Posted by Lieutenant Commander Liam Madison (Chief Science Officer) in Meeting Madison

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Serena Stone (Executive Officer) in Meeting Madison

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Liam Madison (Chief Science Officer) in Meeting Madison
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The hum and thrum of the ship was a little more prominent here on Deck 13. But in some ways it was comforting to be deeper inside the ship, like layers of armor wrapped around her. She found herself marching rather than walking, despite having no reason for such urgency. It felt good to move, and it kept her from not knowing what to do with her hands just then.

Serena had messaged ahead that she wanted to have a brief meeting with the man, and when would that be convenient for him? The agreed-upon time was near, so she’d headed down. Coming to a stop outside the labs she took a deep breath. Here we go.

Stepping forward, the main doors into the lab complex peeled back, unsealing. Making her way inside she studied the numerous folks in science blues, contrasting to her Command red.

“Can we help you, Commander,” asked a lieutenant she didn’t know. His tone was almost expected, butwithout being disrespectful.
“Here to see Mister Madison.”
“Ah. He’s expecting you. This way.”

Quickly the younger nameless lieutenant lead her back toward the office area, then hit the door chime, then stepped back.
“Thank you, Lieutenant. That should be all for now.”

“Aye, ma’am.” With that, he turned on one heel and went back to his station, leaving her alone.

Lt Cmdr Stone, XO

Compared to some of his predecessors, Liam kept a tidy and orderly office. Everything appeared to have a practical place across the desks and shelves. The only thing out of place was the small tea set on the right end of his desk. His hand reached out to straighten out the picture frame of his brother’s family. Among the faces, only one he saw daily: Joseph, his nephew.

The door chimed caused him to pull away.

“Enter,” He said politely, remaining upright and facing the door.

• CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

The doors parted and a somewhat tall (five foot ten) wavy-haired redhead woman in either her late twenties or early thirties made her way in. Dressed in Command red setting off her slightly rosy complexion. In the collar was a trio of collar pips, one ‘hollow’… a lieutenant commander, just like him. Large hazel blue eyes took in the room and Madison quickly. She had the easy grace of a dancer but the wariness of a fighter, assessing the space tactically first, followed by social assessments, unconsciously sizing Liam up quickly. A career security or tactical officer. Probably.

Her features softened into a cordial smile. “Commander Madison. glad I could get some one-on-one time with you,” she said offering a hand for a shake. Not everybody was fond of touch greetings. But being from a colony world, a handshake meant a lot there. At least to her.

Stone, XO

Liam watched the woman’s posture fall into a casual one, her words kind and polite. When her hand reached out, he extended his own and finished off the gesture. His arm then motioned at the chair in front of his desk.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well Commander Stone. If you wouldn’t mind taking a seat, we can get started.” He moved around to his desk to sit before suddenly pausing.

“Would you like something to drink? I enjoy chamomile or jasmine tea, but I know not everyone enjoys tea.”

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

She nodded. “While those are nice to relax with, I don’t need to be sleepy on my shift. I’ll take some Irish Breakfast or something similar. Need the caffeine. Two sugars,” she said.

When he passed her the tea she let it sit in her lap, hands wrapped around it to soak up the warmth. “Seems you have been looking forward to this little sit-down. What can I do to help you and your department out? You seem to be a cut-to-the-chase type and I gather something’s been on your mind.” She flashed Liam with an inviting smile, inviting him to speak his mind.

Lt Cmdr Stone, XO

Upon hearing the new XO’s words, Liam was impressed by her observation skills. The man poured a cup of tea for himself and settled into his chair. He weighed his words for a moment. The counselor had encouraged him to try to interact more, but his insecurity lingered. With steady breath, he pushed past it.

An honest tone flowed from his voice.

“Truthfully, a part of me was and another part of me wasn’t.” He continued to explain, not wanting her to get the wrong impression.

“As you might’ve noticed, I’m a rather reserved individual. It takes time to open up to others.” While time had improved that, old habits died hard. Especially with years gaining on him.

“After this meeting, I’m hoping we can get a better understanding of each other.” He waited to see her thoughts on his intentions.

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

She studied him, pinning him in her gaze, though softened somewhat. He wasn’t a suspect she was interviewing, but somebody she was looking after, taking care of. Observation skills were a very big part of what she did in her career, from investigations to interviews. “Well, that’s the reason I’m here. I’m trying to get to know everybody, especially the senior crew. And sure, I can hand out orders, and I do expect them to be followed… I don’t like operating entirely that way.: She shook her head slowly as she spoke her last. She understood some distance was required. But it was easier to lead when you had some rapport, and leading from the front, rather than sitting on high and just telling people to jump, expecting it to happen.

“I had noticed,” she confirmed. “So what has you feeling so pensive?” The question was loaded with curiosity, and her tone gentle. “My mom was a scientist, and my dad was a Starfleet officer and engineer. I learned a lot from the both of them. I just went down this path because of some other … things that happened when I was little.” She frowned, shoving those memories away. Not helpful right now. “I’m not just a badge and a gun,” she said with an amused smile, mostly at herself.

Stone, XO

Liam noticed her frown, but remained silent. Having his own issues, he knew to respect those boundaries and chose not to ask farther details. It was her decision to share or not.

“I’m glad you’re not. It takes someone of strong character to become an XO and find time to understand their senior officers. I served underneath a Commander on a starbase who shared similiar ideas.”

He took another sip to wet his tongue.

“I’ve always been a mature child. My parents provided the basics, but they weren’t the strongest influence in my life. However, they always encouraged my brother and me to follow our passions. Sadly, my social skills are the underdeveloped. Lately, I’ve been forced to jump out of my comfort zone due to an incident from a past mission.”

His tone held a slight grumble in it when he thought about LB. Despite the counselor’s efforts, he found it challenging to change his opinion of it.

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci

She nodded, listening carefully. She didn’t have to be a Betazoid to pick up his discomfort. It was palpable, and he’d done nothing to dispel it. And I thought I was introverted. “So tell me about that, the starbase and the Commander you mentioned. They seem to have left an impression on you.’

Stone, XO

Liam took a small breath and latched onto the subject.

“Starbase 154, Commander Robert Sherman. He was a familiar face from my academy days. It seemed he pulled some favors to have me transferred from the U.S.S Aristotle. I never asked about the details.”

He paused, reflecting on how that changed.

“It took some time to get use to. Professionally, it was easy to work with the departments. Off duty… was another matter. Robert was one of the few that knew I struggled with strangers and instead I let my work distract me.”

Tension softened from his expression as he recalled the various intrusions.

“Every so often, Robert would be in the labs waiting for me. He’d take me to the holodeck where another department was waiting. Talking was never required, but it was welcomed. Over time, that anxiety vanished without me noticing it.”

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

“I did hate one thing. It was when he got the counselor involved early in. That man had the worst stubborn streak I’ve ever seen and did it in the most polite way.”

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci

The redhead broke out into a ready smile at the anecdote about the counselor. “I know how that goes. Miss Kingston can be pretty persistent. But she’s quite good at what she does, I think.” She shrugged one shoulder. “And I get that dealing with people is hard. There are a lot of times i just wanna weld the doors to my quarters shut and not come out for a month. Especially getting to see the worst in people all the time.” At the last she spoke rather slow, her gaze turning inward, haunted, before coming back to the present moment. “this ship, though, seems to be a pretty solid crew. Good people. Everybody’s been very warm and welcoming. It’s a change from what I’m used to. Most ships I’ve been on are more warship, than heavy explorer. It’s taking some getting used to.” She flashed him a small smile. “I’m sure you can relate.”

Stone, XO