Post Graduate

Posted on Mon Aug 15th, 2011 @ 4:01am by Lieutenant Valkris Edwardson- tSepeS & Captain Claudia Drake

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Professor Darke's Office
Timeline: 0740 - Term Day 1

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Claudia stood up from her desk as the door chimed, she walked towards it with a slight smile playing on her lips, in just over an hours time she would be meeting the new Cadets en mass for the first time. She opened the door and saw the tall Klingon looking female standing in front of her, "Ah Lieutenant Edwardson" she said as she stepped aside, "Please come in." she said gesturing for the woman to step into her office. She walked at her side for a moment and then led her to one of the two sofas, "Please have a seat, would you care for something to drink?"

Valkris took the offered seat and set the numerous PAAD's down beside her. " I appreciate the opportunity to further my formal education here rather than on Earth." she said with a smile as she regarded Claudia. "Although I have to admit to having ulterior motives for being here, scholarly pursuits notwithstanding!"

"Don't we all" said Claudia as she poured herself some tea into a glass cup, she sipped it slowly, "I have drawn up a syllabus for your further training" she said handing the woman a PADD, "As well as your duties you will be expected to assist me and my staff in the delivery of the commissioning course."

"...I expected nothing less Professor...Drake.." Valkris said more as a rhetorical question than a reply "...I'm sorry, I was just remembering something I saw once on my mother's desk, She's retired now but I remember seeing an old picture of her along with a number of her classmates and a woman that looked a lot like you but the time index would have put it...over 112 years ago! I was sure that it was a fake or some sort of error perhaps." said Valkris, shaking her head slightly, obviously embarrassed at the question.

"You are not mistaken, I was your Mother's supervisor for her Doctorate." she smiled, "How is Janice?"

Her mouth fell open slightly at the confirmation that had been nagging her since she had first learned of Professor Drake, her instructor and the Professor Claudia Drake who taught her mother in a picture dated a little over a century ago were one in the same. She shook off the thought at the implications and smiled "...She's doing well, retired from Academia and has been remarried a number of times" Valkris replied. I haven't spoken to her in a almost 9 months now..but my sister Kali, somehow manages to talk to her at least once a month!"

Clearing her throat to change the subject Valkris shifts uneasily in her chair for a moment, "...Professor, I have a question for you, and this is just a bit of conjecture on my part but with the Delta Exploration Initiative having a Starfleet Academy this far out, I'm guessing that more of our studies will be in gathering intelligence on threats as mentioned in the Voyager reports as well as emerging ones?"

Claudia looked at the young woman, "Lieutenant." she said in a formal tone, "I am not sure of the impression you are under, but I am an educator, not a spy or an intelligence analyst." she stared at her, "The Federation's goal is peaceful exploration and that is what I instill in my students. I leave the more abhorrent aspects of Starfleet to those who have chosen to work in that field." she continued to look at her, "That is all I am willing to discuss on that subject, but suffice it to say I am not a clandestine arm of Starfleet Intelligence."

Valkris smiled apologectically "..forgive me Professor, perhaps the term gathering Intelligence was the incorrect one. I did not mean to imply that you have any involvement with the more clandestine gathering of information." she replied.

" My question was meant to understand our focus for this term, will be along the lines of learning about those alien cultures while we explore the Delta Quadrant.. "

That part of her that enjoys conflict suddenly overwhelmed her better judgement before she even considered her next statement ".....That is to say that learning about a people and gathering information is a thin line depending on where you stand..... or what you chose to do with that information. I have spent most of my career straddling both sides of the line between the Empire and the Federation so I can see how where one calls peaceful exploration another would call Colonial Encroachment.." said Valkris as she smiled again disarmingly.

"Tell you what Dr. Drake...let's drop that questionable debate for now and get back to discussing what your expectations are for the coming term"

Claudia looked at the half-Klingon woman in silence for a few moments, "Professor Drake...I haven't been a Doctor in a long time" her voice remained neutral, "What I expect of you this term is act as a teaching assistant, and to begin to work through the curriculum I will be furnishing you with in a few days. That is in addition to your duties on the station." she stared at the woman, "I am sure you should be able to cope with that. Your duty roster will be given to me prior to it being published on the mainframe, then I will allocate your teaching assistant sessions and your own personal tutorials with me."

"..Professor Drake..." Valkris corrected herself "...I will have no problem coping with my duties..." she added, taking note of the woman's emotionless tone, the way its used as a wall "...well then Professor, if there is nothing further you wish to discuss, I will take my leave of you then.." said Valkris as she rose to her feet. "...I look forward to the coming term.."

"Good" said Claudia with a smile, "Be in the main lecture hall at 1500 today, I will then introduce you tot he new students." she waved the young woman out of her room.

"...Yes sir Professor Drake..." Valkirs replied as she rose to her feet and exited her office. She had spent long enough with pleasantries and she still had two other appointments to make before classes were to begin.

"...I'll see you at 1500 then.."

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