Impromptu Operations Meeting

Posted on Fri Aug 22nd, 2025 @ 12:30pm by Lieutenant Brendan Dernah & Lieutenant JG Binea & Petty Officer 1st Class Mina Kar & Petty Officer 3rd Class Nakata Akira

1,461 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: A marathon not a sprint
Location: Deck 5- ops center
Timeline: Md08 early evening

The fighting was over, now the hard work for the better half of the ships crew began; fixing all the damage. From her office in the Ops center down on deck 5 Lieutenant Binea was receiving reports from all around the ship and coordinating the Ops departments teams to repair the ship alongside the engineering department.

The door to the office opened and in walked Ensign Raynada and Petty Officer Kar, the expressions on their faces didn't look good.

"How bad is it?" Binea asked.

"Lieutenant Baka was right," Mina replied, her eyes going to Binea before she frowned, a slight look of dismay making her features look more Cardassian. "Main shield grid is toast, whole thing is going to need replacing, a few of the secondary generators are just about working, we can shield the bridge and engineering enough to take a few hits but that's about it."

"I guess we're lucky our destination is a shipyard, just replacing the shield grid will take nearly a week even with the right people." Binea remarked and tapped a note onto a Padd on the desk. "Will?"

Will looked at his Padd and exhaled heavily. "There's still a few sections left to check but we're looking at over a hundred separate breaks in the Eps grid, we've lost power to half of the rooms across the ship, some of the crew are going to need to double up till we can get their quarters running again."

"Sounds like you could use an extra pair of good hands to me," Brendan said from just inside the door to the Operations center. He was leaning on the doors so they wouldn't close. Brendan had a report in his hand with updated engineering needs. "I suggest we get to work but, also that we get the Engineering Department them in on this. Or have you already done that?"

"Can we help you Sir?" Binea asked when she noticed the full Lieutenant standing in the doorway, she didn't recognise him but then there were dozens of ops and engineering staff helping out from both the London and the Tigris.

"I'm Lieutenant Brendan Dernah, your new Senior Operations Officer. I just transferred over from the Tigriss. And you are?" he asked looking at the mix of officers and non-commissioned officer in the room.

"Lieutenant Binea Sir, acting chief ops officer." Binea replied though 'acting' was hardly the right description having been the defacto chief for more than four months.

Mina looked at Brendan, her head tilted as she ran her eyes over him. Curiosity, perhaps. More like attempting to get a read on him. Two Lieutenants. But Dernah was a full one. Which means that Mina and the others were witnessing a rather unique handover between the Acting Chief Operations Officer and...the new one. Unless she had misread the situation and this was some sort of ritual she had not yet witnessed on a Starfleet vessel.

Akira literally froze mid-motion as he watched the interaction with wide, dark eyes. He unconsciously took a slight side-step towards Mina, tucking in beside her as if cover might be wise...but still with a good view.

Brendan just smiled at all of them. Then walking over to Lieutenant Binea, he extended his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Binea."

Brendan noticed the move made by the PO3 and looked over at both enlisteds and said, "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm just your new Chief, that's all." as if to assuage their feelings. He knew some non-Betazoids could be slightly afraid of him but tried to get them not to.

Binea took Brendan's hand and gently shook it. "I don't remember seeing anything about us getting a new chief." She remarked.

The Cardassian-Bajoran hybrid watched Brendan for a long moment, her chin lifting. She kept silent though. Mina had been more curious to see if it would come to some sort of power struggle.

"I was scheduled for another ship but at the last minute I changed my mind about that one and was re-billited here as your new Chief," Brendan said all the while noticing the rest of the room to gauge how they were taking the news.

Though it didn't show on her face Binea was rather annoyed, after all this time playing department head she'd hoped to be offered the position permanently. "Then I yield this chair to you Sir." She said and stood up.

"While I appreciate your sentiment, I assure you that it's not necessary or appropriate at this moment, Lieutenant," Brendan said. "I'm not fully up to speed on this ship as of yet and will need you to help get me settled in, if that's OK with you?" Brendan said. Even without his telepathy, he could feel a deep resentment flowing from the junior grade lieutenant. Maybe he had made the wrong choice not taking that FO spot.

Akira glanced between them, unable to stand the spiky atmosphere any longer. "Would anyone like coffee?" he asked, loud enough to carry across the entire group that had gathered, anything to break the tension.

Brendan did all he could to stifle a laugh while saying, "I'll take a peppermint hot chocolate, please."

A small chuckle left Binea's lips and she quickly sat back down. "Tarkelian tea, please. Then head down to deflector control and get an update from the team there."

"On it..." Akira assured, lifting a hand in the air as he hurried off to gather a tray of drinks for the gathered team. At least it took him out of the line of fire.

"Our status is Sir," Binea started. "Is that we took a kicking, without the London and Tigris we probably would have been lost."

Brendan looked at the acting ops officer quizzically and asked her a very pointed question. "Lieutenant Binea, am I sensing a little 'tude here? I didn't ask for this assignment and I will tolerate no dissension or insubordination. Now, are we going to be able to work together or not?"

"No attitude from any of us," Mina cut in, the Quartermaster never one to hold back. She knew the question hadn't been to her. But she owed Binea this. "Merely surprise, at the end of a hectic time. We weren't informed you'd be arriving today. I am sure you understand, Sir." She glanced at Binea before she straightened. "If I'd be excused, I'll go and check on the power levels and connectors of the phaser banks. I am sure that Security will be breathing down our backs soon regarding it. Somehow they seem...unable to process that Engineering make the power, we make it go where it is needed."

"Of course Petty Officer. But I think you should check with Lieutenant Binea first. I haven't officially taken over as of yet. I apologize for you not having been informed of my arrival and I suggest you take that particular issue up with Captain Tigran. I will be in my quarters reading up on the specs for this ship. Carry on."

"Go ahead Mina." Binea gave a small smile then waited for her to leave.

Mina gave a small nod to both of them before she left, a frown coming to her as she stepped out.

"No attitude intended," Binea gave a heavy sigh. "It has been a long hard day, and that is our situation, without the London and Tigris showing up we'd probably be destroyed or at least drifting in space and the Marathon captured by a band of mercenaries with no morals at all. The shield grid is all but burnt out, main power is down across more than half the ship."

"Understood and I hope that we can forge a better working relationship. I didn't realize that the battle did that much damage to the Wolff. If you need any help with anything, please don't hesitate to ask. It is what I'm here for isn't it?" Brendan said with a smile. His hope had been restored in seeing that this assignment had been a good thing.

"Any help you can provide will be useful," Binea replied. "Even with the help of crews from both the Tigris and London there's a lot of repairs to be made."

"That I can see. Lieutenant Binea, I'm going to drop by Engineering as a matter of fact. Good day to you all. Remember, I'm never too far away if you need anything," Brendan smiled and waved as he left for his next stop on his non-stop, whirlwind tour of the USS Wolff.


OFF:

Lieutenant Brendan Derbah
Chief Operations Officer
USS Wolff

Lieutenant Jg Binea
Operation Officer
[Pnpc] Taliserra

PO3 Nakata Akira
Operations
[PNPC Rowe]

 

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