With expert concentration like a surgeon aiming a laser scalpel, Naomi poured the black brew from her French press into her first officer’s cup. The satisfying crackle of hot water immediately caused Tom to salivate with anticipation of tasting a fresh cup of dark roast. This wasn’t the replicated kind; it was a fresh bag of beans brought onboard at the Captain’s personal request.
He raised his hand to signify Naomi had poured a sufficient amount, “Thankyou,” he said with gratitude.
“Don’t get used to it, Commander,” Said Naomi with a smile, “Fresh coffee is surprisingly hard to obtain out here, you wouldn’t believe what the Ferengi trader on the station wanted to charge me.”
“Let me guess… four bars of gold pressed latinum?” Tom asked jokingly.
“Try six!” Naomi corrected.
“Yikes… I’ll be sure to savour every drop in that case,” said Tom, bringing his lips to the cup for his first taste. It had a powerful aroma, not something the replicators could easily fake. It was smooth and silky, with just the right amount of bitterness. “If this is real coffee these days, worth every penny!” he smiled. “In fact, I’d be happy to split the bill if you wanna make this a regular provision!”
Naomi smiled back and took a seat on her ready-room couch. “So, did you make a decision about our Chief Engineer?” she asked.
Tom nodded, “I did, I already submitted her transfer papers to the Taskforce brass. Shouldn’t take too long to process as she’ll be moving from one 93 ship to another.”
“I see, what ship is she transferring from?” asked Naomi, taking another sip of her coffee.
“The Fairfax, the transfer should be fairly straightforward. But they’re all the way out near DS-27. After they drop her off, it could take her several weeks to get here.”
“Fairfax? That’s a Niagara class if I’m not mistaken.” Said Naomi.
“Correct, out of everyone I interviewed, this officer showed the most promise. And she’s got experience with older and non-conventional designs.”
“What’s her name again?” Naomi asked.
“Lieutenant Commander T’lira zh’Shaleth, I sent her dossier to you last night. I hope you agree, she would probably make a fine fit for us!” Tom explained.
“I trust your judgement, Commander. I promised I was going to show you faith, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do!” said Naomi, reassuringly.
“Thanks, I appreciate that… I just don’t wanna let you down, Captain.”
Naomi smiled and put her hand on her XO’s shoulder for support. “You’ve had a rough beginning to command, but personnel is solidly the responsibility of the Executive Officer, not the Captain,” she rested her coffee on the table so she could avoid spilling any while she tended to talk with her hands. “I may have the final say on the matter, but I expect you to exert some responsibility in this department. You have my full support!”
Tom smiled; it was like all his anxieties over the past few months were melting away faster than he could find cause to justify them. “You have no idea what that means, Captain,” he said, “Thankyou.”
“As for collecting our new Chief… our orders are simple to start with,” Naomi began explaining, “We’ve been asked to deliver some relief supplies to the Arbazan system.. DS-27 would be a slight detour, but it would give us a chance to put the upgrades through their paces… we could just pick her up on the way.”
“Relief supplies? Something happened?” Tom asked.
“Nothing newsworthy, a particularly wet summer has caused a significant crop failure, now farmers don’t have enough seeds to sow for the next season.” Naomi paused and instinctively glanced at the chronometer on the replicator display, “That being said, if they don’t get these crops in the ground by spring… their yield will suffer!”
“How long do they have?”
“A week, maybe two… three at the most, but that’s pushing it, we’ve been given authority to exceed Warp eight if necessary. And with a detour to DS-27, the new chief will probably have to hit the ground running and push the engines to meet that deadline,” explained Naomi
Tom set down his coffee and stood to his feet, “In that case, I’ll get a comunique out to the Fairfax, tell them to let T’lira know it’s going to be a hot-transfer!”
“Agreed, I’m told the upgrades will be complete tomorrow morning. I want to launch at noon!” Naomi said with a nod as her XO made for the door.
