Organised Chaos
Posted on Wed Mar 25th, 2015 @ 8:03pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Arathenar ch’Darnath & Lieutenant Commander Isaac Dewitt
Mission:
Ill Tidings
Location: Security Centre [Deck 13, Starbase 332]
Timeline: MD01: 2100hrs.
"I don't care if they're all active files, look at the bloody state of the place!" Senior Chief Petty Officer Cantos Vance flitted between the desks with a wild look in his eye. "O'Connell's been gone two weeks and the place looks like a bomb's hit it!"
A few raised eyebrows caused Vance to realise his mistake. He had only been on the station a year and was often ignorant of the fact that many of 332's crew members had lost people when the Sojourner bomb exploded.
"Sorry- but you take my point." He said, trying to organise PO2 Jack Blanc's PADDs back into a rack. "Where the hell is Blanc anyway?"
"No idea, sir" Ensign Harper replied from the small evidence room which lay off to one side.
"Well, it hardly matters now anyway." Vance looked around and dragged his hand through his hair. For what it was worth, the place looked slightly less like a rubbish tip.
Slightly.
A noise like a slammed door assaulted the room as Lt. Commander Dewitt dropped his hard luggage case onto the floor from height.
Dewitt stood just inside the doorway and appraised the security centre. He'd been travelling for days, changing ships often to get to this outpost. The recommendation he'd had from his former commander about taking the “softly, softly” approach to getting to know his inferiors had all but been erased from his mind.
“So this what I have to deal with instead of security officers? Absentees and cleaning staff. Your name, crewman.” ordered Dewitt.
Vance's military instinct snapped in and his heels smashed together as he came to attention. "Senior Chief Petty Officer Cantos Vance, Sir!"
“Vance... good. I am Lt. Commander Dewitt. I am replacing Lt. Commander O'Connell as the new head of security for Starbase 332. Or at least I will be when I meet with Captain Von and officially commence my duties.”
“Yes, sir.” Vance replied.
Dewitt surveyed the room again. This is what happens when you let an ivory tower, academic assume responsibility for station security.
He had read his predecessor’s file. He imagined that they would have much in common. But their differences set them apart. O'Connell was raised in the Galactic core – on Earth no less, at the very heart of the Federation. This was a stopgap for him. He was restless, dreamed of returning to Earth.
But this is where Dewitt wanted to be. Not at this particular Starbase, or even necessarily with the Federation. But out here, just a few sectors away from his home in the Spartan Nations. On the edge of the civilised space where he could put his talents to the best use and away from the exhausting politics of the Galactic Core.
“What I want now, is for you to show me to my quarters so that at least one of us can make ourselves look presentable to our commanding officer.”
"Yes sir!" Vance replied, realising that he was in for a rough ride. He broke out of his attentive stance and made a break for a console, punching up the Quartermaster as quickly as he could. Rather than sending him to him- something which he doubted the new Chief would have appreciated- Vance submitted the necessary orders and received Dewitt's assigned quarters.
"Sir, you are billeted to the Senior Officer Habitation Deck on deck twenty-seven. You are in Section Two-Three-Eight, room Four-oh-five-oh."
“Excellent. You will escort me there now. The rest of you will transform this room into some semblance of regulation Starfleet order.”
Dewitt picked picked up his case and glared at the security staff.
All the materials are here. Just like in criminal investigations, he could see that the capable staff had the means, and judging by the reports of petty crime seeping into the Starbase, they certainly had the opportunity.
I will provide the motivation. These people won't know themselves or this station once I'm through.
“Vance.”
Dewitt exited the room towards the turbolifts with Vance behind him.
"Aye, Sir. Right behind you." Vance motioned to the officers left in the room to get moving and stepped out of the room behind the new Chief. He was going to need to keep his wits about him with this guy. He tried to avoid speaking, although he was itching to make amends for the state of things. The lack of an Assistant Chief- coupled with their temporary lack of a head honcho- had left things in disarray.
The two marched down the corridor and entered the turbolift with the familiar swish of the doors opening and closing.
“Deck twenty-seven” commanded Dewitt and the lift descended.
The security chief's posture eased almost imperceptibly. His voice, when he spoke, was more measured and less like a drill instructor.
“Seems like a good bunch of staff you have there, Vance. Have they seen much action?”
Vance cocked an eyebrow. In the time it had taken for a door to close, the Lieutenant Commander had gone from looking like he wanted to choke him, to looking as though he might buy him a drink. "They have, sir. Some of them have been here since the fleet took security operations back from the Akiashiro Security Force."
The Master-at-Arms tried to do a quick count in his head but came up short. "That's a damned long time, sir."
“So we have experienced personnel. We'll need to rely on their know-how. And yours. It's been a while since I've been in this part of the galaxy. All the names are familiar – the ships, stations, families and so forth. But I don't know the state of play - who's up or down; who's in or out. That's the kind of intel you don't get on the official Starfleet reports. But it's what'll make the difference here.”
The familiar whine of the turbolift ceased as it reached its destination.
Lieutenant Commander Isaac Dewitt
Chief of Station Security
Senior Chief Petty Officer Cantos Vance [NPC: Gunning]
Master-at-Arms
