Posted by Captain Cypress Elliot (Commanding Officer) in SB 157

Posted by Commander Daniel Hawthorne (Executive Officer) in SB 157

Posted by Captain Cypress Elliot (Commanding Officer) in SB 157
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
Elliot walked up to the man, thinking he was probably part of the crew sent to greet them. “Hello, Captain Cypress Elliot and Cmdr Daniel Hawthorne reporting for duty. Permission to come aboard?” The conversation between the commanding officers had paused for the brief interaction.

CO Cypress Elliot
USS Ogawa

Daniel smiled and gave a slight nod to Brad , then he waited for some sort of introduction from the Chief Of Staff

Commander Daniel Hawthorne
Executive Officer
USS Ogawa

“Permission granted, Captain, Commander. I’m Dr. Brad Walker, the Chief of Staff on the Ogawa and your Second Officer,” Brad said, extending a hand to first Cypress, then Daniel.

“Welcome aboard the Owie.”

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

“Thankyou Commander”

Daniel said accepting the handshake

“Or would you prefer being addressed as Doctor?”

Commander Daniel Hawthorne
Executive Officer
USS Ogawa

Brad gave him a grin. “I can give you three answers, and you can pick whichever one makes you laugh the most,” he said

“My job’s mostly administrative, I didn’t spend six years in Evil medical school to be called Mister, and just don’t call me late for dinner.”

Ooc: bonus points if you can name the references
Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

OOC: I thought I reconised the references, they are Mostly administrative is a Bones line, The Evil medical school is from Kim Possible(I didn’t know this one) I’m too old for that one and Don’t call me late for dinner is a joke widely used in Pop culture , I think I’ve even said that one myself, you still didn’t give Daniel a choice of 3 things to call you though :-)

OOC: They must be more pervasive than I thought… Mostly administrative for me was from American Dad (“I can’t believe you’re an educator, Brian.” “My job’s mostly administrative.”), evil medical school is from Austin Powers, and yeah late for dinner is everywhere.

Each was an option to call Brad though: mostly administrative, I don’t do much doctoring, call me Commander; evil medical school, I may only operate on paperwork these days but damnit Jim I’m a doctor; and late for dinner, I’ll respond to either

IC: Daniel smiled when Brad said what he said, the fact the Commander made jokes he actually liked, he thought to himself that he and Brad were going to get on well with each other

“A sense of humour.....I like you”

Commander Daniel Hawthorne
Executive Officer
USS Ogawa

IC: “I aim to please, Commander,” Brad replied. He probably should have said sir in deference to the younger man’s more senior role on the ship, but their ranks were equal and Brad had considerably more time in grade.

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

Daniel smiled and nodded , he didn’t mind at all that Brad didn’t call him Sir , after all they were the same rank he thought.

He stood and waited to see if the CO was going to say anything.

Commander Daniel Hawthorne
Executive Officer
USS Ogawa

Cypress shook the hand extended in her direction. “I’m pleased to meet you, Cmdr, and I appreciate you taking the time to meet us. I thought Hawthorne and I would take a casual spin around the ship and then settle in the ready room. We need a ‘getting to know you’ conversation before we’re called to serve on a mission.” She clasped her hands behind her back and stepped off in the direction that would carry her further into the ship. “As soon as I’ve had a few minutes to settle in, I’ll call a meeting of all command officers so we can introduce ourselves.”

CO Cypress Elliot
USS Ogawa

Brad’s handshake was purely professional, then stepped back to allow a clear path into the ship.

“I look forward to it, Captain,” he said. “Would you like an escort around the ship, or would you prefer to trust your reading of the specs?”

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

Daniel glanced towards Captain Elliot before turning back to Commander Walker.

“Thank you for the offer, Commander. I suspect the Captain and I should take advantage of the opportunity to get acquainted while we find our way around.”

He offered Brad a polite smile.

Brad gave an equally polite smile in return.

