YE/D01 - Ready Room

[Paul]

==

[Jennifer Braggins]

==One week following "Daughter of Frankenstein" Subplot==

It had been a long week, waiting for her command to finally pass from the Shipyard's hands to hers, but the time had finally come; Jenny had come aboard not knowing what to expect - she'd never been aboard a Pathfinder-class before, and given the design of The Previous Yeager, she assumed that the interior of the ship would match that design. Not so, apparently, as the Yeager had been constructed as a test, the Corps of Engineers had not seen fit to outfit her with Pathfinder-class compartments. They had all come from a recently-decommissioned Nova-class, not unlike the Philadelphia, which lent an air of familiarity to the crew spaces.

At least I'll know my way around the rooms when I can actually find them!

Reclining in her chair, scratching Raiju affectionately behind the ear as she read the most recent dockyard report on a PADD with her other, Jenny sighed. Nigh on a month on the bench before being assigned her latest 'punitive command' had made her start to feel like she was growing roots and she had started to get more than a little antsy. Now though, she was less than an hour from departure in Starfleet's newest and most unique vessel. What her orders were going to be, she didn't yet know, but she also wouldn't put it past Starfleet Command to simply get her out of the way for a bit and only communicate with her when they needed something. That's what they'd done with The Previous Yeager, and it had suited her just fine.

Letting me do things my way might be the only way to get the important work done. Not that I expect it'll work out that way.

Jenny had been surprised to learn that she had not one, but two new Midshipmen reporting aboard; a Caitian in Engineering (who was rather oddly named 'Alexander'), and a Human in Security. Jenny wondered if they'd be quite so intransigent as a certain Ensign Shadowhunt, who Jenny had not heard from since departing the Philadelphia, and whose appearance on the Yeager's roster had proven something of a surprise, though likely more for him than her.

He's not going to think anyone did him any favours sending him here, but protected by regulations or not, whistle-blowers rarely get a fair chance afterwards...

Placing the PADD back on her desk, Jenny shifted in her seat so she could sit upright. There was less than an hour to go before departure, and there were several shipyard workers still messing with tertiary backups in the secondary hull, so she needed to be where she could easily be found. That said, making her new Midshipmen hunt her down to report in could be entertaining; but given she still risked getting lost when she wandered the halls, that probably wasn't the best idea for this batch...

Next time...

[Alexander Turner]

Alexander boarded the ship with a spring in his step. 

A brand new ship and an experimental design, how did I score this amazing assignment. 

He wondered his grin spread firmly from ear to ear. The layout of the ship was a bit confusing, but Alexander called up the location of the Captain's ready room on his PADD and it looked easy enough to find. Luckily Alexander had a good sense of direction, well at least when it came to navigating his way through the bowels of a ship. Not so much in the outdoors.

As Alexanders made his way down the halls, he quickly became side tracked as was his nature by all the exciting new equipment. Stopping at a Jeffries tube he peered inside. The smell of the fresh cabling and lubricants was incredible and something Alexander had never experienced before, so he took a minute to soak it all in. Hmm he pondered. What is that vibration? Alexander started feeling around. Was it in the plate or the entire deck Alex wondered.

Hey! Cut that out, you have somewhere to be. Alexander chided himself.

Closing the Jeffries tube Alex continued on his way to the ready room. After a minute or so Alex saw the door he wanted ahead and began to get a bit nervous, his first captain. Alex hopped that they would get along. Stopping at the door Alex hit the chime and waited to be invited in. As he waited he fiddled with his mane and his uniform trying to get them just right.

[Jade West]

The week of waiting almost felt agonizing. Maybe because it felt like Jade had done nothing but twiddle her thumbs. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait much longer as she received word that it was time to officially report in. With what research she’d managed to do, she learned that her Commanding Officer was one Captain Jennifer Braggins, and that they were currently in their Ready Room. Anxious to actually get started, Jade made her way with haste.
 
Would’ve been nice to get a larger picture of my new captain, but it was almost like pulling a extremely tiny needle out of a cosmic haystack. And that was just to get bare minimum surface level stuff. I’m not really sure how well that’ll bode. Do things typically go well when there’s almost unlimited black ink on a record? Let’s just ignore that for the time being, Madison would say it’s how you act that determines whether your luck is good or bad.
 
