New Orders

Posted on 11 Mar 2026 @ 10:15pm by Admiral Zachary O'Connell & Captain Harvey Geisler & Commander Madelina Barnes & Commander Camila Di Pasquale

4,686 words; about a 23 minute read

Mission: Acceleration
Location: Transporter Room 1
Timeline: February 1, 2391 || 1130 hours

Harvey would be lying if he stated that the last six months had been tense.

And truthfully, these months had been boring and uneventful for the entire crew. There had been no multiversial breaches, no malevolent alien species, and rarely a pirate in sight. Were it not for Camila's regular drills, there would be no way of knowing for sure that the alert klaxons still worked.

All across the ship, tensions had slowly melted away. In some areas, some sense of unease remained. Harvey could feel it in his bones. He even almost guaranteed that his Chief of Security and Chief of Intelligence shared that feeling. Commander Reynolds had been transferred away a few weeks prior, and Command kept insisting a new assignee would arrive soon. This left both Commanders Di Pasquale, Monroe, Geisler as the senior-most officers.

Joey wasn't ready for the stressors of command, and it did not make any sense for Harvey to lean on Doctor Monroe for XO duties. Those reasons aside, the most logical choice for the Acting XO was Commander Di Pasquale. Yet Harvey chose to keep matters of administrating the starship under his purview alone. The bridge between Camila and Harvey had been burned too many times, and it was worth more to rebuild that trust first between a Captain and a Security Chief. Adding the XO-ship during that time only would have complicated matters.

Two days ago, orders came from Command, requesting the squadron prepare for temporary attached duty aboard the USS Yorktown, and that the Black Hawk was to rendezvous at New Risa for the hand-off. This had not been the first time it had happened over the last few months, and it likely wouldn't be the last.

One could only imagine, however, when the Yorktown arrived and announced it carried a special guest. Harvey's nerves spiked, feeling some sort of dread. Arrivals such as these in the past had led to surprising and intense missions. Perhaps this meant that the Black Hawk was finally going to be freed from convoy duty and thrown once more unto the breech.

Harvey found himself standing in the Transporter Room, standing at ease in front of the transporter control panel. Beside him was Commander Di Pasquale, having found herself bound by duty to attend, if only to verify and vet the unexpected arrivals per the ship's stringent protocols. Behind both of them, the operator stood ready to receive the visitors.

"Ready for this?" Harvey asked Camila, briefly glancing over to her.

Camila took a calming breath and let it out slowly after a mental three count. She had been going to counseling for months now and been taking time on her own to enjoy playing the violin again and been less stringent with the crew. That didn't mean that she was any less of a perfectionist for details when it came to making sure the ship and crew were safe.

She brought her mind back to Harvey's question. "No, but I'm here, Sir."

"You and me both," Harvey muttered.

Behind him, an alert sounded from the transporter console. "Commodore," said the transporter chief, "the Yorktown is signaling. They are ready for transport."

Harvey sighed before reaching in front and tugging down his uniform. "And here we go," he muttered. "Energize."

Camila gave a nod to the transporter chief and watched as all the new protocols that had been put in place were checked and looked towards the platform to see who was arriving.

Two columns of light appeared on the platform. For a couple of seconds, the columns remained simply that, columns. No figures or silhouettes seemed to form, at least not in the time frame Harvey was accustomed to. He waited, and he watched for what seemed to be an eternity.

Eventually, the columns did yield to forming distinct patterns. The right side of the transporter pad produced a male figure; his uniform, species, rank, and appearance quite familiar. Beside this new arrival was a female. While she was of the same species, Harvey did not recognize her. It was at this moment, however, that Harvey felt that Starfleet could have used better wisdom in placing its rank pips on these uniforms as he had to glance at an uncomfortable location to learn that she bore the rank of Commander.

"Is it just me," asked Admiral Zachary O'Connell, "or is your transporter a bit slow?"

Harvey looked back over to the Admiral, smirked and chuckled. "New security protocols, sir. One of our security chief's brilliant ideas to prevent... to prevent prior experiences from occurring again."

The woman beside Admiral O’Connell materialized fully a heartbeat after he did—tall, poised, and unmistakably striking. Her hair was a vivid red that caught the transporter room lights, and her blue eyes swept the space with a sharpness that suggested she was cataloging every detail. The smile she offered was polite, but unreadable… the kind that could mean anything from genuine warmth to a quiet assessment of whether the room met her standards.

