Meeting the new boy

Posted on Sun Dec 15th, 2019 @ 3:56am by Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Lieutenant Casper Thornhill

Mission: Casperia Prime - A lesson in relaxation
Location: Intelligence Office
Timeline: Current
1390 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Lia stood in her new office, it looked like a bomb had gone off in it. She moved piles of papers, which then fell over and spread over the floor. She shook her head and thought of her nice clean Security Office, a noise behind her made her turn around. Standing in the door was her new Deputy Chief, she had seen him at the medal ceremony but hadn't spoken to him. Cleaning off her hand she extended it towards him, "Hi there, I'm Commander Lia Holmes. It would appear we're now working together, I hope we can get along".

Mark walked into the Office space with a steam cup of coffee in his left hand, he stopped when he spotted a new face. Tucking the PADD that he had in his right hand under his left armpit he shook the Commanders hand, "Lieutenant Mark Thornhill," he replied, "Yes, Ma'am the Captain had advised that you would be switching shortly. You came from Chief of Security yes?"

Nodding in response, Lia looked around the Office again. "Yeah, I've been the Chief of Security and Tactical for about two years. You sound like your ex-Marine, which could be useful in the coming weeks. We need to get this...........establishment back up and running, and see if we can get some staff". She now purposely knocked another pile of paperwork over, "I don't think the filing system works, so that's something else we need to get sorted". Lia looked at her deputy, "So do I address you as Lieutenant, or do you have another form of address you prefer?"

"Aye Ma'am I was in the Corp before transferred to the Elysium," he flashed a smile, "Mark or Lieutenant is fine with me. I see that this place has been used more as a storage area then an Intelligence gathering department."

She glanced at the stack of PaDD's stuck in a corner, "When we're here I'll call you Mark, you can call me Lia. On the bridge or in the blister my Rank is how you will address me, I will attempt to use your rank but please bare with me if I forget". Lia now moved over to the PaDD's, "Now just what do you supposed is on these?" She picked one up and pressed, a report about Riov Mishka Valdran now flashed up. "This will have to be checked and updated, that particular Romulan is a high priority target for this vessel. It's also personal for several of the Command Staff, myself included". She turned back to Mark, "Your assumption would appear to be correct, storage would appear to be all this was used for. We, and I do mean we. Will have to sort it out, I want this office looking ship shape asap Mark". She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "Just where the hell do we start?"

Picking up a PADD close to the door and scanned through it quickly he read about a minor level terrorist group that had been gathering some small arms thinking that they were going to over throw a local governing body in some system that Mark hadn't even heard of, "Well. We could always start at the door and work our way into your office. Don't pass fire to fight fire as the saying goes."

"Our Office, but looking at this lot it gonna take forever and a day". Lia responded, she sniffed the air. "Is it just me, or does something smell off in here?" She asked, as a seriously strong aroma now began to permeate the air since she had moved the paperwork. Marks comment about fighting the fire made her smile again, "I once had a partner in the SFI who said something similar, he looked a lot like you to".

(i)'Is she coming on to me,'(/i) he paused as he thought about what she had said, shrugging gently sniffed a bit, "When I had come down here after speaking with the Captain the environmental controls had been a little off. I had to do some changes. Maybe something got into the venting and had died." Picking up another PADD he read through it and chuckled slightly, "Sounds like some Petty Officer on Horizon four thought that they uncovered a huge crime organization only to find out that it was a relief organization that was trying to move some interesting cargo through the area," he moved and held the PADD out to Lia.

Taking the PaDD, she noted his expression when she had related her SFI history. "Don't panic Lieutenant, I have a partner. The XO to be precise, and he's the jealous type". Lia now scanned the PaDD, "Well that's different, I wonder how they expected to not get caught moving that stuff". She handed the PaDD back and continued, "Perhaps you could take it as your first job here, find out what happened to that cargo". Moving back towards the door Lia now turned and looked around the office, "I don't know what the hell the old Intelligence Chief was up to, but as far as I'm concerned it's over. The new department will be different, I need and want to update this place. You onboard with that Mark?"

"Sounds good to me. From what I read so far it sounds like they just didn't think it through," Mark watched Lia walk to the door as he sorted through some other PaDDs, "I am on board with it as well Lia." he replied dumping some more PaDDs into an empty box he had found, "Shall I continue and if I find anything of super importance I can leave it on your desk?"

Lia giggled, "You'll have to find the bloody desk first Mark, but should you find anything important contact me asap". Looking at the garbage strewn around the office Lia wondered just if her department could ever get off the ground, "The C.D.I.D. needs to get up and running quickly, or Security will lock us out of the equation. They have the ship, not even going to try and argue that one. But we need and must get the away teams, both with and without the Marines". She now looked back at Mark, "That's got to be one of our strengths, we have to be the go to guy's on away teams. It'll help with intel collection, and keep our Officers in the eye sight of the Command Staff on the bridge". This was a sideways move as far as she was concerned, but once she'd got this department running it would be an upward movement for all of the staff under her as well as for herself.

"I already have some ideas on that from my Marine career," he replied as he looked back towards the endless amount of work. It would probably take him a century to get this area clean. He started to get concerned on what he would find in his office.

Mark's response made her nod in agreement, "I'm glad we're on the same page, as of this time we are the new kids on the block. But I don't intend to keep a low profile, I want the Command Staff to know who we are and what we do".

"I'll come up with a training plan and submit it to you tomorrow," Mark replied going through more PaDDs. He had ideas like hand to hand combat training to rifle drills, it was all basic foundation stuff but like he learned it was the fundamentals that kept you alive in the field.

"That's good, I'll await and see what you come up with. But without recruits we're dead in the water, any ex-Marines that you know we might persuade to join us?"

"There are a few that I may be able to persuade in coming to the cause," Mark replied thinking about a few names. It would cost him dearly though if he was able to do it, there were a few favors he was hoping to keep till he really needed it but he could cash them in to help out, "leave it with me and I'll let you know."

Commander Lia Holmes, Chief of C.D.I.D.
USS Elysium

Lieutenant Casper 'Mark' Thornhill, Assistant Chief of C.D.I.D.
USS Elysium