Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in The Winds of Change

Posted by Captain Sara Kiernan (Commanding Officer) in The Winds of Change

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in The Winds of Change
Posted by… suppressed (20) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Micah looked at her and chuckled. “Ridiculous maybe… but it is exactly what you wanted. Now whether or not you realize that yet remains ta be seen, but I’ll be willin’ ta bet that that particular realization will dawn on ya in a few.” and he grinned. He stood up and set his hands on her shoulders. “An’ ‘sides… you’ll be damn good at it. ‘Specially on a ship like this one. And I for one am damn proud of ya. And that goes whether ya take the gig or not.”

Micah

Shara gazed deeply into her husband’s eyes, trying to borrow some of his certain. “Well, at least one of us is confident. I just barely have accepted that a return to normal operations means more paperwork. And now I’m supposed to take on more? Ugh!”

She shook her head. “Well, in any case, before I say yes or not, you game for dinner with the Captain at her place? I was thinking before that it would be nice to do so some time anyway.”

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“Alway down for good chow.” Micah said. “What time? Can I take a shower first?” and his mouth split into a grin. “And do we have time for us to take one?” and he hands slid from her shoulders to her hips.

Micah

“We have a few hours,” she said, her eyes glittering. “And I bet, if I used my best efforts, I could get you to call me Sir. Ma’am if you’re feeling moody about it,” she said, pressing her body against him and tilting her chin up to touch her lips very briefly to the corner of his jaw.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

He shuddered every damn time she did that, but he had the will to say simply “Race ya.” and the metal arm ripped the shirt off his chest and he sprinted towards the refresher.

A few hours later…

Micah finished getting dressed, wearing a pair of dark gray slacks and a deep green collared shirt with three buttons at the front and a Star Fleet Marine crest on the left breast. Black boots finished the look at he gazed at Shara and said “Ready when you are, sexy.”

Micah

Shara carefully pushed the final pin into the roll at the back of her head and studied her hair from both sides, making sure it was neat and today. “Just about.” She swept a dark red lipstick over her lips and blotted it on some tissue.

She was wearing black trousers (not unusual), but also the same champagne satin blouse she had worn on their first date. She didn’t exactly have a ton of dressy clothes, and ‘Elaine’ hadn’t required too much of a different wardrobe. Besides, she liked this outfit. It made her feel elegant. “Well, I hope I look the part of the skeptical maybe first officer. Let’s go.”

A few minutes later they reached Sara’s quarters and Shara pressed the chime.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

Sara had spent a while preparing a spread for her guests. Guests. She didn’t invite people over. She had picked out a pair of red slacks and a white shirt, sleeves rolled up. She was setting the last plate out when the chime went. Sara hurried over and opened the door. “Shara, Micah, thank you for coming. Come on in.”

Sara’s quarters were decorated with a collection of knick-knacks and souvenirs from everywhere she’d been. Photos of her family, of her friends at Academy graduation, geodes and trinkets from different worlds she’d visited, and on the wall was a case with all of her medals and decorations in it. The place told the story of a surprisingly sentimental woman. And the smell of traditional American barbecue filled the air.

-CO

Shara stepped in and took in the space carefully, absorbing all the little clues about who Sara Kiernan was as a person. A person’s quarters told you so much about how they see the universe, about what they value. Even a lack of personal effects told a story but it could be hard to know how to interpret that story. That was a skill that only experience could teach a person.

Micah smelled the food and said “Ok, Skipper… just so ya know your game better be on point.” and he grinned. “I k ow my way around a smoker, and I don’t take shine to folks messin’ up good barbecue.” and he chuckled.

Micah

“Well it’s a good thing these recipes are older than everyone here combined.” Sarah smiled. She’d made sure long ago just for the sake of comfort food that she could reproduce what she had grown up with. She picked up a frame with a collage of handwritten recipe cards in it and handed it to Micah. “I was the weird kid growing up in California, eating homemade barbecue. But my mother is from Kansas City. Take their barbecue pretty seriously there.” She looked over to Shara. “I had a hunch he was a traditional barbecue kind of guy.” Her smile betrayed that she was making an easy ploy to win Micah over so he would convince Shara.

-CO

She grinned. “Well, given out of the two of us I’m generally not allowed near the kitchen, I’d trust his take on food over mine. I’m the person you ask to get your food for you. But I know good food when I eat it and it does smell good in here. Can I help? And by that I mean anything that doesn’t involve actual cooking.”

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“Seriously. She’s not kidding.” Micah said. “Smartest woman I know, but you ask her ta help ya and she’s gonna burn down the ship.” He looked at Shara and grinned. He then looked at Sara and said “But I can lend a hand if ya need one.”

Pikelsimer, FedSec

“I’m still waiting for the day when that isn’t the case, but he’s not wrong,” Shara said easily. It was a simple fact, even though it stemmed from something rather difficult.

“Some people have got it, some people don’t.” Sara grinned. “But you’re my guests tonight and for once I timed a dinner out just right. All you have to do is sit down. On the table already was a platter of ribs, a dish of pulled pork, a bowl of cole slaw, and a dish of macaroni and cheese. More than enough for three people, in true middle American tradition.

-CO

“Alright then,” Shara said, happy to dig into a good meal. She moved over to the table and puled out a chair, taking a seat.

Micah down next to her and eyed the offerings and smiled. “Looks great.”

“Perfect.” Sara smiled and led them to the table. “What can I get everyone to drink?”

