Selection

Posted on Fri Oct 9th, 2009 @ 5:15pm by Captain Benjamin Byrne

Mission: They Arrive on Tuesday...
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD01 1230

Thankfully, on the first day there hasn't been enough time for the usual amount of paperwork to have piled up on the captain's desk. Unfortunately, that first day comes with extra jobs that need to be done - preferably before the paperwork arrives.

Benjamin had sat at his desk ever since their tour with Commander S'Task had ended, pouring through the reports on the ship's status from the yards, personnel files of officers Command was recommending he take onboard for his senior staff, and a whole wealth of other things that had to be done when a ship received its first commander. His desk was piled with enough PADDs to make him dread what it would be like when the paperwork really started pouring in.

Blissfully, Ben's terminal chimed an incoming message as it ascended from the desk, scattering a few PADDs that were on top of it to the floor as it rose. Thankful of a distraction from his work, Benjamin gave it his full attention.

"Admiral Summers, what can I do for you?" Ben asked, recognising the face as the Admiral who had taken on the task of ensuring that the Endeavour had a full crew before she left dry dock.

"Glad to see you've started to get settled in, Commander," the elderly English Admiral replied. "I hope you're not finding the paperwork too cumbersome." It wasn't really an invitation to a response - Admiral Summers' way of dealing with people was to add in small comments which would be considered part of normal conversation usually, but she was too busy to allow the other side of the conversation to form. It wasn't a matter of impatience or lack of manners, moreso a sign of just how little time the woman had to spare. Until it came down to business matters, at which point she always gave whoever she was talking to her full attention, sometimes even missing meetings if something came up. "I'm calling in regards to the position of first officer aboard the Endeavour. Do you have a candidate yet?"

Benjamin nodded, searching out the PADD in his stack. "Yes, ma'am. Lieutenant Commander Mark Anderson, currently first officer on the Houston. He's dedicated, he has an excellent reference and he turned down fighter pilot service for helm duty at the Academy. He's an explorer at heart, but he's proven he knows how to handle his own and his ship in a fight when needed," he said, reading off the notes he had made.

"You do realise, Commander, that Mister Anderson has a teenage son, who has clearance to live with him on-assignment?" The Admiral queried. While it was true that not all commanders were comfortable with having children as part of their responsibility, and Benjamin himself hadn't had any experience of that on his prior assignments, it would have been difficult for him to miss that piece of information in Anderson's file.

"Yes, I know Admiral. Infact, as I'm sure you know, I myself have my son living aboard the Endeavour with me," he countered. He wasn't quite sure he knew whether he would be comfortable with any significant numbers of children living aboard his ship, but he wouldn't use a child as an excuse to push away a perfectly good officer, especially not when he had Jacob on the ship himself.

"Very well, I shall give him his notification of transfer orders," the Admiral responded, turning he head slightly to make a note on a screen out of Ben's view. "Have you made any other senior staff selections yet?"

"Not yet, Admiral. I'm looking through the suggested candidates again now."

Vice Admiral Summers nodded. "Understood. Enjoy your time on the Endeavour, Mister Byrne, she's a fine ship," the Admiral was a strong fan of the Sovereign class starship. "Starfleet Command out."

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Commander Benjamin Byrne
Commanding Officer
USS Endeavour NCC-86105

&

Vice Admiral Jayne Summers (NPC)
Starfleet Headquarters
Played by Cmdr. Byrne