JDL | Adm Malone & RAdm Harper | "More work to keep preoccupied with"

Posted on 241504.04 @ 8:59pm by Rear Admiral Kassandra Harper & Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone

Mission: The Fight For Peace [GQ Plot]

It wasn't long after Patrick had left that Signor peeked his head in. "Admiral, don't forget you have a call to Admiral Malone to make." It had been the one meeting he hadn't dared tried to postpone, after all he wasn't sure how well the excuse would have gone over.

"Thank you, go inform Lieutenant Alyssa that she's free to go home for the evening... You are too." She knew she wouldn't be around late tonight, at least not if she could help it.

"Thank you Ma'am, I will." With that, he turned to head out leaving Kassi to do what she needed to.

Looking at the computer time she frowned realizing she was slightly late. A slight tug upon her uniform a moment before she started the work to open a line to Malone.

= USS Ticonderoga =

"Thank you, Mister Secretary, I'll be sure to remember that." Kerry smiled as he closed the channel, and his false sincerity dropped off his face as he showed his exasperation. "Ugh... I thought I was done dealing with these damn government types."

"The Secretary of Commerce was most interested in your efforts to secure the trade routes and open dialogue with mercantile races for the Federation." Commander So'vak said, dryly.

"Yes, I know. I just had a three hour meeting with the man. I don't need a highlight reel from the peanut gallery." Malone scowled.

"As you wish, Admiral." So'vak replied, picking up his PADDs. "Thank you for your time."

"My pleasure." He said, waving the irritating Vulcan out of his office. The man was an absolute pest, but he was the leading expert on trade and commerce, who had been assigned to his command for the express purpose of making sure that trade in the Gamma quadrant flourished.

It seemed to Kerry that most of his job entailed being little more than a military governor of the quadrant - since he was responsible for all Federation and Starfleet efforts in the entire quadrant. He had a meeting with Terraforming Command on Thursday, and another meeting with Colonial Administration, then one with Housing and Social Care. This was on top of his regular briefings on Starfleet operations in the Quadrant, and his intelligence briefings, as well as his daily report from Starfleet Operations about affairs throughout the Federation and beyond. Frankly, there didn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Being CinC of Starfleet seemed easy in comparison.

"Admiral, I have Admiral Harper from Xonnel on the line for you." His aide said through the intercom.

"Patch her through." Kerry said, trying to remove the look of exhaustion from his face. "Kassi... please tell me you're not calling to tell me Xonnel just burned down?"

=*= Xonnel =*=

"No, all is good here. Well, as good as can be." Kassi replied as she studied Kerry a little. "I was calling to check in and see how everything was going on up there and if there was anything extra you needed me to do."

"Unless you want to sit in on the Science Councils briefing on stellar phenomena in the Beta Urclae Sector, probably not much more than you're doing." Kerry smirked.

"Naw, that's ok Admiral." Kassi said with a warm smile. "I'm sure you can handle that. Just let me know if anything else comes up that you might need me for." Though she wasn't overly upset about not being a big part of things this time, she couldn't help but to feel as though she should be doing more.

"Want to handle the trade talks between the Clahlons and the Marzuks?" Kerry offered. "Its absolutely fascinating. They have an eight hour ritual for saying hello. Its like someone running their fingernails down a chalk-board for my entire day."

The wheels turned in her head as Kassi actually pondered that idea. "It would give me something more to focus on now that... " Shrugging a little as she looked at Malone. "It's up to you Admiral."

"I just don't have enough hours in the day, and they are in your sector block." Kerry replied. "It'd help me considerably if you could sit in and mediate the trade talks."

"Alright then, I'll take over that job for you Admiral. Anything else?" She asked as she shifted slightly, an absentminded tug to her uniform. Pushing aside for the moment that she really needed to tell Malone the new situation.

"Not really." Malone said, shuffling through his PADDs. "I hear things aren't going terribly well on Krigora. Not really our balliwack though. Anything new with you?"

"Just trying to get everything done up and looking good. Both here and at the Marine base. Between that, and working on plans for the new Zetari and trying not to stress myself out...." She let the last part trail off for the moment as she chewed on her lower lip a moment.

"Well, if you need any support. Let me know." Kerry said, wondering why she was being so nervous all of a sudden.

"I think we will be alright, though I might be needing a.... short vacation... in a few months." Harper said with a slightly shy look.

"Colonel Harper score a home run, did he?" Kerry asked, somewhat bluntly. What did she expect, he wasn't a girl.

Well that brought an instant flushness to her cheeks. "Umm, yes." Damn, these men had a way of being overly blunt at times.

"Well, remind me to buy the man a beer." Malone smirked. "I'll talk to Starfleet about sending out a temporary officer to cover your billet during your maternity leave. I assume it'll be in seven months time, due to your Bajoran heritage?"

"That's what the Doctors are thinking, considering the growth of the little one. And you can buy him a beer when General Sharpe gets him back to Xonnel." There was a slight twitch to her jaw, though her tone was still light and somewhat easy. She knew well the situation.

"Still not used to the shoe being on the other foot, are you?" Kerry sighed. "Being the one who stays home whilst the one you love goes to war. Welcome to the reality of military marriage."

"No, I can't say I am. I know how life is supposed to be, and I knew it would be hard. But now... well... " She shrugged a little. "I'll deal."

"I think its harder for you than you appreciate, because you actually know what he's going over there to do, and you'll also get the intelligence reports that'll be submitted about what's going on over there. Not to mention the casualty lists you'll have to post daily for the families on Xonnel..." Kerry stopped, realising he wasn't making this any easier on her. The truth was a cruel mistress, but there wasn't a need to make her suffer. "You both have a duty, and you would resent the other if one forced the other to give up that duty. You know that."

Kassi sighed as she listened to Malone. She knew everything he said was true, and that she was going to struggle with this more than she wanted to admit. That was the thing though, she didn't want to admit to anything more. "You're right, we will both be alright though. I'll just have to be strong... I can do that." She said with a soft smile. "Anything else you need Admiral?"

"Nope, have a good evening, Admiral." Kerry smiled. "Malone out."

Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone
Gamma Quadrant Commander/5th Fleet Commander

Rear Admiral Kassandra Harper
Zetari Sector Bloc Commander