A Bureaucrat's Journey

Posted on Saturday, 7 March 2020 - 1:54am by Commander DeVala Victrix Ph.D & Commander Soral
Edited on on Saturday, 7 March 2020 - 12:55pm

Mission: Operation: Overdrive
Location: Palais de la Concorde | Westcott Memorial Wardroom
Timeline: Early 2393

Ms. DeVala Victrix was not known for being the face of the Federation nor was she who anyone envisioned when they thought about Starfleet, but she was crucial to the operations of the Federation's services. Though she had been in Starfleet herself, she was not a front line explorer. Her place was not aboard a starship making tough life and death decisions. Her tenure with Starfleet saw her as more of a behind the scenes individual. She had joined Starfleet with a university education underneath her with a background in communication and public planning. This made her an ideal candidate for working at various postings as a personnel officer. Her Starfleet career had been built atop of that 'expertise in people' to which she excelled.

Victrix had been a bit of socialite as well. It was not uncommon for her even as a junior officer to be found in private dining rooms as some of the best restaurants in the Federation dining with diplomats and dignitaries. She acted as an aide to some admiralty and climbed her way up the ranks of Starfleet over her years of service before retiring herself as a lieutenant. Life after Starfleet was actually very much like life whilst in Starfleet. She served as Chief of Staff to a one-term Federation Governor which opened a doorway to what some would have described as 'ivory towers' and 'smoke-filled rooms' mingling with Federation bureaucrats and Starfleet admiralty.

There had been no intention on her part to leave civilian life. She had a position of authority within the Federation Government albeit not in upper tiers, but still noteworthy. When she was informed that Starfleet Command had drafted her for this assignment reactivating her commission, it took her aback. Now, she was at the Palais de la Concorde and entering the Westcott Memorial Wardroom. It was a cozy room a little too elegant for her tastes, but she admired the old furniture. Two sofas were in the middle of the room with a small rectangular coffee table between them. DeVala took a seat with a PaDD in her hand. She was awaiting the arrival of Lieutenant Commander Soral, a Vulcan male.

Soral stood in his quarters staring at himself in the mirror. He had been a Lieutenant by choice up until last week. He'd turned down several promotions and when the call came he had been ready to turn it down again yet the admiral that had contacted him had made it clear that this was non negotiable.

He straightened his uniform one more time and then headed out. He was due in the Westcott Memorial Wardroom to meet with someone called Victrix. It hadn't taken him long to arrive there from the hotel that he'd been staying at. Another surprise with the rank increase was a transfer but to what he hadn't known. As he entered the historian in him leapt at the decorations of the room. It took all his will not to stop and study the items in the room.

"Commander Soral?" inquired DeVala though she was not questioning his identity. She had looked over his personnel file before arriving, but it was still a different experience reading about someone and then actually meeting them in person. She was not certain how Soral was with human pleasantries like shaking hands. Her being from Risa typically meant she was very comfortable with the simple gesture of a handshake, but she did not press her luck. She simply stood and waited for him. "I'm DeVala Victrix. I believe Admiral Steinbach orchestrated this meeting on our behalves" explained the woman.

"Indeed." He said, his hands clasped behind his back in Vulcan fashion. "I must say I am curious about this meeting. To respond to your earlier question," he said having a bit of OCD about unanswered questions. "I am Lieutenant Commander Soral." He was still getting familiar with the rank change.

She smiled as she took her seat once again. She gestured for him to have one as well, following it up with a verbal cue. "I'm not as disciplined as a Vulcan. Your perfect posture standing for what I suspect could be hours is admirable, but please feel free to sit down" she said pleasantly. "I understand what you mean. I have yet to get back into a Starfleet uniform myself and likewise, admiralty found it suitable to not only reinstate me but promote me in rank to Lieutenant Commander" she explained briefly about her situation.

"I see." He looked around and picked particularly ornate chair. It was of a light blue material that almost matched his eyes and even had little gold flecks on it. The wood that made up the frame was ornate and a deep cherry colour.

Victrix pressed on as the man was undoubtedly filled with questions that fortunately she could at least answer some of them. "Commander Soral, you've been selected for a posting aboard a Merian class starship. I too have been 'recruited' for this as a special assignment, though my time aboard will likely be short, yours is a more permanent posting as First Officer. I've been given temporary command of the vessel which is presently at the Taurus Prime shipyards undergoing a minor refit."

