To See if the Rumors are True...

Posted on Wed Aug 19th, 2009 @ 5:09am by Lieutenant Commander Kaylis Kirana

844 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Behind the Mask of Familiarity
Location: Executive Officers Officer
Timeline: Current

Shalie made her way down the hallway towards the office of the Executive Officer. She had made it her mission to meet most of the senior staff and the XO was the only one she was at all nervous about. She had learned early on in her career to at least read the basic personell file of her commanding officers and those that she worked closely with. According to what she had read, Commander Rowena Arkham was an amazing officer with a past shrouded in secrecy. It say Shalie was intrigued was a bit of an understatement. She tapped the chime to announce her arrival and awaited for the Commanders answer.

Commander Arkham was up to her neck in work, official and otherwise. It had been a harrowing stay in the Citadel Sectors for the crew of the Archimedes, perhaps oftentimes more harrowing then they themselves had truly been aware of. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she yawned, grumbling a little as the door chime rang. Most likely yet another new crew member.

"Yes?" Arkham said finally, a slightly cold tone in her voice.

As soon as the door opened Shalie walked in. Standing formally in front of the seniored officer's desk. "Sorry to bother you, Sir....I am Lieutenant Junior Grade Shalie Montgomery the new Chief of Operations...I wanted to take an oppertunity to introduce myself."

"Ah," Arkham said coolly. She'd figured that she'd met all the new crew -- but of course, whenever she assumed that, more managed to pop out from places she didn't expect. Rising from her chair, she looked over the young officer for a moment, and smirked as much as her ruined features would allow. "Welcome aboard the Archimedes, Lieutenant. I am Commander Arkham. How are we looking on the operations front of things?"

"Things are falling into place...even though a little slower then I would like." Shalie said calmly. She would be lying if she said she wasn't that least bit intimidated by the women standing in front of her. "I understand that the pervious Chief had his own way of running Operations. Some of those I plan to rectify later this afternoon with Engineering."

"Ah," Arkham said coldly, rubbing her ruined jaw with one hand. "Now, I don't suppose I need to tell you, Lieutenant, that I run a tight ship?"

"Understood Sir." Shalie replied and stood up a little straighter.

"I expect nothing less than quality work from all my officers. If not, I'll be using those rank pips of your as my next tooth fillings while you're awaiting a disciplinary board. Am I understood? I expect no problems with you, Lieutenant. Don't you dare disappoint me."

"You will have no problems from me Sir." Shalie was intimidated but she was doing her best to hide it. This women wasn't kidding and that scared the crap out of her. She didn't know if she should say anything else or just wait to see where the conversation went.

"I didn't think so," Arkham said coolly. Looking over the young woman once more, she smirked a little. If there was one thing she'd picked up in her time as an intelligence officer, it was how to smell fear. "Do I frighten you, Ms. Montgomery?"

"Frighten no...intimidate yes...to be honest sir." Shalie replied smoothly. She didn't see the point in trying to decieve her new XO. As she had learned over the years and more recently with O'Connell was that intelligence officers loved catching people in lies, and she wasn't about to fall for that.

Arkham raised an eyebrow, and managed what might have been a slight smile; the entire expression was somewhat strange and perverse on the Executive Officer's ruined features. Chuckling a little, she reverted once more to the scrutinizing stare and look of apathy that was very much her trademark. "At least you're honest, Ms. Montgomery. Anything else you need?"

"No, sir."

"Well then," Arkham said quietly, rising, "I will bid you good afternoon. I'm sure we both have quite a bit of work to do. I sincerely hope that I will not have to see you standing in front of my desk again any time soon. Because if that happens...'intimidation' is the least of the things you'll be feeling. Or so the general consensus states."

"Understood." With that Shalie turned and exited the XO's office. As soon as she was clear of the sight she rolled her eyes. Officer like the XO that strove to intimidate made her life difficult. It was her intention to avoid the XO as all cost....unless some sort of amusement could be had.

Arkham waited until the young officer left her office before managing a slight chuckle. Shaking her head, she went back to her paperwork. This one looked like fun, as loath as she was to admit it. Sighing a little, she went back to her PADDs.

"Your move, Ms. Montgomery."

---

A POST BY:

CDR Rowena A. Arkham
Executive Officer, USS Archimedes

and

LTJG Shalie Montgomery
Operations Officer, USS Archimedes

 

RSS Feed