She stepped down from the platform with the Admiral, hands clasped lightly behind her back. “Given this ship’s history,” she said, her tone smooth but edged with dry humor, “I’d say the extra precautions are more than necessary. The last thing any of us need is another clone slipping through the cracks.”

Her gaze flicked briefly toward Harvey and Camila, not accusatory—just aware. “The Black Hawk has earned quite the reputation out here. Some of it impressive… some of it infamous.” That unreadable smile returned, just a shade deeper. “But all of it well‑documented.”

Camila's eyes remained on the readouts on the console as all their information was screened and compared to their biosignatures, gait, tone, and other sensory input that they were being scanned for. Since she hadn't been addressed, she gave a nod once everything was verified and cross referenced in the computer and they were given a clean bill of not being clones. She gave a subtle nod to Commodore Geisler, then came to attention to face the Admiral and his guest.

Zachary smiled, stepping off the pad as well. "Harvey, meet Commander Madelina Barnes." Keeping his grin, he added, "she's your new XO."

Harvey raised an eyebrow. He wasn't taken aback by the theatrics, after all, the Admiral had been known to pull a fast one or two over Harvey throughout the years. "Welcome aboard the Black Hawk, Commander," he said with a flat tone, though the flatness was more of a reflection of the circumstances and not the woman who just stepped off the pad without being welcomed.

Gesturing beside him, Harvey added, "This is Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale, Chief of Security and Second Officer. She developed the existing protocols we use on a daily basis, including the longer transport cycles."

Madelina, or Maddy as she preferred to be called, caught the flatness in Harvey’s tone, but she didn’t let it snag on her. A new XO walking into a ship with a history as extensive as this ones was, a little stiffness was practically a welcome gift. “Thank you, sir,” she replied, her voice warm but edged with a dry bite. “And I can’t say I blame you for the extra layers of security. With the Black Hawk’s track record, I’m honestly surprised you don’t make arrivals recite their genetic code before materializing... among other things.”

Her blue eyes flicked toward Camila, taking in the Security Chief with a quick, assessing sweep. There was strength there—tempered, not brittle—and Maddy filed that away as something she’d need to understand better. She offered the other woman a small, respectful nod. “I’m looking forward to reviewing your protocols once I’m settled. Sounds like they’ve been earning their keep.”

"Admiral, Commander," Camila acknowledged them both and took in the new Executive Officer that was being foisted upon them. No sooner had she officially taken a role in the command structure of the Black Hawk than O'Connell had hustled up an Executive Officer to babysit Harvey.

"I'll have a full brief on them for you whenever you're ready," Camila said as she studied the slightly taller redheaded woman. Her fiery hair and German accent was interesting, but it was her blue eyes that Camila placed a bet on that could go from warm to cold in a heartbeat and she was equally willing to bet that the warm tone could also turn frosty in a heartbeat.

"Shall we head to a conference room?" Harvey asked, eager to move this small group away from an audience, even if that audience was a poor petty officer standing alone behind a console. "Especially since I assume you are not here to simply escort a new officer."

Zachary kept his smile and clapped a hand on Harvey's shoulder. "That's what I like about you, Harvey. Always observant. Lead the way."

Harvey eyed the man for a moment, surprised by the Admiral's tone and demeanor. He looked over to Camila and raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was seeing what he was seeing.

Once again, the ombre haired woman gave a subtle nod. If the sensors had indicated that either of their guests were clones, they never would have materialized.

Maddy offered Camila a small, appreciative smile—one that didn’t quite soften the sharpness in her eyes, but carried a genuine note beneath it. “I’d appreciate that brief as soon as you can spare the time, Commander di Pasquale. If I’m going to perform my duties to the best of my abilities, I’d like to know exactly what I’m working with.”

She shifted her attention to Harvey then, catching the subtle tension in his posture, the way he seemed eager to get this procession moving. She didn’t blame him. Admirals rarely arrived without strings attached, and she was one of them—whether he wanted her to be or not.

Maddy gestured lightly toward the doors. “After you, Commodore.”

Only once the words were out did she let her thoughts drift back to the last six months—six months of enforced stillness, recovery, and the uncomfortable realization that she missed the uniform more than she’d ever expected. When Gamma Command called with this assignment, she’d talked it through with her husband, weighed the risks, the reputation, the rumors… and still said yes.

Was she here to keep an eye on Harvey? Maybe a little. Admirals loved their insurance policies. But mostly, she was here because she wanted to be. Because the Black Hawk, with all its chaos and notoriety, felt like the kind of place where she could matter again.

