Having just come aboard, Dantius was ready to be cleared for duty. He had served Starfleet for nearly two decades at this point, but this was his first posting as an XO. He was an imposing man with dark skin and close-cut hair. He wore his beard full, with two beaded strands protruding below his mouth. Although he was Haitian, and therefore the beading was not technically part of the cultural exception for uniforms, nobody had questioned the choice once he started wearing it as a Chief of Security on the USS Runaway. He had learned the technique from a fellow crew member, and prided himself on the fact that he had learned the skill. It did mean more frequent visits to the ship’s barber in order to keep his beard maintained, but nobody could mistake Commander Massana for another man of his stature and coloration.

As he entered Sickbay, Dantius looked around. He decided to simply announce himself.

“Commander Dantius Massana, reporting for my boarding physical.”

• Commander Massana, XO