The Caitian MCO Part #1

Posted on 29 May 2026 @ 11:53am by 1st Lieutenant S'earr & Lieutenant Commander Samantha Smithson SB51

2,034 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Orientation Posts
Location: SB51/Various
Timeline: Current

[ON]

Samantha was once again in her office, catching up on some paperwork, when an alert popped up on her screen. She looked and sighed, but this time it was a Caitian.

She prepared the required items, let them get made and dispensed, and then stood up, tugged her tunic down and left the office. She headed for the nearest turbolift. As she entered, the doors closed.

"Arrivals", she said, and the lift whisked her to her requested destination.

- Arrivals -

As the lift arrived and opened onto the Arrivals concourse, she was looking for a Caitian, now that they were a little taller than most species, but her eyes settled on an all-white Caitian with black stripes. He was tall and built like a brick shithouse "Oh My!" she exclaimed and wiped the drool. She could not show any emotion here, as it would be almost impossible for anything to happen.

She walked up to him, "First Lieutenant S'earr?" She asked.

S'earr turned upon hearing his name; his tail kept close lest he whip someone with it by accident. That's when he noticed a Human female standing next to him, eyes on him. He almost instantly picked out key details about her, like rank and uniform colour, physical size, hair colour and build. All done within a moment as if sizing up a potential threat.

Perhaps for the first instance, since getting off the shuttle, someone would encounter the strict gender based social hierarchy of his caste. A respectful bow of the head, she was, after all, a female and in his caste's ways, females stood far above those of a male, and the rules in meeting or interacting with had to be followed.

"Ma'am." He righted himself upright again. "I am S'earr."

She gave a pause and bowed her head "Please forgive me, Lieutenant. I am not overly familiar with Caitian customs. I am Lieutenant Commander Samantha Smithson. I am the Starbases Security Chief, and I am here to give you your orientation. At some point, we will be taking a short tour of the Tomcat, which will be on the holodeck as the actual ship is currently out on a mission. We can even get you there, but first, if you will kindly pick up your kit bag and follow me to the Security Office, you will receive an extra ID unique to the Tomcat and some extra command codes, then we will do that tour. Any questions so far?" she said, ending with a question.

"None, ma'am," S'earr replied as he grabbed his bag. Given that she'd said she was unfamiliar with his ways, he afforded more latitude with her actions, not that she needed it, being female. "Please, lead on." He stood ready to follow, towering over everyone else in the immediate vicinity.

Samantha led the way to the nearest lift and entered. She waited until S'earr entered and the doors closed "Security," she said, and the lift whisked them up and across.

"Um.. Lieutenant you might find that in mission briefings you may end up standing as you will be the first Caitian to sit in briefings on the Tomcat, but you will be able to speak to Engineering and ask if they can replicate you a chair to your specifications for the Tomcats briefing room, here on the Starbase we have such seats, I have one in the Security office, last time it was used was for a Chief Warrant Officer K'Muss, you will meet him on thew Tomcat" She said.

"A situation I am very familiar with, ma'am." And one that remained equally as frustrating to accommodate, regardless of how many times he went through it. "I will ensure I speak to engineering upon my arrival to the ship, to make these accommodating requests." A conversation that he was seldom looking forward to, he could only hope that engineering on the Tomcat was more agreeable than his previous assignment.

- Security Level - SB51 -

As the pair exited onto the Security level, she led the tall, muscular Caitian past her team, and she could hear the women gasp. They were not the fearful kind; they were more like her reaction, but were less restrained in their reaction.

The moment they entered her office, Samantha changed around the chair in front of her desk for one better suited to members of the Feline species and species that had tails.

"Apologies for the seating, Lieutenant, but this seat should suffice for the short term," she said, indicating the seat as she went around behind her desk and sat down.

When S'earr was sitting, she began. "Okay, first off, it is advisable to obtain Starbase-side quarters as the Officer quarters on the Tomcat are limited in volume; they can be adapted for couples at a pinch. Your chain of command on the Tomcat is as follows: the Second Officer, when one is appointed, the First Officer and then the Captain. Currently, the Commanding Officer is Fleet Captain Jamsine Somers, and the First Officer is Lieutenant Commander Remington Dodd. Any questions so far?" Smithson asked.

S'earr listened to the information provided to him and filed it away. Some he already knew, but confirmation never hurt. "Not so far, please, continue," he said. He'd been reading up on the Tomcat on the transit to the station, and no doubt there would be more time to do more later on.

