Sorting Out The Unexpected

Posted on Mon Aug 5th, 2019 @ 4:58am by Captain S'vona Daughter of T'nare & Lieutenant Commander Adlyn Rowley & Commander Logan Vance

Mission: Down the Rabbit Hole
Location: USS Andromeda, Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD 2

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Time: 0754
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The Captain seemed annoyed, not that Logan could blame her. She'd specifically handpicked an XO for this mission only to be overruled by Starfleet Intelligence who assigned him instead. Not only that, it was a classified assignment. Meaning she would have to keep her feelings about the assignment to herself or risk revealing that information.

To this point, she'd been cordial, which he appreciated. How long would that last however if conflicting orders started to get in the way of things?

"Mister Vance, I hope you understand my trepidation with a covert intelligence unit operating on my ship."

Most people had that issue, Logan thought to himself. "While I appreciate that, Captain, I think you could also look at the benefits. Given where we'll be operating, you'll need the best and most accurate information from all sources. You'll have access to one of the best-trained units with one atop operative commanding them. My record should speak for itself." 'Never mind this wasn't my idea,' he continued in his head.

"We do not know what the object is. This is why we are muscle for the scientists to figure things out. Depending on what they find, your mission will be over. While I do appreciate Intelligence and what they have done for Starfleet, I do not appreciate duality assignments. I will leave you and your unit to your autonomy. I would appreciate well thought out cover stories for you and your team, as well as a heads up when your duality begins to conflict. Are there any concerns that I need to be aware of prior to you taking the position?" The Vulcan folded her hands in her lap and sat back in her chair. She had voiced her concerns.

Logan couldn't really think of any concerns other than the obvious one that she wasn't happy with the arrangement. Fortunately, since Starfleet Intelligence was completely behind this, he had leverage of his own if she wouldn't see reason. "As long as we're agreed that in public, we make a show of unity and any disagreements are handled privately." He was sure she would want it this way too but getting it in the open didn't hurt.

"As long as you are my executive officer, this you can be assured of. I do not foresee any disagreements at this time. I do have an open-door policy and I expect us to be working closely during your assignment here," she stoically agreed with him.

"Then I don't foresee any problems, Captain," he replied honestly. "If there's nothing else, I would like to find my daughter and make she's settling in ok."

The Vulcan then stood and straightened her uniform jacket. "There is. If you are to lead a unit on my ship correctly and be my infield representative, you should be of adequate rank. I hereby promote you to Commander." She pulled the box out of the top desk drawer. She stepped aside her desk and switched his black pip for the full pip. "Congratulations, Commander. Your service record did speak for itself."

"Thank you, Sir," Logan said, genuinely surprised. Not necessarily at the promotion, he knew it would come eventually, just at its suddenness. It seemed like everything was falling into place just as the door chimed and the Captain called inside whoever it was.

Adlyn walked in for her 0800 meeting with the Captain on the status report of the ship. She hadn't expected the Captain to have company. When he turned, her heart picked up pace while the outside kept calm. "Captain, the report you requested," she offered the PADD. "Commander Vance, nice to see you again."

"You two know each other?" The captain inquired as she took the PADD and sat down at her desk.

"We met last night on the Promenade, ma'am," Adlyn stated leaving their dark ops history dark for now; she knew the rules.

Logan followed Adlyn's lead, although he knew sooner or later they'd need to explain their deeper familiarity somehow. "The Commander was kind enough to share a drink with me and keep me company last night when the person I was supposed to meet stood me up," Logan filled in.

"Yes. Is there anything else, ma'am?"

"No. Thank you for your report. If you could, please work with Operations to find accommodations for Commander Vance and his daughter. The original quarters slated for the executive officer do not meet his needs."

"Yes, ma'am." She turned to leave reeling that his assignment was here, he had been promoted, and now he was her boss. "I'll see what I can do, Sir,” she stated as she walked by and out of the ready room.

"Thank you, Captain, I will see you again once I've made sure everything is settled for my daughter," Logan added as the pair turned to leave.

