Down to Business
Posted on Tue Mar 5th, 2024 @ 6:46pm by Captain Ryhl th'Zeles & Commander Zera Tirado & Lieutenant Commander Jason Elliot & Lieutenant Commander Jorel Torin II & Lieutenant Commander Bellona Juventus & Lieutenant Commander Johanna Lyngstad & Lieutenant Commander Sakura Minamoto & Lieutenant Pharos Ventari
Edited on on Tue Mar 5th, 2024 @ 6:47pm
3,451 words; about a 17 minute read
Mission:
Upon Stranger Stars
Location: Conference Lounge
Commander Tirado strode through the doors of the conference lounge. In one hand she carried an empty data PADD which she could take notes as she wanted to. She sat down at the end of the table, where the Captain would usually sit. She had already sent a message ordering all the current department heads and senior officers to report to the conference lounge that morning at 0800 hours. She had decided that her first order of business was to get to know who she was working with and assess for herself their strengths and weaknesses. She had done this many times before in her previous assignments as a Chief Engineer, she understood that knowing your people was the first step to being successful in command. She had also cleared the meeting with the Captain, and although he wasn't necessarily needed he was welcome to observer if he so wished to.
Ryhl showed up soon after the Commander. He carried a PADD, prepared to take notes on Zera's style. He walked quickly, stopping to greet her before moving towards the opposite end of the table. "Don't worry, Commander. You won't even notice I'm here. How are you finding your accommodations so far?"
Zera looked across the table at the Captain. "I will let you know once I get to them." She said simply. "My belongings, have been transported to my quarters. I will unpack once I have finished my shift." she told him as she awaited the arrival of the senior officers. "I told you yesterday, I'm here to do a job. I would be only wasting time 'settling in' when I have stuff to get done here first."
Ryhl smiled, "Ah, there's one thing I've learned in my time in Starfleet. With all the technology we wield, there is no time machine. Not one that will turn back the hands of time and give you the opportunity to enjoy the moments you've missed. I get that you're here to do a job, Commander.... Just don't forget to live in the moment."
Zera nodded simply, she wasn't quite sure what he meant by that. But she acknowledged and made a mental note of it.
"You sure you're not going to need help with your personal belongings, Mom?"
The two officers were presently making their way down the ship's gangway, the sleek, imposing profile of the Odyssey-Class looming just off in the distance.
The elder of the two- a tall, curvaceous redhead with crystal blue eyes- through her head back and chuckled softly.
"I told you before, Reina- I'm 102; I can handle a few pounds."
"I just worry about you is all, Mom," the younger of the two- a redhead, much like her mother- responded. "Especially after Dad threw his back out last year."
"His circumstances and mine were quite different, Reina," her mother assured her. "It's not like I'm old and frail- I don't plan to be for another 400 years."
"But neither was Dad," Reina pointed out.
"Yes, it's quite unfortunate that your father had to retire while he was still in his prime," her mother lamented. "But you must understand that I've always been a light packer, in the likelihood that I'd find myself reassigned, like I am now. You know, there was an old mantra back when I was in the Academy..."
"Never live with more than you can carry?" Reina guessed.
"Very good!" Her mother smiled. "And there's truth in it, you know? Take, for instance, your brother, Yoshiaki; when he was reassigned to the-!"
It was at that point that the two of them reached the ship's airlock, and were greeted by a Saurian Quartermaster.
"Ah; greetings, Petty Officer," she greeted, pulling out her PADD and handing it to the quartermaster. "Lieutenant Commander Sakura Minamoto; I've recently been assigned to your vessel as the Chief Counselor, as my transfer orders will show."
"I see..." the quartermaster muttered as he carefully reviewed the transfer orders. "Well, you'd best hurry, Commander; the executive officer's arranged for a senior staff meeting in about..." he paused briefly to glance at the time. "...10 minutes?"
"Well, I'd best get a move on, then," Sakura smiled as she took the PADD back. "By chance, would you mind directing me to the location of where they're holding this meeting?"
"The conference lounge up on deck 1, right past the bridge," the Saurian replied. "Can't miss it."
"Why, thank you, Petty Officer," Sakura nodded gratefully. "Carry on as you were."
