New Ground - Part One

Posted on Fri Mar 20th, 2020 @ 5:18pm by Fleet Admiral Heather Duval & Admiral Jake Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 98: Building Our New Home
Location: Admirals Office - Starbase Vanguard
Timeline: 1000Hrs - September 1st, 2393

Seated in her office, Heather Duval slowly closed her eyes as she had just tapped out of s subspace conference between herself and four others, as the older woman sighed softly, she tapped her combadge. "Duval to Yamaguchi, Jake could you step in here please and thanks?" she asked of her Executive officer who was a four-star Admiral. What all of this meant was that she was civil and polite to everyone she dealt with. Duval had a reputation to uphold and she meant business.

Seated in his own office, Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow as he wondered what Heather could want with him, he shrugged and as he had nothing pressing on his time, he rose to his feet and out the door, he went. He knew that Heather didn't often call him to her office like this so either, but all of that said, he knew there was nouse speculating on the matter, he would find out when he got to his destination and not a moment before. Yamaguchi arrived at his destination several minutes later and he was quickly permitted entry to her inner domain.

Heather Duval sighed. "Jake, I can't keep attending all of these meetings, I'll never get anything of my own done..." the older woman sighed as Jake sat down before her, she looked tired and he noted she also looked irritated but it wasn't at him, otherwise she would not have said her comment as he walked through the door.

"Do you want me to handle them?" Yamaguchi inquired.

"Oh gods no, you got enough to deal with as it is... What I need is a Chief of Staff... Someone who can handle the mental gymnastics of all the crap that command seems to love tossing at me." Duval answered evenly. "Could Torilla do it?, she'd be back on the Starbase and you'd have her with you at all times..."

Yamaguchi knew his wife was not able to handle politics and while he was tempted to tell Duval yes, and proceed with the matter at hand, he also knew that Torilla would only get frustrated and angry with the posting and then she would demand to either retire or go back to her command, neither would suit her or Jake. "No... I'm highly tempted to say yes and be done with it but Torilla would hate it. The kids would see Torilla being negative all the time and then I'd have chaos to deal with..." he sighed. "No, as much as I'd like to be able to bed my wife on a nightly basis... No. I have to be practical here."

Duval admired Jake, a rather wide smile on her face. "That's probably the most honest thing you've ever said to me in the entire time I'd known you, Jake... Yes, you will make an excellent commander for the Taurus Reach, when the time comes."

Yamaguchi regarded the other officer before him before he nodded gently. "I appreciate that..." he was never comfortable with compliments on this level, it showed too. "Let's see who's available." he picked up a PADD as he tapped the display once. "Mmmm..." he raised an eyebrow. "Computer, display all Captain level personel who are presently unassigned in the Taurus Reach. Display on this PADD when ready."

"List ready." the computer answered.

There were only two names and Jake shook his head. "Nope... I don't like either one, one of them is an Engineer and the other isn't ready..."

Duval ran a few fingers over her jawline. "Do we know anyone who isn't available... Who we can ask to give up their present assignment..." she commented as she sighed softly. "I can't ask for any other Yamaguchi for obvious reasons," she explained evenly.

Duval nodded her head in agreement. "We need someone who can handle the random, the weird and the downright strange..." she sighed softly. "I want someone who can take orders well, someone who is experienced... Davijaan Yeager would have been perfect for this... But Talon Yeager will not give him up and I won't ask her." she paused. "What about John Mackinson?"

"He's too new, too raw for this assignment," Yamaguchi answered softly. "Captain T'Nel Antilles isn't a bad choice..." he paused. "Wait, isn't Rob Connor known for being able to get people from different backgrounds to get along...?" he paused. "Also isn't he Celeste's old flame?"

"There is something about a lover's reunion that makes me smile." Duval slowly grinned. "Celeste is married and I know her spouse does not suffer fools happily," she commented. "But Rob could be highly useful to me... But How do we persuade him to give up the command of the Massachusets?" she asked.

"We simply ask him," Yamaguchi answered. "He can either tell us yes... or no. If its yes then we can make arrangements to get him back here... and if not, then we move on and find someone else."

Duval nodded. "Alright, so we start with Rob Connor then..." she nodded as she tapped a few buttons on the PADD in her delicate looking fingers. "Let's see..." she smiled. "I want to see his service record and personel files... Mmmmm Very nice."

"So.?" Yamaguchi regarded the older female before him.

"Yes. He's the one I want..." Duval answered as she grinned at the younger man before her.

"Then, let's find out where he is assigned and make it happen." Yamaguchi slowly smiled.