CDR Naxell — More to the Story
Naxell
((Shuttlebay, Indulgence of Chocolate-Coated Jama'haron, in orbit of Dangan Prime))
Naxell’s lips lifted sharply at the corners in as reassuring a manner as he could manage—on his own, in any way. Whether Connor was actually reassured would depend a great deal on Connor, in the end, and there was only so much Naxell could do to help him. The trajectory of his life was about to change, and the Denobulan believed monumental life changes should come with smiles as much as possible. Many a ship's counselor had disagreed with him on this, and maybe they were right. Still, it was his way, and he was here and they were not.
Well, mostly not. He glanced to the half-Bajoran he knew to be Mrs. Dewitt, Khitomer’s own counselor. He wondered, fleetingly, where she stood on the subject of smiles.
Naxell: Oh, no, we've never met. You don't know me, and I don't know you, Mr. Dewitt, and that is exactly the problem! ::tut-tutting:: I can't make you my First Officer without at least a brief chat.
Something behind Ayemet's eyes shifted, which prompted a glance from the Commander. She had pieced it together while the now-former Chief Engineer seemed to be mildly stunned. The possibility that he'd chosen the wrong Dewitt for the job briefly flitted across his thoughts. His nostrils flared in consideration, but he reckoned it would probably be valuable—if a bit confusing in terminology—to have them both on the Bridge.
A.Dewitt: turning to Naxell: Welcome aboard the Khitomer Captain. :turning to Connor and speaking earnestly: Congratulations Connor. You’ll make a fine First Officer.
C. Dewitt: ::clearing throat:: Uhm… Thank you, sir. I… I wasn’t aware there’d been a change in command.
Naxell: Indeed. It was rather short notice for me, too.
That, in fact, had been one of the subjects Naxell hoped to discuss with Connor. With very little time to prepare, he wasn't as familiar with the personnel files as he'd liked to have been. And even if he had been, there was always more to the story. There were facts and achievements and doubts and concerns that didn't make it into formal records, and Naxell was determined to get a lay of the informal landscape before he stepped aboard his new command.
A.Dewitt: Gentleman if you excuse me I think I’ve left something in my cabin, our cabin.
C. Dewitt: You don’t have to…
A.Dewitt: I’ll make the next shuttle. You go ahead it will give you time to get to know each other.
More to the story, indeed. His would-be first officer gave him an apologetic glance as his wife beat a hasty retreat. Naxell leaned on his umbrella and raised his eyebrows.
C. Dewitt: Excuse me, Sir. This won’t take long.
Khitomer's new CO observed from a safe distance, not near enough to hear, but close enough to see their facial expressions. Not normally one to eavesdrop, a wave of mild concern shivered through his body until the pair walked back to him together.
C. Dewitt: Excuse me, Sir… This seems to be a lot at once. You are…?
Naxell: Commander Naxell. Until a few days ago, I was an instructor at the Academy Command School, but before that I served many years as First Officer to Captain P’Rell on the Lenart.
C. Dewitt: Where’s Captain Shayne?
As Connor asked his question, the shuttle hatch lifted with a hiss. Passengers began to file in, and the trio followed in behind. The interruption bought Naxell some time to mull over and choose his words carefully.
Naxell: I'm not privy to many of the details, Commander, but my understanding is that he was recalled to Earth. ::bemused:: I suppose we passed each other by on our respective journeys.
A. Dewitt: Response
C. Dewitt: Sir, if I may. Commander Hobart is the current First Officer. ::pause:: Why wouldn’t he remain in that role?
Dewitt was being careful himself, Naxell perceived. Or perhaps not. He was cool, steady, and in control. Maybe this was his normal way of being—it suited a Chief Engineer. Hopefully it would suit a First Officer, too.
Naxell smiled and offered a nod as the three of them took their seats in the shuttle's passenger compartment.
Naxell: A very good question. I had the same. It turns out Commander Hobart has been reassigned to Deep Space 33 command staff.
A. Dewitt / C. Dewitt: Response
Naxell: I see no reason to doubt you, Mr. Dewitt. You're Khitomer’s Chief Engineer. No one knows the ship better than you do, and you're Second Officer. Surely you must have known this day was coming.
The thrum of the shuttle's thrusters reverberated through the small craft’s thin hull, as the flight crew took over control. They'd cleared the Indulgence’s hangar and were beginning their descent towards the surface Dangan Prime. Naxell rapped his fingertips on the handle of his umbrella, its point digging into the floor between his feet.
A. Dewitt / C. Dewitt: Response
Naxell: And what do you say, Mrs. Dewitt? Anything I should worry about?
A. Dewitt / C. Dewitt: Response
TBC
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Commander Nax-Ellarneii-Tellargo
Commanding Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240001NH3