Quick Fire Promotion

Posted on Mon Mar 1st, 2021 @ 7:58am by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Lieutenant Samantha Leyton

Mission: Mission 4 - Eden
Location: Deck D - Officer Quarters
Timeline: Day 160 21:00
917 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Looking out the viewport of her quarters from her bunk, Samantha dwelled on the stars streaking by. At the moment, despite being on a ship with about seventy-eight other people aboard, she felt alone in that instant. So much had happened since she was first assigned to the Atlantis--that day seemed a lifetime ago. She was happy to at least have a qualified assistant in the helm department after Ensign McArthur had awoken from Sickbay from their lifetime trip into nowhere. Samantha let out a long sigh as she pondered the departure of Commander Sloan. This ship, herself especially could use some good news and a positive turn of events.

With all the changes Beth had been feeling similar to Samantha. She had so much to do and she needed the Executive Officer position filled. She pressed the chime on the door and waited for Sam to let her in. She needed to stop visiting crew in their quarters but thoughts only occurred to her after the first shift and she wanted to get these things sorted as they occurred to her.

The chirp of the door broke Samantha from her train of thoughts. "Enter," she called as she stood up from her bunk, wondering who would be visiting her.

Beth stepped in and smiled awkwardly. “Apologies for the lateness Lieutenant. Can we talk a moment?” Beth wondered seeing the PJs and the rising from her bed.

"Um, sure. Do you want to sit ma'am?" she asked gesturing to the chair by her desk.

Beth nodded. She would quite like to sit down if she was honest. She had hit her heads only hours agonist the laundry room. Beth finally sat down and looked around taking in the compartment around herself. “We have not caught up in a while.” Beth started.

"No ma'am. Things have been rather busy lately, not leaving us a lot of time," she admitted.

It made Beth a little sad that she had not had the chance so far to catch up properly with Samantha or sort out anything to give her some clear standards for her role especially with what she was about to ask her would change it all. “Michael is never going to be back in Command. I have done a lot of soul searching over it and he might earn his rank back but I do not think he could ever be our Executive Officer again.”

Samantha raised an eyebrow at the news--she had always expected Sloan to return as XO. "Then who are you appointing as the new XO?" she asked, somewhat hoping it wouldn't be the answer the thought it was going to be.

Beth blinked for a moment. “Well chain of command dictates it is you.” Beth said simply. She knew there were other options and maybe she was making a mistake sticking to the chain of command that was already established but she was loyal to the officers and enlisted under her. She did not want to pull the rug out from underneath them.

"I was afraid that what you would say," Samantha sighed. "I appreciate the offer, ma'am, it's just that I never thought I'd be an XO of a ship this early on in my career."

“I don't think any of us expected to be out here at any point of our careers.” Beth countered with a smile as she looked at the woman. “Unless you have any ideas of who to ask there are not many options.”

"The choices are rather limited, aren't they?" she chuckled. "I accept, ma'am. Thank you for your confidence in me." Sam could only hope she did a good job in her newly assigned role.

Beth would have loved to hear of people she had not considered for the role if the woman was uncomfortable taking the next step so quickly after becoming 2nd Officer but it seemed her worry was for nothing. She wanted to accept and to help lead the vessel that would be there home for a long time. "We are very limited at the moment sadly." She did not want to think about the senior officers they had lost in the initial getting lost in space and then the Vrav attacks after. All that experience and expertise had been lost and it kept the woman up some nights when she thought about how inexperience they were now.

Samantha watched Beth for a moment before replying. She certainly didn't want the captain's job. "All we can do is take it a day at a time, ma'am. I have to believe our luck will turn around and that someday we will make it home. We just need to trust in one another and stick together."

Beth needed that beside her as an opposite to her feeling of hopelessness that haunted her sometimes. It was not well known that she was feeling like that so Samantha’s hope that they would get home eventually would be helpful to boost her mood. She had not considered that as someone that was needed in the role of executive officer but it was an added bonus. “Certainly day to day living is all we have at the moment.” Beth looked around and stood up. “I should leave you for the evening Samantha. Thank you for listening and agreeing.” She realised how late it was getting.

"You're welcome, ma'am," she replied, sincerely. "I'll do my best to not let you or the crew down in my new role."