TECH CONFERNCE: Bringing To The Table

Posted on Tue Aug 4th, 2020 @ 3:39pm by Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*) & Fordyce Kirschler PhD

Mission: Cosmos
Location: Starbase 621, Main Promenade
Timeline: 2396
1250 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Ledeya looked at the officers that were just hanging around for either a chance to escape or were engaged. Ledeya saw a figure that she had only seen on her personnel file and had spoken to in communications instead of face to face. Ledeya decided before heading to bed she would at the very least reach out to the woman and congratulate her on the ship. It had been an easy choice for candidates in her opinion even if her colleagues thought it an odd choice.

"Good evening Commander," Ledeya said holding out her hand to the woman. "I am Commodore Ehestri." She hoped the woman would know that but she did not want there to be an embarrassment.

Soraya turned slowly like there had been some image or memory outside the floor-to-ceiling viewport that she'd been reluctant to give up just yet. "Commodore, good evening. I saw you earlier, but you were speaking with Jacob - uh, Commander Kane - and I didn't want to seem presumptuous by interrupting."

"You can be presumptuous enough to join any conversation I am part of especially if Jacob - uh, Commander Kane," Ledeya said with a small smile at her tease to try and lighten the mood. It had been hard trying to track down the woman and she had been the last of her commanding officer to catch. "How have you found this meet and greet?" It was a sage question. No one wanted their boss challenging how they were straight away.

Without hesitation, Soraya said, "Illuminating but excessive. It reminds me a little bit of one of my mother's fundraising events where everyone has an agenda. We have the staff, trying to wrangle difficult personalities and not be demoted onto a garbage scow." She pointed to a few yeomen inconspicuously drifting in and out of the crowd. "We have the sycophants, trying to advance their careers." She gestured to a loud Benzite ensign who'd been pestering most of the commanding officers. "We have the sybarites, looking for their next conquest." She nodded toward an Andorian and human officer, in turn, each with bedroom eyes that never turned off. "And we have the rest of us, duty-bound to be here and making the best of it."

"This is nothing like your mother's fundraising events Commander," Ledeya commented on smiling a little as she followed Soraya's trail of thought and could not help but agree with her estimation of the crew members. "This is far too quiet and there are far too many clothes on if I remember the one I once had to attend as a Chief Medical Officer correctly." As if one of the yeomen saw that her glass was empty filled the glass up without hesitation.

"Do you need anything Commander?" The young Bolian ensign questioned.

"No, thank you, I'm quite all right, Ensign," Soraya said, making an understated gesture to ward him off. Even the slightest bit of interest seemed to get a tray of alcohol and hors d'oeuvres shoved in one's face. Once he was out of earshot, she asked, without any suggestive or combative tone, "Do you anticipate having any problems with my command?"

Ledeya smiled at the woman refusing anything and took a site of the Betazoid nectar. It was sweet and delicious something to keep her going as these type of events seemed to go on a lot longer than she wanted them too. "I do not. Do you Commander?" It was an honest question and one Ledeya knew there was no right or wrong answer for.

"Nothing foreseeable," Soraya replied, though it sounded a little over-polite. "As I'm sure you're aware, I'm no darling of Starfleet Command, and I fully expected my return to fleet operations to be... bumpy."

"I am fully aware but everyone, in my opinion, deserves a second chance especially when their former senior crew have such glowing recommendations. Your former Chief Of Security and Engineering speak very highly of you." Ledeya had, had the opportunity to discuss the woman in person with them.

Soraya smiled like she was reflecting on a warm memory. "I return the favor when I can, though it's unclear whether that's blessing or curse these days. But I appreciate your open-mindedness, commodore. It's nice to know I'm starting with if not a fresh slate then at least one not judged harshly."

"Slates are made to be scrubbed clean and rewritten on Soraya," Ledeya commented on smiling. The pair were an amusing old couple without actually being a couple. "If I was not open-minded I would not be here in this Task Group." Ledeya had some of the most interesting Captains in Task Force 72, from a Commanding Officer who had been a Captain for double her age refusing to move on to another position and then a Commanding Officer who was given a Command after two weeks as an Executive Officer. Harrington joked often she was the one who took in the strays and treated them all the same. He called her a Hufflepuff often for that view but Ledeya had never had the chance as of yet to read the books where the term came from.

"I've often felt the same sort of leniency with my crew, that there are many fine officers who are, at first glance, a little roughly hewn and unpolished. Given the proper environment - encouragement, support, education - virtually everyone can flourish into a productive officer," Soraya replied. "It's left me with a crew of misfits at times, all of whom bring something to the table."

In that statement, Ledeya knew that she had made the correct choice in agreeing to have the woman in her task group. They seemed to have the same values and idea of how a crew would work. She would not have half her crew if she wanted a perfect crew."As long as everyone is bringing something to the table in my opinion that is how any community and crew should work," Ledeya commented.

Soraya smirked and looked at the crowd again. "Do you often find people aren't bringing things to the table?"

"Not my table. They are not allowed to sit there if they do that." Ledeya remarked seeing the smirk. It was a shame this woman was not around more, she was decidedly enjoying the conversation. "but I have heard of people not bring something to the collective sometimes."

"Regardless of station. I have both heard of and met my fair share of them across the fleet, from the admiralty to enlisted. I have a habit of recruiting unusual officer candidates, but I make certain to impress upon all of them that the ship, the fleet, and the Federation demand that they make some effort to realize their potential. I don't tolerate non-contributing personnel; this is an organization dedicated to exploration and defense, not holidaymaking," Soraya said. Then she cut her eyes to look at the commodore and added belatedly, "If you'll forgive me for saying so."

"No forgiveness needed Commander. I believe we are of the same mindset of what the Fleet and Federation require." It made Ledeya more firm in her resolve to have the woman in her task force. It made sense to have someone who took on recruiting more unusual officers and turning them into what a lot of other commanding officers expected. It was a waste of potential if people were not given that chance, it was a shame that some commanding officers took the lazy route.