Son, I received  your communication sorry it took me a couple days to reply. Took a look at the official mission report on the Rhyndacus, not sure there is or was much more you could have done to change the outcome. But in the end you accomplished your mission and helped bring a planet and its peoples into a new era. I’m sure you have heard but the people of Alth’Ndor IV voted to join the Romulan Republic.

As towards your other question. Right now, I can not think of any of my recent graduates that could assume the role of Chief of strategic operations. I could recommend several to fill various roles in your security and/or tactical departments but not for that role. 

As a side note, you may want to be thinking of “what’s next?”  Being assigned to Task Force 47 and being out in the Thomar Expanse I can almost guarantee you won’t be captain of the Rhyndacus for much longer. Those Ravens are great little ships but they are not meant for the type of  missions you will get out there. Now that I said that, get any ideas of a big flashy ship out of your mind, you’re too new, young and inexperienced for one of those. Your mother and I talked about this very thing with some of our fourth year cadets in the commons the other day, as the question had come up about first commands and what to expect. We would suggest, if you get a choice, either the Norway, Steamrunner or the new Reliant class of ships for that area and the missions you would be focusing on. 

Now back to the question. I may not be able to recommend any of my current graduates, but I can recommend someone. Have you talked to your godfather lately? From our last conversation a few weeks ago he was on his way to DS9. Which is kind of close, in a way, to you and your task force. Think about it, we both know he checks all of the boxes that any Captain worth his salt would want in a Chief of strategic operations. If you do, ask nicely, chuckles ,remember you would need him more than he needs you. 

Oh a bit of family news, your sister is pregnant with our first grand babies. So you may want to send her a message. Your mother sends her love.

Kr’Antren read through the message for the second time. “Dad, Uncle Skagath? really?” Looked around his ready room. “Well, he does make a good point. I can’t think of anyone more qualified.chuckles though I wonder how many of the older noncomm’s and enlisted would have horror stories and possibly nightmares about ol’ uncle Skagath.” Sat back in his chair and before he knew it he had written and sent out a message to one LTJg Skagath at DS9. “Star fleet help the crew if he says yes.” 

Looked over at the pile of PADDS off to one side of his desk and shook his head. “ Half of those are personnel requisitions, taking what I had hoped would be the foundation of a future crew; the other half are recommendations for new crew from other captains or department chiefs trying to push off their bad eggs or volunteers looking to move to the new, unexplored region that TF47 will be looking to expand. “

Taps his com badge “Number one to the ready room please.”

“On the way captain”

“She may not know it yet, but the first one on that pile is for her. Guess she will have a decision to make.”

Lt Talibah entered the ready room, looked over the stack of pads and went to the replicator “Turkish coffee, light cream and sugar and a plate of honeyed dates. I think we will both need some of this before the day is through.” As she lifted the cup and plate and took her customary seat at the table. “So what  do we have sir?” 

He turned his chair and reached for the top PADD, knowing that this one PADD could decide many things for the immediate future. Slid the PADD over to her. “That one is yours.” 

She picked it up, picked up her cup off coffee and took a sip as she started to read it. “I presume you know what this says captain?”

“I do”  Sat back in his chair “I don’t have much of a recruitment speech, I believe we have the beginnings of a good command team between us. I have no idea what the future holds, what our next mission is, if we will even be a crew still or what ship we will be on. What I can say is that I’m proud to have served with you and I couldn’t ask for a better first officer.”

She looked down at the PADD, closed her eyes for a moment, and took another sip of coffee. Signed something on the PADD and slid it back to him. 

He looked at it, raised an eyebrow. “You sure about this, you would be passing up one hell of an offer. Doubt you would see another one like this for quite some time.”

“Yes captain, I’m quite sure.” 

“We’ll, then that’s settled number one.Your stuck with me.” Put the PADD off to one side. “Next order of business then. Computer put spreadsheet crew listing Task Force 47 Alpha on the big screen. As you can see” Turned back around to the desk behind him and grabbed the first half of the PADDS. “We are losing most of the bridge staff and three quarters of the rest of the crew. I have a PADD for the doc that is much along the lines of the one you just had.” 

“Captain, if I may suggest something. I would call the doc in here before we do anything else. She has been through a lot and I’m sure she would appreciate that your first concern was about her and her future and well being. Let her read the PADD and if she needs it, give her the time to think it over.”

He closed his eyes, reached for the PADD and called for the doc to come to the ready room. “ See number one, we do have the makings of a command team. I probably would have waited for her till I thought she was ready to make that kind of a decision. But the way you put it made e quickly realize that would have been a major mistake.” She gave a good chuckle as she ate one of the dates.