While Jade had been harshly displeased with the outward experience of the Yeager, on her initial viewing, she’d been correct in assuming that the interiors wouldn’t look as Frankensteinish. Had she never seen the exterior, the young woman would’ve just assumed it was nothing more than a brand-new ship. Especially, since it had that ‘new ship’ smell, which was probably nothing more than a sterile clean environment.
 
Making her final approach, Jade took notice that she wasn’t the only newest member from the Academy. Standing a mere couple inches taller than her was a Caitian wearing an Engineering uniform. While the design of the ship didn’t exactly speak to Jade herself, she wouldn’t doubt that an Engineer would see the Yeager as a challenge, or something of interest at the very least. Different mindsets of course, as the brunette believed what she’d consider interesting, in a security sense, would be viewed vastly different from other departments.
 
Looks like we’re waiting now.
 
“Midshipman.”
 
As she stepped besides her fellow graduate, Jade offered the singular word greeting, alongside a small smile. While Jade was outwardly friendly, there were times people could justifiably see her as arrogant. Probably because Jade did try to be reserved regarding people she’d met for the first time, or was on a purely professional level with. That being said, she believed people she did fully open up with should always be prepared, because the dam would also be bursting out.

[Alexander Turner]

Alexander turned towards the  friendly female voice that had just greeted him. He flashed her a large smile as he carefully observed his new crewmate. She was nearly as tall as him with lovely dark hair that had a colourful streak. She also seemed quite fit, which made sense as Alex took note that she was also a new Midshipman though she was from the security department.

Careful you'll probably scare the poor woman with all those fangs.

Alex rained in his smile so as not to show quite so many teeth.

"Good day Midshipman. A pleasurrre to meet you"  Alex said loosing his r to a bit of a growl.

Calm down Alex Good thing she wasn't the captain.

Alexander took a deep breath trying to lower his excitement level a little more, unfortunately he wasn't sure he was successful.

[Jennifer Braggins]

Having finished and signed off on the latest shipyard reports, Jenny had moved on to giving the personnel files of her two new Midshipmen another look before they reported in to her officially. She'd seen West on the station while they waited for the Yeager to be completed, but she'd been so busy getting the ship finished on schedule that she'd not had a chance to interact with the newest member of her Security department. West's scores were good, but it seemed she was very much a door-kicker as opposed to a cerebral detective sort. Turner, on the other hand, had already received accolades for creating a warp coil calibration gadget that was more effective than the current standard-issue piece of equipment; she'd had a look at the specs herself and had been suitably impressed, even though she knew mass production was held up in red tape.

We can probably replicate a few anyway, we're going to need brains like his to keep this ship running.

Placing the PADD down, Jenny took a sip of her coffee and grimaced as the tepid liquid filled her mouth. Leaning over to the replicator on the wall next to her desk, she recycled the mug and was rewarded with a fresh mug of her favourite steaming blend. Whether or not it was actually "coffee" was up for debate among those who knew Jenny, as it had coffee in it (with a few shots of espresso depending on mood), but there were also two scoops of cocoa powder, a generous serving of hazelnut, and she used hot milk rather than water. It was thick, sticky, sweet, and its chocolatey aroma filled the room. 

Perfect for cold days, bad days, or days ending in Y.

With an appreciative sip of her drink, Jenny placed the mug on her desk where it was within easy reach but wouldn't spill onto her terminal or into her lap if it fell, and shuffled backwards in her chair as the chime sounded. Raiju grumbled from his bed beside her chair, but he settled down with a deep huff. How he was going to react to hew new crew, she didn't know, but for now she was just grateful he was with her again.

"Enter."

[Jade West]

“Good day Midshipman. A pleasurrre to meet you.”
 
Jade wasn’t sure whether or not the other officer was trying to appear intimidating, especially as he was revealing his Caitian fangs. Which if the brunette were being honest, was nothing more than instincts like a Human not intentionally showing their pearly whites when smiling. There was also the added scrutiny of observation coming from the Bridge, behind the door officers. The security officer jumbled around in her mind trying to put the name to the face she was seeing out the corner of her eyes.
 
