Meeting More of the Family

Posted on Tue Apr 14th, 2026 @ 3:15am by Lieutenant Commander Etan tar-Lexros & 1st Lieutenant Kayleigh London

Mission: We are sick of this.
Location: Operations Office

ooc I had to put in a character but Kay is not in this post

The man waited impatiently for his connection to the ops chief while he sat strumming his harp and humming a tune to himself. He was a man of average height, dressed in a very loud hawaiin shirt. Red/grey hair fell till well over his shoulders and one of his ears sported a golden earring, his short beard and moustache were still completely red. Yet he had used a classified starfleet code to put through this anonymous call directly to the office of the ops chief on the resolution.

Etan wasn't accustomed to receiving strange calls with classified command codes. He'd only received one such call on the Cannonball, when a Klingon diplomatic vessel was crossing the Neutral Zone. And the person on the other end of that line looked far more professional than the civilian-dressed man in front of him. So the Efrosian sat stiffly at his desk as he looked at the screen on his desk. "Please state your business and confirm your clearance to use these command codes."

"Don't you worry about my codes, boyo." The stranger said in a deep melodious voice which made his english almost sing and would sound vaguely familiar to Etan's ears. Clear grey eyes seemed to observe him through the screen. "So you are Etan. Before we have a little chat you have to tell me how the hell you pulled that off, making her go navy."

Etan's eyes widened for a moment and then he blinked deliberately, watching the man with a newly cautious expression. This wasn't just official stiffness, either. Etan's body language would have read to anyone willing to pay attention that he was getting defensive and worried. Obviously, the man on the other end knew a great deal more than he should have about a simple on-ship brevet rank. It wasn't even a field promotion, it was just a brevet. Etan sighed, and leaned forward, looking at the man. "I'm not going to disclose any information regarding any Starfleet officer's career choices to you without proof that you're authorized to know. I don't have evidence of your clearance, and your appearance doesn't match anyone in my database. I believe I know what you're referring to, but I'm not willing to face JAG for disclosing secure information without a confirmed command code. So, please confirm your Starfleet authorization."

Wain knew he could not keep the younger man in the dark any longer so he shared his codes with the ops officer. Then sat back to watch the reply.

Etan nodded crisply and confirmed the codes. The moment that was done, he eased up and took a breath. "Admiral, sir. With all due respect, I didn't 'make' First Lieutenant London do anything - I doubt I would have the means to do so. I am aware of other ships with mixed crews between marine, science, and line naval fleets. I believe based on her file that she was being held at First Lieutenant, pending a promotion to Major, because of the common practice which holds that only one individual aboard a ship should be called 'Captain'. As the ship's crew rely on her expertise and ability to bridge multiple departments with her experience and training, I issued a brevet rank bringing her to Lieutenant rank, which is the equivalent of the rank to which she has not been promoted. It's not a full promotion, merely a mission-critical brevet so she can act with the appropriate authority."

Obviously this was one of Kay's relatives, likely one of the ones she'd joined the Marine Corps to avoid. So he decided to strike to the heart of the matter. "I can provide you the necessary documentation and her merits earned under Captain Carey, Admiral. I don't believe that my judgment was faulty, sir. If you believe it's an issue, you may of course order Captain Stoffels to rescind the brevet through the proper channels - though I would of course file an appeal."

"So she is doing well." It was hard to miss the pride on his face. And you have balls on you, my boy to do this without talking to Toni first. That girl has a temper." But he nodded his approvoal. "If she gives you grief, just send her my way. Soooo I understand you are THE boyfriend."

Etan blinked slowly. "We haven't applied official terms to our relationship as yet, Admiral. May I assume our conversation will be kept in strictest confidence, sir?"

"Yes of course, I won't tell a soul." Wain promised.

Etan nodded appreciatively. "I don't believe that what I did shows any undue confidence. Functionally, what's on the record is that, as chief of Starship Operations, I brevetted a critical officer to liaise and coordinate between two departments which require specialized knowledge which I lack on a mission where they'll need to work closely. I would need to assign a Lieutenant to the same role. None of the officers in my department have the specific knowledge or experience which First Lieutenant London has, so why should I second an officer to the role when someone is there already? And, if she succeeds in this assignment, I can make a better case to the Captain, the Admiralty, and Marine Command, that she should be promoted. If Captain Stoffels takes umbrage, she's free to enter a demerit on my record. And we'll see how JAG views it in light of the paper trail which I've ensured is there. I assure you, Admiral, that while my affection for Kay may add urgency to my actions, I would be doing the same thing for any officer with her unique skillset in the face of the mission ahead."

"Toni's bark is worse then her bite and the two girls have always been friends one day and tearing each other's hair out the next. I wouldn't worry too much about that." The admiral said matter of factly. "It is good to hear you justification of Kayleigh's promotion. It's what I would expect from an operations chief worth his salt. I came up through ops myself. But I do expect my daughter to take you home with her next time you both have some leave. Oh and if you really run into trouble with Toni I would suggest getting Mox to help you."

Etan nodded again, shifting in his chair. "Lately, it seems that the conflict may become a lasting one, unfortunately." He shrugged. "My justification is the truth of the matter, frankly. There are a limited number of individuals in Starfleet with deep knowledge of both field operations and counseling. Kayleigh is one of that limited number." The casual reference to Sorrel made him raise an eyebrow. "I feel that bringing the retired Field Marshal into the situation would not only be abnormal,. but unreasonable. There's already enough concerns about nepotism around this vessel, I don't want to invite any further possible complaints."

"Fair enough. I think you can handle your captain. Remember her bark is worse than her bite. Deep down Toni is pretty reasonable, but it is a pity she has her mother's temper." He chuckled.

Etan chuckled in response. "Sir, I assure you - her temper is nothing compared to my own mother. I believe I can resolve the situation. But I do appreciate your support. As far as whether Captain Stoffels is reasonable... I am the officer she talked down from a panic attack during an enemy attack on our computer core. I believe that the situation can be resolved smoothly."

"Good. That sounds more like the Toni I know. It must put a strain on her to rise so rapidly through the ranks all at once. I will give you a code that will give you access to me 24/7, please don't hesitate to use it if you need me for anything."

Etan nodded and noted the man's comm address. "I appreciate that, Admiral. I sincerely hope that I will never need to bypass the ship's chain of command. But I may reach out if I am lacking in the knowledge of Starship Ops."