Reporting to the Captain.

Posted on Tue Mar 26th, 2024 @ 2:13am by Lieutenant Commander Wyatt Steele & Commodore Finchley Kerr

Mission: The missions never over.
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: Current

After helping Evie move her things into his quarters, Wyatt left her to put up her clothes and arrange like she felt.
He then headed to meet Captain Kerr. However, before he left he checked his uniform. for wrinkles or any sign of
dirt. He also inspected his boots. (They had a nice shine to them.) His hair was regulation length so, no worries there.
Satisfied he would pass inspection if Captain Kerr so decided to call one he headed to the Captain's Ready Room and
pressed the door chime to gain access.

The chime sounding made Finchley look up. He’d been advised that another of the team had arrived onboard, so he guessed it was them coming to see him.

“Enter” he said, looking at the doors.

Hearing the command from inside the ready room, Wyatt entered and came to a stop in front of desk with the captain seated behind it. “Lieutenant Wyatt Steele reporting for duty sir." As he handed Captain Kerr the PaDD with his orders on it.

Finchley took the PADD, placed it on the desk and said “Two steps back Mr Steele.”

Wyatt did as ordered and waited.

Finchley got up, and as he’d done before with all new crew, he circled them slowly twice, looking them up and down, before returning back to his seat.

“Hair longer than regulation, dirt under your thumb and index finger nails of your right hand” he said.

“However, that I can live with Lieutenant Steele, we all have simple things we miss, or don’t think about as being important.” he carried on.

He stood up again and walked around his desk, standing directly behind Wyatt, his mouth roughly three inches from his ear.

“What I can’t live with, is anyone who can’t be bothered to, or don’t give a rats arse, about finding out the regulations here, but just assume they know best. You’ve been on this ship five minutes, and yes I knew you were here but I was busy, and you’re already moving people, my niece to be precise, into your quarters. This is a single occupancy ship, and had you actually taken the time to find out, you’d have know!”

He put his hand to his ear, and on mock surprise said, “Single occupancy you say, prey tell me Captain, why?”

“And I would have replied saying in case we were attacked and the ships hull damaged, if you have one person per room, it’s less chance of loss or injury” he added.

“Tell me Lieutenant Steele, did you enquire about quarters occupancy, and if you did, did you just choose to ignore them because you wanted my Chief Counsellor next to you?” he asked.

Wyatt stood perfectly still while the captain circled him like a hawk waiting to attack, first inspecting him and then informing him of the single occupancy quarters. When the captain had finished, Wyatt continued to look straight ahead, resisting the urge to turn and face Captain Kerr. "Permission to speak freely sir." He asked while still looking straight ahead.

“Granted, but bare in mind, this is a Purple Squad ship, regulations set by the Senior Officer here, regardless if the crew are married, engaged or about to be either” Finchley replied. “Yes, Commander Karadis told me about you both, irrespective of that, regulations are regulations.”

Having permission to speak freely. Josh turned to face the captain. "Yes sir. When I came aboard, I proceeded directly to the bridge to report to you. You were busy so, I reported to the Officer on Deck. He logged the time I reported. At no time did he relay
any of the Thall's special orders to me. I left the bridge, saw Eve and asked her to move in with me. I did not realize I was breaking a regulation, and i doubt Eve does as well. We love each other, Captain. I understand the need for regulations and discipline however i think this regulation of yours is pushing the limit sir."

“Face the front Lieutenant, I have given you permission to speak, not move!” Finchley replied.

“A few things for you to take note on” he continued, “Firstly, the Officer on Deck isn’t obliged to tell you of regulations, that’s something you ought to find out about yourself, not very good for the new Chief of Operations now is it. Next, I don’t give a fuck if you’re in love, that has Jack shit to do with regulations or rules, in fact if anything it’s actually is more of a problem for me. Let me give you a scenario shall I…the ship is attacked and taken over by a hostile force. You and Lieutenant Kerr are the only survivors, and the leader of the hostiles has a phaser to her head. He tells you to give him the Command codes you have for the ship or else he’ll kill her. The way I see it right now, you’ll give them the Command codes. You see, I have to think of all of these things, unfortunately, I thought you’d be more professional about your duties rather than putting your love life first. As for pushing the limit…the limit is what I say it is, are we perfectly clear on that?”

