The First Senior Officer's Meeting

Posted on Monday August 19th, 2019 @ 12:45pm by Lieutenant Commander Canaan Serine & Captain Franklin Johnson & Lieutenant Colonel Phoebe Graydon & Commander Kanaka Shakura & Lieutenant Commander Karn Karn & Lieutenant J'Loni Mo'Bri Daughter House L'Keth & Lieutenant Nealey Brinsley & Lieutenant Commander Nivora T'vek & Lieutenant Commander Freya Mannerheim & Lieutenant JG Sydney Allen & Commodore Gregory Paladin
Edited on on Friday August 23rd, 2019 @ 3:32am

6,560 words; about a 33 minute read

Mission: Departure and Trial Run
Location: Deck 6; Forward Briefing Room
Timeline: Pre-Poseidon Launch; Pre-Departure; Senior Officer's Meeting

[ON]

Phoebe had been advised to get all the senior staff into the briefing room, ready for the first briefing before their mission began. She had got the room setup, and put all the relevant information onto the wall board. She then sent a message around to all of the senior staff, asking them to attend, before taking her seat and the end of the table, and waiting to see who turned up first.

Commander Franklin Johnson and Commodore Gregory Paladin were second to come inside the meeting room; located on the fore of the ship, along the edge of the saucer with viewports displaying the amazing drydock outside - ships passing to and fro and a brief glimpse of deep space. Inside the room there was a coffin-shaped meeting table with an inlet specifically for the Captain of the ship, and a computer close beside. The meeting table had eight seats including the Captains, with eight additional seats - four on either end of the room. Both Commander and Commodore gave Phoebe a nod.

"Number One," greeted the Commander as he took his seat, "Very nice to see you again."

"Lieutenant Commander," greeted the Commodore as he took his seat adjacent to the Commander.

"Settling in well?" asked Franklin to Phoebe.

Phoebe nodded. "Settling in fine, thank you Commander. As is my daughter Chloe. I will have to get her to come and meet you at some point. I believe she's getting settled in before going to meet her mentor." She answered, smiling.

Lieutenant Commander Shakura arrived only a few moments after the Commander and Commodore. She had of course met the Commander before and gave him a smile and a nod, though she let him continue his conversation as she took her seat next to the Executive Officer.

Both the Commander and Commodore smiled and nodded back towards the Second Officer, Gregory taking a particular interest as he leaned closer from the table.

"How's it feel with a bit more authority, Lieutenant Commander?" he asked.

Kana smiled politely at the Commodore, placing her hands together on the table. "It's certainly not something I expected, sir, but I'm ready to serve the Commander to the best of my ability." She had never intended to see herself in this position, truth be told, but through her desire to help as many people as possible it seemed like something she couldn't refuse.

Gregory gave a slight smile, and a nod. "It suits you," he offered. "If you need any advice and the Commander is not available, my office is always open."

"I will keep that in mind." The Commodore was already a person of interest to her on account of what she had glimmered about his relationship with the Commander and the ship, so if this provided a means for her to start a conversation with him, she would certainly take that opportunity.

Finally, Freya had found her way to the meeting room. Still unsure why she had been called to this meeting in the first place, she found herself the most remote corner of the table and took a seat, hoping that the confusion would be cleared up eventually.

Both the Commodore and the Commander gave a welcoming nod to the Acting Chief Flight Control Officer. While there had not been a formal promotion ceremony for Freya, unlike the ships new Second Officer, it was somewhat generally understood that due to the lack of a Chief that Freya was the Chief. To emphasize this point, Gregory briefly turned his attention her way, greeting with the word, "Chief".

"Commodore." Freya gave a curt response to Paladin before turning to the Commander. "Commander, you seem to have more trust in my piloting skills than I do myself. I hope I won't disappoint."

Franklin turned to Freya briefly, giving a curt nod and wink, before turning his attention back to his XO.

