All the Situations

Posted on Sat Dec 9th, 2023 @ 7:44am by Fleet Admiral Sturnack & Rear Admiral Joshua Whitford & Admiral Leo Lyman & Commodore Rob Seaborn

Mission: Episode 3: Conflicts of Interest
Location: Deputy Chief of Staff's Office
Timeline: Mission Day 8 at 0845

[Deputy Chief of Staff's Office]
[SFC Complex]
[MD 8: 0845 Hours]

Rob Seaborn was rustling around his new office. He just couldn't get it to the way he wanted. At this point, files, papers, PADDs, and books were all over the place. He kept tripping over everything. At once, he finally stopped, sighed and took a breath. He looked around. He crouched down and began to pick everything up and organize things into piles that he could place down later. Before he could finish, the chime sounded.

"Enter"

Leo entered his protege and former first officer's office. They had known each other since Rob had reported aboard the Nebula as one of his department heads. "I can actually see a floor. Wonder how long this will last" he quipped.

"Heh, funny" Rob said as he turned to Leo. "What brings you to my humble casa, sir?"

"Not sure if its humble" Leo teased. "Have you met the Commander-in-Chief yet?"

The conversation grew sort of serious. "No sir. Why do you ask?"

"Good. Because we have a meeting with Fleet Admiral Sturnack and Rear Admiral Whitford in fifteen."

Rob scratched his chin. "I assume you want to be there early, Admiral?"

"You bet" he gave his deputy a pat on the back. "Need any help before we leave?"

"You know it sir" Rob nodded before he knelt back down onto the ground to pick stuff up.

Leo didn't say anything else and knelt down to begin organizing things. Before the two knew it, it was time for them to go to their meeting with the highest ranking officials in Starfleet. They left the room and made their way over to the CinC's office, walking and talking about various things about their jobs and new responsibilities.

[CinC's Office]
[SFC Complex]
[MD 8: 0857 Hours]

Commander Marlena Glenn looked up as Admiral Lyman and his Deputy entered the lobby of the CinC's office. She rose from her desk and came around it, offering the pair of men a wide, easy smile and a handshake to each in greeting. "Commander Glenn, Aide-de-Camp to the Fleet Admiral," she introduced herself, then gestured towards the frosted glass double doors that led into Sturnack's office. "Let me just poke my head in and make sure they're ready for you, hmm?" And with another smile, she disappeared inside for a few moments before exiting, holding one of the doors open. "All set, sirs. Have a good meeting," Marlena said, waiting for their egress before closing the door behind the men.

As Lyman and Seaborn entered, Fleet Admiral Sturnack sat composed at his desk, hands placidly resting on its mahogany surface. The Vulcan was a bit of a departure from the mental image that usually came to mind when most people thought of his kind. Instead of the typical bowl shaped-haircut and ponderous meditation robes Vulcans were known for, Sturnack wore a crisp Starfleet uniform and bore a hairstyle that could almost be described as relaxingly mussed. He seemed to be in conversation with the room's other occupant, Admiral Joshua Whitford, though it came to a close as the two men came into the office.

"Greetings," Sturnack said, standing up and moving toward the office's sitting area. Unlike Marlena, the Vulcan offered nothing in the way of handshaking. Instead, he lowered himself atop a chintz armchair and gestured for the others to do the same. There was another arm chair and two comfortable couches to choose from.

"It is appreciable to see you again, Admiral," Sturnack said to Lyman, who he'd -- of course -- met multiple times during the interview process for the Chief of Staff position. Finding the man up to the task, Sturnack had decided to hire him, though Lyman's Deputy was an as yet unknown quantity. "You must be Commodore Seaborn. Welcome to Starfleet Command," he said. "This is my Deputy, Rear Admiral Joshua Whitford."

Whitford had been standing near the office's expansive window, looking out at the air traffic flying over the Golden Gate Bridge. A human in his early 50's, Whitford looked every bit the consummate politician as he turned to greet the new arrivals. His smile was warm and welcoming though it failed to reach his dark eyes. "Admiral," he said excitedly, moving to offer a handshake en route to a chosen spot on one of the couches. "Commodore," he extended the same to Seaborn before taking a seat. "Either of you get lost, yet?" Whitford chuckled, commenting on the labyrinthine nature of the SFC Complex.

Lyman and Seaborn both accepted the handshake before moving to their respective seats. Leo spoke up. "Its been some time since I have been back to Earth as it is, let alone Starfleet Command. So I'm still getting used to the layout. I swear sometimes these hallways look the same" he chuckled.

Rob looked at Leo and then Sturnack and Whitford. "I transferred a bit before Admiral Lyman. So I have a tad more luck" the Commodore quipped carefully, making sure he didn't say anything out of line given the CinC, Deputy CinC, Chief of Staff, and himself were all in the same room, despite the fact that he was a Commodore, and thus Admiralty, like Leo and the other two flag officers in the room.

"You know, I've been here for years and I still get turned around sometimes," Whitford chuckled back at Leo. "Sometimes I use a PADD for directions when I have to go somewhere new here," he smirked, settling back into the comfortable embrace of the couch. "Good that you have someone to help you get around, though," he smiled at Rob as he crossed his right leg over his left then, looking quite relaxed despite the heavy amount of brass in this particular meeting.

"Admiral," Sturnack inserted himself into the joking back and forth, eyes fixed on Lyman, "there is much going on at the moment. I realize you are just getting started but how familiar are you with what is happening lately? I am afraid it is rather a lot," he commented, referring indirectly to the artificial solar events in the Chalvana system, the bombing of the Romulan embassy, the assassination attempt on his own life, and his rather scandalizing relationship with Starfleet's Press Secretary.

