Hail to the Chief

Posted on 07 Oct 2025 @ 8:08pm by Captain Bane Plase & Senior Chief Petty Officer Morgan Harrison

3,149 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Shakedown

Morgan looked at the last of his items as he packed them into his duffel bag. He always travelled light; he wasn't the sentimental kind. He had pictures of the past, certainly, all on an isolinear chip, which he would use to create new frames when he arrived on the new ship he was assigned to.

Closing the bag, he picked it up and left the guest quarters of the USS Ozymandias for the last time. He had been studying the profile of his new Commanding Officer. It felt a bit strange, having a CO who wasn't Admiral Reynolds. He had been the only CO that Morgan had served under, at least whilst in Starfleet, but when Admiral Savok had asked for his help, he couldn't say no.

Reynolds had told him he was going to be needed on the USS Cygnus, and so Morgan had accepted the role, and the promotion to Senior Chief Petty Officer. He didn't care about the ranks. What mattered was the fact that he was needed to help bring Order to Chaos, and that was the purpose that Morgan liked.

He had been invited to the briefing room of the Ozymandias, where his new CO was meeting with Admiral Savok, so that was where he was headed.

*****

Savok, meanwhile, was taking a sip of his tea. "Thank you for coming aboard, Plase. Not only did I want you to see the changes I've overseen to the Ozymandias, I have a new crewmember I want to introduce you to. He'll be your new Chief of the Boat," Savok explained.

Plase nodded, putting his own jat'mol tea down. "We need all the crew we can get on the Cygnus. We lost so many people between the hurricane on the planet," Bane said, knowing it was only one person, thank the Prophets, "And the accident. We are critically understaffed, even with the new upgrades made to our ship."

Savok nodded in understanding. "I know how busy you are. I don't know if you've heard of him, but I was able to get Morgan Harrison reassigned to the Cygnus. I promoted him to Senior Chief Petty Officer, but he is worth it. He was one of the reasons that the colony worlds in the Helion sector. He has an ability to track down anything needed, though he does not always go through... proper channels. Still, Admiral Reynolds could not praise the man enough for his dedication to duty," Savok explained.

The Captain shook his head. "I have not heard of him, though I do know the reputation of Admiral Reynolds." Bane then furrowed his brow. "Are you telling me this Chief Petty Officer results to crime to get supplies when needed? Why, Prophets tell, would you want someone like that in Starfleet, and moreover, why would you tolerate it?" If anyone had heard those questions, from a Captain to a two-pip Admiral, they may have thought it was, at least, disrespectful, and at most, challenging the authority of an Admiral. However, Bane and Savok had been friends for a very long time, and as such, Bane was able to have a bit more latitude with the Flag Officer than most would. At one point, Bane outranked Savok.

"I wouldn't call it crime. He just has contacts outside of Starfleet," Savok replied, taking another sip of his tea. "His life has been difficult. His parents were killed by an Orion Syndicate cell when he was fourteen. At eighteen, his teachers all thought he would be an excellent candidate for Starfleet. Certainly he had the intelligence, drive, and abilities. However, he became a mercenary, though not a criminal one. His company helped to retake Betazed, and they have helped Starfleet," Savok explained.

"That having been said, he was brought in as a Non Com by Admiral Reynolds when he commanded the Delaware. Admittedly, I might not have offered the man the position, but he, and this is a direct quote from Reynolds, needed purpose, and could bring order to any chaos. The man thrives on keeping order," Savok continued. "I will confess, I am... a little torn. His motives are good, certainly, though he does bend the rules. He won't resort to criminal acts, but his contacts are... perhaps questionable. That having been said, those contacts were how the Helion Sector was created, so he has his supporters," Savok concluded, as he called up Morgan's service record, to show Plase. "What do you think of his achievements?"

Bane took the PADD and began to read it. As he did so, he said, "Well, at least we have one thing in common." The Vulcan looked to the Bajoran with a Vulcan-like puzzled look that only a Vulcan could do. "The Syndicate. Those bastards nearly destroyed my ship, and took a lot of my people with them." He began to read again.

Savok allowed himself to raise an eyebrow. "Indeed," Savok said simply. "The Orion Syndicate has made a lot of enemies within Starfleet, for many reasons. I have had too many encounters with them myself, especially in my first duty in Starfleet, before I retired with my wife. I will not be distressed if they are eventually wiped out," Savok explained.

Bane let the comment hang in the air between them, went back to reading the biographical details and rich history of Chief Harrison. "Not exactly the wisest choice to join a merc group, but at least they were on the right side of things. The liberation of Betazed was a bloodbath, from what I hear. When is he due to report?"

"He is already aboard; I brought him here as I knew he would be helpful. And yes, the liberation of Betazed was a bloodbath. If not for several mercenary groups, we would have lost a lot more people. I can understand the feeling of wanting revenge, however," Savok said.

