Posted by Lieutenant Nijix Tavim (Chief of Security) in COS Office: Cadet Wiles Osten reporting for Duty

Posted by Cadet Wiles Osten (Security Officer) in COS Office: Cadet Wiles Osten reporting for Duty

Posted by Lieutenant Nijix Tavim (Chief of Security) in COS Office: Cadet Wiles Osten reporting for Duty
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Wiles clasped his hands behind his back and straightened his posture, chin raised slightly and feet aligned in a perfect V. He held his breath for a second too long and let out a puff of air as he sagged forward, coughing lightly, then eyerolled to himself as he glanced over his new suit through the mirror in his quarters. Wiles had not expected to be wearing a golden uniform, although in all honesty he would not have had any better guesses as to what color he might be sporting if you had asked him to predict it. So they wanted him to shoot a phaser now. He -had- been pretty good at it in San Francisco, but Wiles was good at a lot of things… just not great at them.

Wiles was not the nervous type (not from overconfidence but instead from a generally laid-back demeanor) but he did have a small concern that Lieutenant Tavim would immediately clock him as someone who felt slightly out of place. It’s not that Wiles did not like security or was not excited to finally be on a starship, but he did have a distinct aura of someone who was floating along in a predetermined current. Perhaps not as enthusiastic (or tense) as most cadets usually are when meeting their SO for the first time.

With a single exhale from his nose and a nod to his reflection, Cadet Osten turned on his heel and left his quarters, walking at a steady pace to the turbolift, and from it, to the COS’s office. Clasping his hands behind his back and straightening his posture as he’d practiced, Wiles made sure to breathe as he stepped into the office. “Hello Lieutenant Tavim. Cadet Osten, reporting for duty.”

Nijix lifted her head up from her workload on her desk. She took a moment to observe the younger man, identifying his key traits from his profile picture then she leaned back in her chair. While she gestured for him to sit in the chair in front of her desk, the Chief of Security made some mental notes. When she first spotted him, Osten’s aura gave off an impression that many first-year Cadets at the Academy did. Few rarely knew which career path to pick when they first joined and often it was sorted out by their second year, herself included. For those that had no preference, Starfleet assigned them to the branch they were best suited for.

She got the latter vibe with Osten.

After he sat down, she began.

“All right. Let’s get started,” she placed her work PADDs to the side to focus on him.

“Why did you join the Academy in the first place?” She knew it was likely a commonly asked question, but she felt it was a comfortable and critical place to start for everyone. Motivation was everything because without it a person rarely moved forward in their life.

-Lt. Nijix Tavium, CoS

Wiles had a standard answer for the standard question, but decided that this was not the time for brevity. He settled back into the chair and crossed one leg over the other, folding his hands in his lap and looking over Lieutenant Tavim’s shoulder with a tired gaze. He answered sincerely but matter-of-factly, obviously having put a lot of thought into this subject and aware of his vulnerability on display. “I’ve never had a solid identity. Jack of all trades, master of none and all that. I joined StarFleet to be a part of something, and find an identity through participating in its mission.” Wiles shifted in his seat and dragged his eyes back to meet Lieutenant Tavim’s. His deep green irises sparkled with intellect, but intellect clouded by something. “And now that I’m here, well,” he shrugged, “the search continues.”

(Wiles Osten, Security Cadet)

Nijix settled back farther into her chair. She absorbed his answer and debated over it, inwardly fighting with herself on it for a moment. The man clearly had intelligence causing her to pull her work PADD from the pile. She shifted it rest to in front and his open file as she considered her next question.

“Being a Jack of all trades still allows you to have a say in what department you’re assigned to. Why did you decide to stick with Security? What was your motivation? You could’ve easily gone into science, engineering or even medical,” She pointed out as she folded her arms across her waist.

-Lt. Nijix Tavium, CoS

Cadet Osten’s file was, as he had described, very diverse. Osten had a spotless disciplinary record, high marks in all classes (with the exception of upper level engineering), and participated in a plethora of extracurricular activities during his time in San Francisco, including competitive swimming, poetry publishing, holodeck program design, multicultural exchange club, and involvement in various mentorship organizations. But, there were no special notes in his file about excelling at a particular field of study. The most noteworthy letter of recommendation (of which there were several) was from a psychology professor at the academy, who praised Wiles’ thoughtful contributions to class discussions as particularly insightful.

Wiles considered the Lieutenant’s question, but did not need long to determine his answer. His response was a bit livelier this time, not shying away from digging deeper than the typical answer he gave in these situations. The cadet sat up straighter in the chair as he spoke. “I like working with people. Science is data and chemicals, engineering is technology and machines, and medical tends to focus on the biological, anatomical needs of individuals. I find people fascinating from a behavioral point of view. I want to understand the motivations behind actions and mediate conflicts between individuals and/or institutions by synthesizing that information into effective compromises. I think deescalating quarrels between people or groups of people is a mutually beneficial prospect for everyone involved. But for that to happen, everyone has to feel safe and understood.” He paused from his monologue, suddenly aware he may be rambling. “Sorry, did that answer your question?”

(Wiles Osten, Security Cadet)