Edges of Honour
Posted on Mon May 18th, 2026 @ 8:56pm by Captain Saelira Venn & Lieutenant Lorek
2,021 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Prologue: Taking On Crew
Location: Observation Lounge - USS Resolute
Timeline: MD002 - 1900 hours
Saelira had chosen the observation lounge because it felt less like a summons.
The ready room had its place, but this was not a disciplinary matter or a formal interview. Lieutenant Lorek had already been selected, his transfer approved, his record reviewed with the sort of care a new Chief Security and Tactical Officer deserved. What remained now was more personal than administrative. She wanted to meet the officer behind the file.
Beyond the long viewport, Starbase 421 shone against the dark, busy with the constant movement of shuttles, workbees and transport craft. The Resolute held her position nearby, steady and watchful, taking on new crew one name at a time.
On the table beside Saelira sat a single closed PADD. Lorek’s file.
She had read it. Twice.
Vren’desh had recommended him, and that carried weight. The fact that her Klingon XO seemed particularly interested in a Vulcan officer trained in Klingon martial discipline had not escaped her either. Saelira suspected there would be sparring before the month was out.
A faint smile touched her mouth at the thought.
Then the door chime sounded.
Saelira turned from the stars, her expression settling into calm welcome.
“Come in.”
Hearing the invitation to enter Lorek stepped closer to the door allowing it to swoosh open. Walking into the observation lounge he walked to within three feet of his new commanding officer, a restful distance, then immediately snapped to attention eyes looking straight ahead out of respect for his new C.O. rather than protocol "Lieutenant Lorek reporting for duty Captain Venn."
Saelira studied him for a moment, not as an inspection, but with the quiet attention she tended to give new people before deciding how much space to leave them. Lorek’s formality was not unexpected. New ship, new captain, new department, and a role that carried more weight than most people outside Security ever fully understood. Still, there was something deliberate in the way he held himself, respect offered by choice rather than because protocol had dragged it out of him.
“Welcome aboard, Lieutenant,” she said, her voice warm, but not overly familiar. “At ease. I appreciate the formality, but we do not need to begin with you bracing for impact.”
She gestured lightly towards the table, where his file sat closed and untouched for the moment. That was deliberate too. She had read it already. Twice, in fact. The Hermes, the Vincent, the Dakota, then the Endeavour; enough years in Security and Tactical to know the work from more than one angle, and enough time as a department chief to understand that leadership was not simply knowing where to point the phasers.
“I’m glad you made it across without too much delay,” she continued. “Transfer days have a talent for making simple things take longer than they should.”
Her gaze moved briefly towards the viewport, where Starbase 421 glittered beyond the glass, then returned to him.
“How was the trip over?” she asked, before a small note of warmth entered her expression. “And how is Captain Raleth? It has been too long since I had the chance to speak with him properly.”
"Thank you Captain and I look forward to working under your command." then Lorek grinned slightly at the Captain's quip moments ago "Apologies old habits do sneak in from time to time. The trip here was uneventful and thankfully Captain Raleth was able to to provide my transportation as opposed to a long ride in a shuttle." then he paused a moment looking directly at Venn "I did not realize you and the Captain were acquaintances; that explains his informing me of this opportunity." he replied already starting to feel a bit more of ease around his C.O.
Saelira’s smile deepened a little, not indulgent, but warm enough to soften the formality between them. “Raleth and I have known one another for some years. At first, we were simply the two officers most likely to make command meetings run over time.” There was quiet fondness in it, the sort that came from remembering old arguments without needing to reopen them. “He has a talent for saying very little until everyone else has exhausted themselves, then offering one sentence that makes half the room reconsider. I admired that. Eventually, admiration became conversation, and conversation became friendship.”
She moved towards the table and gestured for Lorek to join her, letting the meeting settle into something less rigid. His file remained closed where it was. She had read it already; she did not need to make him feel as though he were being measured against it line by line. “If Raleth told you about this opportunity, then he must have believed you were ready for it. He does not move good officers along carelessly, especially not officers he has trusted in a chief’s role.”
Her green eyes settled on him with calm interest rather than pressure. “That does bring me to something I wanted to ask you myself. You have held Security and Tactical aboard the Endeavour for four years. That is long enough to know the ship, the department, and your captain’s expectations. So what made you decide to move sideways into the same position here, Lieutenant? Same chair in theory, but an entirely different ship, different crew, and different weight to carry.”
Thinking for a brief moment wanting to choose his words carefully; not because he didn't have a response but more so it's content was understood "I was becoming too comfortable in my role on the Endeavor. Yes it is basically the same duties but a totally different environment with a new ship, crew, and most likely different responsibility. These changes will challenge me while removing any hint of complacency thereby keeping me focused and helping me to execute my duties well." Lorek explained.
