The CMO arrives

Posted on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 @ 10:59pm by Lieutenant JG Kell Asaa Dr & Lieutenant Commander Finchley Kerr
Edited on on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 @ 11:16pm

Mission: Trapped in Time
Location: DS9->USS Liberty
Timeline: Current.
Tags: kell, asaa, cmo

The ship is supposed to be docked for another day but who knows with a tactical mission. 'The sooner I get aboard the sooner I can get my new medical suite squared away!' She had only had time to briefly review the facilities and the currently assigned staff. Her staff!

Kell had to shake her head... CMO... who'd of thought! She'd kept her head down, concentrated, focused on the patients, completed all the recordkeeping, said please and thank you. Ah, those positive family values. Courtesy went a long way.

'Course, not always... She spied a colleague as she headed out across the broadway and diverted to the side. She found herself in a cantina and carefully watched. She knew it was a bit inconsiderate but with them it always takes a couple of minutes just to get through the greeting, then there would be well wishes and she'd had all that yesterday at her going-away-party, then another minute, or two, just to break away. She'd learned to appreciate a quick Hello/Goodbye.

They continued on and Kell released a breath, taking a quick look around the cantina to see if she was making a spectacle of herself. . . Nope, these folks couldn't care less. hehe...

As her mind wandered a moment she began to wonder why she was assigned to this vessel when she suddenly realized there had been a number personnel turnovers every time it docked. It wasn't the vessel assigned to the starbase but she seemed to see it a lot.

But, rather than fearing the worst, especially since she hadn't really heard any horror stories about the command staff, she decided to have a good attitude and look forward to the new assignment. 'Yes, best be early than late,' Kell thought as she exited the cantina and turned down the ramp towards the last dock on this side.

She was watching the screen in her hand, following the route laid out for her, only occasionally looking up, then right back down. She was almost past the Yeoman at the transfer gate when she heard a voice and paused to look up at the question on his face. Kell quickly identified herself and the young crew member confirmed her arrival and posting. With a smile and a wave she returned to her screen and followed the little glowing line leading from corridor to lift to yet another corridor.

'Whew!' she thought to herself. 'This is going to take some getting used to.' The starbase was immense but there was a pattern to its structure, and she only had to worry about certain areas. She nodded to herself, thinking that this would be much the same, figure out the pattern, starting from her medical facilities since that's where her life would begin and end most days.

[Ready Room, USS Liberty]

Finchley was going over the the last of the reports on the work that had been carried out after the ship had been damaged. Closing his eyes, he could still see in his minds eye the devastation that had been caused by the bomb and how he had searched frantically to find Ghost.

He was taken out of his thoughts by the chirrup of his COMM link, and pressing the button to open the link he said "Kerr here."

"Sir, it's Lieutenant Fox" the reply came back "You asked to be reminded about the new staff arriving today."

"Ah, yes, thanks Lieutenant, as soon as they come to the bridge, direct them here, Kerr out" Finchley said.

"Aye Sir" Fox replied then closed the link.


[Deck 7 - Sickbay, USS Liberty]

Kell looked around, nodding at the lone med-tech that was putting some things away. Briefly introducing herself, and hoping to retain nurse's name for later, she stepped into her new office, letting the door shoosh closed behind her.

"Mine." She whispered quietly to herself, dropping her valise into the chair as she rounded the barren desk. "Well, it's make or break time. I wonder if the CO is onboard. Best check in before I get busy..."

Hoping to make a good impression she studied the route the computer gave her instead of walking around with the device in her hand like a noob. 'Not so difficult,' she thought to herself.

Nodding again at the nurse as she crossed sickbay, she stepped into the corridor, confident she knew the way... She could report to whoever was in charge on the bridge for now if the CO was otherwise engaged.


[Bridge, USS Liberty]

As the turbolift doors opened, Kell was a bit overwhelmed, and a little taken aback since she knew not everything was even active on the docked vessel. A flashing light on the panel by the door reminded her she needed to exit or she'd be taking another ride sooner than she'd planned, as well as embarrassing herself right off the bat. Not a good first impression.

