Not Just a Check-Up

Posted on Thu May 12th, 2011 @ 2:02pm by Captain Nathan Cowell MD & Lieutenant Xylia Lischka

Mission: Shore Leave 2; Picking Up the Pieces
Location: Commodore's Ready Room, Bridge, USS Arizona
Timeline: Following 'Beware the Listener'

Among the myriad things Commodore Nathan Cowell had to do, attending to the matters of personnel had become a rather high priority. Granted, he had Colonel DeVries running around playing at First Officer, but that wasn't a permanent situation nor did Nathan feel that he needed to pass off every little thing to the woman. With her being out and about, handling the majority of the crew, Nathan felt she was doing the most vital thing she could be doing for both herself and the crew. He would simply attend to the administrative work until Starfleet decided to send him a new First Officer.

A part of that administrative responsibility came in the form of a rectification of a certain individual's current rank. While Nathan had personally authorized nearly thirty promotions, a great deal of them among the enlisted crew, he couldn't and didn't have the ability to spare enough time to give them each the personal visit. And even the ones who he could personally promote, he didn't have the time to go to them. That fact was irrelevant, it was enough that he was able to give a few people their new rank device and see the pride in their eyes.

Nathan tapped his combadge, "Lieutenant Lischka, report to my Ready Room!"

"On my way." Xylia tapped her combadge and set the PADDs she was currently trying to organize off to the side. She wasn't quite sure what the Commodore needed, but anything would be better than sitting at her desk reading the same thing over and over again. Even if it meant getting her ass chewed out. With any luck, she would be able to get a few words in to thank the 'Old Man' properly for saving her life.

The woman made her way out of the Security offices and through the corridor, weaving her way through the damaged ship, occasionally taking the turbolift on the sections she knew it was working on, until she made her way to the doors of the Commodore's Ready Room. For a fleeting moment, she felt as though she was back in school again, being called to the principal's office to receive some sort of punishment. Thankfully, those days were gone, and she couldn't think of anything she did that would require being on her superior officer's bad side, but she wouldn't know for sure until she was inside the room. And without further hesitation, she touched the console next to the door to alert him of her presence.

"Come!" the Commodore beckoned, prompting the doors to slide open to allow the woman entry. Within the confines of his office, the Commodore sat, slightly reclined, as if he knew it had been her behind the door and not some other petitioner come to call. He pointed to the chair in front of his desk and waited for her to occupy it.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Xylia asked as she moved into the room, settling down on the indicated chair. She was suffering from a slight case of nerves, but she tried extremely hard not to let that come through. Sharks attacked when they smelled blood, and she wasn't feeling up to another bought of boxing while recovering from a pretty serious injury.

"Wouldn't have called you if I didn't," Nathan chuckled, "How's the stomach? Any scarring?"

"It's still a bit sore, but nothing I can't handle. As for scarring, there isn't any. You did a good job." She replied. "Thank you, Commodore. Had it not been for you and the aid of Ensign Schenk, I have no idea if I would have perished with the others. I will remain forever grateful to the both of you for what you did."

"I did what I've been doing for five or so hundred years, kid. I'm a Doctor by trade, and I'll be a doctor long after I stop commanding boats. Anyway, I didn't just call you up here for a check-up. I was looking at the reports from your section during the battle. I have to say I'm impressed with your work. You've got the mettle, you got the guts, and you'll probably make one hell of a Chief Tactical Officer one of these days. Not today though," Nathan said, plucking the small black box that had been hidden behind a rather large stack of PADDs. He tossed it over to her rather abruptly with a smirk.

"First, you have to get used to being a Lieutenant, then you can settle in to leading troops," the Commodore said as he watched her clutching the box.

Xylia caught the little box with ease, holding it for only a second as she listened to the old man's words. Did she just hear him right? She opened the box and looked down at the solid pip inside, before turning her eyes back toward Cowell, a proud smile on her face. "I didn't join Starfleet to sit around with my thumb up my ass, Commodore. It's an honor and a privilege to serve underneath you, and I won't let you down. Thank you."

"Big promises, there kid. Don't fall short," Nathan grinned slightly, "Now get out there and make good on it."

"Yes, sir." Xylia got to her feet and grinned at the man sitting behind the desk for just a moment. Without another word, she turned and left the Ready Room. There was more work to be done.