An introduction... the XO arrives

Posted on Sun Jul 7th, 2024 @ 9:13pm by Captain Mackenzie Lowe & Commander Tyrion Flynn

986 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Mission 0: In the beginning....
Location: Captain's Ready Room, Deck 1, USS Tecumseh
Timeline: MD 1 - 0730

The deck crew, having arranged for his carry-on to be delivered to his quarters, let him know that the Captain was in his Ready Room and offered directions to the nearest turbolift. It would take time to know the ship, to learn how to move through it, and he didn't want to rush the process. You met the most interesting people when you turned left instead of right and generally, he learned things about the crew as individuals that way. So, thanked the crew member and headed up to the bridge. Quiet now the way it was before a ship came to life with engineers running last minute checks on the major systems.

He walked over to the Ready Room door and pressed the chime. Time, he thought, to begin again.

"Come on in Commander." Mackenzie called out

He stood up, to greet his new XO, "Welcome Commander Flynn, my yeoman informed me of your arrival, can I get you anything?"

"Thank you, Sir," Flynn said as he walked forward, PADD in hand. He set it down in the center of the captain's desk and turned toward the Captain. "A cup of coffee would be good. Milk. No sugar."

Reaching into the replicator after ordering the drinks then passing the one cup over, "I hope the trip in wasn't to much?"

Flynn accepted the drink, waited until the captain was seated, and then took his own on the opposite side of the desk. Balancing the cup on the top of one thigh, he considered his answer. "The Steady was near enough that it was a short trip," he said. He flashed a sheepish smile. "They wouldn't let me into the cockpit, sad to say."

Mackenzie smiled, "They're pretty strict about who can fly in and out of the ship yard right now, but I'm glad it was mostly uneventful, have you ever served aboard a carrier?"

He took a sip of coffee and returned the mug to the top of his thigh, "No. First was a long-range explorer and after that, heavy assault cruiser. I've flown shuttles and spent a few months on the holodeck learning how to fly in a dogfight. Crashes are definitely better when you've got the holodeck to prevent serious injuries. But on the upside, once it caught on, we made dog fights part of the yearly games."

Mac smiled, "Simulation time is great, hopefully you'll get some real time once we're underway in the next few days, I did notice in your file your primary education is mainly in security, what inspired the interest in flying?"

Flynn shrugged, remembering at the last moment to shrug with one hand, keeping the other on the coffee mug. "My element is water and there's a way you can move in the water that you just can't recreate on land. Gravity getting in the way as it does. So, someone suggested flying as the next best thing. So, I tried it and it was fun." He leaned forward slightly, grinning conspiratorially. "And so was hang-gliding and gliders."

"Well, you came recommended, somewhere in the grand mix of things your name was passed to me by Admiral Wallace, and he thought you'd be a better fit than one of my original choices, Have you met the Admiral?" Mac asked.

"No, Sir," Flynn said. "My people have gained some interest in the scientific community but I don't think an admiral was involved." He had been accused, more than once at the Academy, of being a closet Vulcan (another idiom). With his light blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes, it seemed an unlikely comparison but still, meditation and time spent alone in the ocean had lent him a centered calm that could easily be mistaken for a lack of emotion. And yet, at this moment, a slight frown creased his forehead as he considered what the captain had said. "Is it going to be a problem for you, Sir? The Admiral's recommendation superseding your own choice?"

"Exact opposite actually, the meeting I had with them didn't go well and I felt there were other options that were better suited, plus I don't want this to come across the wrong way either, what I want from a first officer isn't in the majority of candidates I had to choose from I wanted someone with your back ground."

"My background, Sir," Flynn asked.

"Your security background is of more value to me as we may be in situations where we need to ensure peoples' safety over just following the book, part of that is since we're going to be expected to be as much of a shield for the federation's citizens over a sword upon with policy is forced." Mackenzie said with some frankness "Plus after the fiasco of Frontier day I want officer who can think for themselves over those who blindly followed orders and ran in the face of all hell breaking loose."

There were a lot of things the captain could have said in that moment. After all, he'd spent his teen years stealing his people's artifacts from the Ma'Zed. Back even before he knew what security was, he had been in the fight. Over the years, his heritage, the fact that he was the only one of a dying people to enter Starfleet, had been a subject of interests. Scientists everywhere rubbing their hands together in anticipation of dissecting him. He found himself smiling, relieved, that it was his work in Security that had drawn the captain's attention. "That I can do," Flynn said, nodding. "I do tend to speak my mind though. You'll never have to wonder how I really feel about what's going on."

"I wouldn't expect anything less Commander." Mac said.

"Thank you, SIr," Flynn said. A slight smile softened the habitually chill expression as he added, "I think we have an understanding. Maybe the Admiral is owed a thank you note."

End

 

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