Ensign -> Lt. JG Lyra Voss: Awards, Pt. 3 - Ceci n'est pas une Promotion
Sarah Terry
((Beachfront – Raskor II))
She could feel the rest of the beach buzzing with anticipation as they came to the final portion of the presentation this evening: promotions. Lyra took another sip of her lemonade as she leaned back in her chair. It was an excited, buoyant feeling, and Taybrim was letting it hang in the air as the crew quieted.
Taybrim: Now, before we break, I of course have some important announcements. First… ::oh who was the first person he would settle his gaze upon?:: Ensign sh’Sonora, if you could please join me?
Lyra immediately turned to find Mi’sh in the crowd. She was sitting near the back on a beach towel next to some kind of… motorized surf board thing? Who knew. Mi’sh was always riding/driving/flying some kind of contraption. The Andorian’s eyes went wide.
sh’Sonora: ::Points to herself:: Me? ::She gets the hint quickly, rising up from her seat to approach the podium.
Taybrim just smiled as she made her way up to the front of the audience.
Taybrim: You have had quite the ride so to speak in your time with StarBase 118. From piloting the Theirr, to rescuing civilian vessels to test flying some of the ships in the impound bay, you have proven yourself a capable pilot, a clever thinker and a teammate that your fellow crew can rely on. These are all strong skills that will carry you forward in your career. Beyond this, you have an unstoppable energy that brightens up a room, something I hope you can carry with you for years to come.
sh’Sonora: Ummm… yes Sir, thank you Sir.
She gave the commodore a crisp salute, and then looked slightly betrayed that her hand had done such a thing.
Taybrim: In recognition of the progress you have made and the contributions you have given to this crew, I am very pleased to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade with all rights and responsibilities that come with this rank.
Taybrim pulled out a beautiful rosewood box and offered it to her.
sh’Sonora: Oh… umm… wow… that’s… wow! I mean… WOW! Thank you, Sir!
Lieutenant in… how long had they been here? Nine months? She could feel Mi’shune’s shock and pride like a sledgehammer.
Any: ?
Taybrim: Congratulations, Lieutenant! Now, my firm and very strong order to you is that you fly safely and do not cause myself nor Captain Fairhug to have to bestow a Purple Heart upon you in the future, understood?
sh’Sonora: ::quips:: Don’t worry, Sir. I wouldn’t want to tie up any medical resources unless I have to.
Any: ?
There was a hearty round of applause as Mi’sh made it back to her seat. Lyra was trying to catch her eye as she passed so she could cheer for her Academy friend, which meant that she was backwards in her chair and completely distracted when she heard her own name called out from the stage.
Taybrim: Ensign Lyra Voss, if you could please join me?
A feeling akin to dread bloomed through her as she slowly, reluctantly turned around, not quite willing to believe she’d heard what she thought she did. But as soon as her eyes met Taybrim’s, there was no mistaking it. Four help her. She stood up, took half a step, pulled her sunglasses off her head with a shaky hand to throw them on the table, and then continued to the front of the crowd.
Voss: Sir?
She resisted the urge to latch onto the podium for dear life, and instead, stood there with her hands clasped so tightly in front of her that she was in danger of cutting off circulation to her fingers. He couldn’t really be… could he?
Taybrim: Ensign, you have also been quite busy since you arrived. From reaching out telepathically to a new life form, helping contain an alien artifact, being the leader of the now legendary Ensign Bingo, you have come a long way in a very short time. You have proven yourself a resourceful and flexible thinker, able to figure out solutions based on what resources you have and able to work well with a variety of different civilians and crew.
She could already feel her face flushing and the mention of Ensign Bingo sent the already surreal moment into the stratosphere of absurdity. Of course everyone knew about Ensign Bingo, but most senior officers had the decency to *pretend* they didn’t. Leave it to the Betazoids to be terrible with secrets. Oh she had to laugh. None of this felt real.
