Posted by Lieutenant Robert Mason (Incoming Chief Engineer) in USS Calypso- Transitions

Posted by Commander Dira Myqian (Executive Officer) in USS Calypso- Transitions

(snip)

The door slid open and Captain Siterra was there waiting. “Elise,” she said, still grinning. “I thought we did all the farewell stuff earlier.”

Although he was just dreading a send off, Mason was relieved that the Calypso’s XO he was escaping from was absent from this particular party. He respected Captain Siterra enough not to show any of that.

Siterra shrugged. “Hey, call me sentimental, but it feels like the end of an era. We’re going to miss you,” she said, embracing the psychiatrist turned XO.

“Stay strong,” Dira said with a waggle of her brow. “And know if I could have stayed, I would have,” she added rather cryptically.

The captain snorted. “Don’t I know it.” She offered her hand to Robert. “Mason… good luck. The Ogawa is lucky to have you.”

“Or what remains of it anyway,” Myqian said, managing a straight face.

Commander Myqian, XO

“Thank you, ma’am,” he said, taking the offered hand and giving it a firm shake. “It was an honor to serve with you.” He even meant that, too.

— Robert Mason, CE

Siterra returned the shake and smiled. “I’ll know you’ll do the Calypso proud.” She eyed them both and took a step back. “Safe travels.”

Dira moved up onto the transporter pad and smiled. “Same to you. Let me know how you get on,” she said with a little nod of her head and something of an intense look.

What’s that about? Bob wondered as he assumed his own position on the pad.

“I will. It’ll be… what it is,” Elise commented, before adopting a rather neutral position.

Commander Myqian, XO

The transporter console made a series of beeps. “They’re signalling ready, Captain,” the operator said.

“Energize.”

The familiar swirls of light filled the transporter chamber as Dira and Bob promptly dematerialized.

---

The tines of Bob’s fork clanked against the plate as he accidentally missed the bit of chicken he had been aiming for. A second stab found its target, and soon the meat from the space station replicator achieved the purpose of its brief existence.

Dira was seated across from him, PADD in one hand, and spoon in the other. Broth dripped from it before she chewed on her lower lip and set the spoon back into the bowl of soup. She set the device down with a slight sigh.

“So what was that about back there in the transporter room, anyway?” Bob asked. “You know, with ‘Elise’.” He wasn’t necessarily surprised that Dira and their now-former Captain were easy going, just based on the kind of person he had learned Dira to be. But Bob had still felt somewhat intimidated at the prospect of knowing The Captain, considering how he didn’t exactly get much exposure to her in Calypso’s Main Engineering.

– Robert Mason, CE

“Hmm? Oh, that,” Myqian said with a slight grin. “Well, there was an exceedingly brief moment when Command was considering a shake up of the Calypso’s senior staff and I was going to slip into the XO role there. Captain Siterra and I were actually pretty excited about the idea, but it changed very suddenly when the Ogawa’s need for an XO was more pressing. My background in psychiatry, obviously, was considered a no-brainer. So here we are.”

Commander Myqian, XO