Jayme had just entered the infirmary when her combadge chirpped, and Gunny's gruff orders erupted. <Lt. Alcon, report to Colonel Tarik's office.>
She touched her combadge. "On my way." As she left she made sure her uniform was in good order and wondered about the summons.
Tarik and Major Jackson awaited Jayme as she arrived at Tarik's office. "Congratulations," Tarik said, as he extended his hand to Jayme. In his other hand was a small jewelry box.
Jayme stopped dead halfway between a salute and taking the Colonels offered hand in confusion she stared at the small box and the 'Captains ensignia' it held. She took a deep breath and looked to the Major and then back to Tarik and had to try three times to get the words out. "Sirs. There must be some mistake--those are Captain's bars."
"Absolutely none. Your work at Swarva was brilliant, and you're exactly the type of officer we need out here. Major Jackson and I put you in for it last month, and for once Command expedited our request. Again, congratulations. Join us for booze later on tonight," Tarik smiled.
Jayme stood there for almost a minute her mind racing. "Thank you, sirs." She paused still feeling like she'd been hit up side the head. "I'm shocked! And yes, drinks are in order."
"Just don't overdo it. With your new rank comes a new assignment. With the untimely demise of Lt. Shar comes a need for someone from Starfleet to coordinate our activities with the G'Kar irregulars. You're the best person we have for that right now. Your assignment is to bring the G'Kar up to speed with Starfleet equipment and protocols, and to gather intelligence on Mulluran and Nausicaan activities on the frontier. Consider this a staff development billet."
"Yes, sir." She relaxed and fell into parade rest. The the rest of the Colonels statement made it through the fog and Jayme asked, " You're sending me TDY to Thermopylae? To teach and gather intellegence?"
"Absolutely. You're an advisor," Jackson said, with a wink after 'advisor'. "Given your work on Swarva, you're a perfect candidate to set up a covert operation!"
"Covert Operations, meaning, I'm not going in--in uniform? Or I'm not going in with backup? Sir."
"It means that you'll have to exercise a great deal of independent judgement. A lot of the irregulars are lucky to have clothing at all, let alone uniforms," Tarik explained. "I can tell you now that I'm in the process of setting up a turnkey operation so we can fund this operation better than it's being funded now. But for the meantime you'll have to rely upon your wits and your resourcefulness."
"Yes, Sir." She said, and then had many questions to ask...like what about her studies, who'd manage her unit while she was away, and the biggy--when do I leave? "Sir. When do I leave?"
"We're going to be lenient this time. 48 hours," Tarik said. "This takes precedence over your medical duties; the situation on the frontier is critical. You are encouraged to pursue your studies and pass along your knowledge to the G'Kar volunteers, but your main task right now is to organize and oversee the training of the volunteer brigade." Tarik handed her a PADD. "Direct orders from Commandant Sandoval. No one will give you any trouble over the studies," he said with a wink.
She took the PADD. "Thank you, sir." With a smile, she came back to attention. "I will have a unit plan and appropriate schedules for my platoon to you by noon for your approval. " She swallowed hard and then asked, "When should I anticipate being relieved from this assignment?" She cowered internally waiting for both senior officers to yell and scream.
"Why would you want to be relieved?" Tarik asked. "This is the type of assignment that could really help your career. If General Sandoval was interested enough to want you assigned to Thermopylae, that means you've been fast-tracked. Take it from someone who was, until recently, on the slow track, this is something you want!"
"Yes. Sir!" She continued to stand at Attention with direct eye contact with Colonel Tarik.
"At ease, Captain. Before you leave the station, leave an undated letter for your 'Next of Kin' with someone if you haven't taken care of that since arriving on station. Dismissed--and we'll see you at the Easy Inn at 1800!"
"Yes, sir." She saluted, turned, and left the room. In the hallway, out of sight from the office she paused, rubbed her face with both hands to remove the cold sweat as she worked to fight the nausea she'd had since she'd walked into the room and saw both officers.
She returned to her desk in the infirmary. Her mind was still racing as she sat down and fingered the new insignia--Captain. Fianlly with trembling fingers she removed her Lieutenant's bars and added the Captain's bars.
She then called up her unit table of organization. She touched her combadge, and asked, "Sergeant Berke, report to the infirmary, ASAP." She pulled up the schedule for the next thirty days and took herself off as supervisior and placed Berke in the holes. She wrote a quick letter to the unit informing them of her promotion and her assignment off station--as much as she could with the classified status of the assignment, and that E6 Berke- Intermediate Corpsmen (who was Klingon) would be running the unit in her absence.
Berke entered the infirmary, looked around and saw Alcon and came to attention. "Ma'am." He immediately spotted the new insignia and Saluted and said, "Congratulations, Captain."
Jayme stood and returned the salute. "Thank you. But you might think differently in a few minutes." She took her seat and pointed to another chair. "Have a seat. I am being sent on assignment and you are the next senior Corpsman and E6 in the Platoon." She saw his eyebrows go shooting into his head and gave him a moment to take it all in. "While I am gone, you are supervisor and educator for the Platoon." For the next hour, they went over everything he would be expected to do and know ...or where to find the answers.
Jayme finished her paperwork and sent all of it to the Major and Colonel Tarik. She finished her shift treating various injuries, one migraine, and doing five physicals. She'd checked her message buffer between patients and had received a go-ahead with her plans for the unit.
It was almost 1800, when she reported off to Esteva and headed for the Easy Inn. She entered to find the lights dimmed and the place noisier then usual. She paused, when someone grabbed her arm. Jayme had been intensely scanning the backs of heads trying to find her group when the lights blasted on at full intensity, and she was spun around and came to a stop face-to-face with the Colonel who was holding two shot glasses of whiskey. He handed her one of the glasses, then raised his into the air.
"To Captain Alcon of the 28th MEF!" They both then tossed off the liquid and he watched as she was congratulated by members of Tarik's staff, Kassia, and the pilots of the 58th.