Chain of command

Posted on 19 Aug 2025 @ 7:49am by Commander Adrienne Holt & Lieutenant M'Leyna

832 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Fractured Accord
Location: Deck 2

After meeting with the Captain, M'leyna stepped off the turbolift on Deck 2, headed to her new quarters. She was planning on unpacking her things and reviewing the files and reports on her staff. She was already perusing some information on her PADD, walking as if on autopilot, and already made a few wrong turns (more than likely- absent-mindedly thinking of the layout on the Hyperion out of habit).

It was at one of these wrong turns when shed bumped into someone- quite literally- snapping her attention from her PADD when shed looked to face the back of the person shed bumped into, "O-oh, I'm so sorry. I should've been looking where I was going. L" she said apologetically, "I'm so used to my old ship, I must've gotten turned around while reading these reports."

Holt held back the first reaction that came to mind when she suddenly flung forward. Instead, she took a deep breath and turned around to face the stammering Lieutenant. Unmistakable from the file she'd read. "Lieutenant M'Leyna? It's good to meet you, though I had expected different circumstances," she spoke, seemingly easy going and taking things in stride. Looks could be deceiving though.

The Meruian's eyes widened when she saw the Commander's pips, realization dawning on her, "O-oh sh-...oot... Commander! I- I mean, y-yes, ma'am I'm Loeutenant M'leyna, the new Cheif Helm Officer." She admitted, "I just spoke with the Captain, and got checked in, and finished my on-boarding process."

"I dare say, as a department head, your on-boarding process is only finished once you've reported to the XO," Holt replied, still smoothly. She clasped her hands loosely behind her back, confident the other woman wouldn't bump into her again any time soon. "Or am I making a wrong interpretation of the chain of command?"

M'leyna felt like shed punched herself in the gut, "N-no ma'am, youre not incorrect. I apologize for my oversight." She hurriedly said, "i can check in with you at your earliest convenience."
'Great,' she thought to herself, 'I just blew it with one of my new bosses...'

Holt had to admit to herself that she hadn't read the Lieutenant's entire file yet. It's not because her appearance was unmistakeable that she had memorized her service record. It was obvious from the way she was acting that she lacked experience, probably pretty newly promoted. At the Helm of a Sovereign class vessel. That would prove interesting. "How many hours have you logged in the simulator on the Sovereign class?" she asked, ignoring the woman's stammering.

M'leyna blinked and did her best to remember the exact number without pulling out her PADD, "Right around fourtysix hours, maam, at least four hours a day in the last two weeks, between shifts since I first got news of my transfer..." she said, "as much as I could between my duty rotations."

46. Not great. Could be worse. It definitely didn't impress Adrienne. She'd expected more. Even if the news had been pretty last minute. One couldn't be expected to pilot this ship with less than 100 sim hours. She'd have to get that message across. "I suggest you sit with your team promptly, Lieutenant. Make sure you up those numbers significantly."

The Meruian woman began feeling her timid demeanor slip, feeling inadequate in that moment and beginning to be wary of such a feeling. She may have logged only fourtysix hours, but there wasn't much time to do much more in that short of notice. Not to mention, this wasn't her first role as Cheif of Helm. She swallowed the retort that built in her throat and nodded simply, "Yes, Commander, ill do just that." She allowed herself to say.

Holt studied the other woman intently. The struggle was clear. So was the constraint and the proper response. She could respect that. "Do you have any questions for me?" she asked, steering clear of more discussion about something obvious and opening the floor for any other topic that related to Helm.

Almost without hesitation, and without making it obvious she was biting her tongue, M'leyna gave a curt shake of her head, barely jostling her delicate thin red fin-like tendrils of hair "No ma'am, no questions at the moment." She replied

A nod from the Executive Officer. "Our chance meeting in the corridor was a bit unfortunate, but I'm glad to have met you, Lieutenant. If that's all, I'll let you continue to your destination."

M'leyna blinked and tilted her head 'Why glad to have met me...?' She thought to herself, feeling like shed just been dressed down and feeling inadequate all of a sudden, 'this did NOT gi well' she finished her though. Aloud, however, she replied simply, "Thank you, Commander" and straightened her uniform before walking by, having been dismissed.
"Kralma" she swore under her breath in her native language when she was out of eatshot, "that didnt go well at all"

M'leyna
Cheif Helmsman
USS Arawyn

Cmdr Adrienne Holt
XO
USS Arawyn

 

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