Lieutenant JG Charlotte Brexis - A Line Re-Drawn
Charlotte Brexis
((Operations Center - Deck 05 - USS Artemis-A))
The sudden meeting of the First Officer seemed to be going well enough. Charlotte carefully gauged the atmosphere. Nothing felt tight or rigid. The room held a surprising calm. Especially after Commander Munro called Charlotte out for not having met with her yet. The call-out was fair and warranted. The XO, at least, didn’t seem inclined to hold a grudge.
Munro: I’ve been the new girl on a ship before. Got to figure out where all the cool lower deckers hang out :: pauses briefly :: Some friendly advice. Always get the senior officer check-ins out the way first ::conspiratorially :: That way they don’t get curious about you ::smiles deviously :: I’m curious, Lieutenant. Our new strategic operations officer? How are you settling in?
Charlotte tilted her head to the side and let the question settle before answering.
Brexis: Advice noted. Check-ins first. ::Lightly chuckling:: I guess I am settling in well enough. No one has shown any obvious disdain for my presence, so I think it’s going well.
Munro: :: raises her eyebrows :: Not yet, anyway. There’s still time.
Charlotte propped her elbow on the edge of the console and set her chin on her hand. She brushed off the slight, fully aware she wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Brexis: Yeah, I’ve met a good handful of the crew already. Lots of strong people and strong personalities around here. Aside from that, ::gesturing around vaguely:: I have been working on getting up to speed with the ship systems and departments.
Munro: :: nods :: They aren’t really that much of a difference from what you should already be used to. The sensor pod and the science equipment are probably the most unique to the ship. When you get a chance you should familiarise yourself with their capabilities. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts :: smiles :: and to be clear I mean a detailed report on my desk. Actually you may as well do the same for all departments. I know that you’ve made communication with your counterparts on the Berlin, Chesapeake and the JPJ? That’s really good, that will save you some time once we get back to the Borderlands. You will need to schedule some time on DS224: meet the JAG officers, FDC and the Strat Ops lead as well as the marines, and Starfleet SecTac. They’ll probably send some JGs to brief you. That should give you a good understanding of the different issues faced in the region. Also DS224 is an interesting place if you want it to be.
She let out a small breathy laugh, once again brushing off the clear sign of someone trying to assign an officer work that they had already done. If Charlotte was anything– it was efficient. Unless it came to getting her check-ins done in a timely manner.
Brexis: Now that is something I can get behind. ::Crossing one leg over the other:: Tell me more.
This was where Charlotte made the fatal mistake. The one of trusting the vibe too much and leaning into it, letting her professionalism slip too far into the comfort zone.
Munro: About DS224? It has some good shops, restaurants and bars :: eyes her up carefully :: You are a very unusual woman, Charlotte Brexis. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet on a Starfleet ship :: clears her throat :: I would like to remind you though.
Oof… The words hit her like a stun from a phaser. “Unusual Woman”. Suddenly, she was mad at herself, for trusting too quickly. Someone would always have something negative to say, but the disdain behind the words hurt far worse than the woman before her would ever know. Years of being an out-castin her own society flared into a familiar ache — the reminder that she never truly belonged anywhere. Like a bruise forming days after the injury, she was reminded of her own failings.
Munro indicated to Charlotte's posture that she was already straying from as the words settled.
Munro: I might be somewhat friendlier than the captain but when I’m wearing my uniform, and especially if you are wearing your uniform, I expect you to sit up straight and behave as if this is the Operations Centre of a starship. Which it is. We’re not off duty having coffee or sipping cocktails in a bar. I’m not about to braid your hair and talk about boys. I’m your XO, and I’m here because you failed to meet with me.
Double oof… The implication that Charlotte didn’t respect the uniform felt pretty far out of left field. A simple change of body language was being read into way too much. Her duty as an officer being questioned felt like a knife in the gut.
She could have reacted negatively. Called the woman out for leading with patience to flipping the script, but what good would that have done? Charlotte stood up, clasped her hands behind her back and took the high road.
Brexis: Apologies Commander. I must have misread the situation.
Ava shook her head.
Munro: Behave accordingly. I’m your senior officer. That uniform should mean something to you. I can’t imagine at the Academy they let you slouch over your console?
As more of the woman's disparagement continued to assault Charlotte's empathic senses, she slammed her mental barriers back into place where they should have stayed.
Brexis: No sir.
Ava stood up and straightened her uniform.
Munro: We’ll chalk it down to first impressions, and I’m sure there will be some improvements on our next meeting, Lieutenant JG Brexis. I look forward to reading the reports tomorrow morning. First thing ::smiles :: There is nothing I love more than a freshly written report with my coffee in the morning :: winks :: I hope you didn’t have any interesting plans this evening.
Charlotte’s eyebrow twitched as she tried to keep her face neutral. She remembered seeing that Munro was relatively new to the First Officer role. Things suddenly made more sense. Someone who was possibly struggling through her own sense of belonging.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it– even to herself. Charlotte could relate. She’d been finding her place her whole life — after her parents died, again when she tried to integrate into Betazoid society, through the Academy, her first posting, Frontier Day, and now the Artemis. If anyone could relate… It was Charlotte. Finding your footing in a new environment was always a tricky endeavor at best - and oftentimes reverting back to training and the example of those who came before as a safe option.
She genuinely “got it”.
Brexis: Let me know your coffee order. I’ll make sure both are waiting for you.
End scene for Brexis!
--------------//---------------
Lieutenant JG Charlotte Brexis
Strategic Operations