Knowing is Half the Battle

Posted on Thu Apr 18th, 2024 @ 12:06am by Chief Petty Officer Gildran Trusk

812 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Opening Moves
Timeline: MD022 - 1215

Chief Petty Officer Trusk only took his uniform off when he was going to sleep or getting into the sonic shower. Otherwise, he always wore one whether he was off duty or on duty. His personal philosophy was that he was always on call because events requiring his attention or assistance could happen at any given moment. Even when he was asleep, he often dreamt about work. Springing up from his bed and throwing on a wrinkle free uniform was part of having served aboard the USS Cairo. His previous Captain did not accept ‘in a few minutes’ or ‘be there soon’ and those that had tried to pull that found themselves off the Cairo before new shore leave rotation. Those who had managed to escape outright transfers off the Cairo were relegated down to medial tasks and chores on the lower decks. Trusk had served aboard the Cairo for a long while and had experienced a lot. He was witness to a department head going from bridge duty to losing their position and ending up on night watch in waste reclamation.

Trusk already knew that Captain Gray and Lieutenant Commander Knox were a different pair than his previous command structure. They seemed like fine officers if not ‘green’ around the collar. His suspicions were confirmed when he consulted his sources. Knox made his career by running up through tactical, though he gained more respect from Trusk because Knox had not always been an academy brat. He had been the backbone of Starfleet, enlisted before transitioning into an officer. The Thunderbird was his first time as First Officer.

A similar story, albeit less admirable to Trusk was Gray’s. Rylan Gray, half Betazoid from the ‘Sixth House’ which has caused Trusk to do more research. Like with all houses of Betazoid, the sixth had its own story of nobility and claimed possession of prized trinkets. Trusk had not bothered to look what ceremonial plate, bowl, spoon, or fork they were holders of. Gray did not seem like the boastful Betazoids that Trusk had met in the past, no mention during their brief encounter of a sacred chalice, and upon further digging into Gray, he had spent most of his time on Earth in what had historically been the United Kingdom.

Gray had been a product of Starfleet Academy, a teenage cadet that was forged with formal Starfleet education and had found himself immediately on the command track studying flight operations and navigation. He was what Trusk would label a ‘flyboy’ though not the arrogant ones he was used to. Perhaps in Gray’s younger years? Gray was forty and had been the First Officer of the USS Ark Royal until earlier this year. Trusk had familiarized himself with the Ark Royal disaster. Gray undoubtedly benefited from the disaster, several years of command experience as First Officer underneath him, Starfleet Command had given him the USS Thunderbird.

Both men had served on the Ark Royal, and now were together on the Thunderbird. Interesting thought Trusk. He could see the benefits of the two being paired together in the command structure, but also acknowledged the potential problems. He did not know either man well enough to outright decide whether he was for or against the dynamic. The duo would have to show Trusk how they worked together and what happened, if ever, their opinions or perspectives differed from one another.

Chief Yeoman Trusk had taken this assignment for various reasons, but he lamented in his private thoughts for the Cairo and having to step away from a place he had called home for so long. He was as committed to that starship as he was to his marriage to his wife, Guinevere, mother of their eight children. Trusk had taken his seat at his workstation doing as much research as he could on several different things. He needed time before completing Captain Rylan Gray’s ask of him, to attempt to expedite the intelligence reports of the region encompassing the Cardassia star system and the B'hava'el system where Bajor was located. Other nearby systems were of importance as well, though with the recent departure of the Cardassian presence on Bajor, these two systems in particular were of priority importance. Gray needed the intel on the situation sooner rather than later. There was no later with Trusk anyways.

With the passage of the morning hours, Trusk had come to feel prepared and equipped for dealing with the ‘clerk’ that Captain Gray had cautioned him about. Trusk had gotten himself a mug of coffee and retook his seat at his workstation. A few minutes later, his screen changed from its normal dormant United Federation of Planets emblem to a different one. A connection was being established. He would soon be face-to-face albeit through a screen with the Captain’s nuisance.

 

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