Lieutenant Karn swaggered into the meeting room still wearing the long coat of the Lurian Royal Navy. "Commodore! Commander! Chief! How good it is to finally meet you! I am the Lieutenant Karn!", he said with a slight bow.

The Commodore and Commander gave a curt nod to the Chief of Security, moreso from Franklin who almost burst into a full blown chuckle. He restrained himself, offering the polite recognition as he returned his attention to his First Officer as they continued their conversation.

J'Loni walked briskly into the observation lounge, having adjusted her baldric a few minutes before entering. Nodding in respect, "Commodore, Commander's, Lieutenant's, a pleasure sir's", she said as she took her seat.

"Lieutenant," both Franklin and Gregory greeted. They seemed to be practically in sync at this point, sharing a smirk with each other over the humor of the joint vocal greeting.

With most of the senior staff assembled, Canaan was one of the last to arrive. The location of their meeting place was serendipitous, as it afforded the Lieutenant a short commute after touring the emplaced scientific facilities. Walking around the perimeter of the conference table at a brisk pace, Canaan offered a kind smile to those he made eye contact before taking a seat near a young woman. "Good morning, everyone." He greeted with a soft voice.

The very energetic pace was not lost to the Captain and Commodore, whom both exchanged a return greeting with jovial intent.

Freya looked at the assembled officers, noting that everyone was higher in rank than her - yet she was still here. She briefly held on to the badge in her pocket and then nodded as she made a decision and moved her chair closer to the table. "Morning all," she finally said, putting on a smile. If she was going to be in a senior officer position, she might as well start acting like it.

Sydney snuck into the room and grabbed a seat in the corner, knowing about everybody's history in the room, before she even boarded the ship she was given the manifest to look over so she knew that the commander had tried to put laxatives in the food but was stopped by his instructors. She had to profile everyone that was in this meeting as she knew it had to be an officer with access to all the ship. She spotted the Commander and Commodore and gave them a stern nod of acknowledgement. Even so she wasn't a senior officer she knew why she was at this meeting.

"It took longer than expected to ensure Sick Bay was somewhat in order," came a haughty and imperious voice as a tall slim Romulan entered the room, his tone seemed neither apologetic nor regretful, indeed it seemed utterly bereft of anything other than mild distaste, offering neither apologies nor anything else as he walked his way over to the long table. His pace steadily measured and purposeful much like a Warbird on patrol, he lowered himself gently into a chair, resting his elbows upon the table and looking over his bridged hands at the assembled.

He was somewhat unimpressed by what he had seen thus far, Sick Bay had been an unqualified mess, poorly organised and missing much of what he at least considered to be a necessity for good practise, and precious little in the way of records, there was much to do, far too much and part of him revelled in the work. No deed after all, was superior than a deed done in service.

He had managed to put in some requests for Starfleet Medical but he had came to his own conclusions, and he suspected it would certainly not help the crew's perception of him, but, he reflected, he was here to do a job, friendship wasn't even an addendum on the Agenda, as he surveyed those around him he again mentally lambasted these Starfleet uniforms for their discomfort, he had much preferred his former attire, but that unfortunately had not been an option, but then some sacrifices were always required.

With a glance around the room, Franklin noted that all - if not most - of his Senior Officers were here; Sydney's and presence had been greeted by a nod by the Commander and Commodore and she had been invited to observe, Lieutenant T'vek's given a warm "Welcome" that seemed inappropriate - due in part to his still foreign demeanour. Standing up and brushing off perceptions, he gave a formal wave to everyone now present, then places his hands by his sides briefly as they nervously tugged at his uniform. A split-second later, they were behind his back, he pacing around the awkwardly shaped meeting table.

"By now," he began, the light in the room dimming as a shade extended over the view-ports. In the center of the meeting table, a small device opened to reveal a holographic projector. It hummed to life, revealing a copy of Starbase 99's interior and the USS Poseidon sitting in her berth - cables extended and berthing equipment still locked. "You have all met me at some point during your transition on this ship," Franklin continued. "I want to thank all of you for choosing to join the Poseidon, it is an honor to serve Starfleet and the Federation with you here. For our exchange officers-" he nodded to Karn and Nivora "-thank you for choosing my ship for your experience in the Federation. I hope it lives up to your expectations and provides you with ample experience."

