Ensign Corwin Adler stood nervously behind the chair he’d been occupying just moments before, watching as the room emptied out. As he waited, the massive Gorn he’d seen on his ship’s viewscreen upon entering the Vulcan system passed behind him, his clawed hand reaching out and giving his shoulder what felt like a reassuring pat. The odd dissonance between the reptilian’s predatory features and the warmth he had displayed made Corwin smile awkwardly despite his efforts to keep his face neutral. On the opposite side of the table, the Zakdorn passed by him, his gaze still critical but tempered with genuine appreciation for the contribution he’d made to the meeting. When the room was finally devoid of occupants save for himself and the Admiral, Ensign Adler turned toward the Vulcan but made no other moves as he waited for whatever she had in store for him.

“It is inefficient to converse at distance, Ensign,” Rear Admiral T’Reln began, “Move to this chair so that we may have our discussion in a more amenable fashion.”

The chair the Vulcan had pointed to was the one that Captain Gar’rath had just vacated. Cold sweat began to form on his back as he slowly departed his former position at the table. The slight tremor in his hand as he pulled the furnishing backward to make room for him to sit did not escape the Admiral’s notice.

“It is understandable, Ensign, that you are experiencing adverse emotional responses. I assure you, however, that such a response is unwarranted. This is not meant to be a reprimand, merely a discussion about your future contributions to our current situation,” T’Reln explained.

Corwin nodded numbly, his mind comprehending the words but his heart refusing to believe them. His hands, tucked under the desk out of sight, were a bevy of wringing motion as he waited in silence for the Admiral to continue.

“I have looked into the Pulsar’s original deployment orders, as the ship came out of our shipyards not long ago. That vessel was intended to be sent to Starfleet Academy to serve as a training platform for recently graduated cadets who were identified as needing some measure of remedial guidance, the nature of which was not serious enough to deny them graduation but sufficient to warrant some form of supervised development prior to being sent to a more formal assignment,” T’Reln revealed, drawing Adler’s attention from the surface of the table toward her.

“You were designated, initially, as a candidate for service aboard that ship due to… inconsistencies in your interpersonal skills. Your instructors noted at several stages throughout your stay at the Academy that you found it difficult to integrate into a formal team and engage in collaborative efforts during projects. That is not to say, however, that your execution of tasks or your competence was called into question,” the Vulcan continued as the Ensign quietly listened and absorbed the blunt critique of his character.

T’Reln paused for a moment to observe the Ensign before remarking, “Your deployment aboard the Pulsar at the very moment that communications began to break down was, admittedly, an error on the part of Starfleet Personnel. An Ensign such as yourself should never have been sent to a starship before a commanding officer had been designated, nor should you have been dispatched anywhere with a total crew compliment of one.”

Corwin nodded at the words, he’d said that very thing countless times either in his head or while conversing with the Counseling Hologram during their arduous journey at impulse speed. Hearing someone else say it brought a small measure of validation to his assertion that his posting was a mistake, that him being in command was wrong, that everything about his situation needed to be corrected. But then the Admiral continued.

“All that I have just stated was informed solely by initial assessments, Ensign. Assessments that I have now judged to be inconsistent with the facts,” the Admiral remarked. Adler’s head snapped up; shock evident as he stared at the Vulcan. If she had been from any other species in the Federation, this might have been the time for a smirk to suddenly appear. Another, more emotional officer, might pepper in some comforting words to ease the young man’s anxieties. The Flag Officer sitting before him was none of those things and offered him nothing but clinical practicality as she spoke.

“Despite your assignment being inconsistent with not only protocol but logic, you still performed the duties you were tasked to complete, as evidenced by the report I received from the Command Hologram aboard the Pulsar, and did so in a manner that far exceeded your assessments from the Academy. Your investigation into the anomaly has also provided us with intelligence that has allowed us to make more informed tactical decision and refocus our efforts toward goals that are more practical than sending assets out to investigate, only to lose them in the effort due to the ubiquitous nature of the phenomenon. Also, your contributions to the recent conflict are not to be understated or ignored. While your ship was outclassed by much of the invading force, you still engaged the enemy and displayed a willingness to ignore personal safety for the good of the many. A quality that your personnel file did not properly capture,” the Admiral explained.

Corwin couldn’t believe what he was hearing as he sat dumbfounded in his chair. In one fell swoop, the Admiral had informed him that his instructors at the Academy had thought him to be flawed enough to require remedial training, that his assignment was an error of the highest magnitude… and that he’d somehow managed to prove his worth despite everything being stacked against him. It felt like she was talking about an entirely different being altogether, even though there was no one else in the room. His mouth slid open as if to say something, anything, to refute her assessment, but they refused to form.

“Your reaction is logical despite being one caused by emotions,” T’Reln acknowledged, “However, the facts are indisputable, Ensign. You have proven not through words but through deeds that you are far more capable as a Starfleet officer than you were originally believed to be. This information has prompted me to make the decision not to relieve you of your current position as commander of the Pulsar.”

“Huh…?” Adler squeaked out in shock before his brain could register he’d spoken.

“You will continue your role as the captain of the Pulsar, Ensign. I will be assigning cadets to your ship, as we are suffering a shortage of personnel and do not have the leeway to crew your ship with seasoned officers. Consider this a test, if you prefer, Ensign. I will evaluate your ability to command a crew composed of both organic and inorganic personnel. Your holograms will fulfill the role of your senior staff, as they were designed to provide mentorship to young cadets,” the Admiral informed him.

“Wait… the Engineering Hologram told me he wasn’t programmed to instruct me…” Corwin muttered just loud enough for the Vulcan to catch it.

“It is logical to assume that you were told this because of your role as the commanding officer of the vessel. They were not programmed to mentor students from other departments,” the Vulcan offered.

“Oh…” Adler said quietly before realizing he’d spoken out loud, “I’m sorry, Admiral, I didn’t… mean to interrupt you.”

“Your utterance did not cause a disturbance in our conversation, Mister Adler,” T’Reln remarked flatly, “However I have insufficient time to explain the details of your new position and assignment. Captain Dasrek will send those to your ship ahead of your return. Please seek the details from your Command Hologram. You are dismissed, Ensign.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Adler said as he shot to his feet and hurried out of the briefing room after sliding his chair back under the table gingerly.