A/N: Thanks for continuing to have a good response to this fic. I'm still loving writing it. Enjoy! - pj
Joanna asked the computer to take her to her quarters and it started for the O-deck, wherever that was supposed to be, and she waited with something akin to apprehension for the door to open. When they finally did, an eternity later, she walked out into the corridor with her wide blue eyes taking in every detail. This deck was quiet and seemed somehow more livable than the rest of the ship. The hall was wide and the walls were a dark hue that felt warmer than the metallic, minimalist corridors she'd seen on other decks. She stopped at the first door from the turbo lift and looked at the plaque on the wall.
James T. Kirk
Captain
Surprised, she glanced over her shoulder at the doors opposite and read the name there.
Spock
Commander / Science Officer
She raised an eyebrow. So that was why it was called the O-deck. 'Officer's Deck'. She continued down to the next opening, which were pretty far down from the first two, and was surprised to see her name next to the door.
Joanna R. McCoy
Yeoman
She bit her lip, suddenly feeling intimidated. Her quarters were next to the Captain's? Why hadn't she known that? Out of curiosity she glanced over her shoulder and saw the name on the opposite door.
Leonard H. McCoy
Chief Medical Officer
She closed her eyes and bit her lip to keep from cursing out loud. Across the hall from her father?
Intimidated was the understatement of the century.
Jo stood staring at her doors for a few moments before she finally could bring herself to step inside. But when she did, she audibly gasped at the sight of it. She hadn't seen furniture this nice since her first home in Atlanta.
She glanced around, turning in a small circle to take it all in. She recognized several of the devices and technology spread around, most of it she'd only ever read about and some of it she'd been sure she'd only ever seen in theoretical essays, not that she'd ever admit to reading such a thing.
She wandered back to the bedroom and office, all fully furnished and her one bag containing everything she owned seemed small and insignificant in the large space. With a small, uncertain smile she took another look around, shrugged, and set the bag on the bed to take advantage of a moment to quickly change out of her Starfleet uniform .
"Much better," she informed the silence. Then she turned in a half circle, trying to remember where she'd left those PADDs. She could feel herself breaking out into a cold sweat just at the thought of reading all of those rules, but was determined to do it.
Would do it.
Even if there was only one person in the universe who thought she could.
She finally found the PADDs out in the main room, tossed haphazardly onto the sofa and at first was going to return to the office but changed her mind, instead opting to sit on the luxurious furniture for the first time.
"Oh," she sighed with a smile as the plush cushions enveloped her, "nice."
She held a PADD in each hand and scowled at the one with the 'Starfleet Regulations' title written across the bottom.
"Save the best for last," she said sarcastically, tossing that one aside and turned on the one from the previous Yeoman.
Dear Joanna, Jo stopped and rolled her eyes. 'Dear'? She didn't even know this person.
The Captain just finished telling me about you and that is why I'm writing this letter. It's SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for the old Yeoman to give tips to the new Yeoman. It's kind of like tradition. I wouldn't usually write it like this but after what the Captain's told me, I thought something a little unorthodox was in order.
"At least she got that right," Jo said to herself, glancing down at her 'unorthodox' clothing.
To be honest, he didn't say much. But then Jim Kirk never does. I mean, he talks a lot, but he doesn't really say much. So listen carefully. You'll learn soon enough why his crew loves and respects him so much. There isn't anyone I'd rather have in my corner.
Jo tilted her head, wondering what she meant by that. Trying to remember a time when she'd had someone 'in her corner' per se, in order to use as a point of comparison.
She couldn't think of any.
Some things to remember about the Captain: he does not work well before 8am unless he's never gone to sleep in the first place so don't be put off if he's snappy and grumpy.
"Sounds like me," Jo said, putting her feet up on the coffee table.
On the Captain: He takes his coffee with two cream and two sugar ordinarily, but if he's been awake for too long he orders black. His mood is also changeable and his temper significantly shorter when he's tired so take the 'Black Coffee' order as the warning it is. He is notorious for avoiding sickbay, especially if he knows he needs to go, it's part of your job to make sure he does. Don't let him intimidate you, or at least try not to, but if he does anyway, call in the big guns. Dr. McCoy or Mr. Spock. Either one or sometimes both, are usually able to convince him to do what is necessary. I have attached in this file a copy of the Captain's schedule (when he receives reports from other departments, when meetings are held, etc.), you have to make sure he gets to his meetings on time, gets his paperwork done by the deadline and cover for him when he doesn't. Such is the life of the Yeoman.
