How Do You Take Your Coffee?

Posted on 04 Feb 2015 @ 10:14am by Petty Officer 1st Class Rebecca Williams & Captain Jonathan Holliday

1,440 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo - Deck One - Ready Room
Timeline: MD35 0900hours

[ON]

Pulling down on her jacket, Rebecca did a mental invetory of her clothes and her presentation. She could afford for nothing to go wrong here. This was the chance of a lifetime, to finally operate as yeoman to a commanding officer...and a male one at that. She knew she was up for the job, given the size of this ship and the crew contingent, it would be easier then her previous position as yeoman to the executive officer of a federation colony.

The uniform felt a little tight but Rebecca knew this was more so from her body being accustomed to dresses and skirts rather than being confined to trousers and jackets. Pushing the flat of her hand once more over her hair, the yeoman ensured that not one strand was free before pressing the chime to announce her presence.

The Ready Room was currently host to an armada of PADDs and requisitions as the ship finished her refit before her return to space in only ten days time. New crew members were reporting in almost daily, in amongst the thralls of engineers and technicians busy working away like ants within the bowels of the Galileo.

"Come"

As she moved inside of the door, Rebecca couldn't help the appreciative glance she gave her new boss as she watched him at work. The broad shoulders obviously showed that the man worked out and wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Time would tell precisely how dirty he liked to get them. Not wanted to give the wrong first impression, the yeoman pulled herself to attention.

"Petty Officer 2nd Class Rebecca Williams reporting for duty...Sir." The delay was on purpose as the yeoman subtly and softly sounded out the greeting.

John looked up for a moment and furrowed his brow trying to identify what name matched up with what crew transfer order he had signed off on recently. It was then he realised that this was his new Yeoman -apparently required for a Captain nowadays.

"Ah - my new Yeoman, yes?"

Rebecca's lips tilted up slightly at the bosses responce, "Well I hope so Sir, my orders told me to report to the USS Galileo in order to take up my new posting." The yeoman took a small step forward as she held out the PADD in her hand.

The Captain took the tablet and after a brief review was convinced that this was the officer he had been assigned. Putting the small device down on the corner of his desk, the Martian stood up and placed his book back down on the table.

"I haven't had a Yeoman before - the ship isn't exactly the largest one in the fleet. You'll have to forgive me if it takes some time for me to adapt to this."

Rebecca relaxed her body as she studied the man. She had been informed that he was newly promoted and it's a rarity that executive officers would have their own yeoman unless they were in a base or colony. She could understand his uncertainity. "This will be my first placement as a Commanding Officer's yeoman so we will both be finding our feet. My previous placement was as yeoman to the Executive Officer of Leto Colony, same amount of work involved but it was more reports on people orientated rather than the functions of the ship it's self. At the same time, all the basics for both positions would be the same in relation to note taking and doing the foot work of tracking down missing reports."

"Leto colony? A planetside posting - think you still have your space legs?" John replied in a joking manner. He couldn't imagine being posted to a planet permanently - it was something that just felt alien to him - he had spent most of his adult life in space, and that was the only place he wanted to be.

Rebecca could tell that the man seemed otherwise occupied and it didn't seem to be because of thoughts of her. Seeing this as a challenge rather than a deter, the yeoman grasped her fingers together behind her back. "My experience prior to Leto had me onboard ships. If anything I found it difficult to readjust to being on land again. Don't get me wrong...the opportunity to wear skirts and dresses as part of the uniform was certainly a big advantage to being on land but....you can miss being in space at times."

"You'll find I am a lot stricter regarding uniform and attire whilst on duty - standard uniform is expected at all times."

John decided to get the comment in sooner rather than later - he was aware that surface postings tended to get a slightly more relaxed frame of mind due to them being more exposed to a planet's changing seasons as opposed to the more consistent atmosphere aboard a starship.

"I've requisitioned office space for you on deck 2 in the Admin Office - you will also have access to the Ready Room during Beta duty shifts. I trust that will be sufficient?"

Rebecca bite down on the inside of her cheek to stop the laugh escaping, "Don't worry Captain, I send anything beyond the normal duty and dress uniforms to recycling before I arrived onboard. Just pieces relevant to work obviously. I assume the order doesn't extend to my off duty wardrobe also?"

"Not at all." John replied. "Off duty the choice is entirely yours, obviously." He thought for a moment about how that probably could have been worded a little better, but it had the right inclination.

Calling up a map of the ship in her mind, Rebecca nodded her consent to the office space she had been allocated. "I will primarily use your ready room during the beta shift. My understand is that I share the admin offices with Ops and I prefer a quiet surrounding in which to get my work done. Will I operate on a you call me if you need me basis? I understand that you will primarily be on bridge duty during the alpha shift?"

"Beta shift actually - hence the offer of the Ready Room. During Alpha or Gamma shifts the Admin Office will be your most suitable duty station - I doubt the Admiral or Commander Blake will want to share their workspaces with myYeoman."

John replied, making a mental note to ensure a space desk was added to his Ready Room. He had no desire to have his assistant using his own desk unnecessarily, and would rather a small workstation be added instead. Engineering would most likely be able to deal with that in an effective fashion.

"If there is nothing else? I'm sure you have some settling in to do?"

"Hum...." Rebecca processed that information for a moment. A lot of her work would be one on one with the commanding officer so it did make sense she'd be by his side during his shift, it was just unusual he covered beta. Mentally shrugging her shoulders, she was sure she'd understand the unusual arrangements within time. "That seems to cover it. Just one question? How do you take your coffee?"

John looked back up at her as she asked her question - something he hadn't thought of was someone to bring him coffee - a resource he sorely needed at the start of his shift.

"Raktajino - double strong, double sweet - and well appreciated at the start of duty."

Rebecca tipped an imaginary hat in the Captain's direction. "Your wish is my command Sir. I'll ensure it's sitting and waiting for you at the beginning of each duty shift. I'll also ensure it's available during the breaks of those meetings where you wish you could run or just bury your head in the sand and hide."

"Keep talking like that Petty Officer, and I'll have no choice but to promote you." The Captain retorted with a wry smile - he could tell the young woman had obviously seen her share of caffeine-deprived officers fleeing the inevitably boring meetings that came with the post.

"Dismissed."

Snapping to attention, Rebecca nodded her head at the commanding officer before turning and leaving the office the same way she had come in. This wasn't going to be as easy as she had initially thought....Holiday was far more strung up and hard headed than she'd expected. Back to the drawing board it would seem...

[OFF]

Petty Officer 2nd Class Rebecca Williams
Commanding Officer's Yeoman
USS Galileo

Captain Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

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