First Impressions

Posted on 12 Aug 2025 @ 10:04am by Ensign Lucas Scott & Lieutenant Aev Flammia
Edited on on 12 Aug 2025 @ 10:06am

1,337 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Assignment: Arawyn
Location: Secruity, USS Arawyn

=/\= Outside CSec's Office =/\=

Luke was sitting in the appropriate waiting area but still felt like something was wrong. The other officers moving around all knew what they were supposed to be doing apparently. Nobody was giving him a second glance and clearly had bigger concerns than the anxious Ensign doing his best to look like anything other than that. Lucas had told everyone he'd encountered the same things; Name, rank and to whom he was to report. But it felt like ages had passed since then and the continued waiting only further enhanced his expectations that he was doing something wrong.

Aev stepped out of the turbolift, flanked by two young security officers finishing a quiet conversation about patrol rotations. The small group broke apart as they neared the corridor outside CSec’s office as they peeled off to their respective duties. As Aev turned toward the office, his eyes landed on a young Ensign seated stiffly in the waiting area. New, most likely. The tension in the man's shoulders and the tight set of his jaw looked like someone doing a very poor job of hiding his nerves. Aev made a quiet mental note of it, tempered by the memory of his own nerves when he'd first met the Captain.

“Greetings, Ensign.” He extended his hand. “Lieutenant Aev Flammia. Apologies, I only came aboard a few hours ago and haven’t had the chance to review all the new personnel yet. Remind me of your name?”

Luke gave his superior a firm shake, like his Uncle had taught him, maintained eye contact and spoke without hesitation. "A pleasure Sir, I am Lucas Scott. Ensign." Once the grasp had been broken he continued. "I apologize for my appearance Sir, I've had trouble sleeping between all the transports." Finally he had settled on what was now home, the horrors of transferring from shuttle to starbase and back again was over. "I've already been assigned quarters and should be ready to prepare for launch."

"You're fine, Ensign. I think most of us are still a little haggard from the travel, but it’s good to have you here. Come with me." Aev led the way into his office, stepping behind a sleek onyx desk that reflected the overhead lighting in a muted sheen. The space was simple with a pair of chairs opposite the desk and a single display panel on the wall quietly cycling through security status reports. A neat stack of PADDs sat in one corner of the desk, the only real sign of activity.

He sifted quickly through the stack until he found the one he wanted, then lowered himself into his chair and gestured for Lucas to take a seat. "So, this is your first assignment, I see?" Aev said with a faint smile. "I remember how anxious I was on my first posting." Reaching for another PADD, he tapped in a few quick notes before sliding it across the desk to the Ensign. "This is your basic duty schedule for the next few days. I’ve assigned you to beta shift rotation. Tomorrow, we’ll be running assessments in the holodeck to finalize the schedule and set up tactical rotations. Look it over and let me know if you have any questions."

Lucas scanned his orders quickly, relieved that it was so organized and detailed. All he had to do was show up at the appropriate times and not be a total moron. Both were achievable. 'Thank you Sir, I'm ready to be an asset to the Arawyn." He took another quick glance over his new orders and kept coming back to the assessment part of things. Basic skills tests were not uncommon but this time it would be to establish himself amongst the Department. He knew already that it would be a late night studying the tactical guides for Arawyn, even ships of the same class were vastly different and knowing those details would be critical to surviving a live-fire encounter.

"I do have one question Sir. With so many new crewmembers will there be stricter controls until we launch?" It was the best question he could come up with, an honest concern for defending not only his new home but those that lived there as well. "I'm ready for voluntary shifts if so."

Aev nodded. “That’s a fair question, Ensign. Yes, we’ll be running tighter controls until we launch. More drills, closer checks on restricted areas, and a bit more oversight in general. It’s all about making sure the team is in sync before we leave dock.” He tapped the PADD on the desk. “Your offer to take extra shifts is noted, but for now, focus on learning the ship and your duties. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to prove yourself.”

Lucas nodded. "Yes sir." A large part of him liked how that sounded but there would always be that voice telling him he didn't know anything. "It would really help to learn Arawyn's layout, I barely found your office to be honest Sir." Again the critical part of his thoughts immediately launched into analysis. He'd volunteered too much information, over-answering a question. "To be honest sir, I'm nervous as hell. There's a vast difference between training and standing on deck."

“Nervous is good,” Aev said with a small smile. “It’s when people get too comfortable that they usually make mistakes.” He leaned back slightly in his chair. “The real difference between training and standing on a deck is mostly up here,” he added, tapping his temple. “If the training’s solid, that is. We can’t prepare for everything, but the key is having both the tools and the mindset to handle whatever comes at us.” As he spoke, he could almost hear Captain Yang in his own words. The thought made him feel slightly older than he was. It felt a little funny, considering only a few years separated him from the young Ensign across the desk.

"Sir." Luke said with a nod, still a bit anxious but from the sounds of it his new boss was going to be easy enough to deal with as long as he dotted the i's and crossed the t's. He wanted to make some profound statement that would cement his standing but it was all to easy to talk about working hard. It was another thing to do it to the point where that effort was relied upon. Anyone could vocalize being a Security officer, it was an entirely different thing to do it first. In Luke's experience it had always been similar to what his Uncle had always said; 'Everyone wants to be a big dog until it's time to be a big dog'. In the short amount of time he'd spoken with his new superior Luke felt at least a touch more relaxed, he'd had no way to anticipate how actually reporting for active duty would go. "Will you be needing anything else Sir?"

Aev shook his head. “Not for now, Ensign. Get yourself settled, review the duty schedule I gave you, and be on time for tomorrow’s holodeck assessments.” He stood, offering a firm but brief nod “most of all, get some rest.”

Luke couldn't help but to smile slightly, already knowing that he'd be nose-deep in schematics and any other information he could get his hands on for hours. "I'll do my best, Sir." With a short nod to the CSec he stood and left the office. It was going to be a long walk to his quarters, even now his mind on a dozen ways to gain an advantage in the upcoming assessments. The Lt was definitely going to throw a curveball, some scenario there was no chance of happening. But things seemed to aligned almost, like he was meant to be standing where he was. Only time and effort would decide whether Luke was right or not.

==== End Log ====

Lt Aev Flammia
CSec
USS Arawyn

&

Ens Lucas Scott
ASec
USS Arawyn

 

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