758: Praise Well Earned

by Paxton Briggs and Zanh Liis
90120.07
Following Postcards From Far Away

-=Bridge, USS Serendipity=-

Zanh Liis rose very slowly from her chair and moved across her ready room, toward the replicator.

"Coffee. Double strong, double cream." She picked up the cup, which though relatively light, felt like a lead weight in her hand.

She tried to stretch a little of the tension out of the muscles of her neck but found that the sling precluded her from doing so with any efficiency.

She could feel, it seemed, not only her own pain in this moment but that of her recovering crew in addition to the very groaning agony of the Serendipity herself as the ship struggled through space that was usually so easily traversed. The captain, like her ship, was now limping home after the fight; requiring solitude in which to hide and lick her wounds.

Liis had greeted Lassiter in the transporter room half an hour ago. It was no surprise to her, though it was much to Keiran's annoyance that the moment he had set a plate of hot food down in front of Liis, her combadge had gone off. She hurried to take a quick bite or two to stave off the hunger she hadn't even realized was gnawing at her until she breathed in the aroma of the plate of beef stew he'd prepared for them. She was only sorry that she couldn't have a few bites more before she had to face the music.

She found that Lassiter had, at the outset, very little to say to her. A rushed "Greetings Captain," and "I'll set up shop in Conference Room One," and Lassiter and her assistants were on their way. One of those assistants, Liis immediately noted, had a remarkably familiar face.

Landry Steele had not had any communications with the Sera crew since she'd gone in for resequencing after her exposure to the crew of the USS Perseids and the Paradox.

She was reported to be, by all accounts, a 'blank slate'; memories and knowledge of the Sera's crew and her Captain wiped clean by Temporal Investigations in what was called 'one of the most successful resequencing procedures ever accomplished'.

But the way she eyed Zanh warily for just a split second the moment she materialized aboard ship told Liis that there may perhaps be a few fragments of memory remaining. At least enough to give the young woman the sneaking suspicion that she had reason to be nervous around Zanh Liis, even if she had no idea why.

One thing Lassiter had said upon her arrival nagged at Liis, though, and she replayed the end of their exchange in her mind as she waited for the door chime to ring.

--Earlier--

"The list of your officers I need to speak with is long, Zanh Liis. I'll begin with Commander O'Sullivan. Then the visiting Paxton Briggs of Border Station Indigo..."

The first thing Liis had done once she was allowed to read reports was read Briggs' accounting a second time of what had happened when he had relieved Salvek of duty and sent the Polaris out. She had also read his version of the Away Mission aboard Taris' ship as he'd experienced it and she wanted to let Lassiter know from the get-go that she wouldn't stand by to see the man raked over the coals for any reason.

"Admiral," Liis nodded to the rest of Lassiter's party as they reached the turbolift. "You can catch the next one." She held her good arm across the door, denying them entry and then ordered the lift to the bridge.

"Well that was kinda rude." Landry remarked to the man standing beside her.

He shrugged. "That is Zanh Liis."

Inside the lift, Gem Lassiter was in no mood to mince words. "Something on your mind, Captain?"

"There is so much on my mind Admiral that it will take a lot longer than one turbolift ride to convey it all." Liis answered, her manner more subdued than Lassiter could remember having seen it before. "But I want to say right now and for the record that Briggs did more than any man should be expected to, given his circumstances. He pulled us out of the flames, literally, when I wasn't here to do it myself. I consider myself greatly indebted to the man, and so should you."

"But."

Liis shook her head. "No buts. We owe him big. End of statement."

Lassiter considered this carefully. "I will keep it in mind when I speak to him."

"I'd also like a formal notation to be made in his file." Liis added. "The man deserves his own command, should he aspire to it." The doors opened and Liis escorted Lassiter to the conference room. "Is there anything you else you require before you begin, Admiral?"

"An explanation, Zanh Liis."

Liis tilted her head curiously.

"You are not quite the same woman that I saw standing before me the last time I was on this ship. What has so changed you in such a short period of time?"

