The Promotion

Posted on Fri 20th Jan, 2017 @ 2:05pm by Colonel Horatio Drake & Commander Zachary Hunt

1,731 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night
Location: Deck 12: Drake's Ready Room
Timeline: MD-01: 0654

Drake had been in his ready room since the early hours, mulling over the situation he found himself in and the decision he was about to make. Being a career Starfleet Officer was politics - the higher you got the more politics were involved... a sad fact. He had always played the game and played it well... his love for Starfleet and dedication to duty was only surpassed by his desire to progress. Since Patrick’s passing, his life had turned on its axis... without him to give Drake balance; nothing seemed to make sense anymore. The one thing he did know was that strings had been pulled to get him the posting on Vanguard and, it was clear, that some people weren't comfortable with it. Ironic really, since a posting on a starbase was the last thing he wanted.

He had suspected for some time now that Hunt had been put on Vanguard to, for want of a better word, spy on him. For whom he worked for and to what end, was still a mystery. Over the past few months certain details of activity on Vanguard had made their way back to command - details, which Drake was sure he hadn't reported. After the incident with the Warspite, Drake had unintentionally missed out minor details... details of no consequence... on his report, yet these details made their way into the official report that Starfleet Command had produced on the whole affair.

Drake had then intentionally left out details on his report to command regarding the SS Silent Night - once again, these details somehow made it into the official report. Since Drake was the only one directly reporting to Starfleet Command, he knew they had to be getting their information elsewhere. Was it just an accident that they had appeared in the official report? Surely one would want to keep the whole thing a secret?

He had two ways with which he could play this and he had been up most of the night considering his tactics and strategies... and they were tactics and strategies, because far from the political arena, Drake now felt that this was war. During his time in the Academy he spent a number of months studying ground warfare infantry tactics at a training facility on Inferna Prime in the Muratas System. His instructor, a Chief Warrant Officer Trezinksy, had been a dedicated follower of every military philosopher you could name, one of his favourites being the Chinese General Sun Tzu. He would talk for hours about how life was a war and every event and situation, a battle within it. At the time, Drake was glad to finish this portion of his training, he felt Trezinksy took things too far… looking back he realised how wrong he had been to think that. One quote that had been playing over and over in his mind this past evening was from Sun Tzu, that Trezinksky had drilled into them:

’If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.’

Drake had pondered what Trezinksy and Sun Tzu’s opinion would have been about knowing the enemy without knowing yourself – is it possible for one to know their enemy without first knowing themselves? He sincerely hoped so.

That being said his first course of action was to try and bring Hunt closer to him – to find out what he knew and to whom he was reporting and then discard of him. In doing this he would discover who his enemy truly was, in Starfleet, and could take the appropriate action. The second option would be to pull some strings and get Hunt transferred from Vanguard immediately… no doubt he could get him an awful posting somewhere on the outskirts of Federation space, but taking this option would not give him the information he needed and, no doubt, Hunt would just be replaced. So, the most prudent course of action was the former… and what better way to get to know someone than by giving them a gift, something that they desire.

He had been reviewing Hunt’s Service Record – a mostly uneventful and unblemished career. He was trained initially as a science officer, specialising in xenology, and had only undertaken command training and testing a little less than five years ago. He had been a Lieutenant Commander for even less time. Drake grimaced at the thought of a Science Officer having command over Marines in a Marine facility – the merger between Starfleet and Marine personnel had been a mistake, but one that no one was willing to redact. If anyone wasn’t due a promotion, it was Hunt… but needs must.

He had requested he report to his Ready Room at the start of his shift… according to the chronometer on the wall, that was in just over six minutes time.

Hunt as ever was early, ready to report to Drake. He was a little apprehensive about why he had requested him, but Hunt saw it was in Drake's nature to do things out of the blue. They had both been on Vanguard for a fair amount of time now, and Hunt knew Drake wasn't stupid. He had probably started to clock onto why Hunt was really there. Still he had to keep the facade up for the time being as that was what he had been instructed to do. He was 5 minutes early, but he decided to press the chime outside Drake's Ready Room.

The statue-like face that Drake had been fashioning for the past two hours, betraying no emotion... no feelings... no life... disappeared, replaced with a warm smile and glowing eyes... if he ever decided to leave the service then acting was certainly an arena to investigate further.

"Please, come in"

Hunt entered, nodding towards Drake as he entered.

"Would you like a drink, Commander? I've grown quite partial to this Vulcan blend of coffee, of late" He said as he ordered a mug of it, double strength.

"Yes please. I will have the same. I'm not normally a coffee lover, but I'm up to trying different blends on recommendations," Hunt replied, taking a seat.

He sat, placing the two mugs on the desk in front of them. "So, some months into your tenure on Vanguard... tell me, how are you finding station life in comparison to ship life?".

"I'm only finding it slightly different really. It's massive compared to ships so there's a lot more to explore and do on the base itself. However, you just don't get the thrill of exploring new places in space, and new planets. Obviously you know I'm Science based, so for me seeing new life forms was always part of something special. I can't criticise Vanguard though, it's had the ups and downs, including all the problems we had when we first came here, but you know, it really isn't too bad. What about yourself, Sir?" Hunt replied.

Drake inhaled deeply, the sweet smell of the coffee filling up his senses. "Much the same, Commander... much the same." He gave a short, sharp smile.

He took a sip. "So, tell me about your career to date... what's forged you? What's brought you to where you are?".

Hunt could feel he was being interrogated in a way, but went along with it anyway, "Personally, my Mother always told me I couldn't do anything with my life, I wanted to prove her wrong and went down the route of Science. I followed the basic promotion route to where I am now. Starfleet saw qualities in me to assign me here, not sure I would agree with them, but here I am. You know the rest of my career history."

"And where do you see yourself in the coming years?" He locked eyes with him, the smile inadvertently disappearing.

Hunt noticed the sudden change but still answered the question, rather bluntly, "I want to be the best I can be, wherever that leads me."

"Come now, Mr. Hunt... no need for vagueness and ambiguity! Do you see yourself with your own command? Perhaps working for Starfleet Science? Maybe a teaching position at the Academy?" The sickly sweet smile returned. He felt like he was conducting an interrogation and playing both good cop and bad cop all by himself - he would find out who it was that spread this suspicion and distrust amongst fellow officers.

"Obviously would love to be in charge of a ship...who wouldn't," He quipped back. "Sir, if I may, why have you called me here? To ask me about my history or what my career plans? Or is there a reason?"

"There is, of course, a reason Mr. Hunt. I think the Executive Officer of a Starbase of this size should hold, at least, the rank of Commander and you've earned the position. So, in other words, congratulations on your promotion!" He pulled a small black box from underneath his desk and placed it in front of him.

Hunt raised an eyebrow, it was something he done a lot. People never knew what emotion he was going through if the eyebrow got raised. As happy as he was about this unexpected promotion, he hadn't been on Vanguard for long enough for this. He felt like he was constantly playing a game of chess with Drake, with Drake always going for the Queen relentlessly. "Thank you, Colonel Drake." He replied, not moving at all. He went to speak again and ask why he had got a promotion, but he decided against it.

"Nothing that isn't deserved, Commander." Once again he locked eyes with him, a small grin across his face... he felt rather malevolent. "I've always felt that to achieve this level of rank you've always got to have someone who believes in you... someone who trusts in you. After all, trust is an enormous part of what we do... wouldn't you say, Commander?" He said, intentionally using his rank a second time.

"Indeed, if that will be all, Sir," Hunt replied, seeing Drake's real reason for this promotion. Drake had just taken Hunt's 'Queen', Checkmate.

 

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