Obviously a skeleton crew was on duty, she sought out the ranking member, her eyes meeting his as he also noted her arrival.

"Sir, Lt Kell Asaa reporting, new posting as your CMO." She hoped she didn't sound as nervous as she felt. And this wasn't the CO or even the XO! 'Get it together Kell!' she thought as she tried to rally herself.

"Welcome aboard Doctor. If you would be so kind as to report to the Captain, he's in his ready room." She didn't have to ask as his hand raised in the general direction towards a door, for which she was glad, not sure if she should've known where that was already.

Straightening her posture she almost marched to the door, then paused to check her appearance. Serving in the medical branch presented more than a few opportunities to adorn one's uniform with all manner of distasteful substances. Seeing none she reminded herself to breathe, not wanting that first impression to be passing out in front of the CO's desk!

She smoothed out a possible wrinkle, then reached for the chime to announce herself... just as she realized he'd said 'his' ready room, not 'hers'...

The chime sounded inside and Finchley looked up from the PADD's he was reading.

"OPEN" he shouted and watched as the doors opened to reveal an officer standing there.

"Come in Lieutenant, how can I help you?" he asked.

Kell pauses, or rather, didn't move forward initially, then stepped thru the door lest it shut and again, blow the 1st impression thing.

"Um, greetings Captain. I was directed to see the CO here... in the ready room... but... um, you know it's the ready room. I... Yes... I was... Are you... I was expecting Captain Shannon." She doesn't quite manage to mask her confusion as she gestures futilely to illustrate anything other than that.

"There's been a change in Command Lieutenant" Finchley began, pointing to a seat opposite him for Kell to sit in "I've been asked to take Command of the Liberty and Captain Shannon will move to Executive Officer."

Reaching down below the desk, Finchley opened a drawer, took out two glasses and a bottle. Pouring a drink into each, he pushed one across the desk to Kell and said "You seem nervous, have a dram to calm yourself and tell me why you've come to see me."

Glad to sit, Kell missed it having arms she could grip to keep from wringing her hands. At the offer of a libation she breathed in a long, slow breath, holding it second while she accepted the glass with a tentative smile and a nod, then easing the air from her lungs as she tipped it back.

As the liquid hit her tongue she gasped inward, sucking the spray down the wrong pipe and barely managing to set the glass on the edge of the desk as her throat refused to pass anything in either direction until Kell could contemplate the error of her ways.

Kell's eyes rounded, her lips puckered, her face scrunched up a bit as the pounding of her heartbeat eased and the sound no longer filled her ears. Closing her eyes, then peeking through one at the man who was apparently her new CO, she held up one finger, carefully breathed in, then just as carefully eased it back out.

"Not bad... just... wasn't... quite... prepared..." She rolled her head, easing the tension in her neck and feeling a little better. One breath. Another breath. Reaching for the glass again she was tempted to just knock it back but thought better of it. Another sip, more in control now, she enjoyed this one much more.

Glad the new CO was patient, she replanted the demure smile on her face. "Greetings and well met Captain. Lt J-G Kell Asaa, reporting as your new CMO. Glad to be aboard!"

Finchley slowly swirled his glass of whiskey, ensuring the vapours lifted as he brought it to his nose. Closing his eyes, he saw in his minds eye the home he was brought up in and the surrounding glen.

"This is a two hundred year old Glenfiddich single malt Lieutenant Asaa. It's texture is golden, the aroma needs to be teased out of the glass to fully appreciate it" Finchley said.

Opening his eyes again, he took a sip and enjoyed the warmth and taste of it as it slid over his tongue and he swallowed.

He studied the officer before him before he said "I read your file...you were a Marine vet before joining Starfleet to train in Medicine. May I ask what prompted the change?"