He let out a sigh. "When my grand daughter was killed, it was because of the Orion Syndicate. My son, S'dan, took his ship and destroyed the attackers who killed Amy," Savok explained. "I had retired from Starfleet at that point, but after everything was settled, I rejoined Starfleet. I suppose Chief Harrison is a mirror of what I could have done," Savok said. "I do have an additional purpose. The man has often been isolated, when off duty. When I served under you, I was much the same way. I want him to learn from you the same way I did," Savok admitted.

Bane smiled sheepishly. "Careful there, old friend. You might make this old Bajoran blush. You did all the work, and I am sure the Chief is every bit as amazing to and for Starfleet as you are."

Savok allowed a small smile. "Plase, you helped me in so many ways. I know he will grow here, and he will benefit from your friendship, just as I have," Savok said. "I am always thankful to you, my friend, and I am proud of all you have done as well. You are, by far, the ideal Starfleet Officer. You struggle with certain things, sure, as we all do, but you have been strong and overcome everything," he complimented.

Bane, never fond of being doted on or patted on the back, shifted in his seat. "So, do I get to meet this guy, or is he just going to be a phantom crewmember that I always hear about, but we never actually see, kinda like how Kilroy was on the Sentinel, remember?" Bane laughed nervously, having remembered the person everyone said they knew and spent time with, but was never actually a registered member of the crew, and one that neither Captain Bane or then-Commander Savok had ever seen.

Savok allowed a small chuckle, remembering the situation. "He should be here in a few moments, if my timing is accurate, and it usually is," Savok said, moments before the door chime rang. "This will be him now," he said. "Enter," he called out.

Morgan walked in, standing to attention as he also held his bag. "Senior Chief Petty Officer Morgan Harrison, reporting as ordered, Admiral," Morgan said.

"As you were, Chief," Savok said. "This is Captain Bane Plase, your new Commanding Officer. Please, take a seat," Savok said.

Morgan nodded, and sat down, offering a hand to Plase. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain. I've heard a lot of good things about you," Morgan said.

Plase took the hand and shook it. It was a decidedly human gesture, but one Bane had become accustomed to. At Morgan's comment, Bane shot a quick look at the Admiral, as if to say, "Jerk," playfully, then back to the Senior Chief. "And I have read all about you, Senior Chief. I will be very happy to have you aboard the Cygnus. I am sure you know that my ship and this ship, the Ozymandias are sister ships, this one being built immediately after mine. I cannot wait to see what you bring to the ship as a whole. You have been briefed on what your duties and responsibilities will be, hm?"

"I have, sir," Morgan agreed. "I've been assigned as your Chief of the Boat, Captain," he added. "I served on the Delaware for years, which was a Miranda Class starship, so somewhat smaller than this one. I've also already begun some work, and was able to bring some supplies for the ship, including a new EPS Primary junction that I understand you had been having difficulty procuring," he said.

Plase looked from Harrison to the Admiral and back. "Possibly. You would have to check with Lieutenant T'Lara, the Chief Engineer. She has her finger on the pulse of what is, and isn't needed. Though," he said, "If we do already have one, it would be very nice to have a spare. Having had issues with the EPS systems before, I know how critical they are to the operation of the vessel."

Morgan nodded. "Admiral Savok told me that there were shortages in the sector, due to a disruption in transports," Morgan explained. "Still, that isn't why I'm here. I'm here to help keep the lower decks organised, and ensure things are a little easier for you, sir," Morgan said. "I will admit, it's going to be interesting to be on a bigger ship. I understand your last mission was... well, a disaster. I'm glad you managed to get through it the way you did. A lot of lives were saved thanks to your crew, and yourself."

Bane shifted uncomfortably in his seat again. "Yes, well, thanks Chief. Any help you can provide, any leadership will be incredibly useful. Larger ships such as a Nebula-class starship need strong leadership. We need to work as one. The Admiral here believes you are the correct candidate for that, and I trust his judgement more than just about anyone in the galaxy. Make sure you report to Lieutenant Commander Temerant Bast. He is the Executive Officer. Also be sure to touch base with Lieutenant Commander Stovek, the Chief Operations Officer. Us four will be working in very close proximity together, and I need all of us to be able to know each other, predict each others moves and responses, and rely on each other wholly."

"Absolutely," Morgan said in agreement. "My job is to facilitate communications, and honestly, that's something I enjoy doing. I know I've been asked to take other roles, but I prefer to help with the behind the scenes work," he explained. "I'm looking forward to meeting the senior officers of the ship, as well as the junior officers."

The Captain nodded. "You will get to do that a great deal, I think. You will have one hell of a job ahead of you, especially during our shakedown cruise. We lost a lot of good people during the last mission. There will be some gulfs between the old guard and the new guard, especially since the old guard went through such traumatic experiences. You will have to find a way to bridge that gulf, especially with the enlisted corps aboard. The Admiral tells me you can find anything. I encourage you to find that bridge."