"He has." Liis said simply, heading for the door and offering no more. For the moment, Lassiter seemed to accept her answer, even though the vagueness of the comment actually left the Admiral far less than completely satisfied. "If you need anything else,"

"I will certainly let you know."

-=/\=-

Liis was jostled from her reverie by the gentle chime of the door. "Come in."

She looked up, and up, and smiled at the towering form of Commander Paxton Briggs.

He smiled back at the captain before speaking. “You wanted to see me, Captain?”

"I did, thank you, Commander Briggs. Would you care for a cup of coffee?"

Paxton smiled. "No thank you, Captain. I just shared a cup with Commander Blane and my lap." He shook his head. "That man is quieter than a cat, scared the bejeezes out of me."

"He does that. Two years I've served with the man and he still has the ability to make me spill my coffee." Zanh held a PADD up in the air and waved it gently to and fro. "I have just made my comments to send along with your report on your handling of the Sera in my absence and in light of Salvek's...situation."

Briggs' ears perked up. There was little in life quite as exciting- and nerve-wracking, as finding out what your superior officers thought of your actions after the fact. Especially in a situation that had pushed you to your limits- and you had not caved.

Briggs was a bit more uneasy than usual to hear the comments of this officer, however, given he had only barely met this woman. But still, he couldn't conceal that he was most interested in what those comments might be. "Sir?"

"Would you like to hear them now or would you prefer to read them later?"

Paxton mulled it over for a second. "Not that I am impatient, sir. but I'd like to read it now so I can get a head start if need be.

Liis handed him a PADD.

Commander Paxton Briggs has shown his ability to step into a completely unfamiliar situation and, when forced by circumstances that could not be altered, demonstrated the character necessary to take the reigns and lead with skill, masterful control, and a gracious humility that I find, frankly, utterly refreshing.

This man is an Officer's Officer, and what's more, as a Starfleet Captain I can offer him no higher praise than to pose the question, formally, to Starfleet Command to ask why he has not already been offered his own ship to captain? This is an oversight that I trust our superiors will seek to rectify, in the very near future. To overlook his potential as a leader would be a terrible oversight and a loss for the 'fleet overall.

Any further questions concerning Commander Briggs' performance while aboard the Serendipity or during the Romulan Away Mission to rescue Lair Arie may be addressed to me and I will respond with all possible dispatch.I wish to convey not only my personal gratitude for his actions but also that of the whole of Serendipity's crew, specifically Commanders Salvek, Lair, and the thanks of their child Lair Arie, who is, due in large part to the quick-thinking and courageous actions of Paxton Briggs, now safe at home.

The electronic signature affixed to her comments read simply;

ZL

CO, USS Serendipity NCC-2012

Paxton was not sure what to say. He was hoping for a good review but this, this was above anything he ever expected from a captain.

Especially one who barely knew him.

"Captain. This is more then what I was, well, this is really not necessary." He flushed. "I was only doing what I thought was right."

"What you thought was right, was right, Commander. It's praise well earned."

He shifted his weight, obviously uneasy with the level of praise in the text of the letter. "I'm glad things worked out but I just as easily could have been wrong. Plus, I am not sure that your Admiral Lassiter is going to agree with your assessment of my performance. After all I did basically swipe a classified ship that is part of a classified project."

"Don't worry too much about Lassiter. She knows that you're not one of her 'own' in the family of TI or even the kid from next door."

He arched a brow in question.

"Spec ops. Secretive organizations both, and you were a man working without the benefit of the knowledge of those secrets. You did an amazing job."

"Which by the way leads me to mention that I did not, in any way, read any classified information. I did my best to avoid that at all costs."

"I appreciate your discretion in this matter. I'm truly sorry that you found yourself stuck in the midst of all this cloak and dagger nonsense, Mister Briggs, but I can only tell you this. It may be annoying, but it is necessary."

"I'll take your word for it, Sir."

