From: Kim Toussaint (kimtoussaint_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Dec 22 2007 - 14:03:04 PST
"Conversations"
( Continued from Shawn's "Fortifications" )
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Location: GS2
Scene: Commanding officer's Ready room
Time index: evening
Stardate: 2.71222.1354
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggZfS0YceQo
Stronger
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"Come in." Daisy muttered.
Eishnala entered. "Hello, Commander."
Sitting behind her desk, Daisy looked up from her report and smiled. "Hey, honey...how you doing? You hungry?"
The younger Andorian woman sighed. "Commander, I have asked you repeatedly to stop calling me names like 'honey', 'sweetie' and 'darlin'. I simply came to ask you about..."
Daisy lightly dropped the comm padd on her desk and sighed. "Right this second, I just don't care. Let's talk about getting you to lighten up a little bit when we're alone. I mean, really? Do you have to be so rigid?"
Eishnala exhaled with fatigue, struggling maintain her usual 'professional' composure. "Commander, I am enjoying the duties you have offered me with the XO position. However, I was not aware that typical XO duties involved the Commanding officer and the XO engaging in calling each other by names that imply such a level of.... familiarity."
Taking a sip from yet another cup of coffee, Daisy sputtered and laughed softly. "I am invested now, in the stabilizing and ongoing protection of GATEWAY, Lieutenant. As my chosen XO, I think we'll get comfortable enough with each other over time. Eventually, you might even find yourself feeling "ok" with calling me by my first name when we're alone."
"I find that highly unlikely, Commander." Eishnala remained cool. "I have been observing you and your relationships with members of the PATRIOT crew. I've seen how the Marine laughs at the very idea of you staying in a command position. While I appreciate your having chosen me as acting XO, my instinct tells me it's highly unlikely you'll be staying with us for very long. I'm aware of your misgivings about yourself in command and I expect you'll contact the Borg about another more experienced Commanding officer to take your place, Ma'am."
Daisy gently lowered the comm padd to her desk and pulled herself to her feet. Eishnala responded to that gesture by taking a step backwards and crossing her arms over her chest. She raised an eyebrow and smirked as Daisy replied flatly.
"Then, you would be mistaken, Eishnala."
"As a doctor, you are aware of Andorian hearing." Eishnala continued calmly, trying to hide her annoyance Daisy had taken the liberty of calling her by her first name. "I've heard the fatigue in your voice on more than one occasion and you sometimes underestimate how far I've gone before you start talking to yourself, expressing your concerns and your frustrations."
Daisy laughed easily. "You're right. I do talk to myself when I'm upset. I'm sorry if you overheard and were upset by it."
"I'm not 'upset'." Eishnala snapped coldly.
Daisy smirked. "Really?"
"Quite the contrary. You have my sympathy." Eishnala sighed uncomfortably. She turned to the side and looked away as she admitted " You are an excellent doctor and had clearly expressed a preference that Starfleet allow you to spend your time in the Chief Medical officer position so you devote more time to your children. You left on what was supposed to be a holiday and ended up getting an assignment that puts you back in a Command Position and away from your children. I would not blame you for leaving the moment the Borg can bring another Commanding officer from Federation territory to take your place." the tone of Eishnala's voice change slightly as she spoke. To Daisy's ears, it almost seemed to shrink as she spoke from that of a mighty Andorian Soldier to that of an exhausted and depressed young woman.
The human woman's face softened. With a patient sigh, she put one hand on her hip and then scratched lightly, thoughtfully, at the the back of her head. Her long blonde hair was tied neatly in a bun that looked all "professional" but sometimes began to itch towards the end of the day.
"This crew has lost a lot." Daisy acknowledged calmly. "The Wormhole... and you believed that, with that, you lost the Federation. Then, there was...that Martin Davies fellow, your previous chief Engineer among just a few of a long list of fatalities. People have been seperated from their friends and families...affectively 'losing' them as well. Captain Kane disappeared. The Prophets are believed to have abandoned this realm."
Eishnala nodded, lowering her eyes.
"But, I have to protest your assessment of my own situation." Daisy replied flatly.
"I apologize if you are offended by my observations, Commander." Eishnala shot back quickly. "It was not my intention to insult you."
"I'm aware of that, Lieutenant." Daisy laughed weakly. "I'm not insulted."
"You're not?" Eishnala blinked, confused.
"I'm also not going anywhere." Daisy replied, stepping around her desk and closer to the younger Andorian woman. "I wouldn't do that. I've put too much time into getting to know this station, getting to know her crew and attempting to gain their trust. Because I do know how much they've lost - I wouldn't dream of working so hard for them to get used to me and then simply running off to an easier assignment the first chance I get." Daisy smirked.
"What about your children?" Eishnala asked skeptically, studying Daisy's face.
"When the situation is stable and I believe they will be safe, I'll bring them to join me on GATEWAY." Daisy shrugged. Then, she offered Eishnala a smile and assured her. "You're stuck with me."
Eishnala blinked, surprised by how the tone of Daisy's voice rang true. Then, she asked, "So you're really committed to a long term stay at an assignment that is clearly outside the comfort zone that you had chosen for yourself? Why is that?"
