What?!

Posted on Tue Oct 10, 2017 @ 1:54pm by Captain Madelina Weisz & Commodore Michael Aravan

Mission: Strange Matter
Location: Deep Space 10
Timeline: MD 30 || 1300 Hours

"Commander Weisz, report to Operations" a voice that Maddy didn't recognize came over the com system of Starbase 10 within minutes of her coming aboard. Since every person who came and went to the old Cardassian station was logged, there were no surprise visitors.

Maddy arched a brow at the summons. She'd quite literally just boarded Deep Space 10, and now someone was already calling for her attention? The saying was true... there really was no rest for the weary... or wicked... depending on who was asked. It just struck her as odd that someone she didn't know was requesting her presence, and even if she really didn't want to go, it might be something important. With a sigh, the redhead woman straightened her uniform and made the journey to Operations without hesitation.

Michael stood in the Operations center talking to a man in a Command red uniform who had greying hair with an athletic build and a straight back. He turned when he heard the turbolift come to a stop and smiled when he saw it was his Executive Officer.

"Commander Weisz," he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. "Allow me to introduce Admiral Breckenridge." He stepped aside so she could fully see the older human male who had two boxed in pips on his collars. "Admiral, Commander Madelina Weisz, my Executive Officer aboard the Triumphant."

Maddy smiled when she saw Michael and the Admiral and nodded a greeting to both of them, though, she was still wondering how they knew she was aboard the station. "It's nice to meet you, Admiral Breckenridge. Commodore Aravan, a pleasure as always. Now, what can I do for you gentlemen?"

"The Admiral wanted to meet you personally, Commander," Michael said.

The Admiral gave her a warm smile and stepped forward to offer her his hand. "Always a pleasure to meet such a fine, not to mention beautiful, officer of the fleet," he said.

The redheaded woman shook the Admiral's hand and couldn't help but smile at his flattery. "If my wonderful Commanding Officer were paying me such compliments, I would think he wanted something. Though, I'm a bit suspicious, I thank you nonetheless."

Breckenridge bowed at the waist and brushed his lips across the back of her knuckles before he released her hand and stood up again. "I've heard nothing but good things about you, Commander," he said before he looked at Michael. "The reports just didn't say you were stunning. Come, join me in my office," he said as he started to move to the stairs leading up the office overlooking the Operations center. "Damned Cardassian design. No aesthetics."

As he moved away, Maddy looked toward Michael with an arched brow as if to ask what was going on before she followed behind Breckenridge. "You have?" she found herself asking. "I wasn't aware that people were speaking of me, Sir. And please, call me Maddy."

Michael gave a slight shrug; he hadn't been invited or told while the Admiral wanted to meet her.

Breckenridge opened the office and headed to a mini bar. "Monthly reports, Maddy. Monthly reports. I have them up to my eyeballs every month, but you are one of the few that stood out. Can I get you a drink?"

"Um, no, but thank you. I try not to drink when I'm in uniform," she replied.

The Admiral poured two drinks of amber liquid and set them on his desk. "Give me your pips," he told her.

Maddy blinked. "Come again?"

"That's a line I've heard before," Breckenridge said with a gleam in his eyes and a waggle of his eyebrows. "Your pips. Give them to me."

More confused than ever, the redhead reached onto her collar and removed her pips from it, then held them out to him. She felt trapped, and a trapped Maddy wasn't a good thing. "You say you've heard nothing but good things, then demand my pips," she began, trying not to let the fire rage too far out of control. Sadly, that was a battle she wasn't going to win. "I fail to see how the two coincide with one another. So, maybe you can enlighten me?"

The Admiral took the pips and stuffed them in a pocket, then handed her a drink. "Now you're not in uniform. Have a drink. Last time I got questioned on an order, I took clothes and everything, but you strike me as a scrapper and I don't need my ass handed to me."

Maddy accepted the drink and couldn't help but laugh, feeling a bit more at ease now. "I can't argue with facts. Either of them. And, I'd appreciated keeping my clothes on."

