[BACK POST] The New Chief Operations Officer

Posted on 26 May 2021 @ 10:15pm by Lieutenant JG Tosrol Ze & Lieutenant Colonel Alexandria Somers & Master Chief Petty Officer Lucy Armitage

2,301 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: S03 Ep 03 Trouble in the Sticks UXSys 659842 (Incidentals) Phase 2
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: Prior to Departer on Phase 2

[ON]

Tosrol has gotten on board, looking around in bewilderment as he saw the inside of the Akira class, He shouldered his bags as he rounded the corner and into the turbo lift, that would take him directly to the floor with his quarters, stepping out he smiled at few officers as he stepped up to the door to his quarters. Walking in he looking at the bare, spartan walls. Placing his bags down he placed his big bag down on the bed as he straightened his uniform looking in the mirror. Grabbing his brush he straightened his hair with the comb and got ready to leave for the CRR.

Sometime Later Outside the CRR...

Lucy was sitting at her desk when a shadow eclipsed the light, she looked up and gave the new arrival a beaming smile "Hello Lieutenant, we have been expecting you, do you have your assignment orders?" She asked holding her hand out for them.

Tosrol had gotten out of the door to his quarters in just enough time, padd with orders on in hand, security tag and ID badge in plain view, He walked up to the CRR to see the captains yeoman, smiling as he walked in "Ahh Yes I do" he said handing padd with his orders on over to the yeoman.

She too the Padd, "please have a seat Lieutenant" she said as she read his assignment orders and logged them, she then stood up and smiled at him, I will be right back" she added and entered the CRR.

Torsol smiled "OK" were the words returned as he took his seat, a little nervous a little happy. But all together excited for his new adventure.

Lucy entered the CRR "Captain Lieutenant Ze has arrived, do you want me to send him in?" Armitage said admiring the Colonel's physique oO Down girl, she is married Oo she thought to herself.

Colonel Somers was straightening out the 95th Regimental Emblem on the wall behind her desk along with the Federation standard and the Regimental banner, as she stood back to see if anything else needed to be done she looked at the emblem with was the Riflemans Bugle on top of crossed Phaser Rifles and surrounded by Laurel Leaf branches similar to the Federation ones, below that bugle was the number 95, leaning off to the left at an angle on the left side of the emblem was the Federation Starfleet Flag and leaning off to the right side of it was the 95ths banner that displayed all its battles over the centuries. Directly above that was the UFP emblem, she gave it one final look over and was satisfied when Lucy entered. *Looking over her shoulder* "send him in please Lucy" she said.

Armitage nodded and exited the CRR and returned to her small desk outside the CRR, where she looked at the Lieutenant, "You can go in Sir, the Colonel is ready for you" she said with a smile.

Torsol stood, a bit stiff but otherwise in good posture, walking past the desk and into the open door, he lingered for a fraction of a second "Lieutenant Junior Grade Torsol Ze Ma'am" he spoke with a little shake to his voice, nerves were always hard for the young betazoid, he would have to get a handle on them before the mission was underway "Chief Operations officer" he spoke again a little more confidence in his voice.

Pausing at putting the wall decorations into an orderly style unaware of how her current stance looked she looked over her left shoulder with enough speed that her hair swung right and she smiled "hello Lieutenant Ze, please have a seat, I will be with you shortly" she said finally getting the setup right in her eyes.

"I swear this ship got a damn mind of its own!" She said to herself as she turned to face the Lieutenant and tugging down her tunic as she sat down and leaned backcrossing her legs and gently laying her clasped hands on her lap.

"So Lieutenant, you have your posting Padd?" She asked referring to a Padd new arrivals were given before reporting to their new post.

Torsol came in gingerly and took a seat "of course captain" he said producing his pad from his bag, the nerves must have been written all over the young lads face as he sat there awaiting his response.

She frowned at the term Captain, she was covering for Jasmine, but inwardly sighing she accepted it, she was currently in charge of the ship, she hoped Jasmine was enjoying herself, as she sat she took the offered Padd and read it over grunting in satisfaction as she tapped the transfer into the ship's systems, before placing the Padd down and looking up "I assume Commander Smithson on the Starbase gave you a security briefing and some basics of what and why you have extra security clearances?" She asked.

Torsol looked on a little more visibly at ease " that she did Colonel I have everything as far as I know" he said looking for his badge and clearance details.

She smiled, "well then you have all that you need in that regard, now here is what I expect of you and the Fleet Captain will be no different, as a Department Head you will be expected to coordinate with various Departments making sure ships Operations run smoothly, neither of us will look over your shoulder like me the Fleet Captain will trust you to do your job on the Tomcat you are trusted from the start and remain so until you screw up, so have you any questions that you want to ask me that you could not ask the Commander on the Starbase or she could not answer?" The Colonel asked.

Torsol smiled as he looked on, he knew exactly what was being asked of him "understood colonel" was his response placing his hands in his lap as he mulled over what was said "So what is the dynamic like onboard between the marine staff and Starfleet staff?" he asked a bit out of the left-field but he wanted to know what he was walking into.

