Reporting for Duty

Posted on Thu Feb 5, 2015 @ 3:52am by Captain Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Caleb Ryan

1,059 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Beholder
Location: DS5/Main Operations
Timeline: MD 1/0800

Freshly showered and shaved, Caleb studied himself in the mirror as he ran the comb through his black hair. He adjusted his uniform a bit and yawned. Space lag was taking its toll on him, not yet adjusted from the time difference between the Nemesis and the station. His leg was feeling much better and he was grateful he wouldn’t need his cane for his first meeting with a new commanding officer.

Heading out of his room, he stopped by the second bedroom to peer in at Aleczandra. His daughter was sprawled out on the bed on her stomach in her pajama pants and camisole top, her rainbow hair spread over the pillow, a bit of drool and a quiet snore. Caleb smiled. Definitely space lag.

Caleb went in and kissed his daughter’s forehead softly. Such angels when asleep. He left a PADD on the nightstand beside her with instructions for her and stopped at the replicator.

“Coffee, black,” Caleb ordered. He nearly tripped over the trunks left piled in the living room as he headed out into the corridor and to the turbolift.

Caleb sipped his coffee as he waited for the lift to rise the ten levels to Main Operations. He stepped out into the early morning hubbub of shift change in a bustling station.

“Sorry, excuse me,” Caleb apologized as he was nearly bowled over by a sleepy Bolian Operations officer heading into the lift. Caleb did a somewhat graceful pirouette out of the way, hissing as he spilled a bit of hot coffee on his hand. Switching the cup to the other hand, he shook the scalded one and sucked the last few drops of coffee off of it before looking around.

“Excuse me. Captain’s ready room?” Caleb asked a couple people who basically ignored him.

Finally he grabbed the arm of a pretty young Human ensign. “Excuse me. Sorry ta bother ya’ll, but can ya direct me ta the captain?” He flashed his winning smile.

“Right there, sir,” the ensign indicated a door off of Operations.

“Thank ya,” Caleb said, heading for the door. He quickly finished his coffee and placed it in the replicator as he passed before straightening his uniform once more and ringing the chime.

---

Isha rolled her eyes. There were two things she was going to have to do. One, get a desk outside her door for her yeoman to screen visitors; and two, insist that Chief Quirm get into work half an hour earlier.

"Enter," Isha said. She was too experienced a diplomat to allow any trace of irritation to reach her tone.

The doors slid open at her command and a very tall, lanky man with dark hair and eyes entered. He was middle aged, though still handsome. His eyes crinkled at the edges like a man long used to the sun.

“Ma’am…Captain,” he greeted, his hand going up to tip a non-existent hat. “Ah’m Lieutenant Commander Caleb Ryan, your new security chief,” he told the Romulan woman sitting behind the desk. “Ah thought Ah should report in to you before Ah started mah duties, ma’am,” he said politely and stood at appropriate attention before her.

"I see, Commander Ryan. Do take a seat." She indicate a jug of water on her desk standing beside an upturned glass. "Do help yourself."

“Thank ya, ma’am,” Caleb said, pouring himself half a glass, mostly to be polite, but it was always good to have handy if needed.

"We have had little luck in recent times with our security staff, an alarmingly high turnover. The last, unfortunately, was the sole fatality from a virus that recently infected the station." Isha did not wish to prejudice him against Trellis so she skimmed over him.

Caleb frowned. “Ah’m not completely up to date on readin’ through all my briefing,” he admitted. “Ah take it the virus has been taken care of, though?” he asked, concern for his daughter coloring his tone. “Ah’m sorry ta hear about the trouble, though. A station this size needs stability in Security, Ah would imagine,” he mused. “Especially with all the civilians.”

Isha nodded. It was inevitable that from time to time Starfleet Security and the Marshal's Office would experience overlap. She hoped for that relationship to be co-operative rather than reluctant. "The Federation Marshal's office has recently opened an outpost here. They are primarily concerned with enforcing the law on the Promenade, the Square Mile, and other civilian areas. Marshal Steiner seems to be a reasonable man. I'm sure you will both have the capacity to develop a good working relationship."

“Good,” Caleb nodded. “That was going ta be my next question,” he said with an easy smile. “Ah don’t wanna step on any jurisdictional toes,” he admitted. “Wanted ta know where my boundaries were.”

Caleb shifted in his chair, leaning forward resting his arms on his knees as he looked at the captain. “Ah have ta say, ma’am, this is an…unusual situation for me,” he admitted, “to not be under a Starfleet chain of command.”

"I'm not sure I understand your assertion, Commander. In this place I report to Starfleet, not the Galae, therefore there is no disruption to the usual chain of command," she replied smoothly.

Caleb nodded. “But you’re not Starfleet,” he indicated. “Nor a Federation citizen. Ya were the Romulan ambassador. Ah know just how…involved one must be to reach such a position. Ah don’t mean ta imply anything untoward, ma’am,” he apologized. “Forgive me if Ah’ve spoken out of turn.”

How very informative, Isha thought - about his mindset, at least.

"My past is irrelevant. I was requested by Starfleet for this exchange program. My appointment is not open to debate. File any objections you might harbor with the Admiralty," she stated in the same bland tone. "If there is nothing else, you are dismissed, Commander Ryan."

Ryan frowned, realizing he might just have gotten off to a bad start with his commanding officer. But then Romulans were…touchy. “No objections, ma’am,” he said, standing. “Just bein’ honest. Sorry ta start your mornin’ off like this,” he said with a lopsided smile. “It’s a pleasure ta be on the station.”

Caleb turned and strode for the door.

OFF

 

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