“Beer if ya got it.” Micah replied. “Or some kinda pop if ya don’t.”

“I’m fine with water, but wouldn’t mind a wedge of lemon with it,” Shara said.

Sara fetched both their drinks and set them on the table. The only beer she had that wasn’t replicated synthehol was an andorian brew she’d tried and never acquired the taste for.

The way Shara figured it, food was the common denominator in many cultures. Not all, of course, and there were species that either didn’t consume food in the same way, or whose consumption practices were harder for others to be around, let alone participate. But in her life breaking bread with others was a way of connecting in some small way that wasn’t always possible in other times. “So, any rules for your table? I don’t like to commit faux pas right away if I can help it.”

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“The dinner table is the best place to me for conversation, so speak freely. You’re in the home of a friend, not sitting at your Captain’s dining table.” Sara explained as she sat down and unfolded her napkin.

-CO

Micah took a few ribs and pork, some cole slaw, and some of the Mac and cheese. Before he started in, he took a breath and said “So when we gonna talk about the reason for this little chit-chat?” and he picked up a rib and took a bite, nodding appreciatively.

Pikelsimer, FedSec

“Never,” Shara said with utter nonchalance. It lasted only a few moments before a smirk touched her lips. She focused on putting food on her plate.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“I think you’re outvoted Shara.” Sara laughed a little. “I hear you were offered a promotion today.”

-CO

“Offered is not the same as accepted. I mean you could force it on me, but I think we all know how that would go,” Shara said, conceding to this conversation happening as she dug into the mac and cheese.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“Your transfer of position orders are written they just haven’t been formally executed yet. But yes, the whole reason we’re here now is that I know I could hand you a PaDD with your promotion on it and then… well maybe Micah has a better guess than I do what hell you would raise.”

-CO

Micah shrugged and said “Oh no, it’d be super quiet. You’d go to bed and when you woke up you’d haf’ta go to Sickbay to get the PaDD pulled outta your a$$.” and he took a bite from a rib.

Pikelsimer

“Pffftt! Too dramatic for my tastes…” Shara said twirling her frok in her fingers.

“Here’s the thing: obligation and sense of duty are no longer good enough reasons for me to do anything any more. I’m middle aged but given my life I’m too old and worn for that nonsense. Give me a good reason beyond that, beyond ‘the ship needs you’. Because frankly, there are a dozen more qualified XO’s with Intelligence experience who would actually enjoy the job. I know because I probably trained a few of them when they were naive kids.”

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“Shara… It’s not just about you. And that’s part of it. All uniform, protocol shit aside- you need to stop thinking about it just from your perspective. You take a whole boat full of people who, even if they don’t say it, feel like we were wronged by intelligence as a division on our last mission. People who were taught harsh lessons in not trusting easily. Take that whole crew and then show them a stranger who represents the group that wronged them. You think they’re going to respond well to that person’s leadership? Not for a second. They know you. You’re the one intel person the crew doesn’t think of as a part of the problem. Because you were here with them through it. Yeah there are qualified people, hell I’ve seen their files. Pull me a file for someone as experienced as you who the crew will actually respond to. Intel tried. Showed me probably a dozen candidates, all qualified, all command trained and certified. And I said no. No, I think you’re better for the job. You’re knowledgeable, quick on your feet, and have your priorities in order. You told me once that you took a posting on this ship because you didn’t want to be in deep as an intelligence officer anymore. Well. I’m offering you a chance to get what you want, at least a little bit. And help the crew of this ship while you’re at it.”

-CO

She took a deep breath and shook her head, a rueful smile slipping onto her face. “Ahhh, I knew this dinner wasn’t going to go in my favour.” It was hard to deny the logic of Sara’s argument. She blew out a breath. “This in an Intelligence vessel. Our assignments will be geared that way, but we are not the only ones. And we might need to do the occasional covert thing. Hell, I don’t mind using my experience to gather info from a source, but we don’t disappear again. That’s my line and it’s non-negotiable, and if you ever get such an assignment and they won’t listen to no, I will tell them so and trust me if we get to that point they’ll be very upset it was necessary.”

“Agreed.” Sara nodded sharply.

Calloway set down her fork and folded her arms on the edge of the table, looking between Sara and Micah. “But we have another point to discuss, and that is that while I am doing better on a new medication and no longer so sleep deprived I’m worried about being functional, we can’t pretend that our last mission didn’t tear through my life and cause a lot of damage. Damage I’m still repairing and will have to for awhile. I’m cleared for duty, but that determination was made when I was still a department head, and not necessarily the most vital one on the ship either. To be an executive officer is a demanding job, and I am… concerned that my ongoing issues will complicate the execution of those duties and I will not be a burden to this ship. I cannot have these issues cause harm to others because I’m distracted, or having bad days. Yes, they are allowed, but there limits. We need to establish what those limits are and be very clear about how to manage this because it affects all of us and we can’t pretend it doesn’t.”

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“As far as the official is concerned, you’ve been cleared for service as an XO.” Sara paused to measure her next words. “Shara, there are a lot of people carrying things around that make their lives and careers harder. We can absolutely work together on this one. I can tell you that if your performance slips in such a way that I think you’re a risk to the ship, I will pull you from active duty. That was true before. I consider you a friend, but anyone who compromises the safety of this crew will be suspended. Now, if you have anything you need that could help avoid that, please tell me.”

-CO