First Mate

Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2020 @ 6:47am by Captain Nycolas Temple & Commander Owen Nash
Edited on on Tue Jul 7th, 2020 @ 1:41pm

Mission: Into the Wild
Location: Captain's Ready Room

A Mission Post by Captain Nycolas Temple & Lieutenant Commander Owen Nash & Janet Glyndar
Mission: Into The Wild
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline:
Sun Sep 10th, 2017 @ 2:40am


Captain Nyx was sitting in his office, staring at the Science Department's analysis of the dark matter. Though no matter how many times he looked it over, and how many times he referred to the computer to explain certain elements, he still couldn't find any new answers. Not that he expected to, given his lack of scientific expertise, but he was desperate to find something to help the crew.

He was lost in deep analysis as usual when he received a surprise chime at the door. Shaking the thoughts away, he turned off his computer and called out to his guest to enter.

Lieutenant Commander Glyndar was not entirely sure how to break this news, but she had to do it. It was one thing to resign as First Officer, it was another entirely to be resigning her commission. She felt as though she was going to be blindsiding Temple on this one. Well, you kind of are. He's expecting you to stay here and be attached to this starship. You specifically requested to come back to the Pandora and now you are leaving? Leaving everything behind? she thought privately as she lectured herself.

She proceeded onward through the doors as they slid open. A PADD was in her hands and for the first time in a very long time, nervousness and fear mixed with anxiety caused her hands to shake a bit as she approached the man's desk. She just looked at her Commanding Officer and stood there in silence for a few awkward moments. "We" she said nervously and having to clear her throat and took a deep breath. "Oh Nycolas, we need to talk" she said dropping all formalities of rank and last name. This was very out of 'character' for Janet to do, but she did it to emote the seriousness of what she was about to drop.

Nyx was taken aback by her clearly distressed demeanour and even more so by the informality of her words, and he immediately stood to comfort her. "Oh no, what's wrong?"

Janet took a moment, collected herself and handed the PADD to Temple. "I will start packing my belongings and move myself to guest quarters for the time being. I will finish up all my current work so that my replacement isn't left with a mess to sort through" she added looking at the Captain.

Temple read the resignation with a confused glower across his face. It took him a few goes before he could finally speak, "You're leaving us Janet?"

She let out a sigh of hot air and frustration as she shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. Yes, I guess that I am. It is not that I do not like the Pandora. I do and being your First Officer was not an absolutely dreadful experience. I actually came to really like it. However, I am not sure that this was really the best decision for me to make. Being single and having no family...perfect recipe for an XO. I used to be that ideal candidate. Now? Not so much. I have a small newborn to look after. To have to look over an entire starship and crew compliment as well? I would have loved to come here and tell you it was the most difficult decision in my life to make. However, that would be a complete lie and I am not going to sugar coat or bullshit any of this. I cannot be putting myself at too much risk as a single mother...well mostly single. I am interested in someone and that is a whole other matter all together. Point blank facts are I've sat down and taken a hard look in the mirror and I see a mom, not an officer, and not your First Officer" she said trying to explain her rational for the decision.

Nyx gave an emphatic nod, and walked around his desk to put a sympathetic hand to the Commander's shoulder, "I understand, Janet. Believe me, I do. You're a parent now and that changes everything." He sighed, "But that doesn't mean you have to leave us, does it?"

She looked at Nyx. "Lieutenant Commander Nash should be here, Captain. If I am going to be leaving, you will need an XO and I already put together a full evaluation report. I'm recommending him for the position" said Janet. "I really do not have a say in staying aboard. I already have a new job: Starfeet Criminal Investigative Service" added the former First Officer.

A smile came to the Captain's face, "Of course. I was hoping you would recommend him." He tapped his badge =/\= Commander Nash, can you please report to my ready room?" =/\=

Owen was on Deck Six with a repair crew working on the Auxiliary Powerflow reserve regulators just before his combadge beeped for attention. "How many times do I have to tell you, you use the right tools for the right job!" he eagerly pointed out to an Ensign before handing him the correct tool needed.

The Captain raised his eyebrows to Glyndar, "The SCIS? Well that is a prestigious field, your talents will be put to good use there."

=/\= "Nash here, Captain," Owen answered. "I'm on my way up." =/\= Owen made his way up to the Bridge and then headed over to the Captains Ready Room. He noticed both Captain Nyx and Janet in the room as well.

"That repair team should be finished pretty soon on Deck Six.. as long as they don't hurt themselves using common sense," he explained as he stood easy before them both. "You summoned me sir?" he asked before looking over at Janet and wondering why they were both there.

Janet looked at Owen as the Chief Operations Officer entered the Ready Room. "We both did" she said flatly. She then looked back at Nyx after Lieutenant Commander Nash reported his update on the repairs to deck six. "See" she said with a smirk. "That's First Officer material. He practically has his butt in the chair already. No need to let Starfleet Command send you some outsider that knows nothing. Commander Nash will make an excellent First Officer for you" added Janet who then gave a look over at Owen.

Owen just about managed to catch himself as he realised the very words that Janet had spoken. This had caught him completely off guard.

"Excuse me?" he asked before taking a moment so that he could carry on. "First Officer material? Sirs, can I ask just exactly whats going on here...Its not often it happens but I find myself a little confused right about now." Having admitted he was a little in the present situation, the moment dawned on him.