Jensen, if I’m remembering correctly from my brief look at his background. Might be a command-level officer now, but he rose up through the same departmental training I received. Always nice to see there’s someone with a security mind in charge. Or is that departmental prejudice.
 
“Enter.”
 
There wasn’t much of an opportunity for her to get another friendly greeting to her fellow Midshipman. Keeping their Captain waiting wouldn’t be in either of their best interests, not if they actually wanted to go far with their careers. Which granted, she didn’t know where Turner’s ambitions lay as engineers were sometimes happier left to their own devices and tinkering with their ‘toys’.
 
“After you.”
 
The brunette knew she was going to need to learn names of the people she was going to be serving with. It wasn’t the politest thing in the universe for other people to be called ‘hey you’, or something similar sounding. Presumably with the Yeager having a smaller crew compliment, compared to something like a Vesta-class, being able to put a name with a face would be a very important skill to have. More so for Jade, as it was more likely that her job would bring her more face time with members of the crew.
 
After allowing the Engineer to enter, Jade followed suit. The figure on the other side of the desk wasn’t an unknown to Jade, in appearance anyways. It matched the standard profile image for the crew roster, and she’d passed by the Captain once or twice on Antares, but nothing beyond that. Not that it was much of a shock for Jade, because if she were a captain trying to wrangle together a newly finished ship, she wouldn’t have much of a chance to speak with the junior officers either. Stepping to the side of Turner, Jade quietly cupped her hand behind her back and offered a professional greeting.
 
“Captain Braggins.”
 
Some commanding officers were different in how they interacted with their crews, but Jade didn’t have much information to go off of. Seeing as there happened to be a pet, what the brunette assumed to be a wolf (although not quite), didn’t solidify any assumptions. Jade had seen some individuals treat their pets better than they do actual people. Either way, she would make her own judgment on her captain’s actions. That was the fairest, and simplest, way to treat anyone.

[Alexander Turner]

Alexander was just starting to feel a more comfortable. His deep breath taking a moment, but in the end having the desired calming effect. Just then the Captain ordered them to enter. Once the door had opened Alex's nose quickly picked up on the rich smell of chocolate and was that coffee he wondered. Next Alexander nose and other senses picked up on a small predator and his fur began to stand up out of instinct. Was that a small wolf? What an interesting combination. The captain was obviously an truly interesting woman.

"After you" the other Midshipman said.

Alexander was about to insist on ladies first, but decided that was probably a little too old fashioned and so proceeded to enter the room.

Besides I may have to defend her from that predator, though that is very unlikely.

Alex moved with a smoothness that few but his kind could achieve as he took position across from the captain at her desk. There beside her was the wolf, obviously a pet and so Alex's fur began to relax.

"Captain Braggins," the young woman began.

Alex took up a similar stance.

"Captain" he said smoothly, glad that his jitters appeared to have subsided

[Jennifer Braggins]

The doors hissed open and Jenny got her first good look at her two newest crewmembers; their uniforms were immaculate and they bore themselves with professionalism and pride in their uniform and their graduation from the Academy, with almost no hint of the underlying apprehension all Midshipmen felt when reporting to their first duty posts. What was surprising was that neither introduced themselves by name; it was not a requirement to do so, but every reporting crewmember she'd come across who she hadn't already met had done it that way. Jenny had just assumed that's what they taught at the Academy, though to be fair, her opinions of the Academy curriculum and what morals they were imparting on their students left something to be desired of late.

Let's hope these two are more than their academic profiles...

Jenny smiled warmly at the two new officers, trying but not quite able to hide her slightly-enlarged and noticeably-pointy canine teeth. She did not rise from her seat, nor offer the two Midshipmen the seats in front of her desk, one of which still had boxes on it.

"Midshipman West, Midshipman Turner, welcome to the Yeager."

Reaching down to scratch Raiju behind the ears as she heard him stir next to her, red eyes taking in the two new arrivals as he sniffed the air, before he curled back into a ball and went back to sleep.

"I have to say, both of your Academy transcripts are impressive. I think you'll make decent additions to this ship, but before I take you out into the deep dark galaxy I need to know the people I'm serving with. Personnel profiles are all well and good for getting a first impression, but they're filled out by bureaucrats who get paid to keep things concise. I want to know something about each of you, something that I won't find in any official documentation."

