The Executive Officer is a... Poodle?!

Posted on Sat Aug 21st, 2021 @ 6:17am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Commander Ichika Misono

1,522 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Handling the Fallout
Location: USS Myogi (NCC-65918), Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: After "Some Much Needed Good News"

After getting off the call with Takeshi, Maho put the news on the viewer as background noise while she did paperwork. After all, Maho did have a resupply she had to coordinate, and didn't have time to fully devote her attention to the news. However, as Maho listened in on the news while she filled out paperwork, she was pleased to hear that the news was mostly mundane, only hearing about Miyahara once.

However, when Maho paused her work to listen more closely to the story on Miyahara, at that exact moment, the ready room chime rang. Sighing, Maho shut off the news and stood up as the viewer retracted back into the desk.

"Enter." She called.

The door slid open and a short, white-haired woman that appeared to be around Maho's age strode into the room. While she bore a humanoid physique in most regards, her "human" traits were undercut by a pair of fluffy, ear-like protrustions extending from the top of her scalp. A third, docked protusion poked out through a small hole in the rear of her command uniform, just above her tailbone.

"Captain," she greeted, clicking her heels together and standing at full attention.

"At ease, soldier;" Maho said after giving the strange woman a quick salute. "I'm not a damn admiral, you know..."

The officer nodded and relaxed her posture, though it was clear that she was patiently awaiting further instruction.

"Commander Misono" Maho said upon recognizing the officer in her presence. "I take it you've had no trouble in finding your quarters?"

"Not at all," the officer replied. "It's a little bit bigger than what I'm accustomed to, but it's not like I'm complaining or anything."

"That's what they all say about the New Orleans class ships:" Maho responded. "They always expect them to be tiny knockoff Galaxy class ships, and are surprised when they're not."

"Do they now?" Commander Misono remarked, her eyes slowly panning across the room. "Huh. Personally, I'd think it's as clear as day that they're practically apples and oranges to one another..."

Maho perked a brow.

"For once, someone can tell Galaxy from Nebula from New Orleans." She noted. "I'm impressed: I've seen many a senior officer before who couldn't, even some commanding officers who can't tell the three of them apart."

The Executive Officer seemed flabbergasted at Maho's allegations. "Surely, they're not that stupid?"

"When you work internal affairs long enough, you see your fair share of dumb as bricks COs." Maho admitted.

Sometimes, you get the occasional evil genius...Maho added mentally as her complexion briefly darkened.

"Anyway, what brings you aboard the Myogi, Commander?" Maho inquired. "And furthermore in the field of command? It's not every day you see an Inuto wearing red, you know..."

"I was referred here as part of a Command Internship," Commander Misono explained, unclipping a PaDD from her belt and sliding it over to Maho. "Captain Felnoir was aware that the position had recently been vacated and approached me with the position. I take it you two are acquainted?"

"I'm familiar with him." Maho admitted as she accepted the PADD. "Largely through Senpai, but I know his name."

As Maho turned the PADD around so that the screen faced her, what was immediately visible on the screen was a note from Captain Felnoir:

"Captain Takahashi:

Allow me to preface this message with my sympathies concerning the recent turn of events; it would appear that there are less trustworthy individuals in this "infallible" Federation than one would initially have you believe.

And it is out of concern for our apparent lack of "dependable" officers that I refer Commander Misono to you, Seeing as the position has been vacated with your promotion to full-time Commanding Officer. In spite of her outward appearances, Commander Misono is a tough cookie, having handled just about every situation that she’s been thrown into with the proficiency of a veteran; I am strongly of the belief that she will be a valuable asset to you and your crew.

Godspeed,

-Captain Arles Felnoir

Commanding officer, USS Akina (NCC-65920)"

Typical. Maho thought. Dumbass has his head so far up his ass he didn't notice I got demoted...

Maho looked up from the PADD at Misono:

"I had the pleasure of reading your personnel file before your arrival." She said. "Are you familiar with how the command structure works on the Catigny or the Excursion?"

"But of course," Commander Misono replied, her eyebrow perking in curiosity. "What of it, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Are you familiar with how they treat Second and Third Officers?" Maho asked. "Do they stand independent as jewels in the Command Crown? Or do they still use the old, archaic ways of the last century, of which even the Executive Officers of old weren't immune from, and require them to be a trusted department head as well?"

"Um..." Commander Misono fumbled, her eyes darting about the room nervously. "I'm not certain if I really have strong political opinions on that matter, if that's what you're insinuating."

Maho shook her head.

"Then perhaps you're not all that Captain Felnoir cracks you up to be:" She said. "It was a straightforward question; true, I may have over-worded it, but a good officer would have been able to cut through the fluff and give me a straight answer, not some muddled response on political stances."

Maho leaned forward. She knew that in time, she would no longer be able to do so, so she had to take advantage of it now while she still had her full range of motion.

"What I'm getting at, Commander, is that here on the Myogi, things are going to be a little bit different than you're used to:" She explained. "Here, we have given the Second and Third Officers the same prestige granted to Executive Officers when they were made independent positions on most starships. We are the future, Commander: A future most Starfleet officers are unwilling to accept; and a future that has been viciously and unceremoniously stripped away from us. So, Commander; if you are trapped in the past like so many other Starfleet officers are, then you'd best not get too comfortable here."

Maho knew she would come off sounding a lot like Senpai. It was nothing personal; but if this was to be her Executive Officer, the Inuto standing before her had to be someone that she could trust. That was one thing Miyahara had hammered home.

"Well then why didn't you just say that from the beginning?" Commander Misono pointed out, still looking a little confused.

Maho sighed and sat back in the chair, folding her arms.

"Look, Commander:" She said. "Several years ago, back in my Academy days, I stuck my neck out for an Inuto cadet being harassed in the mess hall. I directed the ire of the bullies unto myself for being an 'Admiral's Pet', started a huge brawl, and got detention for it. Could I have ignored the harassment happening a few tables over from me? Yes, but that would have been the easy thing to do. In that moment, all I saw was a fellow cadet trying to eat, and being harassed, and saying something was the right thing to do."

Maho stood up.

"What I am trying to get at is this, Miss Misono:" She explained. "Here on the Myogi, we do the things that are right and not easy. Sadly, there is an increasing amount of officers who believe right and easy are one in the same, but they are not. So I ask you this: Are you ready to do the right thing and not the easy thing? Furthermore, will you be able to distinguish right from easy when the time comes?"

Commander Misono gaped at Maho in stunned silence- though it wasn't hard to guess what was going through her head at this very moment. Whatever the case, the initial shock of the revelation quickly gave way to conviction, and with a warm smile, she once again snapped to attention as a gesture that she had Maho's back.

"Dutifully," she answered without a moment's hesitation.

"Very good." Maho responded. "This conversation has given me enough of a headache. Dismissed."

The executive officer blinked in mild confusion. "Dismissed? You didn't need me for anything else?"

Maho pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"When there is an order, I expect you to follow it without question:" She muttered. "You are dismissed; now please leave before you make my headache any worse. I will call for you if there is anything more I need you for."

With a smile, Commander Misono nodded in understanding and quietly excused herself from the room, leaving the Captain to continue tending to her duties.
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Posting by

Commander Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer

Commander Ichika Misono
Executive Officer

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