Posted by Ensign Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in Ensign Ashlyn Trenton: On-boarding Check In, Chief of Security

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Cassidy Abrams (Chief of Security) in Ensign Ashlyn Trenton: On-boarding Check In, Chief of Security

Posted by Ensign Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in Ensign Ashlyn Trenton: On-boarding Check In, Chief of Security
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Tilting her head slightly, Cassidy couldn’t help but smirk. She gestured to one of the two chairs at the desk. “Have a seat, Ensign, and feel free to elaborate on what my file left out.” Her curiosity had been piqued, but the amusement had been inevitable. Abrams was the kind of person people easily underestimated. She was slight in build, if not height, and she wore her confidence easily. She was social and easy going, the kind of person her friends always would have said couldn’t hurt a fly. And then they’d step onto the phaser range for their quals, or onto the mat for hand-to-hand combat, and it was clear that Cassidy moved with a fluid ease informed by a sharp mind.

She had grown accustomed to the current team, but the COS had to admit that it was going to be nice to have some new folks around. So far she hadn’t really had to incorporate many new people into the team, so it was going to be, not necessarily a challenge, but a different aspect to her role than she had had before.

Abrams, COS

Trenton took her time moving closer to the COS, taking in more of her form and curve before taking a very controlled seat. More thoughts were clearly racing through her mind, probably making this more awkward for her than it needed to be. “It…uh…So I have a holodeck program I brought with me from the Challenger called Trenton Park. It’s themed for a minimalist cyberpunk setting, so lots of vibrant colors on very muted and purposeful structures. Anyway, the park itself is designed to be a haven for parkour.” Trenton let that hang for a moment as she tried to sort out more thoughts that she knew would get her into trouble. “I used to teach a class in my downtime and I’d love for you to come. I, uh, think you would enjoy it.” Ashlyn held her breath without intending to, waiting to see how this COS would respond to the offer of parkour.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Abrams was well aware she was being studied. Well, and so. She couldn’t fault a fellow security officer from wanting to size up other people. And she was the boss here, so a good person to size up. “Cool,” Cass said with a nod and bright smile. “Never done parkour myself, but I know the gist of it. Sounds like a fun way to train.”

“And I was serious,” Cass said, her eyes alit with amusement. “Have a seat. Unless you prefer chatting standing up. But sitting might help with that whole feeling awkward thing. Just sayin’,” she joked with a half shrug.

Abrams, COS

Trenton relaxes into her chair better and leans forward with a sly grin of her own, raising her eyebrows with interest. “What time do you finish shift? I wouldn’t mind at least giving you a brief demo after you finish today? Perhaps dinner in the park? A little of getting to know each other outside of the office? The subtle nuances of how we work, the right way to make us tick?” Trenton leaned back and repositioned herself to be a bit more serious, “This is, of course, if you want to. No pressure.”

Red alert, Abrams! Red alert! Okay, this was taking an unexpected turn very early in the conversation. Hadn’t they only more or less said hi? She hadn’t even had a chance to say her own name (though it was clear the ensign was well aware of it). “Uhhh, well, I am definitely one to get to know everyone on my team. In a completely professional manner, of course,” she said carefully. “But the parkour sounds fun and you can count me in.”

Trenton took a deep breath, trying to get herself back under control. She let that all go a bit and clearly hadn’t intended to go that far, or perhaps she was back-peddling out of regret? Either way, she released her breath and schooled herself back to a neutral mask. “So what can I expect from day to day operations?”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Okay, back to more neutral territory. Good. She leaned back in her seat slightly. “Well, everyone does a rotation in every position. With new members of the team, I’m going to test you out in different roles and see what fits best. I like to keep the shifts balanced,” Cass said simply, her tone utterly professional, though she was careful not to be rigid. “But let me toss it back to you. What is is that you expect as a junior officer on your first posting out of the Academy?”

Abrams, COS

Trenton chuckles lightly, “Weekly borg encounters, science officers that smuggle contraband on board for the sake of SCIENCE!, medical officers hawking narcotics to the senior staff, and Security taking bribes. What about the Engineers? I hear you asking. Well, they keep the ship afloat and us from dying so you know they’re the top of this pyramid of I must be joking. I’m not really that cynical.” Trenton takes a moment to catch her breath after a round of laughter, mostly to unwind the tension within herself. “In all honesty, I’m expecting to learn more now than I did on the Challenger. A chance to better refine my skills toward my goal of being accepted into Starfleet Intelligence as either Investigations or Internal Affairs. I mean, let’s be honest, the most exciting use of my investigative skills on the Challenger was figuring out which parent sent their kid a crate of Andorian Ale disguised as phaser parts. I’m looking forward to being a part of something deeper or more impactful. Also, because this is a science vessel, I’m looking forward to learning new things I haven’t considered yet. I currently have my degree in InfoSec with a minor in Alien Cultures and would like to expand that further.”

Ahh, finally something concrete. Cassidy found herself nodding. Cadet cruises weren’t really mean to test everything. They were a taste of life in space and a chance to weed out those who could ace a class, but couldn’t handle the everyday practicalities that were needed to not only be in Starfleet, but also excel. But she was also aware that not everyone started with or cared about ambition. There was more to life than what came next. Direction was good; strict adherence to a set path was not.

Trenton stops herself for a moment, “Sorry, I was rambling to distract myself from the long list of…other thoughts I’m dealing with.” She tapped her forehead, “Active mind.”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Abrams smiled lightly. “It happens. And there’s a lot to be thinking about in these first days aboard. But I will caution you that observance is a security officers most valued skills. Don’t let yourself become too distracted that you miss what’s happening around you.”

Abrams, COS