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Business As Usual - CNS Office - Tag Kingston

Posted Sept. 22, 2022, 9:15 p.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) (Lindsay B)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Serena Stone (Executive Officer) in Business As Usual - CNS Office - Tag Kingston

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Business As Usual - CNS Office - Tag Kingston

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Serena Stone (Executive Officer) in Business As Usual - CNS Office - Tag Kingston

(snip)

Serena thought it over for a long time, chewing her lower lip. “To be honest, it’s one thing running a department. It’s another coordinating almost a thousand crew. Being responsible for everybody aboard. So… I guess advanced leadership skills. Better stress management. Better time management. There’s not really any one thing I can say for sure. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna drown for a bit before I can surf again.”

Serena Stone, XO

Janna nodded as she made some notes. “We both know that you know this, but a reminder that you’re not alone in this. The captain is in a new role on this ship as well. Lean on him and make sure you’re honest about how you’re doing. You’ll find him an excellent listener,” she said, the smile that appeared bordering on a smirk. “But also you have lots of coping skills. Use them and then do one final, very important thing.”

The comment about Legen drew her attention. Perked curiosity. There was something there, she felt. It was the dimmest flicker. Miss Kingston had a good poker face. But she still had a few little tells. Over a decade in security work and reading people, even when they didn’t want to be saw to that. But for the moment she let it go. It wasn’t important. In a ship this size, connections were bound to form, especially among some of the senior staff. And Miss Kingston, she trusted, would have things well in-hand, and if she didn’t her colleagues would help rectify that. Unless the problem landed in her lap first. If there was a big enough problem. Which she doubted. They were probably just good friends, right? … Right? “What’s that,” Serena said quietly.

She looked up at Stone and gazed intently. “Give yourself a break. Don’t expect perfection and allow yourself to make mistakes. We all do and this crew has been through a lot. I think you’ll find them rather compassionate as a whole.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

it sounded like good advice. She opened her mouth to reply but then seemed to think better of it. Then nodded. “I’ll try.” She pursed her lips together for a moment, making a thin line out of her mouth. “Best I can do is just aim for excellence,” she murmured quietly, her voice hardly carrying in the quiet confines of the office. Misgivings and uncertainty rolled off of her, flaring up in particular at the mention of t he crew and being compassionate. And perhaps a feeling like she’d bene holding her breath for a long time, afraid to really breathe lest she fall apart.

Lt Cmdr Stone, XO

Janna leaned forward, searching for Stone’s gaze. “Hey, we’ve got you, just like we know you’ll have us. There’s an old saying that extreme pressure can create diamonds, but sometimes that pressure shatters things as well. We’re not one thing all the time Serena. We don’t need you to save us, to hold it all on your shoulders. We’re in this together, and trust me, after all this crew has been through, you won’t find a tougher group. But they are also a traumatized lot. We’re all learning to be softer at the same time. You just have to choose to join us.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS


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