She tucked those thoughts away, her expression composed. Whatever waited in that conference room, she was ready to meet it head‑on.

"Very well then," Harvey said. Stepping away from the Admiral, the Commodore led the group out into the port catamaran corridor and into a nearby waiting turbolift. The car vaulted two decks, depositing the group just outside a briefing room. While the room itself had been reserved for whatever this situation was about to unfold, no effort had been made to prep the room for anything special.

Harvey took his usual seat at the head of the table. His eyes looked up to Admiral O'Connell who chose not to sit down. Instead, he approached the nearby windows which overlooked the planet below. "Reminds me of the O'Carroll when I commanded her," he reminisced. "I could never get over those conference rooms that overlooked the rear of the ship. It was never the engines I cared to look at, but it felt like we were always reacting, always looking over our shoulders. But here, here you get reminded of what you're supposed to be doing."

Camila fell in step with the others and took a spot near Harvey on his left and pulled up a console to activate, then pulled up Commander Weisz's personnel file. The new access she had to things meant she could see more, but not everything and what she saw of the woman's Starfleet career was impressive for one so young.

Maddy lingered a step behind the others as they entered the briefing room, her attention briefly snagging on Camila. There was something about the woman’s focus—sharp, methodical, quietly intense—that piqued her curiosity. Security chiefs came in all flavors, but this one radiated a kind of controlled vigilance that made Maddy wonder what, exactly, the Black Hawk had put her through.

When Harvey took his seat, Maddy didn’t follow suit. Instead, she stepped to the side of the table—near the chair that would soon become hers during briefings and strategy sessions. She rested her fingertips lightly on the back of it as she stole a glance at the Commodore.

Her blue eyes lingered on Harvey for a moment longer than necessary, studying the man she’d been sent to support. He was someone who’d spent years carrying the weight of command, but there was a tension in his shoulders that didn’t quite match the casual tone he’d used earlier. She filed that away, too. There was more here than met the eye, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about him. About Camila. About this ship. About the stories whispered through the fleet.

Then she turned her attention back to Admiral O’Connell, expression composed, posture straight. She’d been out of the game for six months. Six long months of reflection, and restlessness, and now here she was back in action. Whatever the Admiral was about to say, whatever storm he was about to drop into their laps, she was ready to hear it.

"I'll get straight to the point, Harvey," Zachary said, turning away from the window to face the commander of the Black Hawk. "It's been almost six months since you and your wife were replaced by clones from an alternate universe. Since then, you have been subject to inquiries, and all actions from the past several years reviewed by the highest echelons of Starfleet. On four separate occasions myself, I had to pay visits to Bajor and Earth regarding the happenings in the Gamma Quadrant."

The Admiral stepped forward and rested an arm on the back of one of the chairs. "The sad fact is... Starfleet isn't what it used to be. Hell, the Federation isn't what it used to be. Everyone's still talking about Mars, and the Dominion War is basically forgotten. The Federation Council is losing interest in the Gamma Quadrant and is more and more focused on an isolationist stance back in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. My battles now aren't in sectors out here, pushing back against pirates or alternate universe invaders or even the Dominion. They're in Council chambers and and Command strategy sessions."

Zachary's hand disappeared inside a pocket. When it emerged, it held a small velvet-wrapped box, one perfectly sized for a meager brooch or piece of jewelry. "And through all of those sessions, we have finally come to a decision about what to do with you and your ship." He placed the box on the table and slid it towards Harvey.

Harvey eyed Zachary for a moment. For someone who stated that they wanted to get straight to the point, he certainly beat around the bush while trying to get there. Then Harvey's brown eyes shifted downward to the small box. He thought for a moment of the single boxed pip adorned on his breast. The rank of Commodore was meant to be temporary. If anything, Harvey expected it to become permanent. With resignation, Harvey reached to pick up the box. And with one swift motion, Harvey opened the box in plain view, expecting to see a boxed pip befitting a Rear or Vice Admiral.

Instead, he spotted four solid silver circles, each one a separate dot not jointly shackled by a trapezoid.

Camila was stunned. She knew immediately what that meant when the Admiral openly demoted Harvey in front of both his new Executive Officer and his new Second Officer, that being herself. O'Connell was daring him to say anything. He was daring all of them to say something.

"You say the Federation and Starfleet isn't what it used to be and how this isn't your fight, Admiral," she said levelly. "What you aren't saying is that you've decided to punish the one man that's been out here on the front fighting to defend the Federation at every turn. You put the weight of command on him and when he accomplishes your goal, you casually take it away and tell him that he doesn't mean much. That's some dirty politics, Admiral."

