Taking Orders

Posted on Mon Oct 24th, 2022 @ 11:00pm by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Warrant Officer Ahira Kasamoto

Mission: In-Between (S1:E3-S1:E4)
Location: COS Office
Timeline: Mission Day 25 at 0700
1713 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Rank, even among non-commisioned officers had its privileges, and one of those privileges that Ahira enjoyed was his own quarters, with no one he had to share with. It wasn't overly large, the lowest of Ensigns fresh out of the Imperial Academy has bigger, but at least he could call it his own

He was off duty and trying to relax, so he changed out of his uniform and into a gi, or more accurately, gi pants. He was shirtless because he could be and it gave him more freedom of movement. He then moved a small loveseat to a corner of the living area and took a katana down from its place on the wall.

He'd just started his second kata, producing a sheen of perspiration covering his torso, when he heard his comm badge sound. It was his boss, Security Chief Lieutenant Lyra Cassiel. He'd been ordered to appear before her. He was off duty, but that didn't matter. He was being summoned and he had to show up. He assured her he was on his way and quickly changed into his uniform and made his way to her office.

One of the security personnel guarding the door barred his way until he explained that he was there for an appointment with the department head. After his story was checked out, he was told that he should wait in the anteroom, until he was called.

The door opened and the security officer "guarding" it jumped slightly. "Sanders, how many times do I have to tell you to not stand in front of the gods dammed door? Your job isn't to control traffic its to sit over there and keep watch and file paperwork. I swear if you do it again I'm going to lose it." She watched as the man scampered off, cowed, and then looked at Ahira. "Come in."

She moved back into her office and took a seat behind her desk and indicated to him the one across from her. "Sit down."

Ahira kept his eyes on Lyra's face, not letting them wander lower.

The hybrid man didn't hesitate, he sat. He was a warrant officer, she was a lieutenant, and his department head. Additionally, he knew she was capable of and that the slaves feared her. He wasn't afraid of her. Exactly. But he wasn't a fool either.

"Yes, ma'am, you called for me? What can I do for you?"

Lyra didn't respond right away and just studied the slightly older hybrid man sitting across from her. Despite her personal distaste for aliens, she had to admit that Ahira had been one of the few who had not wavered in his dedication to keeping himself conditioned and in fighting form. "You've been doing well in your duties here, Ahira." She finally said, looking into his amber eyes with her dark, cryptic gaze. "But I have a new potential opportunity for you if you are looking for a change of pace."

Ahira met the woman's gaze unflinchingly. More than once he'd felt his fellow crewmates stare at him as though he were a rare animal in a zoo, or in some cases, like an insect pinned to a board. It was just the nature of things. He couldn't help who he was or change the circumstance of his birth-though he would have gladly done so if he could. Still, it was easy to judge him because of something that was no fault of his own.

Not everyone looked at him like that or judged him in that way, so he'd just learned to live in reality and deal with it as he saw fit. If the lieutenant felt that way about him, she was better at hiding it than some were and he was pretty good at reading body language.

But regardless of how she may, or may not have felt she was offering him an opportunity, which intrigued him greatly. Still, he was cautious for more reasons than one, to show too much enthusiasm. At least till he knew more details.

"I'm always ready to serve the Empire," he replied, ~and myself,~ he thought but did not say. "What did you have in mind?"

"Good." She praised his willingness and seemed to be genuine in that praise. She was studying him and she was not trying to hide the fact that she was doing so either. Lyra would have preferred to offer a Terran this position, but Ahira had the experience and had proven himself willing to sacrifice himself for his charge when the time called. Even she couldn't ignore that particular fact.

Sitting back in her chair, she crossed her arms under her chest. "Corporal Novak has stepped down from his position as the Captain's bodyguard and instead returned to his position in the marines alone. This has left a vacancy that I would like to fill from our department instead of leaving the job to a lummox in green."

Even had the warrant officer not been adept at picking up facial expressions, or reading body language, it would have been easy to tell that his superior was examining him. It was patently obvious. What he could not tell, however, is why she was looking at him so intently. More than likely, she was just evaluating him, like she would any junior officer she'd placed in such a position. But, he couldn't tell for sure.

The corners of his lips curled up in a smile that reached his eyes. There was just a hint of flirtatiousness in it, or perhaps it was just at the edge of turning into a smirk.

"Marines can be useful," he said, "but they're not known as being the sharpest daggers in the armory. On the other hand, I'm not only useful and dangerous, to the enemies of the Empire, of course, but I am also pretty sharp."

"And oh so humble," Lyra smirked slightly, teasing him. "I thought perhaps you might be interested in the job given your history. You've proven capable on the job in your forming posting, after all, and it would give both you and our department a unique position in the fleet's structure."

"I wouldn't be very good at my job if I were humble," he suggested to her tease, the smile he'd been wearing now definitely a smirk.

"Of course, I'm Interested. It's what I was trained to do, what I'm best at and I would consider it an honor."

“Sometimes a little show of humility can go a long way.” She reminded him - whether it was genuine or not was of little concern. “If I put you in for this position and you fail and you survive that failure, I’m going to be quite displeased.”

The smirk or most of it left the warrant officer's face replaced by a more neutral expression. He lifted his uniform jacket, revealing an egg-shaped burn scar. It was on the left side of his stomach. Its super edge was about an inch and a half above his navel, the lower edge she couldn't see as it fell below his beltline.

"Whenever I'm given a job, I fully commit to it This," he pointed to the scar, "shows my loyalty. If give me this job I'll be just as loyal to Captain Petrov, but next time I won't make the same mistake. I won't trust anyone."

“That scar shows past reliability which is a boon to your position, but for many such, an injury might make them hesitant to repeat the experience,” Lyra noted in return. She wasn’t lecturing him - yet - but reminding him of a simple yet often overlooked fact. “I am counting on you to be not one of those people.”

"I know that," he said his tone now totally serious with no hint of his previous bravado or smartass attitude. He lifted his shirt higher. His abdominal muscles were tightly corded, the only hair on his torso a narrow strip that stopped two inches above his navel. There was a second scar there, this one on the right side, just under his right lung. It was a little more faded than the first and caused by a knife rather than a phaser.

"My mother gave me this one shortly before I joined. It didn't turn me into one of those people and this one won't either."

"You can count on me, Lieutenant. I'm not going to be one of those people."

Lyra really could not have possibly cared less about this man's mommy issues, but her face still never betrayed any internal thought reflecting that. She simply still looked at Ahira in an appraising fashion, and then eventually awarded him with a small smile of approval.

"Good. I'll be putting your name in for the position today then and we will see what comes of it. Do you have any questions?"

Ahira didn't know what she was thinking, the only thing he knew, or thought he knew was that he had made his point. He tugged his shirt back down.

He wanted to ask if he was getting a promotion, but that would have been pushing it, so he didn't go that direction. Instead, he said, "I'm assuming I'm moving closer to the Captain's cabin. Is that right?"

"That would be up to the captain, really. From what I understand he is a bit difficult of a charge which isn't surprising given he was also a former security officer." That was likely part of the reason Novak had stepped down, though she didn't add that. "I'm sure you'll find your stride with some patience and luck."

"I'm sure I will ma'am. Will there be anything else, or can I go now?"

"I'll keep you updated. Otherwise nothing else." She leaned back in her chair. "You're dismissed."

The smirk was back as he nodded his head, tucked his shirt back in his pants, redid his uniform jacket and turned to go.

Lyra watched Ahira go and considered the whole thing for a moment. He would either do the job well, or he wouldn't and some... unfortunate incident might result. She picked up a PADD and looked at the information there. The wheel would have to turn eventually.

END