getting to know the new boss

Posted on Sun Oct 18th, 2026 @ 11:35pm by Petty Officer 2nd Class Hywell LLewellyn & Lieutenant JG Callie Stone (S.Carey)

Mission: The Next Watch
Location: Science lab

Hywell looked up from his work with a smile when he saw the woman walk in. Of course he had been informed that a proper science officer was finally arriving. Which was very very fine with him, the last couple of weeks he had been forced to 'shudder' do the dumb work of officers on top of his own and he was more than ready to part with it.

Callie walked in seeing a very tall and slim man with bright red hair. “Petty Officer Llewelyn?” She offered a polite smile. “I’m Callie Stone, the new Archaeologist and Anthropologist.”

"Nice to meet you ma'am" He smiled. "Call me Hywell. Soooo, those are interesting specialties." His english had the melodious lilt to it of his homeland.

“They’re subjects I find fascinating.” Callie smiled warmly. “I’m also an infiltration officer so my job is three fold.”

"I am sure it is interesting." Hywell said a little too respectful. "Do you also know how to run a science lab? And infiltration, that's intel right? Brave, taking that on on this ship."

“I’d risk anything to serve alongside my husband.” Callie smiled. “As for running a lab I know how to keep my part of the lab running, I enjoy all areas of my work. I tend not to tread on the toes of those I serve with, they know their jobs and I know mine.”

"Well you are the boss." He said. "Some would say it is part of your job to check." And he noted how she had not replied at all to his second question.

“I’m the boss!?” Callie was a bit surprised at that one. “Serves me right for not checking the department roster before I arrived.” She offered a wry smile. “In that case please update me on anything I need to know.”

He managed not to roll his eyes. "Yup. And glad to be rid of that task. I hate doing officer's work so more than happy to give you the big tour. And uhm help out where needed."

Callie smiled a wry smile. “I can sense that’s an offer you’d rather I didn’t take you up on. Not everyone wants responsibilities beyond their own duties. As for my other duties I’ll come and go according to when I’m needed, Infiltration isn’t for the faint hearted.”

"Yeah, it's just that on this ship there are some people who let me put it politely, are not too fond of intel officers." At that moment a young woman in civilian clothes barged in. Her hair was long and almost as red as Hywell. Ignoring Callie she walked up to the petty officer and started yelling at him in a strange language that the young man obviously did understand. It ended with her slapping him in the face.

Turning around she seemed to notice Callie for the first time. "Sorry about that." she muttered in English and stormed off again.

Hywell was left rubbing his jaw. "Women." He muttered under his breath.

“Okay do I really need to ask what that was all about?” Callie gave him a look that said he’d better give a good answer.

"Naw, it's a private thing. Nothing for you to worry about." Hywell waved it away.

“If it interferes with work here in the lab then it will be. I’ll let it pass this time just don’t let it happen again.” Callie added with more firmness in her voice.

"No ma'am. It won't. I will buy a leash." He said with a complete straight face.

“Ha ha” Callie added dryly. “Now tell me about what we have going on in the lab right now? Anything important?”

"Oh always. Come I'll show you." With that he almost dragged her to the lab area where the young man would not shut up about the experiments he had going at the moment.

Callie took notice of everything she was shown though whether she’d remember it later was another thing, she wasn’t expecting to be head of the department. “So which of your experiments are actually ones you’ve been asked to do? And which are your own?”

The tips of his ears turned red. She was smarter than he had thought at first. "Well... uhm, you know when you ask someone who is not an officer to mind the store.... well uhm.... actually all are mine."

Callie smiled. “Well I can’t fault your ingenuity. Thing is they do need to apply to things here aboard ship, or things were investigating or Starfleet’s will start clamping down on supplies because it doesn’t apply to what we’re doing. Can you honestly say all your experiments apply to those rules?”

"No." He admitted. "But there was nobody to tell me not to do them."

“That’s as good an excuse as any I guess.” Callie added with a smile. “In that case you need to reduce the number of your own experiments okay? Or make them relevant.”

"I can with a few of them if I tweak them a little and I will wind down the rest. It's no big deal. It kept me busy you know. The science department here is not exactly big or busy."

“I can imagine, especially now with the war effort.” Callie added. “Science is put on the back burner.”

"Yes. I hoped Toni would listen to me that science was important as well but it is not high on her wishlist either."

“I doubt that” Callie smiled. “In war time Science can be important, though some would use it for nefarious reasons.”

"It's been that way for centuries, science getting misused in war and I bloody hate it. But it seems that only scientists see the good it can do, and we have to make these sailors and soldiers understand that." He was glad she had not picked up on his slip of calling the captain by her nickname.

Callie had picked up the slip but had decided not to nit pic the use of a first name. “Let’s see how we get on, if we have to fight the corner for science then we will.” Callie smiled warmly.

"Good. It's nice to have someone on my side for once. Anything else I can do for you now, boss?"

“Right now you can get on with sorting out the experiments that aren’t needed, then see if there’s anything that we should be paying attention to.” Callie added. “I have to go introduce myself to my boss in Intel so I’ll be gone for a little while.”

"Sure thing, boss." Hywell said. "And I am sure you will get along with Melor just fine, his bark is worse than his bite."

Callie grinned. “I certainly hope so!” With that she headed on her way.