Leaning back with a mischievous smirk, Jenny opened her arms wide.

"I'll start to make it easier, one for each of you. On my first Away Mission I tried to steal a train, and I once dislocated a Midshipman's middle finger when he decided he'd test out the Captain's chair on the Gettysburg and didn't like being reprimanded for it."

[Jade West]

"Midshipman West, Midshipman Turner, welcome to the Yeager."
 
Had Jade managed to mess up by not announcing her name first? She wasn’t entirely sure, and the Captain didn’t give away any indication that she’d managed to screw up on her first official day. Then again, Turner hadn’t done so either. At least if there was a chewing out, it would end up going to both of them, so she wouldn’t be singled out. Luckily the Captain’s pet didn’t seem to raise any alarm with the newcomers as after he looked at the two of them, with what Jade believed were unusual red eyes, went back to sleep.
 
“…Personnel profiles are all well and good for getting a first impression, but they're filled out by bureaucrats who get paid to keep things concise. I want to know something about each of you, something that I won't find in any official documentation.”
 
So this is ‘getting to know you’ time? I guess the Captain genuinely want to know about the people she’s commanding. I can understand that, especially since we’re effectively watching each others back, and making sure we come back in one piece. Also wouldn’t negate it being a test, of some sort. Might as well be open an honest, not like I have a lot to hide.
 
The mention of Braggins having attempted to steal a train was a bit amusing for the brunette. Jade had no way of knowing whether or not the event was factual, but considering the relaxed atmosphere she was going to believe it happened. Expecting their leaders to be infallible was ludicrous, as they were people just like them. They had their fair share of failures, and even experiences that they probably wished they could retract.
 
“I…”
 
While she believed most of what was said would most likely stay within the Ready Room walls, and between the three of them, Jade was initially hesitant. Perhaps she believed her ‘deep, dark secret’ was a bit silly, all things considered. And while she didn’t know her new commander, she’d be willing bet that any holding back would be spotted. Even as Jade spoke there was a bit of embarrassment in her voice.
 
“…growing up I wanted to try and become a famous pop singer. Looking back, it’s a bit childish, as the odds of being successful in that particular field are infinitesimal. None of it mattered after I got the flag, and told my father was missing.”
 
Jade didn’t mention Lieutenant Dave West by name, and honestly, she was sure it was a simple look up if one really wanted to dig into her background. It was still technically a sore spot in her life regarding her past. The only reason his mention was important was because that happened to be the catalyst for joining Starfleet.
 
“Honestly, at the time, I joined the Academy out of spite. He practically threw away his family just to try and further his own career. I wanted to prove I could have a successful career, without jeopardizing the people close to me. Nothing else mattered, and then Federation Day happened.”
 
While Federation Day happened every year, there was truly only one of note in recent years, that being 2401. Jade closed her eyes, almost trying to jumble together some memories from that horrifying time. Her best friend, Madison, had suggested that the reason she couldn’t remember losing control of her body was simply because she’d mentally blocked it. The young woman wasn’t entirely sure if that was the case, but it was just as good of an explanation as anything else.
 
Opening her eyes again, Jade looked at both the Captain and Turner. She didn’t doubt that the events of that unlucky day were known to Braggins. As to whether or not Turner had been affected by them, Jade had no way of knowing currently. Perhaps his Caitian physiology had protected him in some way, or made him incompatible to the DNA alteration.
 
“I’m not sure if my body was used to harm anyone, and I’ve never been given a straight answer. But since that day, I’ve decided I have to, no need, to make sure something like this can never happen to anyone else.”
 
The more she spoke, the more determination that emanated from Jade. She had to admit, her initial joining of Starfleet wasn’t for the greatest of reasons. However, she’d found her calling after waking up from a nightmare and wasn’t going to let herself be stopped. If she wouldn’t be put to use here, there were other areas her skill would go.

