A Man and his Duty

Posted on Friday July 24th, 2020 @ 7:15pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Charles Payne & Commander Kanaka Shakura

1,175 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Shakedown Cruise
Location: U.S.S. Poseidon; XO's and Chief Counsellor's Office, Deck 6
Timeline: Day 004 - 0700 Hours
Tags: Post-Departure, Post-Fighter Incident, Command

Departure had been a rousing success in the eyes of most of the crew, and Kana could feel the sense of excitement - but also intense relief - throughout the ship as she returned to her office from the Bridge. While she had a lot of things to be getting on with, she did take a few quiet moments to catch her breath and relax. She unfortunately wouldn't get a chance to rest properly until the day was done, but even this brief respite would be enough to see her through for a few more hours.

Walking over to her Replicator, she had it produce a warm cup of green tea - as was her preference - before heading over to her desk and sitting down, pulling out a PADD with her agenda for that day. Blowing gently on her beverage, she took a tentative sip as she reviewed the first few lines. Satisfied, she then decided to get on with her next business of this very momentous day.

Tapping her commbadge, she spoke clearly. =^= Lieutenant Commander Shakura to Master Chief Petty Officer Payne: Please report to my office on Deck Six at your earliest convenience. =^=

=/\= Aye Ma’am, on my way. =/\= Came the response over the com channel.

Waiting patiently for a few moments, it wasn't long till the Master Chief arrived, the chime from the door alerting Kana to his coming. "Come!" She called him in, closing down her PADD as she prepared to stand up upon his entry to give him a formal welcome.

Payne walked in with all the confidence of what one would call owning the place. With swagger stick in hand, he walked up to the XO’s desk and stood to attention “ Master Chief Petty Officer Charles Payne reporting as ordered Ma am. “ he said.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Chief. I thought it might be good for us to talk." Kana gave him a polite smile, one arm held behind her back as the other hand was placed firmly on the desk. "How did you find this morning's departure? Was everything as you expected it to be?"

“ Well, there were a few minor hic ups. But other then that, I’ve seen a lot worse Ma am. “. He said still standing at attention in front of her desk.

"Oh? What sort of hiccups?" Kana raised her eyebrow out of curiosity as she tried to get a measure of the man standing in front of her. "Please, do feel free to speak your mind. A good Chief of the Boat should always be astute, so if you've picked up on some things - no matter how minor they may seem - then I believe it would be wise to heed them, no?" She remarked in a complimentary fashion.

"Well, nothing that is not out of the norm." Said the Chief. "That is, that nothing that can't be solved with some good old fashioned intimidation and some creative encouragement." He said smiling. "Ma'am, you would be amazed what people can do when you say the word now loudly." He said smiling.

Kana's face didn't betray it, but she was sure that she didn't really agree with the sentiment. At least, not the former. She knew from his record that the Master Chief was an established veteran of Starfleet, and she could only assume he advanced as far as he had because he was thorough and capable in his role. She couldn't help but be cautious as to how well that would translate to the Poseidon's unique role as an Academy training vessel alongside it's traditional duties.

"I have no doubt, Chief." She left her remarks at that for that topic of conversation. She moved things along swiftly when she picked up a PADD on her desk and passed it over to him. "I asked you here because the Commander and I would be grateful if you could conduct a quick ship review over the next few weeks; assess how well you think the departments perform over the course of this first mission in her new role. You'll report back to us, and we will consider your recommendations and potentially take some on board."

The PADD she had passed him was a detailed list of the manifest and some particular points of interest for the Command Staff; namely Engineering, Science and Security.

"Any initial thoughts or questions before I continue?" Kana asked, after giving him a little time to give the PADD a cursory glance.

"I can do that Ma'am. But, isn't that your territory?" He asked

She smiled and nodded. "That was my next point, yes. Traditionally this would be the XO's prerogative, but we decided on this approach for two reasons: first, my continued role here as a member of the Counselling Department means I will have to effectively manage my time between both roles. Second, both the Commander and I are keen to learn from your experience."

"I will be producing my own report, however," She continued, "in which I will take more consideration of morale and cross-departmental relations, whereas we're hoping your report can focus more on the - shall we say - nuts and bolts of the ship's operation. In a few weeks time, you and I will reconvene again and compare notes, and I will compile the full report which we will then both take to the Commander. You can of course confer with me at any time. Make sense?"

"Very good. Will that be all Ma'am?" The COB asked

Kana shook her head softly. "I just want to leave you with this: I've looked over your service record and you're quite the decorated serviceman. Some would say, and I think quite rightly, that you're perhaps over-qualified for the Poseidon. I hope you don't mind my saying, Chief, but I think you'll be an invaluable asset to this ship and to our young trainees. I sincerely hope you won't find your time here leaving you wanting."

The Betazoid was on the one hand being genuinely sincere, but she was also keen to gauge the Chief's reaction.

"I thought so as well. Frankly, I was promised something more appropriate by Admiral Paris before he passed. But, i'm here now. and this job is more then just a simple COB position. It's a teaching post as well. I think I'd like to see this position out." Said Payne.

Kana nodded along as he explained the circumstances. "Well, I appreciate your honesty, Chief. Do well - as I'm sure you will - and I'll make sure the Commander and I give you a glowing commendation. Who knows, there might be time for something more opportune still yet." She gave him an approving nod.

"You're dismissed. Thank you for your time."

The Chief of the Boat got up, gave a respectful nod to his superior and walked out.

[END]

Cmdr. Kanaka "Kana" Shakura
Executive Officer and Chief Counsellor
USS Poseidon

&

Master Chief Petty Officer Charles Payne
Chief of the Boat
USS Poseidon

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