"Unless you really want to take them off," Breckenridge said. "However," he gestured towards the open windows around his office. "You'd be giving everyone a free show."

The Commander turned to look at the windows, then back to Breckenridge. "You sure do like to lay it on thick, don't you?" she asked, taking a sip of the drink in her hand. It burned going down, letting her know she was most definitely drinking the real deal. "And you better not say that's what she said. Besides... there's only one man I get named for, and he's not currently here."

"Relax, Red," the Admiral said as he took a sip of his own glass. "My third wife broke me of saying that, but I have a million others. That's not why I called you here, though." He went behind his desk and activated his terminal. "Says here you've been with Aravan since the beginning."

"Yes, Sir. We've been through a lot together," she confirmed. "I wouldn't have it any other way, either. Commodore Aravan and I fit well together."

"So that's how it is on Triumphant, huh?" he asked but his tone was joking. He raised his glass and took another sip of the burning liquid with a satisfied sigh.

"Were you not breastfed enough as a child, Sir?" Maddy found herself asking.

"Nope," Breckenridge said. "So I have to get 'em where I can. Drink up, Captain," he told her and raised his glass towards hers.

Maddy finished off the remnants of the drink in her glass, and just as she swallowed, it registered what he said. Unable to help herself, she choked on the amber liquid as it started to go down, but somehow she managed to get it down. Her throat was on fire when she started coughing, but somehow she managed to get out a hoarse, "What?"

The Admiral turned the screen around and the name at the top of the personnel file was hers and under it was the rank Captain. "Maybe your eyes are better than mine or you don't hold your liquor as well. The Ferengi may have created synthohol, but I never touch the stuff personally."

"I can hold my liquor just fine. You caught me off guard," she said, looking toward the screen. "I'm being promoted?"

Breckenridge dug into the pocket he had put her pips and pulled his hand out after a minute. "Damn," he said. "I've resorted to giving myself cheap thrills." He held his hand out to her and instead of the three pips she had handed him, there were now four pips in her hand. "Is this the right number for a Captain?"

The former Commander, now Captain... that was going to take some getting used to... looked to the pips in her hand before looking to the Admiral. "Yes, Sir, it is," she began. "Being a Captain comes with a lot of responsibility, and I've never been one to shirk that, but I don't wish to command my own ship right now. I'm happy with my current assignment, and I don't wish to leave it."

"What is it with you First Officers?" he asked. "You're another Riker, aren't you? I'm going to spend years offering you ship after ship and you're going to keep turning me down until you can't any longer. Well, all I can say is that Aravan is lucky to have a loyal officer like you serving with him."

"Maybe someday, but that day is not today," she said as she offered the fourth pip back. "As much as I would love to accept this, I can't. Commanding a ship just isn't for me right now."

"You serve under a Commodore now, Captain," Breckenridge said with a shake of his head. "And you deserve it. Your record speaks for itself and there isn't a single black mark on it."

Maddy couldn't believe this was actually happening. She never thought she'd ever see the rank of Captain, and now here she was. As emotions surged through her, she planned to wait until she was out of the Admiral's presence to break down. "Thank you, Admiral Breckenridge. Truly," she said, affixing her pips to her collar. "There won't be any black marks, either. I love what I do, and have no plans to slack as the future progresses. This means the world to me, and I am grateful to Starfleet for all the opportunities they have presented me with."

"I'm going to be keeping my eyes on you, Weisz," he said as he refilled their glasses. "Officers like you don't come around every day. Besides, we need you to keep an eye on Aravan."

"He's an excellent Commanding Officer, and I don't think I'll ever serve under anyone else," she said, taking another sip of her drink.

"Captain's don't usually serve under others, Maddy," Breckenridge said. "People serve under them. One day, you'll want a ship of your own and keep your record going the way it is and you'll be able to pick any one you want."