[Alexander Turner]

One of the first things Alexander noticed as the captain welcomed them on board was her smile, she had some fangs of her own. Somehow this made Alex feel more comfortable and connected with his new captain. Alexander nearly purred with pride as she described his academy record as impressive. He stopped himself just in time, but still stood up a little straighter, head held just a tad higher. He was proud of his accomplishments, but he still had so much more he wanted to achieve.

As the captain explained she wanted to get to know them better, Alex was reminded of his home. On the civilian transport where he grew up, voyages often lasted months or years and the crew were more family then coworkers. Perhaps Captain Braggins wished for a similar level of closeness on her crew, only time would tell.

When the captain described the incident with the train Alex had so many questions, his curiosity peaked. Now is not the time he chided himself. The incident with the Midshipman was understandable though, even with the little detail provided. The captain was a strong woman and if you did not respect her, it was at your peril, a fine quality in a leader.

Midshipman West wanted to be a pop singer how interesting. I wonder if she could be convinced to sing? 

Alexander loved music, he found it very moving as a rule and Alex had also fairly recently learned of his peoples great love for the arts, a link he shared with them. When jade brought up frontier day, a shudder surged through Alex. He had not turned and because of that he had been forced to kill several classmates. The ferocity with which he had defended himself when threatened still surprised Alex, he had literally torn people to shreds.

Alex instinctively gave a sympathetic growl to Jade, he could definitely sympathize with her. His hand reached out comfortingly, but he pulled it back. 

Some people do not enjoy being touched, especially by strangers he reminded himself.

Now it was his turn to share, but what to share that was not already in his file. Alexander recalled an incident, but he was ashamed. Perhaps that was only from his human upbringing though, his fellow Caitians had assured him it was normal.

"On my first trip to Cait for a friend's bachelor party I ate simulated Betazoid, Human and Vulcan." Alex flinched at the memory and then realized some assurances were likely required. "I assure you both I only participated because I had also tried alcohol and I will not take to eating my fellow crew members."

Way to make friends Alex! Alex shook his head.

[Jennifer Braggins]

And there it was.

Jenny had wondered why she was given Midshipmen given her status with Starfleet Command, and the things she was currently hearing began to make that abundantly clear; both expressed traits that might render them unsuitable for service elsewhere, or at least give a CO pause before accepting them. West was obviously still affected by her experiences during Frontier Day, and while Turner had not been turned (though determining how that had come to pass would likely make the editors of several Medical Journals wet themselves in excitement), he had still killed his colleagues. Frontier Day 2401 had been a dark day for everyone who was there, and it would take years before the effect it had had on Starfleet would be completely mitigated.

That didn't excuse the casual mentioning that Turner had tried simulated Human, Betazoid and Vulcan. It boggled Jenny's mind as to a) why you would try such a thing, b) why you would admit to such a thing, and c) how would you simulate it in the first place?

Shaking her head briskly and making a mental note never to assign Turner to host or cater for any shipwide dinner parties, Jenny offered the two Midshipmen a faint smile. She'd not been present during Frontier Day as she'd been on assignment with the Artemis in the Delta Quadrant, but her promotion to Captain and assignment to the Philadelphia had been a direct result of Starfleet needing experienced officers in command roles - the Junior Officers had killed more of them than could be easily replaced, and those that were immediately available didn't have commands of their own for a reason. 

And yet, the bureaucrats and favour-callers still got their chairs out of that tragedy...

"While your experiences must have been awful, I am glad you're coming into Starfleet with a more realistic expectation of what you might face than some. Space is dangerous, and Starfleet isn't the most popular organisation in the galaxy; there are going to be times when your lives are on the line, or the lives of your friends, and an officer who isn't prepared is as much a risk to the safety of the ship as whatever they're facing."

Jenny let that sink in for a moment, then continued.

"The good news is, those situations are usually few and far between; you'll have plenty to keep you busy, but I don't expect us to be being shot at or sucked into a subspace rift every week. Now, before I let you get settled in and meet your crewmates, do either of you have any questions?"

[Jade West]

After giving her own ‘about me’ speech, Jade listened as the other Midshipman offered up his own. However, she wasn’t expecting to hear the kind of details that Turner had opted to share. Even being ‘simulated’ meat of other species, Jade would be willing to bet the only reason it wasn’t considered illegal was due to the fact it had occurred on the Caitian homeworld.
 
