The Fleet Reorganization Saga - Derris Feraan, Part Two

Posted on Sat Mar 14th, 2020 @ 4:56am by Commander Beth Woerner & Commander Derris Feraan & Master Chief Petty Officer Chen Vaxx

Mission: Mission 97: The Fleet Reorganization Saga
Location: Various Locations - USS Manticore
Timeline: 1000Hrs - September 18th, 2392

Commander Derris Feraan approached the airlock to the USS Manticore, she knew she was about an hour early for the taking of command ceremony but she had a bad feeling that she would need to calm some ruffled feathers and some sundered nerves over recent events aboard this ship. Feraan had done a little digging into the recent events that Vaxx-Warfield had mentioned and while the large Vrykul had understood why Commander Dvald had been stripped of her command, she did not like the reasoning of why she had been removed from the command of the Manticore.

Feraan nodded to the two security troopers stationed here. "Ma'am." one of them greeted her. "Permission to go aboard?" Feraan inquired, a gentle smile on her lips.

"Certainly, after we check you over ma'am." the leader of the two responded. "Sorry, new security regs."

"Of course." Feraan had been expecting this so she handed her bags over to the second guy and then she handed her PADD over to the first guy. "Oh, you're the new skipper." the leader commented. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't know."

"Do not be troubled," Feraan responded in a cheery tone. "You guys have been through a lot recently and I will bring an end to it."

"Permission to speak freely?" the Lieutenant inquired.

Feraan knew that what was coming was going to be good so she regarded him as her smile started to fade away. "By all means El Tee,"
she commented.

"Commander Dvald-Vaxx was seen by many to be a breath of fresh air," he explained. "After Commander Duval got promoted to Captain, we've had a succession of skippers over the last few months and we're kinda sick of it ma'am." the Lieutenant explained evenly.

"I understand," Feraan responded evenly.

"I'm sorry ma'am, its just that stupid stuff keeps happening to our skippers." the Lieutenant handed her back her PADD. "All is in order."
as the Ensign handed her back her two bags with a nod. "You're clear."

"Thank you gentlemen." and with that, after lifting her bags she proceeded to go through the airlock onto the USS Manticore.

The Ensign turned to the Lieutenant once she was out of earshot. "What do you think?"

"I don't know. She didn't shoot me down when I spoke my piece." the man answered. "Had it been Lasky, I'd say we can relax, the skipper is here. Fuck I liked Lasky, now he was down to Earth." he sighed. "What did you think of Dvald-Vaxx?" the Lieutenant responded before he popped the question.

"Other then that she was hot, she wasn't a bad skipper but she was rough around the edges. She tried a little too hard." the Ensign mused.

"What of this one?" The Lieutenant added.

The Ensign sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. "I hope she's the last one for a good long time," he added, a soft growl in his voice.

Meanwhile aboard the USS Manticore. Commander Derris Feraan regarded the ship's emblem which she nodded to in the absence of a saluting custom. Feraan head someone address her, she turned to find herself facing a shorter female with shoulder-length blonde hair with a bit of an accent. Feraan raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?" she inquired of the shorter female but then everyone was shorter than her.

"I'm Lt Commander Bethany Woerner." she introduced herself. "I am to serve as your first officer." as she regarded the tall, massive female before her. "May I speak freely?" there was something in her tone before she gave the massive female before her a rather sardonic glare.

Feraan blinked. "I suggest you make it a practice Beth. Mind if I call you Beth?"

"You may call me whatever you wish," Woerner responded bluntly. "But this crew is having some major issues, they feel untrusted by Starfleet command as they have been through four skippers in as many months, five if you could Siaxx's twin which I honestly don't count her as Starfleet won't let her have any responsibilities on any level whatsoever but I will tell you that, assuming you survive the next week."

Feraan had a bad feeling that she had walked into something extremely nasty here. "Go on." Feraan inquired.

"Just tell me something, before we proceed, that is." The smaller female sighed. "Why should I follow you.?" Woerner responded in a light tone of voice but there was no mistaking the subtext here.

Feraan turned to face the other woman. "Exactly, what do you mean by that.?" she asked slowly, she did not wish to assume something stupid.

"Oh, wait, you thought I was talking mutiny?" Woerner inquired. "No. Just when you get to your office, you'll see what I mean. More then half this crew has stuck in reassignment requests, myself included because this ship has become a running joke among the crew and they want out."

"Ahh. That I can understand, I'd be doing the same too if I were in your shoes. So I'm going to ask for a little time to get things sorted out with the crew's morale. That just became my primary focus."

"I hope you are prepared, its been a disaster since many resent what they call command's needless interference and meddling," Woerner explained. "I served with Duval for two years then I had Lasky, then the sisters Dvald and now you." the small Frenchwoman explained. "I hope you brought a shovel because you're going to need it."

"Well, Admiral Vaxx-Warfield said it warranted concern."

"Aww. Good for her, she's not the one who's been dealing with the mountain of shit that command has left us, it's me and I grow tired of dealing with it." Woerner growled in response. "So where did you leave your shovel?"

"I aim to replicate one when I get to my new office," Feraan responded in a light tone of voice. "Do you think we can co-exist?"

"I don't know you and I have no idea of if we can get along, being honest with you." the smaller Frenchwoman explained.

Feraan regarded the shorter female before her. "Well, honesty is preferred. I answer to Commanding officer of Squadron One and Admiral Vaxx-Warfield. Everyone else goes through those two to get to me."