The Yeoman is also responsible for answering calls that come in from Starfleet if the Captain is not available, that means you'll be talking to a lot of Admirals and high ranking SF brass. They're pushy and demanding and usually irritable. I'm not sure if this is just the way Admiral's are or if it's because Captain Kirk does not have the highest regard for Starfleet Regulations that anyone ever saw and that just rubs them the wrong way. Maybe a little of both.
Joanna raised an eyebrow at that and threw an accusatory glance at the discarded PADD.
But either way, don't let them get under your skin. It never ends well. You must always be polite and as accommodating as possible, but the Captain's orders come first. Unless it's a matter of Universal Annihilation, if the Captain says he cannot be disturbed, he cannot be disturbed. That being said, the captain likes to go on away missions. He's not supposed to so you'll get lots of ARRs (Automated Regulation Reminders) from SF. He never reads them so just save yourself some memory and delete them.
A word about the crew: You'll be spending a lot of time with the bridge crew, and it will take time for you all to adjust to eachother, but I thought I'd give you some pointers. Mr. Spock seems cold at first and, at least in my experience, that doesn't change much. But he is an exceptional officer, as anyone will tell you and he balances the Captain's...exuberance. Mr. Scott is fiercely protective of Engineering and you'll sometimes have to sensor the messages he leaves for the Captain regarding damage taken on during a missions in order to keep them both out of trouble. Mr. Sulu and Mr. Chekov are both very easy going, I've found them to be great friends, but Chekov is a card shark so be careful when they invite you to one of their poker games. Leut. Uhura takes some getting used to. But she's a good officer. Highly respected by her peers and unmatched in the excellence of her work. You could learn a lot from her. As for Dr. McCoy, well, I guess I don't have to tell you much about him, actually you could probably explain a few things to me on that front.
Joanna rolled her eyes, "don't count on it."
In Conclusion: Enjoy this post. I know the Captain wouldn't have approved you for it if you weren't capable and it is a privilege just to serve on the Enterprise, let alone work so closely with Captain Kirk. You'll learn a lot, you'll see a lot and you'll do a lot. When it's over I guarantee you'll have learned, not only a few things about Starfleet, but a few things about yourself. I'll always look back on my time on the Enterprise with fond memories and I hope you do the same.
Best Regards,
Former Yeoman Lindsey McPhearson
Jo leaned back against the couch and dropped the PADD to her lap. It was a lot of good information. Good tips. Good stuff for her to know.
Unfortunately, it left her feeling like she would never be as good a Yeoman as this Lindsey McPhearson had been.
She blew out a long breath, blowing her hair out away from her face.
"Here goes nothing," she said and sluggishly reached for the second PADD.
"Starfleet Regulation Section One Subsection Alpha: A junior officer will always address senior officers as 'Sir' 'Ma'am' or their rank followed by their surname," she sighed, and closed her eyes. "This is going to be a long day."
---
"I just don't see why the Athena can't handle it," Kirk practically whined, navigating the corridor's of his ship effortlessly and never looking up from the PADD in his hands.
"Starfleet feels it would be prudent for the Enterprise to be present at such a volatile diplomatic conference. The two sides have many generations of hostility between them, they feel we could be a stabilizing, neutral third party."
"What, so we're referees now?" Kirk said, finally looking up as they entered the turbolift and Spock told the computer their destination. He glanced over at his first officer and narrowed his eyes. Was that a hint of irritation he detected in Spock's expression?
"No Captain," Spock continued, his tone as neutral as before, "we're representatives of the Federation and the flagship of an Exploratory and Peace Keeping armada. We are merely being asked to carry out our standing orders to the fullest extent," he said, stopping abruptly outside his quarters and turning to face Kirk. "Which I have already explained to you, Captain. Twice." He punctuated the last statement with a raised eyebrow.
