<USS Avalon> Resuming Duties

 
 
Resuming  Duties
Commander Skyler 
and 
Elissabeth  Marksbury
 

Sitting in her ready room behind a pile of  PADDs, Skyler was trying to make 
sense of what had been happening while she had  been off doing other things. 
The trip to see Moreya had given her a new sense of  being... she wasn't quite 
sure, but she thought she was different. With  everything that had happened it 
was time to move on and resume her duties as XO  before Ketchum decided to 
replace her with a pet monkey. 

No... she was ready... needed to return to  work. Time to do her job and let 
the past be the past. To that end she continued  to struggle through the 
mounting pile of requests for one thing or another.  Maybe she didn't want to 
go 
back. No, it all came with the territory. It was  time.  


Another order for transfer of one of her  covert ops members crossed her desk 
that morning and Elissabeth was irate.   What the hell is going on? she 
wondered as she picked up a PADD and  marched to Skyler's office.  Someone 
should've told her something by now  and she wanted some answers.  Pressing the 
chime, 
she waited for response,  assuming the Commander was back on duty.  
 
Hearing the chime was a welcome reprieve from  all the PADDs. She set them 
aside and replied, "Enter."  


Elissabeth stepped inside Skyler's office, not  even bothering with protocol. 
 She sat the PADD on the desk in front of  Skyler with a loud thump! and 
asked, "Am I incompetent?"  
 
Taken aback by the surprise outburst as well as  the thump of another PADD 
added to the already growing pile, Skyler looked at  Elissabeth with confusion. 
"First of all, hello to you too. Secondly who said  anything about you being 
incompetent? And finally, why are you throwing things  at me? I thought we were 
past this. If you would like to have a seat perhaps we  can calmly discuss 
whatever is on your mind." Skyler was totally confused as to  what was going on 
now. She never saw one person go from one extreme to the  other in a short 
period of time.  


"First of all, I'm not angry at  you.  Secondly, no one blatantly said 
anything about my  incompetence, but they sure are acting like it.  Third, I 
didn't 
throw  anything at you.  And fourth, I'm too angry to sit."  She began pacing  
back and forth in front of Skyler's desk.  "Was there a trial I  missed?  Did 
someone decide I wasn't fit for command anymore?  I would  really, really 
like to know."  
 
"Elissabeth, what in the hell are you talking  about? To the best of my 
knowledge you are still in command and the only trial  was Ketchum's and that 
is 
over. I can tell you are angry, but wearing a  hole in my carpet with all your 
pacing isn't going to solve anything. So sit  down and explain to me what you 
are talking about."  


Whirling about on Skyler, Lissi pointed at the  PADD, "That is the fourth 
transfer in the last week of one of my covert ops  members.  Only one transfer 
request crossed my desk.  Either they are  requesting transfer by going over my 
head - which would be to you - or someone  higher up is moving them out from 
under me."  
 
Taking the PADD in hand Skyler read it  thoroughly and then picked through 
the PADDs on her desk. It did appear that  several members had received 
transfer 
orders, but this was the first she  had heard of it. Of course explaining 
that to Elissabeth was another story  entirely. 
 
"Frankly Elissabeth, I am as surprised by this  as you are. This is the first 
I have heard of anyone requesting a transfer off  Avalon or from your Covert 
Ops team. I have not received any transfer requests  nor have I granted any. 
It would appear that they are also going over my  head, which means that they 
have possibly requested the transfers and been  granted them by the Captain or 
someone else in Starfleet. Why anyone would want  to leave your team is news 
to me. I will talk to the Captain and find out what  is going on. This reflects 
on me as well as it does you." Just when she thought  it was safe to return 
to work something like this would have to happen.  
 
"Fine," she sighed, some of her anger  dissipating.  "I don't like being kept 
in the dark.  If someone has a  problem with me, I'd rather them just say it 
than transferring everyone out from  under my command."  Moving over, 
Elissabeth sat down in the chair opposite  Skyler's desk.  "I'm sorry I let my 
temper 
get the better of me."  
 
"You have nothing to apologize for and every  right to be angry. No one has 
confided in me as to what is or isn't going on  with Covert Ops. I am certain 
that your command abilities are not the issue. You  are an excellent leader and 
Commander. I can look into the matter further and  see if I can come up with 
any answers. You were chosen for your current position  because you were the 
most capable person for the job. Nothing has changed that.  Not in my eyes, and 
I am sure not in the Captain's eye."  


Just when things were starting to settle down,  someone has to go and mess up 
something that isn't broken. She was almost as  upset and Elissabeth. Taking 
a few deep calming breaths she looked at  Elissabeth, "This has nothing to do 
with you. Just remember that. Whatever the  outcome."  


Releasing a shaky breath, Elissabeth looked at  Skyler with nearly a glint of 
tear in her eye.  "I wish I knew that for  sure."  
 
Skyler got up and moved over to the chair next  to Elissabeth, placing her 
hand on her arm. "Elissabeth, you know that you  wouldn't be the leader of 
Covert Ops if we didn't think you were qualified. I'm  sure someone in command 
got 
a bug up their ass and is just doing this to see if  they can get a rise out 
of you. I will however look into the matter until I get  some answers. Trust me 
on this. This has nothing to do with  you."  


"Of course you're right.  It just looks  bad on me.  I am not incompetent."  
 
"Well, if it looks bad on you then it must look  worse on me, since I am 
responsible for you. Neither one of us is incompetent,  at least the last time 
I 
looked we weren't. Liss, you have to quit being so hard  on yourself. You have 
done nothing wrong."  


"Expect perfection and anything short of it is  failure," she said bitterly, 
remembering one of the many things Lyryn had been  trained with. 
 
Sighing, Skyler looked at Elissabeth. "No one  is perfect, and I don't care 
what anyone says. Everyone is fallible, that means  you, me, and everyone else 
around here. What do I have to do to convince you of  that?"  


"But if you don't strive for perfection, you  can't possibly hope to attain 
it," she said, standing.  "Which reminds me,  I have to get to the training 
room.  What few members of my team left on  active status are running through 
some exercises with me  today." 
 
"You can strive for perfection all you want,  but you will never reach it. 
Someone will always be there to find fault in  something you do." Not sure what 
else she could say to get through to a certain  stubborn person, Skyler just 
nodded her head. "I will look into this matter and  let you know what I find 
out. You are free to go train or whatever else it is  you have in mind. I will 
be heading to the bridge to relieve Mr. Manson. Care to  walk with me?" 


"It's an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending,  ever-improving path, Skyler.  I 
know this.  But I can always try," she  said as they left the office and headed 
for the bridge.  
 
Looking at Elissabeth, Skyler couldn't help but  think how much she sounded 
like Moreya just then. Upon reaching the bridge  Skyler found Cmdr. Manson 
sitting in the command chair. It was time for her to  resume her duties. "Mr. 
Manson I have come to relieve you. Thank you for  covering for me, but I 
believe 
you have a wedding to plan." Anthony stood and  nodded his head in agreement. 
"Phillipa maintain present course and speed."  Skyler sat in the command chair, 
letting it mold around her. She could feel  the faint hum of the engines 
beneath her feet. She was finally back where she  belonged, at least for now.

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