"I see," Woerner responded in a non-committal tone as the two women arrived at a turbolift. "Captains Quarters." the tall, massive female spoke. Worner kept her silence while the lift started moving, the doors opened a moment later and both females disembarked.

Woerner elected to not say anything further as she had no idea of what this massive woman was going to do or say next, the two arrived at her destination a moment later, the door opened as Woerner tapped the door release.

Feraan walked in before she dropped her two large bags near the door, one of them made a loud thump when it landed. "You are pressed for time?" Feraan inquired of Woerner.

"What?" Woerner paused, this had been unexpected.

"Let's go." The massive female turned and marched out the door, leaving the Frenchwoman almost in a state of surprise before she too, followed Feraan out the door and down the hall.

The Frenchwoman struggled to catch up as she trotted after the massive female who came to a stop near the turbolift that they had gotten off a minute or so earlier. She tapped the call button before the doors opened then both women stepped into the lift. "Main Bridge," Feraan commented while Woerner held her silence.

The lift started moving. "Computer. Halt turbolift." Feraan said before she turned her head to regard the smaller female. "I came here because Admiral Vaxx-Warfield requested me specifically." she then arched an eyebrow. "You don't trust me," Feraan commented.

"Trust is earned, not given away," Woerner responded in a dark tone.

Feraan regarded the smaller female. "Okay, that's fine. I get it, the crew is pissy because command keeps looking at the skipper for various reasons. Lasky because he was a temp, The two Dvalds because one was impersonating the other and the second because she blew a psych eval." Feraan explained. "Now you are pissed off because you think that the command of the Second Division is either stupid or outright incompetent." Feraan raised a hand for silence, as she knew the Frenchwoman was just dying to say something. "You had your say earlier, now let me have mine."

"The entire crew is pissed off, all for the same reasons. You gonna get rid of us all?" Woerner responded quietly.

"We shall see now, won't we?" Feraan commented. "You don't like me. I got that when I first met you," Feraan responded. "Well that's fine, I came here to do a job, not be liked so we'll see how this goes." she turned. "Computer, resume turbolift." the large female said in a tone that brooked no argument.

The lift restarted a moment later and two moments after that the doors opened and the two women stepped out onto a bridge that was busy with a few personnel were working. Feraan regarded the crowd in silence as Woerner addressed the crowd. "Guys, this is our new skipper."

Master Chief Petty Officer Chen Vaxx strolled over towards the two women as he handed Feraan a PADD in silence. "What's this?" the massive female inquired.

Vaxx regarded Feraan. "My Retirement papers. Effective two weeks from now."

"I can't convince you to stay?" Feraan inquired. She knew that for a Bolian to walk away from his duties is tantamount to quitting and that for most Bolians was just unheard of.

"After what Starfleet just did to my wife." Vaxx regarded her. "Not a chance in hell," he added quietly but there was no mistaking the anger behind them.

Feraan sighed softly. "Very well. I accept your resignation Master Chief," she responded. "Will you be willing to at least help me find a replacement?"

"I will. You personally did not screw over my wife, the system did," he responded. "May I go back to work now.?" Vaxx inquired in a blunt tone.

"Yeah," Woerner responded. "Thank you, Master Chief. I know it's been hard for you."

Vaxx shifted his attention from Feraan to Woerner before he responded. "With respect ma'am, you have no idea," he said in a soft tone. "I cannot help her with this burden. All I can do is tend to our children and tell them that their mother will be fine in the end." Vaxx explained.

Feraan regarded him. "Okay then, finish off what you're presently doing and then go to her. Siaxx Dvald-Vaxx needs you more then we do."

"But I still have about forty things to do," Vaxx responded.

"Not anymore, others will tend to them and I will assist them with the efforts. You have a wife who needs you more. The work can wait and besides. I aim to look after my crew and get the dockworkers to do their workload and let my guys have their time off. Valren knows they have earned in blood it for all the shit they have put up with for the last few months." Feraan explained, she knew she was getting attention from others but she did not care. "This is my crew and I will give them their pride and dignity back, even if it mains me."

Woerner had not been expecting this. "I was expecting you to make the crew want to make the deck shine because you were the formal type."

Feraan sighed softly. "Yeah, I can see we're gonna have some issues to address." she paused. "In any case. I am ready to assume command now."

"Okay." Woerner turned to face Feraan. "All hands, attention to orders." as Feraan spoke up. "To Lieutenant Bethany Woerner, Commanding Officer. USS Manticore. You are hereby requested and required to relinquish command of your vessel to Commander Derris Feraan, as of Stardate six nine seven one three point five two. Signed, Division Admiral Sildra Vaxx-Warfield."

Woerner nodded "Computer, transfer all command codes to Commander Derris Feraan. Voice authorization: Woerner Two Two Alpha Charlie."
The computer replies: "Transfer complete. Command of USS Manticore is now under command of Commander Derris Feraan." Commander Derris Feraan nodded "I relieve you, sir." before Woerner responded with "I stand relieved."

Commander Derris Feraan took a moment to look around as the various members of the bridge crew took a moment to cluster around their new Commanding Officer. "Number one, you are still my exec until we can go over things, I'm going to tour the ship and see to the crew's wants, needs, issues, problems, and concerns... It is now my mission to handle them. Whatever they may be." she smiled down at the shorter female nearby. "The bridge is yours," she commented but remained motionless as she accepted the thanks, welcome aboards, and congratulations from her new crew.

Worner smiled as she thought. 'Maybe all hope is not lost, maybe there is hope after all.' she thought to herself.