Reporting for Duty

Posted on Mon Aug 22nd, 2016 @ 10:44pm by Colonel Damian Highsmith M.Eng

Mission: Zero Week
Location: Commanding Officers Ready Room - USS Hammersley
Timeline: Mission Day 2, 0930 Hours

Lt Commander Plataea Yamaguchi had just arrived not twenty minutes before hand, she had been to the Quartermasters offices so she could find out where she lived and then she had gone by the armory to see the state of what she would be walking into where she turned in two kukri knives, a katana blade, a set of thirty throwing knifes and lastly a phaser rifle that she had built almost from scratch.

Yamaguchi regarded the bridge as she noticed a lot of things that were just being finished or were in the process of being finished before someone approached her. "Can I help you Leftenant Commander?"

Yamaguchi regarded the shorter male officer, his accent identified him as being either from Earth or from Cestus Three. Also his uniform identified him as one of her personnel as he was wearing mustard yellow like she herself was. "I'm just here to report in then I'm going to see what people need."

"Ahh.." Lieutenant James Smithson responded with a pause. "He's in the ready room at the present time sir."

"Thank you El Tee." Yamaguchi nodded, the other man moved off leaving her alone as she tapped the door chime.

Damian looked up from his desk as he read the long and monotonous readiness report that he would need to submit to General Chavez before they set sail for the Delta Quadrant. Reaching for his cup, he took a sip of the cold coffee inside and forced it down, tasting the acidic bite of the old coffee. Setting the cup down as he heard the door chime, he looked up. "Enter!" he commanded.

She was granted entry a moment later as the Colonel inside permitted her to enter. The doors slid open and she stepped in to the office. "Good morning, Sir. Lieutenant Commander Plataea Yamaguchi reporting as ordered." she explained why she was here.

Damian looked up at the extremely tall officer wearing a mustard yellow turtleneck with Lieutenant Commander's pips. Rising from his chair, he extended his hand. "Stand easy, Commander. If you have your orders, I'll take those from you as well." he said quickly. This woman had a rather hawkish look about her, looking at every aspect of the ready room and scrutinizing it.

Yamaguchi produced a PADD before she handed it to him. "Yessir." as she took a moment to look around the room, before turning her attention back to the Colonel seated before her.

Damian took the PADD from her and gave the orders a perfunctory read. He knew what he was looking for. Setting it down on the desk, he remained silent and waited for the junior to squirm or even twitch but he had no such luck. Motioning to the chair on the other side of the desk, he tapped the PADD twice with his index finger. "Have a seat, Commander. Can I get you anything?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of the woman. From his review of her record, he had noticed that she had served in almost every major combat engagement of the Dominion War and had her fair share of scrapes with enemy forces after that. It was a wonder that their positions weren't reversed...

Yamaguchi sat down in the chair he had indicated. She had six hundred and sixty two combat engagements and she'd walked away from every single one of those. "Nothing for me, thank you." Plataea responded as she regarded him with her brown eyes. "Is there anything special you wish to know about me?" she inquired.

Picking up the PADD, Damian motioned with it. "Most everything that I need to know is right in here, Commander. Although I do have one question- How are you only a Lieutenant Commander?. You have more combat engagements and decorations for valor than almost every senior officer in Starfleet combined with the exception of James Kirk himself." he asked, waiting for Palatea's response.

"Because I made my family a priority Colonel." Yamaguchi responded evenly. "I have five children and three of those are adults." as she shifted her weight while seated in the chair.

Damian nodded. "I can't fault you there. No number of awards or rank can replace family-" Damian stopped, feeling the words ring hollow. He had never had time for a family and the only time he had tried to start one had caused nothing but pain. Changing the subject, Damian reached for a yellow PADD and handed it over. "That contains a department readiness list- since we leave in two days, I'll need it done in 24 hours. Think you can swing it?" he asked

Yamaguchi accepted the PADD, she tapped the PADD as she gave it the once over. "I will remind you that this is my first assignment as Chief of Security and Tactical.... my career has been as an engineer." she paused. "But yes. I can have this done in one day."

Damian nodded. "Very well. You're dismissed." he said, turning back to his report.

Yamaguchi rose to her feet in silence and turned to leave but his voice made her turn back to face him once more.

Looking up from his desk, he addressed the Commander before she walked out of the office. "Commander, someone at Starfleet Personnel has determined that in their infinite wisdom, you're more than qualified for the job. Now I have absolute faith based on your combat record and qualifications so I'll make you a deal: If we make it through this mission and you decide that you'd be a better fit as an Engineer, then I'll transfer you with no questions asked. Understood?" he asked, looking Plataea dead in the eye.

"Colonel. I will consider it." Yamaguchi responded with a smile. "However for now I'll do the job I've been assigned to the best of my ability sir."
she responded, with that she turned and quietly departed.