Congratulations

Posted on Wed Jul 29th, 2020 @ 5:13am by Captain Gary Alexander & Lieutenant JG Talia Flowers

1,316 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 2 - Encounters of a First Kind
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: 2168/07/28 1100

Now that Serenity had transferred to Engineering, someone had to be promoted to the Chief Communications Officer. Given that the only person who had shown any propensity for translating these new foreign languages was Talia Flowers, the choice was simple. She would become the new Chief.

Prior to the other day, Talia was merely a name on his manifest. However, as he watched her work, the cunning linguist became so much more to him. She was now a lifeline. Her loyalty and her abilities very well might make the difference between life and death for Horizon.

He looked at her dossier. 35. That was generally older than he preferred a woman. And, while she was not ugly, she was not KAT. Then again, who was? He smiled at that thought. He definitely would not kick Talia out of bed and the lord knew that if he needed to bed her to keep her, he would. Time would tell.

Of course, according to her dossier, Talia had a spouse and no children. He wondered why she took the job, then. Perhaps they were estranged. Well, perhaps he could find a way to inquire into that, as well.

Over the comm, he called, =^= Talia Flowers, this is the Captain. Please report to my ready room. =^=

As per usual, Talia’s head was full of words from many languages as well as a variety of species and their body language. She was drawing parallels as she heard her name. From Gary, no less. ‘Oh yes,’ she chuckled to herself, ‘The Captain.’ Her eyes rolled at the thought and she waited to acknowledge the hail. =^= On my way. =^=

She grabbed a few of her notes, her PADD, expecting a briefing about the newcomers, and headed to his Ready Room.

Talia briefly wondered what he might be ready for and pressed the door chime, looking a little worse for wear but fully prepared for anything. As far as she knew.

Gary warmly said, "Come in Ms. Flowers! Come in! Come in!"

Talia stepped forward, door sliding open, revealing slightly creased, working ensign with enough paperwork of all things to help every situation she might need to explain.

The moment that Talia was in, Gary beamed at the woman. "Would you have a seat, Ms. Flowers?"

Nodding, she slapped her work in progress on the table in front of her and slid easily into a chair. Pushing her hands through her hair, Talia hoped to smooth it out, but only managed to toss it into a milder form of eclectic hair do.

"I would expect that you are wondering why I called you in here." He gave her his best, warm, crocodile smile.

“We-e-e-e-elllll...” she said slowly, eyeing all of her notes, “I could hazard a guess, but I have a feeling by the look on your face, that I would be wrong.” A slow smile spread across her own face, sensual lips curling upward. This might be an interesting meeting after all.

"Oh, really?" Gary asked, his interest piqued. "I'm curious as to what you thought and why you think that you might be wrong."

‘Baiting question, Gary,’ Talia thought as she looked at him, meeting his question with an easy deflection. “Information about the aliens,” she said and tapped the table. “No?”

"That really only answered half of my statement," he replied to Talia, leaning over a bit towards her, his curiosity piquing more. "And it is true that I want to know more about them, as well."

“You have a reputation.” Talia was nothing if not blunt. “I brought all of my papers yet not only do you have nothing before you, your precious shadow is absent.”

His yeoman was with him everywhere and had been up until this very moment. “It is unusual.” She shrugged. “So with all of this logic and here say in my head along with different languages and emerging civilizations, I was unsure where a meeting might go with the infamous Gary Alexander.”

She pushed her work with her finger as she looked through it all, “I didn’t have an expectation or any such plan in my head.” Looking up, she smiled. “I let things evolve as they might.”

"My precious shadow?" Gary asked laughing. "Why would you call KAT that?" he asked curiously. "And letting things evolve as they might with someone 'infamous'? Interesting, Talia. You definitely have a particular charm."

“I have something, I’m sure,” Talia said, eyes twinkling as she chuckled to herself. “As for being your shadow...” she shrugged. “This is the first time she has not been present during meeting.” Her eyes narrowed playfully.

“Is this not an official meeting, Captain?” She used Gary’s title with a teasing tone, undermining meaning and obviously showing that ranks were of no consequence to her.

"Oh, I can assure you that KAT often is not present," he replied with a knowing grin. "And yes, Ms. Flowers, this is an official meeting." So, the game is afoot. Earlier today I approved the transfer of your Chief, Serenity Hayes to Engineering. That leaves a vacancy for the Chief Communications Officer and I believe that you are uniquely suited for that position." He opened his hand to Talia with a Junior Grade Lieutenant pin sitting in it. "This goes with it." He paused dramatically before finishing, "If you choose to accept, that is."

Nodding slowly, Talia steepled her fingers as she listened. Her mind heard everything but gleaned the subtext she expected from this man. She had heard things and seen things. And had wondered about his uptight-looking shadow, like what her professional demeanor was hiding. Apparently not a beast in the bedroom.

“A promotion?” Talia was truly surprised. Perhaps they should get lost more often? She blinked and leaned forward to take a closer look at the pin. She smiled slowly. “Lieutenant Flowers,” she said softly. It was a lot to take on, but... her ship needed her. Oh how delicious that sounded.

“Of course,” Talia said, reaching out to her pin. “I would be...” happy? powerful? superior? “... honored.” She mentally commended herself. She had chosen... wisely.

"I am pleased," Gary told Talia. "Because I have a feeling that you will be spending a great deal of time with me."

“For that you should be more than pleased,” Talia shot back, cheekily. “But I approve.” She threw her head back, a deep throaty laugh bubbling up from her, filling the room with her wicked humor.

Gary wondered at the woman. The reaction was odd but he knew that he needed to keep Talia close. She could be the key to everything in the galaxy. "I'm glad," he told her honestly.

“Well, that makes two of us,” Talia replied and smiled. “I... suppose I should get back to...” She pushed her papers around with her index finger. “Unless there’s anything else?”

She left the question hanging...

Interesting. She seems to want something more. Who am I to say no? "There's always something else, Lieutenant. Perhaps you could translate for me, since you are so adept at that." He gave Talia a smarmy grin.

Always. She wondered what the hell he had been taking to be ever ready. “Translate what?” she asked, half ready with a stylus to start taking notes.

"Congratulations on your promotion," he told her, wondering what he misread. "Keep up your work with our guests."

“Into what language... oh!” Talia laughed deeply, as though she enjoyed every aspect of the sensations it brought as much as the humor.

“Thank you,” she said, standing. She smoothed her uniform down and leaned over the table, gathering all of her papers.

Gary watched her form as she leaned over the table, but said nothing. The woman was a mystery, but he needed her and had to figure a way to make sure that she stayed loyal to him.

 

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