The art of the spin

Posted on Wed Nov 24th, 2021 @ 4:24pm by Captain Jocelyn Blake & Lieutenant Jordan Hoover & Rear Admiral Sal Andolini

Mission: Episode 2: 18th and Constitution
Location: Starfleet Communications office
Timeline: Mission Day 16 at 0700

[Starfleet Communications Office]
[Starfleet Command - San Francisco]
[MD 16 - 0700 Hours]

Sal arrived with one box of personal effects, the others had been delivered to the communications office. At this point he had checked in virtually but would have a meeting with the brass, whoever was in charge later. He had the first box opened and was setting out family photos making the office less Fleet standard, and more his own.

He didn't hear a knock on the door which was a young woman in a cadet's uniform. "So....does this mean you're my boss?" Maria Andolini asked with a smile.

"Nope, that's still Commandant of the Academy and your instructors in the Engineering department of the Academy." Sal looked up, "And don't you have classes or something?"

"Not till 1030, leadership and command theory." She responded, "I just wanted to see you first day."

"Fair enough." He paused. "How's classes going?"

"It's work." She looked her father over, "Dad, did you ever see yourself a flag officer?"

That made Sal laugh, "Me, no I never expected to be any sort of officer, hell remember I got out a Petty officer. Still feel more comfortable out of uniform."

"Fair enough." She did hug her father, "I have to go, and Dad, you got this. "

"Thanks kiddo."

------

"You look fine." Jordan's voice bore the tone of someone who was being almost unbearably patient. "It's a uniform. You can't look unprofessional in a uniform."

The red headed woman walking next to him glanced over, proffering an amused half glare. "I've been in this job for a month and in that time more than enough people have thought I was unprofessional just because of who I am. If anyone can pull off unprofessional in a uniform, it's me."

Jocelyn's hand reached unconsciously for her glasses, a brown and tan tortoiseshell color today, and pressed them up her nose, adjusting them slightly. Her other hand bore a PADD, notes for the day's press briefings and a run down on the wires detailed in tabbed files. She had wanted to be ready for anything.

The two rounded the corner, stopping at the desk of the aide-de-camp who was set up outside of Rear Admiral Andolini's office.

"Captain Blake and Commander Hoover for Admiral Andolini," Jocelyn said with a smile before her gaze was drawn to the figure of a female cadet slipping out of the office. She offered the young woman a grin and then returned her attention to the aide.

"He should be ready for you," the young man advised. "You can go on in."

Jocelyn nodded, taking the lead with Jordan in tow, and stepped up to the doorway, hitting the chime sensor so that Andolini would have a heads up on their arrival.

"It's open." Sal called out as he took out a few of his wall hangings, which he began to set up. He had put up a copy of an article he had done on city hall corruption in Chicago, something about bribery and building permits.

The family pictures laid out included the usual wedding photo, photos of the children and in one 2 large dogs and in a separate frame 2 large cats.

Jocelyn entered the new Communications Director's office with a degree of curiosity, stepping into the space and moving out of the way for Jordan to join her. She scanned the space, recognizing the usual trappings of an office halfway set up. Her scan took only a second, though, before she stepped up to the man's desk, extending her hand across it. "Captain Jocelyn Blake," she said by way of introduction.

Sal took the woman's hand, he studied her, she looked familiar but he just couldn't place it yet.

"Commander Jordan Hoover," her counterpart said, extending his hand as well.

He shook the other officer's hand then responded, "Sal Andolini. Nice to meet you."

Jocelyn continued. "Welcome to the chaos." She grinned slightly.

That brought a chuckle, "That's one way to say it." He looked at Jocelyn again, "Blake, you were the one yeah, you had some kerfluffle over Leyton...." Then he grinned, "An old Earth Politician, Winston Churchill once said, 'You have enemies, good it means you stood for something.' But I agree with what you did 100%"

Jocelyn shot a quick glance at her deputy as the new Communications Director spoke. She was used to be recognized by now, but usually it wasn't so quickly. Of course it was perfectly reasonable to assume that Andolini had looked into his team already.

"Thank you, sir," she said with a small nod. "It was the right thing to do and I would do it again. It's caused a bit of a struggle with the press the last few weeks, though." She settled her hands behind her back, PADD clasped in one hand while the other hand circled her wrist in a pseudo at ease position. "It's been a bit of work to keep them focused on real news rather than turning me into news..." She trailed off, the unsaid details of the other interactions... the harassment and the internal office turmoil... felt too big and too weighty to share in the moment.

"Let me know if I can help." He continued, "I know some folks in the press who I can request to keep the focus on the story... and speaking of that." He moved to his desk, "Both of you sit, Help yourselves to the replicator, once I get the machine working, we'll get coffee moving."

