My Number One Mistake

Posted on 24 Feb 2015 @ 11:04pm by Commander Andreus Kohl & Commander Scarlet Blake

1,838 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Nautilus - Deck 1, Bridge
Timeline: MD 44 - 2355 hours

[ON]

The lights were down low on the Bridge of the USS Nautilus. Its viewscreen was dark, and there was as much illumination coming from the LCARS consoles as there was from the overhead lighting panels. Since the Miranda-class starship was docked at Starbase 84, it's command centre was resting on standby. Although no one was serving duty on the Bridge, it did have a wandering visitor in a uniform highlighted by Command-division crimson. The current --if temporary-- Executive Officer of the Nautilus stepped down into the forward operations well.

With slow footfalls, Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl closed the distance between himself and the flight control station. He was carrying a widescreen PADD, from which he was studying the capabilities of this Miranda-class starship. As he padded along the fore of the bridge, Kohl dragged the palm of one hand across the housing of the flight control console, and then the operations management console. He returned to the aft of the Bridge, and came to rest behind his own duty station. It was a freestanding LCARS console, positioned to the right side of the Captain's chair. He brushed one hand down the console's glossy, smooth interface panel, and then he activated the console.

"Getting some research in before the off?" Blake asked with a small smile of amusement, watching from the walkway, hands tucked neatly behind her back. "Do you think that would be considered cheating?" she mused before shrugging with a soft chuckle.

Kohl looked up from his console, and then he turned back over his shoulder to find Blake with his eyes. "Cheating? Are there rules?" he asked. His inflection was so earnest, Blake would have to suspect it might be a joke. Kohl shared a fond look with her, and then returned his attentions to his PADD. As he did so, he explained, "I'll have to add learning the rules to my syllabus..."

"Yes, and rule number one is that we blow everyone else out of the water," Scarlet added with a nod, but her eyes were teasing with it. "So you're going to be my XO, hm? A fine choice, I'm looking forward to seeing you in action," she said honestly. They'd known each other long enough now for her to know what Kohl was capable of.

Leaving his PADD down on the console, Kohl properly turned around. He clasped his hands behind his back and he faced Blake. Between a hardly-contained smile, Kohl said, "I'm excited to be part of your crew, Scarlet. You would have been my first choice, you know. We never became the kind of friends I thought we would become, but I've always trusted you. From day one, I've felt an intrinsic trust."

Scarlet's breath actually caught at the words, not having expected them. It had been difficult the last few months, holding the line. His words were simple and honest, but they meant an awful lot. "Same," she assured with a small but genuine smile before clearing her throat softly. "Well....what do you think of our Miranda, hm?" she asked lightly as she pressed her hand against the edge of the panel to lean against it, her other hand on her hip as she looked around the bridge.

Kohl joined her in the gazing, at the admiring. Turning around, Kohl examined the architectural detailing around the Bridge. He considered the curves where the bulkhead met the ceiling, and the angular partitions between the aft workstations. "I think she's an uncommon beauty," Kohl remarked. "I love her sleek, yet blocky, lines. She don't give a damn about no-body, least of all aerodynamics."

Scarlet laughed softly at the way he put it, enjoying the turn of phrase. It was still strange for her, thinking of him as a 'Science' bod having met him as a Medical bod. "She's a tough boat too. There's a reason she's lasted so long against all the newer ship classes that have been rolled out. She can hold her own in any fight."

As if to test the theory, Kohl gave his console's pedestal a kick. It didn't budge. Morbidly, he wondered if it would hold steady with his body weight slamming against it during a firefight. "I think you're probably right," Kohl said. "I'm certainly going to be relying on your tactical vision out there. Between my bridge recertification and our deflector simulations, I've been logging plenty of holodeck hours at flight control and operations. But starship warfare? That's going to be a learning for me."

"It's not exactly my forte either, but I've got the gist," Scarlet replied softly to him with a slight chuckle as she folded her arms across her chest. Indeed, her counselling career had been about people and psychology and most of her Marine career had been boots on the ground and a rifle in hand. "How do you feel about just ramming the enemy and seeing who comes out worse?" she quirked an eyebrow even as the rest of her features remained straight.

Kohl narrowed his eyes in concentration and rubbed his lower lip with the pads of two fingertips. Once he was decided, he nodded, and he told her, "I'll follow you at ramming speed, Captain." When Kohl thought of something else, he looked away. He doubted if he could ask it --doubted if he should ask it-- but then he reminded himself not to second-guess with her. Kohl looked Scarlet with open eyes, and he asked her, "What mistake have you made as Executive Officer that you wouldn't recommend I repeat?"