Wyatt turned his head back, so he was again facing forwards as the captain spoke. "Captain with all due respect you are doing exactly what you are saying I did. Yes, I should have inquired about any special regulations on the Thall and I would have if you hadn't been busy. Second, you're judging me prematurely as well as judging my professionalism sir. I wouldn't give the codes if Evie's life was threatened. As for not being a good start, I agree with you sir however you will find me to be an excellent strategic operations officer and yes sir, perfectly clear on what you say the limits are."

“You have morals then Lieutenant” Finchley replied, “If that’s the case, once dismissed from this meeting, go back to your quarters and tell Lieutenant Kerr to return to hers…with all her belongings.”

"Thank you, sir." Wyatt replied and then hesitated. "Um sir. If I may. I will tell Eve to go back to her quarters with her belongings as you ordered. However, can we get connecting rooms? So, we don't have to go up and down the corridors at night.”

“No, you may not” Finchley replied, “This is a small crew Lieutenant, it won’t take a genius to work out you’re both having a relationship. But the reason I’m denying it, is you didn’t ask first, you let your libido get the better of you, both of you, and that’s unacceptable. Now, away from your love life, we may have a problem with the Klingons, however I’m waiting on a report from Lieutenant Kerr before we can act on it. In the meantime, I want you to scour all communications between Starfleet Admiralty and the Klingon High Council over the last six months. Look for patterns of stress in the relationship, particularly around any meetings that were to take place, pay particular attention to how the Security was being handled on the Klingon side.”

Wyatt bristled at the captain's statement. "I think that is an uncalled-for statement Captain in regard to both Eve and me. She was happy to see me and was waiting in my quarters. Also, I did come to see you and I would have asked but you were otherwise occupied. As to the communications between Starfleet Admiralty and the Klingon High Council. and pay extra attention to security on the Klingon side. Yes sir."

“You have no idea how little I actually care that you think my statement is uncalled for Lieutenant, the fact is, it’s what counts here” Finchley replied, “and I care even less that she was happy to see you, or that she was on your quarters. You’ve already said that you tried to see me but I was busy, and I’ve said you should have tried to see me when I wasn’t otherwise engaged and spoken and asked me then, but you put your libido first, both of you. So, now that you’ve forced me into this, you’re both forbidden to share quarters, further more, should you be caught whilst on duty showing anything but complete concentration and attention to duty, you’ll be drumhead court martialed for dereliction of duty and penalised accordingly. If you bring up again that I was busy and you couldn’t be bothered to try later on, that will lead to the same conclusion, am I perfectly clear? Oh, and before you answer, if you try to look me in the eye, instead of dutifully lowering or averting your gaze when a superior officer is talking to you, that won’t go well for you.”

Wyatt was seething inside. He couldn't believe Kerr hadn't been kicked out of the service or more to the point how he had ever made it to captain. The man was arrogant and abusive in both his tone and words. Yet Wyatt wasn't going to risk a confrontation with the man and get thrown in the brig for the next thirty years. he would tell Eve what her lunatic uncle had decreed, and they would make do with that. And what was this business about lowering his eyes? He had always been taught since he was a small boy to look people in the eye. Now if he did, he could be court martialed. He acted accordingly. he nodded his head lowered his eyes and replied simply. "Yes sir."

Finchley took his seat again, and looking at Wyatt said “You have your orders Lieutenant Steele, if there’s nothing more you’re dismissed.”

"Yes sir." Wyatt replied crisply. His eyes lowered as he spun on his heel and left the room as quickly as he could. He couldn't get out of there fast enough. He wanted to be as far away as possible from Kerr and his ideas and opinions.