"First Officer?" He paused. "I see." He paused again before continuing, "And this posting selection I would, logically of course, assume that it is as nonnegotiable as my rank increase."

She stifled a laugh. The coincidence was amusing. "Well, Commander as it so happens prior to being 'reactivated' by Starfleet, I worked for the Federation. Coincidentally enough as the Federation's Assistant Secretary of Starfleet's Manpower and Reserve Affairs. I know my way around paperwork so to speak... technically you could resign your commission, but paperwork for a lack of a better term has a tendency of taking a lot longer to reach official channels than it should. Sometimes, it even gets lost along the way. Ultimately, I wouldn't recommend that nor would I encourage fighting the inevitable. This is your assignment. You'll probably want to make the best of the situation... old Earth saying 'make lemonade out of lemons'" she added.

He raised an eyebrow, "I see." He inclined his head. "Very well." He studied the woman. "This meeting today what is the goal?"

DeVala picked up the PaDD that was next to her in which she had previously been looking over. She presented it to the Vulcan. It was a personnel file, a Starfleet service record. A little dated by a few years. The man in it wore a Command uniform, three solid rank pips, was human looking with skin on the tannish side and clean shaven. "This meeting is to get to know one another and to discuss our first mission which would be him" she said indicating the man on the PaDD.

"Barret Stillwater, Commander resigned. A fairly well decorated Dominion War veteran. Red Squad academy graduate, a career tactical officer. His career was nearly golden aside from a few scuffles with admiralty in his earlier years and alleged, but unconformable sympathies towards the Maquis at the time. When most of the Maquis were apprehended or killed, and with the return of the starship Voyager with it's blended crew, the Federation pardoned the Maquis and internal investigation of Stillwater was dead in the water. He continued to serve into the 2380s until his resignation. His last posting was Starbase Iron Horse."

"I see." His eyes devoured the information on the PaDD committing it, like most things, to memory. "How is he our mission?"

She observed the Vulcan's eyes taking in the information and undoubtedly storing it. "We have been tasked with finding this man which is easier said than done. Starfleet does not have a tendency of tracking civilians which were what he became once he resigned. The Federation, fortunately, does have excellent records of its citizens' activities and whereabouts, except for those that are determined not to be found" she stated. "You can probably guess where Stillwater falls into the scheme of things. We lost him. We know his whereabouts for a few weeks after his resignation, then there's a report or two for a few months after. Then, by 2390...nothing."

"I see," he said looking up. "Then it is fortuitous that I am here. I have been told I thrive well within an investigation. I must admit a certain fondness for mysteries. I accept the challenge." He looked at her and held up the PaDD. "I assume this contains the make up for the new crew? May I look at those files?"

"Fortuitous" replied the Risan raising a brow and smiling. "Peculiar word choice from a Vulcan. Your being here is by the design and will of admiralty and some of my doing albeit indirectly. Luck and fortune had no say in the matter though I am gracious of your acceptance of the challenge" countered DeVala. She was not looking to get into a debate about diction and semantics with a Vulcan, but she liked to keep everyone on their toes. This was no different.

The woman smirked at the Vulcan. "Assumptions assumptions," she said tsking and shaking her head. "Normally, you would be correct, Commander; However, my first task was in securing you. A starship is nothing without an Executive Officer, and I may be wearing a Starfleet uniform again soon, but I cannot change what I am...and I am a bureaucrat. They may have given me temporary command of the starship and oversight of our mission, but I'm going to relying heavily on you. The PaDD contains details about Stillwater, a general overview of the mission, and some information on the class of starship. I've yet to be given any information pertaining to the crew."

"Fascinating. You strike me as a woman who leaves little detail unexplored." He tilted his head. "Very well, you have secured me. The antique furniture was a... what do human's say...ah yes," he said as if he'd had a revelation. "It was a nice touch."

DeVala nodded "A little old for my taste, but I can appreciate their desire to hold onto history" she commented. "A pleasure to have you on the crew, Commander. Hopefully, we will know a little more about the men and women aboard soon enough" added Victrix.

"Perhaps," He stood. "I will go back to the hotel and gather my belongings." Not that he hadn't unpacked. A sound drifted into the room from the open window. A commotion.

He moved towards the door. "Stay here." He somehow knew, even before the words left his mouth that she'd be following. He wished had time to dissuade her.

