First Meeting

Posted on Thu 6th Apr, 2017 @ 4:50pm by Colonel Horatio Drake

1,567 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: MD 02

Although she had already met Commander Hunt, she felt obligated to at least introduce herself to the base's commander, Colonel Drake. Sitting behind her oak desk in her office, she activated the interbase communications. "Leah Jamison to Colonel Drake."

Drake could feel the wetness of the soil start to seep through his BDU (Battle Dress Uniform) as he lay on the ground... the humidity had started to make him sweat, he wiped his brow with the back of his right hand. He had been on the holodeck for about five minutes, opening his favourite programme for only the second time since arriving on Vanguard. The silence would have been deafening and eerie if it wasn't for the sounds of birds and other unidentified animals. The heat was sweltering and the horizon a blur.

He picked up the Mk 17 phaser rifle... checked its power cell... and nestled it comfortably in his right shoulder, flicking up the targeting scope. Any minute targets would start bounding towards him out of the foliage. He checked his Ka-Bar (standard Marine combat knife) and Type 2 hand phaser were in their respective belt holsters.

He took a deep breath and placed his finger over the firing systems of the rifle.

The inter comm. smashed his concentration.

"Computer pause programme" He barked ferociously. It felt like he hadn't left his Ready Room in weeks and the first bit of leisure time he got was disturbed.

"Yes, Drake here!" Who the Hell was Leah Jamison?, he thought to himself.

"Ah, Colonel Drake. Let me introduce myself. I am Leah Jamison, the new CEO of Disney Interstellar aboard this starbase, and I thought we could meet one another. If now is a bad time, I can check back with you at another time."

"Miss. Jamison... no, not at all." He pulled himself up, soil sticking to the front of his uniform. "Where did you have in mind?" He started brushing it off. The location she suggested would depend on whether or not he was going to get changed... he probably should.

"Nothing too formal. Just a friendly greeting," she grinned. "I can meet you where you are now if you'd wish."

"Well..." He paused as a Borg drone came hurtling out of the foliage opposite him. "Computer, end programme."

"Perhaps not here, Miss Jamison. I can meet you in Orchids & Jazz in ten minutes?" He decided a brush off of the uniform would suffice, after all he wasn't on duty.

"Sounds good. See you there, Colonel. Jamison, out." Leah stood and headed for her office's exit.

"I will accompany you, Miss Jamison," Tomar said. "You can never be too careful with those Bajorans rioting."

"Very well. I don't know what those Bajorans are upset over. They are still trying the man--justice still being served and all that," as she walked into the building's lift with Tomar. "One thing I've learned about the Bajorans is they sure are a whiney bunch."

Tomar grinned as the lift began its journey. "They do seem to complain a lot--especially since joining the Federation."

------------------------

Ten minutes later, Leah and Tomar arrived at Orchids & Jazz. "Tomar, please have a drink at the bar and relax for the time being. I should be quite safe with the starbase's commander."

Tomar nodded. "Very well, Miss Jamison." Tomar made his way inside to the restaurant's bar.

"Miss Jamison!" Drake had only just sat down at the booth-style table, which ran along the right wall of the bar closest to the door. He walked towards her extending his right hand, only to notice his sleeve was still covered in dust. He tried his best to covertly brush it off. "I've got us a table." He motioned towards the booth and nodded towards Serena who had seen him come in, indicating he was now ready to order a drink.

Smiling as always, Jade's assistant headed in their direction. The restaurant was busy today, many people stopping in after leaving the scene of the protest in Tivoli Gardens. Serena had barely caught a news bit between her regular job and helping servers in the restaurant, but it seemed to have been a large protest that involved violence. She'd get personal and private reactions from her friend, Caroline Post, once she left work.

"Hello Colonel," Leah greeted as she followed him to the table. "I'm glad you were able to meet with me."

"Apologies for my attire," he indicated his BDU's with a sweep of his hands. "I was engaged on the holodeck when you contacted me. Anyway, how are you settling in on Vanguard?"

"I am settling in fine, thank you," she smiled.

Jenna stopped Serena, saying, "Hey, it's slowing down. Thanks for the assist - that's the busiest we've been since opening here, but I think we have this now. Why don't you get back to the more important things, and I'll take care of the Colonel?"

Serena laughed and said, "With pleasure! I don't know what we'd do without you, because this is definitely not where I shine." She turned and hurried through the door to the offices before Jenna could change her mind.

Jenna shook her head, half smiling and turned toward the Colonel's table. His companion was someone she'd seen in Orchids & Jazz before, but it took her a minute to remember that it had been with Caroline Post. Arriving at the quiet table Jenna asked, "How can I serve you today?"

"May I have a coffee please, Jenna." Drake, who had never met Jenna before today, made a point of calling her by her name. When he had been one of the Starfleet faithful, he listened to the advice passed down by his RAdm Uncle, thinking it would help him in the future. One of the tricks Senior Officers used was to remember names... addressing people by their names, regardless of how well one knew them, was supposed to give them a sense of appreciation and value. Whether it worked or not, he didn't know... but it was a method that had stuck since he was a Captain.

"I'll have a Samarian Sunrise," Leah said to the woman before turning her attention back to the colonel. "So what program were you running on the holodeck?"

"Just a Marine training programme... with a few additions of my own to make it a bit more exciting!" He thought about the hours he had spent on that programme and how the purpose of it had changed for him. It was no longer a tool to hone his abilities and practice his training... it was now a source of enjoyment... the destruction of another... it made him feel good.

"Ah...I take it more killing, explosions, and all the things that you Starfleet Marines enjoy? And if I may, you seem a bit young to be a colonel in charge of a starbase," she commented.

"Quite so" He smiled briefly before being taken aback by the second statement. It had always been the elephant in the room... but yet he was not the youngest CO in Starfleet. James T. Kirk had taken command at the same age, as had a few others across the years. True, they weren't all backed by a Starfleet Admiral, but that was beside the point... or so he told himself. He had two ways of playing this... despite him being a man with an emotional state akin to a Vulcan these days, he responded with a forced jovial remark.

"I suppose I am... in fact, most people thought I had rigged the command tests when I passed them!" His detachment from reality and people in general, these days, made it hard for him to gauge responses like this. He was sure he had gone over the top with his emphasis... it wasn't that funny!

'Ah, a sore spot,' Leah thought. "Nothing wrong with your age. I'm sure you have earned your position. Besides, I can understand about age being a factor. Many among the Disney Interstellar Inc. Board of Commissioners thought I was too young for this posting, and yet here I am," she smiled reassuringly at him.

"So what plans do you have for Tivoli Gardens?" He asked as Jenna returned with the coffee and Samarian Sunrise, he thanked her.

"Mostly it's still in the planning stages, yet I hope to increase profit and tourism aboard the station through increased advertising and promotions. A circus is one idea I'm considering, as well as creating a few sports teams aboard the station."

'Cirque De Vanguard' he mused to himself as he took a sip of the particularly strong coffee... they knew how he liked it.

"Some interesting ideas." He wondered if there was an ulterior motive to this meeting or not. "Tell me, have you managed to meet much of the Command Staff?"

"Just Commander Hunt," she admitted. "A fine man and officer though a bit of a flirt," she grinned, before taking a sip of her Samaria Sunrise. "Had he not joined Starfleet, I'd imagine he would have made an impressive business man...or con artist."

He may find himself pursuing that career in business before too long, unless I can find the extent of his involvement with whomever has taken it upon themselves to spy on me, he thought to himself.

"Quite so" He gave his best, warm smile and took another sip of coffee.

 

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