"I'm not going to beat around the bush with anyone here," he said as the projection changed automatically to that of the Poseidon herself, the Miranda-class beautifully portrayed in such realistic holographic imaging. "This ship is a Starfleet Academy Training Ship. Commodore Gregory Paladin-" he nodded to the man of the name, who gave a nod to everyone in return "-is our assigned Director of Academy Operations. Commodore Paladin was and is a current instructor at the Academy and briefly the Captain of the USS Poseidon exactly one year ago, taking her on her first shakedown from mothball and testing his hypothetical angle for Academy usage. He took the time to go back to and connect the dots, and because of him, we are all here."

There was a slight smile of appreciation from Gregory, but he respectfully refrained from comment. This was Franklin's show, not his. With the two Commanding Officers, one current and one prior, exchanging a nod, Franklin continued.

"This means that we will be sent the freshest of the fresh from the Academy, entrusted into our hands to teach and tutor and prepare them for their hopefully long and fruitful careers with Starfleet. It will be our job to ensure that their pursuit of education is met, is furthered, and is fully prepared for their enlistment. They could find that enlistment while on study here, such as the recent case of Ensign Erica Hartmann in Medical-" he gave a nod to Lieutenant T'vek then "-and our proof of concept Academic graduate, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Sydney Allen."

At that he turned and extended his hand to motion to Sydney, letting the room notice her briefly, before he drew the attention back to the center of the table at the hologram. The hologram changed to a image of a similar Starbase to Starbase 99; the image was now of Starbase 47. Before he mentioned it, however, he dragged attention back to himself with a clearing of his throat.

"Before I move on, any questions concerning our duty as an Academy training ship?"

"Oh ho ho, Captain - I will have much to teach the little greenhorns!", remarked Karn before realizing such interjections were not the norm.

The comment from Karn not lost on the Commander, giving a wink to his Chief Security and Tactical Officer before resuming his attention to the group as a whole.

Canaan listened intently, mentally noting the Poseidon's success stories in the short time since its shakedown cruise one year before. Shaking his head to the Commander's question, the Lieutenant sat back in the high-back chair before crossing either leg over the other and clasping both hands in his lap.

Seeing no other signs of questions, and his Chief Science Officer's shake of the head, Franklin motioned toward Gregory.

"Commodore, your turn," Franklin stated. He briskly walked around the table, sat in his position, and stared up as the Commodore took his place.

Gregory Paladin appeared to be an imposing man, but he presented himself rather humbly for his outward appearance. His raven-black hair was finely combed, his facial hair finely shaven, and his posture and uniform were kept conditioned. Gregory's gaze around the meeting room was one of intent and scepticism, of hidden questions and reservations. He didn't express it, but his eyes did, especially to anyone paying attention. Something was hidden behind that expression, something that he held close to himself. His off-putting smile towards the Senior Officers would change the brief silence as his words broke through it.

Kana was intently focused on the Commodore as he rose to take centre stage. If the look in his eyes had been lost on everyone else, it certainly wasn't on her. As she had observed him the other day in the Officers' Lounge, the man was charismatic and able to control a room with ease, but his eyes betrayed a much more private nature. Whether it was insidious or not was too early to say, but the Chief Counsellor was made more and more intent to get to the bottom of who he was sooner rather than later.

"I'm Commodore Gregory Paladin," Gregory began, his posture not as nervous as Franklin and decisively more assured. "As the Commander stated, I was once the Commanding Officer of the Poseidon. What he kept polite and formal I will lay bare. The very reason I left this ship was because both my parents died, as did the majority of my family. I had to take time off and Starfleet utilized that by preparing this ship for its future purposes, often by being a floating classroom."