Yup, defiantly irritation.
"Everything alright Spock?" Kirk asked, his expression two parts concerned, one part amused.
The Vulcan turned to look at him as he swiped open his door.
"Why would it be otherwise, Captain?" he asked, the raised eyebrow now indicating that the very question was in itself a bit absurd.
Kirk wasn't buying it and stood studying his first officer for a moment before allowing his gaze to move away. If it were anyone else he would say the man seemed tense and possibly annoyed, but it was hard to tell with Spock because he always stood with his back that straight.
"I don't know, just, for a minute there you seemed-" he trailed off as his eyes settled on a tall, shaped glass object sitting on Spocks coffee table, "you play Chess?" He asked, brushing past the other man and approaching the game board.
"No," Spock answered simply, quelling the impulse to explain to Kirk that what he was looking at was not the same as the ancient game of Chess commonly played on Earth.
"Yeah, me neither," Kirk crouched low to get a better look, "not since I was like, nine. I was in a Chess Club for a few months, but they kicked me out," he commented, picking up one of the the pieces to study it, he didn't seem to realize he was still talking, "it was my mom's idea, thought it would keep me out of trouble." It looked like Chess, but no kind of Chess he'd ever played. The board was divided into seven square pieces on three different looked difficult and alien and strange. And kind of like fun.
Spock sounded interested, or as interested as a Vulcan could. "And did it?"
Kirk stood back up when he felt Spock come to stand beside him, and shrugged. "For a while."
"Until you were expelled."
Kirk nodded and then kind of grinned, "not my fault a bunch of old guys couldn't stand getting their asses handed to them by a nine-year-old kid."
Spock's eyebrow went up again, his version of surprise no doubt, and then looked back down at his 3D Chess board, "indeed."
Kirk's smirk was almost palpable but Spock refused to look at him.
"So…wanna play?" the younger man asked finally, unmasked excitement in his voice.
Spock seemed to consider it for a moment, "you are familiar with this version of Chess?"
It was enough of an invitation for Kirk and he went to the nearby dining table to exchange his PADD for a chair, and pulled it back over. "Not really, but I'm a quick study."
Spock tilted his head and moved to sit opposite of Kirk on the couch.
"That has yet to be determined, Captain."
Kirk grinned and watched as Spock set up his peices, carefully mimicking their positions with his own.
It was a challenge if he'd ever heard one.
---
"Go easy on the girl, Nyota," Christine Chapel gave her friend a teasing look, "you're scary as hell when you're pissed."
Uhura snorted as she stepped onto the Turbo Lift behind Chris. She'd taken a detour after her shift to the Mess Hall/Ten Forward instead of going immediately to the new Yeoman's quarters. She'd been hungry, dammit, and the 'Yeoman' could wait.
"And shouldn't I be?" Uhura ordered the Lift to take them to the Officer's deck, "the Yeoman position is highly sought after, especially on this ship. Not only does it allow you to pass out of three required Command Track courses at the Academy. I mean, The 'Yeoman' quarters alone are enough reason to be pissed. She isn't even in Starfleet and she gets one of the best rooms on the ship with a direct door to the Captain's quarters and-"
"That's what's bothering you, isn't it? You want a direct door to the Captain's quarters," Chris teased, waggling her eyebrows.
Uhura gave her a horrified look and then rolled her eyes not allowing herself to be distracted by Chris' innocently suggestive words. "I'm just saying that Starfleet is built on the idea that someone earns everything they have. It's based on seniority and performance. Based on that criteria, she was exactly where she belonged. In the Brig. But because of who her father is and who his best friend is she's the new Yeoman for the Enterprise. It's not fair."
The lift doors opened and the two women stepped out. Uhura knew her anger was only partly due to the fact that the new Yeoman was a junior felon, and partly because she and Spock had been an alternating shifts for the past three weeks with her covering Communications and temporary Yeoman duties and she'd hardly seen him. But it did not change the fact that the anger was there. She'd been looking forward to spending some actual time with the vulcan that evening, that is, until Little Miss 'Federation's Most Wanted' showed up.
