Secure your Security

Posted on Thu Jun 6th, 2024 @ 8:13pm by Lieutenant JG Aria Rice & Lieutenant Commander Daniel Masters
Edited on on Sat Jun 8th, 2024 @ 8:49pm

2,399 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: To Boldly Go
Location: Mars Station
Timeline: Day 2 - before the crew board the Fenrir

[ON]

Lieutenant Junior Grade Aria Rice, back from the depths of the universe and patrolling slash defending Federation interests against pirate, smugglers and really bad eggs, took a slow breath as she looked out the viewport to the red planet they were orbiting. Mars. A stone's throw away from Earth's Moon, where she had grown up. Mars had been where she had gone to visit her father. Of course, most Starfleet personnel here either worked the shipyards or were to get their ship repaired. Or a new one.

For Aria, it was the latter. A new one. New ship! Shiny, repaired, but new ship with new crew. And for now, she got to play Assistant Chief Security. She really should be talking to someone about that, it was one step too close for the cursed Chief's chair.

It was also why she was in this room. She was meeting her new Chief. Sure, it could have waited until the techies had checked life-support on the new ship, but she liked the idea of meeting the person she'd be working under before stepping foot on the ship. She didn't know much about him, except a name. Oh and he was a Lieutenant Commander, which was fun. Sounded experienced. She could learn a lot from someone like that.

She wore her uniform with her hair tied back into a sensible pony tail. In it, there were streaks of colour, this time purple. Lily liked purple after all. Maybe she should have done it to match the uniform? She looked down at her boots, polished, the classic Starfleet ones that she secretly hated. Sure, they were somewhat comfy, but they were so...urgh. Ugly. Sensible, ugly boots.

Three hours ago an announcement had gone out to several stations and personal Padd's calling for any and all security officers that were being assigned to the USS Fenrir to report to room J-27 by 1300hrs. The voice behind and writer of that announcement; Lieutenant Commander Daniel Masters stopped for a moment just outside the room. When the door opened he hoped to be meeting several men, women and those in between that would now be under his command so when he tapped the button to open the door and was met by just a single, short, human woman who looked like she could be snapped in two by a stiff breeze he was in a word disappointed. "Good afternoon Lieutenant."

"'Commander," she said and looked at him, giving him a small smile before she gestured around the room. "So, we're still waiting for some staff to come here. I got your message and checked in with Operations here on crew allocations. Rest of our Security team's a bit drip drab for the mo, got some coming tonight and more over the next week. Clearly, getting a whole ship staffed takes a little of time. I'm Aria Rice," she introduced herself after that barrage of words, almost rocking on her feet with nervous energy. "Your Assistant."

"Good to meet you." Daniel said and took in the almost empty room again. "So in all this vast array of stations and shipyards there's not a single other security person for the Fenrir here yet..."

"With Earth so close, I'm not exactly...shocked," she admitted, watching him for a moment before giving a light shrug. It didn't bother her yet, since they couldn't even get onboard the ship right now. She'd get a bit more annoyed in...ten days time. Yeah. Seemed right. "It's not just us, Sir. All other departments have the same issue. Getting personnel shuttles isn't hard, they just run on a strict timetable. Problem is, ships don't always follow that. I almost didn't make it here when I did because the ship I was on got delayed."

Daniel moved towards the now mostly defunct conference table and sat down. "I guess this meeting is now a one to one interview. Sit yourself down miss Rice and tell me what your security or tactical experience amounts to."

She looked at him with surprise before she sat down. She let out a breath before she met his eyes, holding them. "Mostly security," she finally said, trying not to bite her nail or squirm too much in the chair. She was nervous with what had been a meeting now becoming an interview. "Been a bit up and down rank-wise and position wise. I've spent the last year doing border control on the USS Saratoga, so a lot of going on ships not knowing what's on the other side of the hatch. I'm...steady, I think. Know the rules, prefer trying to talk before opening fire, that sort."

"I left the academy slightly early, just in time for the battle of Betazed and the first battle of Chin'toka." Daniel began to explain some of his own experience. He didn't fail to notice the hints of nervousness in Aria's voice and definitely noticed the 'up and down rank and position wise' that would need some investigating. "Fought both Cardassians and Jem'hadar on the ground, that was an experience for barely a 20 year old."

She met his eyes, her own darkening slightly before she nodded. She had been a child when the war was on. She had lost her father to it. "I can't imagine," she said, because that was true. She hadn't lived it, so couldn't imagine it.

"Was in the invasion of Cardassia too, that was some brutal fighting too." Daniel continued. "Naturally things were a lot easier after the war, rebuilding efforts, cracking down on people who were war profiteers, smuggling rings that had cropped up while we were busy on the frontlines."

Aria nodded as she listened to him. A lot had happened over the years. Those activities had, for the most part, been pushed to the edges of Federation space...where she had just come back from. She looked down at her hands for a moment and formed them to relax rather than her fingers pressed together and rubbing the way she was worrying them now. She met his eyes. "Naturally," she said, the silence begging to be filled.

Daniel was silent for a moment too. "What is it?" He asked. There was clearly something bothering her.

She looked at him, a small smile coming to her. "I can't...imagine what you went through. Not truly. I mean, you...fought in a war. You were twenty and went to war. When I was 20, I was worrying about passing my phaser training and nursing my hangover," she said and shook her head. "Besides, it's always a bit weird for me when the war gets brought up. My Dad was a Marine and...well..." the smile faded and she gave him a small shrug. Same fate many in Starfleet had suffered during the war.

"He died during the war?" Daniel asked but judging by Aria's reaction he already knew the answer. "My parents were onboard the USS Albatross when it was destroyed, I found out while on medical leave from getting wounded at Chin'toka." He didn't intend his remark to discredit her own loss.