He was silent as he paced to the left, in front of the shaded view ports as he allowed his prior revelation and words that followed sit in. He looked down briefly before continuing.

"I am your Mission Advisor, as assigned by Starfleet Command, and as Commander Johnson has stated I am also the Director of Academy Operations. Most of you would have never heard of this branch of Starfleet Academy and frankly I don't blame you, it's new, only over a year old, and our purpose is to find new and better ways to train the next generation of Starfleet personnel. The Poseidon presented a perfect opportunity for us to do just that."

He motioned towards the image of Starbase 47, making sure everyone had paid attention to it before continuing.

"On the screen, as labelled, is Starbase 47. That is our present objective for a brief layover and to gather any further crew or Academy cadets on the waiting list. The majority of our arrivals from this briefing onward will arrive by shuttle-craft, if the situation permits. After Starbase 47-" at this the image changed to that of Starbase 129, slightly different in shape, near the Cardassian Border "-we will arrive at our destination, Starbase 129. Our objective this shakedown cruise is to ferry critical medical supplies from Starbase 99, gather additional supplies at Starbase 47, and conclude our delivery to Starbase 129. The Cardassian Union is in desperate need of these supplies and Starfleet is conducting a massive response, the Poseidon a critical role in that with the advanced medical equipment we will be delivering there. Furthermore, our cargo will also include food replicators and the necessary resources to have them function for years. This will be critical to at least two colonies we know of in the Cardassian Union who are on the brink of starvation."

During his explanation the holographic image had changed to that of the two worlds in question, in between with images of the medical supplies in question. It seemed to move with the conversation at hand, the hologram never missing a beat. It settled on Starbase 129 again. Gregory continued.

"Once we are at Starbase 129, we will conduct another layover and my mission here will end. I will formally hand over ruling authority to Commander Franklin Johnson and I will return to Starfleet Academy to flesh out further procedures necessary for the Department of Academy Operations. The Poseidon and this mission is our critical test-bed into the theory proposed well over a year ago now, and your part in this is critical in ensuring I have a good word on it. As Franklin stated, this is a training ship, first and foremost. The majority of your missions will reflect the necessary danger requirements for holding cadets, which if I may be honest, will be next to none. You won't see combat here, you won't see war, you will see a lot of supply missions and downtime. I don't intend to change that unless something drastic happens. If it does, however..."

As his words drifted, the hologram began to display the numerous awards that were awarded to the USS Poseidon during her time of service. Gregory watched it briefly before continuing.

"The USS Poseidon is a highly decorated Starfleet vessel, having contributed vastly to the war effort during the Dominion War - a war I myself shed blood in. The Poseidon participated in Operation Return, the Battle of Betazed, the First Battle of Chin'toka, and numerous other engagements. In each one, she survived, bringing those survivors back. She was a critical backbone of the wars logistics effort and as such will continue to fulfil that role for you, her present crew."

At the mention of the Battle of Betazed, Kana felt the hairs on her arms stand up. While she maintained her calm composure, she had to fight her minds urge to go back to her childhood. She was only eleven years old when the Jem'Hadar had taken her homeworld in a brutal conquering that was achieved in less than ten hours. The experience then - and subsequent liberation efforts thereafter - had a significant toll on her and her family. Her beloved father Augustus had been so mentally damaged he was deemed infantile, and from then on her relationship with her mother Proxima quickly deteriorated. It was the darkest moment of not just the Federation, but her life as well.

"Focus, Kana. Focus." She quickly brought her mind back under control, only betraying her inner conflict with a near silent release of breath through her nose.

The holographic image listed the ships specifications then, Gregory continuing.

"Starfleet has accepted my recommendation that the Poseidon be reclassified as an Anti-Piracy Convoy Escort Destroyer. What this means for you is exactly what the name implies. The majority of your missions is ferrying supplies, as previously stated, but most of the time you will do by defending civilian or Starfleet transport assets. We do not expect some drastic rise in piracy, but your ships presence alone will deter most of them. In the end, your job is just as essential as if you were on the front lines, and you'll be contributing and continuing this ships lineage as an escort ship. That is something I would be proud of, and I know you'll live up to that expectation."

