Getting To Know Each Other

Posted on Mon Mar 28th, 2022 @ 12:01am by Commander Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels & Lieutenant Etan tar-Lexros

Mission: Free write
Location: Operations Office
Tags: operations,xo

Tony had just heard that there was another new officer on board, a new chief of ops. So she thought it would be friendly to go and make him welcome. So after her shift she made her way over to the other lieutenant's office and hit the chime.

Etan had started to settle into the Ops role aboard the Resolution gradually. It was a very new experience for him, having the department under his authority. That also meant anything that went wrong in terms of the ship's operation was directly on his shoulders, and the people he could look to for guidance were the First Officer and the Captain. Still, it seemed like there weren't many major issues for the Ops department to face; everything seemed to be basic maintenance thus far. Still, he was taking the time to review the Galaxy-class tech manual more deeply than he'd previously done - he reasoned that it wasn't slacking off with light reading, it was necessary research to improve his later performance. When his doorbell rang, he almost jumped and dropped the PADD. But a he took a breath and steadied himself, looking up at the door and calling to whoever was on the other side.

"Uh, come on in, it's unlocked!"

"Hi." Tony said when she walked in. "I am commander Tony Stoffels. I thought I would look in to see how you are settling in on board."

Etan blinked - he'd at least noted enough on the roster that the XO, Stoffels, tended to go by Tony. He stood up immediately, obviously somewhat tense and very 'proper'. "Commander, welcome. I'm settling in well, sir. This ship seems very well-maintained. What, uh, pain points, have you noted, sir?"

Tony waved him down. "If I am being formal I am going by ma'am, not sir. But I am not being formal today so Tony is fine. At ease lieutenant. And to answser your question, I have not been aboard more than two days myself so still finding my own feet. Relax, Rome wasn't built in a day. You will have time to get to know the deparment."

When the woman told him to be at ease, Etan nodded and took a breath. He made a mental note that she was one of the woman officers who preferred to be called 'ma'am' - an oddity in the Fleet nowadays. The fact that she was new to the ship as well was intriguing - sure, the Captain had mentioned that she'd been recently under refit, but that didn't usually indicate this much of a change in the Command staff - at least he'd never noticed one from the days of being a junior officer. He nodded, though, at her advice that it would take time to become comfortable with the ship and its usual operation. Even though she said she wasn't being formal, he erred on the side of ranking. "Of course, Commander, I'm aware it will take time, I'm just trying to get up to speed. If you do notice anywhere that I can help, please let me know immediately."

"Of course." Tony said seeing that he was nervous and trying to put him at ease. "And how are you getting on with your staff?" She asked. "It can be a bit awkward getting to know all new people. Especially when they all know each other already." She casually leaned against one of the chairs in the office.

Etan shrugged at her question, not even realizing he was about to sidestep it for technicality. It was something he did without realizing; a deep rooted personal preference to avoid the ‘messy’ stuff. “The Operations staff of the Resolution is competent to the task at hand. We’re a little undermanned, but I’m confident that we’ll find a means of resolving that pressure. If it gets too bad, we’ll instate a ticketing system and request regular use of the point-to-point transport system. Many of the staff do know each other, but all of us are focused on ensuring the proper operation and service of the vessel and her complement.”

The tone he used sounded more like a technical report than a casual discussion about the people who’d be reporting to him. He obviously didn’t do “easy” or “casual” very well.

"Good to hear it, lieutenant. But don't be too hard on them. Is this your first command position?" She asked gently.

Etan nodded. “Yes, it is. I was Assistant Chief aboard Cannonball, but there’s a world of difference between the two roles.”

"There is, isn't there." Tony said kindly. "Suddenly you are the one everyone looks at and who makes the final decisions. And suddenly you are no longer one of them. It can take some adjusting. But we are all here to help. Be that an informal drink in the bar with the other department head, and Lieutenant Jansen is available in counselling if you ever need to vent about something." She chuckled.

The new XO seemed to be a kind person, one that Etan actually wanted to trust and respect. Being her direct report would probably be a positive experience. He did heed her warnings, though, with a nod. "Of course. I prefer to be on the record with my meetings, though. It causes less questions about my whereabouts and task completion. I do intend to be hands-on for the time being, because we are understaffed, and because I feel that's a good way to earn respect with my department. I have to meet with the former interim Ops Chief, to find out what the most urgent open projects are. I'll get them resolved. And I have met with Lieutenant Jansen already for my evaluation." He thought for a moment. "Actually, thank you. That reminds me, I need to confirm her calendar, and find a moment to discuss any provisioning she needs for her department today. It didn't feel appropriate during an intake psych eval." Again, without realizing it, Etan's focus of conversation was on his work, on repairs and technical detail.

She smiled. "It seems like you are on the ball, lieutenant. And I like your way of thinking. I plan to be very hands on myself. If there is anything you need please always feel free to approach me. This is all team work. And don't forget to schedule some down time as well." She chuckled. "Don't mind me. My former job was in the counselling department."

Etan nodded at Tony's assessment with a slight smile. Having a superior who appreciated his thinking was good. "I appreciate that, Commander. I greatly respect counselors, they have an important role in the morale and productivity of the crew at large." He didn't know much else to say about it, though; he respected them and what they did, but he didn't usually feel any need for their services. As long as he had projects to work on and things to fix, he was generally pretty happy with his lot in life.

"Oh you are being very nice about it." Tony laughed. "I know we are not the favorite people of most of the crew." She got to her feet. "Let me buy you a beer one of these evenings after work and we can get to know each other a bit better."