"You sure you don't want me to take that for you, Mom?" Reina asked. "I can drop it off at your quarters while you tend to that meeting."
"It's an Odyssey-Class, Reina!" Sakura insisted. "I'm sure there's enough room for me to be leaving my belongings around; but that being said, I appreciate your offer."
She leaned forward and planted a kiss on Reina's forehead. "Anyhow, take care of yourself while Mommy's away, alright?"
"I can get by just fine, Mom," Reina sighed. "And could we please not do that in public? I'm not exactly a kid anymore..."
Sakura chuckled before turning and disappearing through the airlock.
Many times in her career had Bellona been forced to wonder what exactly the personnel handling crew assignments in Starfleet Headquarters had in mind when they issued out assignment orders. It hadn't been at all hard adapting to her new appointment, of course, for it was familiar stamping ground, but when they had to do crew overhauls on such scale she could not help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was someone who didn't like this crew enough to rip it apart and replace the torn ends with ill-fitting pieces.
However, Bellona also considered herself a warrior and soldier, in addition to being a Starfleet officer. It was not a soldier's duty to question why her commander was her commander - at least, until said commander's competence could be held in doubt without question. She'd taken a painstaking amount of time ensuring that her bearing was impeccable to an eye-watering degree, as was the standard she felt was only right to present to an entirely new superior of hers. Several crew shied away from her as her boots clicked on the carpeted hallway floor - the way she walked, they must've thought she was hopping mad and on her way to rip some poor incompetent crewman from limb to limb in an all-out verbal assault.
The Magna Romani woman came sharply to attention as the lounge door closed behind her. "Lieutenant Bellona Aurelia Juventus, reporting as ordered. Sirs." She announced crisply.
Zera looked the woman who had entered up and down. She seemed like the type of person who took no-nonense. 'She seems like the no-nonsense type. Perfect.' she thought to herself. "Take a seat Lieutenant. You are the first here, I will be noting that." she said as she tapped on her PADD to make her down as 'Very Punctual'.
"Welcome, Lieutenant Juventus. Glad you could make it." Ryhl sat at the opposite end of the table, facing Zera. +-
Johanna walked in about two minutes before meeting scheduled start time. Her hair had grown in the six months she had been onboard. She had it all pinned up instead on her usual ponytail. She was finishing a breakfast sandwich. Her coffee was in her other hand, two cream, two sugar, "Morning all." She winced slightly as she walked; yesterday's basketball game had taken more out of her than usual,
"Good morning, Commander." Ryhl nodded to Johanna, warmth crossing his expression. The prior day's game left him feeling physically drained, yet mentally clear. Officers of the Columbia had made basketball a routine habit, with several games taking place over the past few months. "It won't be long until we're space-bound again."
"That is good to know. The sooner the better." Having spent ALL those years at a Starbase filling out forms and such, it was always nice to get back to doing her job. She looked over at the new XO before taking her seat. ~ Who put the stick up her ass? ~ she thought.
Shortly before the start of the meeting, there was an audible droning sound from the corridor outside, followed by a solid thump into the doors, and they parted a moment later to reveal a short insectoid standing outside, rubbing a kinked antenna as he folded his translucent wings. "Stupid slow doors..." he muttered softly under his breath before stepping inside. "Morning Cap," he greeted, waving a free hand at captain th'Zeles before he hopped up into a vacant chair at the table and settled into a kneel on the seat to accommodate his anatomy. Still giving his antenna a rub, he turned his attention curiously toward the unfamiliar face of the new XO. "Hello Commander."
Jorel had come into the meeting almost exactly on time. He had gotten caught up in several meetings with Starfleet Headquarters and the Federation Diplomatic Corp, which caused Jorel to almost be late to the first meeting with the ship's new crew and company. As he walked into the conference room, Jorel tugged at his uniform to smooth it out before saying, "Sorry I'm almost late everyone. I got caught up in more meetings than I care to admit to."
"Welcome Mister Torin. Great seeing you again", Ryhl said as he bowed to the Chief Diplomat.
Jorel nodded to the Captain and replied, "It's good to see you too, sir. Hopefully, I didn't hold anyone up." He took a seat somewhere in the middle of the conference table and waited for the meeting to start.