Sometimes one shouldn’t offer up the whole truth. Granted they claim the only reason they partook was due to alcohol, and that begs the question of how much alcohol he’d drank and how little before it affects his rational thinking. Simulated or not, intentionally eating another individual, outside of worst-case survival scenarios, is barbaric in just about any way imaginable.
 
According to Braggins, the two of them had gotten their eyes opened to the realistic harshness of the universe. Perhaps that was true, but there were days Jade wished she could erase those experiences from ever occurring. That wasn’t the way it should’ve gone for any 20 year-old, especially while in an academic environment. At the end of day, it happened and all Jade could do was make the most of the hand she’d been dealt. Then the floor had been opened to questions from the two newcomers.
 
“There’s one thing that’s been nagging at me since I’ve arrived at Antares. The Yeager is a bit…”
 
Jade started doing some mental calculations inside her head. While she didn’t personally believe the external design of the ship to be that great, it wasn’t worth the risk of pissing off her new captain on the first day. She’d just had a bout of honesty, but she knew some level of tact would be needed, as captain’s probably tended to be a smidgen protective when it came to their commands.
 
“…unusual. I was curious if there was any particular reason for the design to be radically different than most other Starfleet ships.”
 
Here’s hoping I don’t have to worry about unsticking foot from mouth.

[Alexander Turner]

From the looks on his crewmate and Captain's face Alexander realized he may have some explaining to do.

Maybe it is just better to leave it alone? No I should explain even if it is digging a bit of a hole.

"I feel I should explain, from your looks I can see that you do not realize as I didn't before going to Cait, that Caitians hunted Batazoids for food for many many generations and it wasn't until synthetics Betazoid was invented that the practice was stopped. This was only a little while before Caitians joined the federation. To this day Batazoid is considered a delicacy by many of my people, though many also now frown upon it being eaten as well. I should also mention Caitians can not metabolize alcohol, so I had only had a couple sips, but was quite drunk. A prank that had been played on me, because I did not know better growing up around humans."

Well you might have made things worse, but hopefully they at least have some context now.

Alexander considered the Captains next statement, carefully. He was relieved that having to kill would not be a normal occurrence. Alexander preferred to avoid violence. One of the many reasons he loved engineering, where he could mostly be left to fix things rather than break them.

"Captain I do have one question. Is it possible to set up an annual leave for perrrsonal rrreasons? It needs to be at about the same time every year." Alexander looked a bit embarrassed as he asked. Sometimes he wished he had just been born human like his brother and sister.

[Jennifer Braggins]

While Jenny was relieved that West shared her unease at Turner's revelation, Turner seemed insistent on digging himself deeper into the hole; he admitted that he had been drunk and that the idea was deeply rooted in Caitian culture and history; this was news to Jenny, who, like most civilised species who had served with Caitians, had followed the assertion that Caitians were not obligate carnivores and that a large majority were actually vegetarian. Turner's revelation now made her consider whether the species had deliberately obfuscated a distasteful part of their culture, or whether someone had played an even crueller practical joke on the young Caitian who had been raised by Humans.

I can't even ask M'Rell without making things awkward...

"Yes, well...I can assure you that we won't be serving real alcohol aboard any time soon, nor will the replicators provide such...food..."

The two questions were fairly competent questions for people so young and lacking in experience. West wanted to know why the Yeager looked the way she did, while Turner was requesting advanced leaves of absence at the same time every year. Both were easy to answer, technically-speaking, but Jenny knew that Turner's was not something best openly discussed. Caitian mating practices were not taboo subjects like Vulcan pon-farr, it was common knowledge among anyone who worked with them that they needed to mate once a year; the fact he was requesting the same time every year indicated that he either had a standing arrangement, or proved yet again that his instruction in Caitian culture was sorely lacking.

"The Yeager's design was...inspired by a vessel bearing the same name some thirty years ago during the Dominion War. Starfleet needed hulls and the shipyards were already at maximum capacity, so they started mashing designs together to get combat-ready ships into service as quickly as possible. They called it the Frankenstein Fleet. The Yeager of those days took the primary hull and nacelles of an Intrepid-class and welded them to a secondary hull of a shipyard cargo drone, which gave it its unique profile. Our Yeager was designed by a woman called Nahamcam; brilliant engineer, but like all Pakleds a bit too fond of mashing things together and calling it a starship. Rumour suggests the ship slipped through the cracks during the approval stage and the bean-counters only realised their mistake once the structural work had already been completed; I'm not sure I buy it, but if it is true, their mistake is our gain."