He opened his arms invitingly, "Any questions before I had this back to the Commander?"

Canaan was among one of the first to speak, clearing his throat and raising a hand before doing so. "Sir, if I may, what about Starfleet's primary mandate of scientific exploration and discovery? Are we anchored to the freighter lanes or will there be time for our crew of cadets and trainees to experience the true intent of our own star trek's?" The Lieutenant was unabashed in his question.

The Commodore nodded to the Lieutenant, smiling. "I'm glad you asked, Lieutenant Serine," he said, demonstrating his ability to remember names he either studied on or individuals he met previously. "Yes, you will, all of you. Much like at the Academy, there needs to be instructors. When you chose and were accepted into your positions - some of you promoted into them - you became a new instructor of this floating Academy. In your typical duties as Senior Officers, this isn't nothing new, but it's special in this manner because instead of operating under strict Starfleet regulations, you have the leeway of being also under Academy regulations. This ship is effectively Starfleet Academy property, by extension Starfleet Command's, and operates under Academy principles. Things will be a bit more lighthanded here and you'll have more leeway to request for additional opportunities and instructions - such as a diversion to a scientific anomaly to do research, Lieutenant Serine."

"At the same time," Gregory continued, his expression stern, "as I stated, this is still a Starfleet vessel. Academy or not, if we are under a critical mission, we will oblige by Starfleet regulations under such pretence. I expect in these situations that this ship follow that. It will look good on your records, my records, the Academy's records, and those cadets you are now obligated to. Anything else is extra, and-" he added with a smirk "-I'll overlook those 'diversions' so long as those cadets get the training they deserve. You can only learn so much from a stationary academy. Here, they can learn so much more."

"I hope that answers your question, Lieutenant. Anything else?" the Commodore asked in general to everyone present.

As the Commodore was speaking, Freya took a PADD from the inside pocket of her uniform and took some notes of the mission outline. "I have a question, Commodore," she said, looking directly at him. "Are there any expected navigational hazards, any ion storms, anything that may require a change in route, or will this be pretty much a straight shot to our destination?"

"If there is to be an excessive amount of downtime then I believe such time should be judiciously and swiftly to that end, utilised," Interjected Lieutenant T'vek in his cold distanced tone, his expression akin to a sheer mountain for what expression it held apart from mild disdain, "The Medical Records I have access to are woefully inadequate, and it would be neglectful of me not to correct this, in addition to the good practise of establishing a baseline should anything untoward happen in the future." he continued leaving slightly over his still interlaced fingers a slight condescending smirk playing across his faintly viridian features almost like moss upon a crag.

"It is to that end that I would request to submit the crew to a full and extensive medical check under varying circumstances, one of which being a fitness test, examinations upon a sick bay bed are one thing, but should combat occur," he paused here for a moment recalling and then dismissing the earlier assertions that the danger level was negligible, a point that he considered to be easily discarded, 'a crew at ease is a crew unprepared after all.' "A baseline of heightened tension and adrenaline is altogether much more useful." T'vek's tone could more charitably compared to a drawl, he had in mind not the paltry physical and fitness test he had been subjected to by Starfleet on his induction but to the Fitness Tests conducted by the Star Empire's Military, an altogether more gruelling endeavour, after all the strong must be recognised and the weak either supported or removed from a position where they may weaken the whole.

The Chief Medical Officer's interjections took Kana's attention away from Paladin as she observed his rather cold and unaffectionate mannerisms. This was hardly surprising on account of being a transfer from the military of the Star Empire, but she paid attention because this was the man she would be working alongside in the Medical and Counselling division. She was grateful at that moment for having accepted the position of Second Officer, for at least he would have to respect her seniority, though she was sure he would do so reluctantly.