Jocelyn nodded her understanding, coming around the front of one of the chairs to sit. "Thank you sir," she said, settling in. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jordan settle into the chair to her right. Her PADD made its way to her lap, one hand still on it while the elbow of her opposite arm rested on the chair's armrest.

"Where would you like to get started, sir?" she asked, choosing to wait on the replicator for now. Her last cup of coffee had been recent and she wasn't quite ready for the next.

Sal put on his reading glasses, they had tried the usual Retinax treatments for nearsightedness and it showed minimal improvement so he had just gotten the frames and began to look over a PADD, "Ok, Romulan Embassy, what information is the security troops letting us release?" He paused, "Also do we have a contact with the Romulan Information Bureau to coordinate with?"

Straightening slightly, Jocelyn tapped a quick command onto her PADD and then pinch-threw the file up onto the holoscreen in the Admiral's office. "Information remains somewhat limited," she began. "So far we can confirm casualties and fatalities. Homeworld Security, Intelligence, and the new Romulan Ambassador are cooperating. But really there is very little publicly confirmed detail. Our go to has been," here her tone turned official, "This is an ongoing investigation and we will share more information when something is confirmed."

She pinched and threw another file, the casualty/fatality list that had been displayed shifting to an image of a Romulan. "Our contact at the Romulan Information Bureau is Sub-Commander Cilee. She has been... somewhat... challenging to communicate with. But on the whole it seems we have mutually beneficial goals."

"Sounds Romulan to me. I expect nothing released until it's been scrubbed and the Tal Shiar signs off. As for the casualties, coordinate with Casualty assistance, on when we can release. I'd like to see if we can coordinate a big show with Homeworld Security. Also, for press contacts, You and Commander Hoover, work out the list, if you need me to backstop or help in any way, my door is always open. Way I see it, my job is to make your job easier. You need me you let me know, you want me to back the hell off, you tell me that too, and if my dad makes cannoli, help yourself."

Jocelyn nodded, glancing sidelong at Jordan who was almost irritatingly, casual in the seat next to her. "Yes sir," she said in confirmation. I can work with Admiral Hurroo's office on the Homeworld Security front. Should we move on to the latest in the Chalvana system or would you prefer to stick with the embassy bombing for now?"

"What's going on with the Chalvana system?" Sal asked as he looked for the appropriate PADD.

Jocelyn's fingers were faster than Sal's searching as a fresh file appeared in the air. "Interstellar Aid's ships continue to coordinate efforts with Chalvana III. The government seems to be stabilized, but there is still a significant amount of work to be done with the local population. Chalvana I..." here she paused frowning, "The majority of the populace was lost, but there is still some question about our actions there. Interstellar Aid and Intelligence have classified the Martin Luther's evaluation of the coronal ejections, though it has been confirmed that the crisis was manufactured. That's mostly relevant in terms of how we responded to Chalvana I as a pre-warp civilization. There's questions of whether the Prime Directive applies when the disaster is not truly natural. It's... something we should consider having a prepared statement for."

Her fingers had gone to the chair's arm rest and were drumming lightly, an indicator of her discomfort with the topic. "It's under warps for now, but I am sure that the press will get ahold of it eventually. And I don't like being behind the 8 ball on things they find out that can make us look bad."

"Agreed there." Sal responded, "I'll reach out to Judge advocate on the Prime Directive question and get a statement vetted ASAP. I agree I don't like reacting to news I prefer to be proactive." Sal did exhale, "I'll set some appointments today see what we can get organized."

"Thanks," Jocelyn said with a grateful smile. "If there's anything you need me to do on that front just yell, but I expect I'll still be fighting fires on the Embassy bombing more than anything else at this stage." She adjusted in her seat slightly, settling the PADD back down in her lap. "Those are really the big stories right now," she commented. "Are there any others you'd like to discuss or would you prefer I simply keep you apprised as necessary?"

"Keep me apprised, right now as I figure out the flow just let me know what's big, as I figure things out we'll reevaluate, I'm sure in a few months I'll be the pain in the ass boss you can complain about after work." Sal chuckled, "But right now we have our plan, and let me know if you need help with those fires ok?"

Jocelyn nodded, standing as she did. "Yessir," she remarked. She paused a moment, as if there was something else she wanted to say. With a small nod she added, "Glad to have you here Admiral."

=/\= A joint mission post by =/\=

Rear Admiral Sal Andolini
Communications Director

Captain Jocelyn Blake
Press Secretary

Lieutenant Jordan Hoover
Deputy Press Secretary