Leo leaned back in his seat and looked at Rob and then back at Sturnack and Whitford. "I am completely aware of the situation sirs. I have continued to read up whenever there have been updates to any of the situations at hand. Reading hasn't been light" the Admiral chuckled as he attempted to lighten the serious mood a little bit. "In all seriousness, with the situation at hand, what do you need from Commodore Seaborn and myself? Where would you like us to start?" the new Chief of Staff asked of his orders.

"Not to speak for you, Admiral," Whitford inclined his head towards Sturnack, "but...we're kind of stuck in the mud around here a bit. Could use some of your muscle to help push us out. The Admiral has been very proactive on the, um," he tried to sound delicate, "relationship scandal but when it comes to the rest, your attention will help a lot. Let's have you coordinate with Admiral Brannigan on the Chalvana front. He's been investigating the source of the technology used to trigger the solar eruption. Admirals Zuul and Dexu," he said, "can assist on the assassination attempt. They've just conducted a joint raid on the complex our would-be assassin was operating out of."

Sturnack remained quiet for a few moments, which was a tacit agreement that he agreed with Whitford's proposed course of action. However, he did have something to add on top of the DCinC's plan. "Despite my...proactivity," he chose the word with care, "with my relationship with Captain Blake, I would recommend meeting both with her and Admiral Andolini to discuss the matter. They may require additional support or resources from you to continue their efforts."

Not that he wasn't used to this level of "new endeavors" but he was being thrown directly into the fire with this new job. Which ultimately made sense to him. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle. On the plus side he had Rob's help as he was his deputy. "Understood sirs. We'll get to work as soon as possible" he looked at Rob. Leo then focused on one of the main issues going on. "If I may, regarding the raid, have Admirals Dexu and Zuul reported in with their discoveries yet?"

"They just got back this morning," Whitford said. "Couple hours ago. If you could could ping them and get a detailed briefing, that would be great. I'll admit," he smiled wolfishly, "I'm a little curious about what they found out there. It's amazing what people will do in rural areas when nobody is watching. Honestly?" he mock-shivered for effect, "I'd be surprised if there aren't at least five other groups out there making similar plans. These people are whacko," the Admiral said, rolling his eyes.

"Or perhaps just very misguided?" Sturnack asked, speaking up. To Lyman, he said, "It is possible that past aggression from non-human races has triggered these individuals into deviance. Their motivations may go beyond simple explanations of rootless hatred. Hopefully whatever the Admirals' teams have uncovered will help to illuminate the situation," he said with a nod.

Leo nodded. "I'll speak with the Admiral's and their teams" he turned to look at both Sturnack and Whitford. "What are we doing to boost security. Especially if there is any sort of risk of this happening again?"

"While we can speak to it generally," Whitford responded, "your best bet would be to connect with Rear Admiral Zuul. As Director of Homeworld Security, he'll have the most up-to-date information on their plans. That said," the DCinC's face grew cloudier, "we've stepped up security around here a lot. And my understanding is that the new head Ambassador from the Romulan Embassy has also been suggesting some potential courses of action. Might be good to connect there, too," he nodded.

The doors of the office whirred open and Marlena stuck her head in. She said nothing but, once Sturnack had looked her way, she held up two fingers before ducking back out.

"I believe," Sturnack's fingers disentangled from their steepled repose, "my next meeting is waiting outside. Was there anything else you needed, Admiral?" he asked of Lyman, his tone a transitional one. It wasn't unusual for touchbase stints like this one to be brief: Commander Glenn did her best to work immediate needs into the CinC's schedule where she could, but that often meant only getting 5-10 minutes of Sturnack's time some days.

"I don't believe I have anything else for you sir at the moment. I will also touch base with those required for the situations we discussed" he turned to Rob. "Do you have anything else for the Admiral?" he asked as he began to stand up since the meeting was coming to a close.

Commodore Seaborn followed suit. "I have nothing else sirs" he nodded.

"Very well," the Commander-in-Chief nodded as well. "Admiral Lyman, Commodore Seaborn," Sturnack said in the wake of their departure, using tone that was customary for the ending of gatherings such as this one.

"You fellas take it easy," Admiral Whitford said, effusing his own brand of informal charm into his tone. As the pair made their way out of the office and the next began to enter, the DCinC looked over at Sturnack.

"They seem like a good team. On paper and in person, I'd say," Whitford noted. "Certainly can't hurt to have them using their talents on our behalf around here. Might have saved us some trouble earlier on, having them around." It was a quick dig at the Vulcan -- no doubt in reference to his situation with Jocelyn Blake -- and it wasn't meant kindly.

But with the arrival of the next meeting, Sturnack had no time to respond, even if he'd wanted to. Whitford was good at keeping his passive aggression with him more private these days, adopting a guerilla warfare approach of dropping such comments in at inopportune times where others could not overhear. It was a bit like having a younger brother who was on his best behavior in front of others but, the moment they left, dropped the veneer.

The Vulcan wondered -- now with more helpful and capable players on his team -- how much longer he would still need to lean on Whitford's particular brand of getting things done around the SFC Complex...

=/\= A joint post by... =/\=

Fleet Admiral Sturnack
Commander-in-Chief

Rear Admiral Joshua Whitford
Deputy Commander-in-Chief

Rear Admiral Leo Lyman
Chief of Staff

Commodore Rob Seaborn
Deputy Chief of Staff