Meeting the CO

Posted on Sun Aug 14th, 2011 @ 6:18pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Julia Neral & Captain Nathan Cowell MD

Mission: Tomorrow's Arizona
Location: Commodore's Ready Room, Bridge, USS Arizona
Timeline: BACK POST: Prior to Departure from SB900, after "Something To Get Used To"

Julia walked along the corridor, heading in the direction of the nearest turbolift. Her pace was slower than normal, she had no particular destination in mind yet, and thus there was no need to be in too much of a hurry. Her meeting with the Chief of Science had been interesting, and Julia thought that she would enjoy working with him- despite the sort of odd vibe she had picked up from him a few times, as if he was evaluating her in an unusual way, looking at her differently than most did. Still, he certainly seemed pleasant and intelligent by her standards, so everything should work out just fine.

Julia had a thought. "Computer, where is Commodore Cowell?" She slowed down her pace just a little more.

The computer replied promptly, as usual. "In his Ready Room."

She was approaching the turbolift doors. "Is he presently occupied with visitors or any communications?"

"Not at the moment."

With that confirmation, Julia stepped into the turbolift, allowing its previous occupant to exit first. "Bridge, please." She'd stop by, and hopefully he would be available. It seemed like a decent enough idea. She wasn't a member of the senior staff, per-say, but as CoB it was an advisable idea to have a good relationship with the commander of the vessel.

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Julia paused in front of the ready room doors for a moment before pressing the button.

"Come!" the voice of the Commodore bellowed from behind the door. As per its usual, the door responded to his voice before the woman could even react to it, sliding open to reveal the Ready Room behind it. The man she had come to visit was sitting behind his desk, a book in his hands, feet propped up on his desk. He didn't so much as twitch while the woman walked into the room, nor did his eyes move to regard her as he continued, apparently, to read his book oblivious to his guest.

A few silent seconds slipped by tensely before the old man finally uttered, "Need somethin' kiddo?"

Julia just stood there, both arms folded formally behind her back as she regarded him calmly. His behavior was certainly unusual among other captains that she had encountered, but it took alot to surprise or seriously unsettle her. "Senior Chief Petty Officer Julia Neral reporting in, sir." She now understood the odd vibe that she had picked up from Aix during their conversation earlier when he had mentioned the Commodore.

Nathan glanced over at her for a moment, the look on his face resembling someone that was trying to put a face to a name. The Commodore's brow drew together in a bit of frustration before he grunted.

"Never heard of you. You must be new..." the old man remarked bluntly, "So tell me who you are, maybe that way I'll remember you next time I see you."

He was certainly proving to be interesting. "I am new, sir, just arrived today. I'm the new Language Specialist, and Chief of the Boat." Inside she smiled just a little, but outwardly her face remained passive without being too stiff. She was professional and had a good poker face, but neither was she an unemotional Vulcan.

"Is that all that makes you... you? You just know languages and you happen to be the top Petty Officer on the boat?" the old man asked with one slightly raised eyebrow.

"Oh there is certainly more to me than that, sir." One side of her mouth twitched upward in a controlled smile as she looked back at him. "I didn't know how much information you wanted. As for more details, then... I am a half Vulcan and half Trill Starfleet brat, I play several musical instruments... I started my career in Starfleet in the lab as a microbiologist and I am now officially a linguist."

"I can tell you got spots and pointy ears, kiddo," Nathan said sarcastically, "But why did you make the switch from biology to language arts? Kind of a huge shift, ain't it?"

Julia was unphased by the sarcasm, even though it made conversation more difficult as she had to judge the seriousness of her replies. Her genetic heritage did define who she was, and it wasn't always immediately obvious. "You are certainly correct on many levels. However, a couple assignments back, we had a need for another language specialist, but there wasn't a second one stationed on the ship so I started to fill in wherever I had knowledge. I realized it brought me outside the lab more often, which I liked, and I simply found it interesting, so I decided to make the switch official." She had felt that Starfleet had need her skills more in that area, and having been involved in Starfleet one way or another for most of her life had also felt it to be a good choice for the loyal officer she had always been.

"A hobby turned career... good stuff," the Commodore said in a tone that wasn't immediately distinguishable. His eyes floated over the page of the book he was holding for a minute more before he gingerly closed it and placed the thing down on the desk. He did not, however, bother to put his feet back on the ground as he regarded her with his undivided attention.

"Since you'll be the CoB around here, I expect you to be around just like the other Senior Staffers. That includes major meetings and that, since pretty much everything we do impacts the enlisted just as much as it does the officers that make the decisions. And if you've been in the service any length of time, you'll know that a good NCO looks out for their people. I did it back in WWII, and I expect nothing less from my non-comms now. Sound like a fair deal?" the old man said firmly.

She met his gaze evenly, though her eyes lightened slightly in relief at his words. "Sounds quite fair, sir. I find your opinions on this matter to be in accordance with my own, and quite agreeable." Julia had intended to do as he had just said- work hard to ensure her people were taken care of- and it was good to know that he supported and even encouraged such a position. Now she had to begin the process of building relationships with the other NCOs on the ship.

"Good... then make that shit happen, Senior Chief," the old man said dismissively, reaching for his book once more.

Julia turned and walked out the door, returning to her own thoughts. He was far from the average Starfleet officer she was used to working with, but the meeting had in reality gone well and she was pleased with the result. It was a good start.