Right as Jorel seated himself, the doors to the conference room opened, and in peered yet another unfamiliar face; she appeared to be a human (or, at the very least, human-esque) with a curvaceous figure, and long, flowing red hair, part of which was tied up in a side ponytail with a pastel blue-and-pink ribbon. Her crystal blue eyes peered out over the assemblage with a look of curiosity.
"Hello?" She greeted. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"Not at all", the captain replied happily, antennae dancing as he spoke. "Make yourself welcome. We'll be starting shortly."
Once everyone was in attendance, Zera simply cleared her throat to gather their attention on her. "I am Commander Zera Tirado. As of the start of this shift Starfleet Command has appointed me as the Executive Officer of this ship. You may refer to me as 'Commander' or 'Sir'," she told them as she looked around at their faces. "I'm going to be honest, some of you may not like me or how I do things. I am 'to the point'. A Starship is no place for truths to be 'prettied up with sugar'. I will tell you how it is, directly there and then. If you have any issues with that then take it to the Captain."
Her words were sharp and strict. "Now. Since I have only just been assigned here, I believe it is better for me to ask you directly who you are, what you do around here and what you're good and bad at." She sat straight in her chair. "I couldn't care what it says in your personnel file, they're usually full of fluff and crap I couldn't care less about. What matters is the here and now " she told them. She looked at the first officer to enter, Lieutenant Juventus. "Let's start with you Lieutenant. What is your position on this ship, what are you good at and what are you bad at? I want full honesty, then we'll work around the table."
Jason arrived, flight helmet in one hand, still in a flight suit as he and the recon flight and assorted assets had been away at the request of Starfleet on a mission providing aerial support of a geomatic survey of a planet for the last two months, he hadn't been aboard more than a few minutes when a yeoman had informed him that his presence was required in the meeting room, He hated, loathed, despised massive crew changes, he also hated that his girlfriend had been among the crew who'd been reassigned. He didn't find out about her transfer until about five weeks ago when he wasn't even able to reach out, add in his mixed feelings about finding out that Larell was alive and had a child this change was just another in a series of kicks in the face that left him questioning his future. He refrained from saying too much as he just smiled and waited for the meeting to begin.
Captain th'Zeles nodded to Jason as he entered. He lifted his PADD, ruminating on potential notes. He listed to Commander Tirado as his finger hovered over the touchpad.
There was something about the way the pilot carried himself that Bellona did not like. He seemed far too laissez-faire and casual to her - this was a serious staff meeting discussing serious matters and there he was grinning like this was another day at work. Or beach, maybe, she reckoned he'd not look out of place on the cover of some sketchy women's magazine if he changed the shape of his beard. It irked her.
"I hold the appointment of chief tactical and security officer. I possess experience both in security operations and, of late, hazard operations, in addition to the training set out in my personnel file." She declined to add more about her professional development than that. "I pride myself on my operational expertise and efficiency." The term her previous superiors would've used was ruthless efficiency. She'd been a somewhat different woman then; unafraid to dress down her partner two ranks above her for his attitude and lack of competence and complete non-tolerance of time-wasting, both from herself and the colleagues around her. 'Be more sensitive to human frailities', her human superior had said.
"That being said. I often struggle to relate on a personal level to my subordinates. I... am presently working to correct that." She added. It hurt for her to form the words; it showed clearly in her voice. "With counsellors on board."
Ryhl looked to Bellona with concern. He typed a few notes in his PADD about reaching out to her and helping her work with people.
Zera nodded silently as she tapped away on her PADD making her own notes. "Thank you." she said not looking up from her PADD, indicating that the next person should speak.
As it came around to Pharos' turn, he straightened slightly in his seat. Though he was in his mid twenties, the Ventari's small stature and young-sounding voice made it feel like an alien kid had wandered into the staff meeting by accident. "I'm lieutenant Pharos Ventari, engineering officer. I fix the ship. I keep her running. I help ensure that when he-" Pharos motioned a hand at the captain, "-tells us to go, or stop, or fight, the ship is ready and responsive to whatever he needs done. The obvious out of the way, I've also engaged in technical research and quantitative analyses for a multitude of projects. And, I'm a pretty quick learner." He shrugged his upper shoulders. "Now, if you're looking for a kindred spirit, by-the-book, tough-as-nails, and more intimidating than a Klingon... well, none of that is me I'm afraid."