At the mention of fitness tests, she felt a slight unease. Not in any way due to the fact that she wouldn't be able to perform well in them - she was in a very healthy physical condition, and enjoyed staying physically active - but more for the reason that it would inevitably lead to questions about her medical history and history in general, a subject on which she was sensitive. "I wonder if the Lieutenant will be as eager for a rigorous psychological examination?" She humoured herself with the thought.

Gregory looked to Freya first, smiling. "No, Lieutenant. We do not expect any hazardous events. The lane we will be travelling has been scouted by one of our Nova-classes, I believe the Commander would be familiar; the Tennessee. We've checked and rechecked, and this mission has been personally reviewed and approved by myself."

Freya nodded and made another note on her PADD, and she could not help but smirk at the Romulan's remark on the crew's fitness standards. It appears that the so-called Star Empire had similar standards to the Terran Empire, and she herself had observed the crew being somewhat lacking in those respects.

The Commodore turned to the Romulan Chief Medical Officer. "Lieutenant T'vek, that is the Commanders prerogative to approve or not. I know the Poseidon has a wonderful gymnasium facility, and would be adequate. In your case, I suggest submitting the proposal to your Commanding Officer."

He smiled, then, once again, "Anything else?"

Nealey was late to arrive having been preoccupied with ensuring her family were alright to unpack while she attended this briefing.

"Sorry I'm late everyone. Lieutenant Brinsley - Chief Operations Officer" Nealey said.

"Ah, welcome Lieutenant!" Gregory greeted, "was wondering where you were. I hope everything is alright? Here's a summary of what's been going on."

He walked to the table and, taking the offered PADD from Franklin, handed it to Nealey. He took a step back.

"If you have any questions, Lieutenant Brinsley, feel free to speak up. For right now, I'm handing this back over to the Commander. Commander?"

Nealey accepted the PADD and thanked Gregory for the understanding and welcome. The Australian then moved into a different position so she could see Franklin properly - taking a quick glance of what was on the PADD before the Commander started speaking again.

Gregory motioned for Franklin as he left the spotlight, sitting back down. The Commander thanked the Commodore politely, standing up to take the center of attention.

"One last mention before I formally open this to your questions and concerns," started Franklin. "An important thing to note here is that the Poseidon is and always will be a Starfleet vessel. As the Commodore emphasized before, we still operate under our founding principles and guidelines. To that end, I have a few things to add."

He motioned towards the hologram, it displayed a condition alert schematic that was basic obvious to anyone present; alert green, alert yellow, alert red. Adjacent to the side of these alerts it had two other conditions; Starfleet Protocol and Academy Protocol. Franklin continued.

"Displayed there is our new alert status. We will retain the standard alert protocol that is Starfleet regulation. Additionally since this ship has its own flight crew-" he gave a nod to Lieutenant Neteri Shannon then "-we have the blue alert as a standard protocol for landings and launching. If you'll note, there's two additional words on the right of the alerts there that explain briefly what we will now be adding to these moving forward."

The holographic image changed to that of Starfleet Protocol, giving a brief summary as Franklin continued.

"Starfleet Protocol will be announced when this ship is under strict orders from Starfleet. There will be no exemptions to our orders made, unless I say so or give the go ahead, and we are expected to operate under the assumption that the orders are critical for the Federation. This mission to Starbase 129 is a fine example of that. In contrast," he said as the image changed to that of Academy Protocol, "Academy Protocol will be our standing orders to operate as a floating academy. We will divert our time if possible to explore scientific curiosities and other activities- "giving a nod to Lieutenant Serine and Lieutenant T'vek respectively "-that will assist our cadets in their courses and the ship as a whole. This will be announced regularly by myself or the XO, or whomever happens to be on the announcements that day, to the entire ship. I want to make it clear that by switching from one protocol to another does not permit insubordination. That is where each of you come in. You will be this floating Academies instructors. You will also be their officers when the line of duty is called upon. I expect you all to distinguish the difference and excel past it."

