“Saigon’s first officer?”
Posted on Sun Mar 3rd, 2019 @ 11:59pm by Captain Daniella Le Williams & Commander Doctor Farkas Vanth DVM/MD
1,079 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
[USS Saigon] Mission New Haven S1 E0
Location: Captain's ready room
Timeline: MD001 0930
After her talk with the admiral who was now getting ready to leave orbit as well, Daniella was in her office reading trough reports. She just ordered a jasmine tea from the replicator and walked with a mug in one hand and a PADD in the other to her desk. She sat down. She also had a stack of personnel files on her desk as with a new assignment also came new personnel. Her only constant was Robert, her chief science officer. He was currently getting settled in with their children. She put the mug on her desk and took another PADD from the stack.
Her new first officer. They hadn’t met yet. She never had an encounter with hir species. Hir, also something to get used to. Then her door chimed. “Come in!” She called. She picked up her mug and took a sip as Doctor Vanth walked in to her office. She got up. “Doctor, I hadn’t expected you so soon.” She held out her hand and invited hir to sit down.
A tall white-furred Beastinoid entered the room. Of the Caninoid variety Doctor Vanth had an anthropomorphic wolf-like appearance. A true hermaphrodite s/he had neither specifically a male nor female appearance; rather s/he had an equal blend of both. Though depending on the individual observer, one might confuse hir for whichever their preference might be. Amiri wasn’t due on duty until tomorrow night, so s/he wasn’t in uniform, but s/he thought it prudent when meeting a new CO to at least have some covering on even though hir furcoat was more than enough.
Vanth took the offered seat tucking hir tail in around beside hir. S/he admired the human female for a moment, but then recalled she’d be hir CO. S/he’d have to wait and see how things went. Hir tail flopped a bit next to hir as s/he looked forward to working with her. “Thank you for seeing me nonetheless, sir.”
Daniella smiled. “Please call me captain, not sir.” She looked to the PADD she was holding. “I read here you are a Caninoid, very impressive. I’ve never met one until now. How are you faring in the fleet?”
“Noted…” Amiri reflected for a moment. “It’s not easiest thing I’ve done. I’ve met a few Catians, even a so-called ‘Mousian’, but they’re not quite the same; they’re not from Barnum Prime. Truthfully it’s sometimes harder being from a non-binary group.” Vanth commented referring to hir gender.
Daniella nodded. “I can understand but see it from our perspective. We find it difficult to interact with non-binaries as well. I try to be open minded.” She looked on her PADD again. “Is there something you need before we leave for our new work area?”
“Which seems odd to me, since one might think we’d be easier to talk to seeing as we have a unique perspective, we can understand better than most any gender-related issues.” Vanth considered Le Williams’ question carefully for a moment before deciding now is as good of a time as any. “Yes captain, before we get stated, I have a question. It seems there may have been a mistake…”
Daniella looked to the Caninoid with a raised eyebrow. “How so?” She asked, not sure what s/he was on a bout.
“Captain, I see by my orders, I’m to be the XO and CMO? After my last assignment, I’m not sure I should be XO again.”
“Ah yes,” Daniella said, looking on a PADD. “I see it here too. What makes you think you can’t do it, Commander?” She asked curious.
Vanth sighed, “well captain, given the state of things at the end of my last mission, I’m not sure I’m cut out for it.”
Daniella nodded. “So, you want to step back for a while and just doctor for a bit?” She asked. She looked on her PADD. “Seeing your record, I have to disagree. It’s something you could get out stronger. Is there any way to persuade you?” She continued asking.
Farkas contemplated hir captain’s question for a moment. “I’m not sure. What if I met you half way? What if I double as the second officer for a mission or two in order to apprentice with you, get a feel for how you command, and then go from there?”
Daniella was in thought as she considered the commander’s request. She then nodded and said, “Very well, I think I can find myself in that; but you will have to understand I have to find another first officer. You will find we are a small vessel. Lots of officers will have to double around here. Don’t be surprised if I take the helm or control Tactical or something.” She smiled. “We’re also a family ship you will find out.”
Vanth sighed, s/he’d put a pin in the first officer thing for now. The thought of puppies running around both made hir cringe and excited. S/he leaned forward, hir tail wagging lightly behind her, but confined in the closed-back chair. “That’s okay, you’ll find out wolves love puppies. I wouldn’t mind finding someone or two to take another stab at having a litter with… or two.”
Daniella smiled. “It might happen. You don’t know who might join. It could be destiny.” She fell quiet as she remembered how she first met Robert. She smiled at the memories.
Vanth’s tail thumped silently behind hir for a moment as s/he waited for hir Captain to finish their meeting. Slowly as the moments ticked by, the thumping slowed then finally ceased. “Captain?… was there anything else? Perhaps a tour of the ship? (Perhaps I could meet this ‘Destiny’ person/people you mentioned…)
“No, that’s it, we can go for that tour now,” Daniella said. “We could go to sickbay and have a look around. Have you been to your quarters?” She smiled and got up, softly knocking on a bulkhead. “She might be small, but it’s the perfect place. In my opinion.”
To Be Continued…
Captain Daniella Le Williams
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Saigon
Doctor F. Amiri Vanth D.V.M., M.D., Cmdr, SF
Chief Medical Officer
U.S.S. Saigon
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