Station Post # 3 Teachable Moments

Posted on Sun Aug 4th, 2024 @ 12:59pm by Captain Deke Rivers & Crewman Recruit Leaf Brol & Captain Shauna Callaghan

Mission: FINAL JUDGEMENT
Location: Starbase M-69
Timeline: Concurrent

On

With a new academic agenda added to M-69 Captain Deke Rivers couldn't wait to begin his first class of raw recruits to command.

Despite only having 5 students for the first class Deke prepared his first curriculum.

" Rivers to Callaghan. When you are not busy I need to meet with you in the class room. I have coffee and donuts." Deke baited into his Comm badge.

“Donuts? Did I hear the word Donuts?” Shauna smiled to herself as she answered. “I’ll be there after you finish your first lesson.”

Deke quickly ordered donuts and piping hot French vanilla coffee from the replicator. Which appeared just as his five students arrived.

One in particular was a rather large olive grabbed male being who took the attention of the others.

" Find a seat and we will begin. I am your professor Captain Deke Rivers, possibly the oldest person you ever will know. This is Command school 101."

Shauna arrived to find Deke in full swing teaching what few pupils they had so far. She entered quietly and stood at the back of the class listening to the lesson.

" Captain what makes a good leader." Leaf Brol asked Deke.
" An administrator is hired to over see. But a leader leads along side his crew. A leader guides or directs while an administrator follows written rules. But not all situations have written rules. So a leader has to adjust their orders so that at the end of the day your ship and crew are safe." Deke replied.

" Sir another question. Have you ever had to order a person to do something you know will kill them? Like a warp core breach?" a second recruit asked.

" I have. That is the toughest part of this job Cadet." Deke replied.

" Did you lose sleep over it?" the Cadet replied.

" I still do . Next question." Deke replied.

Shauna smiled as she held up her hand. “Why don’t you tell us about your impressions of being a cadet, what worried you the most? What made you decide you wanted to be a command officer?”

" Some of you may know of my past some may not. I am here as a result of a temporal event. My ship left the Alpha Quadrant in 2395 and we emerged just before the Borg invasions. When I was a Cadet my Captain was as pompous as most from that era. He had fought Klingons and Romulans and made us all fear them...it was a different time. So I became a bully of sorts. A hundred years later I learned to not hate Klingons and even fathered a son from one. That is also a long story. I wanted to become a better Captain than I had worked under. I want to teach you all to use more than your fighting bones to solve your problems. But...never be afraid to stand up to a bully." Deke replied smiling at Shauna.

" Captain Callaghan same question to you."

“Me?” Shauna suddenly felt every pair of eyes turn to look at her. “Well, it’s not as interesting as your reason mine is more personal. As in heritage, my parents are Starfleet officers as were my grandparents, so I’m keeping the family tradition going.” She smiled warmly. “The one thing I would like is to be a joined trill, but being half trill that most likely won’t ever happen.”

" Maybe we can make that happen?" Deke smiled as he was thinking of something else. " On that note first day is complete. Now don't forget your home work. Shau...Captain Callaghan I need you to stay after class."

“Yes Sir” Shauna offered a mock salute that made the cadets grin.

When the class exited Deke walked close to Shauna.

" We should talk about that symbiont more. Maybe over dinner?"

Shauna smiled. “I think dinner would be lovely Deke” she smiled warmly.

Out of no where Commodore Sureth called out for Shauna to meet him in the Ready Room.

" Boy does he ever have perfect timing damn Vulcan." Deke commented.

“All part of the job” Shauna smiled as she tapped her comm badge. “On my way Sir.” With that she kissed Deke on the cheek and headed on her way.

Tbc