"On a final note," he added as he clapped his hands together, "I'd like to ensure we all know we operate under the authority of Starfleet's Pegasus Fleet, Task Force 11. Following the conclusion of this meeting, Gregory and I will be handing out the relevant datapads. Lieutenant Brinsley has been given one preemtively because they had affairs to take care of, the rest of you will recieve one detailing our responsibilities and our roles beyond what we've discussed here today. My door is always open for you and I am very willing to help you in your studies, assignments, and especially with the cadets. I expect no less of you with me. On the Tennessee I treated my Senior Officers as equals, and I made sure they knew that. I'll tell you the same thing I told them. Don't give me an excuse not to."

He let the statement sink in, then, "Alright, question and answer time. You are all given permission to speak freely. Don't hold anything back and don't feel you'll be judged. The Commodore and I have a thick skin," he finished with a small chuckle.

Canaan remained quiet with no questions or concerns immediately coming to mind. Instead, he glanced around the room to see who would speak up first.

Phoebe looked around at the assembled crew. They appeared to be a good bunch, but only time would tell how they'd all work together. "Any questions, anything at all, as long as it's relevant to the ship and it's crew." She asked, giving a reassuring smile.

Freya looked around the room. "Am I right to understand we may encounter pirates on our mission? From plenty of personal experience, I can confidently say that pirates, if we ever find ourselves in a situation of direct mano-a-mano combat, fight dirty. Very dirty. Commander, if I may, I would like to share some of my knowledge and experience with my fellow crew and provide some instruction on how best to counter some of the most common tricks for anyone interested."

This little statement caught Karn's attention and he turned his head with an interested grin.

Phoebe nodded at the suggestion. "As long as the CO signs off on it, I can't see any issue with it. It actually sounds like quite a good idea." She answered, liking the idea that had been presented to them. It would always benefit the entire crew to have some training drills whilst on board.

"That's right Number One," Franklin replied in agreement. "Matter of fact, I suggest you get with Lieutenant Karn for a regiment of training sessions. After the meeting, Lieutenant Freya, I want you to personally fill out what you believe will be required to fulfill that role. Hand it to Karn, he has a vast experience that area. You two work together to get that done."

Freya looked at Karn and nodded. "Aye sir. Lieutenant Karn, I will contact you to discuss this further later on today."

He smiled, the Commander awaiting any further questions or comments.

Sydney nervously raised her hand, "I haven't been given the inventory for the medical supplies, when will I be receiving that?"

Franklin blinked, then looked at the Chief Medical Officer, then back at Sydney. "I find that very odd, Quartermaster. I'll have it relayed to your desk by this evening. Might have gotten mixed up in everything today. I also recommend consulting Lieutenant T'vek himself on this matter afterwards."

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Will the orders for the resupply have been filled in yet or do you need me to do that?" Sydney asking another question.

Franklin glanced at the Quartermaster, "That is your job, is it not?"

Sydney's eyes widened with the expression of a deer in the headlights, "Suuurrre I will get into that straight away. Just curious, what forms do I fill out. Asking for a friend."

Both the Commodore and Gregory glanced at each other. Both of them gave the expression of, You've got to be kidding me. The two were privy to what was going on, and they were not impressed. Gregory, for his part, kept his stern expression hidden. Franklin gave a short sigh, looking at Sydney.

"Lieutenant, if you are unable to perform your duties, then let me know now. One of these Senior Officers present will be happy to help. I will too. I cannot tolerate, however, a Quartermaster who doesn't know how to do their job."

It was a deep reprimand, public, in front of Seniority. Considering what Sydney had proven true compared to what he was seeing, Franklin was losing his patience.

With embarrassment, she lowered her head and replied with a soft voice, "No sir, I can carry out my duties, I do apologise. I need to be somewhere."

Sydney taking the criticism hard, she quickly got up and ran out of the room so none of her fellow officers saw her in tears.