Maddy’s gaze dropped to the velvet‑wrapped box the moment Harvey opened it. Four silver circles. Captain’s pips. A demotion laid out neatly on the table like a formality—except nothing about this felt formal. It felt pointed. Calculated. Cruel.

She cleared her throat softly. “Admiral… I’ve known Commodore Geisler for all of five minutes.” Her tone was even, but there was steel beneath it. “But I’ve spent the last week buried in every report, every debrief, every scrap of data Starfleet would let me access about the Black Hawk and her missions.”

Her gaze flicked briefly to Harvey—measuring, acknowledging—before returning fully to O’Connell. “And I can say without hesitation that no one is more deserving of the rank of Commodore than the man sitting in front of you. He’s held this quadrant together with duct tape and sheer stubbornness while the rest of the Federation looked the other way. This is the Gamma Quadrant, Admiral. Much of this area is still unexplored and some of what is has no problem wanting to kill anyone that gets close enough.”

The redhead let that hang for a beat, then added, quieter but no less pointed, “So forgive me, sir, but I have to ask… is this supposed to be some kind of punishment? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re holding him accountable for circumstances that were entirely beyond his control.”

Her chin lifted a fraction. “Clones infiltrated this ship. Yes. And I’ve already made my comments about that. But even that wasn’t a failure of command—it was a failure of the universe, and D'rimo, being sane."

If Zachary had a smile on his face, it certainly was there no longer. He straightened his posture and prepared to share his reasoning. "Let me be clear. Commodore was a brevetted rank, something meant to be temporary in order to keep dissension inside of Task Group Belvedere. But the Black Hawk is no longer assigned to Belvedere, and therefore the temporary rank is no longer required."

Zachary turned his eyes onto the ombre-haired security chief. "You know Harvey well," he shared. "And you are more than correct. When he is at the helm of this ship, it's like the Black Hawk becomes a magnet for danger and intrigue, among... well, among other worse things. There's no other ship and no other crew and no other Captain that I trust more."

The Admiral refocused on Harvey. "Effective following your next and final cargo run to Mellon, the Black Hawk is being reassigned to Gamma Command directly. No Task Groups. No middle management. You report only to me. Under my purview, you'll be free to act independently. To go where the task groups cannot go. Most importantly, you'll be free to do exactly what you are the best at doing. Finding trouble and keeping it from becoming a galactic incident."

Zachary crossed his arms in front of him. "In effect, this isn't a demotion. This is... liberation."

Camila felt the egg slowly dripping off of her face and onto her personnel file. She swallowed hard and forced herself to acknowledge the Admiral. "I apologize, Sir." She wanted to say so much more, but she had already said too much.

“Admiral… my apologies.” Maddy said simply. The words were sincere, without a hint of backpedaling.

Her gaze shifted to Harvey next, and the apology softened. “And to you as well. I didn’t mean to undermine your position and was not familiar with the circumstances.”

But she didn’t retreat from her earlier conviction—she simply reframed it.

Her eyes returned to O’Connell. “I appreciate the clarification. And I understand the distinction between a demotion and a reassignment of purpose. Gamma Command autonomy is no small thing.”

Then she looked back to Harvey once more, letting the weight of her next words land where they belonged. “But my point stands. Captain or Commodore, you’ve earned the trust that comes with either title. And if this is liberation, as the Admiral says… then I imagine you’ll make more use of it than most.”

While Harvey remained silent, the Admiral uncrossed his arms and let his eyes shift between Commanders Di Pasquale and Barnes. "The apologies are not necessary. For you, Miss Di Pasquale, your willingness to defend Captain Geisler here means that both his trust in you is well-founded and that you are more than deserving of your station and rank. And Miss Barnes, that you are the right person for keeping both of them supported, and serving this ship."

Maddy let the Admiral’s words settle and offered him a small, genuine nod out of respect. “Thank you, Admiral,” she said. “I appreciate the confidence, and I’m looking forward to stepping into this role among the crew of the Black Hawk.”

"I will always defend the ship, crew and captain of the Black Hawk, Admiral," Camila said. "As well as the Federation."

"I have no doubt," replied the Admiral, now bearing a smile.

Harvey, meanwhile, bore a frown. He was thankful for a resolution to months of unease, but he was not at all pleased with how this all had unfolded. New assignment, new rank, and a new executive officer... but no clear direction on what's next. "So, directly assigned to Gamma Command? Why not pull us off this cargo run and start immediately? Or at least tell us about all of this after we'd gone to Mellon?"