The lingering spark of irritation she felt that had been set earlier in the Captain's Ready Room, and subsequently calmed at dinner, flared up to full blown anger upon seeing the discreet green 'occupied' light on at Spock's door.
"Who ever said life was fair, Nyota?" Chris asked as they both came to a pause outside the Yeoman's quarters, "anyway, like I said, go easy on her. You never know, she might surprise you."
Uhura snorted again and watched as Christine made her way down the corridor to her own quarters, "Yeah, I'll take that bet."
Christine just shook her head.
Uhura sighed and took a few moments of standing outside the doors to wipe the glare off her face, then reached up and pressed the door chime.
"Come in."
Uhura stepped inside when the doors receded away from her and was immediately struck by the luxurious quarters, her anger renewing in her chest. It wasn't that these quarters were better than hers, it was that they were about the same that was the problem spacious living room with a separate bedroom and office space along with a dining area and it's own replicator. The furniture was some of the finest available and large windows along the port wall allowed thousands of stars to be seen from just about anywhere in the room.
"Lieutenant," Jo exclaimed, coming out of the adjoined office, "I'm so glad you're here, I have like a thousand questions."
Uhura was glad she wasn't a betting woman. She would have lost, because she was most certainly surprised.
Not only had Joanna changed from her Starfleet uniform into some gaudy green and orange sequined top and tight blue jeans and black boots, she'd exchanged the already unacceptable black bracelet and rings for long black wrist warmers and the tips of her hair, now loose, were red.
Her eyebrows must have hit her hairline.
Jo stopped upon seeing her look and looked down at herself, "oh. I, um, wanted to get a bit more comfortable."
Uhura tilted her head in acknowledgment and took a deep breath, "you said you had questions?"
"Oh yeah," Jo approached her with a PADD and proceeded to scroll through the list, asking for clarifications and suggestions on some regulations, but mostly for what certain acronyms stood for or what different alien words, for which there was no English translation, meant.
Uhura explained as patiently as possible, though she knew her answers came out clipt by the way Jo kept glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. Still, she had to admit, the girl asked intelligent questions, questions she wouldn't have needed to ask had she ever stepped foot inside the Academy, but intelligent questions nevertheless.
But by about the third time Jo had called her 'Uhura' instead of 'Lieutenant', she'd had enough.
"That's Lieutenant Uhura," she interrupted sharply.
Jo gave her a non-pulsed, bordering on irritated look, "Sorry. Lieutenant," she corrected herself, trying not to use her 'is it really that serious' tone, "like I said, I'm not one for titles so it's going to take some getting used to."
"Well get used to it," Uhura snapped, standing away from the desk they were sharing and shoving the data pad into Jo's hands, "because most people on this ship earned their rank and are proud to have it."
Jo just stared at her, a cross between stunned and pissed and unsure of how to respond. Uhura rolled her eyes at the girl's silence and turned to leave the room.
"I think that's enough studying for today, don't you?" she threw over her shoulder as she marched through the rooms toward the door.
Jo knitted her eyebrows and went after her, "I have one more question Lieutenant Uhura."
Uhura sighed, stopping just short of the door's motion sensors and closed her eyes, "what is it?"
"Did I do something to unintentionally piss you off?"
Uhura turned around to face the girl, standing a few feet away in her living room with her arms crossed over her chest, all her weight shifted to one foot, "excuse me?"
It was Jo's turn to roll her eyes, "I'm not blind, okay? And I'm not stupid. You've pretty much hated me since the moment I set foot aboard the ship. Did I steal your car once or something?"
Uhura's eyes narrowed minutely and she took a small step forward, "no, you didn't. Although the very fact that you ask that question, proves my point."
"Which is?"
"Which is that the Enterprise is Starfleet's flagship. The most sought after posting in the fleet with the most advanced technology and weaponry at it's disposal and manned by the best crew available. There are people who would rip off their own arm to get the Yeoman post aboard the Enterprise but you?" she raised one eyebrow and shook her head in something akin to disgust, "you don't even care. You don't want to be here. And you know what? You don't deserve to be."
Jo's mouth fell open at the harsh, coolly delivered words and she watched in silence as the Lieutenant turned and left her quarters, for the first time in a long time with no witty response hanging on her tounge.
TBC