>>> Vice Admiral Kitanya had been away from her office for quite some time, and >>an extra early start was not what she had truely wanted to do, but it was her >>duty. She arrived to see her faithful Tellerite aide replaced with a much >>more substancial Horta. On the table just outside her office was a package >>from Captain Aurellius- bagles, cream cheese, and coffee Caitian style. >> >>The first thing she did was smile. "Narrraht!" she grinned, walking up to her >>old friend and long-time aide. One didn't hug a Horta, but that's what she >>wanted to do. She contented herself with resting a hand on his topside. >>She'd learned long ago which bumps were at the front and which were at the >>back, so she was fairly sure she was talking to his front. "It's so good to >>finally have you back!"
"It's good to see you again, Admiral," came the synthetic voice from the voice box which was his uniform, bearing the Starfleet insignia and his rank pips, attached to his topside. The voice wasn't the metallic one she was used to, though, it had inflection, and sounded masculine, like a real speaking voice. "New voice box?" asked Kitanya, impressed. "Yes, isn't it nice? New technology. I got to pick the voice. Do you like it?" She nodded. "Verrry much. Although I think it'll thrrrow off a lot of people. They'll be looking forrr a biped when they hearrr it." "I know," the Horta replied, and a chuckle erupted from the box. "I love it." Kit laughed. "I have missed you, old frrriend." "Old? I'm only one hundred and forty-two, thank you very much, Admiral." Kit shook her head. This was a pleasant surprise indeed, and she was glad of it. "You know what I mean." She looked over at the bagels and smelled the coffee. "Will you have lunch with me today? I hearrrd about this place on the prrromenade that is supposed to have some incrrredible quarrrtzite crunch, with a side of obsidian sand. Prrrimo stuff frrrom Earrrth." "Oooh, obsidian," said the Horta with excitement as his fringe ruffled. "I haven't had that in ages. I'd love to join you," he replied. "Good. Now, would you do me a favorrr and in about an hourrr, send forrr Captain Aurrrelius? I assume you two have already met." "Of course, Admiral. Anything else?" "Just... Call the cleaning crrrew and have them brrring up some neutrrralizerrr to the office. It still smells like Tellarrrite." "Aye, Admiral," said the Horta with a hint of a chuckle. Kit took the food and the coffee into her office, sipping the coffee and relishing the spicey bitterness of it. She fixed a bagel for herself and then went about the business of the morning, which was changing her command staff. First up - get rid of the current chief of staff, Commander Thrasis, and put him in charge of the support operations. She'd finesse it with him later, and it really was a better pick. He was a wizard with detail, and the supply and support department needed that badly. In his place she put Captain Aurelius. As her Chief of Staff, he was now officially her right hand, and she put in a request to Intell to change his security clearance to reflect that. The change would be effective as of the following week. Next, she began the task of changing the commands of the outposts to those with the skill and experience to run them, ousting the bureaucrats that were getting her people killed. Those orders she sent immediately. She wanted commanders who had come from the ranks in those outposts, not political people put there to cajole a corrupt command structure. She was still working on that, the coffee long snice gone, when Aurelius came in. "Captain, please, sit down," she gestured, putting the computer on hold. (resp?) "Thank you forrr the bagels and coffee. It was excellent. Was it rrreplicated?" (resp?) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God.... I could be eating a slow learner! --Lynda Montgomery