Zera's eyes shifted from her PADD for a brief moment as she looked at the chief engineer. There was obviously something that had caught her interest for a brief moment. She then returned to her notes. "Interesting. I would like to some of those technical analysis you have been involved in," she said simply as she took down notes on her PADD. Once again she didn't look up from her PADD. "Thank you."
"I'm Lieutenant Commander Jorel Torin. I'm the Chief Diplomat onboard, who's certified in a couple different areas, but nothing proficient yet besides Diplomacy. I just like interacting with people and seeing how their people and culture tick," Torin replied, not wanting to make himself too good, but not bad either.
Jason spoke up "I'm Jason Elliot from Intelligence, I've been off with the recon flight and support craft as part of a geomatic survey." He refrained from saying much else since he didn't want to answer any questions.
Ryhl listened as he studied the crew. He was proud of them and what they represented. After many officers were reassigned, a new wave had arrived. It would bring changes, many of which promised to be exciting. He allowed the new XO this chance to meet the crew. The captain could tell some officers were a bit surprised with the meeting's demeanor. A calm expression of warmth rested across his cerulean features.
It was Johanna's turn. She addressed the room as well as the new XO. There was immediately something about her that rubbed Johanna the wrong way. "I'm Johanna Lyngstad." She didn't need to give her rank; everyone could see she was a Lieutenant Commander. On the Wayans, the Captain would often say 'Light Commander' instead of 'Lieutenant Commander'. "I have been head of Sciences for the last six months. I have a very intelligent and talented team beneath me." Johanna was glad she had a great team under her. "When I work, I work diligently. When I am not working, I play intensely. I play the guitar, the piano and most people enjoy my singing." Johanna could often be found in the crew lounge.
Zera nodded as she made notes on her PADD, noting down the skills of the Science Officer. "Thank you." She said in response as she waited for the next person to talk.
All eyes in the room shifted over to the redhead, who up to this point had been relatively quiet.
"Oh! Well, I guess if introductions are in way..." the newcomer smiled sweetly. "Hello, my name's Sakura Minamoto, I've recently been assigned to the your vessel as the Chief Counselor, my transfer orders of which have already been put into the system pending validation from the ship's senior staff."
She glanced over at Ryhl and Zera and nodded before continuing.
"I'm currently in the process of getting settled in, but I should be ready to start receiving patients at approximately..." -she paused momentarily to glance at the time- "1100 hours; it's usually about how long it takes me to get my department set up. And... I think that's about everything you need to know?"
Jason sensing the meeting was likely going to end he set his hand on his flight helmet, wanting to get over to intelligence and attempt to get back too work, he'd been away too long and wanted to get back into some semblance of routine.
Jorel looked over at the new counselor and couldn't help but chuckle for a moment. He waited for her to finish up and replied, "Well, it sounds like counseling sessions are going to be a blast!"
Zera looked around at them all. "Thankyou for your time. Return to your posts, I shall be carrying out departmental inspections within the next few days. Dismissed."
"Thank you all for coming, everyone", Ryhl said from his end of the table. "Things are progressing smoothly towards our launch. Continue preparing your departments for launch within the next few days."
Good thing her department had been kept in order by her predecessor - and now the job had fallen to her. Bellona found herself thanking the goddess she was named for that she'd taken great effort to tighten standards (often not to her subordinates' liking). She was the first to rise and leave the briefing room in silence.
Jason picked up the flight helmet making an unceremonious exit, he didn't want to speak with anyone.
Pharos lingered a few moments, before hopping down out of his chair and walking around the table until he stood beside Commander Tirado. "Sir," he stated as he looked up at the human, before offering a hand to shake. "Let me take the opportunity to welcome you aboard the Columbia. Do let me know if there's anything I can do to help you settle in."
Ryhl stood, walking around the table to join Pharos and Zera. He listened as they spoke.
"That I will," Zera replied without looking up. "Thank you Lieutenant."
"Any time." The Ventari gave a nod to her and the captain as he excused himself. "And if you ever want to get your hands dirty in engineering, my door is always open."
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