"Most of the Rifles and Fleet personnel have been together for over thirteen and a half years, they work well together, the newest of the contingent is the 455 Rifles that came aboard, we have never had so many, operational missions did not require them, now we have an MCO in place so he needs something to play with *she smiled* as this ship started as primarily a Marine support vessel everyone has adapted to the different missions and the ship is run more like a Fleet ship than a Marine ship these days even a Rifleman sitting in the centre seat will act according to Fleet doctrine" she answered not missing a beat.

Tosrol mulled over everything that was said, returning the Colonel's smile. He was a man of thinking and he needed all the information he could get before anything else "So the Ships mission has been 13 and 1/2 years long that is some considerable time how has that been for the crew?" he asked shuffling his feet below him.

Alex did not miss the foot shuffling and hid a smile "the ship has had a large crew turn over, to say the least at times there was only a skeleton crew manning her, the hardest time I am told was the first and second battles in the Hydaransz system since then ships logs show the ship has not been in anything bigger than a scuffle at Thorion system. As for the Crew I am told at some point they all sought out counselling, very few of us remain from the Hydaransz mission, the first one, the Fleet Captain, Cmdr Cahill and Lieutenant Walon are the only ones remaining on the ship from that first battle others came onto the ship after and took part in the second battle and have been with us since Commander Sterling the former First Officer was also around for the first one, she is now a full Captain and commands her own ship, I am told she cleans up the diplomatic messes we leave in our wake" Alex chuckled at that thought.

Torsol smiled as he listened, he had indeed made a good decision in joining the tomcat "ahh diplomatic messes I'm used to those serving with Starfleet" he said laughing a little alongside her "So what the current mission Colonel Somers? he asked looking ahead at the wall "the crest on the wall is magnificent might I add" he said with a beaming smile "I'm eager to get amongst the crew and settle in before the big stuff starts" He said with a slight lifting grin.

Still sitting behind the desk she paused a moment and arranged things in her head "The current mission is the planet we will be going to is one of two Class M planets, the first one is a paradise I am told but we have also lost contact with that planet, however, we lost contact with the other colony too, last reports were that there was some contagion in the air and the colony had been taken over by some Bluegills, but the pathogen in the air mutated the queen host and the hosts that followed and currently on that is all we have, we will find out more when we get there, but preliminary reports indicate the first colony went to help the other one in the few shuttles they had and were infected somehow, so we will be going there to find out what exactly happened and to take action as an when required" the Colonel paused.

Looking back at the crest "thank you, it took a long time to reignite the 95th and get our colours and battle honours returned to us, despite the Dominion War there are still those in Starfleet who baulk at combat units, but there is a division in Starfleet even f the top brass refuse to accept it. There is the exploration arm of the Fleet and the Combat arm, it is there the divide, but not acknowledged, but during times of peace, you will find the combat side greatly diminished, which is a good thing Starfleet was never meant to be military based. *pauses* I know that sounds strange coming from me, but there you have it. As for getting among the crew, I hope you know what a CoO does, as as far as I know this ship has rarely needed one, but there will be times you may need to man bridge stations, so you will also need to be acquainted with all stations. The Fleet Captain who you will eventually meet also a redhead and a Somers is currently away on Taskforce Command business and should be back soon, this is why I am currently acting CO, plus at some point, I will end up commanding this ship regularly so this is my on the job training, so to speak and a chance for the crew to get to know me and how I do things, personally I will be happy not to be in command of a Starship, but my Cousin is kinda stubborn in that aspect" the Colonel said.

Looking up to the crest on the wall, he marvelled at it. He hadn't been a part of a marine ship before, so this was all new to the young betazoid. He listened intently to his new commanding officer "Yep a chief operations officer tends to be the jack of all trades master of none one minute I could be compelling duty reports from the quartermaster the next I could be manning communications" said with a brief wiry smile.

Looking back to Colonel Somers "Oh I know exactly how family can be, mine are all the way back on Betazed and they still find a way of creeping into most communications, my brother is still is a commanding officer in another quadrant so I hear from him less than I do the rest" he said returning his eyes to the marine sigil on the back of the wall.

Noting where he was looking "the crest represents the 95th Rifles Regiment, they are the Marines you see on this ship, there are even few of us with a white band around their shoulders, those with this are known as chosen men, so you know your tasks and such are there any more questions and such before we conclude this meeting?" The Colonel asked.

Tosrol smiled as he listened, he loved learning about new things and this meeting had taught him a fair deal "If its, all the same, you colonel I don't think I have any further questions" He said nodding "I know my duties and I'm eager to get on the bridge to get to know my station" he said with a brief smile.

*smiling* "okay Lieutenant, welcome aboard the Tomcat, and dismissed," she said standing up and holding her hand out in offering.

Taking the colonel's hand and shaking it "Thank you, Colonel" he said standing "I look forward to serving with you" he said grabbing his bag and turning about to leave the room.

With a final nod, she watched the new Chief Operations Officer leave the CRR and when he had gone she slumped down in her seat and wondered how in hades did Jasmine do this regularly, currently Alex was of the mind of wanting to return to the Academy for her final course, but still as things go it was not so bad.

[OFF]

Lieutenant Colonel Alexandria Somers [P: Somers]
Acting CO

Lieutenant Jg Torsol Ze
Chief Operations Officer

MCPO1 Lucy Armitage [P: Somers]
Captain's Yeoman

 

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