She was confused and intrigued. "Commander, you may be my First Officer soon, but I can assure you that I do not let anyone tell me when I can and cannot go somewhere" she said firmly. "We are at the Palais de la Concorde, Commander. Nobody is getting in here without the proper credentials and authorization. This place is as secure as of a Federation facility as can be" she reminded him.

He had heard her but was able to split his attention. As they rounded the corner he heard distinct voices. He saw two security guards detaining a rather interesting looking woman. She had wild black hair from behind and was gesturing wildly.

"No! I'm not leaving. I know they're ...." She turned as Soral and DeVala rounded the corner. "There! I knew you were here!" She made a move towards them and the guards grabbed her.

Soral held up his hand as they reached her. The two ensigns stepped back but both had their hand on their phasers.

"Your Soral and you are DeVala Victrix."

Soral looked over at DeVala. "A friend of yours?"

He turned back to the young woman who wore a Chief Petty Officer's uniform, engineering gold and she seemed to exude energy by the barrel.

DeVala Victrix looked at Soral and shook her head. "She's not a friend of mine. I typically prefer my friends to be a little more subdued" she said examining the woman. "Yes we are, Chief. Now, I think you have some explaining to do before these fine ensigns escort you out of here?"

"I want in on the Fontana." The pause she had was only a second and it sounded as if she spoke with no periods or breaths. "I'm good at engineering, spooky good, I can love space, I've never really been but I will be an asset and I know I wouldn't let you down and I can help I know about the mission cause Admiral Henderson ... well he talks when he's drunk and I know that you're building a crew and I have written many papers and have worked on Merian class ships, namely the refit and I knew when the Addy said it was a smaller crew I had to be on it and ...."

DeVala held her hand up, pausing the woman immediately. "Chief, you're going to give me a migraine and I haven't even set foot on the starship yet" replied Lieutenant Commander Victrix. "You barely look like you are out of basic training and you've made it to Chief Petty Officer. That either speaks to something good or something bad....I'm not sure which, but I this mission was not supposed to be getting around like this. Admiral Henderson you said? I'll make a note to see to it Admiral Henderson is 'rewarded' for his lack of sobriety."

Eyelaya bit her lip. She hadn't meant to get Henderson in trouble.

Soral stepped in. "Name and position." His voice rumbled in its low manner.

Eyelaya's gaze shifted to the tall Vulcan. "I'm...I'm Chief Petty Officer Eyelaya. Engineering."

Soral raised and eyebrow. "The same Eyelaya that wrote the paper on the relationship between plasma temperature and warm waves?"

She now looked shocked. Then after but a second she launched into her talking wave. "Oh my! Yes. " She waved her hands enthusiastically. "You see when we travel through warp speed with calibrated plasma tanks the ride is smooth but it has a few shakes. Now if you were to cool the plasma and then vent just...."

It was Soral who held up his hand. "Why do you want to be on the ship so badly?"

A soft blush coated her too pale skin. "I...I know I can help." As if she remembered she thrust a PaDD at DeVala and Soral. "These are all the pros and cons of having me come along. I'll go pack." She hurried away before they could say anything.

Soral sighed, "Fascinating."

"That's one adjective for it, Commander" commented DeVala Victrix who was amused yet irritated with the pushiness of the Chief Petty Officer. "Part of me wonders how much her young age and that rank came from her intellect and how much came from pure annoyance to push her onto someone else" mused the woman. She is young and ambitious for certain, but do I really have time to play babysitter on this voyage? she thought to herself. "I have one mission with the starship: Seek the trail that leads us to Commander Stillwater and find him. That is all I'm here for. After that, she would become Stillwater's and your problem to handle. Do you feel up to that challenge?"

"Indeed. I believe she has...potential. Although she is rather...what is the right phrase...energetic." He turned to DeVala. "Commander with your permission I shall go and gather my things. When do I need to report in?"

"Ship's undergoing a refit at the Taurus shipyards" she replied simply. "You and I will report together. I'll be working on chartering us transport there. I had originally planned on two of us, but so it would seem we have ourselves an engineer to take along. I'll work on the 'paperwork' needed to take the Chief with us."

He gave a nod. "Understood." Soral bowed slightly, "With your leave commander?" He waited to be formally dismissed.

"Granted, Commander. Granted. I will contact you as soon as arrangements have been made" she replied. She had never had to 'dismiss' anyone before. It was an afterthought when to Vulcan did not seem to budge. "Oh...yeah that. Dismissed" she added with a small smile. I could get used to this power thing she thought.