With a shrug and a small smile, Jenny indicated that that was really the only answer she was able to give. Then she turned her attention back on Turner, her expression a little more serious.

"While the Starfleet Bureau of Personnel Guidelines mandate that I approve reasonable leave requests, the reality of shipboard life is that no plan survives contact with the paperwork it requires. I would love to be able to guarantee you personal leave, but circumstances don't always allow it and between us, our ship is understaffed as it is. If I were to grant this request,  I would need you to understand that any leave given in this way would be undertaken aboard ship, so no going home or jetting off to Risa, and that if your services are required you will be expected to report for duty as normal - when you put the uniform on, you put your own personal needs and desires second to those of the crew. If that's not acceptable, I will gladly recommend you for a Starbase or ground posting where they have more leeway in these kinds of things."

Leaning back in her chair, Jenny gave the Caitian a small smile; his first day probably wasn't shaping out the way he'd expected, and it was time to give the guy a break.

"Take some time to think about it, I don't need an answer right away. In the meantime, you should probably go and report to your Department Heads; we launch in an hour. Dismissed."

[Ian Elliot]

Ian was not “technically” new. He was not a Midshipman, but had not been assigned to the command of Captain Braggins until she had hijacked his ship and used it for her mission.

“My” ship. He thought, still forlorn over the idea of it returning for parts. He knew the day would come, but he had been damn happy to sit on the Yeager and play with its parts. Now she was gone, and he was assigned to the new Yeager -not even the same class!- and was going to be put to work. Gone are the days of living under my own rule… He moped, even as he made his way to the Captain’s Ready Room. At least I knew I had it good while I had it.

Ian knew that she probably asked for him by name. Well, maybe not by name, but “that scrappy Engineer that made that old ship work”. Sometimes people forgot his name, but he didn’t mind, because the descriptors were usually something like that. He hadn’t even been summoned by her officially; just someone in Engineering told him that it would be “a good idea.”

As he entered the room, he saw there were two Midshipmen on their way out. Probably fresh out of the Academy! He thought with a small smile. This is probably their first ship. Geeze, that seems so long ago.

There was a large dog in the corner, as well, which looked intimidating even though it was asleep. “Ian Elliot, ma’am.” He said, regretting the ‘ma’am’ as soon as he said it. “From the… other… Yeager.” Another awkward pause. “I was told you might want to see me?”

It’s a good thing she already knows you’re not an idiot.


==Tags to all!==

[Jennifer Braggins]

As it happened, the poor young Midshipmen didn't have a chance to depart themselves before the Yeager's most...unique...engineer seemed to decide now was the best time to barge in on the meeting. He introduced himself with far more words than Jenny usually expected from him unless he was describing his newest pet project or when he was explaining why "The Book" was wrong and his own more unorthodox methods were more appropriate. Six weeks together on the old Yeager, ferrying cargo and hunting the occasional pirate, had led her to trust his instincts when it came to novel solutions to unexpected situations. It wasn't his fault his old ship was winging its way to the breaker's yard, but Jenny did wonder if she'd done him a disservice by bringing him here - he probably would have been much happier somewhere he could tinker with his toys all day long.

I must introduce him to Nahamcam, they'd get along like a house on fire. A Pakled and an Eighth-Klingon walk into a workshop...

“I was told you might want to see me?”

Not right this second, I didn't, but you might as well make yourself useful now you're here...

Jenny smiled warmly at Ian, which was something likely to make him suspicious as she wasn't really someone who smiled often when the ship was underway. That said, with two new Midshipmen present and the ship still in its construction slip, it wouldn't do for her to return to her usual ways quite yet.

"Yes, Ian. This is Midshipman Turner, I'd like you to take him down to Engineering, introduce him to Lieutenant Hydish and show him around. Mister Turner is something of an inventor, I think you two will find you have a fair amount in common."