Commander Rouiancet: Spilling the Beans

[tonyrc...@gmail.com]

(( Quark's Bar, Promenade, Deep Space 9 ))

Rouiancet: (a light laugh) I'm not asking anything else just yet. Actually, Admiral Egan Manno intimated that there might be more personnel shakeups coming.

Lia wondered again if Commodore V'Airu knew yet -- and, whether or not she did, if Commander Etan would also be selected for a command. He deserved it, although she didn't like to think how V'Airu would be able to field two senior commanders being promoted away at once. Was that likely? She wasn't sure, even after she'd spent more than two years in strat ops.

Promontory: More personnel changes? Like to additional ships or just between yours and V’Airu’s?

That was a good question, and one that Lia didn't know how to answer, either.

Rouiancet: To tell the truth, I was too focused on the news to ask.

A strange thing to admit, given what her duty post had been these last couple of years. She'd been concerned with little besides the state of the region and Starfleet's presence in it, and it would've been reasonable to assume that asking how her promotion affected that balance of power would've been the first she'd ask. Except -- she hadn't.

Promontory: You’re going to have a lot of things to get used to, and quick!

Rouiancet: (a light shake of her head) I know. I've had to make several transitions through my career, and this (beat) might be the biggest one yet.

She'd gone back to the Academy to respecialize in medicine after she'd initially graduated in ops during the Dominion War, and had spent a good decade-plus as a physician. Her decision to go back to ops (and, later, strategic ops) aboard Veritas, Thor, and then 'Oumuamua had been spurred by an interest in rank advancement -- and now here she was. She couldn't, for the moment, think of anything bigger. For the moment, anyway.

Promontory: Do you at least know if it’s a new ship or one that you’d be inheriting?

She could see the direction he was thinking, and she grinned.

Rouiancet: New, and I'm thinking what you're thinking. There are four new starships being assigned to the Gamma Quadrant: the Phoebe, the Octavia E. Butler, the Charity, and the Vulcana Regar. I don't know which one I'm assigned to, but (beat) it's one of them.

Promontory: Response

Rouiancet: (with a laugh) You may know before I do, actually, if the admiral was serious.

As soon as she'd spoken, though, Lia clamped her mouth shut. The Andorian breeze had loosened her tongue and her sense, and she'd said something that she knew she shouldn't have. But, then, Avander would be finding out soon, if he didn't know already. What was the harm, if they were already celebrating? Still, she took a long sip, giving her time to recover -- and him time to consider what she'd said.

Promontory: Response

Rouiancet: Well (beat) it was a slip, but it's based on something the admiral said. You're the most experienced intelligence officer in the task force and (another beat) there are plans for you.

Promontory: Response

Again Lia shook her head, but this time, she meant nothing more and nothing less than that she was totally ignorant.

Rouiancet: I honestly don't. (a smile) Hopefully more than just more admin work, though.

Promontory: Response

Tags! and TBC!

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Commander Lia Rouiancet

Strategic Operations Officer

USS 'Oumuamua

V238208LV0

she/her/hers (this character) & he/him/his (player)