Prologue
"All right. That settles it. The Hazard Team is hereby commissioned. I want lists from all of you of people you recommend to be trained for the job. Commander Chakotay and I will decide on who will be the commanding officer. Dismissed," Captain Janeway concluded the morning briefing.
The members of the room stood and left the room, leaving her alone with Chakotay. She looked at him evenly.
"Why do I think I'm about to get a list?" she asked.
"It didn't take me long to figure out who is skilled enough to survive the training," Chakotay replied, handing her a PADD.
"That sets my theory to rest," she said, taking the PADD from him.
"What's that?" he asked.
"That you never pay attention during my briefings," she said with a half smile.
Chakotay smiled and sat silently as she read the list of names he had given her. She nodded slight a few times, then stopped abruptly. She looked up at him, her face devoid of emotion.
"Connolly?" she asked.
Chakotay took a deep breath before he explained his choice.
"Elizabeth Connolly is a fine officer," he began.
"I don't doubt that," Kathryn interrupted. "But what makes you think she is command material?"
"Well, she seems the most qualified. While she was still in the Maquis, she proved to be resourceful in a tight situation. Many times we ran into a situation that involved invasion of an enemy vessel and Connolly was the one I sent. Every time, without fail, she would get the job done and bring her team back, unscathed if possible. She is the best officer on this ship for that position. Check her records if you want to. They'll tell you the same things I just did," he explained.
Kathryn sat for a minute, thinking about what Chakotay had just said. Personally, she thought appointing Lieutenant Foster as commanding officer of the Hazard Team was a better idea. He was a more experienced officer and had been a member of the security detail since Voyager had left Deep Space Nine. Lieutenant Connolly was still a Jr. grade lieutenant and had only been on security for three years. She had left Starfleet just barely out of the academy to join the Maquis. Still, like Chakotay had said, her Maquis intelligence file that had been given to Kathryn to review before Voyager departed from Deep Space Nine had proven that during her time with the Maquis she had shown quite a knack for getting out of sticky situations. The Starfleet personnel file she had managed to put together while at the academy and on her first mission had proven that she would be a useful officer in the field. During her survival training, she had taken charge and gotten her group back to base camp in record time with no casualties and only minimal dehydration. Kathryn nodded.
"Lieutenant Foster's feelings may be hurt by this, but you win. Have Lieutenant Connolly report to my ready room after her shift. I want to see if she'll accept this position and it's responsibilities. And schedule her for Alpha shift for the next few weeks. I want to get to know her a little better," she said, standing.
"Sure you want another hot Irish temper on the bridge?" Chakotay asked with a sly smile.
Kathryn perked and eyebrow and headed for the door of the briefing room that led to the bridge.
"I agreed with you on Elizabeth Connolly. Let's see who I can scratch off this list," she said with a smile as they left the briefing room to return to the bridge.
"All right. That settles it. The Hazard Team is hereby commissioned. I want lists from all of you of people you recommend to be trained for the job. Commander Chakotay and I will decide on who will be the commanding officer. Dismissed," Captain Janeway concluded the morning briefing.
The members of the room stood and left the room, leaving her alone with Chakotay. She looked at him evenly.
"Why do I think I'm about to get a list?" she asked.
"It didn't take me long to figure out who is skilled enough to survive the training," Chakotay replied, handing her a PADD.
"That sets my theory to rest," she said, taking the PADD from him.
"What's that?" he asked.
"That you never pay attention during my briefings," she said with a half smile.
Chakotay smiled and sat silently as she read the list of names he had given her. She nodded slight a few times, then stopped abruptly. She looked up at him, her face devoid of emotion.
"Connolly?" she asked.
Chakotay took a deep breath before he explained his choice.
"Elizabeth Connolly is a fine officer," he began.
"I don't doubt that," Kathryn interrupted. "But what makes you think she is command material?"
"Well, she seems the most qualified. While she was still in the Maquis, she proved to be resourceful in a tight situation. Many times we ran into a situation that involved invasion of an enemy vessel and Connolly was the one I sent. Every time, without fail, she would get the job done and bring her team back, unscathed if possible. She is the best officer on this ship for that position. Check her records if you want to. They'll tell you the same things I just did," he explained.
Kathryn sat for a minute, thinking about what Chakotay had just said. Personally, she thought appointing Lieutenant Foster as commanding officer of the Hazard Team was a better idea. He was a more experienced officer and had been a member of the security detail since Voyager had left Deep Space Nine. Lieutenant Connolly was still a Jr. grade lieutenant and had only been on security for three years. She had left Starfleet just barely out of the academy to join the Maquis. Still, like Chakotay had said, her Maquis intelligence file that had been given to Kathryn to review before Voyager departed from Deep Space Nine had proven that during her time with the Maquis she had shown quite a knack for getting out of sticky situations. The Starfleet personnel file she had managed to put together while at the academy and on her first mission had proven that she would be a useful officer in the field. During her survival training, she had taken charge and gotten her group back to base camp in record time with no casualties and only minimal dehydration. Kathryn nodded.
"Lieutenant Foster's feelings may be hurt by this, but you win. Have Lieutenant Connolly report to my ready room after her shift. I want to see if she'll accept this position and it's responsibilities. And schedule her for Alpha shift for the next few weeks. I want to get to know her a little better," she said, standing.
"Sure you want another hot Irish temper on the bridge?" Chakotay asked with a sly smile.
Kathryn perked and eyebrow and headed for the door of the briefing room that led to the bridge.
"I agreed with you on Elizabeth Connolly. Let's see who I can scratch off this list," she said with a smile as they left the briefing room to return to the bridge.