The Security Officer - USS Carthage

Posted on Mon Feb 4th, 2013 @ 10:39pm by Captain Liarra Von

Mission: Reindeer Games
Location: Main Security Office

PADD in hand, Commander Von enters the main security office. As expected on a station this size, it was a bustle of activity. Civilians and crew from visiting cargo ships plead their cases after being arrested for petty crimes, while other officers discussed patrols or cases they had been working on while stopping for a coffee break. It was a lot different than any security office Liarra had ever served in. Then again, her time as a security officer was on a starship, which was a completely different world to that of a starbase. Most of the time she had to break up arguments between two crew members, or guard a visiting dignitary, but her most exciting work was escorting away teams. It always seemed to her that station life was more, bureaucratic, than starship life.

The receptionist caught her standing there and spoke up before Liarra could say anything. "What can I do for you, Commander? Is there a problem."

"No problem, Ensign. I need to speak with Commander O'Connell. Could you make sure he is available?"

"Of course, Ma'am." She tapped on her comm panel. "Commander O'Connell, Commander Von is here to see you."

Sean looked up as his his console went off and the message came through. He had just finished one of the endless reports to starfleet security. Though he was used to the manner in how station security worked he was just getting used to the informal manner of ship board security.

On his desk was a huge stack of padds on guidelines, rule adjustments, cases and reports on almost anything. He yawned as he sat back then stood up and ordered a cup of coffee from his replicator. One of the small perks of being the chief of security was a huge office. As he walked back to his desk he tapped a button on his console.

"Understood, I have a few minutes so send the XO through." He sipped his coffee and almost choked. 'crew evaluations.... shit!' he though to himself.

The ensign pointed Von to Sean's office and glided from her desk to escort the XO to Sean's office. Even though she was just a receptionist today she also was a security officer and standing orders where every security officer should be armed. she smiled apologetic to the XO as she adjusted her fire arm.

Liarra didn't take much notice of the younger officer's side arm. Her mind was on the task at hand. She knew O'Connell preferred to stay on the station and take care of his duties here, but she needed him elsewhere.

The ensign gestured to the security chief's door. "Here you go, Commander. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, Ensign," Liarra replied with a nod. She turned to the sliding glass doors that led to O'Connell's office. Another major change to starship life, she noted silently, was the aesthetics. Space was not an issue on a space station, especially not one this size, so little comforts like doors that allow you to look out at your department are a perk. The doors slid effortlessly open and Von entered with a smile. "Good afternoon, Commander. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Always, but you're the XO so I can cry and moan and it wouldn't help one bit." Sean looked at Von. "Now can I offer you something to drink?"

"No thank you, Commander," she answered, shaking her head. "I'll try to be brief. I've been talking to Captain Gunning and Commander Ratchford about the upcoming exercises. We agree that the drills on the station are a much lower priority than the drills run by the Jackal and Carthage. With that in mind, I've noticed that the Carthage is in need of an experienced tactical officer, and I was hoping that you would be willing to fill that role for me."

"I figured as much. To be honest I was thinking of handing over the security drills to my junior staff. Good exercise for them and some rest for me. Haven't seen my quarters or bed in weeks....... haven't even unpacked. 'Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.' Tenyson, Earth,1854." Sean shook his head and finished his coffee.

"I'm glad to hear it, Commander. I was hoping I wouldn't have to pull rank," she added with a smile, gesturing with the PADD in her hand that contained the orders signed by Captain Gunning. "We can't be thinking like Starfleet officers on this mission. I need you to put your terrorist hat on."

" I don't have a terrorist hat, but I think I'll have to read up on maquis history. There was that security officer on DS9 who did a successful job on creating havoc for starfleet when he lead the maquis." O'Connell checked the padd."Who's the XO?"

"About that. I was hoping that you could take on the job."

"I walked into that, didn't I?" He sighed he looked at his console and raised an eyebrow. "Seems our resident thugs have been acting up as well."He just received a report of Akiashiro clan started to flex their muscle. "Commander permission to handle Akiashiro. I am getting reports in left,right and centre. Seems they are asking for it. He stood up and grabbed his phaser. "You need an XO, I want to leave this station with us still in control when we get back."

"Don't worry, Commander. Captain Gunning and Commander Prax will still be on the station. I highly doubt that the Akiashiro's will try anything with him around."

"Well, we have transporter inhibitors placed on their decks..... cheap ones easily worked around. So I think a small security detail could handle it. If they do flex their muscle I can beam in the whole lot to the brig or outside." Sean looked at his console and holstered his phaser.

"As for the ship.... Skeleton crew........ And I don want experts. If this is a training exercise and we are to be terrorist than we have to learn how to do without expertise and get on the job training. Heck I can wield a phaser know my way around a tactical station, but I have no Idea how to rig a replicator to work as transporter. Yet the Maquis did."

"I have to disagree with you there. I do plan on having an expert. The point of this exercise is not too learn how to be terrorists. It's how to hunt them down. In order to give Starfleet the best lesson, I intend to be the best terrorist I can, and that means I need all the help I can get. I've asked Captain Griffiths to join us. I trust that you can play nice. You'll still be my second in command, and the tactical officer."

" Don't mind the marines they make terrific cannon fodder and they leave lovely corpses. Yet I have no idea what benefit a marine can add to a space combat simulation?" Sean raised an eyebrow.

"That's why she's just a consultant, Commander. I want someone with a different background to bounce ideas off of. I was once a security officer too. You and I have had the same training. We have a pretty good idea how the other might think. That's what has me concerned. Ratchford might think the same way we do as well. If this exercise is going to be successful, then I need us to have some unpredictability. Maybe a marine can provide that, maybe not. In any case, it's my ship, and I say we need her. We leave in two days, Mr. O'Connell. I trust I'll see you on the bridge."

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Commander Liarra Von
Commanding Officer
USS Carthage

Lt. Commander Sean O'Connell
Chief of Security
Starbase 332