Reporting In

Posted on Tue Nov 5th, 2024 @ 12:28am by Lieutenant Hadir Prenar & Lieutenant Magnus Volsung

1,940 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: A marathon not a sprint
Location: Security Office
Timeline: MD02 11:15

ON:


O'Sullivan walked in the Security office with a few padds. He stopped in front of Volsung's desk.

"Lieutenant Volsung? O'Sullivan, new to the ship. Reported in to CO and XO. I got CMO check up and a few other things." He placed the padds on his desk.

"Was in the office a few hours ago, so I logged in and got to work. I have the reports on the Security detail, missed a few, settled that with Jaarre. Also, the reports on all small arms on every deck. Replaced a few, but will run them through with the armoury officer. filled in a repair request for the starboard phaser array, which was misaligned during last check up and was bleeding energy, so would have blown out in 6 or 8 months. Engineering is hopefully on that. So Lieutenant Brendan O'Sullivan reporting in."

Magnus looked at him with some amusement, raising an eyebrow and looking behind the Lieutenant to his new Chief.

Hadir had stepped into the office while Lieutenant O'Sullivan gave his report. He decided to remain quiet and listen to the interaction for a moment before revealing himself. When Brendan finished, Hadir spoke. "Well, that seems like a busy day indeed for someone who just arrived." He gave one of those trademark Cardassian smiles. "Forgive me, I am the new Chief of this department. Lieutenant Hadir Prenar at your service."

"O'Sullivan." Brendan said, giving a slight nod. " Former Chief Warrant Officer, nasty habit you tend to pick up in creating the myth of running this fleet single handily. Do everything yourself." He kept his voice neutral, decades may have passed since the Maquis and dominion war, but he still wasn't overly fond of Cardassians.

"Have to break that habit, I'm afraid," Magnus said with a small smile, sitting back slightly. "We try to work as a team here, teach each other..." he stopped, because that was how he had run it. There was a new Chief now, so things might be different. The smile he went was, if nothing else, a bit sheepish. "I mean, it's how it has been in the past."

"And how we will continue to do it..." Hadir began. He tried to keep his voice official but a tad soft. He wanted the department to know that he was not like any of the other Cardassians they may have met. "... No one, and I do mean no one, is capable of doing things on their own. Advice, help, and ideas are always welcome, gentlemen. So, I would appreciate any and all the thoughts and advice you can give."

"What do you want to do with the department? As a former Advance Tactical Instructor, I can really train them. Security and tactical scenario's. Stuff which they don't teach at boot camp or the Academy." O'Sullivan said as he took a seat. " Or I could just do what I need to do and check the small arms and realign the targeting sensors and go fishing on the holodeck. Officers have way too much spare time." Brendan grinned.

Magnus' smile had faded a bit as the man spoke, the last words making him sit back a little. But he stayed silent, letting the new Chief take the lead on this as he studied the human in front of him.

"Make some training regiments and submit them to myself and Lieutenant Volsung for review. I am sure we can implement something from there." Hadir began with a smile. "As to the department, the first thing I would like to do is move to a four shift rotation. Six hours each shift. More off time for all makes for a happier and more attentive crew. That said I would take alpha shift, Lieutenant Volsung as the Assistant Chief you would get your pick of the rest of the shifts."

"I'll take Delta. It's the Junior assignment, but having an experienced hand there will help out. Also, I tend to be a night owl and devise the training regiments during that shift. Besides, I think the XO and CO are not too fond of having a maquis in their line of sight. " His gaze shifted to Hadir and he sported a big smile. " Yeah, save their bacon during the Dominion war, but Federation propaganda still makes them suspicious of the maquis no matter the dozen of times you went above and beyond. "

"The war was a long time ago," Magnus said, lightly, watching the other man before he gave him a small smile. He himself was more about people showing themselves for who they were now, not who they once were. He was neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Brendan's statement, as he had not been there and would not make assumptions.

"Senior officers are different, Lieutenant Volsung. My former job was mopping up, so either it's the maquis thing or the other thing, cleaning up after SFI. Most Starfleet officers are Scientist, Explorers or Engineers..... I'm a Soldier, so I don't fit in. People don't like to be reminded of the whole brutal side, but somebody has to do the cleaning up. And I was excellent at my job. You don't get to become an Advance Tactical instructor otherwise. Also, I tend to be a bit of an arrogant S.O.B." He sighed. " This posting is kind of getting away from being a soldier, but spent 20 odd years being a soldier, so kinda of hard to knock."