Owen then looked across at Janet, trying to hide the worrying feeling that was building in him. "Are you...Are you?" he started. Owen straightened himself up before continuing. "Commander, are you leaving the Pandora...again?" Owen and Janet had gone their separate ways twice before and he hoped that this wasn't number three...There were personal reasons he had tried to hide as to why.

Nyx raised his eyebrows for a moment, before leaning forward, "Starfleet's Criminal Investigation Services have quite rightly picked the Commander as a Special Agent. The SCIS have been expanding recently and obviously need the best and brightest to carry out their investigations. This is a great promotion for Janet although it means we loose her as XO.."

Owen nodded in agreement as the Captain clarified the situation further. "Well, Commander Glyndar is definitely one of Starfleet's brightest officers," he added. "If I'm stepping up to this new position, you'll be a hard act to follow," he said, looking at Janet.

Then Nyx leaned back in his chair again, cupping his hand under his chin. "Although, I'm starting to wonder if this necessarily means you need to leave us, Janet. As I understand it, the SCIS has active cases they're investigating within the Inconnu region."

Janet nodded. "There are about fifty field offices for the SCIS spread throughout the quadrants, Captain. We don't have the resources that Starfleet has. I have not been assigned anywhere yet. I still need to go through additional training before getting an assignment. The likelihood of me getting assigned to one of the offices out towards the Iconnu region is not very good, but stranger things have happened" she said assessing the odds. "It will be out of my hands. I could be assigned anywhere" she added.

She looked at Owen. "You don't need to follow my act. Don't try to fill my boots, they will not fit you" she said with a small smile. "Be yourself in the position and you'll go a long way. The crew already respects and admires you. That's half the battle as First Officer" she said kindly.

"Captain" she said turning about to face Nyx. "Not that you really have a choice in the matter, but do you accept my resignation from Starfleet and the position of Pandora's Executive Officer?" she asked, giving him a proper and final salute as his subordinate.

Nyx sighed forlornly, giving a mellow shrug, "Regrettably, Janet, I accept your resignation. Computer, please note for the record the time and date of Commander Glyndar's resignation." The computer chimed in an unhelpfully cheery tone as Nyx stood and held out his hand. "I am very pleased for you, Janet, I really am. But I won't lie and say I'm happy to see you go. Whatever the future holds, I hope you will always consider the Pandora your home."

"Thank you, Captain. I will always see it as my home and the crew as my family" she said with a respectful nod. "You and Captain Merith both have given me great opportunities aboard the Pandora. Your command styles are different, but you both were cut from the same cloth. I believe that to be the correct saying. You both command this starship in your own ways, but both are admirable" explained Janet.

The Xenexian then turned and looked at Owen Nash. "Then there is you. You will make an excellent First Officer just as you have made a great friend and the best Chief Operations Officer in the fleet as far as I am concerned" Lieutenant Commander Glyndar commented as she flashed a small smile at him. "If I am going to be some sort of special agent and an investigator, I better inform you that you are one persistent and narcissistic individual. Why haven't you just made your damn move already?"

As Owen listened to her reasoning about him, he suddenly understood what she meant. Despite him being subtle about things, or at least trying to be, Janet realised that he had feelings for her!

With that the Xenexian acted. Janet grabbed Lieutenant Commander Nash's arm and pulled him close. She ran her fingers through his hair and started kissing up his neck until she moved over and upward reaching his lips, locking onto them and parting them. She then turned to the Captain. "If I may, Captain. I would like to take your officer into my custody and interrogate him for a while."

Owen took a breath after Janet's approach and looked at Captain Nyx. "I agree with Commander Glyndar sir... I feel that an...interrogation is needed..." he said between breaths. After pulling himself together as much as Janet would let him, Owen also decided to make one last comment.

"Captain Nyx, with your permission, I'm happy to take the Executive Officer position vacated by Commander Glyndar," he confirmed. "Its already a great honour to be able to serve on the Pandora again and to serve with you as Executive Officer only furthers that honour and my commitment to the crew and yourself." Owen waited for the Captains answer as well as wondering what type of interrogation Janet had in mind.

If Nyx could raise his eyebrows any further they would have reached into his hairline but he had an amused grin on his face all the same. He was certainly seeing a new side to both Janet and Owen during this meeting, and was pleased to see these two possibly coming together. Though he didn't necessarily need to see it in his office.

As surprised as he was about this development, he was thrilled for his crewmates and friends.

"Right," Nyx answered after a moment. "Congratulations Mr. Nash, I hereby grant you a promotion to Executive Officer of the USS Pandora. We will have a follow-up meeting to discuss further details, and what to do about Operations but we can do that another time." He looked between the two and smiled, "Let's say tomorrow morning. Late morning."

Owen caught the Captain's smile and understood. Inside his heart was pounding due to having been told he'd just been promoted and also due to the fact that the woman he had fallen for now realised it and felt the same way. "Yes sir...Thank you sir..." he answered before looking back at Janet with a mischievous grin on his face. "So about that interrogation..."

Nyx cleared his throat loudly. "Elsewhere, Commanders."

"Technically Sir, just one active commander here" replied Janet with a smirk. "You have to treat me like a civilian from now on" she added.

The Captain sighed as he reached out and held Janet's hands within his own, one final moment of respect shown to his first Executive Officer.

His eyes just softened with a misty haze as he smiled, "Never."

OFF