Meeting The Chief
Posted on Sat Jul 11th, 2026 @ 7:06pm by Lieutenant JG Tavian Rhos & Ensign Sasha Zen
Edited on on Mon Jul 13th, 2026 @ 12:10pm
1,178 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Mission 1: Through the Janus Gate
Location: Office of the Chief Flight Control Officer - Deck 6 - USS Resolute
Timeline: MD003 - 1300 Hours
Now that Ensign Sasha Zen had gone through all of the preliminary testing she knew it was time to chase down the Chief Flight Control Officer and introduce herself since she was part of his team.
Walking towards the CFCO's office Sasha felt the nerves kicking in as she sensed Zen [Calm down you'll be fine after all you're a solid pilot and you went through all the flight simulator challenges very well.] "I guess, I just hope the Chief is a decent sort of guy realizing a woman can be just as good a pilot as her male counterparts," she thought.
Arriving at the office Sasha saw the door open with the Chief sitting at his desk. Knocking on the doorjamb she stood tall waiting to be recognized by her superior officer.
"Come in," came a sing-song response from within the office. As the doors slid open, they revealed the short figure of Tavian Rhos. He was standing in front the desk rather than sitting behind it, hands on his hips, looking around at bare walls. When he turned his head over his shoulder to see who it was, black eyes were already smiling even before his lips quirked up.
"Hi!" Then, as if they had known each other forever by his friendly tone and welcoming body language, he added, "You know, I never decorated my office on my last ship. I didn't spend much time in it I suppose. Have any tips?" Tav figured given the bit of worry he felt from the woman - not that he was peeking on anything private, but he did pick up on emotions like others might read a facial expression - he would be extra nice.
Seeing the Chief's posture and hearing his friendly voice immediately put her somewhat at ease as she smiled "Hello, I'm Ensign Sasha Zen, Flight Control Officer and I thought we should meet" she responded standing tall but not really at attention "Decorating....that depends on your taste in room décor."
"That's the thing," Tav said with a shrug, and sat on the edge of the desk. He was short enough that his legs could just swing beneath him without touching the floor. "I've never even really thought of interior decorating before." He crossed his arms and let his boots sway. "Please, please, come and sit! It's a real pleasure to meet you, Sasha. Or do you prefer to go by Zen? You can call me Tav, though we can do the 'ensign' and 'lieutenant' thing if you really want."
"Thank you Tav and yes Sasha is fine. Since we're not on the bridge doing without rank is ok by me" as she paused thinking a moment "As far as decorating your office goes....what interests you when you're not on duty.....that would be a good place to look for some inspiration and make it look the way would like it to" she responded becoming more relaxed as the conversation went on.
"Got it. No embarrassing you in front of the Captain or bridge officers," he half-joked. As the tension eased, so did he, relaxing on his perch on the desk, though he still kicked his heels a bit. "You know, we just missed each other at the Academy, right? Small universe. I read your file too. I'm genuinely impressed how hard you've worked, every bit as much as it reads like you were born to fly. Talent is great, you'll never hear me say otherwise, but you know how to work hard too to get what you want."
His feet paused for a moment, and black eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the tall woman's expression. "So what do you want, Sasha?" To make sure she didn't misunderstand the question, Tav rushed on, "Assistant Chief? My job? XO? To say forget it all and become a Risian tour guide? I want to make sure I do what I can to help you get wherever it is you're going."
"Thank you, I really appreciate you noticing my achievements; to many times they get overlooked and no I didn't know that; I graduated in the class of '91" then she paused a moment contemplating the real question "Some day I wouldn't mind being Assistant Chief and I definitely would like to rise in rank. I love to fly so as long I can continue with that then I'm happy" she responded.
"Then we'll shoot for that," Tav said. With typical Betazoid honesty, he did add, "I can't make promises that the position is yours, of course, and I don't think you'd respect me if I pretended otherwise. I can promise I want to support you with your goals, while pushing hard for us to be the best damn Flight Control in the fleet. We'll work together to both be better at our jobs, and with the rest of our team. So if you need something, my door is always open to you." He glanced back at the walls with a crooked smile, "Even if it is a bit boring in here."
"No I would not expect you to promise me such a thing but what I can tell you is I'll continue to work hard as I've always done and do my part to make us the best" she replied with sincerity "And if I need anything I'll not be afraid to ask" then with a smirk "And boring isn't always a bad thing."
He gave her an exaggerated and aghast look at the 'boring isn't always bad' part. "Divines, perish the thought! I hope we have adventures for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a midnight snack. At least, most days." He laughed, but it still sounded like he was only half-kidding. There was an almost manic light in his eyes.
"I'm glad you stopped in, Sasha, and I'm really looking forward to working with you. Oh, by the way, I guess I'll just ask. You prefer Beta shift, or Gamma, for bridge rotation? Might as well give you first-pick since you were the first to come knocking."
"I would prefer Beta shift but I'm flexible; I'll work whatever is needed and I look forward to working with you as well. Also I can pilot any of the shuttles on board since that's where I learned to fly originally in case there's a need down the road" she answered with a smile.
"You got it," he confirmed and mentally filed away the details for the duty roster Tav would draw up later. Bridge duty would do her good, help expand her experience with flying a cruiser and get her seen by senior officers more, though they'd absolutely rely on her shuttle expertise too.
"Hmm... Maybe a Ferengi style," he mused looking at the blank wall again. "They have some exciting décor. I could get one of those donation boxes, 1 slip for entry..."
A Joint Post By
Ensign Sasha Zen
Flight Control Officer
USS Resolute
Lieutenant Junior Grade Tavian Rhos
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Resolute
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