Meeting the "Man"

Posted on Wed Jun 29th, 2011 @ 8:36pm by Lieutenant Commander Tara Neniphim & Captain Jackson Hawkins

1,307 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Winds of Change
Location: Control Central/ Ready Room/ Fighter Bay
Timeline: Current

ON:

Tara was just finished her post flight operations when she slammed her head against an open bulk head and swore profusely in several dialects and languages. Some of the crew around her stopped working, looking at the young looking woman with fear, or amusement. They had never heard her say anything like this before. Half of them had only met her once before she went to go play with the Marines.

Rubbing the back of her head, she closed the panel and looked around. "Go back to work," she sighed, grabbing her stuffed velvet rabbit and walking away from her precious fighter. Rubbing the back of her head still, she accepted a padd from a passing technician in her bunny filled hand. "New Captain on board. Guess I should go meet him." Walking to ehr office, she decided to change from her nasty flight suit, into a regular, for her any way, uniform.

Twenty minutes later, Tara left her private office and sighed, tapping a wall panel. -^-Lieutenant Commander Neniphim for Captain Hawkins and Johnson please.-^-

Captain Hawkins' yeoman responded. "Captain Hawkins is currently in a meeting and cannot be disturbed. May I assist you?"

"I guess I have to set up an appointment?" she asked over the comm looking lower in the text. "I really don't like brigs..."

"I apologize Commander. The Captain should be out of the meeting in the next few minutes. I don't anticipate him taking much longer than that. He doesn't have another appointment scheduled until late this afternoon. If you would like to come to the command center I'm sure he could meet with you in a half-hour. Otherwise, I can have him return the communication as soon as his meeting his done..." The yeoman didn't openly acknowledge the brig comment, but she was very aware that the Captain didn't much care for people bursting into his office or randomly attacking officers under his command.

"I can be there, see if you can squeeze me in," she said with a smile. Closing the comm, she started walking, almost slow to get to the Command center. Half an hour was a long time to wait, but she wasn't going to kill time eating. The rations that the Marines had had her on were filling, and she had eaten the last one as they were warping back home. Stepping into a turbo lift about fifteen minutes later, she gave the order for the Command Center, and leaned back.

After several minutes passed, Captain Hawkins emerged with Captain Johnson and Commander Darkmoon quickly leaving the office. Hawk half smiled to the yeoman before beginning to move back towards his office.

"Captain Hawkins!" The yeoman interrupted as she scurried towards him. "Ummm... Lieutenant Commander Neniphim would like to meet with you... She's ahhhh.... On her way."

Hawk nodded. "Send her in when she gets here..." The Captain trailed off as he continued back to his inner office. He paused, leaned his head back out. "And Ensign, this just isn't working out. You're too mousey... Have the yeoman pool send someone else. Thanks." Hawk moved fully back into his office.

Tara walked up as the Captains door closed and the Yeoman shot her a dark look. "What ever it is, I didn't do it," Tara said serenly, before stepping forward. The door snapped open, allowing Tara a look of the office once again, although this person was very different from the man that had once met her. Snapping to attention, much like her father had taught her years ago, she saluted, the velvet rabbit held in her off hand. "Lieutenant Commander Neniphim reporting Sir," she said briskly.

"At ease Commander..." Hawk turned back to face the woman. "Can I get you something to drink?" After asking, Hawk walked over to his now empty glass and refilled it with water.

"No sir, but thank you," Tara said, stepping lightly into the position ordered. "I was informed that the Commodore was no longer the Commanding Officer, and felt I should at least come and say hi. I was down with the Marines, helping where I could."

"We are glad to have you back Commander." Hawk paused to take a drink of his water. "Now that you're back, the station can have leadership in a key defense system, the fighter squad."

"I thought that someone was in charge while I was dirt side Captain..." Tara said confused. "When I reported, I distinctly remember someone being above me."

Hawk smiled. "Someone above you does not always equate leadership Commander. An unfortunate reality."

"Alright, what needs to be done in my section," Tara asked all business. "If there have been any problems reported of course."

"None reported. It simply hasn't stood out. I'd like to see exceptionalism Commander." Hawk took another sip from his glass.

"I think my men worked just fine down dirt side with the bombings," Tara said eyeing the Captain. "What would you like me to do, fire everyone and do the job myself?"

Hawk chuckled a bit. "They'd accuse you of mimicking me. No Commander, I just like the idea of other bases looking to Typhon and copying what we have because it's solid."

Tara nodded. "Then I'll bump up the amount of patrols we do, and the helping of ships coming into Dock, and leaving. I'll make sure all teh birds are clean, working properly, and working in perfect condition to my demands."

"Thank you Commander. Have you managed to get settled in since your return?"

"Settling? I don't settle Captain, I lie in wait for the next crisis. The benefits of living as long as I have, you don't have time to settle any more."

Hawk nodded in agreement. "I understand Commander. If you love what you do don't let them promote you. You could end up pushing paperwork on a base and will find yourself missing the joys of being in the action."

"I don't think you understand," Tara said looking at the Captain, and leaning over the desk. "In two days I turn two-hundred and forty years old, give or take a few decades. I was born before World War Three, and I've survived because of my adoptive psychotic grandfather. I don't settle because of my age, not because of the fact that I like my job. I've been an assassin, a receptionist, a presidential candidate, and even a time travelling escort, in all aspects of the word."

The right eyebrow on Hawk's face crept up quickly. "I see... I'll be sure to be better briefed."

"I would," Tara said settling back in the 'At Ease' position ordered before. "My bio isn't exactly all there, only because my adoptive uncle and biological father decided that it would be in my best intrest not to have it all there."

"Indeed." Hawk was now very unsure about this officer. "Well I appreciate you coming by Commander. Is there anything else pressing you would like to discuss?"

"Not unless you're looking to court marshal me, and make sure that I no longer am the Wing Commander." Tara wasn't smiling, feeling the hostility. There was no need to tell the man that she could feel it.

"Court marshal you Commander? Have you engaged in conduct I've not been made aware of that would merit such?

"I don't think so Captain. I don't usually do something without orders. You don't know how long it took me to learn that."

Hawk smiled. "Then I don't think we'll have anything to worry about..."

Tara nodded, taking the meeting at an end. Nodding to Anna, she half smiled, and walked out. Looking at the new yeoman, she winked. "If he fires you, come talk to me, I need good pilots Ensign."
__________

Captain Jackson Hawkins
Commanding Officer
Starbase Typhon

Lieutenant Commander Tara Misu Neniphim
Wing Commander
Starbase Typhon

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