She looked at him, nodding at the words. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said, feeling for the man. He had been injured and then found out his parents had been killed. For all of that, she had been safe enough on Luna, away from fighting. A child protected.

Daniel let out a very light sigh. "It was a long time past, I'm sure they took their fair share of Jem'hadar with them."

Aria nodded, watching him before she looked down. When she looked back at him she gave him a small smile. "I have a little experience as an Assistant Chief but I am happy to learn whatever you...need."

"This is my first time as a full chief of security." Daniel said with an attempt at a reassuring smile. "This will be a learning experience for both of us."

"Well, you can count on me," she said, quickly, with a bright smile as she held his eyes. "I'll give it all I got. And try and make sure we all get to balance hard work with some good fun, off duty."

"Always the hardest thing to balance." Daniel remarked, his own work life balance wasn't anywhere near balanced. "When the rest of the department arrives the first thing we need to do is assess their skills and work out the team assignments, then we can assemble the duty and training schedules. After all that we can handle the fun."

"Assess, work out assignments, schedules...and then office party," Aria said with smile, nodding as she watched him. "An ice-breaker of sorts. Get people involved, maybe some games of skill just for fun."

Daniel nodded slightly. "I agree, I've always found shooting competitions are great as both a test of skill and team building."

"Maybe before the drinking," Aria said quickly, laughing at the words she had said. "Because this once at the Academy, the archery team got drunk on Romulan ale and then did target practice...let's just say that that the medical team had a busy evening..."

A small chuckle left Daniels lips shortly after Aria's. "I knew a guy back on the Exeter who was an even better shot while he was drunk.... man that guy was a great shot." The humor in his voice disappeared during the last few words.

Aria recognised that tone, and the look. She took a moment to let the respectful silence stretch before she sighed. "Whereas I am a worse shot drunk. But somehow, my balance in heels improve. Ain't life fun. So yes, shooting competition, let's do it. Oh! And darts? Have you ever played darts? I never have but it looks fun."

"I have, I dabble in a few games like that. They're really good for hand eye coordination." Daniel made a note on a nearby Padd. "I'll have to get one made for our lounge."

"Oh, you should. And Valhalla. Oh! Could do miniature axes for that..." she said, clearly enjoying that idea as she clearly imagined it. "Well get everyone feeling united soon. Once they get here, I mean."

"Valhalla?" Daniel asked before he remembered. "Oh the main ship lounge, very appropriately named if you ask me."

"I think so too. And I see it more as a...bar...social...eaty...place..." Aria said with a firm nod. "A place to let go of the uniform and just...be alive. People. The whole work and life balance, right? I am excited. I am genuinely excited to be in proper Federation space again, and on a new ship. Bet it has that...retrofit ship smell. Where it hasn't been lived in properly yet so it smells all clean and ozone-y."

"Have you spent a lot of time outside the borders of federation space?" Daniel asked.

"Dipping in and out...I was border patrol," Aria said and gave a small shrug, her eyes warm. "So mostly stayed on our side of it, had to nip across into no man's land if someone got a bit...rough...but mostly we just dealt with pirates, smugglers, slavers and tourists. The tourists were the biggest issue. The amount of times we had to rescue SS Oh No This Is Not The Way To Vulcan was...laughable."

Daniel chucked, he had caught Aria's mention of border patrol earlier but her remark about going up and down the ranks had garnered more of his attention at that moment. "I know that feeling. I spent most of my time around the neutral zone, things were still crazy around there even with the Romulans being quiet, had to chase down a few ships who thought they'd be safe on the other side or strayed far too far inside."

"Oh, the Romulans usually find ways of disturbing the party too...just need some cloaking and boof!" she shook her head, looking at him for a moment. "You have a standoff with two Captains talking for the next two hours about the finer points of crossing a line...Reason I am not a Chief. Or a Captain. I'd be dreadful at it!"

"Luckily they decided to keep to their own side, though we did once have to escort a ambassador through the neutral zone to the Romulan side, felt like there were Romulans everywhere the moment we flew into it." Daniel let out a light sigh. "That was a tense trip that's for sure."

"I bet..." Aria grimaced at the whole idea of it, shaking her head. "I was lucky we were where we were, although a lot of piracy in that area. Nothing too bad, just your usual smugglers and ships trying to get traders to hand over their goods. The 'Toga was good at seeing those off. Apart from a few encounters, most of us just wished we were closer to the core planets."

Daniel gave an understanding nod. "Yeah, that's the advantage of patrolling the neutral zone, plenty of starbases quite local and pretty close to some of the core planets."

"Well, you had to have some benefits," Aria said playfully, raising an eyebrow before she laughed. "So, Commander...want me to start planning the training sessions for when the rest of Security arrives?"

"Yes." Daniel replied, his voice switching back to more work like. "Start with physical training, then we'll move to weapons."

"Yes Sir," Aria said and gave him a lazy salute. "I'll go and get on that right away," she added, just to make it clear to him that it was exactly what she was going to do. Get planning, get a training schedule together and all those things that went into a physical training session with an entire department.

"Good, and let me know if you find anymore of our department, this room will be my office till they let us onto the Fenrir." Daniel sat back in his chair as Aria stood to leave.

Aria smiled as she got up. She could do that. "Yes Sir, will send people your way as I hunt them down," she said before she left, chuckling to herself at the prospect of indeed...hunting her own department down.

OFF:

Lt Commander Daniel Masters
Chief Sec/Tac officer

Lieutenant Junior Grade Aria Rice
Assistant Chief Sec/tac
[PNPC Hanlon]

 

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