Infinity's Arrow - Part Eight

Posted on Thu Apr 15th, 2021 @ 4:32am by Commander Morae Stormstout & Lieutenant Commander Meslina Amakawa

Mission: Mission 108: Grains of Sand
Location: Various Locations - USS Infinity
Timeline: 1140Hrs - October 21st, 2393

Commander Morae Stormstout emerged from the turbolift wearing command red rather than security yellow, she looked from left to right as she noticed there were only four people present on the bridge. Most of the crew had gone on leave and as the ship was presently tethered up to one of several hundred docking scaffolds which orbited Utgarde Four, this detail did not overly bother Stormstout in the least. The massive woman smiled as she nodded to the officer at tactical who nodded back. "Good Morning ma'am."

Stormstout facepalmed. "I hate being called ma'am," she said back to him. "Since I am stuck with the formality of my new posting, I'll settle for being addressed by rank. I do prefer first names... But I doubt the regs will let me away with it." she commented as the man handed her a PADD. "The report of the watch," he explained the presence of the PADD in his hands.

"Let me guess, nothing is happening other than the refits and repairs." Stormstout accepted the PADD but she did not read it, she considered it her job to know everything aboard ship and being moved from security to Executive officer had not changed matters of state for her.

"How did you know?" the young man knew the officer before him to know how she preferred to run her affairs, she valued the flow of infomation but he tried to get along with others.

"Because I am good at what I do El-Tee." Stormstout grinned at him. "When the skipper is busy, tending to her own affair,s I like to run things so that this ship almost runs itself, issues are handled and looked after, problems are dealt with and concerns are sorted out before they get to me. I expect to hear about them in my morning report, not when something breaks around lunchtime. How each department runs its affairs is their own concerns but I like to see to it that they can be given the leeway to handle said issues. Commander Horner left some big shoes to fill and I aim to try to measure up to her."

"All fair concerns. It sounds like you already know what you need to do and how you need to handle it ma... Commander." The Lieutenant almost addressed her as 'ma'am' but he caught it right at the last second. Mentally he braced himself for a bollocking.

"Nice save EL-Tee." Stormstout then giggled softly. "Well played."

"Not what I had planned Commander." The Lieutenant answered quietly, the sound of the turbolift doors opening and closing attracted the attention of Stormstout and the Lieutenant as Lt Commander Meslina Amakawa came forward, now she was wearing security yellow rather than Operations sand.
"Hello Commander." he addressed Amakawa. "Yellow looks good on you."

Amakawa had not been expecting the compliment, it showed as she turned a dusky shade of brown, while she blushed softly. "Um... Thanks," she commented as she regarded the young man before her, he wasn't hard on the eyes and he seemed nice enough, she didn't know who he was but that would be subject to change. "Morae. Is there anything special about your security troops I know about?" she inquired of the larger female before her.

"Not really, many of them were trained as soldiers first and everything else second. You can adjust your training program to suit your own tastes and style. That's if you wish." Stormstout commented

"I think I will adjust it. I am not you and I want to do things a little differently, you got them well trained as warriors." the small-framed Trill female explained. "I'm going to expand their other training a bit, I want to see them act as scouts and diplomats rather than just solders."

"Sounds like a good plan," Stormstout answered with a gentle smile on her lips. "Meslina, you do not need to seek my approval for how you run your department, you know this."

"I know... its just that... I'm taking over to you in what used to be your department." the small Trill explained, she seemed uneasy and unsettled on the matter at hand. "It's not often I take over for someone else in someone else's department.'

Stormstout could see what the issue was here, she decided to preempt the matter from getting out of hand. "Do not trouble yourself over the matter at hand," she explained to the smaller Trill woman with a gentle smile. "Security is your domain now Meslina, not mine and you do not need to hold yourself to my standards. You are not me and I am not you. You have your own destiny to fulfill with that department, you are free to train them as you see fit and make these people into whatever form you wish... So long as you abide by the normal standards of training."

Amakawa nodded her head, as she recalled something that Lorgh, an old Klingon who had mentored her during her time at Starfleet Academy, had once said to her. "Very wise, thank you, Commander."