Voss: ::smirking at these truly nonsensical circumstances:: Ensign Bingo, sir? Never heard of it.
Taybrim: In recognition of not only your accomplishments, but your continued ability to think creatively and make good decisions under pressure, your outspoken ability to help guide your teams towards success and your dedication towards our missions, I am extremely happy to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade with all the rights and responsibilities thereof.
He reached into the podium and opened a rosewood box to her, revealing the hollow pip inside. Lieutenant. The word turned over in her mind like an arcane piece of language she’d never heard before. But when she took the box from Taybrim, she could feel the cool, smooth reality of it against her palm. She hung her head for a brief moment as she collected herself.
Voss: Thank you so much, sir. I’ll do everything I can to live up to this.
Maybe a little painfully sincere, but if that wasn’t her brand, then what was?
Any: ?
She turned on her heel to escape the stage, but only got a step away before Taybrim called her and she had to turn back.
Taybrim: Congratulations, Lieutenant! But I’m sorry – you can’t sit down quite yet because I’m not done. ::those dark Betazoid eyes sparkled, and despite them both being of the same species, while Sal Taybrim’s telepathy was weaker than the average Betazoid, his ability to shield his thoughts and emotions was impressively strong. He was clearly pleased, clearly proud, clearly having fun, but giving no clues as to what else he was thinking.:: through out each mission and shore leave I have watched your leadership ability grow. You have the ability to focus your fellow crew mates back on track, so much that Commander Drex specifically complimented you on your focus while you were in the civilian sector and he was struggling. I believe you will continue to naturally build upon these skills and grow as a leader. And to that end I am pleased to offer you the position of Assistant Chief Science Officer.
Her *what now*? Leadership ability? And Commander Drex had… her thoughts were coming in short-circuited bursts as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. Assistant Chief Science Officer. She had to remind herself to breathe. To hear so much praise from Taybrim, to feel the emotions in the crowd… somehow it was even more overwhelming than the promotion. Her eyes started to well with tears, and it was all she could do to keep them from falling.
Voss: That’s… I… I’m honored. I’m… thank you.
Any: ?
Taybrim: Congratulations, Lieutenant! I am very proud of all you have accomplished and I look forward to seeing where you go forward from here!
Her words were entirely used up. She nodded her thanks, and then practically ran back to throw herself into her seat, dabbing at her eyes with the edges of her shawl.
Any: ?
Taybrim called up Ryden next. Lyra was listening to the exchange, but it was like the entire thing was coming through a poorly tuned radio, bits flaring and quieting at random. This is what she had wanted for so long - a place in Starfleet, a place as a scientist, a place on a team of people who didn’t just tolerate her, but believed in her. And she’d been so recently reacquainted with the part of herself that thought it would never happen. But here she was.
Her brain was monitoring the stage enough to realize that Ryden was getting his promotion to full lieutenant and would be stepping in as Chief Medical Officer. She had no doubt the new role would suit him - he had a unique ability to stay calm and present even as chaos swirled around him.
Taybrim turned to Wyn next - a formal announcement that he would be acting CO in Fairhug’s absence, and Sol would step up as his first officer. Maybe it was a funny thing to think about her superior officer, but she felt proud of Wyn. Like she wanted to go back and tell the ensign version of him that everything would work out in the end, and that he would grow into a dedicated, passionate officer who had finally started learning to trust himself. That he gave her hope she could get there someday too.
Before she knew it, Taybrim was beaming warmly at the crowd and bringing his performance to a close.
Taybrim: I can firmly say that I believe StarBase 118 is in good hands and you both will do a fantastic job. And I can firmly say that this is a magnificent crew who can achieve great things in good times and hard times. So let me end by saying congratulations to everyone! And thank you all for all of your hard work!
The audience broke into raucous applause. She could feel the waves of cheers and claps pulsing through her like the tide.
McLaren: To 118!
Foster: To an amazing crew!
Any: ?
It was an evening she wouldn’t forget any time soon.