"Because sometimes you gotta have faith." Daisy shrugged flatly. Fatigue brought out the faint midwestern American accent in her voice and she smiled. "Haven't ya ever heard the expression that sometimes things happen for a reason?"
Eishnala raised her eyebrows and smirked, "As in, because you accidentally ended up in command of this station...maybe this is where you are 'supposed to be' and, with effort, you will rise to the occasion?"
"Yup." Daisy shrugged once again, stepping back and hopping up on the corner of her own desk. Her long legs dangled over the edge as she leaned across and pressed a button on the monitor. Then, she leaned forward and grinned bravely at her young XO.
"Trust me, honey...I'm gonna kick ass."
Groaning inwardly, Eishnala gave a patient exhale and a weak, strained smile before she replied, "Yes, Ma'am."
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Location: GS2
Scene: Corridor -> Turbo lift
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfvDPq_nVLU
"I should go"
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Before she had any command experience, Daisy used to tease Ben about life in a red uniform, saying most anyone who wore one acted like they had a pole shoved up their butt when they were on duty. That included him.
The first time he'd spotted her actually wearing a red uniform was in a restaurant near Starfleet headquarters when she returned home to earth following the PROPHECY crew's part in the ANDALUSIAN incident. He had fun teasing her about finally ending up in a red uniform. She joked right back with him and then, because the true nature of the USS PROPHECY was classified, she lied that she was just the XO of a rather ordinary supply ship named the USS SHAMERAN. That was the coverstory used by all members of the PROPHECY crew.
Being the big "head honcho" Marine and a former crewmember of the same ship, Bret Maverick knew the true nature of Daisy's assignment and he didn't like what Starfleet had done, putting her there. Concerned for his friend, Mav attempted to manipulate Ben into getting Daisy away from that ship. Aware of the history between then, Maverick broke the rules and told Kenta that Daisy had lied. He didn't say exactly what her real assignment was - only that it was classified and dangerous. He did his best to "scare" Kenta into begging Daisy not to go.
Ben chose to respect Daisy's job and Daisy herself. He knew Daisy wouldn't want him to worry - so he pretended Mav had told him nothing and allowed Daisy to return to "whatever" her ship was without any protest.
Their current situation, being even Daisy's Senior officer, he had access to all the records on GATEWAY. That included the records of the "Secret hanger" where the PROPHECY had been kept and more about Daisy's former assignment than he'd ever wanted to know. Mav had seen him reading and glibly made jokes about "the great PROPHECY-GATEWAY beast" that used to exist when the two units were joined together and Ben gave him a flat smile before just replying with a shrug about how the fact that she'd done XO duty on such a dangerous vessel only proved she would be a good CO for GATEWAY.
Privately, his feelings about the decision to put Daisy in command ran hot and cold. Even knowing the quality work his crew was doing assisting with upgrading the GATEWAY'S defenses, Ben felt uneasy leaving someone he cared about behind on this station when the time came for the Borg to assist the PATRIOT in leaving. Yet, there were times when he was puffed up with pride and faith she was going to do well in this position.
She carried herself with grace in a red uniform and had a way of putting the crew at ease. She was very maternal, frequently stopping to put a hand on someone's shoulder, give them a smile and tell them what a good job they were doing. People would look at each other, surprised and even confused - before looking back to Daisy and smiling.
Tastefully applied make-up hid the circles under her eyes from many late nights spent reading reports on the station's progress and writing letters to her kids. She didn't complain and she didn't take out any of her frustrations or her moments of feeling homesick for the STONEHENGE on her new crew. She only showed them support and encouragement, even when she was exhausted herself and depending on ungodly amounts of caffeine to keep going through yet a few more hours reading and replying to reports and meetings in different areas of the station.
It was 2am and she was still in uniform with her nose buried in another report from Lt. Crichton as she walked down a corridor into a turbo lift, not seeing that it was occupied. She bumped right into Captain Kenta before she even realized he was there.
"Oh...geesh..." the tired woman scoffed and laughed. "Sorry, I didn't see you."
Carrying a padd of his own, Ben gave her a weak smile as the turbo lift doors closed.
"Hi."
Realizing they were actually alone together for the first time in days, not just seeing each other in meetings on opposite sides of a conference table, but alone......even if it was just sharing a turbo lift, Daisy suddenly didn't know what to say.
With a big, stupid grin on her face and blushing....she tugged at her collar and replied,
"Hi"
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NRPG:
Ok - what can I say? I'm feeling better and I got restless. It's just dialogue and character relationships, though - so I'm hoping it doesn't interfere with anything anyone was working on.
Kat's still in charge until after Christmas. I just had to get this purely character-centered post out because the idea wouldn't stop nagging at me, demanding to be written. Hopefully, now that I got this out of my system - I'll be able to focus on Christmas preperations for my family. LOL
Now, I have a million things to do before Monday and Tuesday and I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend followed by a great holiday! :)
Kim Toussaint AKA Commander Daisy Byrne Davidson, M.D.
Commanding officer of GATEWAY STATION
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