Hadir knew that at the mention of the Maquis, the others would be looking at him for a response. He made sure to give none, save for a smile or a laugh where one was warranted. He nodded as if he agreed with what was said. "Very well, I will see it done. As to the Maquis, I do find it both ironic and interesting how the Maquis were treated by the Federation. If my people decided to cross Federation borders and annex some worlds, there would be a retaliation to defend those territories from invasion, and rightfully so I might add. I ask was that not what the Maquis were doing. Despite the political crap at work, the people there saw the Cardassians as invaders and that the Federation had abandoned them. Personally, I do not fault anyone for doing what they felt was right and defending their territory. My people would have done the same if roles were reversed."

"It was a bum deal. Next moment you're a federation citizen and by a stroke of a pen, so to say, you're stateless. It was a mistake which is still being debated by politicians, philosophers and historians I think. I just follow orders, well the orders I like, otherwise I'll take a page from those old scientists, 100 years ago. Rules are flexible." He gave a quick wink and a smile.

Magnus really hoped that was a joke as he watched the other man, raising an eyebrow. "Not that flexible, there is still a right and wrong," he said, but there was a small smile on his lips. Bad orders were one thing, orders that went against what Starfleet and the Federation stood for. Orders one simply did not like? Well, most have had to swallow some of those in their time in order to do their job.

"I would agree that there are times when disobeying orders is not only warranted but expected. I hope that if it ever comes to that during my tenure on this ship you would follow the protocol and bring your grievance to Commander Slattery or Captain Tigran. If your grievance is with either one of them I hope you can feel comfortable enough to bring that to me." Hadir knew that their conversation was mostly in jest right now. However, he wanted to drive home the point that if it crossed from jest his officers should follow
protocol.


" It's a Joke, lieutenant, Kirk, Sulu, Pike, April back in the day in Starfleet the prime directive was sometimes bent. So these Starfleet Officers have a reputation and many more in that era of bending the rules or half reading orders. I'm a former CWO, it sometimes seems we also go cowboy, but that's because we tend to be between Officers and NCO's so we can play a bit of fast and loose or make it seem so with orders. We do know to tend to know best in most cases. but that's usually because of years of experience in our chosen field." He smiled.

"Ah I see..." Hadir began with the kind of smile that only a Cardassian could muster. "...Cowboy up I believe the phrase was. Back when space was like the old west of Earth. But now perhaps it is a tad more civilized."

" Well, more civilized is open to debate. Trust me when I say we ain't that civilized. And that as much as I can say about that without breaking some SFI rule or regulation." he shrugged. "But back to training, I would suggest we combine Security training with bridge training. If only to diversify the curriculum for tactical and security. Some of these enlisted never seen the bridge, so it would be a nice change. Heck, the first time I set a step on a Starfleet bridge was 6 years ago, and I've been in this fleet for over 20 years."

"If there is anyone in the department who would like to be cleared for bridge duty we can see that arranged. For that is the first step before any bridge training can be done. Of course for those interested we can run simulations in the holodeck. Not everyone is needed for bridge service." Hadir did not want to shoot down any ideas, especially with him being the new boss as it were. However, there was protocol that needed to be followed.

Magnus gave a small nod from where he was sitting. Bridge duty was something that took time, hours clocked on holodecks and training shifts, then shadowing. It was not a fast process for officers who would have clocked time in at the Academy, it would most likely take time for the enlisted as well should they do it. "Or want it," he added, a small smile coming to him. "Some don't like being that close to a Captain."

"Agreed! That is why some ship's have a Chief of the Boat. An enlisted person to liaise with the Captain." Hadir began as he returned the smile. "Well gentlemen that was exceptionally productive. For now I think I should finish settling in. If you need me the door is always open."

"Yeah, I don't think we have a Chief of the Boat, so I'll act that part for our department, been a CPO and CWO longer than an officer. I know the mindset, the standard groaning and moaning and every trick in the enlisted handbook" Brendan stood up feeling a slight thinge in his knee. " I better get some sleep been on my feet for 50 hours or so.

Magnus looked at Brendan at that, frowning. "None of that anymore, unless there is an emergency," he said, the concern clear in his eyes.

Hadir nodded in agreement with Magnus. "Yeah what he said. Go get some sleep. I do not expect to see you for at least eight hours." He smiled broadly.

" 8 hours of sleep, luxury." He shook his head. " Gentleman going to bed as order." He already knew it would be four hours of sleep top, he hadn't slept 8 hour or longer since he was 19.


LtJg Brendan O'Sullivan
Security/Tactical

Lieutenant Hadir Prenar
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant Magnus Volsung
Assistant Chief Security
[pnpc Slattery]

 

RSS Feed