Staffing Measures

Posted on Tue Nov 14th, 2023 @ 7:10pm by Commander Shannon McKenna & Lieutenant JG Matthew Cowley & Captain Elena Navarra & Lieutenant Thavishr Th’Firria
Edited on on Tue Nov 14th, 2023 @ 7:14pm

1,260 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Secret Spies
Location: USS Samurai, Bridge and Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD 1, 0830

The Executive Officer, Commander Shannon McKenna, flipped her PADD to a new screen. They were sitting in Navarra's Ready Room, door to the bridge open so Matthew Cowley could hear them if they needed him. McKenna had found him to be one of the most useful officers she'd worked alongside.

"That takes care of the Performance Evaluations I've finished this week," the XO said, "but there's something else I wanted to talk over with you before we move toward our weekly fun and games time." She laughed, because sometimes it wasn't so much fun and games as it was pain and exercise. After all the eyestrain of her recent research, she had a feeling today might be one of those times.

Navarra sitting beside her first officer on the couch in the Ready Room placed her PADD on the cushion beside her. Readying herself for Shannon's next topic. She found herself impressed with her First Officer. She was very thorough and detailed. She became more dependable by the day.

"Well, I tell you what, Shannon. I will let you choose today's fun and game if you like," the Captain said.

"Ha! As if you're going to fool me with that offer!" McKenna scoffed, pulling up the first file she wanted to discuss.

"What else do you have for me, Number 1?" Elena was unsure of the nickname for her First Officer, but deiced to go with it for the moment.

Raising her eyebrow, then deciding she liked being called 'Number 1', even if she was technically the second officer, Shannon called out to the bridge. "Lieutenant Cowley, could you bring in that information we talked about earlier?"

Matthew stood with his own PADD in hand and walked toward the Ready Room, closing the door behind him. It felt as if they needed the privacy to discuss possible personnel changes ... or additions. "You want to start with Lieutenant Della Darjang?"

Shannon nodded and waited while the Yeoman pulled the file up and threw it on the Captain's screen. "You've commented twice on the fact that we have no one suited for Tactical," she told the captain. "So, I did some digging around and came up with some people to look at. This first one is a female with 9 years of experience, currently Sec/Tac on USS Armageddon. Your very informed assistant found her for me." She nodded her acknowledgement of his help.

Elena looked over the file that appeared on the Ready Room's windowed view screen. She liked what she saw, but wondered what stood out about the tactical officer.

"And what about Lt. Darjang piqued your interest, Matthew?" Elena asked while continuing to skim the remainder of the file.

"Experience, for one thing. We have a lot of new staff, new to Samurai, and new to their positions. Nothing wrong with that, but it might be good to have the weight of someone with a little more time in grade, as it were." He thought a moment and then went ahead and added, "but it could be a disadvantage to have another female in a position of strength like tactical. I'm not saying an actual disadvantage ... more like a perceived one. So we kept looking and a fella I knew on Ronald Reagan tipped me to this next candidate ... if that's a term you want to use."

McKenna smiled slightly, thinking, Cowley, you're going to wind up in places the rest of us never imagined being.

Navarra was continuously impressed with Matthews' assessments of people and situations. She smiled as she watched her Yeoman grow into a fine officer.

"Who else do you have in mind, Matthew?" she asked.

"This is Lieutenant JG Cameron Houlihan," he answered. "He has less experience, but it's all been in Sec/Tac. My contact on Reagan spoke very highly of him, and it's carried out in his superior's reports, as well. His rank is lower, but it's about time for a promotion, so we could offer that along with the Chief of Security and Tactical, as an incentive ... though I guess we don't have to have incentives to get someone on board. I've observed it's just the way you usually work, if you don't mind my saying so."

"Well, I like incentives because you want someone who wants to be here in the position. Although the officers follow orders, it makes a difference," Navarra said as she stood and walked closer to the view screen.

"I guess my question is, if his superiors rave about him, how come they don't promote him?" the Captain asked.

"I wondered the same thing," McKenna nodded, "but I also know sometimes people slip through the cracks, sometimes a superior officer doesn't pay enough attention. You are actually a rarity, in my experience, but I think our ship will run more smoothly with a happier crew because of your way of doing things."

Elena turned from the viewscreen and faced her crew. "Give me one more. I love to have three options as often as I can. A trinity, if you will."

Cowley nodded in agreement, glancing at Shannon, who nodded back at him. "We do have one more for you to think about," he said, sending the final file to the screen. He and the XO had talked about its placement at the end of the three files, and decided to put it last, as a strategical choice.

"This is a little out of the norm for our crew," Number 1 commented. "For one thing, I learned about him from an old contact in the Andorian Imperial Guard." She saw the captain's raised eyebrow, but didn't stop to explain more about her old friend. That could come later, if it were still necessary. Might as well go for broke now, though.

"Lieutenant Thavishr Th’Firria is, obviously, Andorian. That gives him a little different perspective about tactical, but he's also been in Starfleet for thirteen years, so he's experienced in how we do things. He has the experience at Tactical, also some helm experience before that, and might be an advantage with his additional Andorian way of looking at some things. As Matthew said about our first suggestion, it might be only a perceived advantage, but that doesn't mean it isn't an advantage."

Elena silently read Thavishr's jacket and made several mental notes to herself.

"Not a impressive Starfleet Academy record." She said aloud as she continued to read. "Do you know him Shannon? Or do you know of him?"

"I know of him. I would like to point out that his Academy record, if looked at from the Tactical standpoint IS outstanding. He had advanced tactical training, *and* he graduated with Tactical honors. Yes, some of his other areas dropped in his last year, but don't forget that he actually has double training, because he completed Imperial Guard training as well as Starfleet."

Realizing she'd definitely let her bias show, Shannon shrugged her shoulders and admitted, "He'd be my choice, personally. I know it would take a little leap of faith, but everything I see tells me he's worth it and we won't be sorry we chose him. Or you won't be sorry *you* chose him."

Elena stood there for a moment, contemplating what McKenna said about his training. And Navarra wanted to make sure she had a diversified crew. An individual with experience in the Andorian Imperial Guard would be a real feather in her cap.

"Number One, where is USS Charleston now?" Elena asked looking toward her officers.

(em)to be continued ....(/em)

 

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