Thats my spot

Posted on Tue Nov 10th, 2020 @ 7:25pm by Captain Xavier Carey

Mission: Welcome Aboard
Location: First Officers Office: Deck 2
Timeline: Current

Cameron had just met with the new Chief Science Officer, next was one that he had been hesitant about meeting, the second officer. Of course he should have met her first, second only to the Captain, but with the refit taking longer, with him in what she probably felt she was in line for. Once again he saw himself go to the window. He knew how he felt when he was told he wasn't getting his command right now. Sure it was a year away. But here he was still Commander. Still first officer. "Computer, contact Commander Kane, tell her, her presence is requested in the first officers office."

*****
Elsewhere...

Main Engineering
Deck 36, USS Resolution

The refit work was proceeding at pace. Not the right pace, for some people, but certainly still going at a pace. The Captain had expressed his interest in returning the ship to space, but Eve had insisted that the ship wasn't ready until she said it was. For the Captain's part, she was pleased that he hadn't increased the pressure on her team, particularly when things weren't going as smoothly as they were supposed to be.

The relative quiet in Main Engineering was interrupted by the Computer voice, =A= Commander Kane's presence is requested in the first officer's office =A=

Kane snorted. "My presence is requested..." she repeated aloud to herself. That office should have been hers, she knew. Or at least, that was how she had felt. She was the only senior officer, besides the Captain, that had stayed with the ship. She was a shift watch Commander. Not to mention that she'd more than earned her stripes. She should have been a shoe in. Why had the Captain not even considered her?

It was several moments, perhaps even minutes, before she finally set her note-padd down on the engineering status table, and stood. "Kef'kan," she called out, pointing to one of the duty engineers on the refit team, "I'm checking in with the Ex-Oh, I expect that this shouldn't take long. I expect to see the new interface installation on these stations complete when I get back."

The Saurian nodded, his wide eyes blinking rapidly. "Aye sir."

*****
Corridor outside Executive Officer's Office
Deck 2

Eve stood at the door, staring at it. Commander Reeve's name had already been etched off it, and it had been replaced with Commander Cameron's. She hadn't even seen that Works Order come across her desk. Perhaps the Commander himself had authorized it, to make himself at home. To be fair to him, she perhaps would have done the same in his shoes. She breathed out a heavy sigh, and then pressed the doorbell, and waited.

"Enter." Cameron was still at the window contemplating, thinking, how would he explain his being here. He had taken a drink of his now cold coffee, but the temperature wasn't something that bothered him.

Eve hesitated for a second, before telling herself to grow some balls and go inside. The little voice in her head always knew the right things to say. Kane stepped through the doorway, and into the office. She saw him stood by the window on the opposite side of the room, and before she knew what she was doing, she found herself walking to the Commander's desk, and settling into a seat opposite where she felt that she should have been sitting. "You requested my presence, Commander."

Cameron didn't say anything, didn't know he could say anything of value. Instead he just stood there for another few minutes contemplating , before he finally relented, walked over to his desk, and sat down on his chair. Taking a padd that was on his desk, he took just a moment, to read it once again.

Kane blankly stared at him. Was he just going to keep her waiting? Calling her here to watch him read? Ass. She had work to do.

"Chief Security, Chief Tactical, Chief Helm, Chief Engineer, and back to what you started with, operations." Cameron replied as he placed the cup down. "I know why he placed you in direct supervision of the refit." He paused taking another cold drink of coffee. This time he got op placed it in the replicator. "The fact is, why am I here, and you are there."

"Beats me," she replied. It sounded to her like he agreed that she should have been the Ex-Oh.

"Look I am not trying to ruffle feathers, not trying to step on any toes. We are both the equal rank, i just happen to hold a higher position." Cameron stated as he stared at the padd again. "My father has always told me, if you want something, take it no matter the cost. If you want something. So bad. Take it." He remembered that night.

She breathed out a deep sigh. "Is there a point, Commander. I've got a lot of work to do."

"I believe in earning what you achieve... Sure you have experience in almost every single department, but does that mean you earn the seat I am currently sitting in." Cameron paused as he set the pad down. "If you wanted the seat bad enough, don't you think you would have it?"

"I've earned my place, Commander" Kane replied, before adding, "and as for why you're on that side of the desk instead of me, you'd have to ask the Captain. It's his ship, and he makes the call."

"This was not his call... it was starfleets, they put me here on temporary assignment, granted that assignment is 18 months, but then I'm gone. The USS Bismark is mine. I will be out of your hair then." He leaned back in the chair. "It is neither me, nor the Captain you need to prove yourself it seems Commander. "I look at your service record, I see indecisiveness. Jumping from department to department, whats stopping you from wanting to switch from the XO position when you see fit. I always knew where I fit in, I always knew what I wanted. The question for me to you is this... do you know what you want."

Kane stood then. "I know how my service record looks Commander, and I'm sure that you're aware that I don't need to justify myself to you. I knew what I wanted when I was at the Academy, and I quickly realized that the best way for me to do it was to experience everything that Starship duty had to offer. And I think that my service history demonstrates my versatility."

"It also shows indecisiveness. When you are in this position, you can't show indecisiveness Commander." He replied "I am not saying it is not invaluable. Its a great asset. Not something you want commanding a ship however. As I said, im here for 18 months. Whether you are my replacement... remains to be seen. By what I have seen, and apparently what starfleet sees. You are not ready."

"You know nothing about me, Commander," Kane replied, leaning on the desk, her hands spread out evenly apart, looking down at him as he sat in his seat. "You've known me for less than 5 minutes, and you've formed an opinion of me based solely on 20 lines of text in my service record. You say that you're taking Command of a starship in 18 months. And from where I'm standing, if you're going to judge the crew you serve with based on just the few lines that you read, you're never gonna be ready for it."

He seen her urge to leave. "Dismissed Commander."

He watched as she left, fuming. He had touched nerves, he had ruffled feathers. Reading her profile was all he had to know about her to decide what she wanted. She was passionate, she knew what she wanted, and it seemed she was willing to fight for it. Why she was not offered XO of this ship was beyond him. "Computer Personal log...."