"I'm sure one day I will, and when that day comes, I'll take it. Until then, I'm very happy where I am," Maddy spoke. "Thank you again, Sir. I assure you that I will keep my record moving in the same direction. It hasn't let me down before now, and as the saying goes, if it isn't broke, don't fix it."

"Call me John," the Admiral said. "But only in private or I'll bust you down to an Ensign and put you on a garbage scowl in the Gamma Quadrant."

"Only in private," she agreed with a smile.

He tossed his drink back and set it down. "And if you ever get tired of your special someone, you can discover the other perks of Admirals," he said with a lecherous wink.

Maddy cleared her throat. Was he really hitting on her? "I don't think that's likely to happen, but I'll keep you in mind. Besides... I'm sure there are plenty of women lining up to take a crack at you. You won't even remember my name when I'm gone."

The Admiral laughed. "My sixth wife would kill me if I did anything," he said. "Or is that my seventh? You lose count after a while. Anyhow, go show off your pip and enjoy the rest of your stay here."

"Thank you, Sir. I will," Maddy said, offering him one last smile before she finished her drink. With that, she excused herself from his office and made her way back down the stairs. She was a Starfleet Captain.

Michael looked up when the doors to the command office opened and excused himself from the conversation he was having with an Andorian officer. He started to approach her, then stopped and squinted. "Maddy?"

"Yes?" she asked, trying to keep her new pip hidden.

Michael rubbed his eyes. "What did the Admiral want with you? He called me in here to ask a few questions about you, but he didn't tell me what he wanted."

"He wanted my pips," the redhead replied simply. "And I handed them over."

"He what? He took your commission?! Wait here," Michael said as he felt the heat inside of him begin to build and he turned towards the office with fury in his eyes.

"Only briefly... so I could have a drink with him. Then he promoted me. I'm a Captain now," she said with a huge smile and turning in just a way where he could see shiny number four against her collar. "And I don't have to leave the ship, either. You're stuck with me."

He skidded to a halt and did a double take back at her. "You're a what?" he asked to make sure that he was hearing right, then he saw the four pips. "You made Captain and you're staying with the Triumphant?"

"I am, and I'm staying," she assured him. "I made my stance very clear on that, and Admiral Breckenridge was okay with it."

"Congratulations, Captain Weisz!" Michael said exuberantly before he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug before he realized others were around and quickly broke it. "I'll, uh, have a celebration for you back on the ship."

Maddy couldn't help but giggle at his obvious excitement and found herself feeling the same way. "We are friends, you know. Hugging is okay," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "And thank you. I honestly never thought I'd see four pips in my collar."

"Now you can show off to Master Chief Barnes," he said with a smile. "I'm happy for you, Maddy. You deserved this. Honestly, I was about to start pushing you if you hadn't been offered soon. You're a damned fine officer and I'm lucky to have you."

"Like I told Admiral Breckenridge. We make a hell of a team, and I'm not ready to give that up. If a promotion meant giving up the ship I love... the crew I love... I wouldn't have accepted," she said.

"That we do," Michael agreed. "I would be lost without you as my right hand. Well, barring Spencer, but she's happy being retired and Rho is still green to Command."

Maddy shook her head. "You wouldn't be lost, Michael. You'd be just fine, and you know it."

"That's where you're wrong, Maddy," he said. "I need your fire to keep me even tempered. You know how to throw a mean curve ball that keeps me in check when I let things go to my head." And you have a fine butt, he thought.

"Well... there are times where I don't agree with your tactics, and you've known me long enough to know I don't hold my tongue," she said.

"That's the mark of a great officer, Maddy," Michael said. "As long as it's in private and we don't actually hit each other with coffee cups and thrown pips."

The fiery redhead grinned. "That's one of the many things you like about me. Don't deny it. Come on... let's get out of here and go have a drink."

With a nod of agreement, the Commodore headed back towards the turbolift, his mind already planning a party for her in The Black Hole and how he'd break the news to the crew. "It's been a hell of a day, Captain," he said. "A hell of a day."