"Now. I have been informed that the Alchemy is on its way back to Earth from Bajor and will, in all likelihood, beat us there. Then you and Doctor Hartcort will be free to go. I apologize that we made you miss your conference, but I sure as hell am glad that you were here. Not only did you give your all for the Sera and her crew but it seems that your boy wonder of a physician saved my home world from a major disaster."

Briggs laughed. "Boy wonder? You know something captain, that is probably one of the best descriptions of Dr. Lance Hartcort I have ever heard." He shook his head. "I am sure he was glad to help."

"I don't mean to pry, Briggs, so please, feel free to decline to answer this question. But I want to shake the hand of this Lance Hartcort before you go wherever it is you're going from here, and I'd like to know. What can you tell me about him?"

"Lance is hard to nail down." He thought for a moment. "He is probably the best damn Starfleet medical officer I have even had the pleasure to know. Tenacious, intelligent, instinctive and one hell of a poker player."

"But he does tend to be a slave to his passions. What makes him strong in Sickbay also can impede his career."

Liis frowned. "I understand he is the youngest CMO in Starfleet. Doesn't sound like his career is impeded to much."

Paxton nodded. "True, but he should be an admiral by now. You see while his career is important to him, but he does not have any ambition. Well other then the next woman to take to bed, the next pokers game, the next party."

"But do not misunderstand me captain. In sickbay he is all business, well mostly. I have never seen a doctor with a bedside manner to top him. I tried to get him to come be the CMO of the station but with that many distractions I thought better of it."

"I do not know where he will go now. The Revolution will be in dry dock for the foreseeable future and if they make him run a empty Sickbay it would be a crime. Too much talent to waste doing nothing. Not to mention he'd go nuts without any entertainment."

Paxton shook his head. "He'll resign within two months is my guess. Become a plastic surgeon on Risa or something."

"That would be tragic. The people of Risa are already so pretty, what would he do with himself?" Zanh had an idea forming in her brain; one that she was reluctant to give a voice to, given that she hadn't even looked Hartcort in the eye once yet herself. But she had read reports coming in ahead of the Alchemy from Cristiane, and Samson, and Azalea Adams about Hartcort, and she wondered...

"I know that you would never presume to answer for him, and of course I can't say for sure I'd give him the job until I speak to him, but, what do you think he'd say if I offered him a post here on the Serendipity?"

Paxton thought a moment, not sure what he should say to that.

"Don't get me wrong, our LMH is a hell of a doctor and he's indispensable. But not everyone on the crew is as comfortable having a CMO who isn't an organic life form. I actually prefer it." Zanh laughed, thinking of Dalton's singular charm and single-minded determination. "He won't let me get away with anything and he knows when I'm lying through my teeth about how bad I feel. But if your friend Doctor Hartcort is as good a poker player as you say, maybe he'd be able to see through me as well."

"Well Lance is unpredictable to say the least. He knows what is coming on the Revolution. That is why he volunteered for the conference, just to get away. To do something. He does not handle monotony well at all."

He laughed. "When I was on the Revolution during the repairs to Indigo I walked into Sickbay to find him playing Twister with a group of sick children we were transporting for treatment."

He shrugged. "No harm in offering it to him if you wanted to. You'd be gaining one hell of an CMO. I'd be jealous to be sure."

"Well, one thing we run incredibly short on around here is monotony. He'd never, ever be bored." She looked up at Briggs again and sighed. I wish we had a place to put you, Commander. If there's anyone I've met in a long time that I would love to add to our already deep talent pool here at The Alchemy Project, Paxton Briggs has to top my list."

He held up the PADD. "If you guys ever gain another ship and you need someone to keep it from crashing into a star." He winked. "Give me a call."

"Be sure to leave your number with my secretary." Zanh offered her free hand, and Briggs gave it a firm shake.

"Thank you again, for everything. We'll be in orbit of Earth soon, and you're free to disembark when it suits you, Commander. Good luck with the Admiral. If there's anything I can do after the fact to help you out at all, you have but to ask."

-------------------------
Commander Paxton Briggs
Second Officer
Border Station Indigo

and

-=/\=- Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012