CDR Naxell — View from the Bottom

[Naxell]

((Captain’s Ready Room, Deck 1, USS Khitomer, en route to Deep Space 33))

Still a day or so out from returning to Deep Space 33, Naxell was aiming to tie up as many loose ends as he could. The more the crew accomplished on their return journey, the less they had to do in port. Out in the field, Khitomer’s CO preferred the crew to be focused on their work, but in exchange he expected them to be focused on anything but whenever they were off-duty on shore leave.

He was, however, surprised to find that some ends were looser than others. That's where he would start. The door chimed, and Naxell wagered with himself that it was Ensign Talon Morda, the only person invited (ordered) to appear before him this morning.

Naxell: Punctual, Mister Morda!

This was, he realized, a mistake. Morda would certainly have understood Commander Naxell's response as an invitation to enter but as clever as the ship's computer was, it probably didn't. He hastily reached for the prompt on a nearby PADD and authorized entry with the press of his thumb. He might have called out again with greater clarity for the computer’s benefit, but it would have likely only served to confuse the incoming Kerelian.

Morda: Ensign Talon Morda reporting, Captain.

Naxell: I agree, that's what it looks like.

Morda: Response 

The remark had come reflexively, and caught Naxell by surprise as much as it must have surprised Morda. Some feigned suspicion, lurking in the dark recesses of his mind, decided to make itself known. He leaped upon the idea of using the faux pas as a launchpad into a joke, which seemed a very clever thing to do. The only problem was he didn't have a joke readily at hand. Without too much hesitation, Naxell fell back upon an old, reliable tactic.

He pretended like it didn't happen.

Naxell: Have a seat, Ensign. Please.

Morda: Response 

Naxell: We didn't work together much in Ceram, but the reports from your fellow officers account for you well. How are you feeling about it?

The Captain smiled broadly, almost ear to ear in the Denobulan way. There was no better way to get a sense of his up-and-coming junior officers than by giving them an opportunity to give him their unvarnished perspective. It had been decades since he was a lower-decker, but he never forgot that even the haughtiest Admiral once had been.

Morda: Response 

TBC

——— ●●● ———

Commander Nax-Ellarneii-Tellargo

Commanding Officer

USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)

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