Posted Oct. 26, 2022, 10:26 p.m. by Colonel Eleanor "Iron Lady" Carnegie (Commanding Officer, 1st Colonial Defense Squadron) (Joana Ribeiro)
Posted by Civilian Malcolm “Astro” Dawkins (Director of Spaceport and Orbital Facilities) in New Opportunities - Malcolm & Eleanor
Posted by Colonel Eleanor “Iron Lady” Carnegie (Commanding Officer, 1st Colonial Defense Squadron) in New Opportunities - Malcolm & Eleanor
Posted by General Calvin Harris (Command General- Colonial Customs and Defence Authority) in New Opportunities - Malcolm & Eleanor
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The chime was soft and slightly unexpected. On her desk, Ellie’s Comm screen rose slowly and automatically, the Secure Transmission logo spinning on the screen. The incoming call information showing its point of origin as OED V Colony, Colonial Customs and Defense Authority.After a long day, Eleanor was looking forward to the evening of relaxation her and Malcolm had planned. They were going to watch the replay of the Houston Astros game of the previous night and have a casual dinner, and honestly, Carnegie couldn’t wait. It had been a long week, and so the extra long shower she had just taken had seemed justified.
Eleanor had barely had time to put on a pair of jeans and her favorite Pittsburgh Pirates jersey when the alert coming from her desk caught her attention. She smiled when she saw the point of origin, assuming it was either her brother or her father calling to check on her, but her brow furrowed when she saw the description that followed.
Drying her hair for a moment, and placing her bright yellow towel over her shoulder, the Marine pilot took the call.
Upon acceptance, a face that Ellie thought she’d never see again on the screen, the uniform the brunette former aviator wore was completely different than anything Ellie had seen before.
“Ah, Eleanor, I hope I didn’t catch you at an inconvenient time.”
Admiral Sam Halloway, ACS
Three years had passed since both women had been in the same place, and Sam Halloway looked different enough that it took a moment for Eleanor to fully recognize who was calling her. When she did, her face grew pale and her eyes widened, as the clear recognition of who was on the other side of the line sank in.
Never taking her eyes from the screen, Eleanor’s hand reached for the back of her chair, pulling it away from the desk enough for her to sit down.
“Commander Halloway!” Carnegie said with a smile and a note of fake joy in her tone. She wasn’t sure if the rank she was addressing her former Executive Officer by was the correct one, but given how different the uniform she was wearing was, there was no way for Eleanor to know. She could only hope that the former pilot didn’t get upset about it. Especially since she had first hand experience of what Halloway was like when someone didn’t meet her expectations, and she really didn’t want a repeat of it. “It’s been a long time. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”
Maj. Eleanor Carnegie
“It’s Admiral now, Eleanor.” Halloway smiled brightly. “Let’s just say I’ve taken a different… trajectory… in my professional life. And yes, it has in fact been quite a while. I do hope you’re doing well.” The Admiral said in a genuine tone.
Eleanor’s expression reflected her surprise. “Oh, wow! Uh… congratulations, Admiral!” She smiled, kicking herself for sounding like an idiot.
“Now, I don’t want to tie you up for too long. You look as though you’re about to head out and the last thing you likely want to do is have a long, boring Comm call with your former boss.” The woman actually winked, there was a warm playful tone to her that Eleanor would find odd but natural. “Let me get straight to the point. My old friend Devri Hudson is my counterpart here on OED with the new Colonial Customs & Defence Authority. Think of it as a independent system defense force. We took over some time ago from the major Starfleet presence and have been rapidly expanding. That, Eleanor, is where you come in.”
Devri Hudson? As in… Andrew Hudson’s sister? Carnegie raised an eyebrow, intrigued as to what she could potentially do for OED, especially when she wasn’t even on planet.
“Devri is in the process of adding a surveillance and recon squadron… in doing so, asked me if I knew anyone good for the job as it is a bit… niche.” She smiled. “I told her that I had just the girl… that is, if you’re interested?”
Admiral Halloway
Eleanor blinked, not really knowing what to say. Her eyes wide in surprise. “Wait… you want… you want me to do the job?” Carnegie’s words stumbled, and her hands wrapped nervously on the damp towel in her lap. “Ah uh…” She smiled. “I am so sorry Admiral… I’m afraid I can’t take it regardless.” Her expression turned apologetic. “Malcolm… uh… Colonel Dawkins… You might remember him from the Chimera… Uh…” The hesitation in her words was obvious. “He and I… we’re engaged to be married and we finally got posted in the same place… I am not going to give that away. Plus, we’re pretty happy where we are so there’s really no need to change.” Eleanor gave Halloway a polite smile. “I can give you some recommendations if you’d like though…”
Maj. Eleanor Carnegie
Halloway silently raised a hand with a smirk then cut Eleanor off. “First… congratulations to you both. I think any man sharp enough to win the heart of a woman of your… caliber…” The Admiral blushed slightly, paused then continued quickly. “… of your caliber means he’s a hell’of’a guy.” There was, again, warmth in her tone. “Secondly, I didn’t call you for recommendations Major… I called you because we only seek out the best for our team here and you’re the best at what you do!”
Eleanor raised her eyebrows at the ‘caliber’ comment but remained silent. Had the woman changed during the three years they hadn’t seen each other? Or was it just a facet of her that Carnegie had never seen? Either way, it was a surprising interaction for Eleanor.
“Now…” She continued. “… I completely understand not wanting to leave Colonel Dawkins. I totally respect that. However, unlike a starship… the CCDA and the OED government is a far larger outfit than even Yorktown Base. We have room to stretch your legs that no starship or installation can offer. If…” Halloway pursed her lips for a moment then smiled once more. “… if we can find a role that Malcolm would enjoy, civilian or military… I can’t promise one or the other, would you reconsider my offer Eleanor?”
Carnegie let the silence hang for a moment before speaking. “Look… Admiral…” The rank still sounded foreign. “I really appreciate your kind words and the opportunity that you are giving me. However…” She hesitated. “… we’re pretty happy here… regardless of… leg room. You should know better than anyone else that pilots don’t really care for that.” She smiled.
There was another slight pause before Halloway added. “I am not a woman that begs but I will absolutely make this a dream role for you. I repeat my previous statement… we are only pursuing the very best, we believe you to fit that description and want you on our team. What’dya say Major… ready to make a jump to the big leagues?”
Admiral Sam Halloway
Eleanor sighed. “You sell a hard bargain, Admiral.” There was a hint of a smile in the corner of her lips. “Look… I’m absolutely sure that there are others out there that are just as qualified, if not more, for the job than I am, but I’ll talk to Malcolm about it. I can’t promise you a reply just yet. Not until I talk to him about it and see what he has to say. I’m sure you understand.”
“I do have one condition though.” Carnegie continued. “In the event that I do take you up on your offer… and that’s in the event that I do. I am not saying one way or the other right now… I can take my crew with me, should they so wish to go. That includes Lieutenant Thunderhawk, that you’re already familiar with, and Lieutenant Hudson, who, if I am correct in my understanding, is… your old friend’s brother. I want to make sure there’s no issues with that… and if you trust me that much, you’d also know that I run a tight ship. They are nothing short of exceptional.”
Maj. Eleanor Carnegie
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