"Permission to leave, granted," Franklin softly said. He blinked, awkwardly, glancing at the room, then down at Gregory. The Commodore was just a surprised as he was. Was this a tactic to get away to register information? Did she really just have a breakdown? The soft whimpers could still be heard when she doors slid closed, Franklin feeling for all the world like a horrible man.

Gregory stood then, standing beside his protege. Franklin had his hands up awkwardly, fingers and thumbs rubbing in a fashion that compared to someone who had social anxiety. It was gone in an instant, replaced by a professional posture the moment he registered the Commodore. Gregory leaned in, softly speaking so no one could overhear - save perhaps the Romulan.

"She's too young for the intelligence services," he whispered, "you know how Section 31 is. They hire young, they nearly always die young. Just because someone is supposed to be professional doesn't always mean they are. Remember, training ship. Even she could be sent here to train as well."

Kana had watched the scene unfold and the tension it caused with a mix of surprise and concern, though her face didn't betray it. The young Lieutenant Allen had come to her yesterday in a state of emotional unease, and it seemed her initial thoughts on her mental well-being were being proven correct. Not that she could blame her for being so shaken by being called out in front of Seniority in such a manner, though at the same time she didn't fault the Commander's need to be firm with discipline.

Noticing his body language, the Chief Counsellor could sense the building anxiety in Franklin before the Commodore swiftly stepped in. Whatever he was whispering, it quickly calmed the Commander, his 'father-type' persona quickly putting itself on display for her to witness for herself for the first time. "Paladin really does have his influence over the Commander, it seems."

Franklin nodded, taking a deep breath, turning around as he gazed at the Officers before him - many who no doubt saw this as probably a negative trait of the Commander. He looked down, then up. "I apologize to all present, I've set a bad example. But, it is a learning opportunity. As you can see, cadets - even promoted cadets - can sometimes still be unused to what a Commander can dish out, even some of you. Let my mistake be a lesson in diplomacy for how you treat these cadets. I leave the floor open to you, now."

Gregory nodded to Franklin, a soft pat, before taking his seat again and leaving the Commander before his peers.

Sensing that the recent events were an opportune moment for her to speak, Kana raised her hand briefly, which the Commander acknowledged. Nodding in thanks to him, she then spoke. "Thank you, Commander. I'd like to reassure you that I think you acted as you should have in that situation. I can inform you that Lieutenant Allen brought herself to my attention yesterday, and showed strong signs of emotional unease. I will be providing her with counselling going forward until such a time as I feel she is more emotionally stable."

She then turned her attention to the rest of the senior officers, her tone polite and approachable but also definitive, "As Senior Officers, it is our responsibility to ensure the physical and mental safety of our staff and crew at all times. As we will be dealing with a lot of cadets and junior officers fresh from the Academy, I ask that you all keep in mind that a number of them will likely arrive in a state of unease about themselves, especially on what will likely be their first voyage. If you have concerns about their mental wellbeing - or the mental wellbeing of any of your fellow crew-mates, even those around this table now - I encourage you to refer them to me and my counselling team as soon as possible. I'm also readily available to any of you in order to provide advice and address any concerns you may have in this regard should you need it."

Turning her attention to the Commander once again, she gave another nod, signalling that she had finished speaking.

The Commander nodded to his Second Officer, then stayed quiet for a moment longer. He then nodded, seeming to make a motion as the room's illumination seemed to brighten. The covering over the view ports raised, revealing the dry dock and a worker bee unit flying past just at the right time; in the distance an old Excelsior-class starship could be seen moving from her berth. Franklin smiled at everyone present.

"This meeting is now adjourned," the Commander said, keeping his smile. "You may proceed to review the details listed on each of your PADD's. Any further questions, let either myself, the XO, or our Second Officer know. Dismissed."

[OFF]

"We prefer to help ourselves. We make mistakes, but we're human—and maybe that's the word that best explains us." — Captain James T. Kirk

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