Posted by Lieutenant Commander Serena Stone (Executive Officer) in Business As Usual - CNS Office - Tag Kingston

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Business As Usual - CNS Office - Tag Kingston

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Serena Stone (Executive Officer) in Business As Usual - CNS Office - Tag Kingston
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“Go along on this journey together, wherever it leads. Maybe we find we just need to touch base about the homework and we agree that you’ve got everything you need on your own. Or maybe we’ll decide together to keep meeting. Either way, it’s your choice, Serena. And you might disagree, but we both know Command would not have assigned you as the first officer if they didn’t believe you could do the job. That’s not my concern. The thing I am hoping for you is that you can find a place here where you feel you belong, where you can be the best possible version of yourself so you can inspire the crew you are leading to be the same. But I an only ask and suggest, anything more is counterproductive for both of us.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“Maybe,” she murmured. There was something going on out there, within the Federation and Starfleet. Not anything she could put a finger on. Perhaps it was just paranoia. And she’d learned to trust that paranoia. But she couldn’t let that paranoia be her entire personality either. But still, it made the hairs on the back of her neck raise, and that was always something she could trust. More than once, when she thought about it, she’d had that feeling. But it was elusive, and though dismissed, she had filed it away. Yet it nagged at the back of her mind. Why was she here? Really? And the sudden change in command for the Athena. That usually wasn’t done. And most CO’s were able to pick their first officer. Sure, she was in line to advance, but this whole thing was out of the blue.

Questions for later.

For now, the Athena needed leadership. Especially after a sudden and rocky change. And that was her, and Captain Legen. Though more to her because well.. she was the go-to point of contact. Information was coming up the chain to her, to pass on to The Old Man at the top. And then his wishes passed down to her to carry out. That simple, for now.

“Whats the homework?”

Stone

Janna was never one to rush or fill in silence unnecessarily. So she had waited till Serena had found her way through her thought. “It’s fairly simple, actually. Over the next week I want you to note down five things that surprise you about life on the Athena. You’re an observant person, so just be that. Maybe it’s some crewman who is fastidious on duty but as you pass the open door of their quarters you notice it’s an absolutely mess. Or maybe you eat a meal that someone recommends that you expected to dislike but is actually quite good. That’s all. Five things.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

She nodded. She knew the ‘trick’. It was to get her to gather ‘evidence’ on the situation. The thought actually made her snicker out loud, struck with sudden and quite brief amusement. Of course, it wasn’t a trick. Not really. It was just neuroscience. But it was also good science. As a trained investigator, gathering proof, evidence was… something she did very well. A lot of folks thought of Security as a bunch of phaser jocks, but that was the part of the job that happened when a Security officer screwed up. They were negotiators, diplomats, peacekeepers, assistants, investigators, guards and protectors. The best drew from multiple disciplines and skillsets.

“I’ll see what I can do,” she said after a few seconds. A faint but amused smile still clunk to her lips for a little longer still.

Stone

Janna gazed at Serena with a light smile on her face for several moments before she winked and gestured with her blond head to the door. “Go on, have yourself an interesting day. We’ll meet again in a week. You can set up an appointment through Ensign Blossom at Reception.”

“And Serena? Welcome to the team,” Kingston said with an ease that she felt deeply in her body.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Serena nodded slowly, then got to her feet. Gone was the easy grace, instead replaced by a slow shuffle. While not in a daze, she seemed… wrung out. Emptied in some way. Worn down. “See you soon,” she said quietly, and made her way out.

It was the way of it sometimes, and while Janna would not have chosen this sort of outcome for what would normally be a simple check-in, she also knew that Stone needed to work through something even if that ‘something’ wasn’t the one most obvious. And Janna would be there for her as she did.

Shuffling over to the front desk, she leaned there. “Hey there. Miss Kingston says she wants me back in a week. Follow-ups and all that,” she murmured when she had Miss Blossom’s attention.

Stone

Cherry smiled softly at Serena. “Of course, Commander,” she said as she pulled up Kington’s schedule. “There’s a slot at 1000 hours. If that doesn’t end up working for you, just let me know and we’ll figure out another time.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS & Ensign Blossom

“That’ll be fine,” she said quietly. Though she’d only been there for a short while, she now looked worn down and her features were drawn. “If something comes up, I’ll notify you.” Of course with all the inter-connected systems on the ship that was relatively easy. And of course the appointment would get fed into her agenda/itinerary too. “Anything you need from me, Ensign?” The use of rank might have been formal any other time, for the moment it sounded casual, and more like a name.

Stone

Cherry smiled at Serena with warmth. “No, nothing specifically, but thank you for asking, Commander. Kingston runs a pretty effective department. Though between you, me and the bulkheads, when I take R&R I have no doubt they’ll manage without me, but it won’t be nearly as smooth,” she said, a glimmer appearing in her eyes.

~Cherry Blossom