Adlyn remained quiet as he followed her to the turbolift and then as he followed her on the turbolift. She keyed in Main Engineering as that was where the heart of her operation ran out of. They were still in a skeleton crew status so it would have just been easier to find him different quarters there. "So… commander now. I guess congratulations are in order," she said trying to make small talk. The thing was, they did work well together when they were equals; now they weren't. "You know we are going to have to eventually tell her we know each other more than just the Promenade last night… she will need to be read in."

"Just how much do you want to tell her about what happened?" he asked with a slight smirk on his lips. "I mean the steamier parts of the story might really get her going."

"The fact that we knew each other when I was intelligence would be a good start. She knows well enough things happen. There is no reason to go into that because as long as you're my ex-oh, I wouldn't expect that to happen again. It's against the rules," Adlyn stated. That and she didn't want it to look like there was favoritism there. "The nice thing for you is that you know we work well together and you don't have to worry about me in the field. Why didn't you say anything before just now?"

"Remember my contact that I was supposed to meet when I ran into you?" he asked rhetorically. "Well, turns out the orders he wanted to give me were to take this position. I had no idea until after you had left. So this is almost as big a surprise for you as it is for me." He was a little disappointed she didn't want to continue the physical portion of their relationship. "What rules are you talking about? Ekahl rules? Certain not anything in Starfleet regulations. Provided it doesn't affect our work."

"Both. Fraternization with a superior officer is against regulations; you are now my superior officer. If we were on Ekahl, we would have been arrested if anyone found out. We aren't allowed to go outside our pre-designated arrangement." She neglected to bring up her own dalliance back from her days on Ekahl that they would have executed her for if they had. "The Ekahl were and still are to some degree very utilitarian. As much as I still am Ekahl and serve my people, I'm allowed a bit of autonomy being in Starfleet. I'm glad you're here, Logan, because now it won't be four years before we talk to each other again."

"So, wait. You're essentially promised to be married to someone and yet you hooked up with me like…" he counted. "Three times?" He nudged her, "look, I understand. You have a cultural rules that are… gray. You don't mind going so far but there are some lines you don't want to cross. I'll respect that and I'll remain professional. On the flip side, don't expect me to resist any advances you make in any moments of weakness. I like you and I think we're good together. I'm not going to whisk you away on some white horse but I like to think our time together was beneficial for both of us. Regardless of any artificial rules placed on either of us."

She paused as she crossed her arms and looked up at him. “Yes and no…?” she kind of asked instead of making a statement about the marriage. She would go into it further if he wanted to know, because he was the only non-Ekahl who knew the most about her. “Correct. There are some lines I don’t want to cross, because I’ve had enough dealings with being the odd human thirty year old looking human with blue blood and I'm over twice that age. I don’t want it to seem as favoritism. You know how people gossip. I used to catch that gossip for Intelligence. I’m not saying that our time together wasn’t good or great. Those two missions were classified, last night we were ships passing in the night. Now…” she paused before continuing, “now we are two Starfleet Officers, with one of us being the other’s superior…”

"Alright," he nodded. "Just as long you understand where I stand on the matter." He was curious about the whole marriage thing but he didn't want to muddy the waters in with their own relationship. So he'd save that for another time. "As for what we tell the Captain, we'll need to keep to clearance. Not to mention if word got out about how our last op ended, it would not go well for either of us."

She shrugged. "He resisted and you defended me after he attacked me," she said. It was the truth, exactly how it had happened even if they both went in knowing Brakka wasn't going to make it out alive. "And I do understand you on how you feel about this matter." She unfolded one of her arms and rested it on his. "Thank you for respecting my wishes even if you don't understand."

"Oh, I understand," he quickly corrected her. "I just don't think it's going to last. I'll give it six months," he shrugged. "A year, tops," a smile crossed his lips. "I am glad we'll get to work together."

The turbolift doors opened as Adlyn rolled her eyes at him. "I'm glad we get to too. Shall we find you some quarters?"

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Commander Logan Vance
XO, USS Andromeda

Lt. Commander Adlyn Rowley
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Andromeda