She gave him a knowing look, one she had given many a new crewmember, but decided to drop it "anyway, you have been assigned as Commanding Officer 95th Rifles, now unlike other postings, this one will require extra clearences" she paused as she leaned over and opened a floor cupboard and brought out an imitiation leather Crossbelt "this is now part of an officers uniform, your uniform, it drops down from the left shoulder. On the front is a whistle, on the back is a small pouch; both are now mainly ceremonial, but some Rifle Officers use the small pouch for some important items. For the most part, they remain there out of tradition *inhales* now, while on record and files, your title is MCO, it is actually RCO, any questions so far?" She asked, ending with a question.

"No ma'am," S'earr replied, placing the equipment on top of his bag, being mindful not to touch them where the Commander had. "Is there anything else that I should know while I wait for the ship's arrival?"

"Oh, the Orientation has just started, Lieutenant and we will find you a pilot to get you to the Tomcat. Your acting XO of the Rifles will be Chief Warrant Officer K'Muss. If the Fleet Captain does anything, she will be temporarily assigning him as Acting CO to get the admin side organised, ready for the handover, and yes, K'Muss is another Caitian," she paused.

She reached over to the wall dispenser and pulled out an ID Card and held it out to him "This is your Tomcat ID Card, it will allow you free access on the Tomcat, have it on your person when on duty or off. Should you go on an away mission it is to be left on the ship; this card is more than it seems; it also gives you some extra clearences for the RCO post. The Tomcat operates out in the sticks, where support is like weeks away at best speed, so that Security will be more involved," she said, waiting for him to take it "Any questions?" She asked.

"None." S'earr opened. "Though I feel I must explain why I didn't offer my hand upon meeting you. In my caste, males are forbidden to touch a female without permission, one of the tenets of caste law. You noticed my bow earlier, another of my ways. It is not meant as disrespect, merely my observance of the law."

*Smiling* "That is fine, are you going to take your ID off me or not, Lieutenant? As I have more to pass on" she said. oO Okay, this tells me I have so much to learn about Caitians Oo she said to herself.

"Apologies." S'earr reached over to take the card, making sure to keep his claws hidden but also not to touch her too. "Is there anything else I need to know about my assignment?"

*Studies him* then she reaches over and pulls out a Data Crystal and holds it out to him "This has some extra security codes on it, as I mentioned, as the Tomcat operates out in the sticks, such measures are required. As for your Command, there are 467 Rifles on the ship; their heaviest weapons are Gatling Phasers and mortars. There are also two troop shuttles. Your primary weapons are TR-116B Rifles modified for the Regiment's use. There will also be standard weapons too, out of that 467, there are 12 Rifles who are the Captain's personal bodyguard, so their duties are separate, but they take roll call with the rest of the rifles," Smithson said.

S'earr holds his hand out under hers so that she can drop or place the crystal in his palm, reducing the risk of his touching her. There was an unusual bit of information, though. "May I ask why the Captain needs a bodyguard detail on an Akira-class Federation starship?" If he were going to a planetary colony or outpost, perhaps, but a starship....

Remembering what he said, she dropped the crystal into his hand, picked up the last item, a strip of paper about six inches long and held it out to him.

"This is your one-time use code, basically, should all other senior officers become incapacitated and the ship be boarded, and you plus some enlisted are all that remain, this code will lock out the ship's data core, stop any hostile that boards the ship from getting the sensitive data, as the Tomcat is one of the few Starfleet ships out in the Mira Sector she has border pass codes and such. The negative result is that if the hostiles try to force the data out after this code is entered and locked in, it will totally wipe the Computer core of everything on it, thus denying sensitive data to any enemies," she pauses.

"Commit this to memory, then destroy the strip of paper. There is a funny side to this, if you get captured and tortured, give this out after the correct amount of time, then let them type in the code and lock themselves out hehehe" she laughed at that bit "Ahem, apologies Lieutenant, I have a sick sense of humour" she clarified.

"Now, if you have any questions, ask them now, before I take you on a tour of the Tomcat, it will be on the holodeck as the actual ship is out on duty", she said, waiting for S'earr to take the strip of paper.

Taking the paper, being mindful not to touch the female, he looked at it briefly, then stuck it under the collar hidden under his uniform. He would do as instructed, then destroy it once it was committed to memory. Nobody was getting close to his collar. "No questions."

Smithson looked at him, "Hmm," a pause, "Okay, Lieutenant, you can leave your kitbag here. I would also advise that you acquire Starbase quarters, as one can fit only so much in ship quarters, but you will have time for that. Let's get to that brief tour before I let you be, but three days from now, Lieutenant, you will be at departures, where you will meet your pilot who will take you to the Tomcat," Smithson said.

"Understood." S'earr spoke as he stood up from the slightly too small chair. "Please." His hand towards the door as if ready to follow her out of the office.

With a nod Sam led the Lieutenant out of the Security office and to the nearest turbolift.

[OFF]

 

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