Chapter 3: Senior Staff
Troi followed her captain into the staff room and took her respective seat. All others were present and punctual, and this pleased her. The counselor had a secret annoyance for crew members that were chronically late, as well as for supervisors that insisted their workers had this problem due to some type of mental disorder.
"Good morning," announced Captain Riker, still standing. He pulled his shirt down and observed his senior staff attentively looking at him, each prepared. His eyes lastly fell on Deanna, who curved her lips slightly into an encouraging smile. While these lips might oftentimes encourage thoughts of her lips touching his, he this time inferred the correct message: You are the leader; you must command.
"I'm your Captain, William T. Riker. I'm not much of a fan of silly ice breaker games, but this will all be a hell of a lot easier if we just go around the table and say a bit about ourselves." Riker then nodded to the woman to his left.
The Klingon clearly contrasted with the mostly-human senior staff. In fact, she had initially been a bit surprised that she was the only full member of another race, but as always, she held her head high as her position commanded. The woman was in her early thirties, Troi decided, and seemed reliable and constant. She did not seem as compulsive as other Klingons she'd known, but equally proud and honorable. Unlike most Klingon women, this female appeared shorter… a mere 5 foot, 2 inches when standing.
"I am First Officer Commander Ke'Rin Ma'Heth. I hail from Penzayron, a mining planet in the Galley System. I admire rules and those that abide by them."
Riker nodded reluctantly, adding "Very good, Commander, thank you."
Troi began contemplating the information Ma'Heth had revealed about herself, concluding that she desired to further research Penzayron in the near future. Ma'Heth's admiration seemed to puzzle the others in the room; she sensed that several were unsettled. Counselor Troi then looked toward the next crew member subject to Riker's introduction exercise.
"Hello. I am Lieutenant Commander Thomas Ree," said a smiling human gentleman, "Grew up right near the Academy in San Francisco," he smiled proudly, "and I am serving as the Chief of Security."
This surprised Deanna. She'd never known a Chief of Security to be so… friendly. The man's personality immediately appealed to her. He seemed trusting and trustworthy, interested in knowing people and in socializing, and he clearly enjoyed his work in Starfleet. She'd remembered reviewing Ree's profile a few hours ago and being impressed with his academic standings. Ree was apparently an accomplished musician and expert of the fine arts.
"Hi," announced the next person at the table, timidly, "My name is Sonne, Sonne al'Vere. I come from York, England, and I'm the Assistant Counselor here." al'Vere smiled pleasantly, and it reminded Deanna of a calm fall season on Earth.
"My hobbies include Interspecial Sociology, Music, and Holoauthoring."
"Thank you, Lieutenant al'Vere," Riker approved, noticing that Troi noticed his prolonged eye contact with the young Lieutenant. It was then Deanna's turn to speak.
"I'm Counselor Deanna Troi; I've spoken with a few of you before, and I look very forward to working with all of you, individually, and as a team."
Wow, thought Riker, she's got to write my speeches. He found it hard to keep from winking at her.
"I'm Doctor Bran Lawenhauer," announced the next man precisely, as if he'd been timing Troi's statement. "I am from New Berlin, Nova Scotia, Canada, right near Alaska, and I serve as the Chief Medical Officer."
Immediately, Deanna did not like this man. His ease of command, his clear confidence, and his subversive demeanor troubled her. Deanna usually found herself attracted to confident people, such as Will Riker, but this man seemed not confident about his career in Starfleet or his romantic prospects, as Riker was. Stranger also was that he wore glasses and a thick beard. (The wearing of glasses, particularly amongst humans, was severely antiquated with the modern ease of optical precision correction). Troi immediately assumed that the beard was a disguise; that was her sense, and then shamed herself for such assumptions.
"I am Lieutenant Starvek," nodded a young man of Middle-Eastern Earth descent. "This is my second post," he sounded rehearsed, but in a prepared kind of way, "and I am looking forward to working with all of you. I will be your Operations officer." Perhaps at the academy, Deanna thought, they tell students that captains do these things nowadays.
"Karin Boelin," announced a confident young woman, "Tactical." Deanna immediately thought of Tasha Yar when she heard this voice, but then realized it belonged to a long-haired woman that shared the same English accent as her Assistant Counselor.
"Thank you all for your prompt attendance," Riker started his conclusion of the meeting, "I'm sure you're all eager to return to the completion of your pre-departure duties. I most certainly am," he smiled cynically, but Deanna was the only one who returned it. Apparently the rest of the staff did not sense his humor.
