“Come in.”

The voice was feminine but not high, or cutesy. It was the kind of voice that was measured and confident. The kind of voice that was used to giving orders and having them obeyed. In short, Iona realised that it was the captain of the Reverent speaking.

In other words… her new boss.

Stepping forward, the door slid open in front of her to reveal one of the many conference rooms aboard. It was currently occupied by two people sat at the head of a table designed for around twenty. But they didn’t look lost. In fact, the two of them looked comfortable, like she’d just interrupted an intimate conversation.

“Commander Savage, I presume?” The woman rose with an easy smile on her face.

Isabella Buchanan was easily recognisable from the file Iona had read front to back, trying to glean anything extra she could about the woman she’d be working for.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, offering her hand as she reached the table and its occupants.

“Likewise, and, please, call me Buck,” the captain said with a firm handshake. Letting go of Iona’s hand, she half turned.

“Please let me introduce Chief Barrington, our senior command yeoman.”

“Chief.” She nodded in his direction, offering a small smile. He was tall, and dark-haired with the closed expression of the professional NCO around an officer they didn’t know.

“Ma’am,” he replied with a nod, only taking his seat after she and the captain had taken theirs.

She focused back in on Captain Buchanan only to find herself being watched intently in return. It was like being studied by a rattlesnake. There was a keen intelligence behind Buck’s eyes, one that softened a little when she smiled. Iona knew when she was being sized up though, and she appreciated that Buck didn’t try to hide it.

“I trust your journey here was a pleasant one? Drink, commander?” the captain asked, pushing up out of her seat to cross the room to the replicator on the back wall before Iona could properly process the first question.

“Iona or my friends call me Sav, and please,” she replied with a smile. The captain was a whirlwind, that was for sure. “A latte if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, coming right up,” Buck nodded, ordering quickly and returning to the table with two drinks. One she placed in front of Iona and the other in front of the chief.

“Have you two worked together long?” Iona asked, sipping at the hot drink as Buck returned to the table with her own, smiling at the chief.

“Officially, he’s been my yeoman for about an hour.” Buck smiled.

“We met what… nearly thirty years ago?” The chief added, turning the handle of his mug to line up with the padd in front of him.

”Really?” Buck shot him a look, eyes widening a little in surprise. “God, yeah… it is that long, isn’t it?”

Barrington inclined his head. “Time flies when you’re having fun, or in Starfleet.”

Iona hid her smile behind her mug. She had a feeling she was going to like the chief.

“So, as I said to the chief here, we’re going to be hitting the ground running,” Buck said with a smile, leaning back in her chair and cradling her mug in her hands. Black coffee, Iona noted, easily picking up the bitter-rich smell. “The Alkahest, one of our division ships is en-route to our location—“

Barrington looked down at his padd. “Just arrived now, ma’am. The notification just came through.”

Buck nodded, barely a break in her stride as she carried on speaking. “We have new crew reporting in. For the senior staff, our new chief tactical officer, Commander Graves should be reporting in shortly. I’d like you in on that one please. After that I have a formal lunch with station command. I’ve left you out of that one, believe me, you’ll thank me for that, Captain Towlinson is rather vocal on many aspects of the administration of Starfleet as it stands and is convinced everyone is as fascinated by the subject as he is.”

Iona reached out and put her mug down on the table in front of her. “Thank you for that then, ma’am. I’ll use the time to get my bearings and get acquainted with the senior staff’s files and as many of them as I can find.”

Buck nodded.  “Might I suggest avoiding Voss in science until a formal briefing meeting? He’s somewhat… spikey if the formalities aren’t observed. And if you wander into engineering before I do, Grey is the big unit. Looks more like a marine than an engineer. I haven’t worked out how he gets into the jefferies tubes, probably rewrites the laws of physics or something. Will absolutely talk your ear off about engineering principles. I just smile and nod.”

”Big unit. Laws of physics, got it.” She nodded, already intrigued. “Anything else I should know about?”

Buck frowned. “Hmmm, not at this time. Just be back here at two, we have a command meet and greet with the Alkahest command crew. Captain Barrington and Commander Blackwell-Kent.”

Iona’s gaze cut to the chief at the name, only to find him looking down at his padd again.

“Cousin,” he said mildly, as if he’d anticipated the question. She wondered how many times he’d been asked it… or not, as the case may be.

“Of course. That must be nice, family in the division.”

Barrington looked up, his expression unreadable. “You would think.”

O…kay, she was leaving that one well alone.

She looked back at the captain. “So, two o’clock? Back here?”

Buck nodded, then leaning forward, titled the chief’s padd toward her so she could see the screen. “Oh hell, I’m going to be late. I’m going to have to ask you to handle Commander Graves reporting in.”

”Of course, ma’am. My pleasure.”

“Awesome, thank you.” Taking another swallow of her coffee, Buck put the mug in Barrington’s outstretched hand and stood. Tugging on the hem of her jacket to straighten it, she offered her hand to Iona again.

“Again, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander, and welcome aboard. I’m sorry we’ve had to cut this so short, but we’ll get to catch up later after the meet and greet with the Alkahest boys.”

”Of course, ma’am, thank you. Looking forward to it.” she replied, hastily standing as her hand was shook, then the captain was gone, sweeping out of the door in a whirlwind of motion.

She looked at the door, blinking. The room felt empty now Buck was gone.

Turning, Iona looked at the chief. “Is she always—”

He nodded. “All the time.”

Okay, that meant this assignment was certainly going to be interesting. Taking her seat again, she smiled at Barrington.

“Okay, so, what do I have to bribe you with to get you to bring me up to speed with all the gossip aboard?”

He gave her a deadpan look. “I’ve only been aboard the ship an hour longer than you have, ma’am.”

A smile curved the corner of her lips. “Oh, don’t give me that, chief. This isn’t my first rodeo, I know you guys have your finger on the pulse. There isn’t anything aboard you don’t know about.”

He just watched her. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an accusation, ma’am.”

She leaned back in her chair and smiled at him. Let the moment stretch out. He dropped his gaze, straightening his padd.

“I… may be partial to a good scotch, ma’am.”