Scarlet blinked with surprise at the question, not having expected something so bold, before chuckling softly, knowing she should have known better. "Why none, I'm practically perfect in every way of course," she joked lightly before shaking her head and resting back against the panel's edge to watch him. "Plenty. I'm only human," she shrugged softly with a small smile. "The main thing to remember is if you do make a mistake, you put it right as quickly as possible, but keep it close and discreet. It doesn't help if the rest of crew catch on and start to doubt you. They need to trust in you. They might not always agree with you, but they need to trust in your decisions. If there's a mistake, you work to put it right, and that's what they see, you being able to put things on track again rather than the mistake, and the trust stays. Don't ever assume that each station or each department knows what they should be doing....not everyone's psychic," she arched an eyebrow with a small smile. "It hurts no one to give the order verbally just in case someone's not caught on to what they need to be doing, and it can save a good deal of time and effort. And if you have a concern? You tell me. I need to hear it, don't assume I've thought about it and dismissed it. You're there to advise me so don't be shy of telling me when you don't agree with something. If you want to rip me to pieces, I'd appreciate it done in private though," she shook her head with a soft laugh.

Nodding knowingly, Kohl said, "That's why they invented ready rooms," in agreement. His eyes flicked over to the doors, and then he shared a grin with Scarlet. He teased, "I haven't seen yours yet. I hope there's no upholstery on the walls. The computer always struggles to get blood out of carpet."

"Hm, I better make sure not to beat any of my crew in there then," she tsked, shaking her head slowly as she folded her arms.

"Really though," Kohl said earnestly, "I'll remember that: It's my job to give orders. Just don't be a dick about it." He nodded, to demonstrate understanding, but then a wry smile came to him. "Although, that leaves me with the other thing," Kohl said. "What mistakes would you absolutely recommend to every Executive Officer?"

Scarlet couldn't help a smile at the question, biting her bottom lip gently and looking down in thought for a long moment. "Always tell the CO when they're wrong...they can tell you to shut up easily enough, but sometimes planting the seed is enough. Especially when they're insisting to go down and lead an Away Mission on a really dangerous planet. Shouldn't be too much of a problem here, but...well that will pretty much happen to you every other mission in the real world as a First Officer," she arched an eyebrow to him with meaning. Especially with someone like Holliday. He liked getting his hands dirty. "Oh, and be suspicious. Nine times out of ten, if your instinct is telling you that the captain of that mercenary vessel on the starboard bow is lying, they are."

"In that case, you are in luck, Captain Blake," Kohl said charmingly -- or he thought he sounded charming. "Being contrary is second nature to me. I get a rash when I'm too agreeable."

"Just as well," Scarlet winked every so slightly to him, pushing away from the panel to move away. "Although, you should brush up on your paperwork skills, when you're First Officer, a *whole* avalanche of it comes heading your way..." she delivered the good news over her shoulder to him.

"Come now," Kohl said with naked disbelief in his tone. He followed Blake with his eyes. "It can't be any worse than in medical. With the life of a patient at stake, every moment of every decision has to be documented." He smirked at Blake. "I'm a paperwork ninja," Kohl said, or at least that's how it came out through the Universal Translator. His actual punchline, delivered in the Argelian native tongue, was far more refined.

"Is that so? Brilliant, then you're on paperwork duty, Mister Kohl," Scarlet said lightly as she crossed the bridge with a small, almost playful smile. Check.

Remaining at his post, Kohl turned his body to face Blake as she moved. "Well, now I feel like I'm still on Galileo," Kohl said dryly. If not in his voice, his good-humour showed on his face. "You sound just like Norvi."

"That's the way to do it, Andreus, keep yourself useful," she put her finger to her temple before flicking it at him in a mock salute. "Then you're indispensable," she said it with a straight face, but was only teasing. He worked hard and was an intelligent man. He achieved on merit. "You're going to do good, Number One, don't you worry about that."

Kohl had to smile at Blake's remark, and at being Blake's Number One. He extended his arms and he braced his palms against his soon-to-be bridge console. From across the compartment, Kohl met Blake's eyes once again. He deadpanned, "Let's go kill some Klingons."


[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl
Executive Officer
USS Nautilus

CMDR Scarlet Blake
Commanding Officer
USS Nautilus

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