"Dismissed."
Troi followed her captain into the staff room and took her respective seat. All others were present and punctual, and this pleased her. The counselor had a secret annoyance for crew members that were chronically late, as well as for supervisors that insisted their workers had this problem due to some type of mental disorder.
"Good morning," announced Captain Riker, still standing. He pulled his shirt down and observed his senior staff attentively looking at him, each prepared. His eyes lastly fell on Deanna, who curved her lips slightly into an encouraging smile. While these lips might oftentimes encourage thoughts of her lips touching his, he this time inferred the correct message: You are the leader; you must command.
"I'm your Captain, William T. Riker. I'm not much of a fan of silly ice breaker games, but this will all be a hell of a lot easier if we just go around the table and say a bit about ourselves." Riker then nodded to the woman to his left.
The Klingon clearly contrasted with the mostly-human senior staff. In fact, she had initially been a bit surprised that she was the only full member of another race, but as always, she held her head high as her position commanded. The woman was in her early thirties, Troi decided, and seemed reliable and constant. She did not seem as compulsive as other Klingons she'd known, but equally proud and honorable. Unlike most Klingon women, this female appeared shorter… a mere 5 foot, 2 inches when standing.
"I am First Officer Commander Ke'Rin Ma'Heth. I hail from Penzayron, a mining planet in the Galley System. I admire rules and those that abide by them."
Riker nodded reluctantly, adding "Very good, Commander, thank you."
Troi began contemplating the information Ma'Heth had revealed about herself, concluding that she desired to further research Penzayron in the near future. Ma'Heth's admiration seemed to puzzle the others in the room; she sensed that several were unsettled. Counselor Troi then looked toward the next crew member subject to Riker's introduction exercise.
"Hello. I am Lieutenant Commander Thomas Ree," said a smiling human gentleman, "Grew up right near the Academy in San Francisco," he smiled proudly, "and I am serving as the Chief of Security."
This surprised Deanna. She'd never known a Chief of Security to be so… friendly. The man's personality immediately appealed to her. He seemed trusting and trustworthy, interested in knowing people and in socializing, and he clearly enjoyed his work in Starfleet. She'd remembered reviewing Ree's profile a few hours ago and being impressed with his academic standings. Ree was apparently an accomplished musician and expert of the fine arts.
"Hi," announced the next person at the table, timidly, "My name is Sonne, Sonne al'Vere. I come from York, England, and I'm the Assistant Counselor here." al'Vere smiled pleasantly, and it reminded Deanna of a calm fall season on Earth.
"My hobbies include Interspecial Sociology, Music, and Holoauthoring."
"Thank you, Lieutenant al'Vere," Riker approved, noticing that Troi noticed his prolonged eye contact with the young Lieutenant. It was then Deanna's turn to speak.
"I'm Counselor Deanna Troi; I've spoken with a few of you before, and I look very forward to working with all of you, individually, and as a team."
Wow, thought Riker, she's got to write my speeches. He found it hard to keep from winking at her.
"I'm Doctor Bran Lawenhauer," announced the next man precisely, as if he'd been timing Troi's statement. "I am from New Berlin, Nova Scotia, Canada, right near Alaska, and I serve as the Chief Medical Officer."
Immediately, Deanna did not like this man. His ease of command, his clear confidence, and his subversive demeanor troubled her. Deanna usually found herself attracted to confident people, such as Will Riker, but this man seemed not confident about his career in Starfleet or his romantic prospects, as Riker was. Stranger also was that he wore glasses and a thick beard. (The wearing of glasses, particularly amongst humans, was severely antiquated with the modern ease of optical precision correction). Troi immediately assumed that the beard was a disguise; that was her sense, and then shamed herself for such assumptions.
"I am Lieutenant Starvek," nodded a young man of Middle-Eastern Earth descent. "This is my second post," he sounded rehearsed, but in a prepared kind of way, "and I am looking forward to working with all of you. I will be your Operations officer." Perhaps at the academy, Deanna thought, they tell students that captains do these things nowadays.
"Karin Boelin," announced a confident young woman, "Tactical." Deanna immediately thought of Tasha Yar when she heard this voice, but then realized it belonged to a long-haired woman that shared the same English accent as her Assistant Counselor.
"Thank you all for your prompt attendance," Riker started his conclusion of the meeting, "I'm sure you're all eager to return to the completion of your pre-departure duties. I most certainly am," he smiled cynically, but Deanna was the only one who returned it. Apparently the rest of the staff did not sense his humor.
"Dismissed."