Totally socially awkward

Posted on 18 Nov 2017 @ 3:55am by Lieutenant Deeli Kosu (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & Captain Akio Tachibana

Mission: He ho'omaka hou 'ana - A New Beginning
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: Current

Being reassigned towards the USS Hawaii could be a blessing or a curse for Deeli. She was still trying to recover from her experience of what had happened to her on that Starbase. The abuse on her, made her more withdrawn from any contact with people. Deeli was hoping that she would be an Engineering Specialist towards the Hawaii, but Starfleet Command had to interfere again and forward her towards the spot of Chief, again. Maybe she could change the Captain's assignment in this matter? Deeli was not ready to give guidance towards so many people, give her a system to work on and she would do so. Or like what happened on the Redguard, let the warp core breach and she will stop it single handed. But interaction with...people? Deeli shrugs as she pressed the chime of the door and awaited the reaction of the Captain.

Akio was typing furiously on the terminal. They were about to commission the ship and there were so many vacancies.

He had also received word that a Marine Special Operations Company was being deployed aboard the Hawaii.

"Training a new crew is one thing, but babysitting marines was not part of this job," Akio muttered.

Once again, the now-familiar chime sounded.

"Enter!" Akio said, actually thankful for a break.

Hearing the voice that gave the order, Deeli nodded to herself and entered the room. She stopped before her new Commander desk "Lieutenant Junior Grade Deeli Kosu reporting sir" She said as Deeli saluted him.

Akio was actually relieved their Chief Engineering Officer had finally reported aboard. He was concerned that department would be left to a completely fresh Lieutenant JG amid the myriad of vacancies that Starfleet was scrambling to fill.

Was the reason he got command of this ship because no Captain could be bothered? Since pondering Starfleet's personnel decisions last, it was evident the Federation had its hands full between the brewing Cardassian-Breen War and the Klingon Civil War. Perhaps the Gorn became an afterthought in urgency.

"Welcome Lieutenant, please have a seat," Akio highly suggested after he returned the salute. "I have had a chance to read your file, at least what is available. You come to us from the Redguard?"

The name of her former home was a bit sensitive and made her shrug a bit "I did sir, the Redguard's current objective has been reassigned towards a different sector which is already a classified location. Starfleet Command saw it fit to...reassign me towards the Hawaii due to the current situation it has been placed in" Deeli was nervous and at the same time surprised that she was able to throw that sentence out without falling back to her shy self.

What a cryptic confirmation of her past assignment, Akio thought. He didn't have the clearance required to see her records further though, so he had to trust what she was saying. If there wasn't trust, though, what was left?

"Well, we are happy to have you," Akio said, although it was more like he was glad he wasn't stuck with some Ensign. "Are you familiar with the Sovereign-class?" Akio inquired.

Akio needed to know how comfortable his Chief Engineer was with the ship. Their first voyage could very well result in combat and if they couldn't fix the ship while underway in spartan conditions, the Hawaii would be quickly dead-in-the-water so to speak. Akio wondered how some phrases still retained their terrestrial constructs.

"Sovereign class, came in service at 2369 as the USS Sovereign did her shakedown at the Romulan Neutral Zone. The ship has twenty-four decks and has 820 souls on it," Deeli spoke getting all geeky of her hobby to learn all schematics of every ship. "This vessel has the ability to travel in space for 10 years until it requires a resupply from any station."

She at least knew the book, although there was always a dispute among the fleet about how many decks a Sovereign had. Deeli was correct: there are 24 legitimate decks, yet they were actually numbered to 29 due to the lack of a neck on the ship. When the ship separated, some decks would be split between the saucer and stardrive sections.

A turbolift command to one of these overlapping decks would potentially take you to two completely different sections of the ship depending on if you wanted to go to the saucer or stardrive section. Referring to these separate sections of the ship as separate decks eliminated these complications.

"We will be operating in spartan conditions without a functioning base nearby and our ship may very well be in combat. Are you comfortable leading an Engineering Department under those conditions?" Akio asked point-blank.

He wasn't taking any chances with something as important as engineering.

Looking at him as Deeli looked a bit troubled to the desk and took a deep breath. "I am able to function, do repairs or create totally something new from scratch. But...." Deeli bit her lip and looked at the Commander, "Starfleet Command has more trust in my abilities than I have. Starfleet Command stated that I am to be put up as a sample on how an Engineer Officer would need to look and function like." Taking a deep breath again as a sign of disagreement to her own wording, "I know that Command wishes to see me as your Chief, but I admit that I am socially withdrawn and after my incident at the last Starbase, I am even in counselling sessions to repair the damage of the mistreatment."

This is what Akio was worried about. He wasn't here to babysit. He kept a straight face. Akio would trust Deeli as long as he didn't have a reason not to do so.

"We are slated to have a counselor aboard and the Chief Medical Officer may be of some help," Akio offered. "If Starfleet didn't think you were fit for service though, you would not be here. In Japan there is a saying that it is the same life no matter if you spend it crying or laughing. Take the time to heal, but let the past float away down the river."

The Hawaii would be counting on her to keep the ship running.

The opinions about Starfleet poor choices were divided in the room, that was for sure. Taking a deep breath as Deeli could only acknowledge what has been said, "I will Captain, anything else you require for me to know?" Deeli kept her formal stand before the desk, but rather wanted to drop to her knee's and cry that she got to be a Chief again.

Akio saw Deeli's eyes get watery, yet she held her bearing. She was a tough officer and it pained Akio that she had suffered so much in her past, at least from what Akio could read in her record that was not classified.

"The fleet yards brought the ship out of dock on space trials but only performed checks at impulse and low warp, so she runs. There have not been any major notations for Engineering that I know of.

"We launch in a few days, so be sure your department is ready by then as much as you can. If there's anything I need to know, do not hesitate to route it up. Bad news doesn't get better with time. I know Engineering is a big department and that we are short personnel with the truncated launch timeline. If you need help, Lieutenant Nimh is Chief Operations Officer," Akio informed.

"Any questions?" Akio asked.

Deeli shook her head as she stayed in attention waiting for the Captain to dismiss her.

Hearing none, Akio dismissed her. After she left he stood and looked out the window. If Akio was on her old ship, he didn't know what he'd do to someone who beat a fellow crew member. His immediate reaction was that he probably would've killed him, yet his vision focused on the reflected pips and his red undershirt.

OFF:

Akio Tachibana, LCDR, SF
Commanding Officer, USS Hawaii

Deeli Kosu, SF
Chief Engineering Officer, USS Hawaii