Posted by Captain Dira Myqian (Commanding Officer) in Meeting with the CO

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Drake Marshall (Surgical Chief/ Emergency Medicine) in Meeting with the CO

Posted by Captain Dira Myqian (Commanding Officer) in Meeting with the CO
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“When you run out of skill and talent, luck is good friend to have.” Drake had a sick smile on his face that vanished as quickly as it came. “As far as I have learned, no- it doesn’t go away. It gets easier to carry. Eventually… you learn to live. I almost quit. The first, third, seventh, and ninth times people died on the table. I’m a trauma surgeon and I’d just graduated school- wasn’t ready yet. Those people needed the best surgeon in the fleet and that wasn’t me. Yet.” His smile returned, much kinder and softer than before. “You know- even better than I do- what a therapist would say in this situation. All I can say is, I know what you mean.”

-Lt Cmdr Drake Marshall, M.D.

Dira nodded slowly and for a moment it was nice to know it wasn’t just her, but there was that deeper unsettled feeling that she hadn’t been able to tackle yet. Nor could she fully explain. “I hear people talking about it… the incident with Franks, I mean. Never directly when I’m around, of course, but sometimes the speculation is worse than the event. I could just explain it all to everyone, but I guess I’m trying to figure out what sort of captain I want to be and I’ve always been a more private person, even though I’m very social. The suddenness of my promotion after all the events probably hasn’t helped either.”

Captain Myqian, CO

“When you went to the Academy, and like 98% of all Cadets dreamed of being a Captain, what kind of Captain did you imagine yourself being?” Drake asked. “You get to define what kind of CO you are, and how the crew perceives you. Of course they gossip. In any assembly of more than two people there will be gossip. No matter what it’s good you’re CO. People know you.”

-Drake Marshall

“Familiarity and stability are good for the ship, yes. But the thing is, Drake, I never wanted to be a captain when I joined Starfleet. I got my medical degree first and fell in love with psychiatry. I applied to the Medical Academy for my residency and I had been very excited about practicing in this particular field. The decision to switch fields and train for Command came much later, after a pivotal moment.” Dira took a deep breath. “The Ogawa was my first position as XO. I expected to maybe move on to another ship at some point before the captain chair was ever offered. I think a part of me is still surprised they gave me the ship, even though intellectually I know different.”

Captain Myqian, CO

“I think you’re the only person who’s surprised you got the call.” He assured her. “If they’d picked me there’d have been riots in the halls. So why the change of heart, taking the command path?”

-Drake Marshall

Dira grinned at his self-deprecating comment, but her expression quickly shifted to something more sombre. She drew in an audible breath. “It’s a long story, but basically, I was on a rescue mission and we were on a deadline. Our favourite person to loathe right now, Franks, was in charge of the away team and put us in danger by being risky for no reason and crashed our shuttle. He then continued to make bad decisions. I was the psychiatrist for the ship at the time and I had to remove him from duty right there and then, and since I was now the ranking officer of the group, I suddenly found myself in charge. From there, we were successful in our mission, even though the ship had to send another shuttle to get us and the miners we rescued to safety. The aftermath of the rescue was complicated and he accused me of mutiny. But I was so sure I had done the right thing and made all the right decisions, that I had excelled under pressure in a way I had not been forced to in a very long time. And… the subsequent inquiry agreed. I realized that while I loved working in mental health, I was capable of of more than that and that it was time to push forward and try something new.” She shrugged. “And here we are.”

Captain Myqian, CO

“And unless I’m remembering a different Dira Myqian, you were XO before. The natural choice for a CO, especially for a crew of misfits like this.” Drake said. “It sounds like you’ve got the instinct. And a lot to be proud of.”

-Drake Marshall

Dira broke into a small smile. “I am proud of what I have accomplished. I’ve struggled a lot since I got here, wondering if making the shift was the right choice. But while I do miss working in mental health, I like to think I’m still doing so, just approaching it from a different angle. And… I like* command. Despite all the nerves, I really do enjoy it… administrative headaches aside, of course.”

She leaned in towards Drake a bit. “But the truth is also that while I’m honoured to be CO of this ship at this time, if I had had a choice I would have preferred Captain Taylor was here. I was learning a great deal from her, and she became a dear friend. I miss her,” she said, her smle turning sad.

Captain Myqian, CO

“I think you’re doing a good job. And I’m glad you’re CO. But I do miss Captain Taylor too. If you went back in time and told me when I first got here, that Captain Taylor and I would trust each other and be friendly, I would’ve laughed in your face. But she is ultimately the reason I stepped up to the level I’m currently working at. She pushed me towards leadership and being… better. But we keep the Ogawa going and that’s something to her respect.”

-Drake Marshall