Meeting the new boss

Posted on Mon Dec 7th, 2020 @ 4:07am by Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford

Mission: Season 4: Episode 3: Guided by Starlight
Location: USS Elysium - Security Office
Timeline: MD1
1238 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Damien sighed as he looked over himself in the mirror in his quarters, fingers running nervously over the material, smoothing out the imaginary creases. His eyes flickered up to the collar where his new Ensign pip gleamed in the light. Right now he was feeling a mixture of apprehension and excitement. Whilst this wasn't his first time serving aboard a ship, he'd spent the last year on the U.S.S. Vanguard on a training course, after all, there was something unnerving about finally being on a ship for real. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, reaching up to run a hand through his hair, flattening it as best he could, before ensuring his uniform was straight, then turning around, heading out his quarters and down the hall to the Turbolift.

"Deck 19." The lift started moving and it didn't take long for it to arrive at his destination. He stepped out, offering a nervous smile and a friendly nod to the crewmembers who passed his as he walked down the hall, stopping outside the main Security Offices. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand, ringing the bell to alert whoever was inside that he was there.

Silence filled the hall as his hand left the door chime, leaving Damien standing there awkwardly with no response until the door whooshed open.

“Ah, Ensign...” S’hib snorted as he arched his back, squatting almost to be on eye level with the other man. “Come on in,” He smiled, clicking his way into the security office before grasping the back of his chair with both hands. “I'm afraid Commander Holmes isn’t here right now, so you’ve got me instead.” He finished, extending a hand out to the other side of his desk, offering the nervous Ensign a seat.

Damien looked up as the door slid open. "Ensign Dam...." His speech trailed off as he took in the officer standing in front of him. Whilst he'd made it his job to look up the crew manifest when he'd received his assignment, after all, these were the people he'd be spending the next god-knows how many years with, it still didn't quite prepare him for the sight in front of him.

He quickly removed the look of surprise from his face, not wanting to seem rude, and walked into the office, taking the offered seat.

"Thank you, sir." He said, sitting down. "Ensign Damien Augustus Blackford, reporting for duty, as commanded." He said, trying his best not to stare. The Academy had taught him a lot of things, but it was still difficult to put some things into practice.

S’hib simply smiled before sliding a PADD across the desk with a single large hoofed digit, stopping it somewhat between them
both before tapping twice and opening up a lengthy LCARs panel of text.

“You can call me S’hib, I’m not really one for formalities unless it's with the Captain.” He replied, outstretching a long arm over the desk, his large four-fingered hand waiting for his.

"Thank you si... S'hib." He said, reaching a hand across, taking the offered one. S'hib. That was going to take some getting used to. He wasn't used to such... familiarity.

His oversized equinid hand clasped around his gently, two thumbs cupping around it entirely.

“Now,” S’hib snorted, shaking his head somewhat as he sat back, getting comfortable in his new chair. “Tell me about your time on the Vanguard, says here you served with her crew for a year...” He asked politely, pulling the PADD closer to his midsection and scrolling down his file.

"Of course sir, sorry. S'hib." He said. "It was my training cruise. Funnily enough, it was my Base-Mode Operations professor that suggested I take the cruise. He thought a little hand's-on experience might help my Engineering skills improve slightly. If you look at my Academy credits, you'll see that I struggled in Engineering." He interlinked his fingers in his lap, squeezing his hands together, a nervous tic he'd developed over the years.

“So did I, tremendously so...” He grinned, lifting his hands for a moment. “Everything seems to have been designed with five fingers in mind, that and I’m a tad big to be crawling around in the Jeffries tubes every day.”

He fell quiet for a moment, not long enough for Damien to reply, but a moment nonetheless.

“Would you say then that you learn better in a practical environment, as supposed to studying?”

Before he could stop himself, Damien felt a small chuckle leave his lips, but quickly cut himself off, but still allowed the smile to stay on his lips.

"I do sir." He said, nodding. "My practical results always outshone my theory work. I must admit, I nearly failed Non-Traditional Situation's in my Second year."

“You still graduated though, got a good first posting as well... which tells me you are a very capable officer... but that the standard model isn’t very applicable to you.” He continued, leaning forward to rest on his arms, hands clicking together on the desk.

“So... rather than hold your hand and drag you around the ship like a lost colt, you can go out on your own.” He grinned before sitting back, a light snort leaving his wide nostrils. “However, I will expect you to make some mistakes, I will also... expect you to learn from them.” he finished, inclining his head to one side, fixing an eye on his, and gauging his response carefully.

He nodded his agreement, his own hands still locked together, though not as tightly as before, loosening slightly as his nerves lessened.

"I.. I... Thank you, si... S'hib." He said, quickly correcting himself. "I promise to do my best, and do this ship, and you, proud.

“Your best is all we ask,” S’hib smiled, moving the PADD to one side. “Do that and you will fit in well, we have a good team here... friendly and approachable, so any concerns, raise them, we cant help you if we don’t know you need help.” His hand idly grasped at more PADDs on the desk next to his, placing them down for later. “So, to follow up on that, and before we finish, any questions?”

He nodded, unlinking his hands, running one through his hair, smoothing out a few small strands that were still sticking up, and never seemed to want to go down.

"Understood." He said, "And none at this time, sir."

“Very well,” S’hib snorted, placing his weight on the desk and heaving himself up to his full if albeit intimidating height. “Welcome aboard the Elysium Ensign.” He smiled, outstretching his hand once more.

Damien stood as well, suddenly feeling dwarfed by the officer in front of him. He'd never necessarily been the tallest person around, but this was something else.

"Thank you... S'hib." He said, returning the smile, taking the offered hand.

With a deep nod, he shook his hand one last time before sitting back in his seat, the supports creaking slightly as it shifted under his weight. "Dismissed." S'hib snorted, as he moved the stack of PADDs from earlier in front of him.

Damien nodded, before turning around, heading out the door. Once the door was shut behind him, he let out a small sigh.

"Well. That went well." He muttered to himself, before heading down the corridor, back towards the Turbolift.