CDR Naxell — Preamble (Part II)
Naxell
((Docking Ports, Deep Space 33, Alpha Isles))
As he took the podium, Commander Naxell raised his hands out before him to signal he was going to speak. As the noise fell, so did his hands, fingertips gripping the sides of the podium. This was not how things had been done on his previous postings, but it seemed fairly self-explanatory. There were shelves in front of him, hidden from view of the audience, and a number of engraved boxes were tucked inside. He was conscious of his own preparations, on a PADD he’d placed atop the podium with a list of accolades that were, per Captain Shayne’s departing notes, merited.
Naxell: Good evening. I am, as Commander Dewitt introduced, Commanding Nax-Ellarneii-Tellargo, captain of the USS Khitomer. “A new chapter,” he says. For some of us, that is surely the case. Until recently, I was a lecturer at the Academy’s Command School, after more than fifty years in Starfleet. The nice thing about chapters there was that from start to finish, they were complete and coherent. This will be my first command after more than a decade as First Officer on two starship, so from my perspective. That is my new “chapter.”
He twisted his body to look for his First Officer, and upon finding him, pointed a finger.
Naxell: Commander Dewitt is wearing red for the first time. Perhaps that is his “chapter.” In the coming weeks, months, and years, you will all, each of you, define your own chapters—whether you want to or not—through your choices. Whom will you become? Where will your stories go? We all serve Starfleet, but in doing so, we are given great authority. No matter our rank or our role, we are leaders, all. That is what I sought to instill in my students, and it’s what I humbly hope to inspire in all of you. And, judging by the notes Captain Shayne has left me regarding tonight’s event, he’s given me a bit of a head start.
Naxell took a breath and cast his gaze downward. He scratched the twinge of an itch on the tip of his nose, and looked at the list. He was placing a great deal of trust in Captain Shayne’s judgment, but he had been given no reason to doubt it. This ship and this crew were molded by him, but their strengths and weaknesses were Naxell’s responsibility now.
Naxell: Lieutenant Commander Ohnari? Doctor, join me on the stage.
He waited as the Chief Medical Officer made her way out of the crowd and to the ramp that had been set up before him and to his left. Gripping the first of the boxes from the podium’s hidden shelves, he stepped out to meet her.
Naxell: Doctor, in our duties we will encounter people who have suffered great losses. They will carry those losses with them, and it will fall to us to relieve them of their burdens in any way that we can. I am told that you have done so, in spite of some substantial personal conflict. Please accept the Trauma Support Advocate service ribbon.
Ohnari: Response
With a nod of acknowledgment to her, Naxell returned his attention to the crowd. The lights made it hard to distinguish between any individuals out there, and so he had to hope that everyone had showed up. As he returned to the podium to fetch the next box, he called out for his next honoree.
Naxell: Lieutenant Dewitt, please come up.
Returning to the center of the stage, again, to meet Ayemet, he greeted her with a smile. He had only known her a brief while, but had already found her to be a valuable member of the ship’s senior staff.
Naxell: Counselor, Captain Shayne believed you to be of tremendous value to him on the surface of Alpha Trionus II. I have only just met you, but I can already understand why. Please accept the Superior Support Ribbon for your actions.
A. Dewitt: Response
As she departed, he realized that this was going to take far too much time to conduct individually, and the food and drinks atop the tables behind the seating area were going to get cold or warm if he took too much time. Whichever they became, of course, was entirely dependent upon which was less desirable. Another glance over the PADD, and he quickly put together a more convenient set of names to call at once.
Naxell: Lieutenant Commanders Dewitt and Stros, please. And Ensign Melville-Kilpatrick.
He gathered three boxes, and looked down at them in his hands. As he took the stage, he reshuffled them into his preferred order. As the three officers lined up on the stage, the Denobulan commander stepped first to the long-haired Vulcan. His eyebrows twisted as he considered the man, and what he must have done to earn what was coming to him.
Naxell: Commander Stros, the mission report was obviously incomplete, because I’m not entirely sure what Captain Shayne was referring to with the single word he offered to justify this award: “sewage.” Please accept the Excellence in Adaptability, and my condolences.
Stros: Response
Naxell: ::stepping to Melville-Kilpatrick, speaking more softly:: Ensign, I assure you this is not a prank and I apologize for my subterfuge. ::raised voice:: For your assistance in investigating the Federation prison without sacrificing your adherence to the medical officer’s code, please accept this Good Conduct Ribbon.
He handed the second box to the junior medical officer and hoped that it made up for his being less than fully forthcoming at the poolside bar.
Melville-Kilpatrick: Response
Naxell: ::to Dewitt:: Number One, this award did not come from Captain Shayne. I recently received an entirely unsolicited communique from Lieutenant Commander Hobart. It doesn’t come from, either, but he did ask me to give you a message, and now seems as good a time as any.
C. Dewitt: Response
Naxell: He said that no matter where we are, or when, our service together and our commitment to each other make us family. What we give to each other, what we learn, and what we suffer together create meaning that uplifts and guides us, even after we are gone. Family is forever. And he said you taught him that. ::pause:: And so, as more or less my first act as captain without my predecessor looking over my shoulder, please allow me to bestow upon you the Unity Ribbon.
C. Dewitt: Response
Upon shaking the hands of the three officers and sending them on their way, Commander Naxell returned to the podium for the next two boxes.
Naxell: Lieutenant Michaels, Ensign Morda!
He moved more swiftly to meet the junior officers as they came up on stage. Michaels was looking better as she came up the ramp, but he knew from the daily updates from Lt. Commander Ohnari that she was not entirely out of the woods.
Naxell: I have found that when Engineers are tasked to solve an especially difficult problem, the solutions they come up with always seem to toe very close to the line between ingenuity and outright terror when given a night’s rest and reflection. Using the transporter buffers to cycle prisoners in and out of existence to ensure a complete evacuation was inspired… ::grinning:: …and also grounds to revisit the security clearances required to access the ship’s transporter systems. Please accept these Spliced Mainbrace Distinctions.
Michaels / Morda: Response
He handed them each a box, and shook their hands. He was sure to give them each a raised eyebrow of concern to emphasize the bit. Before Michaels could escape behind Ensign Morda, however, he spoke up.
Naxell: Lieutenant, a moment. ::calling out:: Officers El’Heem, Semara, Zerva, and Matthews to the stage.
Six boxes to go, this was the home stretch. He grabbed five of them, and turned around to find the officers assembling themselves in a neat and convenient row. Three of them wore blue, which was one more than he was expecting. It caused Naxell to halt in his tracks, for a moment, before he swiftly recovered.
Naxell: One mystery after another, ladies and gentlemen. That is what the mission log and Captain Shayne’s recommendations allude to. Each of you was instrumental in solving at least one of them. Lieutenants Michaels and Zerva, something about shuttle logs. Lieutenant El’Heem and Ensign Matthews, interviews. Lieutenant Semara, for a great deal that has not yet become well-known. Please accept these Starfleet Investigation Ribbons for your dedicated efforts to unwind those mysteries that befouled the ship.
El’Heem / Semara / Michaels / Zerva / Matthews: Response
Naxell: ::shaking hands:: Lieutenants El’Heem and Semara, stay here.
TBC
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Commander Nax-Ellarneii-Tellargo
Commanding Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240001NH3