A few minutes later Dr. M’Gok entered the ready room, noticing the view screen, she shook her head. “Let me see it, Captain. I know you wouldn’t have called me in here for a crew rotation meeting of it didn’t concern me in some form or fashion.” Number one lets out a chuckle and gives a head tilt towards the doc.

“Doc, take all the time you need on this one.” Kr’Antren slid the PADD over to her. 

Dr. M’Gok looks at the PADD, touched  the blinking light on the screen and read  it for about 10 seconds. Quickly looks at number one than at the captain “Captain, did you read this. Don’t answer that, I know you have.” Signed it and handed it back “Sir, after the events on Alth’Ndor IV I know where I’m needed. Right now that’s with this ship and the future that awaits us out there.She looked over at number one, “are those honeyed dates?” 

He looked at the PADD, shook his head and placed it on top of LTjg Talibah’s. He turned back to the desk and grabs three PADDS and slides them over to Dr. M’Gok. “The top one I would suggest going through soon, it’s a list of nurse candidates. The other two can wait a bit till we find out what the future holds. The second one is a short list of medical officers which number one and I  would have used to find your replacement had you taken the offer. Hold onto it though in case you need to find yourself a couple medical officers and the third one is medical crewman, something applies on that one. I don’t know what is going to become of us yet. New ship? Split up the crew? well what’s left of them. But let’s be prepared for any possibility shall we.”

She took the PADDS, set them to the side and nodded her head. “Well I’m here, care for a third wheel in your crew discussions.”

“Not at all Doc, we were just getting ready to start looking at the candidates.  Having another set of eyes is always good with matters such as this.”

“Ok, as we can see Ensign Yiv has accepted a position as a team leader with a fighter squadron on an Akira. Definitely a good career move for him, he is a good helmsman but I can tell piloting a starship is just not what he wants to do right now. Here is a list of the possible replacements for him. I do have one I’m leaning towards but let me know what you think after reading through them. Send me a list of your top six and I’ll compare notes and grades.”

They both nodded at this.

“Next is Chief Ruz, I just found out that he was offered and he accepted a Chief of the Ship position  on a Parliament class ship. So that is a step up for him and one that honestly I can not deny him. Again same idea with the list.”

“However, Petty Officer Stimeck will be staying with us.”

“Ensign Tazzeth will also be staying, however I do have a short list of science officers that I would like to consider to be his deputy. Take a look through them and let me know what you think.”

Number one takes a long sip from her coffee and looks at the screen a bit closer. “Captain, are we expanding the crew? Or do you know something that we don’t yet know? “

He Looked over at his number one and shook his head  “Number one, you know what I know, however my father did make an interesting point in his last communication and it’s something that I think needs to be looked at. I would rather be ready with ideas for who we would want versus just getting everyone else’s cast offs or undesirables” points at another stack of PADDS on his desk.

“Good point, I would have to agree with you on this.”

“Changes the view screen to show a records profile of a LTJG wearing the gold of operations. I’ve made one decision already. I will be offering the Chief of Operations to LTJG Shrybaass Th’zerras. He came to me highly recommended by my former boss at Star Base Bravo. My idea at this time would be to move Chief Kaha over to communications which is more in line with her skills. 

“I’m also considering a recommendation from my parents on a possible Chief of strategic operations. I’ll be making the offer to him sometime today.” running a hand through the hair on his head “ If he accepts, don’t let his rank fool you. The man knows what he is talking about and he has the experience to back up what he says.”

“As I suggested to the doc, some of these can wait till we know what the future holds. Don’t want to be making offers on slots that we don’t have. But it would be a good idea to have a list ready to go just in case.” Picks up his cup and takes a long sip from it. 

“If you don’t have questions, please take your time over the next couple of days and look over the profiles. Compile a list of your top six or so and send it back to me. I’ll then look over the recommendations and we will go from there.”

Dr. M’Gok picks up her PADDS and makes her way out of the ready room.

“Number one, this next question is purely hypothetical. Again, it comes from my parents’ last communication and the point my dad made. If we were able to choose our next ship. Would you go with the Norway or the Steamrunner or the new Reliant class of ships? Just between us. If you could let me know what you think of those choices.”

“Hmmm From what I’ve read about TF47 and our new Area of Responsibility. I can understand why your dad would suggest those classes, Captain. Good all around ships. Let me do some research and get back to you on that.”

He nodded his head “Sure, I’m going to do some research on them also.”

He watches her leave the ready room, walks over and sits behind his desk. “Now, how do you ask someone old enough to be your father and is your godfather to consider serving as your chief of strategic operations and security.”  Starts typing a communication on his console, making sure to include the filled out request for transfer paperwork with the letter.