JP: Egan Manno, Bakari & Kells: Captain to Captain
Rich
((Captain’s Ready Room, USS Garuda))
:: It was a bit unusual for the captain to call him to her ready room, both because it was shoreleave and also because it was in the evening, which meant it must have been important. Fortunately, Msafiri had kept his uniform in his gym bag and had managed to quickly change back before whatever was the occasion.
Upon entering, he immediately took notice of the gold piping on Captain Egan Manno’s new flag officer uniform.
Or rather, Fleet Captain Egan Manno.
He smiled as he stepped forward. ::
BAKARI: Fleet Captain. Congratulations.
EGAN MANNO: Thank you, Commander.
BAKARI: I’m sure the crew will be delighted when they find out.
EGAN MANNO: Which part? My promotion and reassignment -- or that you’ll be coming with me?
BAKARI: ::nodding slowly:: I see...
:: Of course. It wouldn’t have made sense just to call him here to let him know she’s been promoted. ::
EGAN MANNO: You’re up to date on the Astrofori One announcement, I take it?
BAKARI: I saw the dossier on it. A new interstellar forum of sorts. Sounds like quite the gathering of power players. Rumors in the press that even the Federation President might be attending.
EGAN MANNO: Yes, I heard the same thing. I hope she does -- and yet I very much hope that she doesn’t. Still, if she does, we’ll have to be prepared, and--
:: The door chime sounded, which didn’t surprise Msafiri as much as who it was that entered afterward. He’d figured perhaps the captain had called one of the other department heads: Mei’konda, Skyfire, or perhaps Director Reynolds. Instead, though, it was Captain Aron Kells.
Aron found it exceedingly strange to be on the other side of the captain’s desk. In fact, he hadn’t yet been confronted with how strange it was: He had yet to have been summoned to Egan Manno’s ready room. Well, up until that moment, anyway. Most of their communications had been by proxy, either through other officers (like Alora) or the computer.
He found the room -- simple. Not disinteresting, but not very reflective of Egan Manno’s personality, either. In fact, apart from an old starmap he assumed was a relic of her earlier duties, there didn’t seem to be anything of hers in there.
But his point there now wasn’t to critique her office. Or was it? Actually, she hadn’t said yet, had she? ::
KELLS: Captain. Commander.
:: Msafiri eyed the other captain warily. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t trust Kells. After all, he’d served under him previously aboard the Mercury. But that had been practically another man altogether. This Aron Kells was simply an unknown, and Msafiri didn’t care much for such uncertainties. ::
EGAN MANNO: Captain Kells and Commander Bakari, what I have to tell you is, for the moment, for your ears only. ::beat:: I expect it won’t be an hour after, but for now, this will be between us.
:: Well, Aron thought, that was interesting. Or it had the potential to be. Egan Manno was certainly looking a little shiftier than he’d ever seen her -- not, again, that he was too familiar with her -- and he noted, too, that it was a little odd to see the single pip mirrored on both sides of her collar, even though he knew the border meant that she’d promoted and not bounced back to ensign. Twice. ::
KELLS: Of course. What can I do for you?
:: He glanced over at Bakari, wondering if he knew any more about this. The two had definitely been talking before he came in, though what about? ::
EGAN MANNO: You can change your undershirt, Mr. Kells.
:: Which was possibly, Aron thought, the weirdest thing a CO had ever said to him, and that included that time aboard the Drake with the Romulan clones. ::
KELLS: I-- I’m not really sure what to say to that, Captain.
:: With anyone else he would have quipped, but Egan Manno’s face tended to be a singularly humorless one. ::
EGAN MANNO: You’re already aware of my promotion and reassignment. What you don’t know -- which no one yet knows -- is that you’ll be my successor. You will command the Garuda, Captain Kells.
:: Both Aron and Msafiri stepped forward in shock. ::
KELLS & BAKARI: What?
:: The two men turned to face each other for a moment, exchanging an awkward glance, before Msafiri cleared his throat and took a step back. ::
KELLS: Isn’t that a little ::beat:: much? I was just reactivated, and I understood that I’d be assigned in a non-chief scientific position for a time.
EGAN MANNO: Perhaps those were the condition of your reactivated commission, but that time is not this time. Needs change, Captain, and I have need of a successor. In fact, you were eligible to be reactivated almost a year ago now, and I know that the reactivation included command clearance.
KELLS: But I chose not to pursue--
:: Before he could continue, though, Cassie held up a hand. It was enough to quell him -- or, she supposed, that was more her look, which would have felled a charging elephant. He didn’t look completely speechless and she knew she’d only surprised him; he’d start speaking again in a moment, so better she beat him to it. ::
EGAN MANNO: Commander, will you excuse us?
:: Msafiri looked back at the captain--his captain at least--and saw in her eyes that whatever doubts he had about these sudden developments, she’d made her decision. If Captain Kells wanted to argue about it further, that was his own risk to take. ::
BAKARI: ::nods:: Yes, ma’m. I’ll make preparations for the ceremony.
:: Once he’d left, Cassie turned back to Aron. ::
EGAN MANNO: Now, Captain--
KELLS: I chose not to go for command again by choice. I wanted a non-staff position when I returned.
:: She looked at him expectantly. There was more there, though he looked hesitant. But she didn’t speak, and her silence goaded him. ::
KELLS: I was also didn’t under the impression that you liked me very much.
EGAN MANNO: Captain, were I choosing a successor to the XO spot, that would be a much larger concern. For the CO of this vessel? No. I won’t say that my personal feelings didn’t go into this decision, because of course they did, but they didn’t make the choice for me. ::beat:: And, for the record, I don’t dislike you.
:: Aron tipped his head slightly to the side. That was well and good, but what about his wishes upon reactivation? ::
KELLS: And my position?
EGAN MANNO: I didn’t much want to come out here when I was assigned, either. But you’re here, you know this crew, and you have Corridor experience behind you. That’s enough to be going on with. Unless, of course, you plan to reject this promotion?
:: The word startled him -- but that was what it was, wasn’t it? A promotion. One unasked for, one he hadn’t really worked toward intentionally -- but she had to know that, and maybe she was trying to entice him? That was rather flattering if it was true, but he held himself back from assuming full-stop. Keep your head, Aron. ::
KELLS: I -- accept.
EGAN MANNO: I thought you would. Your other option was going to be dishonorable discharge.
:: His mouth fell open. She wasn’t serious? But, no, of course she wasn’t: He saw the shadow of a smile there. So she did have a sense of humor after all. ::
KELLS: But if you’re taking Commander Bakari with you, then who’s going to serve as my executive officer?
EGAN MANNO: Now, Captain, I can’t make all your decisions for you. Only most of them. Selection of an XO is the CO’s prerogative, so I suggest you give it some thought. But don’t wait too long: You’ll need an officer in place by the time Astrofori One is set to launch. Four days, Captain.
KELLS: That’s not much time.
:: He frowned at her. All things considered and with a complete objectivity he didn’t really feel, Aron was pleased that he was able to frown at her now. But maybe that would be their relationship now. ::
EGAN MANNO: It isn’t.
:: And she smiled at him, a full smile this time. ::
EGAN MANNO: Deal with it.
TBC…
Fleet Captain Cassandra Egan Manno
Region & Starfleet Mission Commander
Menthar Corridor & Astrofori One
&
Lt. Commander Msafiri Bakari
Adjutant to the Region & Starfleet Mission Commander
Menthar Corridor & Astrofori One
&
Captain Aron Kells
Commanding Officer
USS Garuda