Kell shrugged, letting the colorful liquid swirl around. Returning her gaze to the Captain. "No epiphany or anything. We haven't had any upheavals or shortages of healthy living... but... Well, the rest of my family are pretty much homebodies. Continuing traditional paths, stable lifestyles, that kind of thing. But occasionally an individual will stray from the norm. In my lifetime that was my uncle. He was a bit of a wandering spirit and I guess I always loved when he would visit and tell us stories. I wanted to have my own stories!" Her hands moved with the ebb and flow of her voice, the liquid warmth working its way through her veins.

"It wasn't a big transition from vet to medico. I can still care for the sick and injured, just expanding my portfolio as it were. I do have more interesting conversations now than before... mostly." She smiled genuinely, suddenly surprised her glass is empty.

"Wow... that is smooth."

Finchley reached across and refilled Kell's glass and his own.

"I would have hoped so, it'd been maturing in sherry casks for all that time before being cut, watered, bottled and sent to me" Finchley replied.

"I need to ask you Lieutenant, given this is an Intelligence ship and after studying your file and your record, I know you have a low level clearance, what were you told you'd be bringing to the duties you'll be asked to perform?"

Kell smiles at her restored glass of wellness, then sobers as she concentrates for a moment, and returns her gaze to her new CO.

"The initial orders were rather brief I thought, compared to others I've received, and seen. I did glean that the posting, while generic in scope, would be associated with a mission or missions with considerable restricted need to know." She said almost by rote as if she'd read it before, or perhaps read this one multiple times to make sure she was clear on its meaning.

"I also noticed it wasn't delivered or filed with standard security protocols and took specific actions on my part to confirm my unique identity. There were also cached caveats that cautioned me not to reveal, or by act otherwise indicate, my posting had changed and I should proceed in a calm manner to conduct myself normally for the next two days... day and a half actually... and then to report surreptitiously, forthwith, to the USS Liberty and check in with the commanding officer for further orders."

Kell took a deep breath, sipping the new nectar she would have to put high on her 'research this when' list...

"My background is pretty benign, which I assume means it was easy to analyze a lot of my past for security purposes, then I was attached to, or active with, Starfleet as a whole since. I haven't been involved in any clandestine missions, as it were, at least not that I'm aware of. I follow the chain of command, I don't blather on about missions or people's personal details, which goes against the medical code anyway."

She looks thoughtful as she considered the COs question. "If I were to presume, which I generally do not," she said, carefully pointing with the hand that held her libation. "But for the purposes of conjecture, I would venture that I'm a minimum security risk that carries a varied but beneficial skillset, and I can keep a confidence, pretty much to the death."

She again watched the mystic swirling of the liquid in her glass, seemingly satisfied with the motion took another sip. She guessed this was going to be quite hard to find, and something that couldn't be properly replicated by the hardware on the ship.

"Question for you sir?" Kell asked, once again looking at Finchley as she addressed him.

"Carry on Lieutenant" Finchley answered, sitting back in his seat, taking a sip from his glass.

Kell considers her words. "While I may be naïve, I'm not young, nor have I just come off-world from whence I was born. Intelligence, as you mentioned, has various connotations... But there are no... SOPs, no manual for me to review. I understand we likely have a relatively small circle of trust, expected responses to standard social queries when outside the ship, perhaps even a non-standard reporting structure beyond your chair? Lest my mind run amok, if I know nothing else, my confidence will begin and end with you, and expand as you dictate." She realized that came out as more of an implied question, but she let it lay, knowing it would lead in the same direction she was wondering about.

"Well, that really wasn't a question per say" Finchley replied "more a supposition on what you've garnered of Intelligence as a...whole you may say. There are SOP's, but no manual, in that part you are correct. Though we're of Starfleet Intelligence, we're part of the Sentinel One group, often as not referred to as 'Black Ops'. It's not a term I'm particularly fond of, but over the years I've learned to live with it."

He took another sip from his glass and allowed the smooth liquid to go over before carrying on.