“Very well. If you do get lost, you can call the ship’s AI, GALEN, for advice getting back on track,” he said. “Just tap your commbadge like a normal call.”

“I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities to pick your brain once we’ve settled in. I look forward to working with you.”

“You as well, Captain, Commander,” Brad said.

Daniel then fell into step beside Captain Elliot, ready to begin their tour of the Ogawa.

Commander Daniel Hawthorne
Executive Officer
USS Ogawa

Cmdr. Dr. Brad Walker
Chief of Staff

Once they were alone again, the Captain kept the conversation going. “Do you know what your command style is, Cmdr? Are you lenient, permissive, strict, stern or do you decide things on a case by case basis?” She was eager to hear the answer to this one. Would their styles clash?

CO Cypress Elliot
USS Ogawa

Daniel considered the question for a moment as they continued down the corridor, his gaze drifting briefly over the ship around them before returning to the captain.

“I’d say… case by case.”

He smiled slightly.

“Every officer is different. Every situation is different. I don’t believe you can lead effectively if your answer to every problem is the same one.”

He clasped his hands behind his back as they walked.

“I set high expectations because Starfleet expects the best of us, particularly on a ship like this where people’s lives may depend on our decisions. But I also believe mistakes are opportunities to teach—provided they’re honest mistakes and people learn from them.”

After a brief pause, he continued.

“I’ve never had much time for commanders who lead through fear. In my experience, a crew that respects you will outperform a crew that’s merely afraid of disappointing you. Respect has to be earned, and it starts with listening.”

He glanced at Captain Elliot with an easy smile.

“That said, if someone is negligent, repeatedly ignores orders, or knowingly puts the ship or crew at risk, I’ll deal with it swiftly. Compassion shouldn’t be mistaken for weakness.”

Daniel’s expression became thoughtful.

“My father always used to say an engineer earns the crew’s confidence by keeping the ship running. My mother believed a commanding officer earned it by making the right decisions when they mattered most. I suppose I’ve spent my career trying to do both.”

He gave a small, self-deprecating chuckle.

“So I suppose my command style is approachable, but not permissive. Fair, but not soft. I expect professionalism, and I try to give it in return.”

He looked towards the captain.

“If my officers can come to me with a problem before it becomes a crisis, then I know I’ve done something right.”

Commander Daniel Hawthorne
Executive Officer
USS Ogawa

Cypress nodded. That was a very good answer and it was similar to her own approach to discipline. “I’m glad to hear your explanation, Cmdr. It sounds like your choices are much like my own. Fear is useless in most circumstances. All it does is impede ones ability to act to the fullest of ones capability.” OOC: you will need to ask her questions too in order for us to have a conversation :)

CO Cypress Elliot
USS Ogawa

OOC: Of course, it’s coming :-)

Daniel nodded thoughtfully.

“I couldn’t agree more, Captain. A frightened officer tends to become a hesitant officer, and hesitation can be just as dangerous as recklessness.”

They continued their leisurely pace through the corridor, passing crew members who offered polite greetings as they went.

“If you don’t mind me asking…” he began, “what drew you to command in the first place?”

He glanced towards her with genuine curiosity.

“Most of us can point to a moment—a mentor, an experience, or perhaps a particular captain—that made us realise the centre seat was where we belonged.”

A faint smile appeared.

“You’ve already asked about my approach to leadership, but I’m just as interested in learning yours. Beyond discipline, what do you expect from your senior staff? If I asked your department heads what makes Captain Cypress Elliot stand out, what would you hope they’d say?”

Daniel’s tone wasn’t interrogative; it was the kind of question one professional asked another. As Executive Officer, understanding the captain’s expectations was as important as knowing the ship’s specifications.

“I’ve always believed the relationship between a captain and their XO is built on trust. The better I understand how you think, the better I can support your decisions and the crew.”

He offered an easy smile.

“And if we’re going to be working together for the foreseeable future, I thought I should start by getting to know the person behind the rank.”

Commander Daniel Hawthorne
Executive Officer
USS Ogawa