty ma'am." Kat grinned at that the smile lighting her face and then was replaced almost instantly with a scowl as she realised how much was on the line if anything happened to this ship. **So many friends in one place**. "Sit down lieutenant." After a moment the Xenexian did as instructed planting herself in the spare chair and looking around at the sparse furnishings. "You've not decorated." The woman pointed out. Although never as extravagant as Xana, mainly because Kat tended to stop before she got to the hammock and cookies and really didn't see the point in curtains in deep space, the older woman's office usually had a feeling of homeliness and at least had pictures of her family. Currently the office had standard furniture and a large pile of PADD's. "I've not had the time." Kat fended off with a half truth and smile. "So these have come. Security specs, security staff, weapons." She handed over three PADDs in quick succession; Eilean gave them a glare and put them down. "Anything I need to know about?" she asked. "Security and weapon specs are pretty much normal." Katlina answered with the knowledge that came from being a security officer all her working life. "Staff though, well we may have a problem." Eilean cocked her head to the side and waited for the smaller woman to continue. "We have a sparse amount of officers Eilean, no ACT graduates but Starfleet have sent us a few academy graduates. Mainly though, you're going to be staffed by recruits." Eilean swore under her breath knowing what that entailed. "Why?" "Because they've declared war," Kat said softly, the door chimed and she ignored it. "Because on EARTH right now they're starting the big old publicity machine; Starfleet needs you and all that." "And it takes too long to train them up." Eilean agreed her tone indicating she was as bitter about this as Katlina. "So I'm looking at a lot of troops with basic training?" Kat nodded the answer was obvious. "I've made my old training programmes available to you, take anything you may find useful and replace whatever you need." Eilean grinned at that. "I have my own training programmes Ma'am." "I know, but I also know you have a tendency to cycle the enemies, at least in mine you can be pretty sure who the bad guys are." "True, so your obsession with the Dominion might be of use to someone after all." "I wouldn't go that far." She chuckled and looked up. "Come in." Eilean took that as her cue and gathered up the PADDs as the door opened, Kat looked at Eilean "By the way, the MAC can split in two, both sections are equipped to fight, put some drills in place, treat that as a when situation rather than an if." Another familiar face stepped into the ready room and the Zac nodded to the security chief as she left and the counsellor took her place. "Good to see you Zac, you going to keep the mad house sane?" The Deltan hybrid gave her a wry smile and looked around him, "nice place you've got here." "It'll do." She answered him, her lips pursed and she shook her head, "what are you doing here?" Lieutenant Wen smiled at that. "That's nice Kat, I've missed you too." "Heh." The mutter escaped before she could stop it. "Don't get me wrong it's good to see you again, but you requested this transfer. You don't need to be here" "I think I do." He answered and looked at her seriously. She considered that and then nodded. "Fine because I think I need your help." He sat upright at that. "Zac, I think I'm the sanest person here, and we both know I'm not exactly the most stable of people." He shrugged without making a comment. "Well I have a security chief who's going to kill herself as some sort of penance for letting Gene die." Kat muttered. "Could she have done anything to stop it?" Zac asked her. "Does it matter?" Kat looked at him seriously and then shook her head, "no, but I think you knew Gene better than me anyway, you knew what he was like, having a family never changed that." "What else?" "I have a CO who's taking grief to the extreme." "Is it possible to take grief to the extreme? Grief is incredibly personal to each person. " Zachary asked and pointed out his eyes searching those of a woman he knew as a security chief. "I don't know, none of my husbands have blown themselves up, although occasionally I wish the ex would." She tried to joke but it sounded flat to her own ears. "She's grieving, everyone handles grief differently." Zac repeated quietly. "This whole ship is grieving." Kat spoke softly. "I sometimes think we're cursed before we even leave the ship yards." "Don't let anyone else hear you say that." Zac answered. "OK." Suddenly she sat up and handed a PADD across. "Counselling still isn't finished, these are the end specs make sure you're happy with them and then nag someone to finish it for you." She looked the young man in the eyes and then asked, "And can you do me a favour? I want psyche evals of everyone before we leave." Zachary winced, "That's a lot of evaluations." "I know, and it's to include Xana, and me, I want your best guess of how people are going to deal with this, especially once we get into a confrontation." "And these evals are to end up on your desk?" Kat nodded and then added, "Xana's too." The counsellor gave a brief smile and then stood up. "I'd best get to work then." "Aye, good luck Lieutenant." She muttered to him as he left her office. Kat was just about to go back to the PADD's when the door chimed again. "I'm going to get a revolving door installed." She muttered, "Come." A young woman in command red stepped forwards; Ensign pips reflected in the harsh Starfleet light, she issued a salute. "I was told to report to you commander." Katlina nodded and took the young woman in; taller than her and blonde she managed to hide a smile. "Come in Lieutenant. I'm Katlina Gorman." "Ensign Saferee Orla; Like I said, reporting for duty." Kat's smile slipped. "Orla?" She asked, "Any relation to a Landwyn?" "He's my brother Ma'am." Saferee paused and looked at the Executive Officer. "You know Landwyn?" "I did, I was his boss for a while. I thought all of his family were psychiatrists." "I was." Saferee smiled a little. "but Starfleet did a fantastic course in alien psychiatry that I wanted to go to so I joined the academy, and apparently I have a great tactical mind." Kat sighed inwardly and added to the list someone else she was going to have to look after, "So you're assigned to the position of Strategic Operations Officer?" Kat asked looking at the top PADD and yelling at herself silently for not having checked before people started arriving. "Yes Ma'am." "Please it's Kat, or Commander, I'm not the queen." She muttered "Alright Saferee there's not a lot for you to do at the moment, find your quarters and then familiarise yourself with the capabilities of the MAC, see if Eilean needs a hand with the weapon installations." Saferee nodded, "Yes Ma'am, erm, Commander." Kat grinned, "Have a nice day Ensign, I'll see you on your duty shift." The young woman nodded and disappeared onto the bridge. Kat paused once she was alone, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes waiting, once she was sure the door wasn't about to chime again she picked up a PADD and finally got some work done. *** NRPG: Just wanted to write something for the characters i haven't seen in a while, hope it's OK. Now this might not be a proper unit but for the purpose of helping each other out please drop me descriptions of places we might find your characters we're trying to get some books together and possibly a website when i get some free time. Joy Phillips the madness behind Commander Katlina Gorman XO USS MCINNIS (Novella unit) and Ensign Izshlana Vort aSec/Tac USS STONEHENGE Joy Phillips From HyperNews_at_youth.net
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