Saelira listened without interrupting, her expression calm but attentive. It was a solid answer, and more importantly, it sounded like an honest one. The Endeavour was a smaller command than the Resolute, with a different operational rhythm and a different kind of pressure. Moving into the same role here was not truly a sideways step, no matter how Personnel had labelled it. A Sovereign-class ship asked more of every department head, and Security and Tactical most of all when the mission profile shifted without warning.
“That is a good reason,” she said after a moment. “Comfort has its uses, but it can dull the edge if we mistake it for mastery.” Her gaze remained steady on him, interested rather than testing. “The Resolute will challenge you, Lieutenant. So will Commander Vren’desh, I suspect, though possibly in ways not listed in the transfer packet. What I need to know is simple enough: when your department disagrees with you, or when a junior officer sees something you have missed, are you the sort of chief who can hear it before pride or logic gets in the way?”
Hearing her query, Lorek was impressed she had managed to tap into both negative sides of his hybrid heritage in one single sentence "Captain I am not infallible and to presume otherwise would be illogical." as he paused momentarily "Growing up I was privileged enough to have a Klingon mentor teach me about respect and honor. Those two traits I have carried with me to this day. To answer your query....yes I would hear it with the respect it deserved while keeping logic and pride at bay." he replied with direct honesty as he paused once again "As far as the Commander is concerned I would respectfully entertain any challenge that may come my way."
Saelira let the answer settle for a moment. Lorek had not rushed to defend himself, and she appreciated that. There was a difference between discipline and rigidity, and she had seen enough of both to know which one she wanted standing between her crew and danger.
“Good,” she said, simply at first. “That matters to me more than a perfect record.”
She glanced towards the viewport for a moment, then back to him. “People get things wrong. Captains do. Chiefs do. Vulcans do, despite several centuries of excellent public relations.” There was a faint warmth in her expression, enough to make clear she was not mocking him. “What matters is whether you can hear someone before the mistake becomes serious.”
At the mention of Vren’desh, her smile returned a little more openly.
“As for Commander Vren’desh… yes, I imagine he will take you at your word.” She let that sit for half a beat. “He recommended you strongly. The Klingon training caught his attention, of course it did, but that was not the only reason. He thinks you may fit this ship.”
Saelira looked at him properly then, her voice quieter but no less direct.
“I agree with him.”
"Thank you Captain. I will endeavor to fulfill your expectations over the coming months and I look forward to meeting Commander Vren'desh." Lorek responded starting to feel at home aboard the Resolute.
Saelira inclined her head, accepting the answer without making too much ceremony of it. “I have no doubt you will, Lieutenant. Raleth would not have sent you to me if he thought otherwise, and Vren’desh would not have recommended you if he believed you were only impressive on paper.” There was a little warmth in that, but also the steady clarity of a captain setting expectation. “You will have time to settle into your quarters tonight, read yourself into the ship, and get a feel for the department roster. Tomorrow, I would like you to begin your formal handover and meet with Commander Vren’desh. I suspect the two of you will learn a great deal about one another very quickly.”
She glanced once towards the viewport, where Starbase 421 still glittered beyond the glass, then looked back to him. “The Resolute is taking on a great many new pieces at once. Some will fit easily. Some will need patience. Your department will look to you sooner than you expect, not simply for orders, but for steadiness. Start there, Lieutenant. Learn the ship, learn your people, and let them learn you.” Her expression softened just a fraction. “Welcome aboard.”
Hearing her words resonated within him.
The Captain was nicely telling him what she expected from him in the coming days and weeks....nothing harsh but steady and with expectation they had made the correct choice by bringing Lorek aboard. His reply was simple and right to the point "Understood Captain."
Saelira held his gaze for a moment, satisfied by the simplicity of the answer. There was no need to press further tonight. Lorek had given her enough to begin with, and the rest would be learned in the way that mattered: on the ship, with his department, when decisions stopped being theoretical.
“Good,” she said, with a small nod. “Then I will let you get settled. Read yourself into the department tonight, but do not try to learn the whole ship in one evening. She will not appreciate being rushed.”
There was a faint warmth in her expression, subtle but present.
“Tomorrow, begin your formal handover and meet with Commander Vren’desh. After that, I would like your initial departmental readiness assessment by the end of the day. Nothing elaborate. Just what you see, what concerns you, and where you think your attention needs to go first.”
She stepped back slightly, allowing the meeting to end without turning it into ceremony.
“That will be all for now, Lieutenant. Dismissed.”
With a respectful nod Lorek stood as did an about face and exited the observation lounge then proceeded to the nearest lift. Entering "Deck 3" was the request. The rest of the evening would be spent pulling up computer files of personnel and reports for the last month to give him some insight into the department.
A Post By:
Captain Saelira Venn
Commanding Officer
USS Resolute
Lieutenant Lorek
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Resolute
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