Meeting the Boss [Backpost]

Posted on 06 Jul 2016 @ 10:11am by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale

1,426 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Risky Business
Location: Security
Timeline: MD 1 0900 Hours

Summers straightened her uniform and adjusted her hair as she waited anxiously for the HoD to invite her in. She hoped that it would be a brief and casual meet and greet. Having sought as much information on the Security Chief as she could, she knew that toe stepping was going to be an issue for the both of them.

Having been in the position of Department head previously, Summers knew how difficult it was to integrate a new officer under 'normal circumstances' let alone an officer with history and baggage such as that she had brought with her.

"Enter!" Camila said as she looked up from the terminal where she had been doing over the duty roster that her assistant chief had sent her. She glanced at the schedule and saw that it was Lieutenant JG Isobel Summers and that the woman had taken a demotion to get to the Black Hawk and wasn't a team player. Oh goodie, she thought to herself as she put on her game face. Someone to break and convince it's for their own good.

"Lieutenant JG Summers, Chief of..." she let her voice trail off, realising her error. "Security Officer." She finished. Isobel took a quick moment to size up her competition. Admittedly, she was attractive by Starfleet standards and appeared somewhat younger than herself.

Camila raised an eyebrow as the woman started to introduce herself as the Chief of Security and knew it must have been hard to take a demotion for another posting. The woman was shorter than her, but had very pretty green eyes, but her expression took away from her overall looks.

Summers had questioned if her superior had got her position by hard work and dedication, such as herself, or if her looks had played any role.

"Actually, I'm the Chief of Security," Camila said with a grin. "Lieutenant Camila Di Pasquale, at your service, Lieutenant Summers. Please, have a seat." She indicated one of the two chairs in front of her desk. "Would you like something to drink before we begin?"

Isobel moved her eyes to the offered seat, then back to Camila. She moved forward to the seats determined not to break eye contact as she did. "Coffee. Double cream, double sugar." She stated matter-of-factly.

Camila went to the replicator to get the coffee as ordered and got a Raktajino for herself before she returned to hand Summers her cup. She took note of the solid eye contact and the tone of the woman's voice as she sat down in her chair and wrapped her hands around her mug. "I sense that you aren't the type to beat around the bush, Lieutenant Summers," she began. "Your record reflects that you aren't a team player, that you're arrogant and that you're hard to get along with. On this ship and under my watch, you will be a team player because if you think you're going to get away with being a solitary member of a department that's bigger than you, you're wrong. I'm not asking you to like it and I'm not expecting you to be my best friend, but you will work with others and you will keep any attitude about it in check."

Isobel scoffed, "Is that an order Lieutenant or merely a warning?"

"No," Camila said. "That's the way it's going to be or you'll find yourself scrubbing the training facility with your toothbrush every morning before shift starts and every evening after shift. If you can't live with that, I don't even want you on the ship that I serve to protect and I will make your life miserable until you decide to be a team player."

"Permission to speak freely?" Isobel arched her eyebrows in a way that could only be compared to a spoilt rebellious teenager.

"Choose your words carefully, Lieutenant," Camila said. "I don't play on granting that request often, especially if you plan on using the privilege to attempt to belittle myself or attempt to justify an attitude which is unbecoming of a Starfleet officer."

Summers sighed. Clearly by her previous track record and disciplinary action she wasn't one to follow the rules and was far from a Starfleet honorary officer. She sipped at her coffee, "You and I have to work together so it would be in both our interests to make this work. I have a vast amount of experience that given the chance, you could learn a thing or two." She looked the HoD up and down, "fair to say that age and experience plays a pivotal role in running a successful department. As I'm sure you're aware..."

Isobel was cut short.

"Actually, my actions have led me to the position that I'm currently in, Lieu...Isobel," Camila said as she set her mug of Raktajino down. "I was a Master-at-Arms on Deep Space Eleven before it fell to the Consortium and was one of the last loyal officers to leave. Upon my arrival here, I was made the Assistant Chief of Security and was soon to find out that the former Chief of Security was a Consortium agent, as well as the current Chief of Operations due to being drugged and telepathically coerced."

Isobel sipped her beverage.

"I had a phaser battle with the Chief of Operations on another ship where he was attempting to destroy evidence and when I got back here, a short time later, I found myself having to arrest the former Chief of Security for treason against the Federation. I never asked for the Chief of Security spot, but it was given to me by the Captain for my actions during that crisis. However, now that I am the Chief of Security, I will fight to my dying breath to make sure that this ship and crew are one hundred percent protected at any cost."

Summers sighed rudely.

"With that being said, I welcome any and all experience from every officer in my department, but I want us all to operate as an effective team," Camila finished. "Do that answer some of your questions and give you a better idea of who I am and how I came to be here?"

The security officer downed.the remainder of the coffee. "I appreciate the biography and you have given me the.minuscule of hope you won't lead me to my death." she sat the cup on the desk, "guess we will have to see how this goes. Just know I'm not naive and have been around a bit. I don't need to be treated like one of our.." she hesitated, "your junior staff."

Isobel stood, "if there is nothing further?"

"Sit down, Lieutenant," Camila snapped. "I didn't dismiss you and I sure as hell do not appreciate my junior officers, which you are, attempting to end a meeting."

Isobel frowned. It was going to take a lot of adjusting to being a junior officer again. Her demotion had cost her more than she had prepared herself for. She glanced back at the seat and then into the brown eyes of her superior. They were firm and Summers knew that she was going to prove more difficult then anticipated. "I still have some unpacking to do so if we could wrap this up, ma'am."

"I said sit down, Lieutenant Summers. That is a direct order," Camila said. "Are you looking to become an Ensign for disobeying orders as well as insubordination?"

Summers smiled mockingly. She had lost so much already and seemed to be on a downward spiral of self destruction. She sat back down as ordered but made a mental note of her dislike of the Security Chief and began thinking of ways to make her life more difficult. "Lieutenant?

"Thank you," Camila said, seeing the dislike in the woman's eyes. "I'm putting you on Delta Shift, which is zero one hundred to zero seven hundred hours. Your duties will be to team up with another officer to be assigned to you by my assistant chief, Lieutenant Cooper, and patrol the assigned decks. In the meantime, report to the training facility and update your phaser and combat training. You can unpack when you're done. Dismissed."

Isobel stood and exited without saying another word. She was annoyed she was being assigned to team up with another officer. Summers preferred to work alone and she was now convinced her Department Head was going to make sure it was clear who was, and wasn't, running the department.

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