SD241904.24 || Reporting-in Joint Log || "Weird and Fast"

Posted on 24 Apr 2019 @ 12:19pm by Captain Mallory Thorne

1,191 words; about a 6 minute read

=/\= Begin Log =/\=

So, these last 12 hours had been weird. And fast. Weird and fast. All in all, Sybille - Sy for her friends - wasn't altogether sure what to make of them yet. Not what it had meant 12 hours ago, not what it meant now, or what it would mean in the days and months to come. Stepping off the fast-warp shuttle that had brought her here, she tugged down the uncomfortable uniform jacket and looked around the shuttle bay. There was some activity, but not overly so. Obviously, no crisis or immediate mission directive were going on. It was all day to day operations. This was a good thing.

Grabbing her bag, she headed for the exit of the shuttle bay, not entirely sure where to go from there. Straight to the skipper? She didn't even know for sure that the CO had been aware of this sudden change that had only happened the past couple of hours. To her quarters? Right, as if she knew where they were. To the quarter master? No, she wasn't going to stand there and look unknowingly ridiculous. Dilemma's, dilemma's. Of all her choices, the skipper seemed like the least painful. Quickly getting the information from the computer that she was in her readyroom, that's where she ordered the turbolift to take her.

Mallory really wasn't entirely sure what had just happened...

She had an XO, then she didn't, and then she did again--but not the one she started with. This all seemed to take place in the span of about five minutes, and really, Mal had never been familiar with Starfleet's administration powers-that-be being able to move that fast. Until right this moment, it wasn't something she had would have believed was possible...and yet, here they were. Or, here she was. No 'they' to it right--

Her door chimed.

"That's eerie," she commented quietly to herself before saying more loudly, "Enter."

Sy glanced around the ready room as the doors slid open, quickly getting her bearings of the content of the office. It took her all of 3 steps to get in front of the desk. "Lieutenant Colonel, no, damn it, Commander Gallet, reporting in as per my transfer orders," she spoke sharply. Well. Sharply was a relative term as she hadn't even gotten her rank straight from the first go.

Mallory took in the woman before her curiously. This had to be her new first officer, clearly. "I literally found out you were coming ten minutes ago, so I don't even have your personnel file yet. So, er, Commander Gallet... Have a seat and let's figure out what we're doing."

Taking the proffered seat, Sy was glad that she wasn't the only one on loose footing at least. "Well, my personnel file isn't that interesting really. Except perhaps that until a couple of hours ago, I was a Marine with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and now I'm a Starfleet Commander. Apparently, some paperpushers decided that a tactical vessel could use a Marine as second in command, but at the same time they didn't think I should call myself a Marine any longer."

"When I was a child," Mal said, getting up and walking to the replicator. "I used to think that Starfleet made sense. Then I grew up." She smiled wryly and ordered herself a black coffee. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll take a coffee as well, Captain," Sy replied. She wasn't a fan of always ordering the same drink, but a coffee sounded good right about then. "I don't think I ever thought Starfleet makes sense," she added, screwing up her face as if in obvious thought. "After all, I joined the Marines."

"Good point," Mal chuckled, ordering the second drink and then bringing it over to the commander. Instead of sitting behind her desk like with most report-ins, she chose the chair next to Gallet's. They would be a command team, after all. "So who did you piss off to get moved from the Marine into the Fleet, then?" Her lips turned up in an amused half-smile as she carefully sipped the rich, dark liquid that would keep her head on straight a little while longer.

Sy took the mug in both hands, quickly felt and decided that it was way too hot, and quickly placed it on the desk in front of her. "Nobody really," she shrugged in reply. "I was waiting with my company for our next assignment, enjoying some downtime planet side. Suddenly, I get marching orders to board a shuttle and haul my ass to the Odin. Oh. And they ended the message with the joyful message that I had to change uniform."

Mallory nodded thoughtfully, curious as the choices. The Odin had not been in any rush to get out of the starbase, yet they seemed to have rushed the majority of its crew to get here... "I suppose I can see the wisdom of utilizing your experience for a tactical vessel in a...potentially hazardous area like this one."

Another shrug. "I go where I'm sent, Captain. In this case, it's as a Starfleet officer to the USS Odin. I'll serve you to the best of my abilities, and we'll leave the big questions up to the top brass."

"Oh, goodness no. That's never a good idea." Mal chuckled and set her coffee on the desk. "I know your trip here was rushed, so I don't suppose you've been able to read up on the ship at all?"

Sy from her side tried another sip from the coffee, quickly regretting it. "You could say that. I know she's an impressive tactical vessel which will allow us to have quite some fun. That's about it. I had planned to read up on her specs once I got squared away in my quarters."

The captain nodded. "I should let you do that, then. We'll be in transit to the start of our patrol for a little bit, which should give you some time at least to settle in and start reading up on the ship."

"Very well," Sy agreed, this time beating the coffee heat and managing to drink some. "Is there anything in particular I should know about you?"

"Not that I can think of off the top of my head," Mallory replied thoughtfully. "I suppose it's worth noting that this is my first captaincy."

"That's interesting," her XO spoke. "We'll make it work though. I'll keep an eye on you."

Mal quirked a brow, but she chuckled. "I'm hoping there won't be much to keep an eye on," she said easily, sipping more of her coffee. "Is there anything in particular I should know about you, aside from what we've already discussed? Or do you have any other questions?"

"I'll try not to act too much like a Marine, and no, no immediate questions yet. I'll make sure to study up on specs and meet my department heads as soon as possible."

"That's the best place to start," Mal agreed. "Welcome aboard the Odin, Commander Gallet."

=/\= End Log =/\=

Captain Mallory Thorne & Commander Sybille Gallet

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