Morgan took in what the Captain had said, just as Savok's comm. badge beeped. =/\=Admiral Savok, you've got an incoming message from Starfleet Command=/\=

"Understood. Route it to my ready room," Savok said, standing up. "If you'll excuse me, I will take my leave, and allow you to get to know one another," Savok said, before leaving the room. Plase stood as the Admiral stood and waited for him to leave.

"I've seen a lot of people, and I can usually get a good read of them. I suspect that man had an ulterior motive for me coming here," Morgan said, understanding how Savok planned. "And I don't mean that in a bad way," he added.

Bane sat back down. "Probably. I have known the Admiral since he was a Lieutenant, and he always has something up his sleeve. Anyways," he said, waiving his hand in front of him, a gesture that was making the topic of conversation evaporate into thin air. "Is there anything you wish to know about the Cygnus before you come aboard officially?"

"I've studied the Nebula Class Specs, though I'd like to read through some of your mission logs, and the crew bios, so I can understand who I'm serving with," Morgan said. "What kind of quarters will I have? I only ask because if possible, I'd like a cooking area in my quarters. I enjoy cooking," Morgan explained.

"Good question," Bane said, glad that the Chief had already studied up on the Nebula-class, and had taken time to get to know the people he would be serving with, if only on paper. However, dossiers could only get you so far. Bane was very interested and keen on seeing how this Senior Chief would interact, and how his style would shape the Cygnus. "Normally you would get a standard quarter billet, with a bedroom, small living space and a restroom with a sonic shower. However, being you are going to be the Chief of the Boat, that allows you to have a state room, much like the Executive Officer and I, albeit one of the smaller ones. You will have a fully functional kitchen for cooking and preparing of foods, with cold and room temperature storage. You will have a formal living room, bedroom, restroom with water shower and tub, and a small office. I think that would suffice. Mr. Stovek will be the one to assign you that room, so unfortunately, I do not know which one, or on which deck," Bane confessed.

Morgan nodded, with a small smile. "More than sufficient, thank you, sir," Morgan said. "I did want to speak to you, and ask you something personal, if you don't mind?"

Bane looked at the chronometer on the wall above the door that Savok had just left. "Sure, I have time for another question," Bane said. "I have a meeting with Commodore Xaeralan shortly about the final touches on the ship before we depart."

"I read your file on my way here. You grew up during the Occupation, which I imagine can't have been easy. I spent sixteen years hunting the Orion Syndicate cell who killed my parents. After, I joined Starfleet as a Non Com, but... there are still days when I have nightmares of the past, of seeing the face of the man who killed my parents in front of me. I killed him, but I've not fully found peace yet. Have you managed to find peace with the past, or does it still bother you?" Morgan asked. "I just... I'd appreciate your view, and maybe I can find a way to find my own peace."

Bane inhaled deeply. This was a guy he had literally just met, and he wanted to dig into Bane's deep past? He pushed that immediate thought away, and assumed the question was coming from a good place. He looked at Harrison again, seeing him in a new light. He was asking advice. He was asking for a path. Bane admired him for that. They didn't know each other from Raythar, and he was showing vulnerability. Plase smiled. "The best thing I can tell you, Mr. Harrison, is that each person must find that peace for himself, herself, or theirself. However," he pointed upwards, "The Prophets have always been a source of strength and guidance. If you'd like, I can help you on that journey to them. I can't promise you will find peace, but I can promise you will find a center and a bedrock in which to build upon."

Morgan allowed a small smile to form. "I'd like that, sir," Morgan said. "When I went to boot camp, everyone expected me to want to go into security or something similar. The truth is, whilst I've been a Mercenary, I've had too much blood for my liking on my hands, and I want to help in ways that doesn't involve hurting or killing people. It's why I became a Procurement Officer, and now Chief of the Boat. Whilst I don't know much about the Prophets, I'd welcome your guidance and advice," Morgan said.

There was kinship. Bane didn't like spilling blood, either. "That is why I joined Starfleet, Mr. Harrison. To better myself, to better Bajor, to better the galaxy. We will schedule some time to go over the basics. And we will be serving close enough that we will have plenty of time to get to know each other, and to make a difference. For now," Bane said, standing, which forced Harrison to stand as well, "I need to get to that meeting. It was a pleasure meeting you. Please, don't forget to report in to Lieutenant Commander Bast. I imagine he is already expecting you."

"I'll head to the transporter room and beam aboard the Cygnus now then, sir," Morgan said. "I look forward to serving with you, Captain," he added. He now understood something about Savok's plan. Savok had clearly spoken with Admiral Reynolds, and suspected there was going to be a chance to find a path here. It was, after all, why he had agreed with then Captain Reynolds and joined Starfleet. "I hope the meeting goes well, sir," he added, before he followed the man out of the meeting room.

But Bane didn't respond. He was already headed down the corridor at near light speed to get to his next meeting with the Commodore.


OFF

A JP by

Senior Chief Petty Officer Morgan Harrison
Chief of the Boat
USS Cygnus

and

Bane Plase, Captain
USS Cygnus, Commanding

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