"Your first assignment will be in that region after the delivery," Zachary simply answered. "Besides, logistically speaking, with our limited resources, we couldn't rearrange the ships and still meet our delivery deadline. And, this way, at least the three of you get some shakedown time together."

Zachary smiled yet again, reaching into a hidden pocket to pull out another velvet case, this one colored yellow and a bit smaller. "And no better to do so when everyone's in proper uniform." He placed the small case on the table and slid it across to the Chief of Security.

"Captain Geisler here recommended you months ago," the Admiral explained to the ombre-haired woman. "I was going to let him do the honors, but since I know he's already not thrilled with me," he glanced over to Harvey and then back to Camila, "I figured I'd let him know about that approval at the same time as you. Congratulations, Commander."

If Camila had been stunned when Harvey asked her to be his Second Officer, she was equally stunned here, but she was better prepared and this was an Admiral. "I...thank you, Admiral. Com...Captain," she nodded to both men before she took the tab and switched it with the hollow pip on her uniform.

Zachary clasped his hands together and smiled. "Great. Then my work here is done." Over to Harvey, he nodded and said, "I shall take my leave and return you to your proper command."

Then shifting his gaze once more over to Camila, he asked, "I suppose you'll want to have me escorted back to the transporter room?"

"I'll see you back personally, Admiral," Camila said.

The Admiral nodded to Camila and gestured towards the door. Before he would follow the security chief, he turned towards Madelina. "Commander, best of luck. It'll be a rewarding assignment, and you couldn't have a better CO out here."

The newly appointed Executive Officer met the Admiral’s gaze and let a polite, respectful smile soften her features. Whatever tension had lingered from earlier had settled into something steadier—purposeful, grounded. “Thank you, Admiral O’Connell,” she said, her tone warm but still carrying the crisp professionalism expected of a senior officer. “I appreciate the confidence. And I’m looking forward to seeing how things progress from here.”

Following a nod to the Commander, the Admiral turned and exited the room to leave the Captain and the red-haired Commander to have their initial discussion.

Once he and Commander Weisz made their parting comments, Camila turned and headed back to the transporter room with the Admiral. "I do apologize again for being out of line, Admiral," she said.

"No apology is necessary, Commander," the Admiral shared. "If anything, I should be apologizing to your Captain. He and I just got on good terms, and I'm afraid my little stunt today, though necessary, just burned a bridge."

"Then put him in for Commodore," Camila suggested as they walked and meant it. "He's earned it."

"I put him in for Commodore," Zachary said as they arrived at the turbolift, "and then I'm going to have to give him a desk to pilot. You and I both know that he's much better in command of a ship."

"He'd still handle a Task Group better than some," she said. "But I guess that means you wouldn't have a spare Yeoman to get you coffee."

"Believe it or not," the Admiral said once the turbolift doors opened, "I agree. I didn't cherish the idea of giving Belvedere over to Holmes. But Command and the Federation Council want to pull out of this quadrant entirely. Either we pull out completely and lose all momentum and progress since the Dominion War and any chance of rebuilding our reputation... or I find ways to play their game in order to convince everyone to stay involved here."

Looking over to the newly-minted Commander, he added, "And when that happens, Harvey will have more than a Task Group. He'll be leading the whole damn thing."

"He'll be going for your job after that," Camila joked as they arrived at the transporter room and she dismissed the chief. "Thank you again, Sir. I've been fighting for and against Harvey for two years now. I hope it doesn't continue, but I will continue to serve him."

"By that point he can have it," Zachary said, stepping up onto the pad. "Hopefully by that point, you'll have a command of your own. There's a reason why Commander Barnes is here, and that's to learn from the best. The Black Hawk is about to become a training ground in all of the best ways."

"You have no idea how happy that makes me," Camila said despite feeling the exact opposite, but she kept a poker face as she stepped to the controls and began the scan process once more to verify that it was indeed him and he had not be replaced by a clone since coming aboard despite being in her presence. She got checked a half a dozen times a day and so would anyone else that set foot on the ship. "Ready when you are, Admiral."

The Admiral gave a simple nod. "Permission to disembark, Commander. And if granted... energize."

"Permission granted, Admiral," she said as she verified his scan results and slid her hand over the console and scattered his atoms back to his ship in a haze of shimmering energy. She paused after he was gone and reached to the new pip on her chest and took a moment. Then with a sigh and a new resolve, she headed back to see the Captain and new First Officer.

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