"Trust in your fellow officers and crew is paramount to us here, for without it we're not an effective unit, and we are a unit. No-one discusses anything about what we do with anyone other than our fellow crew members, and even that has it's restrictions. You're a Senior Officer, so what level of detail you discuss depends upon whomever it is you're speaking to. Be aware though, that even as a Senior Officer, you're level of information on any given mission is dictated to by myself and the Executive Officer, and even then, the Executive Officer may not have the whole picture, it depends upon what I've been ordered to impart and to whom, even I have my orders. Confidence is a two way street Lieutenant, you show me I can trust you, and my confidence in you grows. In turn, hopefully that'll allow you to become more confident in my decisions. Just bare in mind that when I give an order, I expect nothing less than you following it. I don't mind any of my officers asking questions, but I won't 'be questioned', those are two entirely different matters, is that understood?"

Kell nods. "I have no other choice but to completely rely on your honor and loyalty to the federation as a Starfleet officer, and, because of what you mentioned, I'm fully prepared to do as you say, not necessarily as you do. If I have reservations, I will certainly keep that between us, and, if you can tell me a 'why' great, if not, then again, it behooves me to do my duty. You may decide that I would not _want_ to know everything."

"In any case, I can do that without all the details. If I did not, I would certainly be the weak link in the chain that could compromise our mission, if not threaten the health and safety of those on this ship that I have sworn to protect and support. My loyalty is a given. My confidence in your command I have to take on faith, for now, but I'm... confident... that that will properly segue into de facto soon enough."

She holds up the half empty glass, tamping down a bit on the passionate tirade as she swirls it gently. "And as long as you keep some of this around, I may even be willing to take some chances!" She carefully enjoys another sip.

"Something you'll learn about me Lieutenant Asaa, is that though I may be the CO, I place high regard on my officers input" Finchley replied. "I don't mean arguing or questioning every order I give, I mean in reasoning out a solid discussion if you have a question. However, what I do place paramount importance on is that everyone who serves on this ship carries out the orders I give once I've made my decision, even if it goes against the grain of what they think or believe."

Kell smiles warmly. “I can respect that. I’m not prone to idle prattle. If I have a concern I will definitely let you know, but I won’t do it in public in such a way as to undermine your authority. Notwithstanding some immediate threat to safety perhaps… If asked for my input, I will give it due consideration, hopefully without embellishment on my part.“

“I don’t have your experience, nor your responsibility, so on my end, I’ll get you the results you expect from me in any given situation, to the best of my ability, regardless if I think it’s important or not at large. I don’t need to be privy to the ‘big picture’ so to speak but i’ll treat any directive as necessary.”

Realizing she’d started leaning forward, she eased back as she wrapped up another loquacious response. “And yes, even if I find something… objectionable… I will follow orders, even if there’s not enough time for discussion, we can address my concerns after the fact and go from there. I accepted this assignment with a clear conscience and aware of possible... deviations due to the type of mission. I’m very aware the Dominion are still a threat, on top of any number of others out there.”



"Well, I'm glad we had this chat Lieutenant, but I must get ready for the briefing later" Finchley said, standing up. He held out his hand and said "Welcome to the Liberty, I'll see you at the briefing later."

Shaking his hand, she was not surprised by the firm grip. "Thank you sir. I look forward to serving!"

Kell turned to exit, crossing the bridge with a nod, and entered the turbolift.

"Deck 7"

She promptly arrived and set out into the corridor, intent on returning to sickbay, attending to her office, and setting up a brief meet-n-greet for her staff before the impending mission briefing, if there was time. If not, first thing when she returned...

Things were flowing, moving, and she wondered if she would be able to keep afloat in the coming rush. She felt it, not sure if she was excited, or afraid, or afraid to be excited.

Shaking her head she 'shushed' into her office, realizing she still hadn't even seen her quarters yet but she could rest later. Her department would be ready to respond to its fullest, it had to be. Something was coming, looming on the horizon, and she knew she would be forever changed, whatever the outcome.

/-\